C.A. Milson's Blog, page 221
June 10, 2015
Cover Reveal ~ Dragon’s Future
About the Book
Title: Dragon’s Future
Author: Kandi J. Wyatt
Genre: Fantasy
Every child of Woolpren dreams of becoming one, but only a few are chosen. Now, ten-year-old twin brother and sister, Ruskya and Duskya, have been selected to join an elite group of riders: dragon riders. Full of awe and excitement, the twins leave their mother, and their home, to train for their new lives.
Fifteen years later, dragons are becoming extinct and riders are rare. One day, Ruskya is at the general store in town when a man announces that he is recruiting new dragon riders. Ruskya goes undercover, and discovers that there is another colony of riders with their own agenda—a quest to find a mysterious plant that could restore the dragon population, or destroy it. When a battle erupts between the two colonies, it’s up to Ruskya and his friends to fight for their dragons’ future, and their lives.
Follow Ruskya’s quest in this exciting middle grade fantasy series by new author Kandi J Wyatt.
Author Bio
Kandi J Wyatt is a wife, mother of five, teacher, artist, and author. In her free time, she enjoys writing fantasy stories and Christmas programs, and drawing with graphite and colored pencils. Portraits are her specialty. Kandi also enjoys photography, thanks to her photographer husband who has let her join his journey as both his model and apprentice, and she occasionally serves as his assistant when he needs a “light stand with feet.” To learn more, visit kandijwyatt.wordpress.com.
Links
Blog: https://kandijwyatt.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kandi-Wyatt-author/647179792053374
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kandijwyatt
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kandiwyatt3/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/kandijwyatt/
Google +: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+KandiWyatt
Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: @kandijwyatt, Dragon’s Future, Enchanted book promotions, Kandi J. Wyatt
June 9, 2015
Music Review ~ DeFago
WEIRD TALES FROM THE COUNTRYSIDE (2015)
DeFago
Today I am checking in with Javier Gomez, otherwise known as DeFago. DeFago is a Spanish musician, with a feel for Ambient and Electronic music.
His latest album, “Weird Tales From The Countryside” was released in March 2015, and is one album that will keep you awake at night ;)
“WTFTC portrays the way the countryside haunts and lingers around you in the night. It brings a deep, unique twist on modern horror music. WTFTC features a great electronic twist on the usual daunting strings music we hear in modern cinema. The overall dark tone and atmosphere the album brings a sheer sense of loneliness and terror.”
Hailing from Seville, Spain, DeFago is an artist who pushes the boundaries on techno music and brings a new haunting element to the mix. DeFago’s music may not suit everyone, but I will say that followers of Tangerine Dream, Goblin, and those who like Horror Soundtracks will find this work superb as DeFago captures brilliantly the work of such haunting themes from the 70’s/80’s horror as well as modern elements.
My personal favorites from this album were “Return To Corpse City”, “The Festival” and “The Holy Company”. Each one of these tracks brought something unique and enthralling to the lineup where one started to have flashes of scenes from an upcoming book (spoilers).
As I said, DeFago’s style of music may not be for everyone, but I will say that he is one artist to keep on your radar.
You can find more about DeFago and his music at the following sites, and be sure to listen to some of the tracks and spread the word.
Facebook
Bandcamp
SoundCloud
~ C.A.Milson
Filed under: Music Reviews Tagged: DeFago, Javier Gomez, WEIRD TALES FROM THE COUNTRYSIDE (2015)
June 8, 2015
Teaser: The Chosen – Prophecy’s End
First posted over at Horroraddicts.net.
Teaser: The Chosen – Prophecy’s End
Prophecy’s End… Book four in The Chosen series. This is where it all ends, and the conflict between Jamiesonn, Tanzac and Alex comes to a head. One shall emerge from this victorious and the fate of humanity will be decided. To be judged and condemned to Hell on Earth, or be saved and life continues as “business as usual”.
After almost being killed by his alter ego in the past, Alex has been thrown into the vortex that descends into the sinister darkness that is Tanzac’s world. Trapped, alone and scared out of his mind, Alex hopes for his own fleeting salvation. But will this ever present darkness finally have its day and destroy the prophecy of the Elders?
This book has been a long time coming, and I admit that I have procrastinated a heck of a lot on this one. It is not because I do not want to write it, it is more a case that life – real life – sometimes gets in the way of doing what I need to do :)
The storyline – from beginning to almost end – I have all in my mind… Somewhere in those dark murky places where imagination takes root and springs forth like a cesspool of ideas. Needless to say, there are some very graphic scenes in this one, and for those who think Jamiesonn is downright cool, then you are in for a real treat of what I do with him in this installment …
Prophecy’s End brings into the fold Laura. Jamiesonn’s precious little girl. So not only does Alex have to contend with his alter-ego, Jamiesonn, Tanzac and his minions, but also Laura, who is a little hell-raiser in her own right.
Back along for this ride will be some old friends, some new ones, and of course who can forget the Judas who betrayed him in the beginning…
The things that lay in wait in the darkness will have their day in this book, and when I get done with this piece, I am sure that some of you will be in for what will be an unexpected ending… One that even I am not sure what that will be :)
Keep watch for Prophecy’s End. And be terrified of the darkness. It is coming… Scheduled for release in late 2016.
Filed under: About The Characters, Bloodline Of Darkness Tagged: #C.A.Milson, Bloodline of Darkness, HorrorAddicts.net, Jamiesonn, Rise of the Darkness, She's Not So Ordinary, The Chosen – Prophecy’s End, The Chosen Series
June 7, 2015
Book Tour ~ Veiled Empire by Nathan Garrison
About The Book
Title: Veiled Empire
Author: Nathan Garrison
Publisher: Harper Voyager Impulse
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Kindle/Paperback
The Empire is Shrouded, not only by the barrier that covers the land, but by the lies and oppression of the mierothi regime. Magic is the privilege of the elite, and the people of this shadowed country have forgotten what it means to hope under their rule.
But there are some who would resist, with plans put into motion millennia before. For returned to the Empire is a valynkar, servant of the god of light, and with him come the strength and cunning that could tip the scales to end the Emperor’s reign. He has gathered a group of heroes ready to ignite the flame of rebellion and fight against the dark power that has ruled for nearly two thousand years. A power that has champions of its own.
Nathan Garrison’s Veiled Empire throws a mythical land into chaos, with races long thought forgotten, and magics only just discovered. Steel and sorcery clash as brave souls vie for freedom and control in this astonishing debut novel.
Author Bio
Nathan is the father of two boys and he has an awesome wife who is way more supportive of his writing efforts than he deserves. He loves playing guitar (the louder the better), cooking (the more bacon-y the better), playing board/video/card games with friends and family, and reveling in unadulterated geekery.
Born in 1983, Nathan has been writing stories since his dad bought their first family computer. He grew up on tales of the fantastic. From Narnia and Middle-Earth to a galaxy far, far away, he’s always harbored a love for things only imagination can conjure up. He counts it among the greatest joys of his life to be able to share the stories within him.
Visit Nathan’s website
Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: @nr_garrison, debut author, Nathan Garrison, new author, Pump Up Your Book, PUYB, Veiled Empire
Book Trailer Reveal ~ Between Two Worlds
Watch the trailer for “Between Two Worlds”.
About the Book
Title: Beween Two Worlds
Author: Christy Santo
Genre: Time Travel
Rebecca dreams her present time and lives her past.
It is 2006 and Indiana University graduate student Rebecca Harrison attends a Halloween party. Unknown to her she will have her world turned upside down when she leaves it. An unexpected accident rips her from 2006 Indiana and abandons her in 1983 Fanwood, New Jersey her hometown. She struggles to relive the past and exist as another woman with the same name and birthday as her. Can she find a way to return to her present time or will her past become her future?
Author Bio
Christy Santo was born and raised in Fanwood, New Jersey. She has lived in Bloomington, IN since 2002 and runs her family’s Internet retail business. Between Two Worlds, is her second book and she is currently working on a third book.
Links
Website: www.statictvblog.com
Twitter: @CJSTheWrite
Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: @CJSTheWrite, Between Two Worlds, Book Trailer Reveal, Christy Santo, Enchanted book promotions
June 6, 2015
Movie Review ~ Strange Blood (2015)
Strange Blood (2015)
Stars: Robert Brettenaugh, Alexandra Bard, James Adam Lim
IMDB Rating: 3.9
First posted at Horroraddicts.net
Plot: The lives of a group of teenagers are turned upside down when their town is taken over by sinister forces. When a brilliant but obsessive scientist goes to extremes to develop a universal cure for all disease, he finds himself infected with a bizarre parasite that begins to transform him into a bloodthirsty madman. Time running out, he must find a way to stop the monster that is growing within and prevent the rest of the world from being “cured.”
Review: A mad scientist, a cute lab assistant, a pretentious cop and a lab-grown parasite. What can possibly go wrong…
Dr Henry has developed a “cure all” parasite, but things go terribly wrong, and during one of his experiments with the parasite, he is infected and starts to become a vampire.
Admittedly, this film is very slow and I found it very difficult to get into this one. To save you the time watching this, I will say that there is nothing new here. In fact, if you watch “The Fly” you will get the jist of what this one is about, except with vampires.
Verdict: Watch “The Fly” instead.
My Rating: 2 out of 10
Filed under: Movie Reviews Tagged: Alexandra Bard, HorrorAddicts.net, James Adam Lim, Robert Brettenaugh, Strange Blood (2015)
Cover Reveal ~ The Secrets of Yashire
About the Book
Title: The Secrets of Yashire
Author: Diamante Lavendar
Genre: YA Fantasy
The Secrets of Yashire: Emerging From the Shadows is a young adult fantasy adventure that occurs within the framework of a young girl’s subconscious mind. The main character, Brianna, finds herself thrown into a world called Yashire where she is forced to deal with circumstances that are threatening Yashire’s existence. Against her will, she is sent on a journey to restore unconditional love back to the land while also contending with the evil force in the land, Zolan. Brianna is sent on her mission by Libban, Keeper of the Land. Along the way, Brianna travels with the mystical tiger, Angelos; a huge, whitish-tan tiger with thick black stripes who sings only the purest songs of love, and the wondrous little one-eyed bird named Abiba. During the journey, Brianna is also preparing to meet her soulmate—the one she longs to be with and the one who will bring complete healing back into her life. Together they travel through fantastic lands filled with magical creatures that could only exist in the wildest of imaginations. Through her treacherous brushes with danger and heartwarming experiences of love and acceptance, Brianna discovers many things. It is here, amidst the powers and phantasms of the mind that Brianna receives life lessons and virtues to help her. Will one of her greatest triumphs be achieved as she learns to believe in herself? For only then can she truly see all of the wondrous things that life has to offer.
Author Bio
Diamante Lavendar has been in love with reading since she was a child. She spent many hours listening to her mother read to her when she was young. As she grew older, she enjoyed reading novels of all genres: horror, fantasy and some romance to name a few.
She began writing in college and published some poetry in anthologies over the years. After her kids were older, she wrote as a form of self expression and decided she wanted to share her stories with others.
Most of her writing is very personal and stems from her own experiences and those of her family and friends. She writes to encourage hope and possibility to those who read her stories.
Diamante believes that everyone should try to leave their own positive mark in the world, to make it a better place for all. Writing is the way that she is attempting to leave her mark—one story at a time.
Links
Google+: https://plus.google.com/107370618346077894159/posts
https://www.facebook.com/diamante.lavendar
Buy the Book:
Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: Diamante Lavendar, Enchanted book promotions, The Secrets of Yashire
June 5, 2015
Book Tour ~ The Stones of Caron by R. Ann. Greene
About The Book
Title: The Stones of Caron
Author: R. Ann. Greene
Genre: Fantasy
Earia, queen of the elves, has long fought against an enemy she believed she created: a man, Niren, who she raised as her son, over four hundred years ago and he will see every man, elf, and dwarf killed unless they bend a knee to him. The dragons already have, willing or not, and Earia is forced to fight them as well as Niren’s soldiers.
Fillip is a seventeen year old, raised in the woods and seashores of the small country of Niss, and he has managed to find the one thing which can give the elves hope against Niren and his dragons.
Pursued by assassins, Earia is desperate for Fillip’s help and he is aching for adventure, even danger. Fillip’s younger brother is not so inclined, but what is a brother for, if not to help chase monsters and throw down kings?
Earia’s age old companions are quick to accept the youngsters and teach them a thing or two. Fillip soon discovers that he is not the farmer he thought, but a bold adventurer, willing to take mighty risks to see the world and to fight for his new friends.
Author Bio
R. Ann. Greene grew up in Idaho with four siblings. She was home-schooled all twelve grades and was thirteen when she began writing, inspired by such fantasies as C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien could weave. She was a little closer to fifteen when she started working to make writing her career. It took five more years, endless refining edits, and a lot of will-power to reach her first publication of The Stones of Caron.
Now, she lives in the Boise Mountains of Idaho and volunteers as a firefighter in her community. She spends her days writing, blogging, and splitting firewood to keep the house warm in the winter time, but mostly writing.
Links
Website
Createspace
Amazon
EXCERPT
Earia stepped into the middle of the horses and watched the shadows move in. Without warning, all five men rushed at her and scattered the horses.
A voice she knew recognized as Jake’s yelled, “You lose, Obrey.” His words echoed from the night before.
Earia didn’t waste any time getting both swords out and ready for the odds were against her, five to one. While reaching for the one behind her head, she flipped her hood back and rolled the cloak over her shoulders. The soaking raiment would only hinder her.
Had the horses not scattered, she would have mounted Shein and used his height and hooves to her advantage. But the horses were well out of reach and there were two Nashi in between her and them.
Earia knew full well that staying where she was in the midst of the attackers was foolhardy. So, with no definite plan, except to take as many of them out before they killed her, she rushed at the closest one.
They clashed and both of them grunted when the shock from their swords jarred them. The Nashi were skilled swordsmen, but Earia was better. Even better wouldn’t be enough to put these five in their place if they gained even the barest advantage. She couldn’t pretend these men were inferior to her. She knew how deadly they were and her keen eye told her she didn’t have much of a chance against them.
The momentum of the first clash drove the first man into one brick face of the courtyard and Earia spun him around so that her back was to the wall. Maybe not the best way to fight, but at least no one would stab her from behind. She kicked the man in the knee and punched him with the pommel of the greatsword before she ran him through with the smaller scimitar. He cried out and fell back but by this time another was already upon her and she barely had time to sidestep before his blade pierced her body. The blade caught a few links of her mail shirt and she was pinned until he pulled back for another thrust.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Interview
R. Ann, hank for being my guest here today. Tell us about you –
I live in the mountains of Idaho. I have moved quite a lot in my life and this lifestyle suits me the best. I spend my time writing and I volunteer as a Firefighter at our local department. I enjoy hiking splitting firewood and hanging with friends. But mostly I enjoy writing and that takes up the majority of my time.
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
My Lord and Savior and my family.
If you could hang out with one famous person for one day, who would it be and why?
In a past tense I would have liked to have known Thomas Jefferson, but in a present tense, I would have to say Carl Reiner. He was a director, writer and actor during the Golden Age of Television, but he was immensely clever and it would be really cool to know how he thinks and what makes him tick.
What’s the story behind your latest book?
It’s a story about a war and a quest. I always loved the fantasy genre and getting the chance to add to it only seemed natural. The Stones of Caron is about two young men being led to war by an ancient, elfin queen. She’s funny, she’s fierce, she’s clever, but she is broken and with good reason. The elves have been beaten down for centuries, but with the appearance of one of these boys in particular, she gets a chance for a foothold in the war and she’s not about to give it up. It’s a story surrounding friends and family. The two boys are brothers, the elfin queen has brothers,
cousins, her husband, and several good friends at her aid. It’s a story surrounding action and a perilous time in the characters’ lives. A time of kill or be killed, a time of deciding what they’re fighting for.
Tell us your writing process
I like beginnings. They’re fresh and they have all the potential in the world. Starting a story is easy, seeing what comes next is easy. I can look at my life and pick out specific details to write about, i.e.: the smell of pine boughs, the terror of a thump in the dark, the texture of tempered steel. All of it lends to my imagination and I can’t help being excited to write a new scene. No one ever taught me “how” to write, it just came naturally and was guided by what I enjoyed reading. I can look at a situation, or even a phrase, and weave a story around it.
Do you have any advice on what promotion has and has not worked for you that you can share with other authors?
I don’t have much experience with marketing but what I have noticed with my blog is tagging. Tagging is remarkably important. The tags define what people are going to look at. Other than that, I am an upcoming author with little experience myself.
When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
I guess I was about 14. I had always dabbled in songs, poetry, and small stories, but after I started writing The Stones of Caron, I really wanted it to be my job.
Tell us about your main character:
The main character would have to be Fillip. He’s seventeen, smart for his age and has a taste for adventure. He’s everything I wished I could have been at seventeen, and honestly, what everyone wishes they were at seventeen. He’s always been a bit “peculiar” but Fillip isn’t one to be affected by peer pressure. He likes his individual tastes and pursuits and makes no appologies. He’s very perceptive about people and therefore, people look to him as a tower of strength.
What are you working on next?
Volume 2, of course. The Stones of Caron will be a trilogy when it is complete, but then I could never walk away from a good thing, so I’d like to write a volume of “Untold Stories” as well. Book 2 will be called “Following Danger’s Path” and it is hopefully going to be released by the end of the summer.
Do you have any special/extraordinary talents?
I consider ‘talent’ a very accurate way to describe playing the piano. I can play a little guitar, and I have a knack for crocheting pot-holders. My main talent is writing, which is no reflection on my skill since that is related to practice. I’ve been able to write since I was a child and have always been able to make my siblings and parents understand what I meant.
Who are your favorite authors?
Tolkien would have to be the first. I love C. S. Lewis. More modern, Megan Whalen Turner wrote one of my favorite series, The Thief Series. N. D. Wilson is another who is right up there and he’s never written anything I didn’t adore. I like Stephen Bly, a bit of good western romance to be sure. And to top it off, I think, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
What do you like to do with your free time?
Hiking. I do a little beading and I consider playing guitar a hobby, even though I’m a novice at best, but I get a lot of enjoyment out of it.
Tell us about your plans for upcoming books.
I’m hoping I can finish out the Stones of Caron Trilogy by the end of the year. After that I’m planning a second series but I haven’t even got it named properly. I would like to release a few stand alone books as well, ranging from Fantasy, to Mystery, to Western.
Any final thoughts?
Thank you one and all for the support you are lending me in this opening chapter of my writing career. I am blessed to have this opportunity.
Thanks for being here :)
Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: author interview, Enchanted book promotions, R. Ann. Greene, The Stones of Caron
June 4, 2015
Timeless Endings by Alexandra Forry
Timeless Endings by Alexandra Forry
Title: Timeless Endings
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Release Date: February 27, 2014
Buy Link(s):
Amazon
BarnesandNoble
Giveaway
Enter to win an autographed copy of Timeless Endings
Book Description
Evelyn turned toward the lights of the city. The view was breathtaking as she stood looking down on Las Vegas, lovingly wrapped in Tony’s arms. It was a moment she would keep deep in her heart, forever.
“Look at this-The City of Gold!” Evelyn exclaimed as Tony kissed her forehead.
“And it’s all ours, Eve!”
Thus begins a heartwarming and harrowing tale of life and forbidden love lost to one generation and found in the next. Caught between a turbulent love triangle that shook the very foundations of the Mafia’s Las Vegas Empire, and a deadly struggle for wealth and power, Mob Boss and “King of Las Vegas” Tony Torino, his mistress hustler and onetime showgirl Evelyn Rosenberg, and her husband top Chicago mobster Charlie “Gus” Rosenberg live and love in defiance of the violent and unforgiving laws of the Mafia. All that remains is Evelyn’s carefully preserved diary left by Gus to be discovered by his daughter Adriane and Tony’s son Victor as they pack up her late father’s belongings. Through the vivid and brilliant use of flashbacks, juxtaposed with current events, we witness one of the most beautiful and ill-fated love stories of the last century. As Victor, a forest ranger who fled his family’s Mob past, and Adriane, an attorney being pressured to work for the Mafia, read through the diary old hatreds and new alliances rise leaving us to wonder if history will repeat itself.
EXCERPT
“Adriane, look at what I found,” Victor said peering closely at the photo.
“What?” she said, walking over to him.
“It’s a picture of your parents, my parents and two other couples sitting on the sofa at your old home. Hey, I remember taking this photo at a party!”
“Ah, it must have been taken before my mom went and slept with your dad,” Adriane said, looking at the photo.
“Seems like your dad was trying to figure out what happened back in Las Vegas. What a coincidence this is. We were just talking about it!”
“Victor! It’s a photo that my dad kept in his desk, nothing more!”
She rolled her eyes as Victor looked over at her and then down at the very bottom drawer of the desk. He bent down and pulled it open.
A look of astonishment crossed his face.
“Adriane, what if we have the story wrong about what happened in Vegas long ago?”
“Victor, did you forget? My dad told his side of the story to the person who wrote that sickening movie. My dad had no reason to lie about what happened!”
“If you say so, but I think that you need to take a look in this drawer.”
Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: Alexandra Forry, Contemporary Romance, great beauty danger, Rafflecopter giveaway, romance writers, Timeless Endings, virtual book tour café
June 3, 2015
Book Tour ~ Wishing Cross Station by February Grace
About the Book
TItle: Wishing Cross Station
Author: February Grace
Genre: Fantasy
A dark fantasy romance from the author of GODSPEED and OF STARDUST…
Don’t stay a moment longer than you have to. Don’t say too much. Don’t pollute the timeline.
When nineteen-year-old college library page Keigan Wainwright is sent to pick up a private donation of books for the school’s collection, he has no idea where one of those books will take him, or what it will take from him.
Retracing a powerful man’s footsteps through the past, Keigan finds himself caught in the same dangerous trap: falling in love with a woman he was never meant to know, and uncertain he will ever find his way home.
Author Bio
February Grace is an author, poet, and artist from Southeast Michigan. In previous novels, she has introduced readers to characters with clockwork hearts, told of romantic modern-day fairy godparents, and reimagined a legend, centuries old. Now, in her fifth novel with Booktrope, readers will board the special at WISHING CROSS STATION and embark on a trip through time. She is more than mildly obsessed with clocks, music, colors, meteor showers, and steam engines.
Links
Author Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Amazon (Paperback)
Amazon (Kindle)
B&N
Interview With February Grace
February, tell our followers about you –
I’m February Grace; an artist who loves to write. I live in Southeastern Michigan where it is much colder than I’d like most of the time. I share the apartment with my husband and our cat, who runs the show, so to speak. I’m obsessed with Disney, clocks, colors, music, and meteor showers, to name a few of the things that fascinate me. WISHING CROSS STATION is my fifth novel published by Booktrope and will be officially released on June 2nd.
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
The answer to this question has varied at different points in my life. When I was younger, it was my daughter; now she’s grown and moved away, living her own life. So other things must inspire me instead of the role of being a mother. For a long time the answer was writing; I often lost sleep, in fact, unable to wait until morning to start writing down all the words the characters were putting into my head. Now, the answer would have to be curiosity. I want to see what interesting and hopeful things the day can bring. I always hope each day will better than the last.
If you could hang out with one famous person for one day, who would it be and why?
Oh my goodness, this is a difficult one. I would say Chris Martin from Coldplay but I think I’d be so stars-struck I wouldn’t be able to speak. So I think I’d have to pick Josh Groban. This is because I have actually had brief meet and greets with him three times in the past, and he’s such a funny, brilliant and talented guy. I’d love to show him around Disney World. Yes, I think that a day at Disney World with Josh Groban could be a lot of fun!
What’s the story behind your latest book?
The idea for Wishing Cross Station actually originated in a painting I did: a painting that started out as one thing but then turned into the image of a girl wearing a hat. In fact, I called it “Girl in Hat and Scarf”. Something about her haunted me, and I wondered what her story was; I knew she had to have one. Then the idea came to me of her being from the past; from the 1800s somewhere… and I knew that her name was Marigold. One thought led to another and I had the idea for the story; the concept of a time-travel portal of sorts being located in a place similar to a real location about an hour from my home that involves vintage trains… I don’t want to give too much away.
I took a day trip to the location last fall before I sat down to write and took notes, recorded voice memos, recorded a train pulling into the station that was authentic to the time I’d be writing about. I rode in the open cars behind the engine, I breathed deep of the smoke. I asked a ton of questions of the curators and historians there and took hundreds of photographs. Then I ‘met’ Keigan (our protagonist) who was kind enough to ‘introduce’ himself to me about that time. I realized it was his story more than the mysterious girl’s. And so I just wrote the story Keigan dictated to me. That’s how writing is for me when it’s really working; the characters are in control, I just take dictation.
Tell us your writing process
My process is unlike that of other writers in that I cannot set aside time to write on a daily basis or on a schedule due to various health problems. Among other health issues, I live with Bipolar Disorder, and it has a great deal to say about how much I write and when I write.
When I am in a certain place, I tend to write a lot very quickly, then I put those first drafts aside for a few months to ‘cool off’ before I go back and see what is there. Then I revise it, then it goes into editing; and I was blessed with an amazing editor in Laura Bartha on this book… and on it goes. I write what I’m able, when I’m able. I have had periods of time (as long as a year and a half at one point) where I couldn’t write at all. Somehow I still managed to publish five novels with Booktrope in two years. That has been a dream come true for me.
Do you have any advice on what has and has not worked that you can share with other authors?
As an introvert (INFJ on the Keirsey Temperament test, and a 10 in introversion at that…) promotion has been and continues to be very difficult for me. The place I feel the most at home is on Twitter, but I don’t promote there very much because you don’t want your feed to become a continuous commercial or people will just unfollow you or mute you.
I blog, I have a FB author page that I should probably use more but again I don’t like to bombard people. I just try my best to authentically interact with people on social media as best I can. I am in the process right now of working with my Book Manager at Booktrope and also a private consultant I’ve hired to get some new marketing ideas. Promoting is not easy, and anyone who tells you it is is just telling you what you want to hear.
My biggest piece of advice is don’t repeatedly ‘shout’ links on social media. Those kind of “BUY MY BOOK BUY MY BOOK BUY MY BOOK!” messages do not win you fans, friends, or sales and also likely violate the terms of service for whatever site you’re on.
Word of mouth is still the very best method of marketing. Write the best book you can, try to get it into the hands of as many people as you can who might be willing to read and discuss it on their blog or review it. And if you can afford it, save up and definitely hire a professional to help guide you. We writers are not generally geared for promotion; we need the help of someone who is.
When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
I knew for sure I wanted to tell stories when I was in the fourth grade and a teacher gave me an extra credit assignment rewriting the ends of fairy tales. I was hooked and have been writing in some form or another ever since. Only after going blind and regaining some of my eyesight in 2009-2011 though did I really seriously begin to think about getting published.
Tell us about your main character:
Keigan Wainwright is a nineteen year old page at his college’s library. He’s a rational sort, his heart seldom leads his head. But he’s been thrown off-kilter recently by the loss of a beloved relative, and that opens him up to finding he’s feeling a lot more than he has before—or should be—when he’s thrown into an unimaginable situation. He finds himself 135 years out of his time, in the much harsher world of the 1880s. He has to figure out how he’s going to survive there for a while until he has a brief window in time to try to get home. He’s resourceful, smart, and has a very good heart. He’s an old soul, and I have a special place in my heart for him.
What are you working on next?
Right now as far as writing goes, all my energy is focused on marketing the five books that have been published in the past two years. It all went so fast that I want to be sure people know about the books I’ve written before I delve into the idea of writing another novel. I also want to spend a lot more time painting, which I find to be a much more restful, relaxing artistic pursuit than I do writing.
Do you have any special/extraordinary talents?
I wouldn’t call it extraordinary but I am very much, as an INFJ temperament, in tune with what others are really feeling, whether or not they are saying it. I can determine people’s emotions and motives from very quick conversations and upon first meeting them, and sometimes it’s overwhelming because you tend to want to fix everything for everyone and you can’t. So you just have to offer what encouragement and support you can while protecting yourself as much as possible from this ongoing barrage of emotions. It’s kind of like being a Beta Zoid, for you Star Trek fans out there. INFJs are empaths, and it makes us very, very tired!
Who are your favorite authors?
Fiction: Douglas Adams and Charlotte Bronte. Poetry: Tennyson. Non-fiction: Dr. Keirsey and Stephen Montgomery, who have both written extensively on Temperament Theory.
What do you like to do with your free time?
I like to browse art fairs and miniatures stores. I have a couple of dollhouses and I love furnishing them and finding new dolls to inhabit them. I am almost always listening to music whatever else I’m doing. My favorite thing to do with free/vacation time is to go to Walt Disney World. It’s there that I feel most at home in the entire world.
Tell us about your plans for upcoming books.
Right now there is nothing specific to tell. I’m focusing all my efforts on Wishing Cross Station, especially, on getting the word out that it exists, because there are so many books out there it is difficult to be noticed in the crowd. That is my main focus right now.
Any final thoughts?
Thank you very much for hosting me today!
Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: @februarygrace, author interview, book marketing, book promotion tips, Enchanted book promotions, February Grace, GODSPEED, OF STARDUST, Wishing Cross Station, writing advice, writing tips
