tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104791899744365842024-03-05T18:13:34.125-05:00Susan Whitfield's BlogMulti-genre author Susan Whitfield writes the Logan Hunter Mystery series: Genesis Beach, Just North of Luck,Hell Swamp, Sin Creek and Sticking Point. She authored Killer Recipes, a unique cookbook, and wrote a women's fiction, Slightly Cracked. She is currently writing an historical fiction titled Sprig of Broom. Susan interviews authors and industry experts on the blog. Web site: www.susanwhitfieldonline.com Susan Whitfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215871952420224793noreply@blogger.comBlogger388125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10479189974436584.post-43523290139008934212015-10-25T08:50:00.000-04:002015-10-25T08:50:00.262-04:00Have blogs lost their luster?I am considering dropping this blog due to lack of interest.<br />
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With the help of Blogger tools I am able to see how many folks visit the blog on a daily basis. While I am fairly pleased to have as many as 20+ visitors per day, readers don't leave comments for authors or for me. After 380+ blogs have been posted, I'm wondering if there's anyone out there who would care if the blog folded altogether.<br />
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If you read this blog and would like for it to continue to give you information on authors and books, please leave a comment. Authors, you need to weigh in also. Has this blog helped you in any way? I'm open to an entirely new format and content if that would bring traffic.<br />
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Thanks in advance for your honest feedback. I'm offering a gift set of all five Logan Hunter Mysteries to one lucky commenter.Susan Whitfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215871952420224793noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10479189974436584.post-53059730315612848182015-10-18T08:00:00.000-04:002015-10-18T08:00:00.496-04:00Susan Noel Sands: Again, Alabama<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuoS3pYb_G61OfSgNWpPVYEvL4hDtG6WYcf5T8BBiPa5AlNLGk3AM0YDAHVXuwhZXnb7AGwdNbQwkZMziiDqDmab2zgNikPk0qRTSBRs_u2SGDAlqfBs2-GdKR9NsT3qHhXmou46HY8wY/s1600/8E3A3624.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuoS3pYb_G61OfSgNWpPVYEvL4hDtG6WYcf5T8BBiPa5AlNLGk3AM0YDAHVXuwhZXnb7AGwdNbQwkZMziiDqDmab2zgNikPk0qRTSBRs_u2SGDAlqfBs2-GdKR9NsT3qHhXmou46HY8wY/s1600/8E3A3624.jpeg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;">FREE signed copy of Susan's book to some lucky commenter!</span></div>
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<b>Susan Sands grew up in a tiny Southern town in Northwest
Louisiana near the Texas border. Calling it a town is generous, really. She
graduated with a degree from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches,
Louisiana where the movie, Steel Magnolia’s was filmed during Susan’s time
living there. There’s no more Southern, small town claim to fame than that.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Her characters and setting are pulled from those very
Southern, small towns and open spaces, where the air is clean and the words are
often spoken with more syllables than necessary, y’all.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Her lifelong love of reading and the realization that her
children were growing up and would eventually move on spurred her to try her
hand at writing. Susan lives with her dentist husband and three nearly grown
children in Johns Creek, GA. She is a member of the Georgia Romance Writers and
the Romance Writers of America.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Welcome to the blog, Susan.</div>
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Thanks so much for
hosting me today, Susan! I grew up in a tiny town in North Louisiana, I now live
in Georgia, but my novel, AGAIN, ALABAMA, is set in small town Alabama. My own
small town upbringing feeds my stories with the kind of humor and situations
that can only spring from first-hand immersion in this real-life setting. Small
towns are crazy fun!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p>I am delighted to have you on the blog.</o:p></div>
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How has your environment affected your writing?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>My current environment living in suburban Atlanta, not so
much. My past environment was a fertile breeding ground for some whacky
Southern stuff, let me tell you. I graduated high school with thirty people—in
public school. We had a big class. Between the gassy well water at school and
the toilets blowing up when kids sneaked a smoke in the bathroom, to my class
hosting the first prom in the school’s history where there were more chaperones
than students, let me tell you…</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Give a short synopsis of <i>Again, Alabama</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Dragged back to her small town to help her mother recover
from surgery while rescuing the family event planning business should be a
cinch. Even for a disgraced television chef, right? Wrong.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Among the many secrets Cammie's family’s been hiding is
the fact that their historic home is falling down. Oh, and the man hired
to restore the house, Grey Harrison, is the same high school and college love
of her life who thrashed her heart and dreams ten years ago. Yeah, that
guy.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Grey, a widower with a young daughter, has never stopped
loving Cammie, and when they are face to face once again, the chemistry is off
the charts. Cammie may be in full-blown denial, but letting go is no
longer in Grey’s vocabulary, even when winning Cammie’s forgiveness and
renovating their love may seem like an impossible build even for a master
architect and carpenter.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>As Cammie finds herself forgetting all the reasons she can’t
trust Grey or love again, he finds himself remembering all the reasons he wants
her to stay with him in Alabama… forever.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixT_-1cr0S2_8mYlTuDd5JclETpXpuDLCjlni6r1vMukqypP9jds55CB1co_WxbuobI6QaeoiD1heNfb1UZRqJIXbiiIAANRMh0nrEEEq8flQMdM0lAjv7M6S5LVr4VsIdq8a0P6VfA-s/s1600/image002.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixT_-1cr0S2_8mYlTuDd5JclETpXpuDLCjlni6r1vMukqypP9jds55CB1co_WxbuobI6QaeoiD1heNfb1UZRqJIXbiiIAANRMh0nrEEEq8flQMdM0lAjv7M6S5LVr4VsIdq8a0P6VfA-s/s320/image002.jpeg" width="214" /></a>How much of yourself is hidden in the characters in the
book?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Um. I’m almost afraid to look at that too closely. I would
say I’m more in the voice of the characters than in the actual story or
behavior. I do have a good sense of humor—pretty snarky at times. So, if you
know me, you can definitely hear me when reading my work.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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What challenges did you face while writing this book?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>This book has gone through many versions. It’s been edited
half to death, then shortened and tightened. The title was changed from MISERY,
ALABAMA by the publisher because it wasn’t “romantic” enough. True enough. It
went from a true women’s fiction title to more of a Southern women’s
fiction/contemporary romance. First I found an agent who believed in the book, and
then I found a wonderful editor who believed in the story and was willing to
put in the time.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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What do you think is the greatest lesson you’ve learned
about writing so far? <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>There are so many lessons. I learned the importance of
spending time learning how to write according to a set of rules, and ways to
make words fit together so they tell a story and make reader’s feel. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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What advice can you give new writers? <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Spend time learning how to write. Buy craft books, attend
conferences, and learn to take criticism with grace. Grow skin thicker than an
elephants. Listen to what your trusted readers tell you. It hurts to get
feedback that isn’t from your mom. And don’t give up.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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We all know how important promoting our work has become. How
do you get the word out both off and online?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>I beg, borrow and steal. No, I don’t steal, but it’s
challenging as a new author to get your name and work out there. I’ve done blog
tours, been lucky enough to have published author friends host me on their
blogs, share my good news on their author pages and websites, and had news
articles published announcing my book release. I’ve yelled at the top of my
lungs on social media every time any of those things have happened. My
publisher put my book on Net Galley before it was released, which garnered many
reviews by reviewers and bloggers who posted them on their websites and blogs
as well as on Amazon and Goodreads. I set up an author page on Amazon,
Facebook, and Goodreads, then linked my blogs and website to all of those
sites. I tweet about my books and am on loops with other writers and actively
tweet and re-tweet their good news and releases. It’s the hard part of this
job.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Can you tell us your future writing goals/projects?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>I am currently working on a connected story to AGAIN,
ALABAMA.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Where can folks learn more about your books and events?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>I can be found in all the fun places!<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>e-mail <a href="mailto:snsands@gmail.com"><span style="color: #386eff;">snsands@gmail.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Facebook Author Page: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/susannsandsauthor"><span style="color: #386eff;">https://www.facebook.com/susannsandsauthor</span></a><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Twitter: @SusanNoelSands<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Blog: Sweet Home Alpharetta at: <a href="http://susansands.com/"><span style="color: #386eff;">http://susansands.com</span></a></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> </o:p> </div>
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Are your books available in print and ebook formats? </div>
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<b>My
books have been released online in both print and e-book formats. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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http://www.amazon.com/Again-Alabama-Susan-Sands-ebook/dp/B00Z318GNY/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1442974325&sr=8-1<o:p></o:p></div>
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http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/again-alabama-susan-sands/1122111605?ean=9781942240921&st=PLA&sid=BNB_DRS_Core+Shopping+Books_00000000&2sid=Google_&sourceId=PLGoP345&k_clickid=3x345&kpid=9781942240921<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/550065">https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/550065<o:p></o:p></a></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/again-alabama/id1005362658?mt=11">https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/again-alabama/id1005362658?mt=11<o:p></o:p></a></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/again-alabama">https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/again-alabama</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow;"><b>Please leave a comment for a chance to win a free signed copy of Again, Alabama!</b></span></div>
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Susan Whitfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215871952420224793noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10479189974436584.post-8612094365127521132015-10-17T10:30:00.000-04:002015-10-17T10:31:25.496-04:00RELEASED !!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisfMvXEH17j6DYFH9OGY4uXmaKSKP1Uj2XqMHJiG7NcCOLn1lGv0PwWfca81XMaZNe-OjjuvynqmGTo1zvcsEEnFHyU0dAOOlEmUgqkmZ9wIG8sYPm3Hmn3_J7IzdTxSef3O06UznQZYY/s1600/SprigofBroomcvr.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisfMvXEH17j6DYFH9OGY4uXmaKSKP1Uj2XqMHJiG7NcCOLn1lGv0PwWfca81XMaZNe-OjjuvynqmGTo1zvcsEEnFHyU0dAOOlEmUgqkmZ9wIG8sYPm3Hmn3_J7IzdTxSef3O06UznQZYY/s320/SprigofBroomcvr.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
I am a lineal descendant of a Knight of the Bath, Sir Geoffrey V Plantagenet. I read nearly forty books before I wrote Sprig of Broom, wanting to know as much about the man as possible. He married King Henry's daughter, Matilda, and fathered the long line of Plantagenet kings of England.<br />
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While history was not as kind to him as I was, I wanted readers to see Geoffrey's human-ness and understand the duress he must have had when constantly belittled and befuddled by his lady wife. I wanted readers to understand that even though he was a great warrior, he could also be remorseful and weak.<br />
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I hope I pulled it off. The novel has been released in all formats. If you are inclined to read it, please leave a review. Reviews are appreciated even if short. Please "like" it on my Facebook page www.facebook.com/susan.whitfield and also on my author page there: <br />
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https://www.facebook.com/authorsusanwhitfield?ref=aymt_homepage_panel<br />
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<b><span style="color: yellow;">Please leave a comment for a chance to win a free signed copy of Sprig of Broom!</span></b><br />
<br />
Here's a short excerpt to whet your appetite:<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">An
ominous sound unexpectedly penetrated my thoughts and a cold fog washed over me
like damp wool. My view disappeared as mist eddied and locked me in its cocoon
of eerie dankness, alone. I reached for my blade to cut through it, hoping to
open it up like a boar hog’s hide and step out into the light. No opening
presented itself. I stopped in my tracks on the rocky road. I knew steep
ravines were poised on each side, waiting to beat me to a pulp as I plummeted
to the bottom. I could see nothing, but an unworldly and putrid smell invaded
my nostrils.<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">“Blou?
Hardouin? Paieri?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">I
heard no response from my men, but a low moan grew louder. Did I hear sinister laughter?
Could that be possible out here far between two kingdoms? Surely no other fools
ventured out at dawn’s first light without due cause.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">“Jacquelin?
Is that your laughter I hear?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Jacquelin
did not respond.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">There!
Again I heard it. Menacing laughter. I grabbed the hilt of my dagger with
determination as an ominous humming sound came closer to me. Could someone . .
. or something see me through the fog? I began to shake from dampness or fear
of what brought the laughter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">The
cackling turned into a low groan and a hag chewing a brown plant appeared just
out of my reach, wearing tattered clothes and displaying ragged and rotten
teeth, ghastly wild hair, a prunish face, and foul stench.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">“Listen
and heed,” it warned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">More
shrill laughter and another voice came from a different direction. I turned in
a circle and tried to determine from which way the voice came.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">“Mesh
becomes chain,” a squeaky voice proclaimed behind me.<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">I
blinked, understanding nought. I spun until my lightheadedness dropped me to my
knees at the sound of yet another voice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">“Dark
of moon brings realm of gloom,” a deeper raspier voice disclosed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">“Heat
of broom becomes his doom,” yet another voice declared. I was surrounded.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">“Gloom
and doom for man of broom!” This deafening pronouncement came in unison from all
the ghastly voices encircling me, making my bones creak.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">“Who
are you? Show yourselves, old crones,” I bellowed, trying not to display fear.
But I heard no answer and the fog and the one apparition I could see dissipated.
I again had a clear view of the next village, no being of any kind in sight. Where
were the barons who had accompanied me from my home land and walked with me only
seconds ago?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">I
turned when I heard a commotion behind me and saw the men running to catch me,
Blou in the lead, sword drawn.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">“Where
did you go, my lord?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">“I
have the same question for you, Blou.”<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">“We
walked along the road with you until you disappeared into a fog. We nought could
find you or hear you. We called out but no answer came.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">“You did not
hear me call to you?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">“No, my lord.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">“Witches
surrounded me and separated me from you,” I explained.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">“For
what purpose, my lord?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">“I have no answer,
Blou, only riddles that made no sense.” </span><br />
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Early review:<br />
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<span class="a-size-small a-color-secondary" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(85, 85, 85) !important; font-size: 12px !important; line-height: 1.5 !important;">1 of 1 people found the following review helpful</span><br />
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<a class="a-link-normal a-text-normal a-color-base" href="http://www.amazon.com/review/RR09BCQQOBPE7/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0996818707&channel=detail-glance&nodeID=283155&store=books" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(153, 102, 51) !important; text-decoration: none;" title="5.0 out of 5 stars"><i class="a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5" style="background-image: url(http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/AUIClients/AmazonUIBaseCSS-sprite_1x-769b217e87bb50e13cac4cddab5ced142197bb43._V2_.png); background-position: -5px -368px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 400px 650px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 18px; position: relative; vertical-align: text-top; width: 80px;"></i></a><span class="a-letter-space" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; width: 0.385em;"></span><a class="a-link-normal a-text-normal a-color-base" href="http://www.amazon.com/review/RR09BCQQOBPE7/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0996818707&channel=detail-glance&nodeID=283155&store=books" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(153, 102, 51) !important; text-decoration: none;"><span class="a-size-base a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700 !important; line-height: 19px !important;">Fitting Tribute to An Ancestor</span></a></div>
<span class="a-color-secondary" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(85, 85, 85) !important;"><span class="a-size-normal" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="a-color-secondary" style="box-sizing: border-box;">By </span><a class="noTextDecoration" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A2RSUZ998P94JK/ref=cm_cr_dp_pdp" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0066c0; text-decoration: none;">Mary Deal</a> </span><span class="a-color-secondary" style="box-sizing: border-box;">on September 21, 2015</span></span></div>
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<span class="a-size-mini a-color-secondary" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(85, 85, 85) !important; font-size: 11px !important; line-height: 1.465 !important;">Format: Kindle Edition<i class="a-icon a-icon-text-separator" style="background-color: #dddddd; background-image: url(http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/AUIClients/AmazonUIBaseCSS-sprite_1x-769b217e87bb50e13cac4cddab5ced142197bb43._V2_.png); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 400px 650px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; height: 12px; line-height: 0; margin: -2px 0.67375em 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 1px;"></i></span><span class="a-size-mini a-color-state a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(196, 85, 0) !important; font-size: 11px !important; font-weight: 700 !important; line-height: 1.465 !important;"> Verified Purchase</span><br />
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Sprig of Broom, by Susan Whitfield, gives us a unique peek into the fertile mind of this award-winning author. While researching her genealogy she recognizes the life of the man from whom she descends, one gallant Sir Geoffrey V. Plantagenet, could be turned into a slightly fictionalized but also true accounting of his long and beleaguered life, its heartaches and satisfactions. Sir Geoffrey was the original Plantagenet who started the Sprig of Broom usage.<br />
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Whitfield’s ability to establish unique character personalities is well honed. The settings as described made me feel a part of the story, the action. I fought beside Sir Geoffrey in long and bloody battles, cringed at his wife's cruel taunting and treatment. I despised yet understood the Dowager Empress Matilda. So many diverse lives fill this story and make it an exciting and satisfying read. I am still amazed at how much history is packed in here.<br />
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Sprig of Broom is an historical novel that I didn’t wish to see end. But it had to because all of Sir Geoffrey’s life, from teen years and on is included in this exciting portrayal of life circa. 1127 in Great Britain. I don’t want to say much more about this book that wouldn’t end up being a spoiler. So, suffice it to say, I wholeheartedly recommend Whitfield’s Sprig of Broom to historical aficionados, for both the fiction and nonfiction of it. It’s difficult to tell what’s fiction and what’s not. Sir Geoffrey’s life makes it a most exciting read for any reader. Whitfield has paid a magnificent tribute to her ancestor.</div>
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Why, thank you so much, Mary Deal!</div>
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Susan Whitfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215871952420224793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10479189974436584.post-21651041346955429792015-10-11T08:00:00.000-04:002015-10-11T08:00:02.616-04:00Emmy Jane <div class="MsoNormal">
I waited on the porch, munching a crispy apple watching Emmy-Jane to ride up on her horse near Saratoga
Springs, NY.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Emmy Jane was born and raised in
upstate NY, where riding horses was part of her everyday life. Though time took
her elsewhere, she never forgot her love of horses or the lessons they taught
her. Along the way, after acquiring two masters degrees in her Field, she left
her doctoral candidacy in Clinical Psychology to start a family. Over the past
several years, watching her children grow has often reminded her of life
lessons she learned through her pony. Those reminders and her professional background
inspired Emmy Jane's first children's book series. It begins with the story of <i>Twinkleberry
Pie for My Birthday</i>, an uplifting family tale about a girl who learns her
assumptions are far from true on a day spent with a new pony.</b></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJwG2w7NikVAaAnhWSwXFp-UHZ9hfjwKedlIO2tCP0DHa4Iiux3LzisgO_XGcVQjEMdkfRmzXfW4YDYffA6crU4WfrLCDpEkXxovXNYZNvuGkOEzL3Ma9h53AhrZCdnipYt7h1feIy8w/s1600/EmmyJane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJwG2w7NikVAaAnhWSwXFp-UHZ9hfjwKedlIO2tCP0DHa4Iiux3LzisgO_XGcVQjEMdkfRmzXfW4YDYffA6crU4WfrLCDpEkXxovXNYZNvuGkOEzL3Ma9h53AhrZCdnipYt7h1feIy8w/s1600/EmmyJane.jpg" /></a><o:p> </o:p></div>
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I"m enjoying this big apple very much, Emmy-Jane. </div>
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<b>So glad, Susan. Thanks for coming.</b></div>
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My pleasure. Tell me, how many books have you written?</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>Twinkleberry Pie for My Birthday </i>represents my foray into
the book publishing world. Scientific and clinical writing had major roles in
my previous Field, but I haven’t written any related books. This is my first
published work of imaginative writing that introduces my children’s series. At
present, I have submitted the second story, <i>Twinkleberry Pie in Wizzie’s
Orchard</i>, and am working on the third.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Give a short synopsis. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>The story is about a girl who believes she can ride a horse
independently because she has been learning to ride since age two. She thinks
her parents do not believe the same, as they have never allowed her to ride
without her mother holding a safety rope attached to the family horse. On the
day of her sixth birthday, an occasion she thinks her parents have forgotten,
she learns her assumptions are far from true when she receives a pony of her
own.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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How much of yourself is hidden in the characters in the
book?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQJZwq8eGkiEOaVCGsy5L0VH615xwRIaFfJR3jsU_U9WmUJZeJTOyIIB3_W6A8ra4yr0wl6TG0iG3hl-Ns0n9zvwewm3tAXSTTgvaxauOxx31XEd1qqlkak0cT2c5hxJjqZeG7N1WX_QQ/s1600/Twinkieaprilcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQJZwq8eGkiEOaVCGsy5L0VH615xwRIaFfJR3jsU_U9WmUJZeJTOyIIB3_W6A8ra4yr0wl6TG0iG3hl-Ns0n9zvwewm3tAXSTTgvaxauOxx31XEd1qqlkak0cT2c5hxJjqZeG7N1WX_QQ/s320/Twinkieaprilcover.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>The book was loosely about my own childhood. I really did
have a pony named Twinkleberry Pie and I did receive her around the time of my
sixth birthday, but that’s where the true facts end. I used my background in
Psychology to form a story that imparts valuable lessons via its main theme of learning
from misconceptions, and its secondary theme of wanting unconditional parental
support but not always feeling that support. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Do you travel to do research or for inspiration? Can you share
some special places with us?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>I’ve traveled for the sake of research. With the knowledge
that people tend to remember more of the big picture from their distant past
rather than the minute details, I decided to voyage to my hometown address and
the nearby area to take pictures of things I haven’t seen daily for decades.
Just as I suspected, the environmental visual cues helped me to remember some specifics
from events I haven’t contemplated in over 25 years. I was then able to create
colorfully descriptive fiction based on more comprehensive recall of days lived
long ago. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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What advice can you give new writers?<o:p></o:p></div>
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I<b> think all authors would agree that a manuscript for any
audience is only as good as its ability to keep the reader engaged in the story.
Regarding the children’s book genre, there’s a notion in the general public
that absolutely everyone can write a children’s story. Perhaps that’s true, but
writing one that resonates with its entire audience is another matter. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>If I may state the obvious conservatively, adults are very
often the readers of children’s books. Therefore, those that stand out in the
genre, aside from those published by celebrities, are those that appeal to
people of all ages. Speaking as a parent, I can attest to the fact that many
stories fall short of appealing to adults. So I ask the following of children’s
story writers. What’s the point of writing something that a significant
percentage of your audience gets nothing out of reading, or worse, feels like that
act of re-reading it to a child who fancies it is an exercise in patience? I
might add a reminder that adults are also the majority buyers of children’s
books. In today’s economy, they should feel like they’re spending their money
wisely. <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Given the competition in the fast-growing children’s book
market, I think that writers like me who are virtually unknown can’t afford to
fail to consider their whole audience as much as how they’ll use their unique
writing strengths to engage readers and build their brand. I’m taking my own advice
by utilizing pieces of anecdotes from my life with my background in Psychology
to share some of what I’ve learned personally and professionally in stories
that, I hope, entertain and resonate with readers of all ages. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Where do you store ideas for later use: in your head, in a
notebook, or on a spreadsheet?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>I keep sticky note pads in multiple places in my house to
facilitate scribbling ideas that are unrelated to my current writing project.
Over time, I add to each in no specific order except as new developments in
each come to mind until I have enough collected thoughts to piece together
rough outlines.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Can you tell us your future writing goals/projects?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>My ultimate goal is to diversify my writing across genres
through different types of book ideas that have been taking shape. For now, I’m
sketching outlines for the remainder of the Twinkleberry Pie series and
developing storylines for more children’s books.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Where can folks learn more about your book and up-coming events?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>People can see more about my books and events on my author
page within my publisher’s website, <a href="http://www.publishwithcfa.com/emmy-jane.html">http://www.publishwithcfa.com/emmy-jane.html</a>.
They can also find information on my Facebook and Goodreads author pages, or my
Twitter page: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/EmmyJaneMSMA">http://www.facebook.com/EmmyJaneMSMA</a>
<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/EmmyJane">http://www.goodreads.com/EmmyJane</a>
<a href="http://www.twitter.com/EmmyJane@EmmyJaneAuthor">http://www.twitter.com/EmmyJane@EmmyJaneAuthor</a></b>
<o:p></o:p></div>
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Is your book available in print and ebook format?</div>
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<b>My book was just released at the end of April. So far, it is
available in both print and kindle formats on Amazon at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/author/emmyjane.com">http://www.amazon.com/author/emmyjane.com</a>.
Also, anyone who shops at Chicago area Target stores can buy book copies there
rather than waiting for delivery from Amazon. I’ll post announcements on my
website author pages, Twitter and Google+ as the book becomes available
elsewhere.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p>Now, how about that horse ride?</o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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Susan Whitfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215871952420224793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10479189974436584.post-62577339140765755832015-09-20T08:00:00.000-04:002015-09-20T08:00:00.053-04:00Linda Weaver Clarke's Lost Love<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxnO4y6YEJYbZsMZFEYrlnjA6hZfS0hnn2aLvW6Hb-im__oYS2ug3mdl7nSPntu6KGuOjfTaXuCP4Vn4fGIj1Q-0-yAiJJedvzcOqwhUufaZg1o6XQ0wmQCDqbr8NEnpOneXOX_IG1Zhc/s1600/Lindaforweb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxnO4y6YEJYbZsMZFEYrlnjA6hZfS0hnn2aLvW6Hb-im__oYS2ug3mdl7nSPntu6KGuOjfTaXuCP4Vn4fGIj1Q-0-yAiJJedvzcOqwhUufaZg1o6XQ0wmQCDqbr8NEnpOneXOX_IG1Zhc/s200/Lindaforweb.jpg" width="176" /></a></div>
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<b>Linda Weaver Clarke is
from Color Country, which is located in southern Utah. It’s a beautiful area
full of red mountains, which sits likes an oasis in the middle of the desert.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>She travels
throughout the United States, teaching and encouraging people to write their
family history and autobiography. She is the mother of six daughters and has
several grandchildren. Clarke is the author of several historical romances, a
mystery/adventure series, a children’s book, and a cozy mystery series. All her
books are family-friendly.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Welcome, Linda.</div>
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How many books have you written?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>I have written 18 books and am working on book number 19. I
have written cozy mysteries, mystery suspense, historical romance, children’s,
and non-fiction. Each genre was fun to write but my favorite is cozy mystery.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1DkQqj0Ed8mFbC5DtnPhKV1_duvZu9_5fttAT-W3S7MY9YrWjtQnykBUpBN100YL9BOE_2WSih1A50a1hHbFwty0THaURePKMiK2I6O5UC0XzdzdIlIhyphenhyphenNvsg5NzbrcyVAc41I0kLr4/s1600/LostLoveweb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1DkQqj0Ed8mFbC5DtnPhKV1_duvZu9_5fttAT-W3S7MY9YrWjtQnykBUpBN100YL9BOE_2WSih1A50a1hHbFwty0THaURePKMiK2I6O5UC0XzdzdIlIhyphenhyphenNvsg5NzbrcyVAc41I0kLr4/s200/LostLoveweb.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
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Give a short synopsis of your most recently published book.<br />
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<b><i>Her Lost Love: Amelia
Moore Detective Series</i> is the fifth book in this cozy mystery series. Amelia
Moore, the founder of the Moore Detective Agency, specializes in missing
persons. Julie Anderson feels a need to find the man she fell deeply in love
with during her youth. When Julie went off to college to become a lawyer, she
lost contact with her high school sweetheart. She now wants to know what became
of Joey and why he stopped writing to her? This is an assignment that intrigues
Amelia. The thought of finding a long-lost love seems quite romantic.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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What challenges did you face while writing this book?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>One of the challenges an author faces when writing mysteries
is to not divulge too much information and make it too easy for the reader to
figure out. I have to give just enough to the reader to make him want to read
more, but not enough to have him figure it out too soon. So far, I have been
able to fool most of my readers. One reader said an author has never fooled her
before, and she was able to figure out the mystery every time. Then she went on
to say that I was the first author who surprised her. This book is my fifth
cozy mystery and I was able to fool her every time.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Do you travel to do research or for inspiration? Can you
share some special places with us?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>I travel on the Internet if I can’t go there in person.
Because of the intense research I do, I have had people tell me that my
descriptions were so well done that they thought I had visited that country. People
who actually went to Ireland said I had portrayed it perfectly in <i>The Shamrock Case</i>. I not only research
the landscape but the history in that area so I can bring a bit of Ireland to
my reader, or a bit of Bali Island in <i>The
Bali Mystery</i>, and so on.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Can you tell us your future writing goals/projects?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Absolutely! This cozy mystery series is going to be on audio
and I’m so excited about it. The narrator is fantastic and she portrays my
characters so well. The accent she uses for someone from another country is impressive.
I’m so pleased. She just finished the first book in this series and is about to
begin with the second one. As I listened to the audio, I could see everything
unfolding before my eyes… or inside my head. Haha.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Where can folks learn more about your books and events?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>You can visit my website called Make Believe at <a href="http://www.lindaweaverclarke.com/">www.lindaweaverclarke.com</a> to read
sample chapters and that will lead the reader to a purchase page. I also have a
blog where I write articles about my books at <a href="https://lindaweaverclarke.wordpress.com/">https://lindaweaverclarke.wordpress.com</a>
and another blog where I interview authors and have book giveaways at <a href="http://lindaweaverclarke.blogspot.com/">http://lindaweaverclarke.blogspot.com</a>.
</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Are your books available in print and ebook formats?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>My books are available in print form and e-book at Barnes
and Noble and at Amazon. If you go to <a href="http://www.lindaweaverclarke.com/purchasebook.html">http://www.lindaweaverclarke.com/purchasebook.html</a>,
then that site will lead you to the correct bookstore with one click.</b><o:p></o:p><br />
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Best of luck with all endeavors, Linda!</div>
Susan Whitfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215871952420224793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10479189974436584.post-75958653011855706612015-09-19T14:00:00.000-04:002015-09-19T14:00:10.172-04:00I made history!I have submitted my first historical fiction for publication. <span style="font-size: x-large;">WHEW! </span><br />
Writing this novel about a medieval ancestor was challenging and rewarding. I got to know so much about Geoffrey V Plantagenet, who married King Henry's daughter, Matilda, and fathered the long line of Plantagenet kings of England.<br />
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I researched every account of the real events I could find, and wove my imagination into the dialogue and gaps in history. I hope it will be a fairly accurate account of that time and these people.<br />
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I decided to title the book Sprig of Broom because Geoffrey wore a sprig of broom bloom in his cap whenever it was available. I designed my own book cover, letting my imagination spin away from using real broom and instead using glass and metal. I like it and I hope readers will be drawn to it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKA1Q_jv_ur57qjzV3v-mk6WeiGr7T3stRauZTPneAcDpoka4mA3iKwSdz1ZsP2ulLqNu5mSj9OHMcK6ShEWfvSB4XiLwfzpTeTmzp9SVtvK3D0AMwQZdRkJ5FYb3BZnWRzSquj2VkrjI/s1600/SprigofBroomcvr.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKA1Q_jv_ur57qjzV3v-mk6WeiGr7T3stRauZTPneAcDpoka4mA3iKwSdz1ZsP2ulLqNu5mSj9OHMcK6ShEWfvSB4XiLwfzpTeTmzp9SVtvK3D0AMwQZdRkJ5FYb3BZnWRzSquj2VkrjI/s320/SprigofBroomcvr.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
What do you think?<br />
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<br />Susan Whitfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215871952420224793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10479189974436584.post-16473078550450011412015-09-06T08:00:00.000-04:002015-09-06T08:00:08.300-04:00Robert Uttaro, rape counselor and author, giving hope to survivors<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love Italian food and so does my guest, so I'm serving up chicken parmesan and a fresh romaine salad from my garden while I interrogate this cutie. LOL.<b> <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Robert Uttaro currently resides in
Boston, Massachusetts and is in his eighth year of working as a rape
crisis counselor, public speaker and community educator. Inspired by his
undergraduate studies in Criminal Justice, Robert continues to embrace a
life-long commitment to activism and advocacy for survivors of sexual violence.
Robert supports rape survivors and their significant others through various
health, legal, and case management issues. He also facilitates workshops aimed
at education, prevention and exposure of the realities of sexual violence. He has written a powerful book titled <i>To the Survivors</i>.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Robert, first of all, welcome to my home. Grab a plate and some sweet Southern iced tea and let's sit on the deck.<br />
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<b>Cool! I'm hungry and this looks delicious.</b></div>
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(After we settle and have a few bites of food, I begin the interview):<br />
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Your background is very interesting. Give readers a short synopsis of your first published book. </div>
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<b><i>To
the Survivors</i> is a deeply-moving book about my journey as a rape crisis
counselor with true stories of sexual violence shared by survivors. The
survivors are diverse in age, gender, and ethnicity, yet each gives a similarly
raw and heartfelt account of his or her victimization and recovery. The
authenticity and vulnerability with which survivors speak resonates profoundly.
Messages within <i>To the Survivors</i> are very hopeful -- to the
pleasant surprise of many readers -- and I am humbled to find it continues
to positively affect people’s hearts and minds.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p>I am so glad to know that the book offers hope. We need to get the word out and I hope everyone who reads this blog will pass on the information to anyone who needs it.</o:p></div>
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What challenges did you face while writing this book? </div>
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<b>I faced many challenges while writing this
book, including sometimes struggling to find the right words to use, or
struggling to bring myself to write at all. My biggest challenge was fighting
my own insecurities around my abilities to write well about such a deeply
serious topic. Thankfully, I managed to overcome all of these challenges by
being patient with the process, continuing to write, and praying my way through
it all.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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That's probably the best response I've ever had with this question.</div>
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Now that you've been through the process, what advice can you give other new writers? </div>
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<b>The greatest lesson
I have learned about writing is that our words can meaningfully connect with
and impact people in positive ways. My advice to other writers is this: write, write, and write some more. <span lang="EN">It is imperative
to not be nervous, to not fear anything, and to fight through whatever blockage
one may have. Also, w</span>rite from
your heart. <span lang="EN">Believe in yourself and your abilities, and don't stop writing if you
have the desire to write.</span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p>Great advice! It's obvious that you're writing from the heart.</o:p></div>
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We all know how important promoting our work has become. How
do you get the word out both off and online? </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_51q7u0xQXrVBDMX8cjulf_hWPUPeorJ-ZQoQ3wvNphgCKF7o6SErzvkKvhWOT5AsIj5ne3Wv5g2DJrVp2vg5_CqZ59S6v3pK2QkxLEAUhttR66sK4fQkPl3oJBk6LuiUYtoqIiZqua4/s1600/Book+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_51q7u0xQXrVBDMX8cjulf_hWPUPeorJ-ZQoQ3wvNphgCKF7o6SErzvkKvhWOT5AsIj5ne3Wv5g2DJrVp2vg5_CqZ59S6v3pK2QkxLEAUhttR66sK4fQkPl3oJBk6LuiUYtoqIiZqua4/s320/Book+Cover.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>I get the word out about <i>To the Survivors</i>
and issues connected to sexual assault by teaching at high schools and colleges
and by spreading the word in conversations in my daily life. Word of mouth is
truly a powerful vehicle as many people share the book with others. In
terms of online communication, I outreach to schools, rape crisis centers,
and domestic violence shelters through emails. I have also been very fortunate
to be listed on blogs and magazines. I have also shared information through
interviews on national and international radio programs.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Where can folks learn more about your books and events? </div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><b>People can go to my website at <a href="http://www.robertuttaro.com/">www.robertuttaro.com</a> or check out <i>To the Survivors</i> and read the reviews at
amazon.com.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Survivors-Journey-Counselor-Stories-Violence/dp/149093166X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1429397747&sr=8-1&keywords=robert+uttaro">http://www.amazon.com/Survivors-Journey-Counselor-Stories-Violence/dp/149093166X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1429397747&sr=8-1&keywords=robert+uttaro</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Are your books
available in print and ebook formats?</div>
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Y<b>es. <i><span lang="EN-GB">To the Survivors</span></i></b><span lang="EN-GB"><b> is available in Paperback, mobi (Kindle), epub, PDF, rtf, lrf, and pdp. </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Survivors-Journey-Counselor-Stories-Violence/dp/149093166X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1429397747&sr=8-1&keywords=robert+uttaro">http://www.amazon.com/Survivors-Journey-Counselor-Stories-Violence/dp/149093166X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1429397747&sr=8-1&keywords=robert+uttaro</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/robert-uttaro">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/robert-uttaro</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/to-the-survivors-1">https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/to-the-survivors-1</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">I hope folks are paying attention to the content of your book and that you continue working on a second book. Now let's finish off this food and have some strawberry shortcake.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><b>You're talking my language, Susan.</b></span></div>
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Susan Whitfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215871952420224793noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10479189974436584.post-65003937907940127282015-08-30T08:00:00.000-04:002015-08-30T08:00:05.720-04:00AFTER: AR Neal<div class="MsoNormal">
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<b>Andreé Robinson-Neal got bit by the
writing bug in the 1970s and despite a career in education has never been cured
of her penchant for speculative fiction. Find her at <a href="http://starvingactivist.com/">http://starvingactivist.com</a> She writes
under the name AR Neal, who will hopefully one day be identified as a famous
NaNoWriMo participant.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p>Welcome to the blog, Andree'.</o:p></div>
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How many books have you written?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>I have published one novella, one
collection of short stories, and one novel. I also write flash fiction on my
blog and have a flash fiction novel written and awaiting review/editing, which
should happen sometime in August of this year.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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How much of yourself is hidden in the characters in the
book?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>I think there is some of my
attitude in every character in the book. I think if I could be one character in
<i>After</i>, it would be Uncle Vern – he’s the most feisty.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Do you travel to do research or for inspiration? Can you
share some special places with us?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Since I work in education, I am all
about the research. I typically have the internet open, along with tons of
books and articles as I write. I would love to travel, but work and other
responsibilities don’t allow.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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What do you think is the greatest lesson you’ve learned
about writing so far? What advice can you give new writers?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>The greatest lesson about writing
is one that I knew when I first started as a child, but forgot as life got in
the way: keep writing. No matter what, it is important for writers to write
regularly, even if it’s not on a major work like a book. The action of writing
is important – just like working out is important to keep physical muscles in
shape, writing keeps the related mental muscles working.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Where do you store ideas for later use: in your head, in a
notebook, or on a spreadsheet?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>I keep story ideas just about
everywhere. I have multiple notebooks, sticky notes, pads, and electronic
documents. I use Scrivener for more detailed organization of my stories and
books because it allows me to keep a running log of research materials
(articles, links to appropriate websites, and such). I try keeping story ideas
in my head, but they get lost in there. <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Can you tell us your future writing goals/projects?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>I have a flash fiction novel
awaiting editing and I have a number of partially completed possible novels. My
next goal is to connect with a literary agent. I am also developing a sequel to
<i>After</i>.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Are your books available in print and ebook formats? (please
provide the buy link for easy reader accessibility)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Yes! All my books are available. My
novella, Adventures in Cargo City (<a href="http://goo.gl/BFIvsi">http://goo.gl/BFIvsi</a>)
and novel, After (<a href="http://goo.gl/VKGyBg">http://goo.gl/VKGyBg</a>) are
available at Amazon in print and eBook formats and the collection of short
stories, From Reality’s Edge Volume One (<a href="http://goo.gl/1rJNve">http://goo.gl/1rJNve</a>),
is available on FastPencil.</b></div>
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<b>Good luck with all endeavors, Andree'!</b></div>
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<o:p></o:p>Susan Whitfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215871952420224793noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10479189974436584.post-80624103105641917772015-08-23T08:00:00.000-04:002015-08-23T08:00:05.861-04:00Stacey Marcus: from struggle and abuse to a beacon of light for others<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">I seldom have poets as guests on the blog, but I am delighted to have Stacey Marcus share her courageous story with you. </span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #5d5d5d; font-size: 14.0pt;">Stacey Marcus is the product
of a lifelong struggle with obstacles, battles and turmoil and has spent her
life trying to find solutions and a spiritual connection that helps explain the
things she has gone through. She brings
the sense of desire and adventure to her writing. Stacey is mom, a wife and a survivor of practically
every abuse imaginable. She has become a
beacon of light to others. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #5d5d5d; font-size: 14.0pt;">Stacey is a
humanitarian, a champion for women, children, elders and animals. She believes
in a higher power and finds solace in its presence. <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">Beyond sharing the poetry of her life, Stacey has
written two children’s books, both teaching children about the idea of love and
the love a parent feels for a child while teaching them the A.B.C.’s.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: 14pt; text-indent: -0.5in;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="font-size: 14pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">Welcome, Stacey.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">How many books have you
written?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> <b> Three and I am working on my fourth one now.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Give a short synopsis of your most recently
published book. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGzzxoHn4iiB2fNwvt-aUKMrBJ4Y0S9QAGRiuDr6V4DIGkUW_mMMphEgc5wVggTH4zz14hgnVZnR4gS1yK1r1on0n26wJ2v3jZukPQLZNcfdGhcAi4fhd2EUphpm0DRxpMlFfYSSAA1Ng/s1600/ROTA_Kindle_101314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGzzxoHn4iiB2fNwvt-aUKMrBJ4Y0S9QAGRiuDr6V4DIGkUW_mMMphEgc5wVggTH4zz14hgnVZnR4gS1yK1r1on0n26wJ2v3jZukPQLZNcfdGhcAi4fhd2EUphpm0DRxpMlFfYSSAA1Ng/s320/ROTA_Kindle_101314.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>After
hiding in the garage on a dusty shelf for nearly 20 years, Stacey Marcus has
finally found the courage to reveal her painful truth with the release of her
first book of poetry, <i>Revelations Of The Anonymous</i>. In transcendent, simple words, Stacey has
found a way to tell the story of her dark journey through tragedy into
triumph. Written over a twenty-five year
period, this collection of poems and thoughts is the voice of one anonymous
woman’s genuine power to stir, inspire and provoke one’s peace of mind.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">How much of yourself is hidden in the
characters in the book?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>I
don’t think much of myself is hidden. I
reveal a very personal look into the journey of my life through my poems.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">What challenges did you face while writing
this book?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> <b>Fear of exposing my authentic self.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Do you travel to do research or for
inspiration? Can you share some special places with us?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>I
usually write in the park, on a hike or on the beach. I like to find places where I can actually
hear my honest thoughts.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">What do you think is the greatest lesson
you’ve learned about writing so far? What advice can you give new writers?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>The
first thing I have to say is never give up writing. Use it as an outlet for your dreams, hopes,
thoughts and ideas. I believe the most
important thing for a writer to do is just write! Even if it’s a journal entry to start, at
least it’s something. And as you begin
writing on a daily basis, you will find that the words just pour out onto the
paper and your fingers can’t stop hitting the keys on the computer!</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Where do you store ideas for later use: in
your head, in a notebook, or on a spreadsheet?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>I
usually keep a small journal with me so I can jot thoughts down as they occur
to me.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">We all know how important promoting our work
has become. How do you get the word out both off and online?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9y-gBPUe2Ty2_LK-TgDwFVSlBDHRsLT6qpPfOPZXc16q4QkWwDK2G0iJWOGAyjgxtMGB4QJhdEQE2b7OPsypK4_Mmlqp_gC4BJc1iX8GRfoBmeI4aIlKqY9Fg9pFnNfaAfnwQNzgDww/s1600/IMG_2812_2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9y-gBPUe2Ty2_LK-TgDwFVSlBDHRsLT6qpPfOPZXc16q4QkWwDK2G0iJWOGAyjgxtMGB4QJhdEQE2b7OPsypK4_Mmlqp_gC4BJc1iX8GRfoBmeI4aIlKqY9Fg9pFnNfaAfnwQNzgDww/s1600/IMG_2812_2.jpeg" /></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>I
must say that I have been blessed in the promoting department. Many people have come upon my poetry book and
then found themselves buying the children’s books on-line. People like you are kind enough to allow me to
spread the word on their websites.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Can you tell us your future writing
goals/projects?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>I am
working on “Kosher Crack,” a memoir and story of one nice, Jewish girl’s fall
into the pit of hell and her journey into the light.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Where can folks learn more about your books
and events?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">My
website is where I write my short stories.
You can find me at </span><a href="http://www.staceyinsideout.com/"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">www.staceyinsideout.com</span></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">. Also, here
are a couple of links to my current books.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“The
ABC’s Of I Love You”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/ABCs-I-Love-You-ebook/dp/B00MAGHV9U/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1431900612&sr=1-1&keywords=stacey+marcus+books"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">http://www.amazon.com/ABCs-I-Love-You-ebook/dp/B00MAGHV9U/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1431900612&sr=1-1&keywords=stacey+marcus+books</span></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“Mommie,
What Does Love Mean?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mommie-what-Does-Love-Mean-ebook/dp/B00MAUO9D2/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1431900612&sr=1-2&keywords=stacey+marcus+books"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">http://www.amazon.com/Mommie-what-Does-Love-Mean-ebook/dp/B00MAUO9D2/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1431900612&sr=1-2&keywords=stacey+marcus+books</span></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“Revelations
Of The Anonymous”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Revelations-Stacey-Marcus-ebook/dp/B00K0SCMVM/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1431900612&sr=1-4&keywords=stacey+marcus+books"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">http://www.amazon.com/Revelations-Stacey-Marcus-ebook/dp/B00K0SCMVM/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1431900612&sr=1-4&keywords=stacey+marcus+books</span></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Are your books available in
print and e-book formats? (please provide the buy link for easy reader
accessibility) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> <b> You can purchase Stacey’s books on e-book format on her
website, www.staceyinsideout.com. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Stacey, thanks for coming over. I wish you great success!</span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Susan Whitfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215871952420224793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10479189974436584.post-1552128218218233302015-08-16T08:00:00.000-04:002015-08-16T08:00:00.732-04:00American novelist and screenwriter Marti Melville answers questions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtyT4IQdTGlxr2gCF4Gb5_IyVfkZqhcJsvf88PUThZKb0r0fhF2VKPpzzD0cx2x4aZsNZGZ9eOOkVreqDNWWZpCJIhyBG0A8ULGyk3IsrsoJhZsux-HgTAZ9sBlzJWzgtNNXfJDg5p07g/s1600/Author+photo.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtyT4IQdTGlxr2gCF4Gb5_IyVfkZqhcJsvf88PUThZKb0r0fhF2VKPpzzD0cx2x4aZsNZGZ9eOOkVreqDNWWZpCJIhyBG0A8ULGyk3IsrsoJhZsux-HgTAZ9sBlzJWzgtNNXfJDg5p07g/s320/Author+photo.jpeg" width="212" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Marti Melville</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> is an American
novelist and screenwriter known for her debut novel series, <i>The Deja vu Chronicles</i>. Marti has expanded her writing to include
screenwriting with each of her books adapted for film.<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<div class="Default" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b>Before
Marti found her true calling as a successful author, she had long established her
career in the medical field, specializing in Emergency and Trauma nursing.
Marti spent several years working between Utah and California in various ER's, as
a Mobile Intensive Care Nurse and medical personnel for the 2002 Winter
Olympics, all the while raising her five children as a single mother.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="Default" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="Default" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b>She
has a background in dance, music and acting as well. She continues to write
novels, introducing the idea of fictional probability linked to historical
events. Marti currently resides in Southern California.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">
</span><span style="color: #2c2e79; font-family: "Apple Chancery"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Welcome, Marti. It's great to have you on the blog.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><b>Thanks for having me, Susan.</b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>How many books have
you written?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I have
written three of four in the Déjà vu Chronicles. I’ve been a co-writer for several others that
have been published under a different author’s name. My writing also includes several screenplays
that have been taken to Hollywood for consideration.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span><b> </b></div>
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<b>How much of yourself
is hidden in the characters in the book?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">People
who know me state that Kathryn’s story is really my own. That was never my intention writing the novel
series. However, I write what I know and
so much of what happens (particularly in the ER) is from my experience. Kathryn is a combination of my daughters –
their feistiness and beauty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you travel to do
research or for inspiration? Can you share some special places with us?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I travel
extensively to do research for my novels.
This series takes place in the Caribbean, which is a great place to do
research. My favorite island is Grenada,
which had many interesting and fun cultural and natural elements I would not
have been able to use in the books. Did
you know Grenada has tree frogs that whistle at night? I’ve used these frogs in Onyx Rising to make
it more authentic – as well as other interesting elements exclusive to the
Caribbean islands.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span><b>What do you think is
the greatest lesson you’ve learned about writing so far? What advice can you
give new writers?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I’ve
learned that my ideas and imagination has value – to myself and now to
others. Doubting my ability to write
would have stifled the opportunity to share it with others. I never aspired to write novels (or
screenplays) but taking the risk has made for a wonderful career. My advise to anyone who aspires to write is
to simply do it. Wherever the impression
hits and whenever you can, — write.
Don’t’ doubt yourself and certainly don’t stop. Every single day, write something — whether
it be a chapter, a page or just a sentence – write!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span><b> </b></div>
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<b>Can you tell us your
future writing goals/projects?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I am
currently writing the fourth (and final) book in The Déjà vu Chronicles
series. I am also co-writing a medical
thriller, as well as a horror novel. I
find that writing several projects at once keeps my creativity from becoming
stagnant and keeps me interested in the stories. In addition, I co-write screenplays with my
writing partner – the first in the series, <i>Midnight
Omen</i>, recently won the Life Fest Film Festival 2015 in Hollywood, CA. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><b> Congratulations! That's super!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span><b>Give a short synopsis
of your most recently published book, <i>Onyx Rising.</i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht6ZPwIKtassb3KutuGZCk_ueoRyX3zGNfCNgfnWqHrqJGX3W8Li6RoXGf13_uz6ygo8_ilL9pZzw3U2zE3-_Rk8XFF0y5OIg8mPn3KCmmLcpzov2EZCwPIbCJrL2PEFDFuDtKKZelhh4/s1600/MidnightOmen_Kindle_600.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht6ZPwIKtassb3KutuGZCk_ueoRyX3zGNfCNgfnWqHrqJGX3W8Li6RoXGf13_uz6ygo8_ilL9pZzw3U2zE3-_Rk8XFF0y5OIg8mPn3KCmmLcpzov2EZCwPIbCJrL2PEFDFuDtKKZelhh4/s1600/MidnightOmen_Kindle_600.jpeg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTlItLl2QQlXzTCrbJhOiPCkrdJ3ZTylCclchLAM1JM6cSfs7K7aylZuWkvhvfiIOta-0vDIbD0YhYJXKRg9KadsSD3AB5ptR6oUUucpvc6OGE979SDEN0a6XovfYXUp3QR1swtSZeSRk/s1600/OnyxRising_Kindle_600.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTlItLl2QQlXzTCrbJhOiPCkrdJ3ZTylCclchLAM1JM6cSfs7K7aylZuWkvhvfiIOta-0vDIbD0YhYJXKRg9KadsSD3AB5ptR6oUUucpvc6OGE979SDEN0a6XovfYXUp3QR1swtSZeSRk/s1600/OnyxRising_Kindle_600.jpeg" /></a>Obscurity conceals the moon and the black omen rises. Maelstrom and dark deeds follow those who
sail Caribbean waters. Their captain is
presumed dead, which leaves the crew of the <i>Revenge</i>
to seek other ways to survive and fresh ships to plunder.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Kathryn must also find her way through the darkness and
discovers a hidden treasure lay buried in secrets hidden within the dead. Magic and mysticism weaves through the
Caribbean Sea as the Onyx Moon hovers.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Set in 1723, the third novel in <i>The Déjà vu Chronicles, Onyx Rising</i> continues the paranormal
adventures of Kathryn, Seth, Archer and Calico Jack Rackham – as well as
Captain John Phillips – an actual pirate known for his ruthless history pirating
the Spanish Main from 1721-1724.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Publisher:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">
</span><a href="http://www.publishwithcfa.com/marti-melville.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">http://www.publishwithcfa.com/marti-melville.html</span></a><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRlUWdKjT10Ersq82S-GVULiXbQF7RIpX3VQCWuDuMqDkqWat2LYl3yxIj6hnEBqyAaAatmyLqi2CVV_FbXdupLQxRpWdgTG4-jCBgkhh25Fxx7tCz51wCuSn69NR2a6FxRHz1YLV34Jg/s1600/SilverMoon_Kindle_600.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRlUWdKjT10Ersq82S-GVULiXbQF7RIpX3VQCWuDuMqDkqWat2LYl3yxIj6hnEBqyAaAatmyLqi2CVV_FbXdupLQxRpWdgTG4-jCBgkhh25Fxx7tCz51wCuSn69NR2a6FxRHz1YLV34Jg/s1600/SilverMoon_Kindle_600.jpeg" /></a><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Amazon:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">
</span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=marti+melville"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=marti+melville</span></a><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Barnes & Noble:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">
<u><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/marti-melville?store=allproducts&keyword=marti+melville">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/marti-melville?store=allproducts&keyword=marti+melville</a><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Website: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><a href="http://martimelville.com/">http://martimelville.com/</a></span><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<b>Marti, I wish you continued success with your endeavors!</b></div>
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Susan Whitfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215871952420224793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10479189974436584.post-50311104794497819752015-08-09T08:00:00.000-04:002015-08-09T08:00:00.890-04:00Purebred Murder by Kathleen Delaney<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVSmhH5zuMWpa1CrKvly6xYEKim9Yse4U5ukcymBsQsCkEMyRATgDrw3mj9M6xrSOtuU9ARz6HXhP97YPmSn8aQbjTPUWIsvszRo1Nilr_hUvwTbt1sAE_cdu4K5gySFd30km4EqAfVRo/s1600/murder_syllabub_300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVSmhH5zuMWpa1CrKvly6xYEKim9Yse4U5ukcymBsQsCkEMyRATgDrw3mj9M6xrSOtuU9ARz6HXhP97YPmSn8aQbjTPUWIsvszRo1Nilr_hUvwTbt1sAE_cdu4K5gySFd30km4EqAfVRo/s320/murder_syllabub_300.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirO-u6bLEspetzli89UAmkVx-Mb78V8GuTW35wUSkgIWFL-EuT_0_afLBHWPbox4rGPhjVftdwWEZu2nRNZ3xP25ko0IzflkIImFC8VSbb5ZgK-N3qBcnUEqM-hhYL5qrKeL74Q4bdUFk/s1600/purebred+dead+1+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirO-u6bLEspetzli89UAmkVx-Mb78V8GuTW35wUSkgIWFL-EuT_0_afLBHWPbox4rGPhjVftdwWEZu2nRNZ3xP25ko0IzflkIImFC8VSbb5ZgK-N3qBcnUEqM-hhYL5qrKeL74Q4bdUFk/s320/purebred+dead+1+(1).jpg" width="203" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Kathleen Delaney lived most of her life in
California, both southern and the central coast. To date, all of her books have
been set there and that is where she set her Ellen McKenzie real estate mystery
series.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Kathleen has five grown children and eight
grandchildren. They kept her quite busy for many years, and were involved in
many different activities, including 4H. Her first published article was about
their adventures in 4H. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Retired from a long career as a real estate broker,
she now resides in Georgia with two dogs and a cranky diabetic cat. She writes,
and reads full time. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Kathleen, it's great to see you. It's been a long time since we were together at some events in North Carolina.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>It has been, Susan. Can I offer you some syllabub?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Uh, no ... thanks, Kathy. I'll pass on that and right to the interview.</span></div>
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<o:p> </o:p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">How many books have you written?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I have five books in the Ellen McKenzie series, and
the first book in the Mary McGill canine mysteries, Purebred Dead, has just
been released in England. It will be available in the US August 1 of this year.
The second in that series, Curtains for Miss Plym, is in its final edit stage
and will go to Severn House for final approval in June. I guess that makes it 6
½.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Give us a brief synopsis of
most recent book, Purebred Dead:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Mary McGill, retired home economics teacher, is a
pillar of the community. A finger in every pie, a seat on every committee, it's
Mary you go to if you want something done right. Only, the Christmas Extravaganza
is about to start, the Posada is approaching the manger set up on the church
lawn, and it’s not empty. A man is dead in it. Two of the town children found
him, along with a black and white puppy, and may have seen the murderer. Mary knows nothing about dogs, but she’s
about to learn while she tries to protect the children and solve the murder
before the killer strikes again. </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What challenges did you face while writing this
book?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>It went more smoothly than some, but I needed to
find something genetic that would identify a specific dog. I had several long
chats with some dog breeders before I came up with the trait I needed. It was
fun research, and I learned a lot that’s not in this book. Maybe the next one.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Do you travel to do research or for inspiration? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Yes, and no. The internet has changed the way I
think a lot of us do research. I can travel into neighborhoods or through
cities, or into bedrooms. I needed to know what a young girl’s bedroom would
look like in the ’40’s and almost had too much information. But there is no
substitute for being there. In <i>Murder by
Syllabub</i> I traveled to Colonial Williamsburg, interviewed several of the staff,
took a notebook full of notes and a lot of pictures. I love Williamsburg, and
thought I knew a lot about it. I was wrong. I still have lots to learn and will
go back. In <i>And Murder for Dessert </i>I set much of the action in a winery. The
central coast has some of the best small wineries anywhere, and I toured many
of them. Very pleasant research.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">How do you store ideas for later use: in your head,
a notebook, or a spreadsheet?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>The very idea of a spreadsheet makes me break out in
hives. Lots of them roll around in my head, but the ones I want to actually
work on go into a notebook. </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>My future writing goals/projects:<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>They’re not quite the same thing. My projects are to
write several more books in the Mary McGill canine series. I love Mary, she is
so down to earth, with a great sense of humor, a great cook, much more
organized than I’ll ever be, and she loves her dog. Good qualities, all.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>I have ideas for several stand-alone suspense books
I want to write, and hope to get to at least one this year. As for a goal…I
want to have a book on the NY Times best seller list, even if it’s for only one
day.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Where you can learn more about me and the books:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My web site is a great place to start, go to </span><a href="http://www.kathleendelaney.net/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">www.kathleendelaney.net</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.
You can read the 1<sup>st</sup> chapter of each of the books and there is a
button that tells where I’ll be, and another if you want to contact me. I love
to do events, and don’t worry if you don’t live in the south. I think I know
how to work Skype. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">That's great, Kathy. I wish you the best of luck with the new book and all the rest. I hope to see you again soon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Susan Whitfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215871952420224793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10479189974436584.post-81821731937102825512015-08-02T08:00:00.000-04:002015-08-02T08:00:03.397-04:00Hawaii's Frankie Bow talks murder<div class="MsoNormal">
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Like the fictional
professor Molly Barda, author Frankie Bow teaches at a public university.
Unlike her protagonist, she is blessed with delightful students, sane
colleagues, a loving family, and a perfectly nice office chair. She believes if
life isn’t fair, at least it can be entertaining. In addition to writing murder
mysteries, she publishes in scholarly journals under her real name. Her
experience with academic publishing has taught her to take nothing personally.Welcome to the blog, Frankie. Please enjoy a pineapple whip while we talk.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Thanks for the interview and the whip, Susan.</b></div>
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcwlQqpJXwsyVOrZkaJ0GdZCQoKfijGgw_BAt9zJBrL4AHtlE4WWR6MJ1iB-wZZ3XPax15YY_1H_wRYNgXUsIDi44FoXZ5GVBGnhpUDaAWW3SsiQjL31IbCyzEjUgN2sw8lZWwMbrwtTE/s1600/MusubiMurderSmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcwlQqpJXwsyVOrZkaJ0GdZCQoKfijGgw_BAt9zJBrL4AHtlE4WWR6MJ1iB-wZZ3XPax15YY_1H_wRYNgXUsIDi44FoXZ5GVBGnhpUDaAWW3SsiQjL31IbCyzEjUgN2sw8lZWwMbrwtTE/s1600/MusubiMurderSmall.jpg" height="320" width="207" /></a></b></div>
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Congratulations on publishing your first book! I love the cover. Tell us what The Musubi Murder is about.<u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
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<b>It’s a campus murder mystery set in the age of budget cuts and
higher ed “disruption.” My protagonist and amateur sleuth, professor Molly
Barda, longs for working air conditioning. She sits on a yoga ball because
there is no budget for office furniture. Her dean, unwilling to lose paying
customers, won’t let her report cheating students.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Having been in education for thirty years, this book speaks my language. Please tell us more.</div>
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<b>Molly just wants to keep her head down and stay out of
trouble until she gets tenure, but there’s a problem. A grisly prank at a donor
banquet pulls the introverted (and untenured) Molly Barda into a stew of
corruption,revenge, and murder. Along the way, she finds herself drawn to the
too-good-to-be-true Donnie Gonsalves, an enigmatic entrepreneur with a few
secrets of his own.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Uh oh. Sounds like real trouble.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Frankie, how much of yourself is hidden in the characters in the
book?<u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
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<b>Molly Barda is supposed to be a complete invention, a
character so comically obsessive and neurotic that she couldn’t possibly exist
in real life. So of course everyone who has read the book thinks she’s me. I
actually identify with Dan Watanabe, Molly’s beleaguered department chair, who
keeps a jumbo-sized jar of antacid tablets on his desk and downs them by the
handful. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Where do you store ideas for later use: in your head, in
a notebook, or on a spreadsheet?<u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
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<b>Definitely not in my head. I have to write things down. I
have several documents full of leftover bits of text, research, and random
ideas. They are labeled, creatively enough, “leftovers.” </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p>Have another pineapple whip and tell us w</o:p>hat you think is the greatest lesson you’ve learned
about writing so far. What advice can you give new writers?</div>
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<b>Listen with an open mind and don’t take anything personally.
Easier said than done, I know. But paying attention to others’ opinions can
help you to improve your writing. Rejection letters can be very helpful.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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I agree, Frankie.</div>
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<b>Compared to academic
reviewers, I have found that literary agents and editors are absolute
sweethearts. <i>Publishing is very subjective,</i> they will say in
their gently worded rejection letters. <i>What doesn’t work for us might
work for someone else. Don’t give up!</i> I have never seen a literary
agent use the adjective “retarded” to describe someone’s work. I can’t say the
same for academic reviewers.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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How did you come
up with the title "The Musubi Murder" ?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>I was hoping that
writing a book would be something like the way I imagine writing a country song,
where once you come up with a catchy title, (“Eighteen wheels and a dozen
roses.”) the thing almost writes itself. I wanted a title with alliteration, a
clear Hawaii connection, and a signal to the reader that it was a murder mystery.
Unfortunately the book did not write itself, but I do like the title. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p>I do believe that creating a title can drive the direction of the book, though, even if the title changes later (either by my own decision or my publishers).</o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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Who should read
your book? <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>If you’re looking
for an entertaining murder mystery involving small town life, big academic
egos, corruption, revenge, and Spam musubis, The <i>Musubi Murder</i> is
for you. (Even if you don’t know what a musubi is). It’s the first campus crime
novel set in Hawaii, and the perfect gift for mystery lovers, Hawaii
expatriates, disillusioned academics, and anyone who fancies Spam (the meat). <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Okay. I gotta ask. Just what is musubi?<br />
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">
The <a href="http://eatingrichly.com/spam-musubi-recipe/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"> Spam musubi is </a>a neat little chunk of rice with a slice of Spam either on top or in the middle. It's wrapped in nori (seaweed) and seasoned with soy or teryaki sauce. We love Spam in Hawaii--in fact, <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/life/food/2013/05/i_love_spam_hawaiians_are_ahead_of_the_curve_in_their_celebration_of_the.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Hawaii has the highest per capita Spam consumption in the nation.</a> </div>
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<a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Cuisine_of_Hawaii#/media/File:SPAM_musubi.jpg" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Here</a> is a photo (source: Wikimedia Commons), and here is my <a href="https://frankiebow.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/musubi-logo-recolored.jpg" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">stylized musubi-with-crossed-chopsticks logo</a> (thanks to the always-excellent Freepik.com for the graphic elements). </div>
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What’s next? <u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
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<b>The next Molly Barda
mystery is <a href="https://frankiebow.wordpress.com/excerpts/cursedcanoe/">The
Cursed Canoe</a>, which moves between the dimly-lit halls of academia (they
removed half the fluorescent tubing in the building to save on energy costs)
and the competitive world of Hawaiian canoe paddling. <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Molly investigates a
mysterious paddling accident, and realizes that it isn’t just business majors
who cheat to get what they want. Whether it’s moving up in the college
rankings, getting a seat in the big canoe race, or just looking out for
themselves, some people will do whatever it takes-including murder.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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A new series! YIPPEE!</div>
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Where can people find The Musubi Murder?<u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
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<b>Audiobook:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Mysteries-Thrillers/The-Musubi-Murder-Audiobook/B00S6VNMZK">Audible</a>
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/audiobook/the-musubi-murder-unabridged/id958275344">iTunes</a>
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Hardcover:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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Amazon <a href="http://bit.ly/MusubiMurder" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/MusubiMurder</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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B&N <a href="http://bit.ly/BNMusubi" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/BNMusubi</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Powell's <a href="http://bit.ly/MusubiPowells" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/MusubiPowells</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Audible <a href="http://bit.ly/MusubiAudible" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/MusubiAudible</a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Where can people find you?<u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
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Follow me on <a href="http://frankiebow.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/Frankie_Bow">Twitter</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/frankie.bow.1">Facebook</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/frankie-bow/">LinkedIn</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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or visit my <a href="http://www.frankiebow.com/">blog</a> <a href="http://www.frankiebow.com/" target="_blank"></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p>I have certainly enjoyed interviewing you, Frankie, and I'm going to pick up a copy of the book. Let me know when the second novel is released. I wish you the best.</o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<o:p><b>Thank you again for having me over, Susan. I can never resist a pineapple whip or a chance to promote my book.</b></o:p></div>
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1G7QE1AOASBdMtqNW72Gm6RZW1dubQaVsSOCxDx7X4ncuEtIRPotZEjNetK6sQTSnMQpVIWbzblouulf1RTfvPcALsYqpJlkvbBHoMuXoMa722kRp4CjR8JZjIfKJS-AzcD4JZDTsOwg/s1600/AuthorPhoto+Small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1G7QE1AOASBdMtqNW72Gm6RZW1dubQaVsSOCxDx7X4ncuEtIRPotZEjNetK6sQTSnMQpVIWbzblouulf1RTfvPcALsYqpJlkvbBHoMuXoMa722kRp4CjR8JZjIfKJS-AzcD4JZDTsOwg/s1600/AuthorPhoto+Small.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></b></div>
Susan Whitfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215871952420224793noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10479189974436584.post-32844110496690597702015-07-26T08:07:00.000-04:002015-09-14T07:07:16.585-04:00The Weight of Emptiness: Bo Parker has crossed over<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJu-qL_ErZfk9T9xQumWqaBGAByadJQezvWIqhIT65E9j7hI4ngevt76b9tTp8KrXvSRirQsQOLS5d5cF4GUJ9B5pi4uZtMws3UhvteXOgDXmgtXI9nokCjU4oWNxdb-ppm3FbaGgjm8/s1600/B.+L.+Parker.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJu-qL_ErZfk9T9xQumWqaBGAByadJQezvWIqhIT65E9j7hI4ngevt76b9tTp8KrXvSRirQsQOLS5d5cF4GUJ9B5pi4uZtMws3UhvteXOgDXmgtXI9nokCjU4oWNxdb-ppm3FbaGgjm8/s320/B.+L.+Parker.jpeg" width="233" /></a></div>
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It is with a heavy heart that I write that my friend, Bo, passed away yesterday. I met him at a Cape Fear Crime Festival and he was adorable. I will surely miss hearing from him.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Born and raised in the rural hills of East Tennessee,
Bronson L. “Bo” Parker began cobbling words together for money at the age of
sixteen. The ensuing years included an internship with the Wall Street Journal,
work as both a news reporter and sports writer for several newspapers, and
along the way, work was mixed with study to earn a degree in journalism from
UT-Knoxville,<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b> After thirteen years in the newspaper
world, Parker moved to a management position with Newport News Shipbuilding in
Newport News, Virginia where he spent four and a half years before accepting an
appointed position as a public official with his adopted City of Hampton,
Virginia.</b><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>When he left the newspaper business, he did not
abandon word cobbling. Historical non-fiction articles and books on events in
his adopted city and state satisfied his word-cobbling addiction until he turned
to fiction after his retirement. THE WEIGHT OF EMPTINESS is the second
installment in the life of Joe McKibben. The first one, THE PROVIDENCE OF DEATH
was published in 2010.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>I met Bronson a few years back at Cape Fear Crime Festival in Wilmington, North Carolina and instantly loved his dry wit and cuteness.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>It's nice to have you on the blog at last, Bronson.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Good to be here, Susan.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">How has your environment
affected your writing?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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A childhood curiosity as to the why of things has never been outgrown.
An early introduction to journalism with its five “Ws”<span style="font-family: Symbol;">¾</span>who, what, when, where, and why<span style="font-family: Symbol;">¾</span>heightened that curiosity. However, in the
rush of daily publication, there was seldom time to dig deeply into the why
behind many of the stories.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Turning to historical
non-fiction did little to satisfy the hunger. Historical records can be long on
facts. But beyond scholarly works that most often rely on supposition and
speculation, the whys that led to decisions and events are an elusive element.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">When turning to fiction—where everything is created from scratch— the
freedom existed to create the whys behind Joe McKibben’s decisions and the actions
he takes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Give a short synop of your
most recently published book. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Joe McKibben, retired chief of detectives in
Hampton, Virginia, is wrestling with the emptiness of widowhood when, against
his better judgment, he agrees to a friend’s request to look for a woman who
has left town without telling anyone where she has gone, or why. Joe’s search
becomes an odyssey that leads him to several small towns about the Virginia countryside.
He ultimately meets the woman and learns why she left town without telling
anyone. In the end, Joe realizes what he observed and heard during his odyssey has
given him the resolve to get past his feeling of emptiness and move to the next
stage in his life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">How much of yourself is
hidden in the characters in the book?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Since making the choice, for the most part, to write in the first
person POV, a lot of personal viewpoints are reflected in how Joe McKibben sees
the world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>This ought to be interesting.</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What challenges did you face
while writing this book?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It
was the continuing struggle to hone the skills of a different trade. Years of
writing news/sports and historical non-fiction was the work of a mason,
building walls out of stones of fact, held together with mortar. Fiction
demands the skills of a carpenter, building wood-frame walls. Both types of
walls have to be straight, plumb, and level. But there are far more different materials
and methods of assembly in a wood-frame wall with which one has to become
proficient. I am still serving my apprenticeship. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">That's the best darn answer I've ever heard!</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Do you travel to do research
or for inspiration? Can you share some special places with us?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Since my traveling days are over, I rely on my fifty plus years of living
in historic Virginia and the many unique individuals I met during my working
days. There’s always seems to be a place or individual that crawls out of a memory
cell when needed for a setting or character in a scene. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What do you think is the
greatest lesson you’ve learned about writing so far? What advice can you give
new writers?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim2KXgWlsk6sMjK1M4jqP1NK6oj9ffB0eDpDRiZZCxvnG81u8I0n8X7_bl-noQmjBrWVdFmLY87NT2cxlofFel5md-qQdRiwZWyhUgWBXDhyKihyMtuqg0utNMY2CTRUz1qlwsszDqeZc/s1600/Aweightgreen-2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim2KXgWlsk6sMjK1M4jqP1NK6oj9ffB0eDpDRiZZCxvnG81u8I0n8X7_bl-noQmjBrWVdFmLY87NT2cxlofFel5md-qQdRiwZWyhUgWBXDhyKihyMtuqg0utNMY2CTRUz1qlwsszDqeZc/s320/Aweightgreen-2.jpeg" width="201" /></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It is exactly what the late Bill Tapply said to me when I
started writing fiction. “It is the hardest thing a person can attempt.” The
first draft may be the result of inspiration. But rewriting, “getting the words
right,” is the result of perseverance and perspiration. No better advice can be
passed on than to emphasize the need to accept the truth of Bill’s comment and
decide if the resolve to make the commitment is within. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Wow! Another great answer and super advice to all of us. </b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Where do you store ideas for
later use: in your head, in a notebook, or on a spreadsheet?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Ideas are stored in my head where things are allowed to germinate and
sprout like growth in the cracks of a sidewalk. As things progress, there’s a
lot of weeding done to find the right ingredients to mix up an acceptable
salad.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Great analogy, Bo.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">We all know how important
promoting our work has become. How do you get the word out both off and online?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">That is the big question. Since hitting the road is no longer possible,
the Internet will be my only connection with the world. How that tool will be
used is still to be determined. The best I can say at the moment is that if a
reader likes the book, recommend it to a friend, or write a brief review on
Amazon where the book is currently available for the Kindle http://www.amazon.com/WEIGHT-EMPTINESS</span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Can you tell us your future
writing goals/projects?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> The idea in the beginning was that Joe
McKibben’s story would be a three-book series. That is still the plan, but
there is no time frame involved. Beyond that, something else will sprout up to
grab my attention. I do know this. I’ll be writing something. “When something
takes hold of your soul, it’s a part of you forever.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>All writers understand that response. Thanks for letting me interview you. I wish you lots of success with both books. Hugs!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Enjoyed the questions, Susan. Take care.</span></div>
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Susan Whitfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215871952420224793noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10479189974436584.post-22296526494320426412015-07-19T08:00:00.000-04:002015-07-19T08:00:04.323-04:00Bill Thompson needs no introduction in North Carolina<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEaCBBQkS67kB5wdDUoS-dKqefl8tUfZkWv_2JeycgeQcbz7pf5Og1Metqb18X9LNVu7aztbX7MpCJhHf6IV3xYPY928dSHGF2ZqLQBMqC_eB0UnlsOaw_qbNkwlbn2xgM1V-zIiQseak/s1600/bill.thompson.april.12.0024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEaCBBQkS67kB5wdDUoS-dKqefl8tUfZkWv_2JeycgeQcbz7pf5Og1Metqb18X9LNVu7aztbX7MpCJhHf6IV3xYPY928dSHGF2ZqLQBMqC_eB0UnlsOaw_qbNkwlbn2xgM1V-zIiQseak/s1600/bill.thompson.april.12.0024.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<b>Bill Thompson and I are sitting on the front porch, rocking and eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, washed down with sweet iced tea. Our conversations always contain tidbits and stories around the state we love and then turn to books and writing. It doesn't get any better than this!</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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<b> Bill Thompson is a
North Carolina native who has been writing about The South and particularly
North Carolina for nearly forty years.
He began writing a column for his local paper then expanded that into
over thirty papers in North and South Carolina.
He wrote a regular column for Our State Magazine for over a decade. Our State (Mann Media) published three of
Bill’s books: <i>Sweet Tea, Fried Chicken and Lazy Dogs</i>, <i>Pearls
Pork</i> <i>Palace</i>,(a collection of
short stories) and <i>Backyards, Bow Ties
and Beauty Queens</i>. He is an active
speaker for numerous events throughout The South. And an excellent one, I might add.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Bill, while we finish up lunch, let's talk some more about your personal writing. I know you love North Carolina as much as I do and I love to showcase the state in my writing too. How has your environment affected your writing?</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>The old axiom “Write about what you know.” certainly applies
to me. All of my books, columns, plays –
everything I write—is taken from my experiences. I grew up in the rural South so that’s what I
write about.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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And you write it in such a delightful and entertaining way.</div>
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<b>Why, thank you, Susan.</b></div>
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How many books have you written?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>I have written two books of essays/commentaries, one
collection of short stories, and my first novel, <i>Celia Whitfield’s Boy.<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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Give a short synopsis of your most recently published book. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>Celia Whitfield’s Boy</i> is historical fiction centered around
a young man growing up during the lumber industry boom of the early part of the
twentieth century in southeastern North Carolina. He has to deal with personal relations with
two women while confronting racism and politics connected with the governor's election of 1924. Of course, it’s much more complex than that but
you said keep it short.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p>LOL. Yes, I've read the book and there's plenty going on. I hope historical fiction readers will pick up a copy.</o:p></div>
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How much of yourself is hidden in the characters in the
book? <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>The character of Jacob Whitfield is based on my Grandfather
Council. My grandfather and I were very
close and, certainly, at least some of my grandfather’s characteristics were
passed on to me. My personal slogan “Everything in the world is personal” applies to my writing, including this
novel. Jacob and I share a lot of the
same perspective on personal relationships and struggle with the
cynical/realistic approach versus the more idealistic concepts of politics and
the role we can play in that regard.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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What challenges did you face while writing this book?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>I had to do a lot of research. Since, contrary to some observations, I
wasn’t actually around during the 1920s I interviewed a lot of people who were around as well as looking up historical material to
make sure I was being authentic in my image of the time and place. Jacob is a lawyer in the story and that
necessitated my reliance on my friend and attorney, Marvin Tedder, to make sure
the interpretation of the law during that time and place was authentic. Of course, his caveat that covers all that
is, “The law back then in rural areas like ours was whatever the sheriff and
the judge said it was.”</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Do you travel to do research or for inspiration? Can you
share some special places with us?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>I didn’t really have to travel much to do the research and
since my inspiration was my grandfather I didn’t have to go away to remember
him.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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What advice can you give new writers? <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>The best advice I
would give to new writers is , “Don’t be in a hurry. Take time to let whatever muse you have speak
to you, then revise and revise and revise.
Don’t try to write like somebody else.
Develop your own style”.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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Great advice, Bill!</div>
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Where do you store ideas for later use: in your head, in a
notebook, or on a spreadsheet?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Many years ago I used to carry a small tape recorder with me
when I traveled, but now I just try to remember things I see and hear. And sometimes I just make it up.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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You can remember things? Wow! I have to write everything down ;-(</div>
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<o:p><b> </b></o:p>We all know how important promoting our work has become. How
do you get the word out both off and online?</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>I don’t understand internet marketing, so I leave that up to
my publisher. My most effective way of
selling my books is through my speaking engagements around the country. In my talks I talk about my life growing up
in The South and those things that inspired my books.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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And you sell lots of books. I've been there. I've sat beside you at signings and I've seen the lines. Your dynamic personality and that deep voice don't hurt either. You're a Southern gentleman and I'm proud to call you a friend.</div>
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<b>Why, thank you, Susan.</b></div>
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Can you tell us your future writing goals/projects?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>I have a new book coming out in July 2015 that I am really
excited about. It’s called <i>Listen to the South Wind</i> and is the
result of a collaboration with a fantastically talented photographer name Doug
Sasser. He's also a superior court judge. </b><br />
<b><br /></b></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMsOcJHJzay7vd4cC48WovAStzztq9XVrnQnGIcEhI_fICYi_7OU4yD0yRYykFO4hEDCEaBdjNwhxchF2vlI_qSjbDL4f_P-dT4tWAiga-Hlgu5w7rYdpR9jY0ETlSOlzUTuipShVW4_w/s1600/ListentotheSouthWind_100_030815.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMsOcJHJzay7vd4cC48WovAStzztq9XVrnQnGIcEhI_fICYi_7OU4yD0yRYykFO4hEDCEaBdjNwhxchF2vlI_qSjbDL4f_P-dT4tWAiga-Hlgu5w7rYdpR9jY0ETlSOlzUTuipShVW4_w/s1600/ListentotheSouthWind_100_030815.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>When Doug Sasser and I first started discussing the possibility of putting together a book, we knew we didn’t want to do just another “coffee-table book” with pretty pictures and a text describing the photos to the reader. We saw this as a collaboration of two people who come from very similar backgrounds and have a real appreciation for the geography and culture of our native Carolinas. We wanted our readers to develop that same appreciation.</b><br />
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<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>I like to think that I paint pictures as I write about the people, places and events that are a part of who we are and where we are. As I looked at Doug’s pictures, I wrote down, not a description of the photos, but what I <i>felt </i>as I looked at the images. It was sometimes a story, sometimes a commentary or sometimes a poem. Occasionally, I would remember something I had written before and thought it worth restating.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Most of Doug’s photos are landscapes or still life. I usually write about people. By combining our perspectives, we hope the reader can see beyond our individual views, beyond what we absorbed during our lives, beyond what we write or record with the camera. We want the reader to become a part of all that we have experienced, to absorb that unique sense of time and place that makes us Southerners and makes this land a special part of God’s creation. And our home.</b></div>
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YAYY! I can hardly wait to get a copy!</div>
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Where can folks learn more about your books and events?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>They can buy them from their local bookstores or from Out
State Magazine, Second Wind Publishing or they can contact me at
billthompson28442@aol.com</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4qw291BJlpy8Sxo7W6PQP4gkqJcJpxYQaKVLwDFIHujJorkIXnov3Qb20gL1qqIZQxXInB3jQMH-N2BPHlcQT022IeypbmJzLa7NbJ23dQjjJYAVqM9XcqHxkTxm1jIpFogieQOgoJag/s1600/Bill.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4qw291BJlpy8Sxo7W6PQP4gkqJcJpxYQaKVLwDFIHujJorkIXnov3Qb20gL1qqIZQxXInB3jQMH-N2BPHlcQT022IeypbmJzLa7NbJ23dQjjJYAVqM9XcqHxkTxm1jIpFogieQOgoJag/s1600/Bill.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Are your books available in print and ebook formats?<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Yes.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p>Thanks for dropping by, Bill. And don't forget to let us know when the new book is released. </o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p>
<o:p><b>I hope to see you again soon, Susan, somewhere around North Carolina.</b></o:p></div>
Susan Whitfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215871952420224793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10479189974436584.post-78706773986016094332015-07-12T00:00:00.000-04:002015-07-12T11:52:25.338-04:00There's no substitute for Carolyn Rose ... Really!<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Carolyn J. Rose is the author
of the popular Subbing isn’t for Sissies series (<i>No Substitute for Murder</i>, <i>No
Substitute for Money</i>, <i>No Substitute
for Maturity </i>and<i> No Substitute for
Myth</i>), as well as the Catskill Mountains mysteries (<i>Hemlock Lake,</i> <i>Through a
Yellow Wood, </i>and<i> The Devil’s
Tombstone</i>). Other works include <i>An
Uncertain Refuge</i>, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on"><i>Sea</i></st1:placetype><i> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Regret</st1:placename></i></st1:place>,
<i>A Place of Forgetting,</i> and projects
written with her husband, Mike Nettleton (<i>The
Hard Karma Shuffle</i>, <i>The Crushed
Velvet Miasma</i>, <i>Drum Warrior</i>, <i>Death at Devil’s Harbor</i>, <i>Deception at Devil’s Harbor, </i>and the
short story collection<i> Sucker Punches).</i><br />
<br />
She grew up in <st1:state w:st="on">New York</st1:state>'s Catskill Mountains,
graduated from the <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Arizona</st1:placename>, logged two years in <st1:state w:st="on">Arkansas</st1:state>
with Volunteers in Service to <st1:country-region w:st="on">America</st1:country-region>,
and spent 25 years as a television news researcher, writer, producer, and
assignment editor in <st1:state w:st="on">Arkansas</st1:state>, <st1:state w:st="on">New Mexico</st1:state>, <st1:state w:st="on">Oregon</st1:state>, and <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Washington</st1:place></st1:state>. She’s now a
substitute teacher in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Vancouver</st1:city>,
<st1:state w:st="on">Washington</st1:state></st1:place>, and her interests are
reading, swimming, walking, gardening, and NOT cooking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Carolyn, it's great to have you back on the blog.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">You've lived in several areas of the country. </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">How has your environment
affected your writing?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Two environments have
affected me the most—the Catskill Mountains of New York where I grew up, and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Vancouver</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Washington</st1:state></st1:place>,
where I’ve lived since 2000.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>The feeling of being rooted
but also yearning to break away that I had as a teenager figures in the plot of
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on"><i>Hemlock</i></st1:placename><i> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Lake</st1:placetype></i></st1:place>, the first of my Catskill
Mountains Mysteries. The ghosts and legends of those ancient mountains and the
stories I heard as a child feature in <i>Through
a Yellow Wood</i> and <i>The Devil’s
Tombstone</i>.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>My Subbing isn’t for Sissies
series is set in <st1:city w:st="on">Reckless River</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Washington</st1:state>, a fictional town that has a lot in common
with <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Vancouver</st1:city></st1:place>,
where I now live. Barbara Reed, the divorced and downsized protagonist, becomes
a substitute teacher, a job she describes as being a step above that of crash-test
dummy. Not coincidentally, I became a high school substitute teacher shortly
after ending a 25-year career as a TV news producer and assignment editor.
Silly me, I felt I was getting too old for the stress of constant deadlines.
Now I have stress on a whole different level. But when the final bell rings I
can leave the building knowing I don’t have to return to that particular
classroom if I don’t want to.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">How many books have you
written?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Counting one I trashed, three
now out of print (and staying that way), and six co-written with my husband,
the total is 19 going on 20. I just started on the fifth Subbing isn’t for
Sissies book. (Working title: <i>No
Substitute for Mistakes</i>.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">WOW!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHBU44QXQM4mHbrkhZUe4E5tItVt6ZRPCv-IaAqTeIm5Y3iR6t1tdckQrS802q-nz3SVPs4pOySA0KzBLLHDMXPNuEguWdLYDrt9lhNErQ587K9p4jTNOi7vUOYlpUdJuZqgV5RUHkwLA/s1600/NSFMyth_04_1400X2000%2540150dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHBU44QXQM4mHbrkhZUe4E5tItVt6ZRPCv-IaAqTeIm5Y3iR6t1tdckQrS802q-nz3SVPs4pOySA0KzBLLHDMXPNuEguWdLYDrt9lhNErQ587K9p4jTNOi7vUOYlpUdJuZqgV5RUHkwLA/s320/NSFMyth_04_1400X2000%2540150dpi.jpg" width="224" /></a></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Give a short synop of your
most recently published book, No Substitute for Myth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>No Substitute for Myth:<o:p></o:p></b></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Is Bigfoot prowling around <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Reckless River</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Washington</st1:state></st1:place>?
Has Sasquatch come to the city?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Barbara Reed doesn’t know if
she believes the legendary creature exists, but evidence is stacking up.
Something big is scavenging for food in city parks. Something tall and heavy
left footprints across a dirt parking lot. And something huge and hairy
careened into her one night on the riverfront trail.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Did that same creature kill a
man and drag his body into a swamp? Or was the killer human? Will justice be
undermined by media frenzy, a tide of tourism, and hundreds of hunters?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnjrMQUErSjhgCm15_wm1gWsGOcQfrdfZLFvWdWqDqIum3TTdskgEaz49oL5Gmve9b6va8eCutITPsIREOunXyDymXyQr4XOtQHeHN_yDYjB6yD2pRmwd_x6K48ckpIzTp4wSaYW6ZUoQ/s1600/DSC_1223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnjrMQUErSjhgCm15_wm1gWsGOcQfrdfZLFvWdWqDqIum3TTdskgEaz49oL5Gmve9b6va8eCutITPsIREOunXyDymXyQr4XOtQHeHN_yDYjB6yD2pRmwd_x6K48ckpIzTp4wSaYW6ZUoQ/s200/DSC_1223.jpg" width="183" /></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>With help from the usual
suspects, Barb, her drug-cop boyfriend, her pearl-powered wealthy neighbor, and
Cheese Puff, her less-than-loyal dog, set out to solve a mystery, catch a
murderer, and bust a few myths along the way.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>I love Cheese Puff!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">How much of yourself is
hidden in the characters in the book?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Instead of hidden, I’d use
the phrase “thinly disguised.” My main characters share a lot the attitudes and
opinions I’ve had at different times of my life. And most of them can’t resist
snack food or a BLT on rye with crispy bacon. They’re pretty outspoken and
sarcastic, love dogs, prefer small towns to cities, like a frothy rum drink now
and then, and think we’d make more progress in government if we took some of the
politicians out of politics.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">What challenges did you face
while writing this book?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>Sitting. Cutting back on the
snacking. Getting through the dreaded middle.</b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3TaEzuWX8OagMC3qi60tpQyNJuevfL-I7pu4H_UQQwrhHbraoukzSrMAEiSq3afHGsea6WIeE9feql7Q0dtuoSVAPraB0ioek6RkH00LVq1yURrf1n0BRsstMNWvGkkxbSoGfWrAJErc/s1600/The+Devil%2527s+Tombstone_1400X2000%2540150dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3TaEzuWX8OagMC3qi60tpQyNJuevfL-I7pu4H_UQQwrhHbraoukzSrMAEiSq3afHGsea6WIeE9feql7Q0dtuoSVAPraB0ioek6RkH00LVq1yURrf1n0BRsstMNWvGkkxbSoGfWrAJErc/s200/The+Devil%2527s+Tombstone_1400X2000%2540150dpi.jpg" width="140" /></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Thanks to a special cushion
that helps my sciatic nerve pain, I am now able to sit comfortably for longer
periods of time, but I make an effort to get up every 20 minutes and move
around. Unfortunately, moving around generally takes me in the direction of the
kitchen, the lair of the cheesy snacks. More unfortunately, my brain demands
carbohydrate fuel to generate ideas to get me out of the quicksand I
occasionally write myself into. If it wasn’t for water aerobics at the
community pool, I’d have to sew my lips shut so I wouldn’t have to shop for
clothing at a tent store.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.6666660308838px;">LOL! And did I mention, dear readers, that Carolyn Rose has a great sense of humor that runs through her stories?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.6666660308838px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Do you travel to do research
or for inspiration? Can you share some special places with us?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>To get the feel for <i>The Devil’s Tombstone</i>, I read a number
of articles on the geology of the Catskills and went back to those mountains in
April of 2014. That’s the time of year when the book begins, a season when the
sun casts long shadows, wind soughs through the pines and hemlocks, and ice may
still clog the lakes. One theme of the book is the legend surrounding a huge
rock, a glacial erratic. I wanted to see and touch some of these rocks carried
by glaciers and left behind when the ice sheets retreated. Fortunately, I was
able to convince my brother (Lorin Rose) and my cover-designing cousin (Dorion
Rose) to come along and carry the sandwiches. More fortunately, the hike wasn’t
so arduous that they had to carry me on the return trip.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>I get plenty of inspiration
for the Subbing isn’t for Sissies series every day that I show up to sub at my
favorite <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Vancouver</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">WA</st1:state></st1:place>, high school. I get even more when I walk
on one of many trails along the <st1:place w:st="on">Columbia River</st1:place>
or streams that run through the city. Thinking about what creatures might be
lurking in the forest along a greenbelt trail gave me the inspiration for <i>No Substitute for Myth</i>. </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>And, I confess I’d been
watching several TV shows featuring teams hunting for Bigfoot. I’m always ready
to make popcorn and slouch on the couch for an hour or so and take in a mystery
or a Bigfoot hunt.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">What do you think is the greatest
lesson you’ve learned about writing so far? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>To let my characters express
their opinions. I used to hold back because a writing coach told me my
characters were too over-the-top. I also worried what people would think of me
because of what my characters said and did. As a result, my characters were
flat. Now I let them cut loose and splatter their thoughts on the pages.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I'm so glad you do, Carolyn.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">What advice can you give new
writers?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Don’t get discouraged. Don’t
give up. And don’t let others define “success” for you. If you’re able to do it,
take money out of the equation and write for the joy of sharing your stories
with people you’ve never met and may never meet. I did end-zone happy dances
when I saw I’d sold books in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Malta</st1:country-region>,
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Angola</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Ecuador</st1:country-region>, and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Singapore</st1:place></st1:country-region>. I may never go to those
places, but my characters have.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Where do you store ideas for
later use: in your head, in a notebook, or on a spreadsheet?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Everywhere BUT on a
spreadsheet. I have four bulletin boards in my office, all layered with scraps
of paper, cartoons, articles, file cards, and photographs. I also keep
notebooks for each series with character and setting details. </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">We all know how important
promoting our work has become. How do you get the word out both off and online?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>I’m terrible at this. I use
Facebook and blog for a few other authors and I have a tiny mailing list. I
don’t Tweet. I’m an example of what NOT to do. </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I don't tweet either. I never quite figured out how or even why. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Can you tell us your future
writing goals/projects?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I<b>’d like to write at least
two more in the subbing series, and then tackle a mystery/love story with
paranormal elements.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Where can folks learn more
about your books and events?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Check my website: <a href="http://www.deadlyduomysteries.com/">www.deadlyduomysteries.com</a> and my Amazon author page: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003515CZ4">http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003515CZ4</a></b>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Are your books available in
print and ebook formats? (please provide the buy link for easy reader
accessibility)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Amazon Links:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Devils-Tombstone-Catskill-Mountains-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B00RC4X0XQ/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1433003904&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=the+devil%27s+tombtone">http://www.amazon.com/Devils-Tombstone-Catskill-Mountains-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B00RC4X0XQ/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1433003904&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=the+devil%27s+tombtone</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Substitute-Myth-Subbing-isnt-Sissies-ebook/dp/B00YI7UTN4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1433003964&sr=1-1&keywords=no+substitute+for+myth">http://www.amazon.com/Substitute-Myth-Subbing-isnt-Sissies-ebook/dp/B00YI7UTN4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1433003964&sr=1-1&keywords=no+substitute+for+myth</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Kobo Links:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-devil-s-tombstone">https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-devil-s-tombstone</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/no-substitute-for-myth">https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/no-substitute-for-myth</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Nook Links: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-devils-tombstone-carolyn-j-rose/1120957805?ean=2940149852512">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-devils-tombstone-carolyn-j-rose/1120957805?ean=2940149852512</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/no-substitute-for-myth-carolyn-j-rose/1122025758?ean=2940151390163">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/no-substitute-for-myth-carolyn-j-rose/1122025758?ean=2940151390163</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Both books are available as
trade paperbacks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjjnbWHHPGcfiHGLq_kocJtv6umT6eDp5lzWmSJ3iadrk_1wCmddHyNEOL41r4_E_fqsIDbMO1XoMQQK6HQor2aFVISFN1I1UHvVYZfVee6YEr-__S-c_Ot0iMmE3Aj3kre0pT4CnZ7dA/s1600/NSFMyth_04_1400X2000%2540150dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjjnbWHHPGcfiHGLq_kocJtv6umT6eDp5lzWmSJ3iadrk_1wCmddHyNEOL41r4_E_fqsIDbMO1XoMQQK6HQor2aFVISFN1I1UHvVYZfVee6YEr-__S-c_Ot0iMmE3Aj3kre0pT4CnZ7dA/s320/NSFMyth_04_1400X2000%2540150dpi.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Great! Carolyn, I wish you the best and can't wait to read <i>No Substitute for Myth. </i>I hope readers will start at the beginning of this series and read them all. Such fun and giggles!</span></div>
Susan Whitfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215871952420224793noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10479189974436584.post-8393537344137506002015-07-05T08:00:00.000-04:002015-07-05T08:00:03.096-04:00Lissa Brown's Family of Choice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga0uI4pwBiRMhsnB4d3Hde1zI94nGptBBCXpTc5jIn6KHqdQex9X5rbGC_8rnCXc4o8ZmjvBylPHGU1keOTeRz4hbvdDK4n6j04iBR9WExhhrGOO-UshV7TsDwNyUG1snmzSuCLKizZpQ/s1600/Family+of+Choice+cover+front+web+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga0uI4pwBiRMhsnB4d3Hde1zI94nGptBBCXpTc5jIn6KHqdQex9X5rbGC_8rnCXc4o8ZmjvBylPHGU1keOTeRz4hbvdDK4n6j04iBR9WExhhrGOO-UshV7TsDwNyUG1snmzSuCLKizZpQ/s1600/Family+of+Choice+cover+front+web+small.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Lissa Brown has the best of all worlds. She is retired from
careers in teaching, public relations and marketing and now writes for her own
enjoyment. She’s written four books since 2009, one humorous memoir as Leslie
Brunetsky and three novels under her own name.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> Lissa has been
working her way south from <st1:state w:st="on">New Jersey</st1:state> for the
past thirty years and is happily settled in <st1:state w:st="on">North Carolina</st1:state>’s
<st1:place w:st="on">Appalachian Mountains</st1:place>, the source of her
literary inspiration. Concerned about the prevalence of bullying of LGBT kids,
she wrote <i>Another F-Word</i> to raise
awareness of the problem in the U.S. Bible Belt. Her latest novel, <i>Family of</i> <i>Choice</i> is a sequel to that book. She has spoken extensively on the
subject of bullying. <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>I was privileged to meet Lissa in person several years ago when we both attended a book event in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.</b></div>
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<b>Welcome to the blog, Lissa. </b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thank you, Susan. It's great to touch base with you again.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Let's get right to the interview, Lissa. How has your environment affected your
writing?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
If I hadn’t moved to the southern <st1:place w:st="on">Appalachians</st1:place> in 2005, I definitely would not have written
the humorous memoir, <i>Real Country: From
the Fast Track to</i> <i>Appalachia</i>,
about a Yankee urbanite trying to adjust to life in a NC holler. If I had not
seen the devastating effects of bullying of LGBT kids as NC voters debated
amending the state constitution in 2012, I doubt I’d have been moved to explore
that topic in a novel. I was so disturbed by what I witnessed that I needed a
way to consider the question of why some adults do things to hurt children. <i>Another F-Word</i> was the result of my
reaction to some pretty hateful behavior I observed. My latest book, <i>Family of Choice</i>, the sequel, examines
the effects of childhood bullying on adults and their families.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Please give us a short synopsis of</b> <b><i>Family
of Choice</i></b>:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rory Calhoun Wilson, now a practicing physician living with his partner and the
partner’s two children in <st1:city w:st="on">Baltimore</st1:city>, was a
victim of bullying by his father, classmates, preacher and others while growing
up in rural <st1:place w:st="on">Tennessee</st1:place>.
He wrestles with the issues of whether to forgive his father and even perhaps
to reconnect with him after years of estrangement. Concurrently, Rory must
decide whether to legally adopt his partner’s children. His doubts about
whether he can be a good father are inextricably tied to issues with his own
father. Can he let go of anger nourished over many years? Should he? Will it
free him to have a fulfilling life? Those are the central issues in <b><i>Family
of Choice</i></b>.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>What</b> <b>challenges did you face while writing this book?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
When I tell you that I will never
write another sequel, you’ll have some idea of how difficult I found it to
write this book. I intended the sequel to be able to stand on its own so that a
reader could choose to read <i>Family of
Choice</i> and not read <i>Another F-Word </i>first<i>. </i>It had to be a good enough story to
hold the reader’s attention without being shored up by the first book. Easier
said than done! I had to include enough back story to have the plot make sense
to someone who had not read the first book, but I couldn’t load up so much back
story so that a reader who had read <i>Another
F-Word </i> would grow tired of
repetition. Finding that balance was the most difficult challenge I’ve faced as
a writer.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>How much of yourself is hidden in the
characters of your books?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
If I’ve learned anything from
writing novels, it’s that the writer cannot predict what readers will see in
her books. I had a very funny call from a cousin after I’d written my first
novel, <i>Family Secrets: Three Generations</i>.
He called to say he’d started the book and was very upset because it made him
realize that he didn’t know my parents as well as he thought he did. I paused
for a minute before reminding this psychologist that a novel is fiction and
that the family in the book was not mine. I understand why he drew that
erroneous conclusion, though. The girl in the story did seem to resemble me in
some ways. It was my first attempt at writing fiction, and I suppose I stuck a
little too close to what I knew as I told the story. Friends who’ve known me
since childhood say they hear my voice when they read female characters in my
books. I’ve had several readers tell me they know who a particular fictional
character really is even though I did not base them on anyone or even a
composite of several people. I think many writers insert parts of themselves in
their characters. If I do it, it’s on a subconscious level. That’s my story,
and I’m sticking to it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
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LOL. Gotcha! ;-)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<o:p> </o:p><b>How do you get the word out about a
book?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Even though I have a background in
marketing, promoting your own books is very different. For one thing, it’s
difficult not to feel personal rejection when people don’t love your books. I
thought I’d developed a pretty thick skin over the years that somebody else
judged my writing and either paid me or didn’t pay me based on their judgment.
I do have to remind myself that it’s the writing people are reacting to, not
me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
I spent an entire year speaking to
any group that would have me about the topic of bullying. I spoke in churches,
conferences at universities, professional meetings and a variety of youth
groups. As a former educator, of course I wanted to educate people about the
consequences of bullying, but I also wanted to sell my books. I stay active on
Facebook and participate in as many media interviews as I can. I maintain a
website and still plan to establish a blog when I find time to do it right. I
write articles on topics pertinent to the subject of my books and have been
fairly successful placing them. Like most writers, I’d rather write than
promote, but it’s a necessary part of being an author these days.</div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<b>Where can folks learn more about your
books and events?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
To purchase a copy of <i>Family of Choice</i> as an ebook or
paperbook , go to<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/family-choice-lissa-j-brown/dp/1502569051/">http://www.amazon.com/family-choice-lissa-j-brown/dp/1502569051/</a><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
People can learn more about my books and me at <a href="http://www.lissabrownwrites.com/">www.lissabrownwrites.com</a> <b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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Thanks for dropping by, Lissa. I wish you all the best and hope to see you in the near future.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCwPILRrF13yV4nSSG8Svoy0Xhqqg3KiNmXv43Nkk0EGra2mOhtOIjkehX9fFbj3ROypueMNHMamU-NrHTV1We-Fa99rkBVtx8gFf_5krZ0TPq3VJ0RJzg2LUiZv9E1Ax2coeoaziA0qk/s1600/IMG_1985-copy_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCwPILRrF13yV4nSSG8Svoy0Xhqqg3KiNmXv43Nkk0EGra2mOhtOIjkehX9fFbj3ROypueMNHMamU-NrHTV1We-Fa99rkBVtx8gFf_5krZ0TPq3VJ0RJzg2LUiZv9E1Ax2coeoaziA0qk/s1600/IMG_1985-copy_edited-1.jpg" height="200" width="198" /></a></div>
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Susan Whitfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215871952420224793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10479189974436584.post-23713094808081677702015-06-21T08:00:00.000-04:002015-06-21T08:00:07.727-04:00Haberman's Lake of Lies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDekY06IxdspZ46Ydpqq-AJJnh3_GS9YwCTuAfLtl7ax8Qv0skCLcvMZtrYjGjK-W3SVPul5PNVdyydpFYR2TZy-hAj2AWPjWLrhA2TkUG0YYGV-jOkjJoBkbSvR20xOVxCXQFUf5jI8o/s1600/Lake+of+Lies-Nook+Cover_2-4-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDekY06IxdspZ46Ydpqq-AJJnh3_GS9YwCTuAfLtl7ax8Qv0skCLcvMZtrYjGjK-W3SVPul5PNVdyydpFYR2TZy-hAj2AWPjWLrhA2TkUG0YYGV-jOkjJoBkbSvR20xOVxCXQFUf5jI8o/s1600/Lake+of+Lies-Nook+Cover_2-4-15.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<b>C. G. Haberman was raised in
south-central Nebraska. He received his undergraduate biology degree from the
Nebraska University and a MS in zoology from Fort Hays State University.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>For nearly a decade he taught the biological sciences in
secondary schools. He changed professions to work in the environmental field
for three different state agencies over twenty years. C. G. returned to
education as a community college instructor and as an adjunct at a four-year,
liberal-arts College until his retirement. During his teaching years he
incorporated field studies into his ecology and summer classes. <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>His hobbies consist of photography, some of which he has used
for book covers. Another hobby he developed is cooking and loves to prepare a
meal for his wife and her best friends. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Welcome to the blog, C.G. My husband has been going from North Carolina to Nebraska for 29 years to pheasant and quail hunt. He stays with families in Beaver City and Fairbury and I have visited twice. Those families are now part of our own.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
How
has your environment affected your writing?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
<b>Thanks, Susan. Glad to be here. My writing stems from single events, people I’ve met, and
the places my wife and I have lived. I planned for one or two CJ Hand novels,
but the series idea began to unfold halfway through the first novel, <i>Deadly Circles</i>. My love for Nebraska and
surrounding prairie led me to develop the protagonist CJ Hand. <i>The Naturalists</i> historical novel
developed because of my love for, and the huge loss of, a unique natural
resource.</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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How
many books have you written?<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>I have written and self-published five novels. The four CJ
Hand Series (crime/mystery) and the, <i>The
Naturalists,</i> a three-part historical novel set in the Rainwater Basin of
Nebraska. All my novels use the Great Plains as the main setting.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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I can understand why. It's beautiful.</div>
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Give
a short synopsis of the most recently published book. <b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>The most recent novel I self-published is <i>Lake of Lies</i>. The book explores a myriad
of problems that torment Hand for the first time in his life. With all these
distractions his life changes on a snow and ice covered rural road in northwest
Iowa. His closest friend and former criminal investigation partner, Dr. Trish
Baker, seeks revenge. For CJ, his fiancé, and for the loss of her own fiancé she
hunts down a cold-blooded killer in the South Dakota Badlands. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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How
much of yourself is hidden in the characters in the book?<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Very little, as events, such as the last CJ Hand novel, <i>Lake of Lies</i>, occur from my teaching
methods. Examples of other events: uranium mining in northwest Nebraska, cougar
hunting, hibernation of animals, and the small bluegill fish called Jaws. A
tongue-in-cheek shot is taken at the I-80 corridor in my free short story on
the web site. If you have explored Nebraska you know the State is not flat.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>I let the characters take over as I write. The best example
of this is in <i>The Naturalists – A
Historical Novel of the Hayman Family (Vol. 1)</i> where Abner Hayman took the
reins, so to speak. To develop his son’s character, Abner’ persona needed
development that leads to the latter part of the novel set in a unique area of
Nebraska called the Rainwater Basin. John feels a spiritual draw to this unique
area, which harbors waterfowl, shorebirds, and other species in the neck of a
migratory hourglass. Here the birds briefly dwell by the thousands to rest and
feed before they journey to nesting grounds in Canada.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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What
do you think is the greatest lesson you’ve learned about writing so far? What
advice can you give new writers?<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>I have learned to outline and research
the ideas first, not bog down in the research (as I did with one novel) and
avoid writer’s block. I’ve found reading helps when I hit a non-writing wall. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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Yes, I have to read and go on long walks in order to break a block myself.</div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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We
all know how important promoting our work has become. How do you get the word
out both off and online?<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>I use social media: Facebook, Twitter, emails, Linked-In,
and my web site <a href="http://www.cghaberman.com/">cghaberman.com</a>. The web
site contains Chapter excerpts from each book, photos, events, and recently two
new pages. The new pages: Free Short Story reading (which started March 1) and
Follow a Novel Writing Experience via journal notes. The latter commences the
first week in April.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Others are:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Clark-Haberman/e/B0095TV6B4">Amazon
Author page</a></b></div>
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheN44sLHuJKdbI-LY0PhajERUI9W2AJvZiPoVFIVbVrggjaI-a1yGJZLsu8LsnVbefBjs4rwRzxJtgziyk6g7IAqeiAtbASfbVoPdvQzkzCeHCqZO1VPl_BvjDf7-yOpHcP68cf7giO4o/s1600/me+8a-bandw-d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheN44sLHuJKdbI-LY0PhajERUI9W2AJvZiPoVFIVbVrggjaI-a1yGJZLsu8LsnVbefBjs4rwRzxJtgziyk6g7IAqeiAtbASfbVoPdvQzkzCeHCqZO1VPl_BvjDf7-yOpHcP68cf7giO4o/s1600/me+8a-bandw-d.jpg" height="320" width="242" /></a></b></div>
<b><o:p></o:p></b><br />
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<b> <a href="http://microcerpt.com/">http://microcerpt.com/</a><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://pnpauthorspattimariandpeter.ning.com/">PnP
Authors Promotion</a><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Other sites, which Cold Coffee Press developed the promo connections.
</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Can
you tell us your future writing goals/projects?<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>Currently I am working on <i>The Naturalists (Vol. 2)</i> and outlining the fifth CJ Hand novel: <i>100th Meridian Murders.</i> I hope to hone
my writing skills based on the comments from reviewer comments from all the
novels.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Where
can folks learn more about or buy your books?<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Click on my Amazon Author page or the other sites listed
below. <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Clark-Haberman/e/B0095TV6B4">Amazon
Author page</a><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/c.-g.-haberman">Barnes
and Noble</a><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/search?query=c.%20g.%20haberman">Kobo</a><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br />
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<b><a href="http://coldcoffeecafe.com/">Cold Coffee Cafe</a></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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It has been a pleasure getting to know you, C. G. Wishing you all the best!</div>
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<b>Thanks, Susan and the same to you in your North Carolina novels.</b></div>
Susan Whitfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215871952420224793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10479189974436584.post-71278867943969140902015-06-14T08:00:00.000-04:002015-06-14T08:00:07.149-04:00Emily-Jane Hills Orford: To Be A Duke<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiia863ksz5Wd8Oczn2RIeVGF0XjUi9pp0KobGI0MgfJ6Xp5cuf1y-pW0ontaLUhMQVxlXDI2OR-CRj1amlb4dk9_DiIWQ9kRyjKCIKicLe7874ZtlPCwE20Hn7HUVG71DT-ZTumb3r17c/s1600/To+Be+a+Duke+front+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiia863ksz5Wd8Oczn2RIeVGF0XjUi9pp0KobGI0MgfJ6Xp5cuf1y-pW0ontaLUhMQVxlXDI2OR-CRj1amlb4dk9_DiIWQ9kRyjKCIKicLe7874ZtlPCwE20Hn7HUVG71DT-ZTumb3r17c/s1600/To+Be+a+Duke+front+cover.jpg" height="320" width="214" /></a></div>
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<b>Emily-Jane Hills Orford loves writing about the extra-ordinary people (and special dogs). She writes
about real people and real events. Emily-Jane’s stories have appeared in <i>History
Magazine</i>, <i>Canadian Stories Magazine</i>, <i>The Curious Tourist Guide,</i> and <i>Western People</i>. She has
written several fiction and non-fiction books: <i>Spring, Summer, Autumn,
Winter, Ukulele Yukon, Letters From Inside, The Creative Spirit, It Happened in
Canada (Books 1, 2, and 3), Personal Notes, The Whistling Bishop, Songs of the
Voyageurs, F-Stop: A Life in Pictures, Still Delicious, Amazingly
Extra-Ordinary Women </i>and <i>To Be
a Duke. </i> An award-winning author,
she was named a Finalist for the 2009 Next Generation Indie Book Awards with
her book, <i>The Whistling Bishop</i>,
and again in Finalist in the 2012 Next Generation Indie Book Awards with her
book, <i>F-Stop: A Life in Pictures.</i><i><o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<i><b><br /></b></i></div>
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<b>Welcome to the blog, Emily-Jane. Have a crisp juicy apple while we talk.</b></div>
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Thank you, Susan. I love apples!</div>
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<b>How many books have you written?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Seventeen books published and two in the works.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p><b> WOW! You've been busy.</b></o:p></div>
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<o:p><b><br /></b></o:p></div>
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<b>Give a short synopsis of your most recently published book, <i>To Be a Duke</i>. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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After
experiencing an unhappy first year of his life, Duke believes that he has found
his forever home. <i>To Be a Duke</i> is
Duke’s story of adjusting to life in a new home and a family that he quickly
grows to love. Life is good, especially when he learns how to be a Duke.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There are other
books on the market about dogs, about a dog’s life, about a dog’s relationship
with humans. There are even books written in first person (or first dog?),
talking from the dog’s point of view. These are similar concepts to my book, <i>To Be a Duke.</i> What differs is the
message. <i>To Be a Duke </i>encourages
excellence and positive attitudes; it presents life as one to be lived with
great dignity and great joy; it teaches us as humans to be as good as our
dog(s), to be kind, caring and loving to all of the living creatures around us.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>To Be a Duke </i>is ageless in its appeal. It is a true
story, which makes it even more appealing. Duke was adopted from a local dog
rescue group. Duke’s story awakens our compassion for ‘man’s best friend’ and
bears witness to the tragedy that often befalls these beloved pets. As reviewer
<span lang="EN-CA">Faridah Nassozi wrote for Readers' Favorite, <i>To Be a Duke </i>“is no ordinary puppy story. It is a really emotional narration
that will make you think twice about your actions towards dogs, and all animals
in general. You do not know the inner workings of the mind of a puppy until you
have read <i>To Be A Duke.</i>”</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> </o:p> </div>
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<b>How much of yourself is hidden in the characters in the
book?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I don’t think any writer can
totally hide their own character. When I’m writing, I’m always referring to
myself is so many different ways. Even when we, as writers, say that we are
distancing ourselves from the story and the characters, we’re not. Who we are
in real life will always appear in our written work. <i>To Be a Duke</i> is based on one of our family dogs, so it’s to be
expected that my character would appear in some form in the book, even though
the story has been fictionalized.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>What challenges did you face while writing this book?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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I wanted to write this story in first person, from the
dog’s perspective. Getting into the mind of a dog is not as easy as one would
think. I spent a lot of time observing my dog, trying to understand why he
would do the things that he did. I think I was successful, as reviewer <span lang="EN-CA">Faridah Nassozi wrote
for Readers' Favorite, “The choice to let Duke tell his story was excellent and
made the story even more touching as he narrated his experiences in the
different homes. Emily-Jane Hills Orford did an incredible job and it left me
with a new and more enlightened perspective on the life of dogs amidst the
emotions, thrills and humor.”</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>What do you think is the greatest lesson you’ve learned
about writing so far? What advice can you give new writers?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Never give up. Even when the
rejection letters keep pouring in. Everyone has a story to tell and everyone is
going to tell their story in a different way. Just because one publisher/editor
doesn’t like the story, doesn’t mean it’s no good. It just means that you
haven’t found the right publisher/editor. Keep writing. Everyone’s written
story is just as good as another’s. Don’t sit around and wait for the BIG
publishing contract. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Take some writing courses and/or
participate in writing groups, seminars, workshops. I run classes, seminars and
workshops in my hometown for writers of all ages. I also teach online through
the Creative Writing Institute: <a href="http://cwinst.com/">http://cwinst.com/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> </o:p> </div>
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<b>Where do you store ideas for later use: in your head, in a
notebook, or on a spreadsheet?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I always carry a notebook with
me. When I’m sitting waiting for an appointment (always a long wait in the
doctor’s office), I either write a story, article, or just jot down some ideas.
I don’t like to sit idle while I wait, so I’m always writing something in my
little notebook. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>We all know how important promoting our work has become. How
do you get the word out both off and online?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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I have a website: <a href="http://emilyjanebooks.ca/">http://emilyjanebooks.ca</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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I also make good use of Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Where can folks learn more about your books and events?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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I have a website: <a href="http://emilyjanebooks.ca/">http://emilyjanebooks.ca</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnNAGpVqBJHlJYYptF7LRWSWM3WVIhUXvKhqX1tmlhMNzwk7ojixg8z7eKdCPqJtH5RiTYkfgT5eb1Sjuu1ttv7B8hz6sGbeguTv6AMCzXpaJe9RUSVLNBCST6a13ZNEQK8HIU46sv150/s1600/Emily+Promo+reduced.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnNAGpVqBJHlJYYptF7LRWSWM3WVIhUXvKhqX1tmlhMNzwk7ojixg8z7eKdCPqJtH5RiTYkfgT5eb1Sjuu1ttv7B8hz6sGbeguTv6AMCzXpaJe9RUSVLNBCST6a13ZNEQK8HIU46sv150/s1600/Emily+Promo+reduced.jpg" /></a>I am also on Facebook, just
google my name and you will find me linked to other articles/stories that I’ve
written and other sites that I either connect with or have written about me and
my work. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Are your books available in print and ebook formats?</b> </div>
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<i>To Be a Duke</i> is
available in both print and ebook format through Amazon (Canada, US, and
International), as well as other online sites. Here’s the link to Amazon.com: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Be-Duke-Emily-Jane-Hills-Orford/dp/0692273638/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427894791&sr=8-1&keywords=emily-jane+hills+orford">http://www.amazon.com/Be-Duke-Emily-Jane-Hills-Orford/dp/0692273638/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427894791&sr=8-1&keywords=emily-jane+hills+orford</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Some of my other books are also available on this site, or
people can always order my books directly from me: <a href="http://emilyjanebooks.ca/">http://emilyjanebooks.ca</a> <o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p>Good to know, Emily-Jane. I wish you great sales with your books. Thanks for stopping by.</o:p></div>
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Susan Whitfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215871952420224793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10479189974436584.post-22874040049397133352015-06-07T08:00:00.000-04:002015-06-07T08:00:09.318-04:00Writing duo CC Tillery <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg35GdW9Y2unawPkqMuzqTPqj0VZXSPH-dY0j0t_feZgeWtZFTPE6YCoRUEtlHdSw0O-uQnBZd7terMC0FpTe_laIFw2aVGA2OrtPijJEuDs_PXSNVXQA_ZKDRk17IOdVcymTxlU8NfpIs/s1600/CCTillery.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg35GdW9Y2unawPkqMuzqTPqj0VZXSPH-dY0j0t_feZgeWtZFTPE6YCoRUEtlHdSw0O-uQnBZd7terMC0FpTe_laIFw2aVGA2OrtPijJEuDs_PXSNVXQA_ZKDRk17IOdVcymTxlU8NfpIs/s1600/CCTillery.jpeg" /></a></div>
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<b>I met (via Internet) two of my favorite "sistahs" in Hot Springs, North Carolina, where my novel, Just North of Luck is set. Christy Tillery French and Cyndi Tillery Hodges aka Caitlin Hunter are a dynamic writing duo I "met" on Facebook and then in person at a writing event in Boone. These gals visit the setting
of their first book, Hot Springs, NC. several times a year and meet at the Smoky
Mountain Diner for lunch. I joined them. We love their food (yummy peanut butter pie!) and the
friendly, laid-back atmosphere. A couple of months ago, they were there and were
paid one of the highest compliments a writer can be given: the waitress told them they’d had several people come in who were visiting the town because they’d
read their book. After lunch when they walked the main street of town as they usually
did, their heads were in the clouds and their feet didn’t touch the ground once! It's my pleasure to interview these two sisters. If you haven't been introduced, sit back and get to know them and their writing a little better. Feel free to leave comments and questions in the comment section.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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CC Tillery is the pseudonym for the two sisters, both authors who came together to write the story of their
great-aunt Bessie in the <i>Appalachian Journey </i>series. Tillery is their<i>
</i>maiden name and the C’s stand for their first initials.<o:p></o:p></div>
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One C is Cyndi Tillery Hodges, a
multi-published author who writes paranormal and contemporary romance under the
pseudonym Caitlyn Hunter.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The other C is Christy Tillery
French, a multi-published, award-winning author whose books cross several
genres. To find out more about her work, visit her website at <a href="http://christytilleryfrench.webs.com/">http://christytilleryfrench.webs.com</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For more information on the <i>Appalachian
Journey </i>series, the stories it is based on and the authors, visit <a href="http://whistlingwoman.wordpress.com/">http://whistlingwoman.wordpress.com</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Yum! This pie is the best I've ever eaten! It's so good to see both of you again.</div>
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<b>Christy: It's great to see you again, too, Susan.</b></div>
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<b>Cyndi: We appreciate the interview.</b></div>
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You're certainly welcome.</div>
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Please give a short synopsis of
your most recently published book, <i>Beloved Woman</i>.<i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<b><i>Beloved Woman</i>, Appalachian Journey Book 3<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVbZAwQt8SJqwb7CzICR_JfFAdx5efZmF4QXXspg6aKx6MKDK59v6ZvVhauJ7282z9ixK2DNvjTy1snsghGxKpEYaq_rqMLjmhH_cXDpEzgVL-7eZyjmN9Nyu8MAx9I3damknQwgMUinY/s1600/BWfinal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVbZAwQt8SJqwb7CzICR_JfFAdx5efZmF4QXXspg6aKx6MKDK59v6ZvVhauJ7282z9ixK2DNvjTy1snsghGxKpEYaq_rqMLjmhH_cXDpEzgVL-7eZyjmN9Nyu8MAx9I3damknQwgMUinY/s1600/BWfinal.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>In the second decade of the 20<sup>th</sup>
century, major world events resonate even on secluded Stone Mountain where
Bessie Elliott lives with her husband Fletcher. There’s a great war, one that
takes away many young men, including Bessie’s kin, some never to return.
Bessie’s role of healer intensifies as she treats those suffering from the
Spanish flu and tries to keep it from spreading further on her mountain. She defends
a young woman who is in the middle of a controversy that threatens to tear
their peaceful community apart. And she finds herself involved in the
Suffragette movement as the women of North Carolina fight to gain their rights
under the constitution.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Then when one of her family
members makes an appalling decision, one that has the potential to damage a
child, Bessie impulsively steps in to right the wrong.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Cyndi, what challenges did
you face while writing this book?<i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<b>One of the hardest things for us was handling the passage of
time in the books. Aunt Bessie was approaching her 90<sup>th</sup> birthday
when she died, and while she had an interesting life, there were naturally what
we call “down times” where nothing much happened. In a few places we faced
moving the story over great chunks of time without bogging the narrative down.
The transition from one year to several years later is always a challenge for
us and we’re still struggling with that. Also, merging fact and fiction since
it’s important to stay true to the stories and, of course, to be accurate with
the history. In several places, we found we had to adjust the timeline a bit to
make the story flow better. For instance, in <i>Beloved Woman</i>, we‘ve brought our
dad into the picture ten years early, being born in 1918 when he wasn’t
actually born until 1928. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p>I am writing my first historical fiction now and I understand about the gaps in time. It certainly is difficult to deal with and keep the facts as accurate as possible. I may have to enlist you gals to give me some feedback once I complete it.</o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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Other than trips to Hot Springs, do you travel to do
research or for inspiration? Can you share some special places with us?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Christy: Our books are about our great-aunt and -uncle who lived in
the mountains of western North Carolina, first in the small town of Hot Springs,
and after they were married, on Stone Mountain between Old Fort and Black
Mountain where Uncle Fletcher’s family was from. We both live nearby and we’ve
taken many trips to both areas to research and promote the series. The people
we’ve met and talked to have been incredibly welcoming and helpful. Since Hot
Springs is about half way between our homes and we love going there, we visit
as often as possible. It always brings us closer to Great-Aunt Bessie somehow
and we feel as if we’re walking in her footsteps when we visit the places we
know from family stories she went during the time she lived there.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Where do you store
ideas for later use: in your head, in a notebook, or on a spreadsheet?<i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<b>Cyndi: Before we start writing each book, we do a “Purge” file with
historical and social timelines and notes about the time period we plan to
cover in the book. We also keep an Appalachian Journey Notes file on our
computers which includes genealogy, stories we’ve been told by Daddy, Aunt
Bessie or other family members, a list of Southern sayings for the chapter
headings, superstitions, and snippets of information about the setting which we
find during our research for each book. That file is in a constant state of
flux as we add, delete, or correct as needed.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p>It sounds like y'all are great organizers.</o:p></div>
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We all know how
important promoting our work has become. How do you get the word out both off
and online?<i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<b>Christy: Online, for the series, we have a Facebook page (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/appalachianjourney">https://www.facebook.com/appalachianjourney</a>),
a blog (<a href="https://whistlingwoman.wordpress.com/">https://whistlingwoman.wordpress.com/</a>)
and our Amazon Author Central page (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/CC-Tillery/e/B006LN2L66">http://www.amazon.com/CC-Tillery/e/B006LN2L66</a>
) and we try to post as much as possible to all of them. Offline, we attend
many festivals in the area and give talks and/or readings at the local
libraries and welcome centers.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Our biggest success has come from our readers and their
generosity in sharing their thoughts and feelings about the books which are all
three bestsellers on Amazon and Kindle.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Cyndi: Thanks to the great sales of the first book, <i>Whistling
Woman,</i> we were offered a contract last year for a German translation, Madchen,
die pfeifen, which was released last November. Neither of us speak German so we
can’t tell you how it was promoted but judging from the fact it has made three
Amazon bestseller lists, the publisher did an outstanding job. We were also
offered a contract for the French translation (no title yet) which is in
production and should be released later this year.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p>That is terrific news! Congratulations to both of you!</o:p></div>
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Can you tell us your future
writing goals/projects?<i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<b>Christy: We are currently working on the fourth book in the series, <i>Wise Woman</i>, and hope to have it written
and released by the end of this year. While all the books are close to our
hearts, this next one is, in a way, the most special of all because this one tells
the story of our dad, who is the inspiration for the series, and his time on
the mountain with Great-Aunt Bessie and Great-Uncle Fletch. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Are your books
available in print and ebook formats? </div>
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<b>Cyndi: Yes, all three books in the Appalachian Journey series are
available in Kindle ebook or print. The first two are also available in audio
and the audio of <i>Beloved Woman</i> should
be released within a few weeks. The easiest way to find our books is to visit
our blog, <a href="https://whistlingwoman.wordpress.com/">https://whistlingwoman.wordpress.com/</a>
where we have the covers in the sidebar and readers can click on each cover to
connect to the book’s page on Amazon or they can go to our Amazon Author
Central page, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/CC-Tillery/e/B006LN2L66">http://www.amazon.com/CC-Tillery/e/B006LN2L66</a>,
and click on the covers there.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Okay, I have to ask: do you two ever argue over the content? How difficult is it to work with another person?</div>
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<br />
Cyndi: <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Sorry, no arguments, only a slight disagreement about the tone of the books. The good thing about writing with someone you're so close to, is you can simply tell them what you think, discuss the difference and then come to a decision. That's how it is with us, and though we haven't had any arguments (aside from whose name would come first on the book which was easily settled by going with a pseudonym), we have discussed many, many aspects of writing historical literary fiction vs. contemporary fiction. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Whew! I'm glad you get along so well. I figured that because you're both sweetie pies, but thought I'd ask just in case there was drama to unearth. LOL</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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I wish both of you continued success and hope to see you again soon!<br />
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Christy: <b>Maybe we can meet here again next year.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Sounds good to me.</div>
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Susan Whitfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215871952420224793noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10479189974436584.post-73967026308628690692015-05-31T08:00:00.000-04:002015-05-31T08:00:02.571-04:00Networking and writing with Hawaii's Mary Deal <div class="MsoNormal">
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Do you network with other writers? </span>That is perhaps the most rewarding aspect of having a blog. Sure, I hope folks will be interested enough to buy my books and my guests' books, but getting to know them either through cyberspace or in person is an awesome experience. I had been friends with Mary Deal for many years in the cyber world. As she wrote books, I interviewed her here and have read most of them. She's an excellent writer. But the most amazing thing happened this past summer. Out of the blue she invited my husband and I to come to Hawaii and meet her in person. YES! Honolulu, Hawaii! We got our plans in order and flew from eastern North Carolina to Hawaii almost non-stop. WHEW! What an awesome trip that was. When we arrived, it was as though Mary and I had known each other since childhood and we pretty much acted like a couple of kids the entire week! I know this kind of generosity doesn't happen every day, but if you aren't networking, you should give it a try. The writing life offers all kinds of unexpected intrinsic rewards. Now on to my interview with Mary Deal:</b></div>
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<b><span class="tf2wauthor">Mary Deal is an award-winning author of suspense/thrillers, a short story collection, writers’ references, is a Pushcart Prize nominee, an artist/photographer, and former columnist and magazine editor. She is a multi-genre writer and author in both fiction and nonfiction. She</span><span class="tauthors"> resides in Hawaii.</span>Welcome back to the blog, Mary.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Thank you, Susan. I have to add a few thoughts about your trip.You didn’t get to
sample a Manapua, a steamed bun with meat and vegetables inside.Nor did you taste
the Octopus rolls.</b></div>
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<o:p>I guess I'm not quite that adventurous Mary, LOL but I do appreciate you taking my husband to climb Diamond Head while I recuperated from your EXCESSIVE energy. And it was neat to meet a man from North Carolina who set us up in a condo on the 19th floor with three ocean views! One of the highlights of the trip other than meeting you in person, was going to Pearl Harbor. Wow! What an experience that was for patriotic folks like my husband and I. I shed a few tears at the Arizona Memorial. So quiet.I could look right down into the water where so many of them are still.</o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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Okay, okay. We have to get to the interview. I think people will understand how great an experience this was. Let's snack on some dark chocolate macadamia nuts while we chat.</div>
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Tell us about your mystery series, Mary.</div>
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<b>Two plots carry
through the Sara Mason mystery series, that of Sara solving cold cases and that
of her love interest Huxley Keane searching for this brother’s remains in
Vietnam.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>In <i>The Howling Cliffs, A Sara Mason Mystery</i>,
after a trek through the Vietnam jungle, Sara gets involved in a cold case on
Kauai, that of a 6 year old girl missing for 10 years.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<o:p><b> </b></o:p> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1W7aEl0JFeReq3subNK7HJUG7MwrYbe03sl34-mwA7-IEUkazrFGBdGY-rtiLh7t49hJg2CgVz6v4zgwJ8QE5s3c5m9hbxkPLRWdHgjJn7yxKPa9tcVukdc5uVQPhFQURAi0n6SiHQw/s1600/HonoFromPlane+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1W7aEl0JFeReq3subNK7HJUG7MwrYbe03sl34-mwA7-IEUkazrFGBdGY-rtiLh7t49hJg2CgVz6v4zgwJ8QE5s3c5m9hbxkPLRWdHgjJn7yxKPa9tcVukdc5uVQPhFQURAi0n6SiHQw/s320/HonoFromPlane+(1).JPG" width="320" /></a>How has your environment affected your writing?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>As you know from visiting here, Hawaii is conducive to
clearing the mind. Living in Hawaii, I’m thrilled when people such as yourself
can come and visit. It’s as if I can share the aura of this place that takes
away cares, puts everything in better perspective and lets us focus on what we
do best.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>For the past nearly 20 years, I have found peaceful living
among the islands to be exactly what I needed. Much to do is available but by
using a little restraint, and concentration on the importance of my writing, is
not distracting. I know your busy schedule, Susan, and saw you relaxing among
these balmy trade winds and incredible sights to see.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p>Incredibly relaxing and I think I could write there on the balcony with no problem.</o:p></div>
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Give a short synopsis of your most recently published book.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>If I may, since <i>The
Howling Cliffs, A Sara Mason Mystery</i> is the 1st sequel to River Bones:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>From the <i>River Bones</i>
story, Sara is stalked by a psychopathic killer in California’s Sacramento
River Delta. She meets Huxley Keane, the love of her life, and then loses him.
But Sara and Huxley have built a history together, she having learned that he
searches for the remains of his brother and the daughter of their mutual
friend, Esmerelda, among other MIAs in Vietnam. Later, Sara agrees to become a
decoy for the Sheriff’s Department and falls into the clutches of the elusive
madman who leaves no live witnesses as human skeletons keep turning up.</b></div>
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi29X0uWcobX6h38Iudwz9dWbbHG1XF9Y7OFo1rwYETXs4NVl5u44I9h43cU-4Na8mavxdVNlhy1Zmsnxb-Fvyn-4F1buuoSLMxpZlBzjItEKd6PnyZoA6A0Brs_QUK7qUYwIvqW-o7LCc/s1600/HC-FINAL-600x900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi29X0uWcobX6h38Iudwz9dWbbHG1XF9Y7OFo1rwYETXs4NVl5u44I9h43cU-4Na8mavxdVNlhy1Zmsnxb-Fvyn-4F1buuoSLMxpZlBzjItEKd6PnyZoA6A0Brs_QUK7qUYwIvqW-o7LCc/s320/HC-FINAL-600x900.jpg" width="213" /></a></b></div>
<b><o:p></o:p></b><br />
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<b>In this story, <i>The
Howling Cliffs</i>, Sara and Huxley are deep in the jungle in Vietnam where
they find one MIA’s meager remains. As Huxley flies back to the United States
to get them identified, Sara becomes involved in a cold case on the island of
Kauai in Hawaii. Knowing someone wants to put an end to her investigations to
keep a cold case cold, and tries to kill her to do it, leads to a half-crazed
homicidal maniac who is just sane enough to keep suspicion off himself.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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What challenges did you face while writing this book?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>In <i>The Howling Cliffs</i>,
I had not intended to take the characters into the Vietnam jungle as Huxley
searches for his MIA brother’s remains. That part could merely be alluded to in
the rest of this story which takes place in Hawaii. Then, out of nowhere, I met
a former Marine who freely and graciously provided me perfect information and
edited my descriptions. This allowed me to place the characters in the jungle
and added greater depth to this continuing subplot.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Can
you imagine how grateful I am to this man? I dedicated the book to him.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p>That's great!</o:p></div>
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What do you think is the greatest lesson you’ve learned
about writing so far? What advice can you give new writers?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Usually I state the obvious when imparting any advice to
others, you know about doing research and proper grammar, punctuation, and
such. But this time, with more and more people publishing eBooks, what I’ll say
here it that I’ve found most all eBooks have terrible formatting. If writers
self-publish, then they need to learn formatting. Nothing spoils a good read
like sentences and paragraphs all askew, blank pages in the middle of a story,
titles on the bottom of a blank page, etc. These types of errors will ruin a
writer’s reputation at a time when it’s most critical. Either writers need to
learn proper formatting or they must hire someone to do it.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<o:p> I totally agree with you. I've seen some really bad formatting and still prefer a hard book.</o:p></div>
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Where do you store ideas for later use: in your head, in a
notebook, or on a spreadsheet?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>As you know, I travel too far and too fast to carry heavy
electronics. When out and about, a tiny notebook is my permanent companion.
When I am back home everything gets transcribed into a note file on PC. I
noticed while you were here that you took a few notes yourself. I’m wondering
what you are conjuring about Hawaii that may later show up in one of your books.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> Only time will tell, my friend.<wink-wink></wink-wink></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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We all know how important promoting our work has become. How
do you get the word out both off and online?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Online, I participate in many writers’ sites. Just getting
to know people and spreading the word about my books with video trailers, cover
images, and exciting bits of chapters, brings book sales. I must remain active
online. I live on the most remote land mass on earth and much traveling is not
an option. My big writing site, writeanygenre.com,
teaches writing. When writers find good advice they are likely to buy a book from
someone they trust. Too, I also have two online art galleries for my oil
paintings and photography and many friends from those sites have purchased my
books.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Offline, you had a taste of what it’s like to do
word-of-mouth advertising in a new area far from home. Passing out an
informative business card keeps us in people’s minds, as does a free or donated
book now and then. When traveling, it’s a chance to place your books in places
they may never show up – a great opportunity to reach more readers. Had you not
come to Hawaii, you’d not have made such wonderful contacts way out here in the
middle of the Pacific unless you searched for them online. Anytime we travel
provides a magnificent opportunity to simply talk to people, make friends and Network.
And you are so good at it! It’s no wonder people seek you out for promotion. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgryDrG9mM9lGeKnE9EbGmDzncQxQTSp-JfEvADe4h-fZh1Xirt1VbANxrO5l8NseYyIKXSbkVH5DutYdmk5CNYEL5uYy3YhJE6JsuK5DhUOMcKZm80k3lHIS1dc9T6QTQpa4732dhPHC8/s1600/12-03-10-9-CROP-MINI-275x344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgryDrG9mM9lGeKnE9EbGmDzncQxQTSp-JfEvADe4h-fZh1Xirt1VbANxrO5l8NseYyIKXSbkVH5DutYdmk5CNYEL5uYy3YhJE6JsuK5DhUOMcKZm80k3lHIS1dc9T6QTQpa4732dhPHC8/s320/12-03-10-9-CROP-MINI-275x344.jpg" width="255" /></a><o:p> </o:p></div>
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Can you tell us your future writing goals/projects?</div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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<b><i>The Howling Cliffs</i>
is published in eBook format. Around June the paperback will be released. In
the interim, I’m working on my 11th book, another nonfiction with the topics
coming from my former career field as a clinical hypnotherapist. If my schedule
holds, later in the year, my smaller books, <i>Legacy
of the Tropics</i>, and <i>Off Center in the
Attic</i> will go to paperback as well. Late in 2016, the next sequel to <i>River
Bones</i> will be published.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<o:p>Goody!</o:p></div>
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Are your books available in print and ebook formats? </div>
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<b>My books are available at Amazon (with some at smashwords) along with those where I am a contributor.
Your <i>Killer Recipes</i> cookbook, Susan,
I am proud to claim is among them. My Amazon Author page:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Deal/e/B0035B02X6/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1426617201&sr=1-2-ent<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
http://www.amazon.com/Howling-Cliffs-Sara-Mason-Mystery-ebook/dp/B007FGB3B2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1431780517&sr=8-1&keywords=mary+deal<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSPo-Rl5ShkKySMmvy2Bn_BSZuozqC1_XcvmFU1DuoC6uCrkWzS6ZOYPc48jqVMuTQDewDodSsW5LSz47yAXgIINWHkNzpDRiIBQHudvByAsZjVLXhDUjNR_cZ92ln6OuCbcY4sV2YQuw/s1600/Killer_Recipes_Front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSPo-Rl5ShkKySMmvy2Bn_BSZuozqC1_XcvmFU1DuoC6uCrkWzS6ZOYPc48jqVMuTQDewDodSsW5LSz47yAXgIINWHkNzpDRiIBQHudvByAsZjVLXhDUjNR_cZ92ln6OuCbcY4sV2YQuw/s200/Killer_Recipes_Front.jpg" width="128" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Mary also contributed some great recipes for my cookbook, including Stuffed-in-the-trunk mushrooms. Available in Kindle or paperback at Amazon.com</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Mary, please tell Ron how much we enjoyed his company as well. Maybe we can link up again somewhere in the future. Hugs to you both and continued success with your writing, networking, art, and photography.</b></div>
Susan Whitfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215871952420224793noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10479189974436584.post-15124362934670597992015-05-24T08:00:00.000-04:002015-05-24T08:00:02.941-04:00Arleen Alleman cruises into a new book<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi56C99eqnvHfop4SiN7R6ShEAFwJs-BOWxD30AmcLrLzRWHVKLRA5yCICQBXAvVvoQRgjzBYmEP8GGhcPHYFUECkech4By3Mg0Y5UFnbyG14rHayBHHlXBFiSerffNHrk8pKqdfEgXdaE/s1600/Cover+Current+Deception.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi56C99eqnvHfop4SiN7R6ShEAFwJs-BOWxD30AmcLrLzRWHVKLRA5yCICQBXAvVvoQRgjzBYmEP8GGhcPHYFUECkech4By3Mg0Y5UFnbyG14rHayBHHlXBFiSerffNHrk8pKqdfEgXdaE/s1600/Cover+Current+Deception.jpg" width="244" /></a></div>
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<b>Arleen Alleman is a former senior analyst with the
Government Accountability Office where she wrote extensively on many topics
ranging from military satellite systems and highway technologies to endangered
species and biotechnology. She has a science education, but also worked as a
fashion model, teacher, insurance adjuster, jewelry designer, and proprietor of
a home décor shop. Her interests include reading, health and fitness, origin
and history of world religions, and travel. Her trips supply authentic
backdrops and narration for her fictional stories. Born in England and raised
in New Hampshire and Nevada, she lived in Colorado for many years. She now
lives in SW Florida with her husband, Tim. She is the author of five Darcy
Farthing adventure novels.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Have some Banoffee pie (an English concoction of banana,
toffee, and cream with chocolate shavings) and a cup of tea while we discuss <i>A Current Deception.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Why, thank you, Susan. I love it!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Wow! You certainly have an interesting background.</span></div>
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How many books have you written altogether?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>So far, I have written five novels. All are in the Darcy
Farthing adventure series. The stories take place in many different locations
and have elements of a travel log along with the murder-mystery story lines.
Every book has the word current in the title and this is a play on words
referring to my protagonist’s life philosophy, which she mentions from time-to-time.
I have to say that once on the road of using the same word in each title, it
becomes more difficult to come up with a satisfactory meaningful title. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Give a short synopsis of <i>A Current Deception</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>A Current Deception </i>finds
Darcy and her new husband, Mick, on a cruise around Australia with her daughter
and granddaughter, and some close friends. Readers of previous books in the
series already know these characters, but I always strive to have each book
stand on its own. In this case, all the characters are anticipating having a
relaxing fun vacation in a new environment including a honeymoon for Mick and
Darcy and a wedding for friends Sid and Brooks. <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Biochemist and pragmatist Darcy is embarking on a new career
path as an investigative reporter following her success wherein <i>Time</i> purchased a story from her. She has
come to understand that her curiosity and investigative nature cannot be
denied. The cruise immediately takes a disconcerting turn when a small town
Kansas woman and her husband are plagued by an infestation of invasive yellow
crazy ants, mysteriously cancelled tour reservations, and illness caused by a
mysterious food-borne pathogen. These bizarre and relatively minor incidents
escalate when the ants injure more people. After a passenger dies in a hit and
run incident on a street in Adelaide, other passengers come under attack aboard
the ship. As crimes escalate, Brooks who is also her ex-husband comes under
suspicion and the ship’s security chief refuses to look any further for a
suspect. Clue by clue, Darcy unravels a complex plot by a master of disguise
and world class computer hacker intent on revenge for a twenty-year-old
crime. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> </o:p> </div>
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How much of yourself is hidden in the characters in the
book?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>I don’t believe I’ve ever been asked this interesting
question so directly before. I would think that all authors have some of
themselves hidden in the characters. For me, there is no question that Darcy
and I share some personality traits. I think she is more like a role model to
me than an alter ego. Like Darcy, I am a humanist and a scientist at heart. She
is a woman who strives for the high moral ground and often achieves it, but
constantly battles her mistakes and flaws. I say that she is an edgy character,
but it is probably more accurate to say she is controversial as are some social
issues addressed in the stories. As for the rest of the characters, I don’t
know if I am hidden in them, but in many cases I certainly hope not. To my
knowledge none of them are patterned after actual people I have known. <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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So you travel to do research or for inspiration. Can you
share some special places with us?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Yes, that is very much the case. So far, the series takes
place in a wide range of locations where I have visited either on land or by cruise
ship. That is, seaports all around the Caribbean, South America, Mexico, and
Australia, as well as Colorado Springs, Las Vegas, SW Florida, Seattle, and
D.C. One of the unique things about these stories is the varied settings and
the travel log of sorts that Darcy narrates through the stories. Along with
working to solve the mystery, she presents tidbits of history, geography, and
anthropology, and is particularly interested in the roots of human culture and
religion, the fate of indigenous populations, and genetics.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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What do you think is the greatest lesson you’ve learned
about writing so far? What advice can you give new writers?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>No book is for everyone. Many people who like fiction will
not even consider reading a novel if they believe the subject is outside their
belief system or somehow unpleasant to them. This becomes apparent in talking
with folks at book signings. No author should ever feel let down by this simple
reality because there are always lots of other people who will think the
content is wonderful or at least thought-provoking. So, an author should stay
true to her own heart in writing regardless of any negative comments on subject
or language. Now that is not to say that criticism of the writing style, and
plot and character development, should not be taken to heart as well. For me,
the writing process is a learning curve that never ends. I listen to every critique
and try to use the comments to improve. I would like to think the books are
getting better as I go along. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> </o:p> </div>
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Where do you store ideas for later use: in your head, in a
notebook, or on a spreadsheet?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Actually, I sit down and type out a list that is a very
rough outline of any idea I have, including the subjects that will need to be
researched. At that point, there isn’t necessarily a full story, but I can go
back and add to the outline as ideas occur to me. In this manner a story with
chapter delineations eventually emerges. For me, brainstorming at the keyboard
is very productive. Also, at the beginning of the process I use a big piece of
newsprint to outline the characters I plan to include and overall plots. Then I
connect them with lines to map out relationships. I think my years of analysis
and auditing for GAO instilled a need for structure even with the creative
process.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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We all know how important promoting our work has become. How
do you get the word out both off and online?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>I use social media, primarily Facebook and Twitter as well
as a myriad of book and author sites, like Book Town. I try to get as much
exposure online as possible. My genre is so huge that it is very difficult to
stand out among the tens of thousands of mystery novels and series. I work at
getting reviewers to read the books, and then highly publicize the reviews.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>I have also built a rapport with a number of B&N store
managers in several states where they allow me to have book signings every few
months. This is a great experience and a way to meet potential readers.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Can you tell us your future writing goals/projects?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizoU9EJXeb9Mc8KPssVRlFv8PcFEl4HDvVY1n00ZiqT0GFiiaxEXvnW1-pZhO4pQCfsW2ynw808q8Gs9wyB_OqRIWwN5o_AX1d915ylzki9MaCI6ydrLIrGhCQQGuYMFFrY2-1iKoRD2Y/s1600/arleensitting2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizoU9EJXeb9Mc8KPssVRlFv8PcFEl4HDvVY1n00ZiqT0GFiiaxEXvnW1-pZhO4pQCfsW2ynw808q8Gs9wyB_OqRIWwN5o_AX1d915ylzki9MaCI6ydrLIrGhCQQGuYMFFrY2-1iKoRD2Y/s1600/arleensitting2.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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<b>At this point, I plan to continue with the series. I am
working on Darcy number six now. <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>I try to write entertaining murder-mysteries, but I have to
admit there are subtle and not so subtle messages contained in the stories. I
hope fiction lovers will enjoy the fast-paced writing style and will also find
some thought provoking and even educational content. <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>However, I have ideas for novels not in the series that
might be set in a future where climate change and water shortages have radically
changed cultures all over the world. I’m not interested in writing dystopian
novels but would like to address the reality of living in a greatly changed
world of perhaps 200 years in the future, and explore how the physical changes
will affect human emotions and beliefs.<i><o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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Where can folks learn more about your books and events?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>My website is <a href="http://www.arleenalleman.com/">http://www.arleenalleman.com</a>
. There the reader can learn about the books and about me, check out any
scheduled book signings, read news articles, reviews, and book excerpts, and
access my Amazon and Barnes and Noble book pages. <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Are your books available in print and ebook formats? (please
provide the buy link for easy reader accessibility)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>All my books are available in ebook, as well as hard and
soft cover formats.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>On amazon at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Arleen+Alleman">http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Arleen+Alleman</a><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>And on Barnes & Noble at <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Arleen-Alleman?keyword=Arleen+Alleman&store=book">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Arleen-Alleman?keyword=Arleen+Alleman&store=book</a></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Thanks for dropping by, Arleen. I wish you lots of great travels and inspiration for many more good reads.</div>
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<b>Thank you, Susan. And the pie was delicious.</b></div>
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Susan Whitfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215871952420224793noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10479189974436584.post-5867340797884197632015-05-17T08:00:00.000-04:002015-05-17T08:00:01.095-04:00Trish Jackson Romances<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK8kAOkBHGOHt7jJsnRKuYHbFLobq34xJXXnOl1WRNZSG6UVkSm1ZXVKXSmhp5Z5ae_Zj0i1jXKLhbcyt30JoXykff8fWylqBxAibZwnjvJxr6YzuQ9ZHwd5IBJ47v-kUWSaBHAgsmlS0/s1600/AquariusAddiction200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK8kAOkBHGOHt7jJsnRKuYHbFLobq34xJXXnOl1WRNZSG6UVkSm1ZXVKXSmhp5Z5ae_Zj0i1jXKLhbcyt30JoXykff8fWylqBxAibZwnjvJxr6YzuQ9ZHwd5IBJ47v-kUWSaBHAgsmlS0/s1600/AquariusAddiction200.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCMXSjT8vMAh6ColBZU0cbEQkfK5VpDxqinXIpcrPJ9wlu-5VazDwD5_dmG4z6QZuWLGeQcRKPhxM6lfMKWbxk5m07fstWby_vkkZ590qsowAQi2RNrmMj9jscLrqgURi4MEXApppsr3A/s1600/backwood_2x3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><b><br /></b></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCMXSjT8vMAh6ColBZU0cbEQkfK5VpDxqinXIpcrPJ9wlu-5VazDwD5_dmG4z6QZuWLGeQcRKPhxM6lfMKWbxk5m07fstWby_vkkZ590qsowAQi2RNrmMj9jscLrqgURi4MEXApppsr3A/s1600/backwood_2x3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><b><br /></b></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCMXSjT8vMAh6ColBZU0cbEQkfK5VpDxqinXIpcrPJ9wlu-5VazDwD5_dmG4z6QZuWLGeQcRKPhxM6lfMKWbxk5m07fstWby_vkkZ590qsowAQi2RNrmMj9jscLrqgURi4MEXApppsr3A/s1600/backwood_2x3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 13.65pt;">Trish Jackson grew up on a farm in Zimbabwe,
Africa, which sparked a love of adventure and suspense, and being a romantic at
heart, she writes romantic suspense and romantic comedy. Her stories are
usually set in small towns, where the people enjoy country values, and the pace
of life is a little slower. Trish also loves animals and always includes them
in her stories. Welcome to the blog, Trish.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 13.65pt;">Thank you, Susan. I brought you a South African dessert that Andre's mom Rietta makes in Aquarius Addiciton. It called </span></div>
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<b>Melktert:</b></div>
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<b>1 large ready pie crust</b></div>
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<b>2 cups milk</b></div>
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<b>2 tblsp sugar<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>½ cup flour<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>2 eggs, well beaten<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>1 tblsp butter<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>½ teaspoon cinnamon<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Boil together milk, sugar, butter and cinnamon.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Blend flour with a little cold water, and add boiling milk mixture to it, stirring briskly to prevent lumps.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Return mixture to pan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Allow to cool a little.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Add well-beaten eggs, stir well, and cook again for a few minutes.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Pour into pie crust and sprinkle with a little additional cinnamon.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Bake at 375 deg. F. for around 20-25 minutes until just browning.</b></div>
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It's delicious, Trish. Wow! Growing up in Simbabwe is awesome, I'm sure. Tell us more.</div>
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How did your environment affected your writing?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Having grown up in Zimbabwe, I had no clue what a 'redneck'
was until I moved to the US. I found them to be wonderfully genuine people who
would literally give you the shirt off their backs if you needed it, and who
are not afraid to speak their minds. That's when I started the first in my
Redneck P.I. trilogy.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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How many books have you written?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>I've written a lot of books, and published six full-length
novels, and a couple of non-fiction books. I also write short stories about my
characters, which I offer free in eBook format.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Give a short synop of your most recently published book.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCMXSjT8vMAh6ColBZU0cbEQkfK5VpDxqinXIpcrPJ9wlu-5VazDwD5_dmG4z6QZuWLGeQcRKPhxM6lfMKWbxk5m07fstWby_vkkZ590qsowAQi2RNrmMj9jscLrqgURi4MEXApppsr3A/s1600/backwood_2x3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCMXSjT8vMAh6ColBZU0cbEQkfK5VpDxqinXIpcrPJ9wlu-5VazDwD5_dmG4z6QZuWLGeQcRKPhxM6lfMKWbxk5m07fstWby_vkkZ590qsowAQi2RNrmMj9jscLrqgURi4MEXApppsr3A/s1600/backwood_2x3.jpg" /></a><b>I had two books released around the end of 2014/beginning of
2015. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>Backwoods Boogie</i> (romantic
suspense/comedy) is the third in the Redneck P.I. series. Twila Taunton,
redneck private investigator is determined to rescue gentle Brit Pam Taylor
from a being convicted of a murder she clearly did not commit. In the course of
the investigation, Twila discovers an illegal puppy mill, where several dogs
are living in filth and squalor without adequate food, shelter or veterinary
attention. She and her quirky friends make a plan to rescue them, while she also
helps a biker gang break up a dog fighting operation.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>Aquarius Addiction</i>
(romantic suspense) is the second in the Zodiac Series, in which each heroine
belongs to a different star sign and exhibits the typical traits of her sign.
Aquarius <span style="background: white;">Arlette Xylander is feisty,
eccentric, freedom-loving, flirtatious, rebellious and unpredictable. Her
emotions rage between denial, anger and tears when her doctor tells her she is
suffering from a rare terminal disease. When hunky Andre Rossouw asks her to
help find his sister who has been missing for four years, Arlette makes two
decisions. To beat the disease and find a cure, and to have wild and passionate
sex with him.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="background: white;">The book includes some paranormal, and (I
always write about animals)—a black cat called 'Marbles'. </span></span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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How much of yourself is hidden in the characters in the
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<b>I suppose the author's unique voice is really the author's
character showing through. I believe my love of animals has helped me create
some memorable four-legged characters, including Scratch, the Cairn Terrier who
rides on the back of Twila's Harley, and Riley's palomino, Flight-of-Fancy in
Capricorn Cravings.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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What do you think is the greatest lesson you’ve learned
about writing so far? What advice can you give new writers?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>I have been published by Uncial Press and Soul Mate
Publishing, both of which have wonderful, caring editors who have helped to
make my stories so much better than they would have been. I absolutely
recommend an editor. Even the best writers have editors, because we can't see
our own mistakes.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Where do you store ideas for later use: in your head, in a
notebook, or on a spreadsheet?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>I create new folders in Word and store them on my computer
for later. Another word of advice for new authors is this—keep copies of all
your work on another computer or storage device. I keep several copies of
everything. Think of how devastating it would be if you lost it. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Can you tell us your future writing goals/projects?</div>
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<b><i>Virgo's Vice,</i> the third Zodiac Series story is with my
publisher and will be released at the end of 2015.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>I'm currently working on three projects:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal"><b>Leo's Legacy -- the fourth book in the Zodiac Series, which
takes place in my country of birth, Rhodesia (nowZimbabwe), and is based
on true events. Zimbabwe currently is governed by a ruthless dictator who
appeases his disgruntled citizens by allowing them to attack farmers and
force them to give up their farms, murdering and torturing them if they
feel like it. They also maim and torture the animals, and I plan to bring
this horrific situation to people's attention in this story.</b><o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>
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<li class="MsoNormal"><b>Ass Backwards – the fourth in the Redneck P.I. Series, as told
by quirky character Gasser Cunha, whose many talents include farting, computer
hacking, and superior guitar playing. This one is about illegal meth labs.<o:p></o:p></b></li>
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<o:p> I can hardly wait to read that one!</o:p></div>
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<o:p><b><br /></b></o:p></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal"><b>My first psychological
thriller.</b><o:p></o:p></li>
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Where can folks learn more about your books and events?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwumua6FtUhij_A165wzLYq22G46tTKmsm7v1cgWbKHUmuP6Faiw1ttPi2NyPQTp3f9u-wSbnj-xCCzpV3ufDwGLVzTokVCO3C32LTHIZVuimDUosOA8sDbiyGlQeUSqnqQ4smNin-EDA/s1600/me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwumua6FtUhij_A165wzLYq22G46tTKmsm7v1cgWbKHUmuP6Faiw1ttPi2NyPQTp3f9u-wSbnj-xCCzpV3ufDwGLVzTokVCO3C32LTHIZVuimDUosOA8sDbiyGlQeUSqnqQ4smNin-EDA/s1600/me.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><b>My websites – <a href="http://www.trishjackson.com/">www.trishjackson.com</a>
and <a href="http://www.trishjax.com/">www.trishjax.com</a> also offer free
downloads of a few short stories.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Are your books available in print and ebook formats? (please
provide the buy link for easy reader accessibility)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>They're available in both.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Trish-Jackson/e/B004ZZG55K/">http://www.amazon.com/Trish-Jackson/e/B004ZZG55K/</a></span></div>
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Thank you for the delicious Melktert ! I wish you great sales with all your endeavors.</div>
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<br />Susan Whitfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215871952420224793noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10479189974436584.post-77699896108013528912015-05-10T08:00:00.000-04:002015-05-10T08:00:04.404-04:00Prolific p.m. terrell<div class="MsoNormal">
p.m.terrell is the pen name for
Patricia McClelland Terrell, the award-winning, internationally acclaimed
author of more than twenty books in four genres: contemporary suspense,
historical suspense, computer how-to and non-fiction.</div>
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Prior to writing full-time, she
founded two computer companies in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area. Among
her clients were the Central Intelligence Agency, United States Secret Service,
U.S. Information Agency, and Department of Defense. Her specialties were in
white collar computer crimes and computer intelligence.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEFwAvOAPiVREH2fyiRBKaKvsbVayeVnYrNtxTDqCB6gNKqlfkW9ypVoRSIraq7uKcCIZcIBoTaFF8DPwyNT41QHGDFBMHlfXsxj0zoOwUYIDkiFY0oN7CC7oWlG5enRPVVJJaJ6ZIaFg/s1600/9781935970354S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEFwAvOAPiVREH2fyiRBKaKvsbVayeVnYrNtxTDqCB6gNKqlfkW9ypVoRSIraq7uKcCIZcIBoTaFF8DPwyNT41QHGDFBMHlfXsxj0zoOwUYIDkiFY0oN7CC7oWlG5enRPVVJJaJ6ZIaFg/s1600/9781935970354S.jpg" height="320" width="205" /></a>A full-time author since 2002,
<b>Vicki’s Key</b> was a top five finalist in the 2012 International Book Awards and
2012 USA Book Awards nominee, <b>The Pendulum Files</b> was a national finalist for
the Best Cover of the Year in 2014, <b>The Tempest Murders</b> was one of four
finalists in the 2013 International Book Awards, cross-genre category and <b>River
Passage</b> was a 2010 Best Fiction and Drama Winner. <o:p></o:p></div>
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She is the co-founder of The Book
‘Em Foundation and chair of Book ‘Em North Carolina (<a href="http://www.bookemnc.org/">www.bookemnc.org</a>), and she sits on the
boards of the Friends of the Robeson County Public Library and the Robeson
County Arts Council. She has also served on the boards of Crime Stoppers and
Crime Solvers and became the first female president of the Chesterfield
County-Colonial Heights Crime Solvers in Virginia. I met Patricia the first year of Book 'Em along with many other authors from all over the place.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Trish how many books have you written?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Thank you, Susan. I have written more than 20 books. <i>A Thin Slice of Heaven</i> is the 19<sup>th</sup> title to be released,
and two more are in various stages of production for release in 2015 and 2016.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Give a short synopsis of your most recently published book.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>She had arranged to meet her
husband in Northern Ireland for a second honeymoon, but when Charleigh arrives
at the remote castle, she receives a message that he won’t be coming—and that
he’s leaving her for another woman. Stranded for the weekend by a snowstorm
that has blocked all access to the castle, she finds herself three thousand
miles from home in a country she knows nothing about.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>She is soon joined by Sean
Bracken, the great-grandson of Laird Bracken, the original owner of the castle,
and she finds herself falling quickly and madly in love with him. There’s just
one problem: he’s dead.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>As the castle begins to come alive
with secrets from centuries past, she finds herself trapped between parallel
worlds. Caught up in a mass haunting, she can no longer recognize the line
between the living and the dead. Now she’s discovering that her appearance
there wasn’t by accident—and is more earth-shattering than she ever suspected.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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What challenges did you face while writing this book?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>This book took nearly three times longer to write than my
earlier works. Each scene has more than one meaning; early reviewers reported
staying up all night and once they read the twist at the end, they turned back
to the first page and read it all again. Because each scene has double
meanings, I had to delve deep into the world of the living and the dead, which
required meeting with hospice workers and speaking with people who had
near-death experiences.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Do you travel to do research or for inspiration? Can you
share some special places with us?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>After I wrote the first draft of <i>A Thin Slice of Heaven</i>, I traveled to Northern Ireland in search of
my family’s ancestry. I found that my ancestors had once been the Laird and
Lady of lands in County Tyrone, so close to the site of the castle in my book
that it was eerie.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>I had also named the main character Sean Bracken and the
castle ‘Brackenridge’ because it sits atop a ridge similar to the Cliffs of
Moher. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that my ancestors had arrived in
Ireland from the Lowlands of Scotland near a village called Brackenridge!</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p>Wow! What a great experience!</o:p></div>
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What do you think is the greatest lesson you’ve learned
about writing so far? What advice can you give new writers?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>There is no quick path to fame. Authors termed “overnight
successes” never arrive there overnight; it’s simply that their struggles are
not visible to us. I’ve been in this industry since my first book was published
in 1984, and I have seen a lot of writers come and go. I’ve learned that
sometimes the most successful of them are not necessarily the best; they’re
simply the ones who stayed in the game and refused to give up.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Where do you store ideas for later use: in your head, in a
notebook, or on a spreadsheet?<o:p></o:p></div>
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I<b>n my head. If it stays, it’s worth writing. If it’s
elusive, its time hasn’t yet arrived.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Can you tell us your future writing goals/projects?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Two more books are scheduled to be released over the next
year. One is the 6<sup>th</sup> book in the award-winning Black Swamp Mysteries
Series; when reports of UFO’s are sighted hovering above major U.S. cities
before mysteriously vanishing, Dylan Maguire is tasked with covertly
intercepting Russian plans detailing cloaking capabilities for a new breed of
fighter aircraft—but a double agent is already on the run with them, with the
Russians close behind.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Then the 3<sup>rd</sup> book in the Ryan O’Clery series will
be released; when Ryan’s ex-wife shows up on his doorstep begging for help, he
finds himself pulled into an investigation that pits him against some of the
city’s most powerful leaders and threatening his future in America.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Where can folks learn more about your books and events?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Author’s website: <a href="http://www.pmterrell.com/"><span style="color: #1155cc;"> www.pmterrell.com</span></a> <o:p></o:p></div>
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Twitter: @pmterrell<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_IK9lxbEPCkVflaMnu99hNZbUdOS6w_NIzUh2FEm2-DZ83V-f2Pwle8itkoAZLAZJIFqXhy7aA98-ctFPzDCQYOXbNuQPXukRoIKECqv7s9acGXPhZNrQ7mKFw8BHcAZw7rCnyPpLQx8/s1600/12247275-1363817635-640x480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_IK9lxbEPCkVflaMnu99hNZbUdOS6w_NIzUh2FEm2-DZ83V-f2Pwle8itkoAZLAZJIFqXhy7aA98-ctFPzDCQYOXbNuQPXukRoIKECqv7s9acGXPhZNrQ7mKFw8BHcAZw7rCnyPpLQx8/s1600/12247275-1363817635-640x480.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a>Blog: <a href="http://www.pmterrell.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #1155cc;"> www.pmterrell.blogspot.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Facebook: author.p.m.terrell<o:p></o:p></div>
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Can you tell visitors more about Book 'Em?<br />
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<b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px;">The Book 'Em Foundation was founded by p.m.terrell and Waynesboro Police Officer Mark Kearney in 2000. The mission is to raise awareness of the direct link between high crime rates and high rates of illiteracy. On the last Saturday of each February, the Book 'Em North Carolina Writers Conference and Book Fair is held in Lumberton, North Carolina. It brings together more than 75 authors and publishers who participate in panel discussions and solo talks for writers and lovers of books. For every book sold at the event, at least 40% of the gross revenue goes to increasing literacy in our communities. To date, thousands of dollars have been donated to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library of Robeson County for ages 1 through 5; Communities in Schools of Robeson County for all grade levels; Friends of the Robeson County Public Library for all ages; and the Lumberton Police Department for Reading Across America. For more information, visit </span><a href="http://www.bookemnc.org/" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-size: 16px;" target="_blank">www.bookemnc.org</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px;">.</span></b></div>
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Are your books available in print and ebook formats? (please
provide the buy link for easy reader accessibility)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Yes; my books are available in all book stores worldwide as
well as in all eBook formats. Because the list is so extensive, readers can
visit my website at <a href="http://www.pmterrell.com/">www.pmterrell.com</a>,
click on the “Books” link in the left menu, and follow the links to each of my
books.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>A complete list is also on amazon at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/P.-M.-Terrell/e/B001JOXFXK">http://www.amazon.com/P.-M.-Terrell/e/B001JOXFXK</a></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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It has been a pleasure to have you over. Best wishes on all future endeavors!</div>
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<b>Thanks for having me over to discuss my work. I hope to see you at next year's Book 'Em NC.</b></div>
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Susan Whitfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215871952420224793noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10479189974436584.post-24139080208085796382015-05-03T08:00:00.000-04:002015-05-03T08:00:09.297-04:00Amy Reade: dark secrets<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghGARttH7jfE78ArXhE_5VtbhiIOl0g2iMN27aZnjPCAJ6aARIwTnRkTTPsj0IR2mE-lcj_ZmnlnIe4tgT4KKvxvMuhipSXc-qUsQviyb3m7mleWicWyke5FGZEbmBQAh_NCQE7pz2XG4/s1600/Secrets+Of+Hallstead+House+(eBook).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghGARttH7jfE78ArXhE_5VtbhiIOl0g2iMN27aZnjPCAJ6aARIwTnRkTTPsj0IR2mE-lcj_ZmnlnIe4tgT4KKvxvMuhipSXc-qUsQviyb3m7mleWicWyke5FGZEbmBQAh_NCQE7pz2XG4/s1600/Secrets+Of+Hallstead+House+(eBook).jpg" height="320" width="207" /></a></div>
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Amy M. Reade is the author of two novels of romantic
suspense: <i>Secrets of Hallstead House </i>and
<i>The Ghosts of Peppernell Manor. The
Ghosts of Peppernell Manor </i>will be released on April 28, 2015. A former
lawyer with a husband, three children, a dog, two cats, and a fish, she now
writes full time from her home in New Jersey. She loves reading, cooking, and
all things Hawaii.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Thanks for joining me on the porch for an interview, Amy. Have some chocolate-covered macadamias.</div>
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<b>Thanks, I certainly will.</b></div>
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How has your environment affected your writing?</div>
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<b>My first book, <i>Secrets
of Hallstead House</i>, is set in the Thousand Islands of New York State, not
far from where I grew up. It seemed only natural to set my first story in a
place I know so well; besides, it’s the perfect place for a mystery! <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>My second book, <i>The
Ghosts of Peppernell Manor,</i> is set outside Charleston, South Carolina.
There is such beauty and a rich cultural history in the Lowcountry; I couldn’t
resist its attraction. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>When I first started writing seriously, I needed absolute
quiet. I did almost all my writing at one of the local libraries, locked away
in a private study room in total silence. I also wrote that book almost
entirely in longhand before putting it on the computer. I don’t have time to do that anymore, so I write at home and use the
computer almost constantly. My desk is in the living room, so that’s where I
spend most of my writing time. When I’m not there, I am at the kitchen table,
which is also the hub of activity at my house. So as time has passed, I am
finding it easier to work in the midst of noise.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>I still do some work at the library, but at this point it’s
mostly for research. Now most of my work is at home, where it can get noisy. So
I guess you could say that my environment has made it easier for me to write
through noisy distractions.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Give a short synop of your most recently published book. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><i>The Ghosts of
Peppernell Manor </i>comes out on April 28, 2015. It’s the story of Carleigh
Warner, a recently-divorced woman who, with her young daughter, leaves Chicago
to move into an antebellum plantation manor outside Charleston, South Carolina,
while she restores it to its former grandeur. Once at the manor, she begins to
realize that her hosts, the Peppernell family, do not all agree about the
future of the manor and she finds herself being drawn inexorably into the
secrets and the tensions that contribute to the atmosphere of greed,
resentment, and violence. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0JT67R26L8x4LaqMt3In37z9yTxJGa3L0VXcTOK5fGHPj9YqgB7evlIQMFIjZWA-rAJ62Mi-ZKs3ojZpJmrt4I1waNpp9YzUzxJBt7h9LfZJJtPTS0bJs8YOivExKcwG0eE9Wk6sQ028/s1600/The+Ghosts+of+Peppernell+Manor_ebook+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0JT67R26L8x4LaqMt3In37z9yTxJGa3L0VXcTOK5fGHPj9YqgB7evlIQMFIjZWA-rAJ62Mi-ZKs3ojZpJmrt4I1waNpp9YzUzxJBt7h9LfZJJtPTS0bJs8YOivExKcwG0eE9Wk6sQ028/s1600/The+Ghosts+of+Peppernell+Manor_ebook+cover.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><o:p> </o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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How much of yourself is hidden in the characters in the
book?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>People who know me and who have read my books might answer
this question differently, but I don’t think there’s much of me in the pages. I
do love to cook, so food is mentioned quite often in the books. And I love
living near water, whether it’s a river or a lake or an ocean, and all my books
so far have taken place on or near the water. But in terms of personality, I
don’t think I’m hidden in my protagonists or other characters. For example, in
my first book, <i>Secrets of Hallstead House</i>,
the main character, Macy Stoddard, is afraid of boats and can’t swim, and I’m
exactly the opposite. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Do you travel to do research or for inspiration? Can you
share some special places with us?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>I don’t travel to do research; rather, I research while I’m
traveling. In other words, I don’t go someplace specifically to do research for
a book, but if I go somewhere I love, I make sure to take lots of extra
pictures (and sometimes, notes) to refer to in case I ever write a book about
that place. I was fortunate enough to go to Northern Ireland last year, and I
fell in love with some of the places we visited. I fully intend to use those
memories and my photos for a book someday. And I do love Hawaii, so my next novel is set there.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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What do you think is the greatest lesson you’ve learned
about writing so far? What advice can you give new writers?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The greatest lesson I’ve learned so far is how much
marketing work an author has to do to sell books, even an author that is
traditionally published. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>And here’s the lesson I would give a new writer: get a
website, start a blog, or both. Preferably both. Keep them updated. Start a
Facebook fan page and update it frequently. Get on other social media, too. I’m
on Twitter, but there are lots of other venues to choose from. Post often.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Where do you store ideas for later use: in your head, in a
notebook, or on a spreadsheet?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>I use a three-ring binder for each book I write. It’s
divided into sections such as plotting, characters, chronology, bibliography,
research, etc. There’s also a section entitled “Ideas for future stories.” I
write down ideas that come to me while I’m writing one novel so that I don’t
forget them before I’m ready to start the next one. When one novel is done and
the manuscript has been sent off, then and only then do I go back and look at
the ideas I’ve written down. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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Can you tell us your future writing goals/projects?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>I am currently writing a novel that takes place in Hawaii.
It’s the story of a sous chef who, sick of winter in Washington, D.C. (maybe I <i>am </i>hidden in these books, after all!),
takes a job as a personal chef on the Island of Hawaii, sometimes called the
Big Island. But trouble follows her from the East Coast and threatens the
serenity of the life she’s trying to build in Hawaii. On top of that, the
family she works for harbors secrets that could potentially tear them all
apart.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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Where can folks learn more about your books and events?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPERjrFmefByNv8ev7HerPuWIxcfUWkt6VrXNX9w2C05ZDJKJcea94s19hB3Hjb9pfMEiD0bBICnO0FeFjKJrQomUJsNvl-sf5odAoHawA1FgDGWlnh3GUjLCrZgewu75JcFPe44zEumI/s1600/2013+1548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPERjrFmefByNv8ev7HerPuWIxcfUWkt6VrXNX9w2C05ZDJKJcea94s19hB3Hjb9pfMEiD0bBICnO0FeFjKJrQomUJsNvl-sf5odAoHawA1FgDGWlnh3GUjLCrZgewu75JcFPe44zEumI/s1600/2013+1548.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>I love it when readers connect with me online. I can be
reached at the following places and I invite your blog readers to visit me at
any or all of them:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Website: <a href="http://www.amymreade.com/">http://www.amymreade.com</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Blog: <a href="http://amreade.wordpress.com/">http://amreade.wordpress.com</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/amreadeauthor">http://www.facebook.com/amreadeauthor</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/readeandwrite">http://www.twitter.com/readeandwrite</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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Are your books available in print and ebook formats? (please
provide the buy link for easy reader accessibility)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>My books are available as ebooks and in print formats. You
can find the books at </b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/">http://www.amazon.com</a>,
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/">http://www.amazon.co.uk</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/">http://www.amazon.ca</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com.au/">http://www.amazon.com.au</a>, <a href="http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/">http://www.kensingtonbooks.com</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/">http://www.barnesandnoble.com</a>, <a href="http://www.books.google.com/">http://www.books.google.com</a>, and <a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/">http://www.kobobooks.com</a>. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
Susan Whitfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215871952420224793noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10479189974436584.post-53964736321174242982015-04-26T08:00:00.000-04:002015-04-26T08:00:04.224-04:00Theodore Druch and noir detectives<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .2in;">
Born in Milwaukee and educated in
Boston, Theodore P. Druch went on to take a “higher” degree at Timothy Leary’s
LSD commune at Millbrook, NY. He has written about this experience in a “true”
novel, <i>Timothy Leary and the Madmen of Millbrook</i><b>. </b>He went on to become a general contractor in San
Francisco, mostly remodeling old Victorian homes. <span style="text-indent: 0.2in;">At the age of fifty-eight, he and
his partner, Maria Ruiz, chucked it all and ran away from home to see the
world. They spent ten years traveling to fifty-two countries, and living in
several for extended periods. </span><span style="text-indent: 0.2in;">I</span><span style="text-indent: 0.2in;">n Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, he rekindled an old love of
writing. He was an active member of the Puerto Vallarta Writer’s Group, and
conducted a weekly workshop for serious authors.</span><span style="background: white; text-indent: 0.2in;"> He was organizer and chairman for the 7<sup>th</sup> Annual
PVWG International Writers Conference in February, 2012. </span><span style="text-indent: 0.2in;">He is currently living in
Sacramento, California where he’s working on a series of detective novels
featuring Joe Gold, a Jewish PI in the mold of Sam Spade.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .2in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Welcome to the blog, Theodore.</span> </div>
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How many books have you written?</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Eight so far.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Give a short synop of your most recently published book. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>The Case of the
Mayor’s Wife:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> Joe Gold, a down
and out PI, is approached by his ex-mistress with news that their daughter has
been kidnapped. Thing is, she’s now married to the corrupt Mayor of Central
City and he thinks the now 17 year-old girl is his. She also hasn’t told her
husband because the kidnap is part of a blackmail plot against her and she
doesn’t want him to know something. Before Joe can even begin investigating,
he’s the victim of a knife attack and spends several days in the hospital. To
top things off, before she can give him some important information, she herself
is killed and Joe is left completely on his own without the vaguest idea of
what to do next.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> As he sorts it
all out, he finds himself on a journey through the corrupt backwaters of
Central City on the way to a surprise he never expected.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How much of yourself is hidden in the characters in the
book?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Well, Joe Gold certainly
has a lot of attitudes and thoughts that are mine, so he’s definitely an alter
ego. We are also very different though. He gets himself into situations where
I’d be hiding under the bed. Very Walter Mittyish, it would seem. I suppose
that lots of other characters also spring from somewhere within my psyche or,
at least, some of their behavior and thinking does.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> In my case, I’m
really trying to do homage to the great noir detective writing of people like
Dashiell Hammet, Raymond Chandler and, in my lighter moments, Mickey Spillane,
so I actually follow a tried and true formula that has more to do with
familiarity than psychology. There are no new stories, only new twists - if I’m
lucky enough to find them and tease them out of the narrative.</b></div>
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<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> The toughest part
is doing it without being obvious, so the reader wonders “why didn’t I think of
that.” When all is said and done, putting one over on him is great fun but
you’d better make him enjoy it too or he won’t buy your next book.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> I also worry less
about how much of myself is hidden in my characters than I do about how much is
hidden within me.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What challenges did you face while writing this book?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> I was living in
Mexico, working with the Puerto Vallarta Writers Group when I started it. It
was interrupted for some medical emergencies and a quick move to Sacramento
that turned out to have saved my life.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> Other than that,
writing it, and three sequels so far, was a blast. The words came in a flash
and it was the easiest writing I’ve ever done. If I was a believing man I’d say
that I was being guided by the ghosts of the writers aforementioned. But I’m
not, so I’ll just say I have no idea. Creativity cannot be quantitatively
evaluated beyond the number of books you write. Or is it sell? I get confused.
Quality is solely in the eye of the beholder.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So do you travel to do research or for inspiration? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> My partner, Maria
Ruiz, also an author, and I ran away from home in 1998 and spent the next 10
years traveling the world. After that, we settled in Puerto Vallarta for six
years. It was certainly the inspiration for two travel books. <i>Footprints on a
Small Planet</i> is about the three years we spent traveling Mexico and Central
America by motor home.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> The most
interesting trip we took was an impromptu, month long journey in Africa, which
we had to undertake to renew our Kenyan visas. We ended up visiting Victoria
Falls, the Island of Zanzibar, and going on safari in the Serengeti. We had
expected to be gone for a weekend. I’ve written about it all in <i>African
Odyssey</i>.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> We lived in
Chiang Mai, Thailand for a year and a half. It’s one of the most fascinating
and interesting places on the planet. Another place not to miss is Halong Bay
near Hanoi, Vietnam. If you can arrange a boat on a nice, misty day, you’ll
have the experience of your life as fantastically shaped mountains rise from
the mists like ghosts as you sail along.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Anyone who truly
wants to understand how lucky we are in the West must definitely spend three
months in India. It’s truly a psychedelic place but give yourself about three
months to come down afterward. Earplugs are advised and you must try to harden
your heart to some the most abject misery on earth hidden behind a veil of
brilliant color and motion, or you could go mad.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> WOW! That was a question worth asking you. Thanks for all the information.</o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What do you think is the greatest lesson you’ve learned
about writing so far? What <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
advice can you give new writers?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> There are two
things that I have found for sure. The more you write, the better you get. And
when you write fiction, sooner or later your characters take over your story
and you become just their hired pencil pusher. Eventually, you have to become
ruthless or they’ll kick you around.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> The best advice I
can give new authors is have a good source of income that doesn’t depend on
writing. My very best advice is make sure that your parents are fabulously
wealthy and don’t care if you actually make any money at all. If they’re happy
for you to sit around scribbling all day you’re in like Flynn. Just don’t write
anything too true about them or you’ll find your word processor set up in some
dingy little tenement room.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
HAHAHA! Love your response.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Where do you store ideas for later use: in your head, in a
notebook, or on a spreadsheet?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>They’re all in my head. I tried keeping a notebook but it became
apparent that a good idea just stayed. If I forgot about it, it probably wasn’t
any good anyway. That, by the way is probably your most important job,
recognizing the crap and being ruthless with it.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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We all know how important promoting our work has become. How
do you get the word out both off and online?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> Now there I’ve
been remiss. I don’t do anywhere near what “they” tell you to do, but I’m just not convinced that promoting yourself
endlessly on the internet isn’t more annoying to everyone else than lucrative
for you.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> I do have a blog,
but I haven’t done much about updating it.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Blogs and websites are more important for authors who
already have a considerable following. I know people who spend hours chatting
on facebook and sell maybe $30 – 40 per month. Maria and I make regular rounds
of retirement communities here and read from our books. We’ve made as much as
$100, but that’s unusual.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> It’s also worth
trying to get people to review your book, but no one really pays much attention
to those that have been paid for.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The sad truth is that it’s easier for a rich man to pass
through the eye of a needle than for an unknown author to sell a book.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> Unless you really
love to write, you probably should not waste your time at it.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Can you tell us your future writing goals/projects?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>My immediate goal
is to sell the next two books in the Pure Gold series. <i>The Case of the
Reluctant</i> <i>Vampire</i>, and <i>the Case of the Bigoted Blogger</i>. They are being
published shortly as ebooks by Stark Raving Books, a publisher of noir
novellas, and I’m self-publishing the paperbacks on Amazon through Create
Space.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>At the same time, I’m starting work on a new one tentatively
titled <i>the Case of the Gregarious gringo</i> that will bring Joe Gold to Puerto Vallarta.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Where can folks learn more about your books and events?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://theodorepdruch.wordpress.com/">https://theodorepdruch.wordpress.com/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Are your books available in print and ebook formats? (please
provide the buy link for easy reader accessibility)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> They are available
in both and are all available at this link.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> http://www.amazon.com/Theodore-P.-Druch/e/B007XW6I5O/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1412993154&sr=1-2-ent </b></div>
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYJUJ7YSD-WPkecbIbueT8QvrWzXGmB1SVZOFZttNB_0-Bf1f7mFGMWej4ashMOsUg02P3uyPvHB3CpOIsbNWG2z1UJ0UFKe4nA3KgQETiJgcO-kkHcHFrNliLYgPzWymwAabGmkBz6Q/s1600/New+Ted+photo+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYJUJ7YSD-WPkecbIbueT8QvrWzXGmB1SVZOFZttNB_0-Bf1f7mFGMWej4ashMOsUg02P3uyPvHB3CpOIsbNWG2z1UJ0UFKe4nA3KgQETiJgcO-kkHcHFrNliLYgPzWymwAabGmkBz6Q/s1600/New+Ted+photo+(1).jpg" height="200" width="184" /></a></b></div>
<b> <o:p></o:p></b><br />
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Susan Whitfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01215871952420224793noreply@blogger.com0