Showing posts with label Amazon author. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amazon author. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Monday, August 10, 2015
Please welcome Joe Clifford Faust author of Drawing Down the Moon
I met with Joe over a cup of joe. We laughed a lot.
Let's see what he had to say about zombies, reading, and writing.
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.
Joe Says: Elmore Leonard – because he's so cool nobody can touch him. And that would have to extend to zombies, even in their emaciated, brainless state. We'd walk through them like Moses through the Red Sea.
Michael Crichton – because he would come up with cool, high tech solutions to the problems of survival that we could MacGyver out of tin foil, duct tape and old transistor radios.
Tom Clancy – because he'd have all sorts of connections to get us rescued – a Puff The Magic Dragon (Douglas AC-47D Spooky) gunship circling our site with 50 cals, mowing down the undead and providing cover for Seal Team 6 to rappel down from a Chinook helicopter, form a perimeter, and pull us out of there.
Just occurred to me I picked three dead authors. I hope they're not all Zees.
Meredith says: Monte Dutton picked a few dead authors. I think you guys have something going with including supernatural beings into the zombie apocalypse. But seriously, I can't even get over your choices and reasoning, priceless and awesome!
Joe Says: Notice I didn't bring anything to the party. And with all of those powerhouses present, I probably wouldn't even get to write the inevitable book about it. Suppose I should just be grateful to walk away from the experience.
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.
Joe Says: Rowling. It's ladies first. Besides, King has used Deus Ex Machina in his novels so much that it owes him a huge favor.
Meredith says: I love that you pointed out the Deus Ex Machina and your rationale. Amazingness. And gentlemen rule.
Joe Says: I thought about referring to it as King Ex Machina, but decided I'd be kind.
3. We authors are voracious readers. My TBR list is approximately 8 miles long. What are you currently reading?
Joe Says: An English translation of L'Écume des jours by Boris Vian, re-published under the title Mood Indigo, after the recent film it was made into. I try not to read a book after seeing the movie, but Michael Gondry's film was so information dense that I wondered what the source was like. Turns out they're related only by plot, but after getting into the novel, I can see that his approach makes sense.
Meredith says: I've read a few books after seeing the movie (ex Harry Potter, I know, I know... stop judging me)
Joe Says: The big problem I have with reading the book after seeing the movie is I can't get the movie cast out of my head. I'd much rather cast the book out of my own imagination.
4. What is the one book that you could read a million times and never get bored with?
Joe Says: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I read it once every ten years (due again in 2020). It's an amazing book, with Huck not just growing up but evolving from his redneck racist ways. The line "All right then, I'll go to hell" gets me every time and is one of the greatest moments in American literature.
Meredith says: Jeeze, I haven't read Huck Finn since I was in grade school. Now I feel like I need to pull it out and read it again!
Joe Says: It'll be totally different reading it as an adult. I love books that do that.
5. Last year my favorite read was The Martian by Andy Weir. What was your best read of 2014?
Joe Says: I read a lot of history and in '14 I realized that I hadn't yet read anything about Napoleon Bonaparte. So I went through the available books for the Kindle, looking for the highest rated book about him, but also wanting something of an overview. Lo and behold, I picked Napoleon for Dummies – yes, a Dummies book – which was written by a noted Napoleonic scholar. And it was amazingly good. It really changed my perception of the man (we've bought into all the bad press the British have given him since the late 18th century) and it inspired me to pick up a second, more massive bio that's now waiting in my Kindle's memory for the right moment to be opened.
Meredith says: Wow. That's kind of inspiring!
Joe Says: So now at your prompting I have to read The Martian before October or I'll keep seeing Mark Damon's face when I read. Or is it Matt Wahlberg? I keep getting those two mixed up.
Meredith says: They're pretty much twins and their names are fully interchangeable. (But it's Matt Damon) I think you know this though, lol.
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?
Joe Says: How to Pick Up A Stripper by Todd and Erin Stevens. It's not what you think. I'm very involved in church work, and this is about how a church can reach out into the community by developing personal relationships. It's good stuff.
On a more laic (and fictional) plane, the best novel I've read this year is Elmore Leonard's Maximum Bob. People tend not to like this one, but I found it had more dark humor than some of Leonard's other work, and that was just my cuppa tea.
Meredith says: Those are some interesting books. I just had to go look them up and add them to my reading list. I do like dark humor.
Joe Says: A fellow traveller! One of the highlights of my young life was discovering a book of Chas Addams cartoons in the local library.
7. You’re a writer by day and a superhero by night. (Take off those geeky glasses Superman) What’s your superpower?
Joe Says: I can fly, I can fly, I can fly! See, for decades I have had recurring dreams that I could fly. And since I'm a lucid dreamer, over the years I actually figured out how to control my flight in those dreams. So if I suddenly gained that power, I'd know just how to work it. As compared to, say, the ability to transmute solid objects into pudding, which would mean quite a learning curve on my part.
Meredith says: It's like you have another realm in your sleeping mind! And as I read the 'pudding' bit, I envisioned a scene from Heroes in which that character in season 3 (I think) could melt things and turned them into pudding-like consistency.
Joe Says: I'm talking actual pudding here. A big plus would be getting to pick the flavor just before you do it. Imagine instead of shattering brick and rending metal, that runaway locomotive stops in a splatter of chocolatey goodness.
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?
Joe Says: I have a huge brown La-Z-Boy recliner that we bought after we were first married, and over the decades it has become known as the Editing Chair. I've written in it, I've edited all of my novels in it, rocked my kids and snuggled with my wife on it. It's about to collapse after 30+ years of hard work, but I can't seem to part with it, in spite of my wife's pleas to exercise common sense.
Meredith says: But there's so many memories in the Editing Chair. I think your only option is to have it bronzed.Joe Says: I like the way you think. The only trouble with that would be getting it back through the door of the office.
Meredith says: See the meme ------------->
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 Drawing Down the Moon.
Joe Says: < SPOILER > My favorite bit in Drawing Down the Moon is the Truth or Dare scene. The night before the big climax the two main characters, Ricky and Kada, are holed up in a motel room, and it's entirely possible that this will be their last night together after being on the run for a week. With nothing to do but avoid the subject of sex, they get into a game of Truth or Dare that lets them clear the air and say all the things they never said or should have said to each other. They verbally feint and parry around one another until the subject of sex comes up again, and hopefully it resolves in a way the reader doesn't expect. I didn't realize how good that scene was until the last stages of getting the manuscript ready for Amazon. When it hit me, it was one of those moments where I wanted to pinch myself to make sure I hadn't cribbed it from somebody else. < /SPOILER >
Meredith says: Awesome. Who knew, Truth or Dare!
Joe Says: Glad I didn't take the Dare on this one. Unless maybe it had to do with chocolate pudding.
10. Sometimes a little too much of myself slips into my characters. Which one of your characters most resembles you?
Joe Says: Like all writers, I tend to give my main characters little bits of myself, and it varies from book to book. Unfortunately for them, what they usually get are the parts of me I wish I didn't have. Those moments in Drawing Down the Moon where Ricky has to put aside his selfish desires and do the right thing, and then regrets doing the right thing? Me.
Meredith says: Me and Craig Hart talked about this a few weeks ago. I think we both agreed it's cool to explore the less pleasant sides of our personalities through our writings.
Joe Says: And therapeutic. I think people automatically assume that writers like, say, Stephen King are writing trauma out of their lives because of the genre they write, but I think it's a safe bet to say that even the writer of the most harmless character study novel where there's virtually no action does the same thing.
11. I’ve always got tunes rocking while I’m writing. Tell us five songs that are on your playlist.
Joe Says: Glad to hear of another music-powered writer! I've got ~15k songs in my iTunes for fuel that run the gamut of genres. Here are the last five songs that played during this interview:
Trouble Man - Rickie Lee Jones
Right Now - Garth Brooks
Parallels - Yes
Over - Ivy
Give Blood - Pete Townshend
That's a cover, a half-cover from my wife's playlist, some prog, some pop, and a good rocker. The only thing you didn't get a sampling of was Jandek, and I'm pretty sure you don't want to go there.
Meredith says: More power to the music lovers of the world! Love the mix.
Joe Says: You hit me on a good day. Another time and you would have been left scratching your head.
12. If you could tell an aspiring author one tiny tidbit of information, what would you say?
Joe Says: You mean besides "Don't do it, if you want to torture yourself take up golf instead and at least be around other people"? I guess it would be that it's okay to write for money, but if you write for love, your work will be so much better. In a lot of ways The Mushroom Shift is my best novel because I did it with no expectation of riches. I wrote it because I loved the people I worked with in law enforcement and I wanted to tell what their lives were really like, not the kind of stuff you see on the teevee. It was also written out of the joy of sitting down at the typewriter (giving my age away here) and banging words onto a page. It was a perfect writing storm, and I'm not sure I'll ever have that experience again.
Meredith says: Gosh, my writer's soul just throbbed with joy at reading that. Inspiring.
Joe Says: Now if I could just get my writer's wallet to throb with joy, I'd be more inspired. Or did saying that just undo my answer to this one?
Meredith says: Hahaha
Get your copy of Drawing Down the Moon
Connect with Joe!
(Joe's on Wikipedia. That means he's cooler than the rest of us.)
__________________________________________
Joe Clifford Faust was born in North Dakota, raised in Alberta and Wyoming, went to college in Oklahoma, and now lives in Ohio. He has been married to the former Miss Connie Sweitzer for going on thirty-five years, has two adult children, and worked for 25 years as an advertising copywriter.
He currently works full-time as a Shepherd at his local Church. When not working or writing, he spends his time eating chili, playing wargames, and reading books on his Kindle.
He is currently at work on his next novel, which he says, "May involve either UFOs, amnesia, or dogs. I haven't decided which."
Thursday, August 6, 2015
Review of PINES (Wayward Pines #1) by Blake Crouch
It was like some strange mystery turned Twilight Zone turned 'The Lottery' turned some dark Dean Koontz novel.
Ethan's hunt for the truth reveals dark details of his own past - some inspiring, some distressing, tragic and heartbreaking. Ethan's character is one you won't forget easily, nor is the secret behind Wayward Pines.
I loved the sci-fi twist at the end. Loved it so much that I can't wait to read the next in the series.
5/5 stars
Get your copy of PINES
Secret service agent Ethan Burke arrives in Wayward Pines, Idaho, with a clear mission: locate and recover two federal agents who went missing in the bucolic town one month earlier. But within minutes of his arrival, Ethan is involved in a violent accident. He comes to in a hospital, with no ID, no cell phone, and no briefcase. The medical staff seems friendly enough, but something feels?off. As the days pass, Ethan's investigation into the disappearance of his colleagues turns up more questions than answers. Why can't he get any phone calls through to his wife and son in the outside world? Why doesn't anyone believe he is who he says he is? And what is the purpose of the electrified fences surrounding the town? Are they meant to keep the residents in? Or something else out? Each step closer to the truth takes Ethan further from the world he thought he knew, from the man he thought he was, until he must face a horrifying fact? He may never get out of Wayward Pines alive. Intense and gripping, Pines is another masterful thriller from the mind of bestselling novelist Blake Crouch.
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Monday, August 3, 2015
Please welcome Monte Dutton author of Crazy of Natural Causes
Monte and me met over a pitcher of sweet iced tea. Cubes clanked in our glasses as he plucked his guitar and a race hummed from the TV screen in the background. It struck me then that Monte's got things to say about life...
Let's see what Monte has to say about zombies, reading, and writing!
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.
Monte says: Elmore Leonard because he was a pitiless realist. James Wayland, who wrote Trailer Park Trash & Vampires, so I think he’s got the imagination to deal with them, too. Larry Brown because he knew that small-town desolation such a task would require. Two of the three have died, so they could work from the beyond, which would be quite a coup.
Meredith says: I mean... zombies can't kill someone who's already dead. That might be the best theory to surviving the zombie apocalypse that I've ever come across!
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.
Monte says: I’d save King because he is a Red Sox fan, and I have read a few of his books, and he likes a lot of the same music I do, so, after the ordeal, we’d have stuff to discuss.
Meredith says: It's all about the ways we connect with others. Nice.
3. We authors are voracious readers. My TBR list is approximately 8 miles long. What are you currently reading?
Monte says: Daughter of Fortune, by Isabel Allende. It’s long. I like it, but I really need to get it finished so that I can read and review several other KindleScout authors.
4. What is the one book that you could read a million times and never get bored with?
Monte says: John Steinbeck’s East of Eden.
Meredith says: Yes! Another re-reader!
5. Last year my favorite read was The Martian by Andy Weir. What was your best read of 2014?
Monte says: In an upset … Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Champion of Freedom by Conrad Black. I’m fascinated by FDR.
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?
Monte says: A Son of the Circus, by John Irving. He’s a normal man who loves writing strange stories.
Meredith says: My TBR list just got so much longer.
7. You’re a writer by day and a superhero by night. (Take off those geeky glasses Superman) What’s your superpower?
Monte says: Lethal irreverence. It catches the bad guys by surprise.
Meredith says: Nice.
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?
Monte says: The portable, rolling table, in front of the easy chair, with the guitar on the left and the TV straight ahead.
Meredith says: Writing in an easy chair sounds super comfortable.
8. 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 Crazy of Natural Causes.
Monte says: The conclusion shifts from scene to scene, as characters in Kentucky, L.A., and aboard a plane, unknowingly wrap it all up. It was a new experience, and I enjoyed the imagination and creativity necessary to pull it off.
Meredith says: It's kind of amazing pulling all the bits of a story together in the end. I always think to myself - wow, I just did that. I can't wait to read Crazy of Natural Causes!
9. Sometimes a little too much of myself slips into my characters. Which one of your characters most resembles you?
Monte says: This was a major step. No one is based on me or even much like me in Crazy of Natural Causes. In my first novel, The Audacity of Dope, Riley Mansfield was me as, oh, I might have been. He was a greatly idealized version. A character, one of many in The Intangibles, had much in common with me. At some level, I have to get inside the heads of all my characters. In Crazy, Chance Benford read the entire Bible, so, in order to think like him, I did, too.
10. I’ve always got tunes rocking while I’m writing. Tell us five songs that are on your playlist.
Monte says: “Rex’s Blues,” by Townes Van Zandt. “Corpus Christi Bay,” by Robert Earl Keen. “Night Rider’s Lament,” by Michael Burton. “One’s on the Way,” by Loretta Lynn. “Let the Mystery Be,” by Iris Dement.
12. If you could tell an aspiring author one tiny tidbit of information, what would you say?
Monte says: If you're fit to do something else, do it. I don’t mean it as a criticism. I just believe that writers have to possess a burning, righteous desire. The worst reason to write is self-gratification. If every word one writes is designed to elicit acclaim, it’s not going to get it.
Connect with Monte
(PS I follow his blog. He's got good stuff there!)
(Monte has got old-school cool down to a science)
_________________________________________
Monte Dutton lives in Clinton, South Carolina. In high school, he played football for a state championship team, then attended Furman University, Greenville, S.C., graduating in 1980, B.A., cum laude, political science/history.
He spent 20 years (1993-2012) writing about NASCAR for several publications. He was named Writer of the Year by the Eastern Motorsports Press Association (Frank Blunk Award) in 2003 and Writer of the Year by the National Motorsports Press Association (George Cunningham Award) in 2008. His NASCAR writing was syndicated by King Feature Syndicate in the form of a weekly page, "NASCAR This Week" for 17 years.
Monte Dutton is also the author of Pride of Clinton, a history of high school football in his hometown, 1986; At Speed, 2000 (Potomac Books); Rebel with a Cause: A Season with NASCAR's Tony Stewart, 2001 (Potomac Books); Jeff Gordon: The Racer, 2001 (Thomas Nelson); Postcards from Pit Road, 2003 (Potomac Books); Haul A** and Turn Left, 2005 (Warner Books), True to the Roots: Americana Music Revealed, 2006. (Bison Books); and is an Editor/Contributor of Taking Stock: Life in NASCAR's Fast Lane, 2004 (Potomac Books). The Audacity of Dope, 2011 (Neverland Publishing) was his first novel, and Neverland published his second, The Intangibles, in 2013. Crazy of Natural Causes, a KindleScout selection, will be released on July 21, 2015.
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Monday, July 20, 2015
Please welcome Joshua Jacobs author of The Withering
I caught up with Joshua after he got back from vacation. I was insanely jealous because... he went on vacation.
Let's see what Joshua had to say about zombies, reading, and writing.
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.
Joshua says: Stephen King, Neal Shusterman, and George R.R. Martin. I would pick the first two because of the extensive list of diverse books they’ve penned. Their imagination is boundless, and their creativity is sure to help us get out of bad situations. I would pick George R.R. Martin simply because he’s a man who clearly knows how to do the dirty work, which in a zombie apocalypse is going to be essential. Stephen, Neal, and I would have to be wary, though, or George might kill us off when we least expect it…
Meredith says: I feel like George knows how to make people die when you least expect it. That could come in handy.
Joshua says: Or come back to bite me in the ass!
Meredith says: Literally. Like, by a zombie...
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.
Joshua says: Stephen King. And this is no hate toward J.K. Rowling. I’m a huge fan of the Harry Potter series, but I still read and enjoy the books Stephen King continues to write. I wish I could say the same about J.K. Rowling’s work. Now if she wanted to write a prequel to the series…
Meredith says: I haven't read any of her other stuff. But a prequel would be kinda cool. I was a Stephen King fan before I was a Rowling fan. The first book I bought for myself was 'Bag of Bones' and it continues to be one of my favorite books. I think I've read it about 20 times.Joshua says: I’ll have to read ‘Bag of Bones.’ I’ve seen the movie, and as everyone knows, Stephen King movies leave a lot to be desired.
Meredith says: You're supposed to read the book first, Joshua. Always read the book first. (I'm joking! I've watched the movie first on more than a few good reads) I feel like the ‘Bag of Bones’ movie barely hinted at the great parts of the book, as usual.
3. We authors are voracious readers. My TBR list is approximately 8 miles long. What are you currently reading?
Joshua says: I’m currently reading The Martian by Andy Weir. If anyone else has read this, I’m curious to hear your thoughts.
Meredith says: see below
4. What is the one book that you could read a million times and never get bored with?
Joshua says: Night by Eli Wiesel. If you’ve read it, you know why.
Meredith says: Gosh, I haven't read that since high school. Makes me want to read it again.
Joshua says: Everyone should read it at least twice.
5. Last year my favorite read was The Martian by Andy Weir. What was your best read of 2014?
Joshua says: Well look at that! We MUST have a discussion about this book. My favorite book from last year was probably Looking for Alaska by John Green. Green’s writing is so simple yet incredibly powerful, and his ability to write unique, consistent characters is a skill I wish I had.
Meredith says: Ooooh! I've been waiting to read Looking for Alaska.
Okay, on to The Martian! How far into the book are you? I found that during the first quarter of the book I got real tired of potato calories being counted, the only thing that kept me going was Mark Watney's sense of humor and phenomenal use of swear words.Joshua says: Yes! Thank you! I’m about 100 pages in. I was reading it while on vacation, and I felt like I needed to take a vacation just from that book. I felt like I was reading a science report from high school all over again. Please tell me it’s worth it.
Meredith says: It's worth it! So so worth it. The science report stuff will be over soon. At least with the potatoes. I think he goes into some electronics and physics but it doesn't drag as bad as the potato part.
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?
Joshua says: This year’s leader is the YA novel, An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir. I breezed through it so quickly, I forgot it was almost 500 pages.
Meredith says: Nice. Adding it to my TBR list.
7. You’re a writer by day and a superhero by night. (Take off those geeky glasses Superman) What’s your superpower?
Joshua says: I want to fly!! Which is a little ironic since I’m mildly afraid of heights…
Meredith says: That is kinda funny. But if you can fly you can't fall!
Joshua says: True, but super heroes always seem to have their weaknesses come back to hurt them in the end.
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?
Joshua says: I used to write everything at the desk in my loft, but I recently moved and no longer have that writing space. As of yet, I haven’t found a new favorite writing spot. Wish me luck!
Meredith says: Good luck!! I got rid of my dining room table and replaced it with a desk, if you're looking for suggestions...
Joshua says: Ha! Who needs a dining room table these days anyway, right?
Meredith says: I don't even miss it.
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 The Withering.
Joshua says: My favorite scene comes relatively early in the book as Alice returns to the city in which she grew up. She’s waylaid by two men looking to rape her. For me this scene is pivotal because it shows two things 1) just how dark a place the world has become and 2) just how brave Alice really is despite her weaknesses.
Meredith says: There is so much emotion in scenes with violence or near-violence, and I feel like if you can portray the emotions effectively, it makes for a powerful scene that no one forgets. Kudos, I can't wait to read it.
Joshua says: I look forward to what you have to say!
10. Sometimes a little too much of myself slips into my characters. Which one of your characters most resembles you?
Joshua says: This may come as a surprise because he’s naïve and even downright ignorant at times, but there are pieces of me in Ethan’s character. Though our circumstances are wildly different, his character growth throughout the novel in many ways resembles my own growth throughout my mid-twenties.
Meredith says: I always come across this quote on writing that says "write what you know." I feel like sometimes we have no choice but to put ourselves in our books, it makes the characters authentic and real.
11. I’ve always got tunes rocking while I’m writing. Tell us five songs that are on your playlist.
Joshua says: I’m so jealous! I wish I could listen to music and write at the same time, but I am too easily distracted. However, my top five songs would be, in no particular order, I’m Ready by Jack’s Mannequin, Santeria by Sublime, Cecilia and the Satellite by Andrew McMahon, Trap Queen by Fetty Wap, and Shotgun Rider by Tim McGraw. Yes, eclectic, I know.
Meredith says: Okay, that is one of the most eclectic playlists I've come across. I mean, Tim McGraw and Fetty Wap...
Joshua says: I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s a little something for any situation.
12. If you could tell an aspiring author one tiny tidbit of information, what would you say?
Joshua says: Practice your skill! Read other authors and analyze what they’re doing that works, write often, take writing classes, read books on writing. I’ve met too many writers over the past ten years who simply stop growing at an early point because they believe their work is ready to be published. I’ve never met a writer who can objectively look back at the first book they wrote and praise it. Most are like the first book I wrote back when I was twenty: total crap!
Meredith says: So important! I remember looking back at my first book and thinking it was crap. And then I rewrote it all. So important to read read read and analyze. I feel like there are a lot of new authors who don't do this and it's a detriment to their work.
Joshua says: That’s impressive that you went back and rewrote it. These days I’m afraid to even open the document that contains my first novel.
Meredith says: Open that sucker up and roll in the gloriousness of your improvements.
Get your copy of TheWithering
Connect with Joshua Jacobs:
(Meet Joshua. I want to call him Josh)
Monday, July 13, 2015
Please welcome Olivia Vetrano author of Neverland
When Olivia finally got a break from her final exams, she let me pester her with questions. Let's see what she has to say about zombies, reading, and writing.
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.
Olivia says: I don't know if it's because I'm particularly pessimistic, but I would not for a second assume I'd have any chance of surviving any kind of apocalypse. So instead of assembling a fighting team of authors, I'd pick the ones I'd like to spend my final moments with. Morbid, sure, but if I was about to die, being surrounded by my favorite authors might soften the blow. Only being able to choose three is tough, but I'd narrow it down to J.K. Rowling, Laurie Halse Anderson and John Green (can you tell I'm into YA fiction?)
Meredith says: Great picks to die with, lol. I love YA fiction too! Also, LHA lives near me. She frequents our local indie bookstore but I haven't worked up the courage to make an appearance.
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.
Olivia says: J.K. Rowling. I wouldn't even think twice. Even putting aside the legendary Harry Potter series, I would unquestioningly save her over King. Rowling's life story is so inspiring. I remember watching a documentary on her when I was 14 and thinking "woah, if she can overcome what she did and go on to make literary history, what's stopping me?"
Meredith says: When I get down, I pull up articles on JKR's ascension to literary awesomeness. It makes me feel better, strangely enough.
3. We authors are voracious readers. My TBR list is approximately 8 miles long. What are you currently reading?
Olivia says: I have an awful attention span. So I tend to read two books at a time, a chapter of one book, a chapter of the other, repeat. Right now I'm reading a dual biography on Reagan and Kennedy by Scott Farris (because I'm an American Studies/History major/ giant nerd). I'm also flipping through a collection of Walt Whitman poems. I love Walt Whitman for many reasons, but especially because he's a perfect combination of history and poetic genius.
Meredith says: I read tend to read 2-3 books at a time. Glad I'm not the only one :)
4. What is the one book that you could read a million times and never get bored with?
Olivia says: Catcher in the Rye. Hands down. I feel such a personal connection to that book. The first time I read it, it was for school, so naturally I had to hate it. But the following year I had the inexplicable need to go back and reread it. And it changed my life.
Meredith says: Yay! Another rereader!
5. Last year my favorite read was The Martian by Andy Weir. What was your best read of 2014?
Olivia says: I read All Quiet on the Western Front for the first time last year. I don't even know how to explain what that book did for me. I judge books on their ability to make me feel, and All Quiet on the Western Front went above and beyond in that department. I actually have a word document on my computer with dozens of quotes from it and they all give me chills.
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?
Olivia says: I had a really tough spring semester, so I've been slacking when it comes to reading. I plan to change that over the summer though.
Meredith says: Let's go girl! We're nearing the 7th month of the year. But seriously, when I was in college I rarely had the time to read for pleasure.
7. I have writing spots all over my house: my desk, my couch, the patio, and my bed. Where’s your favorite spot to write?
Olivia says: I do the majority of my writing in bed. But admittedly that's more laziness than genuine preference.
Meredith says: I love writing in bed. No judgement here.
8. 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 NEVERLAND.
Olivia says: Oddly enough, there's not one chapter that sticks out to me... but I do like the dream chapter towards the end because I'm able to tie in my favorite Walt Whitman poem, "O Captain! my Captain!" It's kind of cool because I used an excerpt of the same poem earlier, so it comes full circle. It's almost as if the two excerpts serve as book-ends, enclosing around a bunch of unanswered questions. And to be completely honest I didn't necessarily plan it work out like that, so when I realized how it came together I was thrilled.
Meredith says: Cool!
9. Sometimes a little too much of myself slips into my characters. Which one of your characters most resembles you?
Olivia says: My main character, Hayley, is a big fan of dry sarcasm, which I am most definitely guilty of using.
10. I’ve always got tunes rocking while I’m writing. Tell us five songs that are on your playlist.
Olivia says: My mind runs wild when I listen to music, almost as if I'm writing separate stories to fit particular songs. For that reason, I have to write in silence. Lame, I know, but it's my only chance of being remotely productive. That way, I'm more inclined to fill the empty spaces with my own ideas.
Meredith says: Not lame. I know plenty of other authors who have to write in complete silence.
11. If you could tell an aspiring author one tiny tidbit of information, what would you say?
Olivia says: Don't let time make you feel small. The pressure to write at a certain speed will only mess with your head. Recently I met a bunch of authors who told me their average novel takes them a month. Neverland took me two years. And as impatient as I am, I know that if I were to try to rush the story, it would hurt the overall book. No deadline is worth losing your voice.
Meredith says: Wow, a month. The fastest I ever wrote a book was in 2 weeks but that was just a rough draft. I like King's suggestion that a book should take a season to write. But I tend to follow my own deadlines.
Get your copy of Neverland
Connect with Olivia!
Twitter @oliviavetrano
Instagram @oliviarosevetrano
(This is Olivia)
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Author chat
Come hang out at the author chat with Stacey Cochran
Authors are giving away free books to participants!!
Here's the link: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=901922863206959&l=c6f39cca0d
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Review Captain and Countess by Alice Gaines
I don't read a ton of Regency romances, but I'm glad I picked this one up. Swoonworthy and perfectly-paced, I couldn't put Captain and Countess down.
Blurb:
In this sensuous Regency romance, Jason, Lily, and Bess become engaged to the wrong people.
Captain Jason Northcross desperately desires his sister, Lily, to marry into noble society. To achieve a duchy for his sister, he needs a proper marriage for himself. His status guarantees an easily achieved betrothal, and he should have no trouble selecting one of the eligible young ladies during his party in the countryside. However, distracted from his goal, he has a hard time keeping his hands off his neighbor, Lady Rushford.
The late Earl of Rushford's widow, Bess Webster, believes romance has passed her by. So why can’t she keep Captain Northcross out of her dreams? And how does he inflame passions she didn’t know she had? While she should be focused on penning novels and finding husbands for her friends, her thoughts center on broad shoulders and laughing green eyes.
Will these misaligned engagements be set straight before the final vows have been spoken?
Monday, July 6, 2015
Please welcome Craig A. Hart author of BECOMING MOON
I sat down with Craig over a bottle of scotch at 10am one morning. From my understanding, it's okay to drink scotch at that hour... or at least Craig said it was. Lets hear what he had to say about zombies, reading, and writing.
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.
Craig says: I assume these have to be living authors…otherwise they’re
probably with the zombies. So I’m going with Garrison Keillor, because he makes
me laugh and I would probably need some humor during those situations. I would
choose George R. R. Martin, because I’m pretty sure I could outrun him. And,
finally, I would choose John Grisham, because if this whole zombie thing turned
out to be a hoax and I’d actually killed real folks, I would need someone to
defend me in court.
Meredith says: I mean, you're just the only one who has admitted to it. Which I think is hilarious! I'm not below baiting. Survival of the fittest or fastest!
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 ;)
Craig says: I would probably save Rowling first, so the news media
wouldn’t brand me as unchivalrous. But when no one was looking I would throw
her back and save King because I think he’s a bad ass.
Meredith says: King is total badass. Linda Sands and I decided his ghost would make him worth saving.
Craig says: He's a rockstar. What if he blurbed one of our books? *teenage girl voice* Wouldn't you just diiiiee?!
Meredith says: Sweet Lord, I just envisioned it.
Craig says: I'm reading Elephants for a book club. I'm blown away by the descriptions. I am often turned off by tons of detail. I typically prefer writers who can paint a picture with spare, well-chosen details rather than a bunch of descriptive wordage. But Gruen does a good job of splashing the word canvas with lots of colors without making it tedious.
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?
Meredith says: clarification: I did not mean the roofies impacted the vibe. Cigar shops have their own cool vibe sans roofies.
3. We authors are voracious readers. My TBR list is
approximately 8 miles long. What are you currently reading?
Craig says: I have three books going right now: Water for Elephants (Gruen), Ulysses
(Joyce), and The Catcher in the Rye (Salinger).
Meredith says: I read Water for Elephants a few years ago. There's just something about that book, makes me want to go back and read it again now that you mentioned it. Quite the genre span of current reads.
4. What is the one book that you could read a million times
and never get bored with?
Craig says: The Sun Also Rises
by Hemingway. Every time I read it, I find more subtleties there.
Meredith says: Nice! That's my favorite part of re-reading, finding all the little bits you missed the first time.
5. Last year my favorite read was The Martian by Andy Weir.
What was your best read of 2014?
Craig says: That’s tough, but I think my favorite of 2014 was The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck. It was
one of those stories that really sucked me in; I love it when that happens.
Meredith says: Adding it 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?
Craig says: So far I think it would be Capote
by Gerald Clarke. It was a really well done biography that often read more like
a novel.
Meredith says: Oh hey, I've heard good things about that book!
Craig says: I loved it. It was part of my Ooh Look, Capote! phase that is actually still happening. I have this thing where I become infatuated with an author and scarf down everything I can about them, both their work and works written about them. I have a problem.
Craig says: I loved it. It was part of my Ooh Look, Capote! phase that is actually still happening. I have this thing where I become infatuated with an author and scarf down everything I can about them, both their work and works written about them. I have a problem.
7. You’re a writer by day and a superhero by night. (Take off those
geeky glasses Superman) What’s your superpower?
Craig says: I’d like to be able to read babies’ minds. It would make
taking care of my twin boys much, much easier.
Meredith says: As a NICU nurse who has cared for babies for many years, they are thinking: food, play, sleep. I'm joking. But seriously, I feel that way at work sometimes. There's nothing I want more than to quickly soothe a room full of 12 babies who are all screaming at 3am.
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?
Craig says: I love going out to write. My two favorite places are: a study
room at the library and the back room of the local cigar shop.
Meredith says: We used to frequent this cigar shop in Ocean City, MD where we vacationed every year Señor Cigars, it was interesting. And then in Syracuse there was this cigar bar named Awful Al's years ago, it was pretty cool until my friend go roofied... Cigar shops definitely have a vibe.
Craig says: Yeah...being roofied would definitely impact the coolness factor in a negative way.
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 Becoming Moon.
Craig says: The one that comes to mind is when the main character is being
forced to convert to his family’s religion. Literally dragged to the place of
conversion. I don’t know if I can say it is my “favorite” scene, but it is one
of the most memorable for me.
Meredith says: Wow. I mean, I feel like I just had some flashbacks. I was raised strict Roman Catholic, there was plenty of dragging me each Sunday. It sounds like a scene I need to read.
Craig says: Really? Interesting. Becoming Moon definitely has some strong autobiographical elements, especially the section in which that scene appears, so I feel your pain.
10. Sometimes a little too much of myself slips into my
characters. Which one of your characters most resembles you?
Craig says: At the risk of sounding narcissistic, it would have to be the
main character. One the flip side, he has plenty of unpleasant characteristics,
so maybe it all evens out.
Meredith says: I feel like my main characters all have a bit of me, and their problems are my greatest fears or my most unpleasant characteristics. So you're not alone. I think that's why writing is so therapeutic for many of us. We get to work it out with a fictional character's life.
Craig says: It may also be why non-artistic types sometimes consider writers so self-indulgent. Well, so be it.
11. I’ve always got tunes rocking while I’m writing. Tell us
five songs that are on your playlist.
Craig says: If I Can Dream by
Elvis, Have You Ever Seen the Rain by
CCR, Con Te Partirò by Andrea
Bocelli, Night and Day by Sinatra,
and the first movement of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2.
Meredith says: Creedence Clearwater Revival!!! My playlist has: Proud Mary, Bad Moon Rising, Fortunate Son, I Heard It Through the Grapevine. I love them!
12. If you could tell an aspiring author one tiny tidbit of
information, what would you say?
Craig says: The writing life is difficult, so write for yourself, not
others.
Meredith says: This is so important.Get your copy of Becoming Moon
(PS I read his book over the weekend. It was really really good!)
Connect with Craig A. Hart
(Craig listens to CCR and drinks scotch at 10am, he's cool in my book)
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