Interview with Author Paul Keefe

Today I’m super excited to welcome author Paul Keefe to my blog! Enjoy my interview with him and be sure to check out his book!

 

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I’m a web developer by day. I’ve been working on multimedia projects since the early 90’s and love to take ideas and turn them into visual presentations. I do far more programming these days than artwork, but given the chance, I pull out the drawing software and have some fun. My guitars get far less playing than they deserve since I started writing. Writing is really all consuming and it can be difficult to keep any other hobbies up. But it’s also the best and most creative of all the arts for me. When not working or writing I read, work out—far too little, and promote my book on the net. That last one eats up a lot of time!

When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?

I started writing again about four years ago and I finished my first book this last fall. I say again because when I was in high school I wrote a lot, mostly poetry and some song lyrics. I wrote about this on my blog, but basically a vindictive English teacher turned me off to the writing process and I regret that I somehow bought into it. When I finally started writing again it was cathartic, freedom flowed from my pen (okay, it was actually a computer keyboard). Since then I’ve strived to encourage other authors to write, write, and write. Don’t ever give in to the naysayers—whenever you’re unsure of your own writing, write some more. Eventually the words will coalesce into something wonderful, something even grander than you imagined, and you’ll be glad you didn’t hang it up too soon.

How did you choose the genre you write in?

It chose me. I had been writing a sci-fi that I had been dreaming of for several years, first thinking I would do it as a movie or animation script. Then archaeologist Angie Cooper came to me with her mission in hand and I knew I had to write it. It’s a plot driven book and the plot formed as I got to know Angie. The genre is thriller but could easily be action-adventure as many people have said the book is a cross-between Indiana Jones and a Dan Brown novel.

Where do you get your ideas? Do you ever experience writer’s block? Do you work with an outline, or just write?

Some ideas come from the void, you can’t really tell from where. Others come from reading novels and research. Some of my best ideas came from reviewing photos of architecture.

I think every writer experiences writer’s block to one degree or another. My advice is always the same, write anyway. Eventually you’ll find that spark of a good idea and then the block will disappear on its own.

I don’t work with an outline but think it might be worth learning to do. There’s a lot of rewriting involved in the seat-of-the-pants style. At the same time, a stream of consciousness can pull out ideas that you didn’t even see when you started out writing a scene. All of sudden your character is in uncharted waters—and so are you. That’s the fun part, getting lost in your writing. And for some it’s where their brilliance lies.

Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?

I spent a long time trying to land an agent and publisher. The doors seemed closed to me and I saw many people on the net claiming that the thriller genre was just to jam packed with books; publishers were sticking with their big writers. Certainly publishers have less money than in the past with the rapid changes happening to their industry, and that could account for their current attitude towards new writers. Of course, it could just be I didn’t find the right people even after going through far over a hundred agents.

That prompted me to go Indie. Publishing as an Indie is really a breeze, both print and eBook. I’m glad I did it otherwise my novel may have just languished for years while I looked for a publisher. The one drawback of course is that you have to promote yourself, and that means you’ll always be way behind the big publishers with huge budgets and connections with bookstores and distributors.

If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you would change?

No. There really isn’t anything I could change as far as publishing, not without great globs of money. Plus, I’ve met a lot of great Indie authors and I’m very happy being one of them. My novel, I believe, hit all the points I wished it to, it’s suspenseful, fast-paced, and believable. So, I’m very happy with the way Digger’s Bones turned out.

Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?

A little of both. I’ve been to some, but not all, of the locations in the book. I drew on what I knew of those places from memory and photographs I had taken. For other areas I did research using everything from Wikipedia to professional archaeology archives. Of course I never spent time searching for bones in the Middle East because it isn’t part of my educational or career background.

You could say that the religious and philosophical aspects all come from my own life. I am the questioning type and want “real” answers to my spiritual questions; especially after attending parochial schools as a kid. I believe, although it may never be found to be true, that the events in the book are quite plausible. And I hope that my diligence in research will have readers feeling the same way. Four reviewers of Digger’s Bones have compared it to a Dan Brown novel, so the controversial nature of the book may not appeal to everyone.

What project are you working on now? Will you have a new book coming out soon? Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?

I’m working on the sequel to Digger’s Bones with three books, including the first, planned. Angie Cooper is my driving force, I love getting her into trouble and watching her get out of it. I really try to see it through Angie’s eyes and allow the emotions she feels to be the emotion the book expresses. At the moment I see plenty of archaeological mysteries heading Angie’s way and I’m very excited about that.

Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?

Read widely. Read outside of your chosen genre. If you write horror, read a romance novel. If you write about dark vampire filled streets, read a classic. Be sure you read outside your genre so you don’t become a cliché of your own style, it happens to the best of writers.

Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?

Thanks for reading. You can find me on Facebook and Twitter and I’m more than happy to converse with readers on any topic from the book. Or guitars, I love guitars!

Paul Mansfield Keefe was born in Lowell, Massachusetts and grew up in Manchester, New Hampshire. He worked as a multimedia artist and programmer for non-profits and corporations creating websites and applications since the early years of the Internet. Music and animation led him to realize his story telling talents could best be put to use in writing novels. Digger’s Bones, the first book in the Angie Cooper Series, is his debut novel.

Check out Pauls Website!  http://www.paulkeefe.com

Paul’s book is available at:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Diggers-Bones-Paul-Mansfield-Keefe/dp/1456313754

Barnes & Nobel: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Diggers-Bones/Paul-Mansfield-Keefe/e/9781456313753

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/31933

Do you miss me yet?

I’m not quite gone yet…but very shortly will be heading off to the sunny Dominican. I’ll be home Sun Jan 30th. Hopefully. Crossing fingers no flights get delayed this trip!

While I’m restocking my sunbeams and rainbows I hope you all know I’ll be thinking of you too! Biggest hugs to all my cyber friends and family! You all rock and your support and friendship mean so much to me! (((((Hugs)))) Love you all and I”ll be back soon!

 

If you haven’t already… check out my short story Jump…or tweet a link for me.

Available at OmniLit in various eBook formats. Click here to BUY NOW!

Available NOW for your Nook at Barnes & Noble and for your kindle at Amazon

Now on Amazon UK!

Interview with Author Susan Helene Gottfried

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Essentially, I’m boring. My name is Susan Helene Gottfried. I have a BA and an MFA in creative writing. I own cats. I hang at the Hoity Toity Health Club in the mornings and dream of bicycling 100 miles at a clip. I’ve got two kids and a husband.

See? Boring. Are you even still awake?

What do you do when you are not writing? Do you have a day job as well?
Nope, no day job. I used to work as a freelance copy editor, but then my husband’s high tech company got bought out. I had an agent at the time and so my man and I decided I’d quit freelancing and focus on my ambition — writing fiction. Needless to say, the agent never sold a book for me, we parted ways, and then the ShapeShifter project was born. I was offered representation for it by another agent, but she, too, wasn’t meant to be. Now, I focus on writing and the marketing that goes along with it. Needless to say, I love my life.

When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?
Oh, I couldn’t give you a date for this one if I tried. I remember writing a book in seventh grade… maybe there was one before that. I call this my birth defect — I was born with the need to write. And while nothing ever came of those early attempts, the desire to get books into the world never left.

How did you choose the genre you write in?
It chose me, to be honest. When I was a senior in high school, I landed a job in this old-fashioned, mostly extinct creature called a Record Store. I was there when CDs were first released; that’s how old I am. But it was also the perfect time to be working in music. I fell in love with the business end of things and almost went to work for a record label once I had my undergraduate degree. But… I couldn’t figure out how to write books AND hold down that sort of all-encompassing job. So now, I write about rock and roll and the people who make it. It’s my way of combining my two loves. Two afflictions? You decide.

Where do you get your ideas? Do you ever experience writer’s block? Do you work with an outline, or just write?
Hey, there’s more than one question here! No fair!

My ideas come from everywhere and anywhere. When I am deep into a project, I’ll look at pretty much everything through my characters’ eyes. And I mean everything! From going to a hockey game to buying chicken.

Yep, I struggle with writer’s block. One thing I’ve learned over the years, though, is that when I hit that wall, the best thing for me to do is rip out the last few paragraphs. Usually, being stuck is my gut’s way of telling me I’ve gone astray. Once I get rid of the bad stuff, I’m off and running again.

And no, I don’t use an outline. For my latest project, which I’m not talking about yet, I have the pitch done. When I wrote Trevor’s Song, I didn’t even have that much done. I just wrote, found the end, and then revised. A lot.

Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?
I probably should point to Chuck Kinder and Reginald McKnight. They were my professors at Pitt, and they didn’t teach me to write; I already knew that. Rather, they taught me to laugh about my mistakes, to learn to recognize them, and to strive for improvement. I’ll never forget the time Chuck wanted to drop a German satellite on one of my main characters. Once your professor does that, the harshest criticism becomes a lot easier to swallow.

Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?
Snort. THIS was an adventure. I had Trevor’s Song ready to go. I’d even begun blogging as a way to build my audience — and they were absolutely rabid over Trevor. (He’s that sort of guy.) But I was getting nowhere with agents. Finally, I read an article that gave me some insight. I sat down with the afore-mentioned agent who offered representation, only to not pan out. It was at a writer’s conference, so I signed up for a pitch session with her, brought her a boatload of research that I’d done and said, “Is it true that books about rock stars don’t sell and this is the ultimate problem?”

She said, “Yes.” And then she wanted to hear about Trevor anyway. And, of course, she fell in love. And then she offered representation. And then she fell off the face of the Earth. Maybe she ran off with a real-life version of Trevor. Who knows?

That was 2006, I think. Somewhere in there. Self-publishing wasn’t what it is today — a viable alternative. That’s how the Demo Tapes were born — to test the waters and basically give my rabid groupies a book to hold in their hands. I didn’t get it out until 2008, and then Trevor’s Song came out last summer.

If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you would change?
The ONLY thing I’d do differently is get Trevor’s Song out sooner than I did. A lot of my initial groupies not only stopped blogging but unplugged from the Internet entirely. They probably don’t even know the book is out there. They are people who could have helped create a bigger momentum wave for the book, had they still been around.

How do you market your work? What avenues have you found to work best for your genre?
I do mostly online marketing. There’s still a strong anti-self-publishing bias in my local community. I love doing interviews and guest blog posts, but I think what’s worked best for me is the support of my groupies. People who read Trevor love the guy, plain and simple. And they love telling others what they’re missing out on. I am lucky, and I know it.

Have you written a book you love that you have not been able to get published?
Nope, although I have a few hidden away — including the one that should have been the victim of that German satellite — that I might revise and put up on Smashwords, just to see what’ll happen.

Can you tell us about your upcoming book?
No, not yet. But I can — and will! — tell you that one of the books I’m working the hardest on is the sequel to Trevor’s Song.

Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?
Sort of… Trevor is part of a rock/metal band. (I’ll let you decide which.) I was never in a band; I’m tone deaf. Instead, I did crew. I was a DJ. I worked in record stores. I was all set to go work for a record label but walked away at the eleventh hour because I wanted to write books. I know the world of music inside and out — and know who to ask when I get stumped on a detail. But the conflict and the problems Trevor faces? All imaginary.

What project are you working on now? Will you have a new book coming out soon? Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?
I’m hoping to put out two books in 2011 — the third Demo Tapes anthology, with more short fiction featuring Trevor and the band. All of the stories were originally published on my blog, the Meet and Greet at West of Mars. I’m also hoping to get the sequel to Trevor’s Song out. But there’s also something new I’m drafting… stay tuned for that. It’ll be different but sort of similar. Maybe. I’m not sure yet; it’s still the early going.

Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?
Write, write, write. And be open to constructive criticism from others. The best advice I ever heard came from literary agent Barbara Poelle, via one of her clients: Read 2k words every day and write 2k words every day.

Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?
There’s no better time to join the Trevolution! And thanks again, Jennifer, for having me stop in today.

Susan Helene Gottfried is the author of ShapeShifter: The Demo Tapes — Year 1, ShapeShifter: The Demo Tapes — Year 2, and Trevor’s Song. She can be found online at http://westofmars.com, where you can find The Meet and Greet, among other goodies.

A tone-deaf rocker-at-heart, Susan worked in retail record stores, in radio stations, as stage crew, and as a promoter while earning two college degrees in creative writing.

Susan walked away from a continued career in the music industry in order to write books, so it makes sense that most of her fiction revolves around rock bands. Once you get those record stores, radio stations, and fellow roadies and promoters under your skin, they never leave.

When not writing, Susan captains the team at Win a Book, a promotional site for authors and book bloggers — and readers like yourself.
Website: http://westofmars.com
The blog is the Meet and Greet at West of Mars — http://westofmars.com/blog

Buy links: http://westofmars.com/west-of-mars/the-books/trevors-song

Interview With Author Rob Tobin

I have the super duper pleasure of having author Rob Tobin on my blog today. You just have to read this interview, no clicking!! He is super amazing, and funny. You will love him!

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? I’m a Canadian novelist, screenwriter and non-fiction book author living and writing full-time in Huntington Beach, Southern California. I’m the father of two amazing sons, Brian and Josiah, and very lucky husband to Leslie Coogan (she had such a great name she decided to keep it, couldn’t blame her, lol). I just finished my latest novel, Jo-Bri and the Two Worlds, and am looking for a Young Adult agent for it. My previous novel, “God Wars, Book One: Living with Angels” is coming out from Echelon Press either late January or early February 2011, it’s a fantasy Sci Fi novel. I’m also just finished the first draft of a new non-fiction book, a self-help book with a twist, irreverent in many ways and definitely not your father’s self-help book, it’s entitled “Enlighten This, Motherf*****.” LOL.

What do you do when you are not writing? Do you have a day job as well? I love just hanging with my wife Leslie, dining out, going to movies, ziplining, skiing (though we don’t go nearly enough), reading (don’t do nearly enough of that either, it’s always a time cruch). I do still have a day gig, as a marketing communication writer, so I’m incredibly lucky, even my day gig involves writing.

When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book? I started writing when I was three years old, short stories. I wrote my first book, a novel, when I was 12.

How did you choose the genre you write in? I never had a specific genre until my last two novels and I chose fantasy and then, with my latest novel, Young Adult fantasy (I know, that sounds dirty). It was partly a commercial choice. I have a feature film coming out in April, another one in development but I wasn’t satisfied with my success in screenwriting so I went back and wrote my first novel in twenty years or so, and the concept that came to me just happened to be fantasy/SF, so I went with it. Of course that genre is killing right now especially the YA market, so I think it was the right choice.

Where do you get your ideas? Do you ever experience writer’s block? Do you work with an outline, or just write? I don’t think I’ve ever experienced writer’s block even though I once wrote an article on it for a well-known writing magazine, lol. I have no idea where the ideas and concepts come from, one moment there’s nothing and then a concept and if I’m smart enough and quick enough to write them down, they almost inevitably end up being written as a story, though I have a huge backlog of ideas awaiting my attention. I always outline after I get the initial concept, in fact I wrote two screenwriting books that emphasize outlining: “The Screenwriting Formula” and “How to Write High Structure, High Concept Movies.”

Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult? Anything by Hemingway, loved his terse, muscular style, and anything by Richard Bach. Loved Pearl Buck, Steinbeck to a lesser degree, then I got into a lot of SF and fantasy, like “Stranger in a Stranger Land,” “The Foundation” series, Ursula LeGuin, a little sword and sorcery like McAfferty.

Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published? I spent years trying to get my first two novels published and there was the occasional nibble but nothing. The real reason for that was that I wasn’t invested enough in rewriting my work, trying to get by with first or second drafts. I didn’t know back then that the real secret to writing is rewriting. “God Wars,” though, came relatively easy. It was originally written as a screenplay, but it just kept on going until it was somehow book-length, so I converted one copy to a novel and the other copy I slashed back down to feature script length. It was turned down by several publishers, which is par for the course for most novelists, and then an editor at Echelon Press took a liking to it and the rest will hopefully one day be history, lol.

If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you would change? I would have written it as a novel to begin with. Screenplays and novels are just so different in style and content and especially point of view and it took a lot of editing to get “God Wars” to be a novel, though in the end with a lot of great editorial help from Echelon, it came out pretty well I think.

How do you market your work? What avenues have you found to work best for your genre? You know, again there are the differences between the film world and the world of books and then the differences in the book world between the old days and now, with all the social media marketing that has to be done. So I’m catching up. I had some presence on the web, the usual suspects – facebook, myspace, linkedin, etc. but it’s been an uphill climb learning what I need to know. I finally have website (robtobinscreenwriting.com) though I haven’t converted it fully to the new novel yet, and certain people at Echelon, especially Jen Wylie, are helping me maneuver into the proper position prior to publication date.

Have you written a book you love that you have not been able to get published? Absolutely. I mean I really like “God Wars,” but my latest novel “Jo-Bri and the Two Worlds” was written exlusively as a novel from the beginning, as a Young Adult fantasy novel somewhat like “Harry Potter” meets “Twilight” and “Stranger in a Strange Land” and it is the best thing I’ve ever written, and my book agent thought so too, actually calling it brilliant (and she’s extremely hard to please), but she doesn’t handle YA and I haven’t been able to yet find the right agent to take this one big – I really feel this is another “Twilight” or “Harry Potter” kind of series waiting for the right agent and right publisher to take off with. I’m absolutely sure it will, but the book industry is in flux and people are hesitant to commit.

Can you tell us about your upcoming book? “God Wars” is about a teenage girl, a world-class gymnast, who is training for the Olympics and is an amazing athlete but more than that – she has this… “power” that allows her to do things others can’t. Then one day this drugged-out punk drives her and her parents off the road, permanently paralyzing the girl, killing her parents and stripping her of that “power.” Years later, in a wheelchair, a dark figure (who turns out to be a demon) helps direct her into witchcraft and she rediscovers her power, and decides that she is going to use that power to punish all the wrongdoers she can, especially the young man who put her in a wheelchair and her family into the grave. She’s got justice in her hands and she’s really, really pissed off. She also meets another shadowy figure who turns out to be an angel stranded on Earth who tries to prevent her from abusing her powers. The question becomes, will she gain revenge, and will she destroy the world in the process? It’s funny, sexy, with a great female lead and it has a lot of twists and turns.

Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination? Just my constant desire for instant justice – you know you see that a-hole and you want a bolt of lightning to come down from the sky to fry him or her and it never really does. I guess “God Wars” is for all of us who are just praying for that bolt of lightning.

What project are you working on now? Will you have a new book coming out soon? Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with? Well, “God Wars” is the first book in a trilogy, I’m working on that aforementioned self-help book but the book I’m pushing the most right now is “Jo-Bri and the Two Worlds,” which is completed, and for which I’m looking for that top-notch agent.

Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers? Again, the secret to writing is rewriting. Hemingway actually once said: “The first draft of anything is shit.” An actual quote. And he is absolutely right. Write, then rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. And the only other thing I’d say is that if you’re going to write, do it for the joy of it, because the odds of making a living as a novelist or screenwriter or playwright are quite small. I hate to discourage new and young writers, but you have to know what you’re facing, and it’s an uphill battle.

Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans? I have readers and fans? Damn. Yeah, let me repeat: enjoy the process of writing, that way even if you never make it commercially, you’ll at least be doing something you enjoy.

Rob is a husband, father, screenwriter, novelist, non-fiction book author, frequent guest speaker at film festivals and writing conferences, and a graduate of USC’s Master of Professional Writing program and of the University of Victoria’s Creative Writing program. He has a $15 million feature film (“Dam 999”) in post production, a $40 million feature (“Camel Wars”) in development with legendary filmmaker John McTiernan (“Die Hard,” “Predator,” “Hunt for Red October”) attached to direct, a novel (“God Wars”) scheduled to be published in early 2011, and two published non-fiction books. Creative Screenwriting Magazine recently produced two of Rob’s instructional screenwriting DVDs.

Rob is a former VP of Writers Boot Camp, the country’s largest private screenwriting school. As a story analyst, he read 5,000+ screenplays for Goldwyn, Spelling, Interscope, TriStar, TriMark, HBO, et al. He also helped establish a feature film department for Stephen J. Cannell (“The A-Team,” “Hunter,” “The Commish”).

Be sure to visit Rob’s website and don’t forget to follow him on Twitter!

Interview with Author Shelley Stout

Today I’m so happy to welcome author Shelley Stout to my blog!

What do you do when you are not writing? Do you have a day job as well?

First, thank you for having me as a blog guest! Second, yes, I do have a day job. I am an outside sales rep for a regional retail chain. I meet hundreds of people each week on my job, which provides plenty of ideas for stories and characters!

When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?

I first started writing seriously about 10 years ago. I finished my first book in 2003.

How did you choose the genre you write in?

Surprisingly, I have two novels out in two completely different genres: historical fiction and romantic comedy. I guess you could say I like variety!

Do you ever experience writer’s block?

Yes, but I would describe it more as writer’s and researcher’s block. Sometimes I am stumped and can’t move forward, because I need to research some piece of information.

Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?

I’ve always wanted someone to ask me that question, because my answer may surprise many people. I think my writing has been influenced more by the fact that I tend to have favourite books rather than favourite authors. And, my favourite type of book to read has evolved over time. I went through a biography phase, then a general fiction phase, and now I am reading lots of historical fiction.

Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?

How much time do you have?  I have a long story for you, but I’ll try to make it short. I tried for several years to get an agent, but failed. I even tried with several different books I had written. I did eventually find a small publisher, but they went out of business before my book was published. Since then, I found an ebook publisher who later went into the print book business as well.

How do you market your work? What avenues have you found to work best for your genre?

I do a lot of marketing online, by posting on message boards, visiting blogs, (thank you again for having me), and using Facebook and Twitter.

Have you written a book you love that you have not been able to get published?

Yes, several. I recently pulled them out of the closet and dusted them off, only to discover most of them should remain in the closet.

Can you tell us about your upcoming book?

Well, I don’t know if it will ever be published, but I have been revising one of my older novels. It’s a little hard to describe, but let’s try: How about humorous historical/commercial fiction?

Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?

Read a lot, go to writer’s conferences, and join a critique group. Those three activities seem to help many writers improve.

Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?

I would like to add that both my books are available in all ebook formats in the US and on Amazon.co.UK. Radium Halos is also available as a paperback.

Originally from Annandale, Virginia, Shelley Stout resides in Charlotte, North Carolina. She loves to write, break rules, and
laugh. She spends her days working full time, writing articles, revising manuscripts, and campaigning for the 26-hour day.

Be sure to check out Shelley’s blog!

Radium Halos is available:

Amazon.com US , Amazon UK , B&N , Publisher’s website ,Smashwords , BookGlutton:

Batt Humphreys, former senior producer for CBS News and author of Dead Weight:

“Shelley Stout debuts with a novel of characters as compelling as the true story it covers. Like a good reporter, she follows the facts. In this case she not only uncovers a story little known, but more importantly she reveals in her characters, the humanity of a tragic tale.”

Red Adept’s Kindle Book Review Blog:

“5 Stars……this was a novel to tug at the heart.”

Celebrities for Breakfast is available:

Amazon.com US , Amazon UK , B&N ,  Publisher’s website ,Smashwords ,   BookGlutton ,

“It has been a very long time since I have read a book as delightful as “Celebrities for Breakfast.” I live in Chicago, and I have travelled extensively throughout Illinos. The description of Illinois B&B that serves as the focal point of this book transported me back to my summer visits to the southern area of Illinois as a pre-teen. Stout’s characters — Ren, Judith and Shannon — remind me so much of myself and my two classmates. The situations that these three find themselves in as it relates to romance. You will experience every emotion imaginable — joy, hilarity, melancholy, but most of all, you will walk away from this book with a reminder the importance of sisterhood. I strongly recommend this book!”  -Amazon reviewer

“Reading this book really reminded me of those delightful 1960s Doris Day/Rock Hudson romantic comedies given a modern twist. We have the leads: the has-been Hollywood actor seeking solace in a bottle, the divorced mother wanting her daughter to have a normal life away from the harmful influences of Hollywood and the daughter suffering all the angst of teenage years. They may sound like typical stereotypes but Shelley Stout’s writing technique makes them fascinating individuals.”  -CarolAnn from The Romance Reviews

It’s not the size that counts…

Sorry, I couldn’t resist that title.

Many people write short stories, many people read them. Probably just as many don’t. I didn’t pay much attention to the comments of those who don’t until I wrote one and it became published. Now I scratch my head a lot.

Yes, I do understand a short is NOT a novel. They each have different benefits. However a short story most certainly has it’s uses. First of all, they are often cheaper (or free). They are a great way to test out if you like the way an author writes. They are wonderful for filling in little gaps in larger series or works, or showing something from the view of another character or even a minor characters back story. My favorite reason is that they are short. I don’t always have time to hunker down and real a full length novel. However, I want to read something, and be able to finish it as well. Ever start a book, get busy, set it aside and when you do make it back you don’t remember all that you read? Ya, like that. They are of course, perfect for short car/bus rides, waiting room reading and for those times you’ll be more than a minute in the bathroom.

One of the biggest complaints I’ve heard about short stories lately is that they want more! Definitely true with a short story… however shouldn’t this also be true with a novel? If the story is written well you always want more, you never want it to end.

My short story Jump I wrote in just a couple of days. The idea came after I’d been talking to my parents on the phone, and gotten a few lectures. Though, “If someone asked you to jump off a bridge would you?” wasn’t one of them, for some reason that phrase popped into my head and the story was born. I was in a rather silly, sarcastic mood at the time, which lent to the humorous aspects of the story.

OmniLit http://www.omnilit.com/product-jump-493574-234.html

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Jump-ebook/dp/B004FPYT4O

Barnes & Noble http://search.barnesandnoble.com/books/product.aspx?ean=9781590807354

What is your favorite thing about short stories? Leave a comment for a chance to win a free eBook of JUMP!  CONTEST CLOSED

RULES:

-Open to everyone!

-One submission per person please!

The random post will be chosen Jan 15th! Winner will receive a free download from OmniLit of Jump (or if you have already purchased Jump, another 0.99 OmniLit download of your choice.)

-Winner will be posted here, and also tweeted.

-Don’t forget to include contact info! If winner cannot be contacted by Jan 17th a new winner will be chosen. (Either check back for results, or you can include your twitter name)

Interview with author Chris Redding

Chris Redding

Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to author Chris Redding. Do read on about this wonderful author and her books! Please feel free to leave a comment! Thanks for stopping by!

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I’m Chris Redding. I write mainly romantic suspense. I’ve been writing for publication about 12 years.

What do you do when you are not writing? Do you have a day job as well?

I work part time for my local hospital. I teach CPR and kind of run the training center for my boss. It’s very flexible and because we are part of Emergency Medical Services, I never know what will happen in my day.

When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?

I began writing when I was ten. I had these stories in my head and they had to be written down. Sometimes during class. (Don’t tell my kids.) I finished my first published book about ten years ago.

How did you choose the genre you write in?

I think it chose me. I tried to write straight romance, but a dead body kept showing up. Hence, I write romantic suspense. I get my morbid out and I get a happy ending. I was an Emergency Medical Tech for 6 years so I tend to not be squeamish.

Where do you get your ideas?

From everywhere. I can read a news story or see a TV show and wonder how I would do it differently. Incendiary came from something a friend said years ago. When there is a series of arsons, the cops take pictures of the crowd because arsonists sometimes come back to watch the fire. The friend pondered what if the arsonist was the photographer. I took it one step further. What if the arsonist was someone actually fighting the fire.

Do you ever experience writer’s block?

Sometimes I don’t want to write, but I trust when I do write the words are always there.

Do you work with an outline, or just write?

Pantser through and through. I’ve tried to plot, then I don’t want to write the story. I already know how it ends. I like to discover the story as I go.

How do you market your work?

I use the internet mostly. You never know where networking will get you. I pretty much don’t turn down an opportunity to promote.

Have you written a book you love that you have not been able to get published?

I have a romantic suspense I am currently shopping to agents. I keep getting, “great writing, not for me.” This was a book I wrote and had so much fun writing. I have some characters in it that are people from real life who I promised to write a book about. I just can’t seem to find a home for yet.

Can you tell us about your upcoming book?

Incendiary is out now in electronic format. It will be out in print in March. A firefighter must track down a serial arsonist who is framing him. He enlists the help of his former lover. Will they find the culprit before they both go up in flames? It was fun writing since the heroine is an EMT and the hero is a firefighter. Anyone who knows me, knows I love firefighters. Married a volunteer one.

What project are you working on now? Will you have a new book coming out soon?

I have another book coming out this year, A View to a Kilt. It’s the second book I wrote for publication. It will be the fourth book I have published. It’s set in Philly. I grew up in the suburbs of Philly. The heroine may know something that will solve the murder of the hero’s wife. But she isn’t telling until she realizes the information has put her life in danger. This heroine loves to tell joke, something that is my forte.

Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?

Keep writing and make sure someone else reads your work.

Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?

I hope I haven’t bored you. LOL and I hope you keep buying my books!

You can find me on the web:

www.chrisreddingauthor.com

http://chrisredddingauthor.blogspot.com

www.facebook.com/chrisreddingauthor

www.twitter.com/chrisredding

Chris Redding lives in New Jersey with her husband, two kids and various animals. She graduated from Penn State with a degree in Journalism. When she isn’t writing she works part time for her local hospital.

Incendiary is available for your Kindle at Amazon!

Interview with author Joel Kirkpatrick

Today we have the most talented author Joel Kirkpatrick stopping by!

If you haven’t already, check out his amazing books!

Hi Joel! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I’m turning into a Mountain Man, and liking it. I live a thousand feet above Durango, Colorado, with my wife and two boys. We love it here; it’s one of the most beautiful places we’ve lived. The kids can snow ski in the front yard. We are travel freaks, and love weeklong road trips. This is a great starting point for a lot of spectacular trips.

What do you do when you are not writing? Do you have a day job as well?

When I’m not writing, I make maps for a living – maps for pipeline construction. It’s tedious, but never boring. You would think I’d want some activity away from my keyboards, but I get the urge to write and it’s usually powerful. I’ve been mapping for over twenty- five years, actually before computers took over the graphics. Before they came along, I was one of the mapping artists at a drafting board, with thirty different types of pens and triangles.

When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?

I’ve been quiet about that, because nearly all my new author friends have been at this for years. I should have been. But, suddenly, at the end of 2009, I was facing a lot of leisure time, so I began my first novel. It was purely a lark. I finished it in two months, and got back to mapping. Every moment I was idle this last year, I was into my text. My fourth novel was published Sept. 2010. It was just something that exploded, completely unplanned.

How did you choose the genre you write in?

My first was a Science Fiction. I just wanted a good story, which I would enjoy reading. My younger brother and I had played years ago with the idea of writing something together, one of our discussions had stuck in my mind, about a black hole. So, I just wrote from that seed. My second novel is a ghost story, because a beautiful ghost spoke her name to me late one evening. (We live in a haunted house.) I fill everything with a lot of emotion, so I must really be writing Romances, mixed with other flavours.

Where do you get your ideas?

Well, Harmony materialized, because my brother wanted to remove the entire atmosphere from the earth, suddenly. We laughed ourselves out of that whole idea, but I knew a black hole could do it, and kept thinking about it –for twenty years. My ghost, ‘Caraliza’, actually told me her name, and the story came from that. My third novel happened, because I wanted to know if I could write entirely from a woman’s perspective. (I’m not sure I achieved that, it is my longest novel, and it gets few reads yet.) But, my fourth novel was really born in a discussion with my wife about religion. I was raised in a very emotional, spiritual environment, and we began to talk about how difficult it can be, to change spiritual beliefs. ‘Shared’ is about a little girl, who is different from every other living person, but it is also about people seeing something they have never, and cannot believe. Because of this child, they must confront proof of something they do not want to embrace. Personally, I find that very, very frightening. I do a lot of damage to the faith of several people, and it was an enlightening experience.

Do you ever experience writer’s block?
No. I write like my ass is on fire. My problem is finding the time to get to the keyboards. Some of it happens very late at night, when the house is asleep. (I only need four hours sleep, cause I’m half a century old.) I think I’ve mystified a few of my writer friends, because I’m just not able to relate with them about getting ideas to flow. I have to keep mine bottled until other things quiet down around me. I currently have two dozen story ideas, fleshed out to about ten pages each…
My third novel was written in thirty-six days, and hit 196,000 words. I did NANO three times that month. (But, I’d never heard of NANO. I’m that new at this.)

Do you work with an outline, or just write?
I begin typing within a day of having a thought. If it really gets my interest, and ten pages fall out easily, then I keep going. I never outline, until back stories and plot need to be accurately tracked. Then I make something up for notes, to keep my ‘facts’ straight. Even writing about the black hole, I wrote with my research up on a separate monitor, and star charts all over my desk, and wrote while I looked things up. The story goes its own direction, and I try to keep up. Someday, I should really do it properly, and chart the whole thing. I might not really be writing, yet. It might teach me something about writer’s block!

Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?

That is the ‘large’ question. God, yes, I have authors I adore to read. The one, who just threw me to the floor with his prose, is Gary Jennings. ‘Journeyer’and‘Aztec’are both flawless. With a single sentence, Mr. Jennings could make me close my eyes, and close the book, because of something he told me in his text. I’ve never read anyone else who could do that. But from there, I love Umberto Echo, Bruce Chatwin, Barry Lopez…I’m a Mary Shelley fan and Tolkien freak, too. It’s not really fair though, to limit me. I grew up in a house with five sets of encyclopaedias. I was reading those in the fifth grade. Edward Lear was one of my favourites, before I was twelve.

Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?

You found my soapbox! I could begin this answer with swear words. Gently said, I encountered the brick wall of “we’re so busy – we can’t be bothered!” I wasted queries. But, I thought that was necessary. I self-published, almost by accident. People were complaining about my home printed copies of my novels. I went to Lulu.com and put things into physical form that burst every illusion I had about traditional publishing. See, I was holding my books, while begging agencies to even notice them. Talk about a moment of catharsis! ‘Breathing into Stone’ had been sent to 160 agencies. Twenty of them responded, asking for text. I spent hours on the phone with agents and editors, arguing about the length of the work. They did not have the energy for it, they wanted it cut down, and at the same time, I was signing copies and giving away the prints. I just laughed and stopped answering query replies. I just delete them now when they show up.

If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you would change?

I would not send a single query. That group of people haven’t the time to find anything, except by accident. They sell by accident too. I can do that.

How do you market your work? What avenues have you found to work best for your genre?

I market by the seat of my pants. Facebook was my beginning, until I wore out all my family and friends. But, I investigate with a passion. I’ve been a member on thirty plus forums, joining to test them out, cancelling when I encountered snobbery or a resistance to self-promotion. I’ve worked hard for every connection and every friend. Surprisingly, my excitement came with me, into marketing. Most Indie authors bemoan the whole effort, which arrives the nano-second one of your books is complete. I don’t feel that frustration, or weariness. It is as much joy to me as writing. I’m barely read, but I’m very widely known. That seems to be at odds with what most authors desire, but, remember, I’m only getting started at this, as most would describe. I can wait to be widely read. I Tweet, I blog other authors, I am furious on the forums that I love. Talking about others and their books, will someday come back to me. I’m certain of that.

Oh, and when you read one of my novels, you can’t resist talking about it.

Have you written a book you love that you have not been able to get published?

Loved them all, published them all. Does that make me conceited? I’ve not been told yet that I’m lousy and should stop this nonsense. Well, those stupid queries don’t count as any indicator. We are well beyond the point in our history when it was even true to say, “have not been able to get published”.

Can you tell us about your upcoming book?

Goody. It has nothing to do with me! That is a marvellous thing. I am polishing a three volume Anthology of first chapter samples for sixty-one authors. We are going to give it away free, as a marketing tool. I just invited them to be included, and sat back while the submission came rolling in. I’m quite proud of it, and it might even be uploaded to several places by the time this interview posts. It is called the BestsellerBound.com Sample Anthology. I promise, it will cause a stir, because I’ve not seen anything like it yet. Perhaps I will learn differently in a few weeks, and suddenly find a hundred others, but…

Personally, I have a story idea which will become my fifth novel, and it will be an alternative history. I take one well known person from history, and at a moment they could have turned vile, I let them. 250 years will unravel with a single bullet. I expect people to gasp at the first hundred and three words. It will find life, this year.

Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?

Yes, one event is from my personal experiences, but I can’t say exactly what; the person who inspired it is still living. It involves a fanatical obsession with demonic possession. That is a strange madness; which haunts me when I open those memories. The rest is purely wicked imagination. I love the bizarre, and the unlikely.

Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?
I have an idea to revisit a few of my characters in a compilation. Really? There is at least one in each novel. I adore my characters, because they didn’t always agree with me, and went along their own way. One of my characters danced with Albert Einstein. She is an entire novel, waiting for me to begin it. Only one character did precisely as I had planned, and strangely, I’ve written him out completely. He’s a finished element. But a few, who resisted me, are definitely tempting me back. I have been intrigued by alternative histories, and will run with my idea for that, as my next genre and next novel.

Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?

Don’t take any of my advice! Seriously, write for yourself. Pour into your heart with your fingertips, not the other way around. When you have pleased yourself, then share what you have written. If you wait for better advice, you won’t write. One of my new friends, Ryne Douglas Pearson, said it best, “write like you’re gonna burn it.” There is no better advice out there.
http://www.rynedouglaspearson.com/stuff/2010/12/30/write-like-youre-gonna-burn-it.html

Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?

Yes. I am very sorry, but I love my china doll pic on Twitter. That she freaks you all out is just too damned bad.

 

Joel Blaine Kirkpatrick lives with his lovely wife, and two boys in Southwest Colorado. Having written four books, almost without effort, he is struggling to learn what he has been doing wrong. Fascinated with situations which cause people to questions themselves, Joel plays with characters to see what might change them, and whether they will even allow it. The results are romantic, spiritual, even unsettling at times.

Find out more about Joel and his work here:

Central website: http://www.brownbrushbooks.com

Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/Joel-Blaine-Kirkpatrick/e/B0042NVC3U/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

Blog: http://thetaleisthething.blogspot.com

Short Story Review: The Rumblin’ by Jeff Bennington

Phil Knite is so ready for a vacation, but he and his family get more of mother nature than they can handle. The rumblin, as described by the camp ranger, is something to be feared. When a wicked wind blows in from the north, Phil and his family are forced to shack up with the rest of the campers and discover that the ranger is more than crazy and the rumblin’ is deadly!

This short story sucked me right in. Face paced and compelling it is an excellent short read. I love the concept of the Rumblin’ and the characters are wonderfully unique and well written. The violence of the Rumblin’ is well done, dramatic and well described but not in an over gory way. As a good story should, it leaves you wanting more! I’m looking forward to reading more from this talented author.

http://www.amazon.com/Rumblin-Short-Story-ebook/dp/B00422LGI2

Jeff is the author of Killing the Giants, The Rumblin’ and other thrillers yet unpublished.

Don’t forget to stop by Jeff’s website and blog!

Blog Tours to promote books-are they worth it?

In December I did a month long blog tour to promote my very first published work.

When people learned it was a short story I was promoting I got some funny looks. A blog tour for a book…yes…but a short story? A few people insisted I was insane. However they also then asked for me to let them know how it went. Thus my current blog post.

So to the nitty gritty first. Was it worth it? I think so. I made a number of new friends, and really got my name out there. Sales wise, I only know my kindle sales (7 for December), B&N I have no idea. Omnilit I have no numbers either.. HOWEVER… check this out…

My story Jump became available for pre-order on OmniLit Dec. 8th. (Release date Dec 15)

Dec 9th 2010- #9 on OmniLit’s Top 10 Best Seller List

Dec 10th 2010- #4 on OmniLit’s Top 10 Best Seller List

Dec 11th-19-#3 on OmniLit’s Top 10 Best Seller List

Dec 20-27th- #4 on OmniLit’s Top 10 Best Seller List

Dec 28-still there! #2 on OmniLit’s Top 10 Best Seller List!

Also Top Seller and Top Rated in OmniLits Young Adult Fiction category!

(A side note: The Top 10 list is calculated by top sales for a book within a 3 day period)

Yes, I’ve done a number of happy dances over the above. Is this due to the blog tour? Quite possibly. Some of my stops I had people post they had pre-ordered or purchased my story. Others emailed or tweeted they had after seeing a particular interview or blog post.

It was a lot of work, 15 stops in one month- that is a lot of guest posts and interviews to answer, a lot of emails to make sure everything was set up. Should you decide to do one PLAN AHEAD. I even made a document of stop dates and links and what I needed to send out (and then marked when I did)

Would I do it again? Hell yes! I’m planning another tour for the release of my next short story, The Forgotten Echo, due out March 1. (Possibly a smaller tour though) and a super tour for the release of my novel Sweet Light in May.

Some tips:

1. PLAN AHEAD! Give yourself lots of time not only to set up stops, but to prepare what will be on them as well.

2. Reciprocate. Offer to promote a host on your blog as well.

3. Mix things up. Try to have your stops a mix of interviews, guest posts or articles or flash fiction, book spotlights etc.

4. Have a tour page with dates and links on your blog and or website.

5. Tweet and facebook etc your stops.

6. Include a contest somewhere, either on a host blog or make a stop on your own blog and have one there. (I had one on my blog on release day)

Have you done a tour and did you find it helpful? Have any other tips or questions? Do feel free to comment and share!