Genevive Chamblee's Blog, page 51

Author Interview-Kari Holloway

It’s always fun to have visitors in the bayou. Today is a real treat in author Kari Holloway. If you haven’t read her books, you must. Her characters are so relatable and intriguing, and her story completely pulls in the reader. I couldn’t be happier that she agreed to be interviewed.

What is the one thing you would like readers to know about you?

Kari: I really do prefer vanilla ice cream. I don’t know why people don’t believe me.

What intrigues you to write about southern culture?

Kari: I’m a Georgia native, and almost every state in the South gets a bad rap for being uncultured, uneducated swine, when in fact we’re the opposite minus the occasional idiot. We’re ruthless to defend our family, and we’ll let things slide to keep the family peace, but we aren’t stupid by no means. I think people lose the insight of it being a joke and take the stereotype too seriously, and that hurts.

Are you a panster or a plotter?

Kari: I’m a pantser. I can’t outline. I get bored.

What is your writing style?

Kari: I don’t know if I have a style. I tend to write first person for longer works and third person for short stories.

If you could spend time with a character from your book whom would it be? And what would you do during that day?

Kari: Maw-Payne. I’d love to sit at the kitchen table while she bakes cookies.

What book that you have read has most influenced your life?

Kari: I don’t think a single book has drastically changed my life, but every book has left some spark of itself in my mind, crafting ideas and views of the world.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Kari: Sometimes I have issues finding the one piece of information I need to fix that little plot hole that I can see before I can move on with the story.

8. Lighting round: Pick one.

Shrimp Étouffée or Crab Bisque? • Crab Bisque
Bananas Foster or Peanut Butter Pralines? Peanut butter Pralines
Zulu or Rex? Rex
Purple Haze or Amber? Amber
Buckwheat or Queen Ida? Buckwheat
Spiderman or Flash? Flash, though I’m more of a Nightwing fan.

How can readers discover more about you and you work?

Kari: The best way to keep tabs with me is my website and newsletter (www.kariholloway.com). My newsletter goes out the first Friday of the month.

I’m also on Facebook (www.facebook.com/k.l.holly) but with the new algorithms, I doubt you’ll ever see a post, Bookbub (https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kari-holloway) they send a new release email with every book, and Amazon (http://author.to/KariHolloway).

It has been a real pleasure to have Kari visit.

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Don’t forget to visit Creole Bayou again. New posts are made on Wednesdays. If you have any questions or suggestions about this post or any others, feels free to comment below or tweet me at @dolynesaidso. You also can follow me on Instagram at genevivechambleeauthor or search me on Goodreads or Amazon Authors.

Life’s Roux: Wrong Doors, my steamy romantic comedy, is available at Red Sage Publishing. To order, follow the link to http://bit.ly/2CtE7Ez or to Amazon at http://amzn.to/2lCQXpt.

My new book, Out of the Penalty Box, a fiction romance is now available for at http://amzn.to/2Bhnngw. It also can be ordered from iTunes, Nook, or Kobo. For more links where to purchase or to read the blurb, please visit http://bit.ly/2i9SqpH.

My steamy short story “Cargo” in Pirates: Boys Behaving Badly Anthology #3 is available for purchase. Find it at http://amzn.to/2DV5btz.

Don’t have much time for reading or in a hurry? Check out my microfic, “Country Club Charades” in Fake For You at https://www.hottreepublishing.com/flash-fiction.

Also, my paranormal romance short story “Under the Magnolia Tree” in Haunted Hearts (Holiday Heartwarmers 4th vol.) is available for purchase. It can be read for FREE on Kindle Unlimited. Find it on Amazon at http://amzn.to/2Ab706S.

Copies of all my books are available in paper, eBook, and audio on Amazon, iTunes, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. The links are listed in my Writing Projects page (http://bit.ly/2iDYRxU) along with descriptions of each of my novels or stories.

NEWSLETTER! Want to get the latest information and updates about my writing projects, giveaways, contests, and reveals first? Click on http://bit.ly/2zJjUdb and signup today.

If you enjoy reading this blog, please share it with your friends and family. There’s never too many people in the bayou. Spread the word and bayou fun.

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Published on February 28, 2018 08:00

Pirates: Boys Behaving Badly Released

Are you ready to sail on the high seas or into uncharted galaxies? Do you love pirates who risk it all? Do you love steamy romances and exciting adventures? Are you excited by men (and women) who don’t always follow the rules? If the answer is yes, you’re in the right place.

Welcome to Pirates: Boys Behaving Badly Anthology #3 is edited by the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, Ms. Delilah Devlin and available for purchase TODAY. Pirates: Boys Behaving Badly Anthology #3 is a delectable anthology is filled with roguish pirates! Readers who crave adventures set on the high seas—or in deep space—will find plenty of sexy bad boys and naughty alpha males unafraid to risk life and limb for treasure—or a lucky lover’s heart!

In “Cargo”, Pirate Captain Jasper has been hired to retrieve cargo from the ship, Sea Lily. To his horror, he discovers the ship is a human trafficking vessel, designating him default master of female sex slaves. That’s not the job he signed on to do. Adding to the issue, none of the women speak English, except for one, and she refuses to talk. But what she doesn’t communicate with words, her body transmits nonverbally. Now, instead of Jasper stealing a ship, he’s at risk of having his heart stolen.

I had tremendous fun pushing the envelope with this story, and I hope everyone has just as much fun reading as I did writing. As a writer, it’s sometimes scary venturing into the unknown and expanding writing genres. But it’s also thrilling. This is my first pirate story ever. Initially when I began writing “Cargo”, I started with a more traditional pirate story. It didn’t take me long to realize that my story would struggle to stay within the traditional framework. I like busting stereotypes with characters that break molds. With this, my Cajun Captain Jasper was born. Read his story out now on Amazon at http://amzn.to/2DV5btz.

Don’t forget to visit Creole Bayou again. New posts are made on Wednesdays. If you have any questions or suggestions about this post or any others, feels free to comment below or tweet me at @dolynesaidso. You also can follow me on Instagram at genevivechambleeauthor or search me on Goodreads or Amazon Authors.

Life’s Roux: Wrong Doors, my steamy romantic comedy, is available at Red Sage Publishing. To order, follow the link to http://bit.ly/2CtE7Ez or to Amazon at http://amzn.to/2lCQXpt.

My new book, Out of the Penalty Box, a fiction romance is now available for at http://amzn.to/2Bhnngw. It also can be ordered from iTunes, Nook, or Kobo. For more links where to purchase or to read the blurb, please visit http://bit.ly/2i9SqpH.

Also, my paranormal romance short story “Under the Magnolia Tree” in Haunted Hearts (Holiday Heartwarmers 4th vol.) is available for purchase. It can be read for FREE on Kindle Unlimited. Find it on Amazon at http://amzn.to/2Ab706S.

Copies of all my books are available in paper, eBook, and audio on Amazon, iTunes, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. The links are listed in my Writing Projects page (http://bit.ly/2iDYRxU) along with descriptions of each of my novels or stories.

NEWSLETTER! Want to get the latest information and updates about my writing projects, giveaways, contests, and reveals first? Click on http://bit.ly/2zJjUdb and signup today.

If you enjoy reading this blog, please share it with your friends and family. There’s never too many people in the bayou. Spread the word and bayou fun.

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Published on February 27, 2018 08:00

Preserving Hertiage

History starts now. It begins with you. If this sounds odd, stop for a minute and reflect on it. What prompted this conclusion is the consideration of how history is passed from one generation to the next. At one point in time, oral history was considered gravely important. Elders had classes to teach the children. As time progressed, history was written in books. Those books made it into a classroom. But before they were placed in the hands of eager young minds, some of the books were edited. Some school systems placed less importance on them, stressing that math and science were more important topics. Social studies and history teachers weren’t paid as well as others. And over time, many students came to think of the topic of history as dull as boring.

However, predating all of this, some generations didn’t think enough of their contributions to mark it as history. As a result, it was never written or orally taught. As the generations died out, so did that part of history. Add natural disasters and carelessness, and another sector of history is destroyed. What many people know about their heritage is only a fraction of what was once there. And in order to stop, or at least slow, this erosion, it is important that people start marking history now.

My parents hated taken photos. My grandparents did also. I have a few photos of my parents—none of them as children but a few in their late teens and early twenties. As far as my grandparents, I have none of my paternal grandparents who died long before I was anyone’s twinkle. I have about four fuzzy pictures of maternal grandparents and only one photo of my maternal great-grandmother a few years before her death when she was in her eighties. This part of my history is lost forever. There’s no way to recreate it. The few relatives that had access to the limited photographs didn’t feel it was important to keep them. Now, I have nothing to pass down to future generations in the way of photographs.

However, there is a lesson in this. One day, this could be my great grandchildren with no photos. Every time I shy away from a photo because of a bad hair day or not being dressed exactly the way I’d like denies my child an opportunity to preserve history. When the teens make distorted faces or put on masks when a camera is pointed their way because they are in a phrase and the adult walks away without taking the photo, an opportunity is lost. The only way to preserve history is to document it. And documentation starts now.

Something else to consider is keeping a journal. Write down important dates, events, fun times, recipes, traditions, etc. I remember growing up, my father made fruitcakes for Christmas. Not the nasty kind found in grocery stores that molds within a day, but ones made from scratch and weighed more than five pounds they were so condensed with ingredients. I’m talking pecans, walnuts, cherries, plums, and yes, rum. This was a traditional fruitcake that delighted all. When my father died, that first Christmas, the family realized a bit of tradition was gone. No one had bothered to learn from him how to make them—except moi. Although I’d like to present myself in a positive light and say that learned because history intrigued me, it wouldn’t be true. One year, my father was helping my brother jumpstart his truck. He’d parked his truck to face my brother’s and hooked up the cable. My brother’s truck, on the upper of the incline, jumped out of gear and pinned my father between the two trucks—breaking my father’s leg slightly above the kneecap. This accident could have been a whole lot worse; so, we counted our blessings when all my father needed was surgery to insert pins and a cast—not that I’m belittling the injury or pain my father endured. In his weeks of recuperation, he purchased a recycler, which he fell in love with, and was immobile for some time. That’s where I came in. Due to his limited to movement, when it came time to prepare the cakes, he needed assistance. That meant I became a gofer. I crawled around gathering the pots, pans, and mixing bowls from the lower shelves. I went to the grocery store to purchase the ingredients. I handed my father the mixing tools and helped roll out the dough. I placed the cakes in and removed them from the oven. In short, I learned—against my will and knowledge—how to bake those cakes.

Now for some, the sentiment is “big deal”. It’s just a fruitcake, right? Yes and no. First, the recipe is an old Creole one that my father learned from his great-grandmother and is nothing like the fruitcake recipes that I’ve seen today. In fact, many argue that it isn’t a fruitcake at all. But most importantly, it persevered a part of my history that would have been lost. That brings me to the next point: teach. Even if the “students” seem disinterested, teach them anyway. Teach them in a way that they may not realize they are learning. Make it fun and interesting. Write it in books or make activities. Best of all, have them live it. If it’s a recipe, have them cook it. If it’s a place, take them to visit it. As you drive around town, point out historic landmarks. I remember when I was in junior high or high school going on a class trip to a state museum. A friend who wasn’t Creole pointed to an oil painting of her great something grandfather who had been a member of state government. She knew a lot about him, and pride radiated her face as she spoke. It was the first time she’d seen his image, but she knew his name. Her parents had taught her. I remember feeling envious—not because she had a relative hanging in a museum but of her knowledge about him.

Another way to pass down history is to preserve artifacts. Shadowboxes are a great way to keep articles of clothing or jewelry while displaying them as art. My great-grandmother used to make handstitched quilts. Ask me where these quilts are now, and I would be embarrassed to say. I was young when she dies, and I was given nothing of hers. But other relatives who did take the quilts as tokens sadly didn’t value them. They allowed their kids to soil them and eventually used them as rags to clean their floors and polish their cars. They were nothing more than scrap cloth. Again, another bit of my history gone forever.

Now, as an adult, going back and trying to gather what little is left is difficult. But what I do find, I treasure and keep for my child. I stress to her the intrinsic value and the importance of knowledge. And I also document the present so that she one day will look to find that there is nothing. That is my message today to each person who values their history and heritage. It isn’t just the past. It’s also the future. Capture it now.

Don’t forget to visit Creole Bayou again. New posts are made on Wednesdays. If you have any questions or suggestions about this post or any others, feels free to comment below or tweet me at @dolynesaidso. You also can follow me on Instagram at genevivechambleeauthor or search me on Goodreads or Amazon Authors.

My new book, Out of the Penalty Box, a fiction romance is now available on http://amzn.to/2Bhnngw. It also can be ordered from iTunes, Nook, or Kobo. For more links where to purchase or to read the blurb, please visit http://bit.ly/2i9SqpH.

My steamy romance short “Cargo” in Pirates: Boys Behaving Badly Anthology #3 is available for purchase. Find it at http://bit.ly/2C5GlLa.

Also, my paranormal romance short story “Under the Magnolia Tree” in Haunted Hearts (Holiday Heartwarmers 4th vol.) is available for purchase. It can be read for FREE on Kindle Unlimited. Find it on Amazon at http://amzn.to/2Ab706S.

Copies of all my books are available in paper, eBook, and audio on Amazon, iTunes, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. The links are listed in my Writing Projects page (http://bit.ly/2iDYRxU) along with descriptions of each of my novels or stories.

Want to get the latest information and updates about my writing projects, giveaways, contests, and reveals first? Click on http://bit.ly/2zJjUdb and signup today.

If you enjoy reading this blog, please share it with your friends and family. There’s never too many people in the bayou.

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Published on February 21, 2018 08:00

Be My Valentine

It’s Valentine’s Day, and as a romance writer, many may find it surprising to learn that I’m not all that big of a fan of Valentine’s Day. For one thing, like most other holidays, it has become too much of a commercialized event. Anytime greed is involved, it goes downhill quickly. Things that were once sweet becomes tart.

I remember when I was in elementary school, we would decorate brown lunch bags for Valentine’s Day and hang them around the classroom. Then, at a certain time, the teacher would allow each of us to place cards in the bags for our friends. Here’s the catch. The school rule was that if a student elected to bring Valentine’s Day cards to distribute, the student had to give a card to each student. So, if there was a bully in the class, students being bullied had to give the bully a card. The ideology behind this is that no child would be cardless or have fewer cards than others. But this falls into the same category of No Child Left Behind. I also meant no Child Goes Forward. It strips individualism. A student is denied who they choose to spend money to purchase a card. It makes no one special because everyone is equally as special, which means all are the same. Now, I’m not saying some people are better than other people. My point is: in a perfect world everyone would get along. But some personalities just clash. When I entered junior high and began to discover myself, I was heartbroken that I wasn’t loved and treasured by all. Then, I realized that there were some people I wasn’t too fond of, either. And if I didn’t like everyone, why should I expect everyone to like me? That would be hypocritical. But I digress slightly.

Commercialism in the cards is what I wanted to discuss. When I was younger, Valentine Day cards came in assorted them packs. While the cards themselves was mass produced, I could, at my tender age, select the prettiest cards to give to my closest friends. Included in the pack were envelopes, which I could in my best cursive writing personalize. Now, most of the Valentine’s Day cards packs are a single image, much smaller than the cards of old. The cards used to be about the size of a palm. Now, they are slightly larger than matchbooks. Gone, too, are the envelopes. Instead, these already tiny cards are folded in half and held closed by a sticker. The cost increased while the quality decreased.

But that’s okay, some would argue. There are now e-cards. Or, at least, there used to be. It’s been so long since I was sent an ecard via email that I don’t know if they exist anymore. I do know that before I stopped receiving them, more and more sites were requiring payment to create and send ecards. To me, these cards were impersonal—but hey, it’s the thought that counts, right?

Another Valentine’s Day pet peeve of mine is the movies depicting love triangles. Now, there are times when triangles can be funny or interesting. Specially, the one that bothers me, are the ones that have a woman as the main character and both of her love interest are out-of-the-world spectacular. She happens to fall for both, and they fight over her like goons while she inwardly delights about it but outwardly chastises each of them. Yet, she does very little to dissuade either of their attention. And both men are stupid enough to hand around like this is the only woman in town. Billed as “alpha males” but the writer/creator, these men are anything but. A true alpha male isn’t going to wait around. He’s going to say, “either you’re with me or you’re not”. And that conversation is going to happen pretty doggone quick.

Second kind of triangle I find equally as frustrating is where the woman is involved/engaged/planning her wedding with one man and then when she’s stranded on a business trip or forced to save the family farm (insert some other isolating event here), she finds that her real true love is her antagonist. Seriously? What kind of flake woman is this? If she’s madly in love enough to be planning a wedding to a man she’s been dating for five years and then suddenly discovers her soulmate is a man she’s known for two weeks, how deep are her feelings? I’m not buying it. This is especially frustrating when in reality some women cannot get a single date, let alone a proposal with a huge obnoxious diamond and an adoring fiancé who thinks everything is peachy only to have the rug jerked from beneath him the day before the wedding. This isn’t romantic. This is cheating. Even if it’s not physical, it’s emotional cheating.

But there are some Valentine’s Day books and movies that I adore. For instance, the movie Valentine’s Day directed by the late Garry Marshall. This movie highlights all kinds of love with different sets of complications that seem real and grounded. These are relationships are relatable. Who said Valentine’s Day solely celebrated the love of a couple. One of the best storylines in the Valentine’s Day (WARNING: spoiler coming in the next sentence. If you haven’t seen this movie, skip the rest of this paragraph.) is Julia Robert’s character flying home to see her true love. The fact that she is traveling so far for such a short about of time emphases the depth of her love. This movie has new love, aging love, budding love, puppy love, insecure love, and broken love. It’s all there wrapped in a tidy package with an HEA. And the best part is that none of these storylines involving having to purchase expensive gives. The message is loving and being there is enough. Truly, isn’t that what love is all about?

So, that’s all I have on this Valentine’s Day. I hope everyone enjoys the day. This also being Ash Wednesday, I also hope a special dispensation is given for the day to embrace Saint Valentine to the fullest.

Don’t forget to visit Creole Bayou again. New posts are made on Wednesdays. If you have any questions or suggestions about this post or any others, feels free to comment below or tweet me at @dolynesaidso. You also can follow me on Instagram at genevivechambleeauthor or search me on Goodreads or Amazon Authors.

Copies of my books are available in paper, eBook, and audio on Amazon, iTunes, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. The links are listed in my Writing Projects page along with descriptions of each of my novels or stories.

My new book, Out of the Penalty Box, a fiction romance is now available for order at a bargain price on http://amzn.to/2Bhnngw. It also can be ordered from iTunes, Nook, or Kobo. For more links where to purchase or to read the blurb, please visit http://bit.ly/2i9SqpH.

Also, my paranormal romance short story “Under the Magnolia” in Haunted Hearts (Holiday Heartwarmers 4th vol.) is available for purchase. It can be read for FREE on Kindle Unlimited. Find it on Amazon at http://amzn.to/2Ab706S.

Copies of all my books are available in paper, eBook, and audio on Amazon, iTunes, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. The links are listed in my Writing Projects page (http://bit.ly/2iDYRxU) along with descriptions of each of my novels or stories.

Want to get the latest information and updates about my writing projects, giveaways, contests, and reveals first? Click on http://bit.ly/2zJjUdb and signup today.

If you enjoy reading this blog, please share it with your friends and family. There’s never too many people in the bayou.

View more on Genevive Chamblee's website »

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Published on February 14, 2018 08:00

Mardi Gras

It’s Mardi Gras!

Now, most persons of Cajun and Creole descent are already going to know this information. But for those interested, this is a brief intro into Mardi Gras.

When is Fat Tuesday this year? February 13, 2018

Why does the date for Mardi Gras change? Here’s the simple answer. Mardi Gras is centered around Easter and must occur the day before Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of Lent. Ash Wednesday occurs forty days (not including Sundays) before Easter. The church has a specific method for determining when Easter occur, but this post won’t go that deep into detail. However, as far as Fat Tuesday is concerned because Easter is never on the same date each year, Ash Wednesday is not on the same date. Therefore, Fat Tuesday cannot be on the same date each year.

What is the difference between Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday? Mardi Gras translated means Fat Tuesday, and Fat Tuesday is the last day of carnival. It is the day before the beginning of Lent (Cuaresma). The term Mardi Gras is often used to refer to all the carnival season, but it specifically is the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.

What is Shrove Tuesday? It is another term for Fat Tuesday.

What is carnival? Carnival is the season of festivities that stem from the Roman Catholic tradition and celebration of Lent, a time of abstinence from things (particularly meat and alcohol), giving alms, prayer, reflection, and penance. Carnival begins on January 6, which is the Feast of Epiphany. The Feast of Epiphany is also called the Twelfth Night. Three Kings Day, or the Twelfth Day of Christmas. Carnival lasts from January 6 until midnight of Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday). It is a time of celebration, feasting, fun, and parties before the beginning of Lent when the abstaining begins.

What is king cake? King cake is the official dessert of Mardi Gras. (Actually, I made that up, but it might as well be true because king cake is only sold—unless someone is making in their personal kitchen—during the carnival season.) The name stems from the Biblical story of the three kings who brought gifts to Baby Jesus. It is a dessert made with brioche dough, cinnamon, and glazed with purple, gold, and green sugar an icing. Inside of the cake is a plastic baby. Whoever is served the baby in his/her slice of cake is blessed with good fortune but also must purchase the next king cake for everyone to share.

Here, I must give a shout out to two awesome bakeries Paul’s Pastry (paulspastry.com) in Picayune and Bittersweet Confections (http://www.bittersweetconfections.com) for your king cake needs. They are awesome.

What are flambeaux? This requires somewhat of a history lesson to understand. Back in 1857 with the first Mardi Gras parade, there was no electricity. That meant either no night parades because no one could see where they were going or that the parade route had to be lit. The problem was solved with flambeaux. Flambeaux carriers originally were slaves and free men of color who carried torches along the parade route. However, they didn’t just carry the torches. They twirled, danced, and performed tricks to the delight of spectators. Although torches are no longer needed for light, Flambeaux carriers are an integral part of carnival.

What are carnival balls? In short, big fancy parties. First, it should be mentioned that each year, more than one hundred carnival balls occur in New Orleans and have been occurring since the beginning of the celebration of carnival. (The first krewe ball was held in 1857 by the Mistick Krewe of Comus.) These carnivals begin on January 6 with theTwelfth Night Ball hosted by the Twelfth Night Revelers and continue throughout the season and are grand events to behold. Unfortunately, most of these balls are by invitation-only, and the general public is not privy to the full grandness of carnival. During the ball, there is a king cake cutting ceremony. According to tradition, the person who found the bean (the feve) hidden in the cake would host the next ball.

What are the colors of Mardi Gras, and do they have meaning? Before answering this question, note that there are some discrepancies and disputes about the origin of Mardi Gras colors and as to why there are three colors instead of one. It’s a complicated debate and one I won’t dare approach. However, most people today will agree that despite it came about, there are three colors associated with Mardi Gras. These colors are purple, gold, and green. Purple is a symbol of royalty and justice. Gold is a symbol of power and prestige. And green is a symbol of faith.

Here’s an interesting side note for trivia and history buffs (and a giggle for some). It is said that when Louisiana State University (LSU – GEAUX TIGERS) was deciding which colors to use to represent the university, the regional shops had stocked up on the colors purple, green, and gold in preparation to celebrate Mardi Gras. LSU brought most of the purple and gold (LPLG). Tulane University also was deciding on their school colors. But since LSU had beat them to the punch, all that was left was green. (You snooze; you lose.) And that is how it is said the LSU and Tulane got their school colors. Now, those who know me understand why I’m tickled and humored by this story.

Why do people yell, “Throw me something, mister”? Well, it’s because people on the floats throw items to people not on the floats. This can be both fun and hazardous to one’s health. (I’ll get to the hazardous part in a minute.) The practice of throwing things from floats into the crowd date back to the early 1870s and the Twelfth Night Revelers. (They really were something and continue to be.) If you’re wondering what’s being thrown, I’ll tell you—lots of stuff. Throws range from beads, handmade trinkets, coins, doubloons (aluminum and anodized in various colors), stuffed animals, toys, and gold coconuts. I’m kidding about the coconuts. Well, not really. They used to throw coconuts, but city ordinance no longer allows this practice—all because people got clonked in the head. (Told you it was a hazard.) Many of the doubloons are collectibles, especially from certain parades. Reaching down to pick one off the ground may cause you to lose fingers under someone’s spiked heel. All the more reason to ask the float riders to throw it to you.

And here’s a hint. The really good beads aren’t the one that is being thrown. If you can snag a float rider’s eye, ask that they throw you something that draped around his/her neck. That’s the really good stuff. Most will oblige but only if requested.

Don’t forget to visit Creole Bayou again. New posts are made on Wednesdays. If you have any questions or suggestions about this post or any others, feels free to comment below or tweet me at @dolynesaidso. You also can follow me on Instagram at genevivechambleeauthor or search me on Goodreads or Amazon Authors.

My new book, Out of the Penalty Box, a fiction romance is available at http://amzn.to/2Bhnngw. It also can be ordered from iTunes, Nook, or Kobo. For more links where to purchase or to read the blurb, please visit http://bit.ly/2i9SqpH.

Also, my paranormal romance short story “Under the Magnolia” in Haunted Hearts (Holiday Heartwarmers 4th vol.) is available for purchase. It can be read for FREE on Kindle Unlimited. Find it on Amazon at http://amzn.to/2Ab706S.

Copies of all my books are available in paper, eBook, and audio on Amazon, iTunes, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. The links are listed in my Writing Projects page (http://bit.ly/2iDYRxU) along with descriptions of each of my novels or stories.

Want to get the latest information and updates about my writing projects, giveaways, contests, and reveals first? Click on http://bit.ly/2zJjUdb and signup today.

If you enjoy reading this blog, please share it with your friends and family. There’s never too many people in the bayou.

View more on Genevive Chamblee's website »

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Published on February 13, 2018 08:00

Author Interview – Lucille Moncrief

It’s always nice to have visitors in the Bayou and today is no exception with a visit from the lovely Lucille Moncrief.

What do you feel is the most important thing your readers should know about you? That I’m not as old as I sound.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk? I’ve been told I write musically and that my work has a certain rhythm to it.
Does writing energize or exhaust you? Usually, it exhausts me. But, I’ve never been accused of being a very energetic person anyway.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be? Start now. Don’t wait. Invest in yourself and learn a skill.
Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find? Yes. The opening line of Nefarious Three is heavy foreshadowing for Nefarious Five, which won’t be released until this spring.
How did you become involved with the subject/theme of your book? I’ve always loved steampunk, and the dark, gritty and macabre. I miss the artsy books of old, and so I wanted to bring some of that back having my books illustrated by independent artists.
What cultural value do you see in writing? In regard to fiction, stories tell us about ourselves, about the wider culture and the ever-present, unchanging human condition. Fiction is an escape. Things have to make some sense in it. A beginning must have an end that actually ties-up, and usually, justice is served. This doesn’t always happen in real life.
Do you have any writing rituals? Not really, but I try to get it done in the morning or evening. I hit a really bad slump every afternoon and can’t get much of anything useful done.
Lighting round: Pick one.

Gumbo or Jambalaya? Gumbo
King cake or Bread Pudding with Praline Sauce? King Cake
Zydeco or Jazz? Jazz
Beads or Doubloons? Doubloons
Bacchus or Orpheus? Orpheus
X-Men or Justice League? X-Men

Which of your characters would you want to date? Probably none. Well, maybe Samuel. He’s the least selfish and the most interesting of the bunch. And he turns into a cat, and I’m a bit of a cat person.
Where can readers find you linked to learn more about you? (website) moncriefs.net or they can join my Facebook group Moncrief’s Minions.

Thanks so much to Lucille for stopping by.