Melanie Tomlin's Blog, page 4

An Interview with Author Steven McKinnon

Joining me today, and hoping that his knowledge of pop culture might come in useful, or that I’m happy to have Iron Maiden playing in the background, is author Steven McKinnon. Thank you, Steven, for taking the time to chat to me. Please sit down, get comfortable and let’s begin.

About Steven McKinnon

Steven McKinnon is an independent writer, living, eating and just about breathing in Glasgow.

He is the author of ‘Boldly Going Nowhere’, in which he tells the story of how he broke free from the suffocating rut he was in, which involved many instances of embarrassing himself when talking to girls.

When not writing deeply personal stories about his private life and showing them to the world, Steven will either be listening to Iron Maiden or filling his brain with pointless Buffy, Game of Thrones and Battlestar Galactica trivia.

His first published piece of short fiction, ‘GoogleFuture’, appears in Issue 6 of The High Flight, while ‘The Vividarium’ can be found in In Memory: A Tribute to Sir Terry Pratchett.

Steven completed two courses of Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow in 2010, and completed an HNC (Higher National Certificate) in Professional Writing Skills at Reid Kerr College in 2006. He is 30 years old, and was born in the bathroom of a high-rise flat in Glasgow on the 18th of March 1986.

He has since moved out.

What’s the name of the book you’re here to talk about today?

Boldly Going Nowhere

Tell us a bit about your book

How do you convince someone to love you when you can’t love yourself?

Shy, geeky, lonely and running full-speed in the fast lane to nowhere, Steven McKinnon is stuck in a rut. He hates getting out of bed in the morning. He hates being a burden on his friends and family. And he hates himself for letting life slip through his fingers.

‘Sounds like you need a girlfriend,’ says one of his mates one night down the pub. It’s the call to action Steven needs. But what happens when you embark on a journey of self-discovery and don’t like what you find? What happens when you somehow defy the odds and make things worse? And even more terrifying – what do you do when someone actually likes you?

Stopping off in Prague, Gothenburg, Newcastle and the sleepy hills of rural Scotland, Boldly Going Nowhere is the hilarious and achingly honest true story of what happens when one man decides to take a stand – against himself.

How important are character names to you in your books? Is there a special meaning to any of the names?

Well, for my first book, names were very important – as was changing some of them as it’s a real-life story. I wanted to use my real name due to the nature of the story (and image! That’s me on the front cover. Does that mean I can technically say I’m a model?), and use pseudonyms for one or two other real people who popped in and out of it.

For my fiction work, names often come automatically then are changed later on depending on if they ‘fit’. My current work in progress, a fantasy piece, has one character in particular with a name with special meaning, and the rest I just stuck on if I thought they sounded cool. Real world geography came into play with some names, as some locations are analogous to real countries and continents.

Give us an insight into your main character. What makes them unique?

What makes the main character in Boldly Going Nowhere unique is that I am him, and he is me! I guess it’s true that writers infuse all their characters with some part of themselves. In this case, I put in everything. And then some more.

So I suppose the question becomes ‘What makes me unique?’ At the risk of sounding flippant and not a smidgen pompous, nothing that doesn’t make anyone else unique. You could say that ‘uniqueness’ is universal, which is a bit of an oxymoron. I think – and certainly this is what I wanted to put across in Boldly Going Nowhere – we get caught up with the negatives of our lives and don’t often realise that just about everyone else has gone through the same or similar. I wanted to be explicit about that, to show people that it’s okay to talk, that ignoring or bottling problems doesn’t solve them, whether you perceive them as minor or colossal. This was something reinforced during my therapy (I have a form of OCD called Pure O), which came about after the book was written.

It’s bizarre writing about yourself, but probably preferable to other people doing it!

Where do your ideas come from?

Hmm, I don’t think saying ‘my head’ quite answers this question. I don’t get an idea from a single event or experience, or if I do it comes later in drips and drabs and filtered through every other event or experience. Reading a lot helps too (currently reading Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding) and watching a shed-load of movies, TV and playing story-driven computer games.

Actually, the project I’m working on just now has clear influences (to my mind, anyway) of stuff like Firefly, Battlestar Galacitca and some of the Final Fantasy games.

What do you consider to be your best accomplishment?

Having The Vividarium published in an anthology put together in memory of the late, great and wonderful Sir Terry Pratchett was pretty amazing. Probably the most fun I’ve had writing a story too, and all proceeds go to Alzheimer’s Research UK.

I’ve also got into stand-up comedy recently, so standing up and joking about my OCD as a way to confront it was a small personal victory! (You can read a bit about that here https://goo.gl/MeFkbv)

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Graduating from ‘going bald’ to ‘been bald for nine and a half years now.’

I might write a sequel and call it ‘Baldly Going Nowhere’…

What writing advice do you have for aspiring authors?

Keep writing. Consistency is the key. Even on ‘off’ days, I allow myself 20 minutes. If it’s like drawing blood from a particularly surly stone and nothing’s coming, I do something else. If it’s going well, then I don’t even notice the time going.

But we have to live our lives too, so getting out there and experiencing and making our own stories is important.

Also, try experimenting between ‘pantsing’ and ‘plotting’ and see what techniques work.

Also also, read.

Do you read reviews of your book(s)? Do you respond to them, good or bad? How do you deal with the bad?

I have done! I actually don’t take the negatives as badly as I thought, which was a surprise. The editor of In Memory: A Tribute for Sir Terry Pratchett wrote a spot-on review of my book. There’s a part of the story, near the end, where I threw all of the real life stuff that was happening into it. I was worried that it was too much, or too boring, but I also recognised that I was too close to it to be objective like I am with my fiction. So, I sent it off to my beta readers and editor, and they didn’t draw much attention to the section. So, I left it as-is, a growing, gnawing uncertainty rising as I read it over again.

This review picked up on it being a little too ‘soap opera’, which I completely agreed with. The silver lining is that I’ve learned to trust my own instincts even when I might biased. (Plus it was a positive review overall, so certainly can’t argue!)

What is your least favourite part of the writing / publishing process?

Hmm… Having too many ideas for my fingers to keep up with.

Is there one subject you would never write about as an author? What is it?

I would put it here, but I can’t write about it.

Is there a certain type of scene that’s harder for you to write than others?

I find them all equally insurmountable. Actually, probably fight scenes, but this is something I want to *cough* combat, so I’m putting loads of fight scenes into my current WiP. Better to confront it than to avoid it!

What are you working on now?

A fantasy, action, adventure piece inspired by the old pulp novels and every TV show, movie and computer game I’ve ever loved! I’m having a lot of fun with it.

Can you give us a few tasty morsels from your work-in-progress?

I’ll put in a list, and hope that whets the appetite without giving anything away:

• Airships

• Sword fights

• Gun fights

• Explosions

• A hint of magic

• Airship battles

• Pirates

• Sky pirates

• A giant snake

• Heroes

• Villains

• Morally-challenged characters

Describe what your ideal writing space looks like.

A quiet room that I can sit alone and un-quiet with Iron Maiden music (which is exactly the case for this interview!)

Why should a potential reader buy your book(s)?

Because it is exactly like whatever their favourite book is, but better.

What’s the strangest thing you have ever had to research for your book?

Nothing too strange, bar the usual writerly habits of looking into serial killers, knife-fighting techniques, swords, murder, the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow etc.

…I’ve just cleared my browsing history.

What’s something you’re really good at that few people know about?

I can make a Nutella and Ferrero Rocher cake. Also, I can move my nostrils at will. (As far as super powers go, it’s not brilliant.)

What’s an interesting fact about your book?

Everything in it happened, for better or worse! Including the bit at the doctor and revisiting a certain derelict high school that may or may not have been 100% legal…

Also, there might possibly be a hidden short story at the end of it.

Where did your love of books come from?

They’re a constant – everyone should read. I loved picturing the grand battles, castles, car chases, magic, wizards, space ships and every other thing in my head.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

DON’T DRINK FROM THE FOUNTAIN.

He’ll know what I mean.

What would the main character in your book have to say about you?

“Isn’t it weird talking about yourself? At least you’re ridiculously handsome. And delusional.”

Of all the characters you have created, which is your favourite and why?

Hahaha… I’ve been staring at this for a while and cannot think of an answer! Okay, today it’s Ernest the Hairy Goat-Man With a Leopard’s Face (who, by the way, is a hairy goat-man with a leopard’s face).

Who are your favourite authors, and why?

Dave Gorman and Danny Wallace – because their non-fiction hijinx makes me want to be their mate so I can join in on one of their adventures.

Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett – because their fictional hijinx makes me want to be their mate so I can join in on one of their adventures.

What’s the best thing about being an indie author?

Absolute freedom!

Also, that’s the worst thing.

Where can readers go to discover more about you and your books?

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon Author Page | YouTube

Boldly Going Nowhere is out now!

Available formats: ebook and paperback

The post An Interview with Author Steven McKinnon appeared first on Melanie Tomlin.

An Interview with Author Dominique Mondesir

Joining me today is another author who writes about angels, Dominique Mondesir. Thank you, Dominique, for taking the time to chat to me. Please sit down, get comfortable and let’s begin.

About Dominique Mondesir

Dominique Mondesir has wanted to be a writer since the age of sixteen. He could remember reading The Hobbit and Harry Potter late at night and thinking, I could do that. More than ten years later and he has.

His first book Origins (Fallen Angels) was published in September 2015, with three more released so far.

He lives in England with his girlfriend and cat and hopes to travel the world before he gets too old.

What’s the name of the book you’d like to talk about today?

Origins (Fallen Angels, Book 1)

Tell us a bit about your book

Destiny chooses you …

Finding out his life is a lie–full of myths and misconceptions.

Perez battles a world full of danger and fear.

Where he must learn to survive and adapt.

But fighting the lies while facing off

Against cunning, ruthless angels

May result in Perez’s downfall.

In a world full of relentless villains and disloyal confidantes, one angel must accept his true identity …

If there was a film or TV adaptation of your book, who would you like to see play your characters?

Thats an interesting question. My main character would be played by Michael B. Jordan, because I loved his role in Chronicle. My first choice would be Idris Elba, but his a bit too old to play the character, although I think he could really make it come alive.

Monroe would be played by Scarlett Johansson, because Monroe is a very feisty character, and Scarlett’s portrayal of Black Widow really impressed me.

The others I would have to think on, because this is the first time I have not casted my characters on people I know. Each one is so unique and different that it’s hard to put a label on them.

How important are character names to you in your books? Is there a special meaning to any of the names?

Character names are very near and dear to me. I hate using John or Dave, because I believe your characters should be larger than life pieces in your art. They should jump out at your audience and grab them, never letting them go. But getting the names for characters that way can be challenging. So what I do whenever I came across a good name, reading a fiction or non-fiction book, I write it down. Or sometimes names just pop out at me when I’m walking or working out, and I say them in my phone recorder or text them to myself.

Give us an insight into your main character. What makes them unique?

Perez is unique in that everyone can relate to him. He’s your everyday hero, who isn’t the strongest, or fastest, or smartest. He doubts himself at every turn, but he still manages to find the courage to do what he needs to do. I think that’s what really sets firefighters and the like apart. They are scared, of course they are, but they still do their duty anyway.

Where do your ideas come from?

Argh!!! Every writer hates that question. I get them from submersing myself in great works of art. Be it TV, books or film. Greatness tends to leave clues.

What do you consider to be your best accomplishment?

My best accomplishment do date is starting and finishing writing a book. As authors I think we sometimes forget how cool that is.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I want to be a household writer name. I want to stand among the greats such as, King, Rowling and Patterson.

Have you always liked to write?

Yes, for me writing has always come easier than anything else I have done in my life. I do it almost everyday, so now it’s just a habit.

What writing advice do you have for aspiring authors?

Buy a writing app. Set a goal total you want to hit, a deadline and hit it. To do that you have to write everyday, or close to it when you first start. After that it doesn’t get easier, but it doesn’t get harder.

If you didn’t like writing books, or weren’t any good at it, what would you like to do for a living?

Honestly, I can’t see myself doing anything else.

What is your best marketing tip?

The best and only marketing tip that really works is write your next book. People don’t want to hear that, and they believe Facebook ads and the like will save them or make them bestsellers, but writing your next book is the best thing that you can do to increase your paycheque.

In this game of writing, a lot of courses have come about that claim to help you increase your sales and they may work to a point. But that’s just a tactic, and you don’t want to build your business on marketing tactics because those can change in an instant.

You want to base your business on a strong foundation, and only books will give you that.

What is your least favourite part of the writing / publishing process?

One word, editing. Writing the first draft is dancing drunk. Editing is re-watching it sober and trying to take the best bits out of it.

Is there a certain type of scene that’s harder for you to write than others?

I never do sex scenes. My grandmother reads my books, and having that in there would embarrass me too much. It’s bad enough having a few swear words in my books.

How long does it usually take you to write the first draft of a book?

The first draft is normally done in the first four to five weeks. That’s at a slow, steady pace.

Describe what your ideal writing space looks like.

I love writing in nature. If I can find a park or some woods to write at, I can spend all day there and write without getting distracted. Plus not having the net helps too.

Where did your love of books come from?

My love of books came from reading. One of the reasons I’m a writer is so I can read all day. To become a better writer you have to read and write, that’s it. There is nothing I love better than reading a good book and just letting the author’s words take me away.

I mean man, it’s like a drug. I remember I was in Budapest last year and I stayed up all night reading Red Rising by Pierce Brown. I was sitting in the bathroom so I wouldn’t wake up my girlfriend and I couldn’t put it down. I think I didn’t finish the book till four in the morning. That for me is what books should be all about. It’s why I write. As an author if you can give that same experience to your reader, it’s worth its weight in gold.

How long have you been writing?

Since I was in my teens. My first book was going to be called Two-Faced killers. Hahaha. The wisdom of youth I guess.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

It gets better. All you have to do is endure.

What would the main character in your book have to say about you?

Why do you keep hurting me you bastard!

Where can readers go to discover more about you and your books?

Website | Facebook | Amazon Author Page | Goodreads

Origins (Fallen Angels, Book 1) is out now!

Available formats: ebook and paperback

The post An Interview with Author Dominique Mondesir appeared first on Melanie Tomlin.

An Interview with Author LEFT1

INTRODUCTORY TEXT HERE Thank you, “AUTHOR NAME”, for taking the time to chat to me. Please sit down, get comfortable and let’s begin.

[image error]About “AUTHOR NAME”

What’s the name of your new book?

Tell us a bit about your book

[image error]

If there was a film or TV adaptation of your book, who would you like to see play your characters?

How important are character names to you in your books? Is there a special meaning to any of the names?

Give us an insight into your main character. What makes them unique?

Where do your ideas come from?

What do you think of book trailers? Do you have a trailer or do you intend to create one for your own book?

What do you consider to be your best accomplishment?

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Have you always liked to write?

What writing advice do you have for aspiring authors?

If you didn’t like writing books, or weren’t any good at it, what would you like to do for a living?

Do you read reviews of your book(s)? Do you respond to them, good or bad? How do you deal with the bad?

What is your best marketing tip?

What is your least favourite part of the writing / publishing process?

Is there one subject you would never write about as an author? What is it?

Do you have a favourite conference / convention that you like to attend? What is it?

Is there a certain type of scene that’s harder for you to write than others?

How long does it usually take you to write the first draft of a book?

What are you working on now?

Can you give us a few tasty morsels from your work-in-progress?

Do you have any unique or quirky writing habits?

How has your environment or upbringing impacted your writing?

Describe what your ideal writing space looks like.

Why should a potential reader buy your book(s)?

What’s the strangest thing you have ever had to research for your book?

What’s something you’re really good at that few people know about?

What’s an interesting fact about your book?

Why did you choose to write in your genre? If you write in more than one, how do you balance them?

Where did your love of books come from?

How long have you been writing?

What advice would you give to your younger self?

What would the main character in your book have to say about you?

Do you have a day job in addition to being a writer? If so, what do you do during the day?

Of all the characters you have created, which is your favourite and why?

Are your characters based on real people, are they imaginary or a combination of both?

When you’re writing, do you listen to music or do you need silence?

Who are your favourite authors, and why?

If you’re an indie author, what’s the best thing about being an indie author?

What do you find most challenging about writing?

Is there a question that no one has asked you about your book, but you wish someone would? CHANGE THIS TEXT TO THE ACTUAL QUESTION THE OTHER POSED.

Where can readers go to discover more about you and your books?

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Amazon Author Page | Smashwords | Instagram | Goodreads | YouTube

“BOOK NAME” is out “NOW OR RELEASE DATE”!

Available formats: “ADD HERE”.

The post An Interview with Author LEFT1 appeared first on Melanie Tomlin.

An Interview with Author J.A. Pipes

As the saying goes, there’s no rest for the wicked, so while everyone else is still feasting or enjoying the post-Christmas sales, I’ve invited author J.A. Pipes to join me on the couch to talk about his book, All Lesser Means. Thank you, J.A., for taking the time to chat to me. Please sit down, get comfortable and let’s begin.

About J.A. Pipes

J.A. Pipes is a self-proclaimed politics junkie, anarchist podcaster and blogger. He has traveled the world from Uluru to Istanbul. He has dug up dinosaurs in the badlands of Montana and has served in the United States Marine Corps during Desert Storm. J.A. holds degrees in Computer Science and Mathematics from the University of Missouri, and is currently an engineer for the world’s largest aerospace company. He resides in St. Louis with his wife and two children.

What’s the name of your new book?

All Lesser Means

Tell us a bit about your book

What if information from the future could make you rich?

Jason Bailey needs money. Paying to overthrow the government isn’t cheap. Especially when the revolution is still 30 years away. In his first job out of college, Jason is working alone one night when he receives a message… from the future. A message that will turn his life upside down.

The future is bleak, the economy is a shambles, and millions are suffering. Jason’s compassion for people he has never met draws him into a conspiracy to bankroll a secret army that will overthrow that government. Things go much deeper than Jason anticipated and his investments soon draw the attention of the FBI.

Veteran agent and internet cop Frank McIntyre is drafted into a top secret government operation to find Jason, with orders to stop him or face the consequences. The chase is on. Jason must hide the money, and himself, in a cat and mouse game that ends in revolution.

How important are character names to you in your books? Is there a special meaning to any of the names?

I think character names are very important. In some cases, the name by itself can communicate something about the character (ethnicity, for example). But most of all, you have to be careful to make your characters distinct in the reader’s mind and this starts with the name you give a character. One thing I’ve learned to avoid is having multiple characters with names that start with the same letter – this can be confusing to some readers. In some instances, I have used actual names of real people in my book, especially if the character was inspired by someone I’ve known in real life.

Give us an insight into your main character. What makes them unique?

Jason Bailey is definitely your everyman character forced to deal with some extraordinary circumstances. He’s unique perhaps in his sense of compassion for people he’s never met. I’m not sure that most people would be as committed to a cause as Jason, so in many ways he is very naïve. But I hope that people can relate to him on an emotional level because he really runs a gauntlet throughout the story and I wanted the reader to feel the emotional toll it takes on him.

Where do your ideas come from?

I’ve always loved stories about time travel. As I kid I enjoyed The Green Futures of Tycho by William Sleator. And, of course, I loved the Back to the Future series of movies. But believe it or not, the central idea for this book actually came from a non-fiction book on quantum physics that I read many years ago called In Search of Schrodinger’s Cat, by John Gribbin. I wanted to explore what would happen if someone invented a device that didn’t allow a person to travel through time, but rather allowed information to be sent back in time. How would this device be used? Would it be used for good? Or evil? Or maybe both at the same time.

What are you working on now?

Because this was my first novel and turned out to be much more difficult than I anticipated, I am working on an outline for the sequel. I am hopeful that an outline will make it easier for me to complete the first draft rather than spending so much time blocked wondering where the story should go from here. It’s an experiment really. I still expect to get blocked from time to time, because your characters always take you in unexpected directions. But at least I won’t have the vast ocean of white at the bottom of the page intimidating me the entire journey.

Can you give us a few tasty morsels from your work-in-progress?

The device still exists in the sequel, but it is now being used by a different person for different purposes. So I’m going to explore some ethical and moral conundrums that result from having the power to change past events. I’m also continuing the story of my favorite character from the first book – Marisa Lopez.

Why should a potential reader buy your book(s)?

I want my story to challenge a reader’s beliefs, especially when it comes to politics. I hope that some of the situations I portray in the book will force the reader to think in a different way – I am really going for some cognitive dissonance!

What’s an interesting fact about your book?

It was actually very challenging to figure out what genre my book was and that has made marketing it a lot more difficult. Followers on my blog know that in the months leading up to publishing I struggled to pick a genre. It’s a political thriller, but it also has a healthy dose of science fiction thrown in. So it’s #PoliSciFi – it’s a book without a genre. LOL Ultimately that may hurt sales, but I wrote the story I wanted to write and that’s all that matters to me.

Where can readers go to discover more about you and your books?

Website | Facebook | Amazon Author Page | Goodreads

All Lesser Means is out now!

Available formats: ebook

The post An Interview with Author J.A. Pipes appeared first on Melanie Tomlin.

An Interview with Author CeeCee James

Joining me today on the couch is author CeeCee James, who likes her mysteries cozy! Thank you, CeeCee for taking the time to chat to me. Please sit down, get comfortable and let’s begin.

About CeeCee James

CeeCee James is a wife, mom of four rambunctious kids and pet mom to two mini-dashchunds. She’s always loved to read and always had her nose in a book– getting her into trouble at school when she’d sneak it in her text books.

What’s the name of your new book?

The Sour Taste of Suspicion

Tell us a bit about your book

The only thing worse than living in a haunted house is somebody trying to make you the next ghost.

When Elise takes a position at spooky old Montgomery Manor as companion to her friend Lavina’s great aunt, she’s expecting an easy job for the holidays. What she doesn’t expect are dead bodies, ghosts and a murderer who’s picked her as the next target.

Delving into the secrets and tragedies of the past, her only clue is a doll’s house from which pieces keep mysteriously disappearing. But what is the connection between the doll’s house and the real one? Is Montgomery Manor really haunted, or is there something even more sinister afoot?

Elise will have to use all her ingenuity to answer the questions–and fast, or she just might find she’s the house’s newest ghost.

What do you consider to be your best accomplishment?

My best? Definitely my sweet children. They are gifts to me, and I’ve done my best every single day to be a good parent to them. As far as separate from that, I’d probably say my memoir, Ghost No More. It won 2016 best memoir this summer.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Hopefully with lots of grandchildren I’d love to travel and have more speaking engagements.

Have you always liked to write?

Absolutely! I’ve always had a pencil in hand scribbling away at one story or another.

What writing advice do you have for aspiring authors?

My advice would be this— Write your first draft without picturing someone reading it over your shoulder. Don’t worry if it’s good or bad, just get it out.

How long does it usually take you to write the first draft of a book?

I can usually get through a first draft in 8 weeks. I do better if I keep going, one book after another, rather than take a break. It keeps my head in the game and the scene and world fresh in my mind.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on book four of the Angel Lake Mysteries. I’m super excited about this one!

Can you give us a few tasty morsels from your work-in-progress?

I have to come up with a new tag line for it. The tag line for The Sour Taste of Suspicion is— The only thing worse than living in a haunted house is somebody trying to make you the next ghost.

Why should a potential reader buy your book(s)?

I have several goals when writing my books. The first- to entertain the reader. I like my readers to leave my books feeling encouraged and even refreshed and ready for another. Most of all, I write to encourage anyone who needs to hear it that life is full of hope. This message burns inside of me, generated from a season in my own life when I needed to hear that message.

Why did you choose to write in your genre? If you write in more than one, how do you balance them?

I’ve crossed a few genres, which really breaks the cardinal rule in publishing. But my genres represent my own journey in life. The first series is my Ghost No More memoir series. I then started my inspirational romance, which allowed me to share a few more of my true stories in a fictional way. Then I moved to Cozy Mysteries, which has been delightful because it’s a fun puzzle I have to figure out every day.

Of all the characters you have created, which is your favourite and why?

I’m not sure I have a favorite. I like Miranda from Wrecked and Yours. I experienced homelessness as a teen, and many of her struggles were things I could personally relate with.

I liked Cassie from A Beautiful Wreck because she’s so brave.

I like Elise from the Angel Lake Mysteries because of her inquisitive nature. And her best friend, Lavina, cracks me up with her proper Southern belle effect.

Where can readers go to discover more about you and your books?

Facebook | Amazon Author Page

The Sour Taste of Suspicion is out now!

Available formats: ebook and paperback

The post An Interview with Author CeeCee James appeared first on Melanie Tomlin.

Angel’s Demon Character Name Winners!

Have a Character Named After You in Angel’s Demon — Competition Winners

As with my previous competitions, the email addresses for all potential winners were entered into a random list picker, courtesy of Random-ize. After each winner was randomly chosen, they were removed from the list to ensure they couldn’t be randomly selected again. It can be a long and tedious process, but it’s a fair one.

Here are the questions and answers that were required to establish eligibility to enter the competition:

Q1. Angel’s Kiss: What is the name of Helena’s mother?

A1. Michelle character name winners

Q2. Angel’s Curse: What does EVIL stand for?

A2. Everything Violent is Loved character name winners

Q3. Angel’s Messiah: What does Gina call Helena?

A3. Little Mother character name winners

Congratulations to the following winners! Your names are going to be immortalised in book five of the Angel Series — Angel’s Demon.

Teresa Sanchez

Brooke Jones

Gesthimani Tamtelen

Felicitia Deru

Alice Nunez

Alyssa Janine Busia

All winners have been notified and I’m now busy incorporating their characters int the fifth book. character name winners

When’s the next competition?

Late January or early February, to celebrate the release of Angel’s Body (book four of the Angel Series).

The post appeared first on Melanie Tomlin.

An Interview with Author Melanie Tomlin

Today I’m interviewing author Melanie Tomlin … that would be me! I’m not sure whether to sit a mirror on the couch next to me, or to hot-swap seats, from the interviewer position to the interviewee position. Confused? I know I am, and the interview hasn’t even started yet! So, I shall start by thanking myself for taking the time to chat with myself, and sitting down to get comfortable before I begin.

About Melanie Tomlin

Melanie Tomlin was born in Beeston, England. At the age of three her family moved to suburban Melbourne, Australia, where she has lived ever since. When she was twelve her parents bought her a typewriter, and she wrote her first novel that very same year. She still has the typewriter, which is somewhat worse for wear, but that first manuscript is now nothing but a distant memory.

Her first published book, Angel’s Kiss, was released in 2015. The second and third instalments in the ‘Angel Series’ — Angel’s Curse and Angel’s Messiah — were released in February 2016 and June 2016 respectively.

For a change of pace, and something a little different, Melanie has recently finished work on a book of poetry called Twisted Poems of a Warped Mind and a children’s picture book called Lucy Vampoosy: The Little Vampire Dog.

What’s the name of your new book?

Angel’s Body (Book 4 of the Angel Series)

Tell us a bit about your book

One body, two souls …

Helena is possessed by a demon, and those who matter most to her are blind to her plight. She’s trapped in a body that she no longer controls, her soul in a constant state of torment.

Desperate to take back what is hers, Helena tries time and again to overcome the deranged demonic spirit that is using her body to wreak havoc in the mortal world.

The demon, furious at Helena’s attempts to thwart it and regain control, seeks an exorcist to cast her out. The time has come for Helena to take a final stand and fight for her freedom.

Only one of them can survive, but which one?

What do you think of book trailers? Do you have a trailer or do you intend to create one for your own book?

I’ve seen some awesome trailers for books and as I like to try new things, I decided to make my own. I’m probably a better writer than ‘film’ maker, but I’ve had a lot of fun making trailers and have learned (and am still learning) new skills, which is always a good thing. I haven’t started work on the trailer for Angel’s Body yet. This is going to be my most challenging trailer to date, given the subject matter.

What is your least favourite part of the writing / publishing process?

Marketing, which I think is the least favourite part for most authors. As an introvert it’s difficult to put yourself out there, even in a time when social media makes it seemingly easy to connect with people.

How long does it usually take you to write the first draft of a book?

Time permitting, it used to be four weeks (in the days before I published my first book), though it meant I didn’t have a life! Now that I’m out of the shadows and in the light, four week is only realistic when I’m on holidays, given that I:

a) have a website to maintain

b) try to be active on social media

c) need to constantly engage in promoting and marketing my brand and books

d) still have a day job to help pay the bills.

What are you working on now?

I’m finalising book four in the Angel Series, which is due to be released on Valentine’s Day. I have quite a warped sense of humour, so that’s why I chose that release date. A book about demonic possession is hardly going to be romantic!

Can you give us a few tasty morsels from your work-in-progress?

My body continued to tingle, from within this time, as though something had managed to crawl inside me and was clinging to me as if its life depended on it. The tingling increased and transformed into thousands of agonisingly sharp pinpricks. I was sure something was growing inside me, expanding to fit to the shape of my body. As the feeling grew I began to sense a spark. Something evil and sinister was trying to take hold. In my mind I could see it taking shape. I trembled at what I saw, only now realising the leaves had not been talking to me — it was disembodied spirits that had talked, their rushing through the trees causing the leaves to rustle wildly. How many hundreds had there been, and who had won the right to invade my body?

What’s something you’re really good at that few people know about?

This is really only my personal opinion, but I think I’m getting pretty good at drawing. I started taking fortnightly art classes back in August 2015 and I’m sure I’ve improved. If you’d like to see my art work, visit my art page.

Do you have a day job in addition to being a writer? If so, what do you do during the day?

I’m a business analyst and technical writer, so my day job involves a lot of writing, though it’s all very dry, logical stuff that most people would find boring. If you’re an insomniac, it might just help you get to sleep! I also do system testing on occasion, when I want to verify that the required functionality as per my specifications has been built and working as expected.

Of all the characters you have created, which is your favourite and why?

Definitely Gina, from Angel’s Messiah. She was such a fun character to write for — an optimist in a pessimistic world, naïve, yet knowledgeable. Being a child in a woman’s body and not really knowing what life was all about, she sometimes asked the most embarrassing questions. Gina is a kind and considerate soul who only wants peace and harmony for all of mankind. I wish there were more people like her.

When you’re writing, do you listen to music or do you need silence?

It depends what I’m writing. I listen to Depeche Mode on shuffle for the Angel Series. Any album from Violator onward captures the many moods of my books. And as fate would have it, the right song usually starts playing when it needs to.

Is there a certain type of scene that’s harder for you to write than others?

Of course there is. Any authors who says otherwise are kidding themselves. For me, it’s the death of a character who is close to my heart. In the second book, Angel’s Curse, I was crying my eyes out as I was writing the death scene of an important character whom I loved. I made so many typos in the first draft of that scene because the tears were blurring my vision and I couldn’t see what I was typing. Even now, when I read that scene I’ll cry.

Where can readers go to discover more about you and your books?

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon Author Page | Smashwords | Instagram | Goodreads | YouTube

Angel’s Body is available on 14 February, 2017!

Available formats: ebook and paperback

The post An Interview with Author Melanie Tomlin appeared first on Melanie Tomlin.

The Prolific Reader — An instaFreebie Repository

The Prolific Reader is now live!
What’s The Prolific Reader all about?

As the title of this post suggests, The Prolific Reader is a repository of free books that are available to download via instaFreebie.

The difference between The Prolific Reader and other instaFreebie promotions is that all books listed here are permanent or semi-permanent (minimum three months) and are available to download from instaFreebie for as long as they are listed on the page. If a book has a ‘download expiry date’ on instaFreebie, it will be displayed in the listing. (Most instaFreebie promotions are for books that only have a short window of opportunity to download them. Blink and you’ve missed your chance!)

Over the past month I have been working with over 72 authors to bring together 88 books in the following genres:

Fantasy (urban / dark / paranormal)
Paranormal Romance
Science Fiction
Horror
Children’s Fiction

We’ve included a little bit more information about the books than you can currently see on instaFreebie. Like to read a blurb when a cover has caught your eye? All the authors have supplied a brief description for each of their books. And you’ll also be able to tell if the book is a Novel, Novella, Short Story or Preview (‘sneak peek’).

All this information is there to help you decide if you want to download a book. Of course, as they’re free, you may not care about any of the extra information that’s provided. That’s okay as well. The authors involved would be only too happy if you selected their book to download and read.

The page will continue to grow and evolve as more authors and their books are added. Naturally some of the semi-permanent listings will eventually drop-off as well, but there will be plenty of time to download any or all of the books shown on the page. And of course, once you’ve downloaded a book, it’s yours to keep forever.

What’s the catch?

In most cases, when you download a book you’ll be automatically signed up (subscribed) to the author’s newsletter.

If you don’t really want to receive regular emails (they can vary from once a week to one a year!) you can simply unsubscribe when you receive your first email or newsletter from the author. Please do have a read of their first email, as you might find that they offer freebies, discounts and other incentives to stick around, or you might just connect with whatever it is they have to say in their welcome email. After that, if you still want to unsubscribe (the ‘unsubscribe’ link or button usually appears at the bottom of the email) we understand, and thank you for not simply moving us to the ‘Junk’ folder.

Okay, now I feel my conscience is clear and that you haven’t been tricked into doing anything you don’t want to do.

Are you ready for your free books?

So, if you’re not put off by an email or two, what are you waiting for? Why not head over to The Prolific Reader now and start downloading today! Don’t forget to bookmark the page and check back every now and again to see what’s new!

The post The Prolific Reader — An instaFreebie Repository appeared first on Melanie Tomlin.

An Interview with Author Nicole Garcia

Joining me today, and ever the romantic, is author Nicole Garcia. Thank you, Nicole, for taking the time to chat to me. Please sit down, get comfortable and let’s begin.

About Nicole Garcia

N.Y. Times Bestselling author Nicole Garcia has a degree in Nursing, but has been a stay at home mom for the past 9 years. Her passion is reading and she decided to make a career out of sharing her love for books. Writing and promoting has become a full time job for her now. Currently Nicole writes steamy Paranormal, Contemporary, and New Adult Romance, but plans to write other genres in the future. Hope you will join her in all the fun ahead.

What’s the name of your upcoming book?

Decadent Dreams

Tell us a bit about your book

Nico

My dreams haunt me. I feel as if I am falling into a pit of impending doom, but even that has not prepared me for the roller-coaster of emotions that flood over me when I’m near Phoenix. I have to keep my distance from her. I need to. It’s the only thing I can do to keep from getting hurt again. Staying away from her proves to be a much harder task than I could have ever imagined. She’s not only my assistant, but she’s half my age. She gets under my skin and irritates the shit out of me, yet, one smile, one laugh, and I’m melting into a puddle at her feet. Falling in love with her is a bad idea, a very bad idea, because she just may be the one person who breaks my heart for good this time.

Phoenix

Nico is my boss. He’s demanding, bitter, brooding, and a downright bully at times. But, all that doesn’t deter me from him at all. I can see the kindness and compassion in his eyes. I know the secret he’s keeping from everyone and why he’s so guarded with his heart. I don’t care about his secret, nor do I care that he’s twice my age. What matters is the undeniable attraction we feel for each other. If only he can just let go of the past and see what’s right in front of him.

How important are character names to you in your books? Is there a special meaning to any of the names?

My characters names are very important to me. Sometimes they have special meaning and sometimes I just really love a name and have to use it. Lots of my characters names are named after the members of my reading group/street team.

Where do your ideas come from?

I get a lot of my ideas just scrolling around looking for cover images for other books. I’ll see something that catches my eye and wind up making up a whole new story idea.

What do you think of book trailers? Do you have a trailer or do you intend to create one for your own book?

I love book trailers. I have actually purchased many books based on seeing the book trailer alone. I also make them for my own books, but they are very time consuming so I don’t do one for every book.

What do you consider to be your best accomplishment?

Definitely making the New York Times Bestseller list last year. It was the greatest thing to happen to me career wise.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In ten years I see myself writing more and more books. I have a whole board full of ideas that needs attending to.

Have you always liked to write?

Yes I have. As a teenager I always wrote poetry. I still write it to this day. It’s kind of my first love.

What writing advice do you have for aspiring authors?

Never give up. If writing is what you really want to do, don’t let anyone stop you or tell you that you can’t do it.

If you didn’t like writing books, or weren’t any good at it, what would you like to do for a living?

I have been asked many times and have been laughed at. I would have definitely been an accountant. Growing up I had always loved numbers and had received lots of Math awards in school. I was always the first to raise my hand to participate. I still love Math to this day. It was always my favorite subject.

Do you read reviews of your book(s)? Do you respond to them, good or bad? How do you deal with the bad?

I do read some reviews both good and bad. I thank all who leave reviews. Some of the bad ones give me constructive criticism and I try to keep readers opinions in mind so my writing becomes better with each book that is released.

What is your least favourite part of the writing / publishing process?

The editing. It’s very tedious, but absolutely necessary. And blurbs. Writing blurbs is the worst. I’d much rather write a 200 page book than write a blurb.

What are you working on now?

Right now I’m working on a book called Decadent Dreams to be released on Valentine’s Day.

Can you give us a few tasty morsels from your work-in-progress?

Absolutely. I have an unedited excerpt that I can share with you.

MT note: This excerpt contains adult content. Please don’t click the button if you’re under 18 or find adult content offensive.

Nico

When Gio leaves I quietly make my way to my room. I stop in the doorway. I have to check on her. It’s bad enough I don’t get enough sleep as it is, but if I don’t see her resting comfortably then I won’t be able to either.

I turn the knob, pushing the door open. She’s sleeping. Her breathing is slow and steady. Her bright red hair fans across the pillow and her lips are slightly parted. She turns on her side facing me and puts her hands together under the side of her face. She licks her bottom lip and my cock instantly reacts. I walk over to the bed and brush a stray hair out of her face, placing it behind her ear. She leans into my touch and I gently glide my thumb over her healing cheek.

Another soft moan escapes her mouth. I slide my thumb across her parted lips with a little more force than I should and her tongue darts out to touch my skin. I run my thumb over her lips a second time and this time she open her mouth more, taking my finger inside her mouth. I’m a complete shit for taking advantage of her like this, but my dick is doing all the thinking for me right now. She wraps her lips around my thumb as I slowly slide it in and out of her mouth, wishing I could replace my finger with my growing erection. She moans at our contact and I can feel the tiny bead of pre-cum already forming at the tip of my aching cock.

When I pull my finger out again she whispers something I haven’t heard in years. “I love you Nico.”

I pull my hand away from her and stagger back to the door. Though my head is telling me it’s only the medication talking, my heart is feeling something entirely different. I haven’t heard those words since before I married Karen and I haven’t said them to anyone in just as long.

Why did you choose to write in your genre? If you write in more than one, how do you balance them?

I love reading all types of romance so that is exactly what I like to write. I also write and illustrate children’s books under my pen name Nicole Garcia. I have written a few children’s books, but have decided to concentrate on my adult writing for the next year. Having four children, when three of which have special needs, gives me little time to spare. I write whenever and wherever I can.

Where did your love of books come from?

My grandmother, mother, and godmother. They were always reading and talking about books so books have intrigued me from a very early age.

Of all the characters you have created, which is your favourite and why?

Of all my characters I have to say the Gods in my Roman God Romance series are my favorite to write. You just never know what kind of naughty shenanigans they are going to get into next. They even surprise me at times. They are definitely the most fun to write.

Where can readers go to discover more about you and your books?

Facebook | Twitter | | Pinterest | Amazon Author Page | Instagram | Goodreads | YouTube

Decadent Dreams is out on 14 February 2017. Pre-order now!

Available formats: ebook

The post An Interview with Author Nicole Garcia appeared first on Melanie Tomlin.

An Interview with Author K. de Long

Author K. de Long, also known as Katie de Long, joins me today to talk about dream of becoming a crazy cat-lady and, of course, one of her many books. Thank you, Katie, for taking the time to chat to me. Please sit down, get comfortable and let’s begin.

About K. de Long

USA Today Bestseller K. de Long lives in the Pacific northwest, realizing her dream of being a crazy cat-lady. As a kid, she flagged the fade-to-blacks in every adult book she encountered, and when she began writing, she vowed to use cutaways sparingly. After all, that’s when the good stuff happens. And on a kindle, no one asks why there’s so many bookmarks in her library.

K. de Long writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and dark romance under Katie de Long.

What’s the name of the book you’re here to talk about?

Alliance

Tell us a bit about your book

USA Today bestselling authors K. de Long and Rebecca Hamilton come together to bring you book one in the Mated in Hell Trilogy, an Alpha vs. Alpha M/F romance for readers who enjoy the man coming out on top.

With the prospect of war on the horizon, two rival packs must come together to solidify an uneasy truce.

Tessa LaCroix, alpha mistress of the Kumori pack, is too fiery and competent to be passed around like some decoration. So when her father sends her to the Nefari pack to become their alpha leader’s mate, she’s furious. More aggravating, Marrock is the worst kind of alpha: proud and unmoving, more animal than man. But her own feelings betray her as she comes to know the man beneath the beast and realizes the animal in her wants the animal in him.

Liam Marrock was perfectly happy running his pack without a strong huntress defying him at every turn. However, the prospect of a ceasefire with the Kumori is too alluring to pass up. Unfortunately, it’s not half as alluring as the headstrong spitfire now sharing his home, all the while cursing his name. But Tessa soon proves she’s more trouble than she’s worth, when her strong-willed attitude causes his packmates to test his authority.

As tensions escalate and the truce is tested, Tessa’s quest for independence may cost him his life.

Fans of Jamie McGuire, Laurell K. Hamilton, and Sherrilyn Kenyon will love this paranormal shifter romance with BDSM influences.

Where do your ideas come from?

I’m a visual person. I often write the blurb and design a cover before I write the book. It was a little different working on Alliance, because my cowriter and I decided to hire a cover artist, rather than either of us making the cover ourselves. So at first, I had no clue what my characters would need to look like, or how the book would “feel” with the cover. But my process usually has me coming up with a title, tagline, cover, and blurb before I ever test a sample scene or outline. I know that sounds really backwards.

Have you always liked to write?

Oddly enough, no. My sister and I played pretend a lot, and even wrote stories together, but I never cared for the process of writing the way that she did. She was the writer in the home.

So… how’d I end up here? I ended up falling for a writer, and polishing my editing/plotting skills helping him. He eventually dared me to do a national novel writing month (nano) with him, and to start writing to keep him company during his own stuff. And somewhere along the way, we realized that I had an aptitude for it. So I kept at it.

What writing advice do you have for aspiring authors?

Write write write write write. Get it on the page before you start questioning whether it’s any good. Oh, and at least attempt to outline. Outlining doesn’t work for everyone, but having even a GENERAL direction can be hugely invaluable. It saves you effort later when you don’t have to cut 10-20k off a manuscript in free-flow stuff that never ended up connecting to a larger story.

Is there one subject you would never write about as an author? What is it?

Not never write… but there’s many tough topics that I am very picky in how I address. I’ve had a really strange life that has exposed me to a lot of ideas that people normally only see in fiction. And unfortunately, there’s real-life harms to telling those stories badly, or in ways that mislead people as to what those experiences are LIKE. Most people don’t realize how much of our perception of the world is rooted in bad statistics or biased information, and how easily writing a story that “feels” right can in fact perpetuate harms against people who are actually living your story.

How long does it usually take you to write the first draft of a book?

It varies. I usually keep several projects in rotation, so I can happily switch back and forth. I’ve written a novel as fast as a week, or as long as six months. It just varies on the strength of my outline, and how I’m feeling.

How has your environment or upbringing impacted your writing?

Greatly. I live in a very precarious position, as a mentally and physically disabled bisexual survivor of domestic abuse and sexual assault, and a former sex worker. Blah blah blah, it gets deeper than that. A lot of times, you don’t see characters with these kind of limitations or experiences, especially in romance, since there’s a tendency to treat only particular kinds of people as “likeable” leads–which in practice labels them “unlovable”, since they don’t get to be treated with depth, nuance, and affirmation. So some of my work is dark, or draws from really unorthodox experiences and themes that most people don’t grow up having direct experience with. The first novel in my Inkubus series stars a schizophrenic woman, and the second stars a PTSD-struggling survivor of domestic violence. Difficult people to empathize with, “unlikeable” in places…. but in my opinion, thoroughly lovable despite that.

As one of my editors jokes, you don’t read my work if you want to be in the shoes of the girl next door. There’s plenty of authors who can write the “everyman/everywoman” character well… but I’m not one of them

What’s something you’re really good at that few people know about?

Hah! I’ve got a lot of secret talents. I’m a graphic designer, jewellery designer, and artist. Lately I’ve been designing swag for other authors. It’s a great change of pace, and gets a lot of weird looks. You can see that work here: https://papertigerswag.wordpress.com/

When you’re writing, do you listen to music or do you need silence?

Music. Hands down. I’m a very audio/visual person, so I keep LOUD music going in the background while I work, and I frequently design alternate covers and illustrations with a similar “feel” to what I want to get across. It means that when describing my style, people frequently pick non-book descriptors: “a Lana del Rey feel”, or “A novel with a Tarantino soundtrack.”

Where can readers go to discover more about you and your books?

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon Author Page

Alliance is out now!

Available formats: ebook and paperback

The post An Interview with Author K. de Long appeared first on Melanie Tomlin.