Thursday, November 13, 2008

Circle of Friends Books Talks with Author Kevin Gerard

Stop by Circle of Friends Books http://circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com/ on Friday, November 14, when L. Diane Wolfe asks author Kevin Gerard questions which delve into his thoughts and inspirations behind his young adult fantasy series Conor and the Crossworlds, as well as his future plans.

Visit Kevin's website http://www.conorandthecrossworlds.com where you can download a free Conor and the Crossworlds ebook and keep tabs on the upcoming release of Surviving an Altered World which is due out in December. In it Conor and Janine watch in horror as a powerful warrior sent by the Circle of Evil destroys their world and imprisons everyone they know. The Lady of the Light explains that she and her kind deposited the five keys of the creators on different worlds just before the chaos began. If Conor and Janine can recover the keys, the Crossworlds will be restored.

Join in the hunt for the keys by clicking on the contest video on his website to learn the exciting details regarding The Hunt for the Five Keys of the Creators. The contest begins in January.

For more information about Kevin Gerard and his virtual tour, check the schedule at http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/10/virtual-book-tour-conor-and-crossworlds.html

Amazon Link for Conor and the Crossworlds http://tinyurl.com/6lqas2

For more information on Kevin Gerard, visit his website http://www.conorandthecrossworlds.com.

Donna Sundblad

Tour Coordinator Promo 101 Virtual Blog Tours

www.theinkslinger.net

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Don't Miss this Short Story by Kevin Gerard


Joyce Anthony hosts author Kevin Gerard on Books and Authors http://joyceanthony.tripod.com/blog/ today, November 12 and tomorrow, November 13. Don't miss the opportunity to read one of his short stories for free! Plus learn more about him and the story behind his young adult fantasy series, Conor and the Crossworlds!

Visit Kevin's website http://www.conorandthecrossworlds.com where you can download a free Conor and the Crossworlds ebook and keep tabs on the upcoming release of Surviving an Altered World which is due out in December. In it Conor and Janine watch in horror as a powerful warrior sent by the Circle of Evil destroys their world and imprisons everyone they know. The Lady of the Light explains that she and her kind deposited the five keys of the creators on different worlds just before the chaos began. If Conor and Janine can recover the keys, the Crossworlds will be restored.

Join in the hunt for the keys by clicking on the contest video on his website to learn the exciting details regarding The Hunt for the Five Keys of the Creators. The contest begins in January.

For more information about Kevin Gerard and his virtual tour, check the schedule at http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/10/virtual-book-tour-conor-and-crossworlds.html

Amazon Link for Conor and the Crossworlds http://tinyurl.com/6lqas2

For more information on Kevin Gerard, visit his website http://www.conorandthecrossworlds.com.

Donna Sundblad

Tour Coordinator Promo 101 Virtual Blog Tours

www.theinkslinger.net

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Introducing Conor and the Crossworlds and Author Kevin Gerard

Books and Authors http://joyceanthony.tripod.com/blog/ hosts author Kevin Gerard and his Conor and the Crossworld series on Monday, November 10. Stop by as Joyce Anthony introduces both author and books!

Visit Kevin's website http://www.conorandthecrossworlds.com where you can download a free Conor and the Crossworlds ebook and keep tabs on the upcoming release of Surviving an Altered World which is due out in December. In it Conor and Janine watch in horror as a powerful warrior sent by the Circle of Evil destroys their world and imprisons everyone they know. The Lady of the Light explains that she and her kind deposited the five keys of the creators on different worlds just before the chaos began. If Conor and Janine can recover the keys, the Crossworlds will be restored.

Join in the hunt for the keys by clicking on the contest video on his website to learn the exciting details regarding The Hunt for the Five Keys of the Creators. The contest begins in January.

For more information about Kevin Gerard and his virtual tour, check the schedule at http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/10/virtual-book-tour-conor-and-crossworlds.html

Amazon Link for Conor and the Crossworlds http://tinyurl.com/6lqas2

For more information on Kevin Gerard, visit his website http://www.conorandthecrossworlds.com.

Donna Sundblad

Tour Coordinator Promo 101 Virtual Blog Tours

www.theinkslinger.net

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Author Colin Harvey on Writing Blind Faith


Colin, tell me a bit about your family. Your adoring public would like to know! Also include any info you would like people to know including URL to your website if you have one.

I've been married to Kate for just over 20 years. We live just outside Bristol in the UK with our black Cocker Spaniel called Alice, but lost Chloe --my first dog, a Springer Spaniel-- earlier this year.

My website is at http://www.geocities.com/colin_harvey

Do you have insight to share to help others writing find success in getting a book published?

By learning what editors and publishers want, and what they want --they've told me-- is reliability. If they say they want a manuscript by Christmas, they don't want it in January or February.

Tell me about any workshops you offer?

I don't at the moment, but maybe I ought to.

What inspired you to write Blind Faith? How long will we wait for the next book?

I wrote a story about three years ago called 'The Bloodhound,' about a PI who can smell people's sins. I woke up with a line running through my head: "Murder smells of black pepper..." It seemed obvious that there would be others with senses affected in the same way, although Frances and The Bloodhound will never meet.

The next novel is due out next year, but it's very, very different. More on that below.

How do you develop your plots and characters? Do you use any set formula?

For characters, I try to make them composites of two or three people, so maybe physically they look like one person but have the characteristics of another. I plot them ruthlessly, building a crisis in at regular points.

How do you come up with ideas for your writings and why do you feel you choose some over others?

Idea generation is the easy part -- it's just a case of collecting ideas, grouping them in logical combinations, and hurling them together to create a fission reaction like a nuclear bomb. Why I choose some over others is down to what interests me at any one time.

How much time do you devote to marketing your book and what kind of marketing do you recommend?

I'm probably the last person that you should ask! Marketing is something I don't think I'm very good at. I blog -mostly reviews- for Suite101 and give on-line interviews, as well as attending local cons. But I'm sure that I could do better, if I could only separate the things that work from the things that don't.

What are your current projects?

A big SF novel called Winter Song about a man who crash lands on a planet settled by Icelandic settlers, filled with hard SF concepts like genetic engineering, terraforming, pantropy and nanotechnology and Artificial Intelligences. Oh, and a crashed space ship: the Winter Song...

What advice would you give to writers just starting out?

Apart from writing every day, finish what you start. I know too many authors who have several novels, all of them unfinished.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Author Kevin On Creating A Magical but Believable Setting When Writing Fantasy


Author Kevin Gerard's Promo 101 Blog Tour stops at It's All In The Setting http://itsallinthesetting.blogspot.com/2008/11/setting-for-conor-and-crossworlds-by.html today, November 7 where he shares why he chose the endless worlds of light and darkness in his Conor and the Crossworlds series.

Visit Kevin's website http://www.conorandthecrossworlds.com where you can download a free Conor and the Crossworlds ebook and keep tabs on the upcoming release of Surviving an Altered World which is due out in December. In it Conor and Janine watch in horror as a powerful warrior sent by the Circle of Evil destroys their world and imprisons everyone they know. The Lady of the Light explains that she and her kind deposited the five keys of the creators on different worlds just before the chaos began. If Conor and Janine can recover the keys, the Crossworlds will be restored.

Join in the hunt for the keys by clicking on the contest video on his website to learn the exciting details regarding The Hunt for the Five Keys of the Creators. The contest begins in January.

For more information about Kevin Gerard and his virtual tour, check the schedule at http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/10/virtual-book-tour-conor-and-crossworlds.html

Amazon Link for Conor and the Crossworlds http://tinyurl.com/6lqas2

For more information on Kevin Gerard, visit his website http://www.conorandthecrossworlds.com.

Donna Sundblad

Tour Coordinator Promo 101 Virtual Blog Tours

www.theinkslinger.net

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Hear From Author Kevin Gerard on Writing for Teens


Author Kevin Gerard's Promo 101 Blog Tour is off to a great start. Don't miss his stop today, November 6, where he talks about his young adult fantasy series, Conor and the Crossworlds with Connect with Your Teens http://connectwithyourteens.blogspot.com/ where he talks about writing for a young adult audience.

Visit Kevin's website http://www.conorandthecrossworlds.com where you can download a free Conor and the Crossworlds ebook and keep tabs on the upcoming release of Surviving an Altered World which is due out in December. In it Conor and Janine watch in horror as a powerful warrior sent by the Circle of Evil destroys their world and imprisons everyone they know. The Lady of the Light explains that she and her kind deposited the five keys of the creators on different worlds just before the chaos began. If Conor and Janine can recover the keys, the Crossworlds will be restored.

Join in the hunt for the keys by clicking on the contest video on his website to learn the exciting details regarding The Hunt for the Five Keys of the Creators. The contest begins in January.

For more information about Kevin Gerard and his virtual tour, check the schedule at http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/10/virtual-book-tour-conor-and-crossworlds.html

Amazon Link for Conor and the Crossworlds http://tinyurl.com/6lqas2

For more information on Kevin Gerard, visit his website http://www.conorandthecrossworlds.com.

Donna Sundblad

Tour Coordinator Promo 101 Virtual Blog Tours

www.theinkslinger.net

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Interview with Colin Harvey Author of Vengeance


Tell me a bit about your family. Your adoring public would like to know! Also include any info you would like people to know including URL to your website if you have one.

I've been married to Kate for just over 20 years. We live just outside Bristol in the UK with our black Cocker Spaniel called Alice, but lost Chloe --my first dog, a Springer Spaniel-- earlier this year. My RPG (Rent / Rate Paying Gig, aka day job) is at the Bristol Eye Hospital, where I'm part of the glamourously named Destruction Team in their Medical Records Department. It's sufficiently surreal to ensure that one day I'm going to write a story about it....

My website is at http://www.geocities.com/colin_harvey

When did you consider yourself a writer? You know what I mean—the time when you realized that you crossed the line from “want to be a writer” to “I am a writer”.

I think that it was when I placed a couple of stories and an article in fairly quick succession back in mid-2001; up until then I'd been hovering on the edge of being a writer. I'd actually considered giving up, I was so dispirited.

I kept writing despite the rejection letters through sheer bloody-mindedness --no-one remembers the authors who didn't sell; "Oh yeah, that Colin Harvey, he'd a been a great author, if he'd only persevered." No one's ever going to say that.

Do you feel you have more than one voice in your writing?

I'm getting better at differentiating individual character's voices, but I still have some way to go! I consider writing to be a process of on-going evolution.

What kept you writing while getting rejection letters or struggling with writer’s block?

That's actually two questions!

I suffered writer's block for almost twenty years -- I could start stories, but couldn't finish them. I write instinctively and it was only when I learned about how stories are put together, what you would call 'plot' that I managed to finish them. That was a big step for me.

I've already mentioned how I almost gave up. What gave me momentum was an editor bought an article, and I realized that while my fiction wasn't selling, while I was learning, I could place non-fiction much more easily. Non-fiction can be a lifeline to novice writers.

Do you use certain tricks that help prevent you from straying from your goal?

No -- tricks can backfire. I keep one very simple point in mind -- I have to deliver a manuscript by a certain date. The only way that I can do that is to knuckle down and work

What inspired you to write Vengeance? How long will we wait for the next book?

Part of it was a simple desire to learn how to write a novel. Part of it was a fascination with the way we apply labels. So a book with 'wizards' in is perceived very differently from a book with 'aliens' in. What happens if you start with one set of labels, and gradually introduce the other set?

What are your current projects?

One of my three projects for 2009 is Displacement, a collection of short stories built around the title novella, which is a near(-ish) future murder mystery -- a sort of CSI: Vancouver mixed with The Day of the Triffids. It's about 25,000 words long, so it has all the challenges of a short story at half-novel length. Whether it's one of the best stories I've written is really something for my publisher to say....

What advice would you give to writers just starting out?

Write. Write every day. It only needs to be one hour daily -- it's better to have a small amount every day than a huge burst of writing followed by nothing for days or weeks. But write every day: If you write just five hundred words in that hour each day, at the end of seven months you'll have a 100,000 word novel.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Conor and the Crossworlds Free ebook, Contest and More


We've got an exciting tour lined up this month with Kevin Gerard, author of the Conor and the Crosswords series. Visit Kevin's website http://www.conorandthecrossworlds.com where you can download a free Conor and the Crossworlds ebook and keep tabs on the upcoming release of Surviving an Altered World which is due out in December. In it Conor and Janine watch in horror as a powerful warrior sent by the Circle of Evil destroys their world and imprisons everyone they know. The Lady of the Light explains that she and her kind deposited the five keys of the creators on different worlds just before the chaos began. If Conor and Janine can recover the keys, the Crossworlds will be restored.

Join in the hunt for the keys by clicking on the contest video on his website to learn the exciting details regarding The Hunt for the Five Keys of the Creators. The contest begins in January.

On November 3, whet your appetite with an inside look at Kevin Gerard's life as a writer at Teens Read Too http://www.teensreadtoo.com/BookReviews.html with a bonus of an excerpt from his book.

And November 5, don't miss Great New Books Reviewed http://newgreatbooks.blogspot.com as they host Kevin. Read more about what Kevin has to say about being a science fiction/fantasy writer.

November 7th learn more about the Crosswords at It's All In the Setting http://itsallinthesetting.blogspot.com.

For more information about Kevin Gerard and his virtual tour, check the schedule at http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/10/virtual-book-tour-conor-and-crossworlds.html

Amazon Link for Conor and the Crossworlds http://tinyurl.com/6lqas2

For more information on Kevin Gerard, visit his website http://www.conorandthecrossworlds.com.

Donna Sundblad

Tour Coordinator Promo 101 Virtual Blog Tours

www.theinkslinger.net

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Meet Kevin Gerard Author of Conor and the Crossworlds

We've got an exciting tour lined up this month with Kevin Gerard, author of the Conor and the Crosswords series. This riveting series opens with book one, Breaking the Barrier, in which Conor unconsciously calls forth the power of the Crossworlds creators following the death of a favorite uncle. They send the mystical beast, Purugama, to accompany Conor on a fantastic journey of discovery. In book two, Peril in the Corridors, Conor finds himself transported to the Glade of Champions, where he meets Maya, Eha, Ajur, Surmitang, and mighty Therion, all Champions of the Crossworlds. After learning about his mission, Conor departs with Maya to do battle with the warriors of the Circle of Evil, experiencing wondrous and terrifying surprises at every stop on his amazing journey.

Visit Kevin's website http://www.conorandthecrossworlds.com where you can download a free Conor and the Crossworlds ebook and keep tabs on the upcoming release of Surviving an Altered World which is due out in December. In it Conor and Janine watch in horror as a powerful warrior sent by the Circle of Evil destroys their world and imprisons everyone they know, including the Crossworlds Champions and the creators. The Lady of the Light appears, explaining that she and her kind deposited the five keys of the creators on different worlds just before the chaos began. If Conor and Janine can recover the keys, the Crossworlds will be restored. You can join in the hunt for the keys by clicking on the contest video on his website to learn the exciting details regarding The Hunt for the Five Keys of the Creators. The contest begins in January.

On November 3, whet your appetite with an inside look at Kevin Gerard's life as a writer at Teens Read Too http://www.teensreadtoo.com/BookReviews.html with a bonus of an excerpt from his book.

And don't miss Great New Books Reviewed http://newgreatbooks.blogspot.com as they host Kevin on November 5 and read more about what Kevin has to say about being a science fiction/fantasy writer.

For more information about Kevin Gerard and his virtual tour, check the schedule at http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/10/virtual-book-tour-conor-and-crossworlds.html

Amazon Link for Conor and the Crossworlds http://tinyurl.com/6lqas2

For more information on Kevin Gerard, visit his website http://www.conorandthecrossworlds.com.

Donna Sundblad

Tour Coordinator Promo 101 Virtual Blog Tours

www.theinkslinger.net

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Interview with Author of Three Moon Station

Although author Toni V. Sweeney originally had a very large family (her great-great-great-grandfather had 36 children), recently it has been decimated to just herself, her son and grandchildren, and one cousin living in the Great White North. They are Alsatian in origin, Middle Georgian by region. Anyone wanting to know more about her family should read her short story "Second Interview with a Vampire." It sums us up pretty well.

Toni Sweeney's website: www.tonivsweeney.com
myspace site: www.myspace.com/tvsweeney

She can also be found on Facebook and book trailers of some of her books on YouTube.

Book Hookup sat down with Toni recently who wrote Three Moon Station under the pseudonym Icy Snow Blackstone and this is what she had to say:

When did you consider yourself a writer? You know what I mean? The time when you realized that you crossed the line from 'want to be a writer' to 'I am a writer'.

It was in the last century, around '88, if my memory is correct. Due to circumstances which I will pass over because my friends have heard the story so much, it's become tiresome, I was an impoverished single mother working as an insurance clerk in a Midwest clinic. (How poor were you?) I was so poor, I began writing books because I couldn't afford to buy any. Almost everyone at work was a reader, sneaking short "reads" during breaks, etc, so I took the manuscripts to work and shared them with my co-workers. One dared me to submit one to a publisher, and I did. The rest is history...sort of.

Do you feel you have more than one voice in your writing?

I guess I must because some of the things I write about I don't personally believe in, but I put it in because of character development or plot continuity or some other facet. The again, a good portion of my writing is just li'l ol' moi. IT would be interesting to have someone who knows me read one of my books and see if they can pick out which is which.

What kept you writing while getting rejection letters or struggling with writer's block?

Plain old stubbornness! And I'm gonna show them attitude. Of course, I rather doubt those editors I targeted will ever know that a story or book they rejected got published somewhere else--unless I become a front-page, best-selling author, that is--but I get a vicarious thrill out of seeing an acceptance and thinking, "There! What do you think of that?"

As for writer's block...I've only suffered from that twice, and both times, it came after the particularly violent death of someone I knew. One was someone very dear to me,

the other was a co-worker. The first time, my writer's block ran for two years; I'm just coming out of the second one now, after 5 months. Something like

that makes you think, what's the use...it can be gone in a second...and the ol' brain just refuses to indulge itself. Then, someone or something provides that little spark and the seed of a story plants itself and--whether you want it to or not--begins to grow...

Do you use certain tricks that help prevent you from straying from your goal?

I'm exceptionally singleminded--unless I see that what I'm doing is definitely a lost cause, as in the case of a recent manuscript. Two people read it for me, pointed out that I was extremely wrong in several places, and made me realize that I didn't know enough to write the book, so I scrapped it. Perhaps some time I'll do more research and pick it up again but for now, I'm setting it aside. Ordinarily, though, I just plunk m'self in front of the computer, keep a supply of drinkables nearby and start typing!

How did you come to set this goal?

I've always been one to finish what I start (except in certain cases, see above.) That's always been one of my strong points, whether I'm writing a book, doing a project at work, or helping out at a club function. Ol' Dependable, that's me!

Tell me about any workshops you offer?

I'm sorry to admit that I don't do workshops. I don't feel that's I'm worthy--or capable--of telling others how to do anything. I'm on a 3rd grad level in math and my son is a math teacher and is always asking me (since I'm so mathematically illiterate) to give him suggestions on how to help his students who have trouble. I told him if I knew that, I wouldn't be mathematically illiterate, would I? IT would be a case of the blind leading the blind!

What inspired you to write Three Moon Station?

Three Moon Station was written in the early 1990's. I had seen a made-for-TV movie called Murder by Moonlight in which a murderer hides out on the moon while the police are searching Earth for him. That got me to thinking...what if someone witnessed a murder and no place on Earth was safe? How about going to another planet? What if the hit men followed her? The first two chapters were the most difficult to write, however. I just couldn't seem to get them right...I rewrote them probably seven times, then threw all but one away, even though it wasn't the most satisfactory. In fact, in a fit of what I can only describe as--total madness--I actually destroyed the rest of the manuscript! Just tossed it into the trash. Last year, someone I hadn't heard from in 15 years, e-mailed me to tell me he had found a copy of Three Moon Station in his computer files, that I'd given him and wanted to know if I'd like it back? He e-mailed it to me. Except for the first two chapters, it was all there. I transcribed it, added the two chapters I still had, and submitted it to The Wild Rose Press, where it was accepted. We didn't part under exactly friendly circumstances and he could've just deleted it from his files, but didn't. Thanks for that, Brian!

I also have a Black Rose novelette ("Demon in Blue Jeans") with The Wild Rose Press, which was released October 29th. The source for this story was a Country/Western song that I'd heard back in the '80 while I was working as a Physician's Assistant. I think it was called "Somebody's Knockin'" and is about a woman who thinks the Devil—with blue eyes and blue jeans--is knocking at her door. The story has been in my head for 20 years but I only decided to break down and write it last year.

How long will we wait for the next book?

Sinbad's Wife, the sequel to Sinbad's Last Voyage, should be out in November. I'd always like the movie The 7th Voyage of Sinbad and decided to do my own take on the story. My Sinbad is a smuggler, half-human, half-feline--and sexy as all get-out! In the first book, he meets Andi Talltrees, an adopted Navajo, and they spend most of the novel fighting with each other and with various aliens before admitting they are madly in love. Sinbad's Wife puts a twist on the reluctant bridegroom theme with Andi being the one who refuses to marry Sin and tells how he "tricks" her into it and the repercussions of her marrying a man wanted on 5 planets by the United Terran Federation.

How do you develop your plots and characters? Do you use any set formula?

I probably do it all wrong. Either they just pop into my head or I'll see something--like that movie--and elaborate on a specific section of it.

How do you come up with ideas for your writings and why do you feel you choose some over others?

I write what I like to read, that's it plain and simple. Sometimes I have to change things as I go along but generally what I start with is what I end up with. There have been two exceptions to that rule--the heroes of Bloodseek and Blood Sin. In Bloodseek (published by Double Dragon Publications), the hero started out as a Boba Fett-like county hunter; he ended up a knight on a quest of vengeance. The main character in Blood Sin was originally a Mr. Spock-type character, with such a tight rein on his emotions, he was almost an android; he evolved into a hard-drinking, womanizing, Terran-hating alien. About the only thing he kept was his name and home planet!

How much time do you devote to marketing your book and what kind of marketing do you recommend?

Now that I'm out of a "day job," when I'm not sending out resumes and applications, I'm online at blogsites, entering contests, submitting manuscripts, and completing interviews like this one. I spend a great deal of "free" time doing that—early in the morning, late at night. I pass out my business card whenever I can, and a local comics store puts flyers in their sales bags--advertising my latest book--for me. I also take out ads in some of the Publishers magazines.

What are your current projects?

At the moment, I have contracts for three novels with Lyrical Press (one of which--Earthman's Bride--just won first in the 2008 Maryland Romance Writers contest Reveal Your Inner Vixen in the alternate paranormal division) and a conditional contract for Blood Sin with Leucrota Press, and am waiting for edits on those novels. Other than that, I'm editing the first book (Shadow Lord) in my vampire series, The Second Species.

Where do you hope to take your writing in the future?

Wherever it wants to go! It would be nice if I could snag a feature spot on the Science Fiction Book Club, or have one of my books made into a TV movie for the Sci-Fi channel, or--Hey! Have Shadow Lord optioned by Universal--that may all be a daydream, but stranger things have happened, haven't they?

What dreams have been realized as a result of your writing? Any special memories that you would like to share...please, oh, please?

Getting something published at all! When you consider the percentage of accepted manuscripts versus rejections...the odds are almost astronomical. Special memories? As the song says...I have a few... Seeing my very first book sitting on a bookshelf...having my son, who has refused steadfastly to read my stories,download two from Amazon Shorts...having an editor who has published several of my short stories in one of his magazines write me this line in his acceptance e-mail: What I ought to do is hire you to teach some of these (would-be writers) how to write a vampire romance. That really puffed up my ego, Big Time! ...and...as the song goes on...I did it my way!

How do your friends and family feel about your writing venture in general?

As far as I can tell, they're pretending it isn't happening. I have never had one communication from my family concerning my writing. I don't know, perhaps I'm an embarrassment to them, because I didn't just become a good little homemaker and have a bunch of kids and when the kids were grown, get a part time job to keep me busy. Hey, folks, it wasn't my fault! I tried the "Leave it to Beaver" lifestyle but it rejected me, not the other way around! With the exception of my son's endorsement, and one aunt who religiously buys my book though I believe she has yet to read one, that's it. (You're aware that a prophet is without honor in his own country, aren't you?) Thank you, everyone who isn't related to me and has bought something I've written! (And you know who you are!)

What do you do to unwind and relax?

Believe it or not, I read! And watch TV, although I generally fall asleep before the denouement! I have watched so many shows and never seen the ending and found out who done it! I'm grateful for On Demand which shows reruns of a lot of the series I watch. Now if I could only stay awake while watching that...

If you had to do it over again, would you do anything differently?

I sure would--if I could have the foreknowledge of what happened before. Doing it over again implies that you know how it happened last time, otherwise you're doomed to repeat the same mistake again and again. Oh yes, there are several points in my life where I'd very much do it differently, you better believe it!

What advice would you give to writers just starting out?

1. Be determined.

2. Develop a thick skin.

3. Be patient.

Doing # 2 will help you with #1, and vice versa; doing #3 ( combined with # 1 and 2) may just make you a successful author...someday!

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Life Interrupted-It's not all about me


Life Interrupted-It's not all about me
148 pages - $11.99 (paperback)
eBook - $7.99 (download)
ISBN-10: 1606045633
ISBN-13: 9781606045633

Order Information Page

Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at a young age, author M. Tatevosian's Life Interrupted: It's Not All About Me describes how self-destructive and negative behaviors destroyed his marriage and left him with a poor-me attitude. In writing this deeply personal account, Tatevosian says in his introduction, "My hope is that you draw from (my experiences), identify similarities and avoid making the same relationship destroying mistakes (I did)."

In his candid and humble self-help memoir, Chris Tatevosian shares with readers, his diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and how his poor me attitude cost him his marriage. Chris hopes that others might learn from his relationship destroying mistakes to communicate more effectively and avoid allowing disability and feelings of decreasing self-worth to destroy one’s relationship. The book has been featured in the MetroWest newspaper (Framingham MA) and other smaller, local papers as well as web sites of numerous MS organizations such as,MSworld.org, MSfocus and the MS foundation web sites. Chris, a member at First Congregational Church of Hopkinton (FCCH) has suffered from the devastating effects of multiple sclerosis for more than twenty-eight years. Back in 2005, Chris facilitated a class at FCCH similarly called “Life Interrupted “, which like his book helps individuals deal with the stress put on a relationship as a result of a family member having a chronic illness or disability requiring another family member to function as the caregiver.

Chris is also the co-host of a blogtalk radio program called "Winning life through pain" with reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) coach Marla at 2 PM Eastern standard time on Tuesdays. The show is a call-in show for anyonesuffering from chronic illness.


Sunday, October 26, 2008

Beyond the Fifth Gate - Review


Those of you who own my creative writing book Pumping Your Muse may remember the flip side exercise that generated a new female character. That character grew to become the protagonist in my novel Beyond the Fifth Gate. Look what the latest review says about her:

Beyond the Fifth Gate has a strong female main character who reminded me of Xena without the long hair or possibly Seven-of-Nine without the spandex. Elita starts off a little weak in her fighting skills (but realistically, how hard would it be to practice when you live in a hive and are guarded day and night by big bugs?) but her first mystical gate provides two teachers who not only give her a crash course, but join her on her quest to freedom. There are plenty of plot twists along the way and the ending is a real shocker which truly caught me off guard just when I thought I had it all figured out.


You can read the entire review at Queen of Convolution.

Review written by:
Caprice Hokstad
Author of the fantasy novel, The Duke's Handmaid, and its sequel, Nor Iron Bars a Cage.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

The Devil Can Wait Review

Title: The Devil Can Wait
Author: Marta Stephens
ISBN 978-1-905202-86-7
Publisher: BeWrite Books

A flu outbreak leaves Detective Sam Harper short handed and over extended as he searches for a serial killer. The Devil Can Wait by Marta Stephens grabs you from the first chapter when a man and his dog discover the body of a young man washed up from the bay, the third victim of a serial killer and not a single clue. The local press and a pesky female reporter from the Chandler Times complicates his life further when she withholds evidence to get a story.

Stephens feeds threads of evidence throughout a multi-dimensional and intricate plot that spans two continents and leads to conclusions that increase the urgency to find a suspect before another young boy is murdered. This fast-paced thriller masterfully weaves mystery into the lives of believable characters and a well-crafted setting. Can the murder of a woman in a small Columbian pueblo, and the theft of her black pearl ring be related to the murder of the boys found in Chandler Bay? Or could the simpleton working in Dominick Ray's Garage actuality be the serial killer? The author creates solid leads raising suspicions that weave a web connecting to three possible suspects and then raises a new question. The death of each victim is different. Could this mean four different killers?

The Devil Can Wait interlaces a complex plot that grabs the reader and doesn't let go. This book will appeal to readers with varied interests as it has everything: tension, conflict, murder, mystery, romance and the ability to keep the reader turning the page as Sam Harper is thrust into a world that leads to a cursed papal ring tied to biblical prophecies in the book of Daniel. Sam's not a religious man, but it raises the question of whether a series of unrelated murders are the result of a sick mind or are they actually connected to the beasts in Daniel chapter 7? Harper's investigation leads him on an unpredictable trail making him more of a believer with each turn. This one is a must read.

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Reviewed by author and full-time freelance writer, Donna Sundblad, who resides in Georgia with her husband, Rick. Among her published works you'll find Pumping Your Muse a creative book for writers, Windwalker and Beyond the Fifth Gate, two young adult Fantasy novels, and various inspirational short stories and articles. Check her website for more information at www.theinkslinger.net.