Tuesday 26 May 2015

Interview: Thom Young

What have you had published?  
I have had numerous things published but mainly my short stories in such places like 3am Magazine, Word Riot, The Legendary, and other lit zines.  I have had numerous poems published as well in addition to my novellas and novels.
What genre(s) of book do you write?  
I write all genres with my most recent a paranormal romance but I love horror and western and even wrote a few comedy type stories. I enjoy non-fiction as well and use to write music articles for a few websites.
What inspired you to write your first book?
I grew up in Texas so I have always been fascinated with the Texas/Mexico border and I knew that I wanted to write a murder mystery so I started this short story called Laredo Down and it kind of developed into a novella type thing and I was pretty happy with it.
How long did it take you to write “The Fallen Saga”?
It took me about 8 months to hash the idea out first then put it down on paper. I knew that I wanted to try writing a paranormal romance because that genre is very different for me so it wasn’t that easy for me to write, plus I always have various projects that I’m working on at the same time mainly with my poetry books.
What is the working title of your next book(s)?
It is called Damon and it is almost like a prequel to a book that I wrote in 2012 called The Neighborhood.  It is a horror story type thing with a lot of bad people in Dallas, TX.
When and why did you begin writing?
I have always written since a young age in journals or creating stories on my own or sometimes with friends. I can’t pinpoint when I started but when I suffered a severe brain injury as a teenager there was this new found creativity and now I know writing is just part of who I am.
Do you self publish your books or go through an agency?
I started out self publishing and a lot of my books hit #1 Kindle Free in various categories and now I work with a small publisher in Houston, TX and we do limited edition type chapbooks for poetry and for my novels as well.
What part of writing books do you find the hardest?
It sounds obvious but actually finishing a book because so many start and never finish and there’s a sense of self accomplishment when you finish one. Today you can finish one then edit it and then publish yourself on Kindle or whatever platform you want and you can start selling the next day. It’s easier than ever but to actually finish is the most difficult for me and to be satisfied with it.
What do you do in your spare time?
It sounds obvious for a writer but I am an avid reader but I also enjoy traveling. I also drink too much and I’m a horrible golfer. Living in Texas, it’s always fun to take out my guns and go shoot a bunch of stuff.  I also am a serious trout fisherman especially if I catch some.
Who is your favourite author?
I like so many but my favorites are Hesse and Bukowski.
What’s your favourite genre to read?
I love to read poetry and I like conspiracy type things or anything with history.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
The best thing you can do is keep writing and never compromise as long as you enjoy it that is the main thing.  You need to get use to rejection and know when to get away from writing as well.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
My work can be found here.
Instagram  @thomyoung
Twitter @thomyoung17
Thanks for the interview

Saturday 9 May 2015

Interview: Curtis Edmonds

What have you had published?
I have published two novels, RAIN ON YOUR WEDDING DAY, which came out in 2013, and WREATHED, which came out last year. Earlier this year I published LIES I HAVE TOLD, a collection of humorous short stories I’ve written over the last five years. My short fiction has mostly been published in McSweeney’s Internet Tendency.

What genre(s) of book do you write?
Both RAIN ON YOUR WEDDING DAY and WREATHED are contemporary romance novels. RAIN ON YOUR WEDDING DAY borders on literary fiction—it’s the story of an aging American football player who is dealing with the loss of most of his family. WREATHED is much more in the chick-lit tradition; it’s main character is a lonely, borderline-alcoholic attorney who meets her dream man at a funeral.

What inspired you to write your first book?
I drew a lot of material from RAIN ON YOUR WEDDING DAY from my own wedding (on which, needless to say, it rained buckets). My parents and my wife’s parents are both divorced, and there was a lot of underlying tension about how everyone would get along. The main antagonist in the book is the main character’s ex-wife, who emphatically does not want him at the wedding. Fortunately, we didn’t have any of the emotional fireworks in our real-life wedding.

How long did it take you to write “Wreathed”?
I started working on WREATHED in late June 2013 and finished the first draft in January 2014, so about six months, all told. It took a couple of more months to complete the revisions after I got the manuscript back from my editor, and then I went through another round of proofreading.
What is the working title of your next book(s)?
Right now, the next book is called THE SNOWBALL EFFECT. It takes place on an interstellar spaceship, and has some romance elements and a murder mystery.

When and why did you begin writing?
I started writing movie reviews in the early 1990’s – the first one I did was for a Jackie Chan movie, although I can’t remember which one. I think writing movie reviews is good practice for anyone who wants to write, because it lets you develop your own voice and it helps you figure out why you like the things that you like. I like to think I was good at it, although I never got to do it professionally—there were a lot of other amateur movie reviewers out there at the same time, due to the internet, and I just never got myself in a position where I could get paid for it. I finished my first manuscript in 2003 and my second in 2009, but I couldn’t get either of them published.

Do you self publish your books or go through an agency?
I am a self-publisher. I don’t take a lot of pride in that, mind you. I’d rather have an agent and a publisher, but it hasn’t shaken out that way. I don’t mind. Every book I sell as a self-publisher is a book that someone sitting in an office in New York City didn’t think I could ever sell, and that’s fine with me.

What part of writing books do you find the hardest?
Finding and correcting mistakes. I like to think of myself as a careful editor, but every time—every single time!—I get something back from an editor or a proof-reader, I feel incredibly stupid for making elementary mistakes. Even after I correct them, you still have problems—even problems you think you’ve corrected. For RAIN ON YOUR WEDDING DAY, I have two of my characters sitting in a restaurant and ordering refills on their coffee from the server. Sounds fine, right? What I forgot was that they were in an American chain restaurant called the International House of Pancakes. Most of those restaurants serve coffee in large pitchers, with a warming element right on the table, so you don’t have to pester your server for refills. Embarrassing. For WREATHED, I somehow managed to put out a print version where the heading for Chapter Nine showed up as plain text. You do everything you can, and you still end up with basic mistakes that you’d never make if you put a moment’s thought into them.

What do you do in your spare time?
I cook barbecue. I am from Texas and live in New Jersey, and you simply can’t get good Texas barbecue in New Jersey. It’s much easier and more effective to make it myself, so that’s what I do. I have a large cast-iron grill with a fire-box attached to it, and every so often I load it up with brisket or ribs or sausage and cook it low and slow at two hundred degrees for hours on end. It’s beautiful.

Who is your favourite author?
Mark Helprin is our greatest living author, and I’ll stand on Phillip Roth’s coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that. I will say that I didn’t much like his last two novels—one was a very silly satire of Prince Charles that just never got over the mean-spirited attitude, and the last one was an overwrought melodrama set in post-war New York. But even in the bad books, the writing is just splendid, and the best of his books are simply irreplaceable.

What’s your favourite genre to read?
I absolutely devour military-based historical fiction. Bernard Cornwell is my current favorite in that genre. I read a lot of military non-fiction, too—I really like the work of Winston Groom, who wrote FORREST GUMP, but does a lot of really excellent non-fiction as well. The one thing I won’t read is romance books, which is odd because I’ve written two of them. Unaccountable of me, really.

Do you have any advice for other writers?
I think all advice to writers is basically variations on the same thing, and that is to be considerate to the poor reader. Your average reader spends his or her days doing mind-numbing, thankless work, all day every day, and then comes home and handles all their domestic chores, whatever they may be, watches an hour or so of television, and then gets into bed with their e-reader to knock off a couple of pages before they collapse into unconsciousness. You owe that person your best efforts. Don’t bore them, don’t condescend to them, and don’t waste their time on boring sub-plots that don’t go anywhere or on characters that are empty-headed puppets. Make your readers happy and the rest will fall into place over time.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Well, obviously you should buy all of my books on Amazon right now, and review them, and tell all of your friends about them. (Don’t tell your enemies, though, because what have they ever done for you? Nothing.) After that, you should do what you like. Drink delicious, tasty beer! (I am a Texan, so I’ll recommend Shiner Bock if you can get it, or Newcastle Brown Ale if you can’t.) Eat delicious, tasty ice cream! (I make my own ice cream, thank you very much, and I’m actually overdue for making some of my favorite flavor, butterscotch pecan.) Take a nice walk by a gurgling stream. Relax.

Saturday 25 April 2015

Interview: Jody Holford and Kara Leigh Miller



He’s fighting to forget his past while she struggles to remember hers… 
  
Doctor Josh Parker lives with guilt about his wife’s death every day. 
   
He believes himself incapable of ever loving again, but when a mysterious woman arrives in the Emergency Room, brutally beaten and left for dead, he starts to feel something he hasn’t felt in far too long: hope. 
  
Alessandra Matthews has no memory of the events that led to her being hospitalized. Worse, she has no idea who hurt her or why. Although she’s uncertain of who she is, she is fully aware of one thing—she’s falling for her doctor. 
   
Sometimes, what you don’t know can kill you… 
  
As Josh and Alessa work to solve the mystery surrounding her past, she soon realizes just how much danger she’s really in, but Josh refuses to let her face the darkness of her memories alone. With each of them struggling to put their pasts behind them, theirs is a DANGEROUS LOVE.  
   

Get your own copy of DANGEROUS LOVE by Kara Leigh Miller and Jody Holford:

Amazon      
B&N     
Smashwords

About the Authors:

Kara Leigh Miller

Kara Leigh Miller

Kara lives in Upstate New York with her husband, three kids, three dogs, and three cats. When she's not busy writing romance novels that leave readers swooning, she's spending time with her family or attending one of her many writers groups. An active member of The Romance Writers of America and the CNY Writers Haven, Kara is also Managing Editor for Anaiah Press' Surge and Romance Imprints. She absolutely loves to hear from her fans and fellow authors, so feel free to drop her a line anytime! 

Website     Twitter      Goodreads     Facebook

Jody Holford

Jody Holford


Jody lives in British Columbia with her husband and two daughters. She is a fan of Nora Roberts, Jill Shalvis, Rachel Gibson, and Rainbow Rowell. In reading and writing, she likes characters who are flawed, but driven toward the pursuit of love and happiness. In November 2013, she published A Not So Lonely Christmas with Foreward Literary. In December 2014, she published Forever Christmas through Kindle Direct. 

Website     Twitter      Goodreads     Facebook

What have you had published?
JODY:I have self-published a Christmas novella and a Christmas Anthology. One of my short stories was published in another Christmas Anthology by Fuse Literary. Kara and I have Dangerous Love out next month and Jaded Love following later this year. I also have a children’s book, Sweet Dream Sisters, coming out in January 2016.

KARA: I’ve had some steamier contemporary romances published with various small presses, but am actively moving away from that sub-genre. I’ve had a New Adult book, Death of a Waterfall, published two years ago. Of course, there’s this book, Dangerous Love :) Jody and I have a sequel planned, which will be released later this year. I’m now agented as well, so I’m working on a book for my agent, Dawn Dowdle.

What genre(s) of book do you write?
JODY:I write contemporary romance for the most part but sometimes I feel like there are elements of women’s fiction in there too. I need the happily ever after of contemporary and I love the dual point of view. But I also love the internal struggle and journey that we see in books like The Witness or Fangirl. I like a little suspense too. And I write children’s books.

KARA: I’m a contemporary romance girl at heart. Everything I’ve written thus far has been in this sub-genre, but I’m hoping to branch out this year. Maybe write a thriller or get one of my young adult novels published.

What inspired you to write your first book?
JODY:Getting signed by my first agent. She had signed me for my children’s books and I was so eager to show her my versatility, I wrote a novel. We ended up parting ways since...she signed me for children’s books. But it was a great push forward and it opened my eyes to what I wanted to do as a writer.

KARA: Wow. It feels like ages ago since I’ve written my first book. lol. I’d always had the idea for two characters in my mind: young, teenaged kids who were high on life and low on experience. I wrote one version of the book that was just super fun. I knew it would never see the light of day, but it helped me get started and put me on the path to learning how to write a book that would actually sell.

How long did it take you to write “Dangerous Love”?
JODY:Yes, I think it was four or five months. I don’t know that it takes less time-- I tend to write very quickly and I think Kara does too but what I’ve noticed is that the work we do together ends up being more polished than the work I do alone. We’re constantly reading over each others work so that we know what’s happened and where to pick up and that means there’s a lot of editing along the way.

KARA: Four or five months, I think? Writing a book with another person takes a lot less time than writing it all by yourself. lol.

What is the working title of your next book(s)?
JODY:With Kara, Jaded Love. On my own, Caught Looking.

KARA: As Jody said, together we’re working on Jaded Love, which is a spinoff from Dangerous Love. We’re also possibly considering a third book, Broken Love. I’m also working on another co-author project (with a different author) that’s a YA thriller entitled Warped Remains. And I have a series of new adult books with the first one being titled, Tempting Tanner.

When and why did you begin writing?
JODY:I wrote a poem when I was 11 years old and I brought it home to show my older brother. He liked it and asked me to write another copy for him to have. And since he was 8 years older and I thought he was so cool, I gave him a copy and in some way, I’ve been writing ever since.

KARA: I’d always dabbled in writing as a teen, but never pursued it all that seriously. As a stay at home mom, when my youngest finally started school, I found I had a LOT of time on my hands during the days and needed a creative way to spend my time. So, I began writing again.

Do you self publish your books or go through an agency?
JODY:I have self-published. I have been part of an anthology published through an agency. I have four books (3 with Kara) coming from Anaiah Press. My next step, hopefully, is finding an agent to work with, long term. This journey is better with someone at your side.

KARA: Right now, all of my books are published via small press, but I’m hoping in the near future to get a traditional publishing deal with one of the Big 5.

What part of writing books do you find the hardest?
JODY:Conveying the right emotion with the character’s actions and words is very hard.

KARA: I have to agree with Jody and say character emotions. I have a really bad habit of taking the emotions to the extreme. They’re either too flat or too dramatic. lol. It’s hard, in my opinion, to find that happy medium and keep it consistent throughout the book.

What do you do in your spare time?
JODY: Obsess about writing. :) I spend time with my family, watch TV. I work full time so between that, my family, and writing, it can make the days go fast. I like to cook and go for walks. I like to read. I like to do all things at once cause I get restless if I’ve got nothing going on.

KARA: Read. A lot. I’m also an editor at Anaiah Press, so that takes up a lot of my non-writing time. I enjoy spending time with my family, going to the movies with friends, and walking with my two pitbulls.

Who is your favourite author?
JODY: It’s too hard to just say one. Rainbow Rowell, Nora Roberts, Sophie Kinsella, Rachel Gibson. Jill Shalvis, John Green.

KARA: Ryan Winfield, Stephenie Meyer, Stephen King, Lora Leigh. If I’m being 100% honest here, I’m not sure I have a “favorite author” so much as I have favorite books by certain authors. I mean, I absolutely love Ryan Winfield, but I don’t love everything he’s ever written, if that makes sense.

What’s your favourite genre to read?
JODY: Contemporary romance with some suspense.

KARA: Young adult books with strong romance. I also love romantic suspense and any book that can bring me to tears. Those are the best ones.

Do you have any advice for other writers?
JODY: Get to know other writers: they are your saving grace and, often, your life line. It’s not easy to continually put yourself out there. You can fall into a pattern of feeling almost good enough and some days it is hard to keep going. Your writing friends, and your personal support network, will help you continue. Keep writing. Trust others but also trust yourself. You don’t have to listen to every piece of advice but if you’re hearing common themes, think about how you can strengthen those areas.

KARA: Write for yourself and no one else. I know, it’s every writer’s dream to write the next bestseller that results in multiple movies and crazy amounts of merchandise, but if YOU don’t love your book with every fiber of your being, no one else will either. Write what you want write. Tell the story that is consuming your mind and heart. Don’t worry about trends or what other authors have done. Be true to you and your story. The emotion and excitement will shine through on the page, and that’s what makes a story great. 



Friday 17 April 2015

Interview: J D Brick

What have you had published?
Under my real name, Jackie Papandrew, I've published two humor books called Days of Derangement and The Desperate Dad's Guide to Getting Some. These two books were based on my humor column, which ran for several years in about a dozen newspapers. Most of these newspapers were smaller, community publications, but the list included larger newspapers such as The Oklahoman and The Tampa Tribune. Under my pen name, J.D. Brick, I've published one novel so far. Tangled Up in Blue is the first in a New Adult romance series called Ikana College.
What genre(s) of book do you write?
I write humorous non-fiction and contemporary romance.
What inspired you to write your first book?
I've been writing as a journalist, technical writer and humor columnist for many years. I'd always wanted to write a novel, but somehow never got around to doing it. When my husband and I sold the business we'd spent 10 years building and my children went to college, I finally decided it was 'now or never' and sat down to do it. I've long been a romance reader and especially enjoy the New Adult category, so I decided to try my hand at it.
How long did it take you to write “Tangled Up in Blue”?
The idea first occurred to me about a year ago, but I only worked on it sporadically until about four months ago. Then I focused as much of my time and attention as possible on writing and revising it. So I'd say it took roughly four months. There were still days when I could not work on it at all, but that's a fair estimate of the time it took.
What is the working title of your next book(s)?
Shelter from the Storm is Book 2 in the Ikana College series. I'm writing that now. Book 3 is tentatively titled Never Say Goodbye. I'm also working on a work of historical fiction called Hearts on the Ground and another contemporary romance (with a main character in her 40s) called Curve.
When and why did you begin writing?
I've been a voracious reader since I learned to read. I majored in journalism in college and spent years writing all kinds of non-fiction, including news, technical and business writing, as well as the humor column I started when my children were small. I used to write stories as a child and somehow always saw myself as a writer.
Do you self publish your books or go through an agency?
I self-published my humor books and Tangled Up in Blue.
What part of writing books do you find the hardest?
The necessity of focusing solely on the writing and not being distracted by all of the others things that so easily claim my attention. Without the discipline of the daily or weekly deadlines that you have in journalism, fiction writing requires a tremendous amount of self-discipline.
What do you do in your spare time?
Read! It's my favorite thing to do. I'm also a devoted, if often unsuccessful, gardener. And I love to dance when I can get my husband to go with me. I also love spending time with family and friends.
Who is your favourite author?
That's always such an impossible question for me to answer. I discover, and re-discover, authors all the time that I fall in love with. Some of my current favorites include Anthony Doerr, Gillian Flynn and Leah Raeder. Annie Dillard and Edward Abbey are a couple of authors (both of fiction and non-fiction) I don't see mentioned very often but that I return to over and over again.
What’s your favourite genre to read?
Again a hard question to answer. I read in almost every genre and enjoy great writing wherever I can find it. But I do love historical fiction and literary fiction.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
Don't do what I did and put off writing fiction for years if it's something you really want to do. Find the time, somehow. Write every day. It's the same advice you'll see over and over again, but it's so true. Just do it. And another nugget of truth that's become a cliché now, but is absolutely vital: Read. Obsessively, constantly, in a wide range of genres. Read the best writers and soak it in.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
I'd like to thank you for interviewing me and to thank any readers who might see this. I'd love to hear from anyone who reads Tangled Up in Blue. Let me know what you think.

Wednesday 15 April 2015

Blog Tour: Dangerous Love

Dangerous Love banner




Anaiah Press proudly presents
DANGEROUS LOVE by Kara Leigh Miller and Jody Holford
a romantic suspense novel that releases today!






He’s fighting to forget his past while she struggles to remember hers…
 

Doctor Josh Parker lives with guilt about his wife’s death every day.
  


He believes himself incapable of ever loving again, but when a mysterious woman arrives in the Emergency Room, brutally beaten and left for dead, he starts to feel something he hasn’t felt in far too long: hope.
 

Alessandra Matthews has no memory of the events that led to her being hospitalized. Worse, she has no idea who hurt her or why. Although she’s uncertain of who she is, she is fully aware of one thing—she’s falling for her doctor.
  


Sometimes, what you don’t know can kill you…
 

As Josh and Alessa work to solve the mystery surrounding her past, she soon realizes just how much danger she’s really in, but Josh refuses to let her face the darkness of her memories alone. With each of them struggling to put their pasts behind them, theirs is a DANGEROUS LOVE. 
  






Get your own copy of DANGEROUS LOVE by Kara Leigh Miller and Jody Holford:



Amazon     
B&N    
Smashwords








 

About the Authors:



Kara Leigh Miller



Kara Leigh Miller




Kara lives in Upstate New York with her husband, three kids, three dogs, and three cats. When she's not busy writing romance novels that leave readers swooning, she's spending time with her family or attending one of her many writers groups. An active member of The Romance Writers of America and the CNY Writers Haven, Kara is also Managing Editor for Anaiah Press' Surge and Romance Imprints. She absolutely loves to hear from her fans and fellow authors, so feel free to drop her a line anytime!




Website     Twitter      Goodreads     Facebook







Jody Holford



Jody Holford




Jody lives in British Columbia with her husband and two daughters. She is a fan of Nora Roberts, Jill Shalvis, Rachel Gibson, and Rainbow Rowell. In reading and writing, she likes characters who are flawed, but driven toward the pursuit of love and happiness. In November 2013, she published A Not So Lonely Christmas with Foreward Literary. In December 2014, she published Forever Christmas through Kindle Direct.






Website     Twitter      Goodreads     Facebook


 



a Rafflecopter giveaway

 





Monday 30 March 2015

Update #2

The end of March already, and this is only my fifth post of the year, how did that happen?

The end of March means one thing for me and many other writers... Camp NaNoWriMo is nearby! And this time, I've even planned my novel out in advance. Stay tuned to find out more about April, Harriet and Jenny in my new romance novel.

Other exciting things to follow in the upcoming months:
Reviews:
I have several outstanding reviews to write. Including:
1. Pamela Srey "Paradise" - I've been waiting for this book to come out for years, and I'm not exaggerating. "Melodies" - Book One in the series - was published August 2012.
2. Isabel Morin "Keep Me" - I have given all her other books 5 star reviews and I'm not expecting any less from this one.
3. Katie Fforde "A Christmas Feast" which I finished reading a month ago and haven't reviewed yet.
4. Katie Fforde "Vintage Weddings" which is currently my favourite book and has been read many times over.

Posts:
I have Kara Leigh Miller joining me twice this month with her new book "Dangerous Love".

Interviews:
I don't currently have any planned, but if you're interested, I'm always willing to host - just send me a quick message.

On another note, I have finally put my head down and started my new art website. It needs a bit of work and a lot more art, but it's getting there. I hope you'll take a look.

Until next time...

Friday 27 February 2015

Interview: MJ Meads

What have you had published?
I am a first time novelist and this will be my first published work.

What genre(s) of book do you write?
I certainly find myself drawn to write stories with a romantic element, although the relationship is usually only part of a wider social commentary. Perhaps Romantic Drama is more appropriate, or RomDram.

What inspired you to write your first book?
This book has been floating around in my head and on various scraps of paper for ten years or more. It was inspired by stories and life experiences I'd been privy to that I felt weren't reflected in contemporary fiction.

How long did it take you to write “Milk: A Modern Love Story”?
After losing 40,000 odd words in March 2014 and having to start again from scratch, it took around 10 months. The book did spend nine years in the conceptual stage though!

What is the working title of your next book(s)?
Toast. It will be a sequel to Milk. There seems to be a breakfast theme running through my titles!

When and why did you begin writing?
I've always considered myself a writer, starting with poetry when I was eight or nine years old. I worked in non-writing jobs for many years but I was eventually lucky enough to make a living copywriting and writing for social media.

Do you self publish your books or go through an agency?
I really only considered self-publishing, but I dipped a toe in the water with an agent to see if any would bite. I'm a huge fan of the democratisation of publishing, especially in the wake of e-readers. I wouldn't turn down a sizeable advance for 'Toast' though!

What part of writing books do you find the hardest?
Staring at that blank page waiting for something to happen. Also having to go through looking for continuity errors that crop up when you're writing over so many months.

What do you do in your spare time?
I enjoy visiting museums and galleries, I think all art is inextricably intertwined and I'd love to work in conjunction with a sculptor or painter in future. I love to cook too, food is an important part of my life and helps cushion the blow of a bad day in front of the computer.

Who is your favourite author?
It pains me to say this but I don't read as much as I should. I miss the era of the storyteller, the orator. I'd often rather read The Iliad aloud to someone than I would bury my head in a book. I enjoy reading Will Self's musings on modern life though.

What’s your favourite genre to read?
Anything funny, intentionally or otherwise. I have a nasty habit of inventing characters voices in my head and so a well written joke makes me laugh out loud when reading on the train.

Do you have any advice for other writers?
I often hear or read the phrase “write the kind of book you'd like to read” but I'm not sure that's good advice. Write the book you want to write, don't let anybody tell you it's too niche, too complex, or not mass-market. If you're passionate about the subject you're writing on, that will show in your work.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Milk: A Modern Love Story is available on Kindle 1st March 2015.