Monday, August 31, 2015

Please Welcome Chris Patchell author of 'In the Dark'




























Chris has a heck of a commute - 3 hours in Seattle traffic! From the tone of her book we can speculate that it turns her thoughts pretty... dark. (Ha, see what I did there!)
Let's see what Chris had to say about reading, writing and zombies!


1. It’s the zombie apocalypse and writers have got to stick together to survive. Pick 3 authors to be on your zombie apocalypse killing team and tell us why you’d choose them.
Chris says: John Steinbeck because he’s slow and the zombies will get him first. George R. R. Martin because, he’s got dragons, and apparently has a cache of dragon glass, perfect for killing the undead. I’m pretty sure I could beat George in a foot race. And Stephen King, because he writes better monsters than anyone else.
Meredith says: You're the second person to use baiting. It never gets old. Lol.
Chris says: It's a zombie world out there and the basic rules of the animal kingdom apply. I don't have to be the fastest gazelle in the herd but I can't be the slowest.  :-)



2. If Stephen King and J. K. Rowling were drowning in a river, who would you save first? And now you have to tell us why.
Chris says: HELLO—I’m totally hauling Stephen King out of the water first, because his stories just keep getting better and better. Although I love J.K Rowling, I don’t know if she has anything left after Harry Potter.
Meredith says: I don't read a super ton of King. I used to. But then I got my hands on 'Full Dark, No Stars" and I know they were short stories but I wasn't impressed, I haven't picked up anything new of his since.
Chris says: So in my twenties, half of my bookshelf was Stephen King, the other half was Danielle Steele. I'm not schizophrenic, really. Quite honestly I got tired of his horror books. I found them repetitive and overly profane (and believe me, I have been known to drop an f-bomb or two). Then my husband bought me DUMA KEY, and I was hooked. He's more suspense now than horror, and I love his characters. It maybe time to give him a try again.



3. We authors are voracious readers. My TBR list is approximately 8 miles long. What are you currently reading?
Chris says: I’m reading a fun Sci-Fi book called CONTAINMENT written by Christian Cantrell. I’m also reading the WAYWARD PINES series again, because Blake Crouch does a fabulous job writing action and getting emotion out on the page. And I’m just about to read THE MARTIAN. My kids are raving about it.
Meredith says: "The Martian' was so good! I keep seeing a lot about 'Wayward Pines.' I guess I'm going to read that next.
Chris says: The first book is a little confusing until the get the gist of what Ethan is going through. And once you find out what's really going on in Wayward Pines, you'll be hooked.
Meredith says: I read the 'Wayward Pines Series' a few weeks after doing this interview. It. Was. Awesome!


4. What is the one book that you could read a million times and never get bored with?
Chris says: As a suspense novelist, I’m a little embarrassed to admit this, but I’m a closet Jane Austen fan. I read PRIDE AND PREJUDICE at least once a year without fail.
Meredith says: Don't be embarrassed!
Chris says: God! I know. We suspense authors are supposed to read scary stuff, and believe me, I do. I still remembering reading my Jane Austen novel, I found the pacing so slow I didn't know whether I'd make it through the book. But I stuck with it and I fell in love with the characters and the flow of the language. I've read all of her books and they're lovely.



5. Last year my favorite read was The Martian by Andy Weir. What was your best read of 2014?
Chris says: It would be a toss up between Lisa Gardner’s TOUCH & GO, and Kevin O’Brien’s TELL ME YOU’RE SORRY. I devoured both of these books and read them several times each.
Meredith says: Adding to my TBR
Chris says: Lisa's writing is so clean and Kevin, well, somehow he manages to keep me guessing to the end.



6. This year my favorite read has been The Dog Stars by Peter Heller. What’s the best book you’ve read so far in 2015?
Chris says: THE PINES by Blake Crouch. My husband introduced me to this series of books and I love, love, love it. I hope the television series doesn’t kill the story. It’s got a great flawed hero, an evil genius playing God, oh, and it’s got fabulous monsters!
Meredith says: See, there it is again!
Chris says: See, I told you. It's heart-stopping. It'd tell you more, but I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise.



7. You’re a writer by day and a superhero by night. (Take off those geeky glasses Superman) What’s your superpower?
Chris says: Surprises! My books are full of twists and turns that keep my readers turning pages well into the dark.
Meredith says: I never thought of the ability to deliver surprises as a superpower, but I think you're on to something.
Chris says: Yeah, well, I can't run that fast--faster than George R. R. Martin, but in the greater scheme of things that's not saying much. My brother was the jock in the family, so you gotta work with what you have. He was faster, but I was smarter. I figured out if I could make him laugh, he couldn't breathe. If he couldn't breathe, he couldn't run and I could beat him. Little sisters are sly.



8. I have writing spots all over my house: my desk, my couch, the patio, and my bed. Where’s your favorite spot to write?
Chris says: The couch, without a doubt! It harkens back to my high school days when I used to do my homework in front of the television. And the deck. Lately the weather in Seattle has been so fantastic, I’ve been spending hours outside with my laptop.
Meredith says: I remember those days, studying with the TV on. I wrote my first book on the couch while watching TV. Oh the memories :)
Chris says: I wrote my first book in  11th grade science. My friend read the new chapters in physics class. Needless to say, we weren't honor students--at least not in science.



9. We’re supposed to love all of our children equally, but there are some scenes I’ve written that really stick out in my mind. Tell us your favorite scene from your book DEADLY LIES.
Chris says: I love Jill’s seduction scene with Kenneth Cox. Writing Jill on-the-hunt scenes is a scary lot of fun. After I released the book, a good friend of mine called and said, “You really do know how to kill someone.” Really. Does it get better than that?
Meredith says: Hahaha. Wait... you didn't practice killing someone, did you?
Chris says: Well, Meredith, you know what they say... I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you...
Meredith says: But I never learned to read!... Oh wait, I know how to read, that was from some movie.


10. Sometimes a little too much of myself slips into my characters. Which one of your characters most resembles you?
Chris says: Like most characters, there are little bits of myself sprinkled everywhere in my stories. I sometimes joke that Jill Shannon is my alter ego. I’m a nice Canadian girl by day, and a gun-totting sociopath by night…
Meredith says: Remind me never to run into you at night.
Chris says: ...In a dark alley with a pen. Seriously, pens are deadly weapons. Hypothetically speaking, of course.


11. I’ve always got tunes rocking while I’m writing. Tell us five songs that are on your playlist.
Chris says: Slither by Velvet Revolver, Harder to Breathe by Maroon 5, Golden Heart by Mark Knophler, Today’s Gonna be a Great Day by Bowling for Soup, and Do I Wanna Know, by the Arctic Monkeys.
Meredith says: Great songs! I love Maroon 5.
Chris says: Have you seen the movie Begin Again? Adam Levine not only stars in it, but wrote most of the songs too! Love him.
Meredith says: Now I must google that.


12. If you could tell an aspiring author one tiny tidbit of information, what would you say?
Chris says: Persistence pays off! I’m an overnight success, seven years in the making.
Meredith says: I love hearing these 'overnight success' stories. I've come to the conclusion that to become an overnight success it takes at least 5+ years. I guess I've still got time to hit it big :)
Chris says: They say it takes 10,000 hours to master anything. I'm always pushing myself to get better, as a writer, as a mother, and as a person.



Connect with Chris:

Twitter @chris_patchell




About Chris:

When Chris Patchell isn't hiking in the Cascade Mountains or hanging out with family and friends, she is working at her hi-tech job or writing gritty suspense novels. Writing has been a lifelong passion for Chris. She fell in love with storytelling in the third grade when her half-page creative writing assignment turned into a five-page story on vampires. Even back then Chris had a gift for writing intricate plots that were so good her father refused to believe she didn't steal them from comic books.

Years later, Chris spent long afternoons managing her own independent record store and writing romance novels. After closing the record store and going to college, Chris launched a successful career in hi-tech. She married, had kids but amid all the madness, the itch to write never really went away. So she started writing again. Not romance this time - suspense filled with drama, and angst, speckled with a little bit of blood.

Why suspense? Chris blames her obsession with the dark on two things: watching Stephen King movies as a kid and spending ridiculous amounts of time commuting in Seattle traffic. "My stories are based on scenarios I see every day, distorted through the fictional lens. And my stories come with the added bonus of not having to be restrained by socially acceptable behavior."

Recipient of the 2015 Indie Reader Discovery Award for DEADLY LIES

Friday, August 28, 2015

Calling all authors!


If you're an author that specializes in spooky stuff send me an email @meredith.pritchard@gmail




Monday, August 24, 2015

Post Launch Party

Last night's Launch Party was a success!!
If you haven't picked up your copy of ORIGINS: The Phoenix Project 5 








Please Welcome Teresa Roman author of BACK TO US















1. It’s the zombie apocalypse and writers have got to stick together to survive. Pick 3 authors to be on your zombie apocalypse killing team and tell us why you’d choose them.
Teresa says: Jessica Shea Spotswood because she seems like the type of person that would have your back. Kresley Cole because she wrote a darn good series with her own version of zombies so I'm pretty sure she'd know what to do. Hugh Howey because I admire the way he goes out of his way to help fellow authors and feel like he would be a great person to have on your side if I was attacked by a zombie horde.
Meredith says: Hugh Howey, what a guy. I think about about 98% of what I know about self-publishing I learned from stalking Hugh Howey. I think Hugh would have a fellow author's back.
Teresa says:  Plus he'd keep us entertained with his amazing stories.


2. If Stephen King and J. K. Rowling were drowning in a river, who would you save first? And now you have to tell us why ;)
Teresa says: J.K. Rowling. I really like Stephen King, but there's so much I really admire about J.K. Rowling. I like the way she takes to twitter to defend people. I like that she overcame so much before becoming successful with her Harry Potter series. She's a tough cookie.
Meredith says: When I'm feeling down in the dumps, I look up articles on JK's rise to fame. So inspiring and it keeps me going.
Teresa says:  I'd love to chat with her over tea and scones. I think we have similar opinions about a lot of things.


3. We authors are voracious readers. My TBR list is approximately 8 miles long. What are you currently reading?
Teresa says: I just finished The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry which was so good. I highly recommend it especially to fellow book lovers. Flat-Out Love is next on my TBR.
Meredith says: Adding to my TBR.


4. What is the one book that you could read a million times and never get bored with?
Teresa says: There are so many, but I'm going to go with a classic and one of my all time favorites which is The Count of Monte Cristo.
Meredith says: Nice! An oldie but a goodie :)


5. Last year my favorite read was The Martian by Andy Weir. What was your best read of 2014?
Teresa says: Heir of Fire by Sarah Maas. Her Throne of Glass series is one of my all time favorites.
Meredith says: Another one to add to my TBR.


6. This year my favorite read has been The Dog Stars by Peter Heller. What’s the best book you’ve read so far in 2015?
Teresa says: By far I would say Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. It broke my heart and gave me a major book hangover for weeks.
Meredith says: Another one to add to my TBR.
Teresa says: Just make sure you have a box of Kleenex with you. I sobbed like a baby at the end.


7. You’re a writer by day and a superhero by night. (Take off those geeky glasses Superman) What’s your superpower?
Teresa says: I always secretly wanted to be able to teleport so I'd never be stuck in traffic again.
Meredith says: Oh teleportation! I love it. Although, I feel like I would be teleporting myself to a place without traffic, possibly with a warm sandy beach and a wet bar.
Teresa says:  Just imagine how awesome it would be to get there without having to deal with airport security.
Meredith says: I've decided I want to be able to teleport. 


8. I have writing spots all over my house: my desk, my couch, the patio, and my bed. Where’s your favorite spot to write?
Teresa says: I have a teeny tiny cheapo Ikea desk in my living room. That's my writing spot. I can keep an eye on the kids and get some writing done at the same time.
Meredith says: That works!


9. We’re supposed to love all of our children equally, but there are some scenes I’ve written that really stick out in my mind. Tell us your favorite scene from your book BACK TO US.
Teresa says: My favorite scene is where one of the main characters, Justin wakes up after having a PTSD induced nightmare and his love interest Jessica promises him that she loves him despite all his baggage.
Meredith says: Ooooh! I can't wait to read that scene.


10. Sometimes a little too much of myself slips into my characters. Which one of your characters most resembles you?
Teresa says: Jessica resembles me in a lot of ways. The apartment she lives in is pretty much the exact same one I lived in during my college days. The things she struggles with I did as well in my own way.
Meredith says: The more interviews I do, the more authors I find who use bits of themselves and their lives. I'm glad to know that I'm not alone in that.
Teresa says:  I think a story reads as more authentic if there's a little of you in it.


11. I’ve always got tunes rocking while I’m writing. Tell us five songs that are on your playlist.
Teresa says: I am so not a music person. I've got three kids under the age of ten so it's pretty much always loud in my house. When I have a chance for quiet I jump on it.
Meredith says: I grew up with 4 brothers, and I remember our house being so crazy and loud. Now I have a hard time dealing with lots of people and lots of noise, so I totally understand where you're coming from. I'd relish my moments of silence as well.


12. If you could tell an aspiring author one tiny tidbit of information, what would you say?
Teresa says: To keep trying and to be open to criticism and try and learn from it.
Meredith says: Definitely need to be open to criticism - constructive criticism at least - walk away from the other stuff.
Teresa says: Yeah that's true. When I beta read for people if I don't like something in their story I always try to point out how I might change it rather than just say it wasn't good. That isn't helpful, it's discouraging.


Connect with Teresa







Saturday, August 22, 2015

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Monday, August 17, 2015

Please welcome R. E. Carr author of FOUR




















Rachel convinced me that meeting her in a dark alley on a Thursday night was an okay place for an interview. Rachel's voice was like a sirens song. I woke up the next day with a headache, lost time and an insatiable thirst for blood. Let's see what R. E. Carr had to say about reading, writing and zombies... 'cause I can't remember most of it.




1. It’s the Zombie apocalypse and writers have got to stick together to survive. Pick 3 authors to survive with and tell us why you’d choose them.
Rachel says: Well I think it’s always best to be surrounded by experts so I would choose Max Brooks and Alden Bell for their prophetic knowledge on exactly what to do in this time of crisis. Lastly, I think I would take George R. R. Martin so that I could both find out the ending to the Game of Throne’s series before the end, and, most likely, outrun him in a pinch while being chased by the fast zombies from 28 Days Later.
Meredith says: Poor, poor George. I heard on the radio that he got his in Sharknado 3. Gosh, 28 Days Later, I still have nightmares about the ending of that movie. And Max Brooks! Have you read World War Z? So good.
Rachel says: World War Z is definitely a case of the book bing vastly superior to the movie. You would think that the scope of it would lend itself to a full Hollywood treatment, but… no, just no. (I’ll invoke Thumper’s mother’s rule at this point.)


2. If Stephen King and J. K. Rowling were drowning in a river, who would you save first? And now you have to tell us why ;)
Rachel says: I would totally save Steven King first since he probably weighs more as an adult male and I’d have more energy, then we could both rescue Ms. Rowling. Problem solving 101.
Meredith says: You're the first author to think of a way to save them both! 20 points to Gryffindor.
Rachel says: Ahem, 20 points to Ravenclaw, thank you very much.



3. We authors are voracious readers. My TBR list is approximately 8 miles long. What are you currently reading?
Rachel says: I have The Martian and Ready Player One ready to go so that I will no longer be shamed by all of my friends for not reading them.
Meredith says: Oooh, good reads!


4. What is the one book that you could read a million times and never get bored with?
Rachel says: The Inferno by Dante Alighieri is one of my all-time favorites because of the joy I take in reading the pure sarcasm that apparently lived within 14th-century writers just as much as 21st-century ones. Ever since I first read it, the imagery of punishment fitting the crime has haunted my dreams – from the ceaseless whipping winds of lust to the icy chill of betrayal.



5. Last year my favorite read was The Martian by Andy Weir. What was your best read of 2014?
Rachel says: Last year I read a grand total of one book because I was finishing up my degree and writing Four, so my winner, by glorious default, is Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. You’re really making me look forward to reading The Martian though!
Meredith says: The Martian was so good (even much more so when you get past the potatoes). The fact that you got through Outlander while finishing up your degree is a feat. That is a long book.
Rachel says: It’s not the size of the book, it’s the amount of exposition. Also, I am totally craving potatoes at the thought of reading The Martian.

6. This year my favorite read has been The Dog Stars by Peter Heller. What’s the best book you’ve read so far in 2015?
Rachel says: I actually have queued up about a dozen of my fellow Kindle Scout Winners to read out of a sense of curiosity and kinship. I’m going to go back to my corner of shame because so far in 2015 my favorite read has been… not completed. The good news is that my husband gave me an early birthday present of a Kindle so I can read on the go – including a certain title by one M. Pritchard. I’m super excited and if you have any recommendations, I’ll be all over them.
Meredith says:  (Yay!) Thanks so much :) There are so many good KindleScout books. I'm currently making my way through them. If you like literary fiction Stacey Cochran's Eddie & Sunny is really good, if you like regency romance Captain and Countess by Alice Gaines was great, What We Left Behind was a great zombie read with a refreshing twist on zombie origins, 3 Women Walk into a Bar was a great noir crime fiction read - punchy and sharp, 33Degrees if you like dystopian sic-fi was great, and Becoming Moon... gosh, there are just so many from so many different genres!
Rachel says: I just snagged 33 Degrees in the hopes that it would help me forget that my apartment has no AC. It’s giving me a Snowpiercer meets Hunger Games kind of vibe but it’s early days.

7. You’re a writer by day and a superhero by night. (Take off those geeky glasses Superman) What’s your superpower?
Rachel says: Movie trivia. I force the bad guys into inaction as they all stop to remember what George Clooney’s first movie role was. (Here’s a hint, it has John Astin and some sociopathic fruit in it.)
Meredith says:  Get them while they're distracted. That's a great idea!
Rachel says: Distraction is the key to… SQUIRREL!!!!

8. I have writing spots all over my house: my desk, my couch, the patio, and my bed. Where’s your favorite spot to write?
Rachel says: I live in what is known in real estate trade as a “cozy, intimate space,” so I have to combine my bedroom, living room, and office into one. I’ve found a magic spot on my bed - propped up by a mountain of body pillows - where my laptop, my tiny dog and my tamed mountain lion, err... cat, can peacefully coexist.
Meredith says:  That definitely sounds like a cozy, intimate space.
Rachel says: Oh, cozy indeed.

9. We’re supposed to love all of our children equally, but there are some scenes I’ve written that really stick out in my mind. Tell us your favorite scene from your book, Four.
Rachel says: I don’t want to spoil too much, but I’ve always been fascinated with the idea of a bunch of monsters at a party. What would they do for fun? What would they eat? In Four I totally indulge myself and let the main character, Georgia, get a ticket to a vampire ball, and, let’s just say, much hilarity ensues, just don’t inquire about the catering.
Meredith says:  They would totally do the Monster Mash! And sing the Monster Mash! (Ahem, back to the interview)... I can't wait to read that scene. It sounds fun!
Rachel says: Yeah, I hummed that song a little too much during the making of this manuscript. To make it more fun, the vampire host is a little obsessed with the 80’s, so it’s a touch more Thriller than Addam’s Family.




10. Sometimes a little too much of myself slips into my characters. Which one of your characters most resembles you?
Rachel says: In my perfect world I would be like Georgia since she has an amazing ability to stay in the moment rather than stressing about the future or the past, but I know that the nervous, introverted, homebody of a vampire – Mr. Lambley – is really more like me that I care to admit.
Meredith says:  I'm nervous, introverted and a homebody... I guess I'm a Mr. Lamely as well.
Rachel says: But are you ginger and terribly British?
Meredith says: No. Just pale and American.


11. I’ve always got tunes rocking while I’m writing. Tell us five songs that are on your playlist.
Rachel says: Music is my heartbeat when I write. It shapes my words and takes me places that I rarely wander too in silence. I went rather electronic on my playlist this go-around. Here are the four (of course) songs that inspired me most:
4. Fireflies - Lange & Kate Kanell
3. Black Room Boy (Above and Beyond Club Mix) – Above and Beyond
2. Destiny – Markus Schultz featuring DeLacey
1. Rain Falls Down (Daniel Meyer Remix) – Assemblage 23 (the single most inspirational song for Four – It picked me up when I had a total block.)
Meredith says: Great songs!



12. If you could tell an aspiring author one tiny tidbit of information, what would you say?
Rachel says: Never think it’s too late. I promised myself when I was sixteen that I’d be a published author one day and I took twenty-one years to fulfill that promise. The journey was long, the twists and turns chaotic, and I’m pretty sure, in my universe, that the GPS of life lost its signal a few times, but if you just keep going you eventually find where you need to go. Also, caffeine helps- lots and lots of caffeine.
Meredith says: Caffeine is one of my very best friends. And you're so right - it's never too late, people!






Connect with R. E. Carr

Twitter: @totalrecarr
Website (in progress)



_____________________________________________

R. E. Carr likes to split her time between the alien (well, resident alien) she married, her two adorable offspring and the vast army of characters who constantly argue in her brain. She uses her past life as a video game reviewer to remind herself just how awesome it is to be writing novels now.

Rachel writes because she knows so many people and places that never quite made it into this version of the universe. It's her duty to let them out. Writing also gives her mind a certain peace and calm rarely felt in this multi-tasking, wired world.