Kaye Lynne Booth's Blog: Writing to be Read, page 148

October 15, 2018

Setting the Tone with Point of View, Tense, Narrative Distance and Voice

Ask the Authors (Round 2)

[image error]


 


Every story has a distinct tone. Some are light hearted, while others are grim, while still others are sad and heartbreaking. The tone of the story is created by a combination of elements: point of view, tense, narrative distance and voice. Today our Ask the Authors panel discusses how they use those elements to create the tone needed for each particular story. On our panel today, Dan Alatorre, DeAnna Knippling, RA Winter, Mark & Kym Todd, Tom Johnson, Jordan Elizabeth, Margareth Stewart, Mark Shaw, Cynthia Vespia, Lilly Rayman, and Amy Cecil. 


Tone is what determines the mood of the story. Is it a humorous story with a light, playful tone? Or are you aiming to create a dark story, with scary elements? Or perhaps a sense of mystery? The tone of the story doesn’t just occur on the page. It must be crafted with precision just like all the other elements of story, and the choices the author makes will determine if they are sucessful in achieving the desired tone, and if it is effective for the story.



Who is telling the story? There are basically four different points of view the story can be told from: first person (I), second person (you), third person limited (narrator with access to a single character’s view), or third person omnicient (narrator with access to the thoughts of multiple characters). 


Do you have a preference between first person, second person, third person limited and third person omniscient, or does it just depend on the story you are telling? What do you see as the advantages or disadvantages of each?


Dan Alatorre


Alatorre I prefer writing in first person because it forces you to pay attention as a storyteller. You don’t know what’s going on in a room you aren’t in. I also enjoy third person limited, because it’s fun to be different people instead of “I“ all the time. The big advantage is, they make you be disciplined. You’re much less likely to do head hopping in first person.


Cynthia Vespia


colorheadshot - Copy I’ve dabbled in first person but I prefer third person, especially since I like telling multi-viewpoint stories. This way I can get in the heads of each character rather than one single character mindset as you do in first person.


Mark & Kym Todd


Todds - Copy We have a definite preference for third-person limited POV. We like the distance it gives us (and readers) from the story and the opportunities for weaving in dramatic irony. We never use first-person because it’s too intimate for the kind of stories we tell – plus it makes it harder to surprise readers without resorting to what feels to us like storytelling gimmickry.


RA Winter


RA Winter  I always write in third person limited with a deep point of view.  It brings out each character’s quirks, reactions, fears etc adding depth to the story. As far as third-person omniscient, I don’t like the distance from the characters and it’s very hard to pull off properly.  First person point of view isn’t something I read for pleasure, so I’d never try to write in that niche.  I know that it is the ‘in’ way of writing, but for some reason it grates on my nerves.  I’ve noticed that the setting, descriptions, etc, usually lack in first-person stories and other characters aren’t as developed as they could be.  I’ve only written in the second person once as a writing prompt with a crit circle.  It was too hard to get into and not for me.


DeAnna Knippling


deannak If you’re going to lie to your audience or have an unreliable narrator, do it in first person.  I write in all three.  The second-person stories kind of require some kind of hypnotic element to them, one that you want the reader to be hyper aware of.  “I’m mind controlling you, see?  Mind controllling!”  Third person stories are for when you just want the reader to sink into the narrative with as much trust of the narrator as possible.  It’s one of those things where the way you write the story should reflect the content of your story.  The contents of my stories sometimes lead me into weird POVs.  I do like books where mixed POVs are used, too–try to imagine The Fifth Season without the POVs!


Tom Johnson


Tom's Back Cover Picture I prefer third person omniscient, that’s how I learned to write, and it has stuck with me throughout my writing career. I don’t find myself limited in scope.


Margareth Stewart


Margareth Stewart The easiest way to write is in the third person. The first person may get boring although I used that in a self-help book-guide I wrote while trying to avoid by all costs sounding egocentric. I also did some experimental writing on the second person. I tested it and it worked fine. It is a critical piece in which a subconscious voice dialogues with the main character while pointing out how she does not change her life, and keeps repeating the same mistakes. The narrative is dense in this short story called “Acid: a view from below”. I publish it for free at facebook.com/AuthorMargarethStewart. The main character is silent all the time, and the reason I used this technique was to lead people reading it to change their own. The silence holds the potential for change. My novels are all in the third person as that is the safest path. Nobody feels intimidated or bored with them and I recommend it for long novels and first-time authors.


Jordan Elizabeth


Jordan It all depends on the story I’m writing.  I usually stick with third person because I can explain more about what’s going on, but sometimes it just has to be told in first person.  The main character wants to tell it her way.


Lilly Rayman


L Rayman Depending on what I want to convey with my story, depends on whether I write in the first person, or whether I write in a third person omniscient point of view.

My Unexpected series is written in 3rd Omni – with a couple of 1st person mini scenes to add a little intrigue to what is actually happening as that character is an unknown entity at that point of the story.


I have other works in progress, or in anthologies that are written in 1st person, simply because I needed to have a more in-depth thought process for the character that I follow, for example “A Reluctant Roxana: An Unexpected Short Story – Dare to Shine: Anthology” – The anthology was to raise funds for the Sophie Lancaster Foundation – a young woman who was killed for looking different in the way she choose to dress. I wanted my character, Roxana, to have some deep internalising about how important it is to be who you are and comfortable in yourself. I felt a 1st person point of view allowed for that kind of in-depth writing, something that a 3rd person would be hard to pull off.


3rd person omniscient is a great style for a lot of character and action that would get too complicated for a 1st person to follow.


Amy Cecil


Amy Cecil I used to write in third person, past tense, but now I prefer first person present tense.  I really don’t see any advantages other than I find it easier to write.


Have you ever written a story in one POV and then later rewritten it in a different POV to see if it worked better? Did it? Why or why not?


Dan Alatorre


Alatorre I started one story in one point of view and then rewrote it to change the point of view. I did it because I needed to be able to be multiple characters in the story, and I thought that worked best in third limited versus first. And it worked out really well because the story was a big hit.


Cynthia Vespia


colorheadshot - Copy Actually yes, twice. I started my Demon Hunter series in third person then decided to switch and tell it from a 1st person perspective because I wanted it to be Costa (my main character) telling his own story. When I started writing Lucky Sevens the opposite happened. I began with Luca “Lucky” Luchazi telling his story in 1st person and decided it didn’t work. So halfway through I switched to 3rd person and added in a multi-viewpoint approach. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to 1st person as its not as fun for me to write in.


Mark & Kym Todd


Todds - Copy Sure. And it’s why we answered the above question like we did! We think we lived-and-learned from the experience.


DeAnna Knippling


deannak If I have, it’s been long ago that I don’t remember.  I’ve tried two different 3rd person tight POVs before, but not lately.  I tend to have pretty specific reasons why I pick a character and a voice before I sit down to write.

Tom Johnson

Tom's Back Cover Picture No, never, I stay with the form I’ve used from the start.


Jordan Elizabeth


Jordan I haven’t done that yet, but I have taken a story told entirely from one POV and added in another chracter’s POV.  It made the story feel more well-rounded.




Most fiction is written in third person, allowing the author to define who their narrator is, and whether they are omniscient, having access to the thoughts and actions of all or at least several of the characters, or have access to the thoughts and ideas of one specific character. In the first person, the protagonist becomes the narrator and the story is told from a single point of view. The most prevalent example of this that comes to my mind is Hunger Games, and even though well done, there were places where the first person felt awkward.


Do you prefer to write in first or third person? Why? Or does it just depend on the story? How do you decide what POV to use?


Dan Alatorre


Alatorre Readers want to climb into your story and get lost in the fantasy. They don’t necessarily want to be the main character. That’s why third person is so appealing. However, certain types of stories lend themselves very well the first person. Humor, for example. Or when the author is intentionally messing with you. Ishmael was not the main character of Moby Dick; he was the narrator. He was a small player. I used that device in my book The Navigators to great effect; as you go along, you’re thinking the narrator is just a nice, quiet guy and all of a sudden you get surprise after surprise because he’s being surprised – and he pulls a few surprises. That makes it fun for me and the reader. Other books like Poggibonsi are written in first person because I wanted “you“ to be all these things and find yourself halfway through kind of rooting for the bad guy and then put yourself back out of it.


But I don’t like first person present tense. I do this, I do that. Can’t stand it. I like first person past tense: I went here, I went there – as if you’re sitting down at lunch or over a cocktail with somebody who is telling you their story. They are saying, then I did this, then I did that. First person present? I run, I jump – no thanks. I have read several books that are written that way and the first few chapters are almost impossible for me to get through. It’s like nails on a chalkboard to me.


RA Winter


RA Winter My first draft is usually in present tense as I work my way through the story but I change it to past tense.  Present tense for me just doesn’t work and the voice becomes passive. I’ve also notice that while trying to write in the present tense that I will automatically switch tenses and that leads to reader confusion.


DeAnna Knippling


deannak Depends on the story.  I like to mislead the reader, but I also like to be fair about it.  If you see me writing in the first person, you are 95% guaranteed an unreliable narrator.  I’d say that’s 100% for second person, and maybe 50% for third.  The third person narrators tend to be less unreliable, too.


Tom Johnson


Tom's Back Cover Picture Third person, always. I agree, first person can feel awkward at times, and I prefer to broaden the view, so to speak.


Jordan Elizabeth


Jordan While I’m brainstorming, I try out different ideas in my head.  One or the other will always stick, and the story starts playing out.  I’ll hear it in third person or first, and I just go with it.  I’ve only had to switch once.  GOAT CHILDREN was originally third person and my original editor had me change it to first person.


Lilly Rayman


L Rayman I use both first and third, depending entirely on what I am trying to get across to the reader.


Amy Cecil


Amy Cecil Basically the answer to this is noted in all the questions above.  I prefer first person, because it is easier, but in some stories, I’m required to write differently because of the story or the particular character.


Seldom do you `see anything written in the second person, because it’s hard to do. This technique decreases the narrative distance between the reader and the character, because the reader is placed within the story in a way. Essentially the reader becomes the character, using ‘you’ instead of ‘I’ or ‘her’ or ‘him’. I tried it once, and it’s a very difficult thing to do well. It usually comes off feeling rather awkward.


Have you ever tried to write anything in second person? What did you find most challenging about it?


Dan Alatorre 


[image error] I don’t mind writing things in second person, because it’s like anything else; you have to practice it for it not to be awkward. If you don’t like it or you’re not practiced at it, it will be awkward to write and therefore it will be awkward to read. If you work at it, it can be very smooth, and a very satisfying reading experience. I don’t prefer it, because I think the types of stories I tell work best in other deliveries.


Mark & Kym Todd


Todds - Copy French authors pretty well worked second-person POV to death in the 50s and 60s, and there’s not much unturned earth left in this POV, so far as we’re concerned, within traditional narratives. So we’re content to let video games and choose-your-own-adventure stories keep this technique.


DeAnna Knippling


[image error] I feel like using second person increases, rather than decreases, the narrative distance. It’s begging the reader to scream, “Don’t tell me what to do!!!” I write a number of stories in the second person. What you have to do is give the reader a story that they’re feeling especially cynical about, something that they want to react to in a negative manner. If you write a story from a bad guy’s point of view as they justify themselves, then a second-person narrator can sometimes be very effective. Another technique is to address the story to a universal “you,” an impersonal “you” that the reader won’t take personally at all, much as in this paragraph that you read just now.


Also? If you’re going to write a choose-your-own-adventure type book, you have to do you. I love Ryan North’s To Be or Not To Be and Romeo And/Or Juliet.



A story can be told from a singular perspective in the first person or with a limited narrator, or it can be told through the eyes of multiple characters, with an omnicient narrator. Each has benefits and drawbacks. Multiple points of view offer the author more options as to how much to reveal to readers and open up opportunities for subplots to be played out more fully, whereas a single point of view can create a more focused story. Multiple POVs may be necessary when the reader needs information that the protagonist isn’t privy to. (Super hero comic books use this technique to increase tension, by making readers privy to the perils the victim to be saved faces if the hero is not sucessful.)



Do you prefer single or multiple POVs? Why?


Dan Alatorre


Alatorre If you can have multiple, have multiple; it’s more fun. I prefer multiple POVs as far as what I write because it gives you the ability to get a scene to a very dramatic point and then jump away to a different story or a different person, in a different place. And then you build that story segment up to high point of drama and then jump back to the other story. If you do it right, people can’t stop turning the pages because they have to find out what’s going on with the other stories.


Mark & Kym Todd


Todds - Copy We love third-person limited shifting. It’s our POV device of choice and probably why we usually write for ensemble casts. Little Greed Men uses 3p-limited-shifting in spades and by the story’s close, the characters each think they have the story figured out whereas only the reader knows what really happened – maybe.


DeAnna Knippling


deannak Depends on the story.  I tend to revolve around a single POV, because I find sagas and epics to be kind of frustrating to read at times.  But I don’t worry too much about popping over to check in with another character now and then.


Tom Johnson


Tom's Back Cover Picture Single. Though I have used multiple POVs before, when I wanted my readers to see what was going on in both camps.


Jordan Elizabeth


Jordan I love multiple POVs.  The story opens up in a new way when you explore other thoughts and feeling, and see the world through different eyes.  Plus, its fun to play around with split personalities! I realy have to force myself to write in first person if a story calls for that voice.


L Rayman It depends on the story I’m writing. If I’m writing in 1st person, I keep my story to one POV. When I’m writing in 3rd person omniscient, there tends to be multiple POV.


Amy Cecil


Amy Cecil It really depends on the story.  Some of my books are multiple POVs and some are single.  It just depends on the story I am telling what fits best.


When using multiple POVs, does each character get equal page time? Do you switch POVs within chapters, or on the chapter break?


Dan Alatorre


Alatorre Equal page time? No. Not a chance. You have stars and you have bit players. The stars get the limelight and the majority of the pages. Everybody else only gets as much as is absolutely required.


I will switch point of view within the chapter, at a chapter break, however often as needed. I’d do it midsentence if I could.


Mark & Kym Todd


Todds - Copy We use additional page time with a given character as the way to signal to readers who our protagonist(s) is (are). But we also sometimes give extra page time to an antagonist – either to make characters hate them or else to make readers like them despite what the antagonist does. And we stand by the dictum that an antagonist is simply a character who opposes the intent of the protagonist. We never paint characters into villains for our stories – too simplistic for us.


As for POV shifts, we often change scenes to switch POVs within a chapter. It largely depends on whether or not it serves the story arc. Also, we love switching POV scenes with mini-cliffhangers. (We do it to keep readers from being able to go to bed.)


DeAnna Knippling


deannak NNNNNNNOOOOOOOOO. The main character or the main narrator gets the most page time, period. Then again, I have to admit that I don’t write a lot of romance–that’s a situation where often (not always) the two main love interests get approximately equal page time. I’m fine reading that. But I generally loathe the “rotating POVs of calculated fairness” book structure. That one thing that I’ve been in suspense to read for the last four chapters? I no longer care. Book, meet wall on other side of the room.


Tom Johnson


Tom's Back Cover Picture Always in scene breaks, not necessarily chapter breaks, though. We must have a clear break in the scene if we switch POVs.


Jordan Elizabeth


Jordan It depends on the progress of the story.  I never decide when the POV will switch.  As I’m writing, the other character sneaks up on me, demanding his/her turn.


Lilly Rayman


L Rayman Depends on the story and its flow. I try to keep to individual chapters where I can. Usually though, its my characters that dictate to me their story and how it should go.


Amy Cecil


Amy Cecil Not always.  I usually switch POVs at the beginning of a chapter, but in some instances, its important to add the alternate POV within the same paragraph.


One of my pet peeves is head hopping, switching back and forth from one character’s head to another without clear indication to the reader.


How do you indicate to readers that a switch in POV has occurred?


Dan Alatorre


Alatorre I don’t think I mind head hopping as much as a lot of other people. That’s kind of like people who drink beer AND wine versus people who ONLY drink wine (and then the people who can only drink robust read deep with lots of tannins… ) Head hopping is usually a writer making a mistake. It often lessens the reading enjoyment for the reader. If you’re not writing for an audience, then it doesn’t matter, but if you have an audience that’s going to pay money for the show, they need to get their money’s worth. Most of them won’t feel they did if you head hop. Of those who don’t mind, I think they won’t feel the story is as good as it could’ve been, even if they can’t articulate why.


Cynthia Vespia


colorheadshot - Copy Oh boy head hopping really bothers me too! I try never to do that and the way I make sure is to start a new chapter whenever I want to switch a character, or at least put in an obvious break in the current chapter so you know it’s a different character POV.


Mark & Kym Todd


Todds - Copy We agree with you, Kaye. We hate head-hoppers. We feel like it’s a cop-out and the resort for lack of craft control. To shift POV we use the time-honored convention that ellipses mean one or more of three things: change of POV, change of place, or change of time. Most readers intuit this just fine, and we’ve never had complaints from fans.


RA Winter







RA Winter Most of the time I change chapters for different POV’s.  However, if the scene isn’t finished and there is another character who could add a different depth, stakes, or a call to action for a character, I use a scene break symbol, a *** in the middle of the page.

DeAnna Knippling

deannak I don’t do it often, but sometimes that’s just how it has to go.  I pull back on the POV depth on character one, so you might be inside their head or outside of the their head, then switch over to the second character’s POV, again at a very light depth.  I only add a personal, internal POV to the second character if I have to, too.
Nettie felt that she would never be able to understand her cousin Matthew.  She flipped several pages as the candlelight flickered.

Matthew walked around the outside of the room.  To see him, you would never know that he was suffering.  A black despair always fell over him at this time of year, at the memory of his wife.

Nettie said, “Would you like me to read to you?”

“Yes, please.  What are you reading?”

She paged back to the beginning of the story, considering whether the story was an appropriate one for the moment, or not.

–Like that.  We hopped from Nettie to Matthew and back again.  Neither POV is all that rich with observation, but sometimes you have to at least suggest what’s going on in the other character’s head so the reader doesn’t misinterpret the subtext.  But I’m still new enough at being able to do it that I just about have a panic attack every time I have to try to pull it off.





Tom Johnson

Tom's Back Cover Picture I won’t ever jump from head to head with POVs. It might work in comic books, though.


Jordan Elizabeth


Jordan I break up the screen, making it clear that the previous scene is over, or I start a new chapter.


Lilly Rayman


L Rayman As an omniscient writer, it can be hard to strike the right balance between an omniscient pov and a head hopper. My chapters might follow one particular character for the duration of that chapter, with a touch of another character’s perspective, but, I’ve never had any complaints, and a really good editor is a god-send to pull up any head hopping moments. I try to provide clear indication within the first sentence or two as to which character is the main lead for that chapter.


Amy Cecil


Amy Cecil I use a heading with their name on it.





 


How close are we to the story? Do you want your reader to feel as if they are at a distance, watching the story unfold or do you want them to be right up in the action. Each approach has a different effect. You must be careful not to distance readers so much that they loose interest, yet there are times, such as when your character needs to remain unaware of certain aspects of the story, when you may not want them to be right in the thick of things. This can be manipulated through the narrator, using past or present tense, or through voice.


How much narrative distance do you like to give for your readers?


Dan Alatorre


Alatorre I don’t know what that is, so I’m gonna say none. * Looks it up. * If it means what I think it means, how much space you allow between your reader and your story, the answer remains the same. None. I want them immersed up to their eyeballs, unable to stop reading, unable to put the book down, and their hearts broken when they have to close the book and after the ending and leave these people they have come to love. If a character gets cut, I want the reader to bleed. I want the reader so close, they feel the killer’s breath on their neck.


RA Winter


RA Winter I start each chapter with setting the scene to orientate the reader. This is done by a more distant narrative, but as soon as possible I draw readers into the character by delving deeper inside the scene and the motivations behind the actions. I want the reader to be inside the story, know where they are in time and place, what’s going on, the motivation, the stakes, the hidden agendas. Each character’s action should be clear and logical with the scene painted in- to add depth to the story. A deeper POV has the pull to bring a story to life.


Jordan Elizabeth


Jordan I try to suck the reader in as much as possible.  Even if they aren’t exactly like the narrator, I want them to feel the same emotions and sensations, and hopefully identify some part of themselves in the main character.


Lilly Rayman


L Rayman Whatever is required for the story as it flows along.


I recently read Webs of Perception, by Darlene Quinn, (you can read my review this Friday, October 19). Darlene used the first person POV for her main character, but used third person for the multple POVs used in her story. The character had amnesia, so in a way, it was what made the story work, but I had never seen this done before and found it an interesting technique.


When using multiple POVs, have you ever used multiple narrator’s voices in the same story? Was it difficult to make that work? Why?


Dan Alatorre


Alatorre Sure. I did this in The Navigators. It was first person as the narrator, but whenever the narrator wasn’t present in a scene, it was third person limited. It works fine. I think one or two reviews mentioned it, but they didn’t ask for a refund so I guess it wasn’t that bad.


Mark & Kym Todd


Todds - Copy It can be a useful exercise, we suppose. But we find this sort of POV slight-of-hand a bit gimmicky. By its very nature, first-person is the most intimate but also the trickiest since readers have to learn to trust the author when getting so close to a character. And switching POV modes feels heavy-handed, more flash than substance in most instances. Our stories are already as complicated as we want them to be.


DeAnna Knippling


deannak Eh, I’ve seen it done and I’m fine reading it, but when I do that kind of thing, it’s a prologue in third and the rest of the book in first.  The prologue sets up the crime for the rest of the book, and then the rest of the book is the investigation by the (unreliable narrator) detective.


Tom Johnson


Tom's Back Cover Picture Third person throughout the story, I never change this format.


Jordan Elizabeth


Jordan I haven’t done that exactly, but PATH TO OLD TALBOT  is written in first and third person for the same main character.  When Charity is adventuring in Old Talbot, the story is in third person.  She’s detached from the emotional trauma of real life and just living in the moment.  When she’s in the present dealing with her father, the story is told in first person, showing all of her hurt.


Lilly Rayman


L Rayman Only on occasion has I slipped a scene or two in for characters POV in first person when the rest of the story has been written in third person. This has been a deliberate choice when planting in certain little plot bunnies to tease at the reader until it all comes together at the end.


We are taught to use an active voice, leaving passive ‘to be’ verbs like ‘were’ or ‘had been’ by the wayside. It’s difficult to write in an active voice when the story is in the past tense yet, using the Hunger Games example, being first person, present tense may have been the reason it was awkward at times. (I think first person, past tense may be a little easier.)


Do you prefer to write in past or present tense? Why?


Dan Alatorre


Alatorre  I prefer to write in past tense only because the vocabulary is much more limited in present tense. When you start thinking about your verb usage, there’s about 10 times as many when you use past tense – and people are more used to telling things that way, therefore they are more used to hearing things that way. But it’s all personal preference. If your story kicks butt in first person present tense, then stick with it.


As far as active or passive, I really don’t worry about it too much. There’s so much going on in my story, and the characters are so lively and the dialogue is so engaging, I could probably use all the passive verbs I want and nobody would care. The simple fact is, words are like paint strokes on a painting, and you dip into whichever one is going to suit your purpose best for that section.


Once you know how to write an engaging story, you get to choose which types of words you need to deliver it best. When you were learning to drive a car, it was all you could do to keep the car on the road. Now you drive with one knee while you’re eating a cheeseburger and talking on the cell phone. You don’t even think about it. That comes with practice. Hone your craft. And there’s something else I notice a lot, which is: the really great storytellers don’t pay that much attention to the rules because they’re telling great stories. A great story hides a lot of sins.


Cynthia Vespia


colorheadshot - Copy I prefer present. To me it feels more active, like the story is unfolding right now in front of the reader.


Mark & Kym Todd


Todds - Copy Almost exclusively in past tense. We use dramatic present very sparingly and only when we want a sense of suspenseful immediacy for a short burst.


DeAnna Knippling


deannak I hate present tense for fiction.  I find it comes across as breathless and melodramatic, especially in YA fiction.  That being said, if a story needs a breathless tone of voice, I’ll use present.  I’ll complain about it to myself the entire time.  Why, subconscious, why?!?


Margareth Stewart


[image error] I prefer to write in the past tense, but I use lots of dialogue and that is all in the present. Writing in active voice is also a great choice as it makes narratives direct and straightforward. Thus, the writing narrative is kept clean and clear avoiding redundancy and lack of objectiveness. We should use words as precious things and avoid using them merely to fill in the blank space or getting into details that make no difference to the story. So, my tip is: “write as you were opening fields in the jungle with your words, cut, chop and do not get stuck if things are not perfect, move forward and take the reader with you – on top of all that – enjoy the journey.”


Jordan Elizabeth


Jordan I prefer past tense.  It flows better for me.


Lilly Rayman


L Rayman I tend to write in the past tense when in 3rd person POV, this feels more comforatble to me. Yet I slip into present tense when writing in the 1st person. Although, I have written 1st person in past tense as well.


Amy Cecil


Amy Cecil Present tense.  I find it easier.


How do you avoid the use passive voice in your writing? Or do you?


Dan Alatorre


[image error] I write such awesome stuff, nobody’d notice if I used a passive verb. They might even be grateful I let them catch their breath.


Seriously, I don’t worry about “avoiding” using the passive voice, because I’ve just realized that most people don’t write stories that are engaging enough, so the passive voice weighs the story down. If the story is engaging and the characters are lively and the dialogue is witty, some passive voice here and there isn’t going to hurt anything. I don’t worry about using it. I don’t use it much, but I wouldn’t worry about using it at all. If a reader sees it and notices – not an editor, but a regular reader – then your story sucks anyway. Write great stories and you can do whatever you want – and nobody will care. Here’s a great example. Star Wars didn’t win best picture. Critics said it was a space cowboy movie. But it changed our whole culture. A great story makes its own rules.


Cynthia Vespia


[image error] Editing…lol.


Mark & Kym Todd


[image error] Simple, we never use it. Passive only has two functions – 1) when you don’t know who the subject is (e.g., the initial JFK headline “The President has been shot” and no one knew at the time the name of the assassin), but in fiction, we know such info already and can control such revelations in other ways; and 2) when you don’t want to reveal who the subject is. In the latter case, we always construct other storytelling strategies to avoid revealing identity.


RA Winter


[image error] Crit cycles.  My writing undergoes numerous drafts.   There are between seven and eight critters who comb over my writing at every stage and thankfully they stay with me until the end.  My editor helps with the development of my story and is a  huge help at with every draft, I don’t know what I’d do without her expertise and input.  Each crit brings another depth to the story and every draft focuses on one aspect including passive voice.


DeAnna Knippling


[image error] I don’t.  The use of passive voice in writing is often a necessary element.  Breaking rules is something that writers get to do when it provides a specific benefit to the reader.  I spent a lot more time breaking long, convoluted sentences into smaller parts so they’re more readable.  That’s my sin.


Tom Johnson


[image error] Oh, passive voice is easy. When I went to school we learned all about verbs and adverbs, and how to use them, past tense and future tense, etc. That’s what learning was all about. Only now do we find out that passive voice and “ly”s are not wanted. I’ve got an idea our language is even changing as I write this. Soon we may be replacing “you” with “u” and other single letters replacing words. Who knows what writing will be like in thirty years – or fifty, or a hundred years from now? I’m reminded of writers in the 1930s and ‘40s that wrote for a penny a word, and had to fill their stories with adjectives and verbs to make a living. It was called purple prose back then, and if you could sneak a “had been” in there for an extra two cents, you did it. Cowboys didn’t just turn and draw their revolver; they turned quickly and drew their six-shooter lightning fast. Anyway, it was all about words, and how many you could get in a sentence.


Jordan Elizabeth


[image error] Spell check finds a lot of it!  I always send my stories by multiple critique partners to make sure nothing slips by.


Lilly Rayman


[image error] I guess plenty of re-reads and editing rounds to make sure the passive voice is weeded out if it does make an appearance!


Amy Cecil


[image error] I rely on my editor to fix that.



Writing fiction and nonfiction have many similarities, but in the case of nonfiction, true life stories, such as those that author and panel member Mark Shaw writes, the story determines the tone, so the above questions don’t really apply. Yet each of Mark’s works carry a distinctive voice and tone. So, I asked Mark how he decides which elements of voice to use and what tone to take in his story telling.


In the nofiction that you write, you tell the stories of others. In The Reporter Who Knew Too Much, you took a third person investigative approach, in Courage in the Face of Evil, you took a different approach, telling the story from Vera’s POV, and in Beneath the Mask of Holiness, you told the story in third person as a narrator. In each of these cases your story telling skill was spot on. If told in a different way, it wouldn’t have been the same story. How do you choose the right voice in which to tell your stories? 

Mark Shaw


[image error] Regarding “voice” and the storytelling method utilized, three of my books illustrated different methods of doing so. In Beneath the Mask of Holiness: Thomas Merton and the Forbidden Love Affair that Set Him Free, I chose to be the narrator, the guide to telling the story of how late in life the famous monk finally found true love through an affair with a student nurse half his age. While doing so, however, I wove into the story excerpts from his diary so that his “voice” was apparent to the reader as he expressed strong emotions about the love affair and what it meant to him, most important of course.

In Courage in the Face of Evil, based on a true story as captured from a Holocaust diary, I told the story through the main character Vera’s voice since I wanted readers to learn of the horrors of the Holocaust with a firsthand account as she wrote it in the diary. This also permitted the inspirational aspect of the story to come forward, the part where she trusts a German prison guard whom she hated to help her save the life of a little Russian girl who would have been killed otherwise. Vera’s own words indicate her courage and permit the reader to become emotionally involved in the book start to finish.
In both The Reporter Who Knew Too Much about Dorothy Kilgallen and the upcoming follow-up book, Denial of Justice (Nov. 20), I tell the story as the narrator, but weave in as much of Dorothy’s own words in her columns and what she said to others about how she was investigating the JFK assassination. Using as many images of Dorothy and never-before-exposed government documents, I enhance the story and provide the reader with the path Dorothy took to learn the truth just as prosecutor would do for a jury. Once again, though, the key to TRWKTM becoming a bestseller with hopes Denial of Justice will just as successful, is that the story touches reader’s emotions by their bonding with the famous reporter who did not receive justice when she mysteriously died in 1965. Many readers have told me they grew to respect and love Dorothy, emotions on their end that warm my heart.




It seems the story itself, determines the number of POVs used, and what tense it is told in, and sometimes a change in POV can make a world of difference as to how the story comes comes out and what tone is set. Finding the right tone can be the difference between a really great story and a mediocre one. Although fiction is different from nonfiction in many ways, you can see from Mark Shaw’s answers on nonfiction how important finding the right view point and voice is to the story.

Most of our panel members avoid headhopping, although a few find it useful at times and make a purposeful effort to do it well, when they do use it. Also, in most cases, narrative distance is close and personal, drawing the reader right into the thick of the story. Although I felt second person might distance the reader, DeAnna Knippling feels it brings them in closer, decreasing their narrative distance from the story. I suppose it might depend on how well it is done.

Most of our panel members give much credit to editors, critique partners and beta readers to help weed out passive voice and accidental head hops. I think it really helps to get additional sets of eyes on our work. One technique that I have used that works very well to find these errors as well as others, and helps you to know if the tone is that desired is reading your story aloud. This helps in knowing if the flow is smooth as well. You don’t even have to have someone to read to, although you can and then you have an additional opinion, but I’ve read it aloud to myself or even to my dog. (He’s a good listener, but he doesn’t give a lot of feedback. Lol.)

That’s it for this week. I hope you all will join us next Monday, when our panel members will discuss character development. 


Like this post? Subscribe to Writing to be Read for e-mail notifications whenever new content is posted or follow WtbR on WordPress.



 


 


 


 

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on October 15, 2018 05:00

October 12, 2018

Dark Visions: A Horror Anthology You Won’t Want to Miss

[image error]


October is the month for scary things, and a horror anthology filled with spine chilling short stories from over thirty authors is the perfect read for the season. The release of Dan Alatorre’s compilation of Dark Visions anthology is October 15th, and you won’t want to miss it. In addition to a wonderfully original and entertaining  prologue, and his own story, “The Corner Shop”, Dan has lined up a slew of writing talent to include in this tomb of short horror tales.


Not only does this anthology have a very cool cover, (Check it out above), but it also has some very well crafted short fiction, some that will stay with you in times to come. These shorts cover a wide spectrum of horrors; nightmares, voodoo, vampires, apparitions and spirits, and even demons. The stories found here prey upon your inner fears, making brief little ditties from the stuff of nightmares.


None of the stories I read from this collection would rate less than three quills, meaning even the mediocre stories are pretty good. Among my favorites are “The Devil’s Hollow”, by Adele Marie Park; “Road Kill”, by Ernesto San Giacomo; “Behind the Leather Apron”, by Alana Turner; “The Bloody Dagwood Tree”, by Dabry Farmer; and “Ice Cream”, by Geoff LePard.


Not to say that other stories in this volume are not noteworthy. Many of these stories will keep you awake at night, including: “The Haunting of William”, by Robbie Cheadle; “Nightmare”, by Lori Micken; “Swimming”, by Frank Parker; “Lucifer’s Revenge”, by Christine Valentor; “What If”, by Geoff LePard; “Ghosts of Tupelo” by Sharon Cathcart; “Where the Black Tree Grows”, by M.D. Walker; “The Right Time to Move”, by Jennifer Ruff; “The Stranger”, by Allison Maruska; “The Storm”, by J.A. Allen; and “Spirit Lake”, by Sharron Connell.


I may be difficult to please when it comes to short fiction, because I like my stories to feel complete and often short fiction fails  on those lines, but most of the tales in this collection did not fail to satisfy. Most of them were also a little creepy, which is essential when it comes to horror. And, did I mention it has a really cool cover? Put all of that together, and I give Dark Visions five quills.


[image error]


Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on October 12, 2018 05:00

October 10, 2018

Interview with multi-genre author Brenda Mohammed

[image error]


I have the pleasure of interviewing independent author Brenda Mohammed today. She is not only a multi-genre author, but a multi-award winning author, who seems to dabble in a bit of everything. She comes from a background in finance, but became an author when she wrote a memoir about her battle with ovarian cancer. Since then, she’s written several other memoirs, as well as a science fiction series, a horror novel and a crime novel, as well as a wonderful self-help book for aspiring authors. She has done so much, and made so many travels, and I’m thrilled to have her share all that with us here, on Writing to be Read. Please give a warm welcome to Brenda Mohammed.


Kaye: When did you know you wanted to be an author?


 Brenda: I never planned to be an author. I was a successful Bank Manager for many years. After I retired from the Bank at an early age, I became an Insurance Professional. I loved working in Finance and helping many people achieve their financial goals. In 2005 I was stricken with ovarian cancer. My doctor in Trinidad told me that she could not help me, and no other doctor in Trinidad at that time was qualified to do so. I sought treatment in Miami and gained a new lease on life. In 2013 I wrote a book about my cancer ordeal and recovery, I am Cancer Free. That was my first book and I have never stopped writing after that. To date I have written nineteen books.


Kaye: You’ve written 6 memoirs, 2 children’s books, a science fiction series, a crime novel, and a nonfiction book on writing. What’s the secret to tackling so many different genres?


Brenda: There really is no secret to writing in multiple genres. I have always loved a challenge and constantly seek out new opportunities. I write whatever I feel passionate about.


Kaye: You have written books in multiple genres: science fiction, memoir, self-help, etc… What are some of the differences you run into in writing different genres?


Brenda: When I am writing science fiction I maintain my focus on science fiction, and similarly with the other genres. The secret is to stay focused on the plot or the subject to achieve the end result. However, the problem I faced was in promoting my books.


I discovered a way around that and made Facebook Author pages for each genre. I have seven Facebook author pages. I also joined several Facebook groups that specialise in genres in which I write, to promote my books.


Kaye: Which genre is your favorite to write in? Why?


Brenda: I really enjoyed writing my science fiction series because it took me to another world for a while. When I wrote it I found myself becoming the hero or heroine and doing impossible things.


Kaye: You won a Readers’ Favorite Award in the 2018 International Book Awards for both your YA science fiction series Zeeka Chronicles,and your memoir I Am Cancer Free. What, if anything do these two books have in common besides both being Reader’s Favorite Book Award recipients? What makes them award winning books?






 Brenda: Strange. I think I just answered that question above. The books have nothing in common yet there is a common thread. One is a futuristic thriller and the other is a survival story. As I said above when writing science fiction. i.e. Zeeka Chronicles,  I found myself becoming the hero or heroine.  In I am Cancer Free I am the heroine.


Seriously though, I quote from Readers Favorite: “Contest entries are judged all year long and are given a rating score based on key literary elements. The judges simply read the book and score it based on its merits.”


 Kaye: Those are not the only award winning books you’ve written. Two other memoirs, My Life as a Banker received a second place award in memoirs in the Metamorph Publishing’s Summer Indie Book Awards in 2016 and Your Time is Now received IHIBRP 5 Star Recommended Read Award Badge. What can you tell us about those two books?






 Brenda: My Life as a Banker is a memoir about my life in Banking. Banking was my first love. I always wanted to work in a bank. I love serving and helping people and seeing them prosper. Banking gave me the opportunity to do so and especially when I climbed the ranks to Commercial Area Credit Manager and was able to help business people with startups and expansion. Banking allowed me to play my part in building the economy of my native country, Trinidad.


Your Time is Now is intended to help people understand their own lives and to realize that we are all here on earth for a purpose.


The reviews for both these books speak a lot for them.


Kaye: What is it like to receive notification that your book is the recipient of a prestigious award?


Brenda: I have won many awards before in both Banking and Insurance.in my home country


However, as this was an International Award it was a most joyous feeling to tell my friends and family that I won two prestigious awards with Readers Favorite International and will be attending the Awards Ceremony in Miami. In November.


Kaye: What’s something most readers would never guess about you?


Brenda: I dabble in art, poetry, and graphics in my spare time. Some of my art work hang on the walls of my home.


 Kaye: What time of day do you prefer to do your writing? Why?


Brenda: I prefer to write in the still of the night. When everyone is asleep I find peace to think and write.


 Kaye: What is the biggest challenge of being a writer?


Brenda: Only a few days ago I penned this poem about writing:


Writing takes me into a fantasy world.


Sometimes I find myself in a black hole.


I edit and fight to come out of it


But not before I get into a fit.


 


My books have gathered great reviews


Won awards and made the news.


Is it worth it, I sometimes ask?


Writing a book is a great task.


 


A writer’s life is a rather lonely one.


All day behind a computer is no fun.


An author must make the time


Read others’ books and go out and lime.


 


Do not sit at your computer all day.


Join the family in travel and play


Love of a family is life’s greatest gift


When you need to relax they give you a lift.


 Kaye: Is there anything unique or unusual about your writing process?


Brenda: Before writing a story I write an outline of the entire plot in a couple of pages. I then use that to build my story. It sounds simple, but it is not.


[image error]


Kaye: Your book on writing is titled How to Write for Success: Best Writing Advice I Received. Can you briefly share what the best writing advice you ever received really was? What is the main message of this book?


 Brenda: The Best Writing Advice I Received was “Keep the Reader in mind when writing. In other words write for the reader and your books will sell.”


To answer the second part of the question I will quote one of the five-star reviews. The one from Readers Favorite is too long so I will share this one from an Amazon Reviewer:


“Having read a couple of Mohammed’s books, I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed in this self-help book, and I was not. The book covers not only the gamut on the art of writing, but the formulation of an idea for a book, to proofreading, and eventual marketing of his/her book. This is an excellent book for anyone who finds him/herself contemplating becoming a writer. With Mohammed’s book in hand, there should be little, if any, room for error. I highly recommend.”


Kaye: You like to travel. Do the places you travel end up in your books?


Brenda: Yes they do and they did. I wrote Travel Memoirs with Pictures: Exploring the world. It is an illustrated picture book filled with reflections of my travels around the world.


[image error]


In this pictorial travel book of my priceless memories, I describe places visited and the wonderful times I and my family had in our tourist trips. The book is great to read while on a vacation or for some travel inspiration.


I want to thank Brenda Mohammed for joining us here today and sharing a little about her lovely books. You can learn more about Brenda and her books on Amazon at: http://Author.to/BCM786. I love how she turned her own life experiences into books to be shared by all.


Like this post? Subscribe to Writing to be Read for e-mail notifications whenever new content is posted or follow WtbR on WordPress.

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on October 10, 2018 05:00

October 5, 2018

“Doomed to Repeat”: A Mystery in History

[image error]


Doomed to Repeat is author Tim Baker’s latest crazy crime novel, complete with his usual cast of lovable characters; Ike, Brewski, Ralph Donabedian and the Golden Lion Staff.


Ike and Brewski get a blast from the past when Nazis with amnesia show up in Flagler Beach. As they work to unravel the mystery of how they came to be in this time, while trying to stay one step ahead of the white supremicist who is trying to muscle Ralph Donabedian and the other Flagler Beach business owners into selling all of their properties, they learn their new found friends may hold the evidence to prove two great historical myths to be truths. But, with the bad guys, the C.I.A. and the Russians all closing in, can they save their new found friends and the secrets they carry with them without getting themselves killed or letting their secrets fall into the wrong hands?


When you pick up a novel set in Flagler Beach, and find Ike and Brewski sitting in the middle of it, you know the story will be entertaining, and Doomed to Repeat does not disappoint. I give it five quills.


[image error]


 


Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on October 05, 2018 05:00

September 28, 2018

“Time to Live”: A YA Mystical Fantasy

[image error]


Time to Live by Jordan Elizabeth was released yesterday. I had the privelage of a review copy and found it to be a delightful story of magic and mayhem. I was able to fall into this young adult novel and kept the pages turning.


Endowed with powers she’s not supposed to have yet, Banon seems to find trouble and someone to rescue wherever she goes. Then, she disses the wrong guy and re-ignites the kindling for an all out clan war that’s gone on for so long, no one remembers how it really started, throwing her in the path of her true soul mate, awakening memories within them both, and bringing understanding as to why they’d never felt as if they belonged.


I question why this book is titled as such, but I think the cover is killer. I enjoyed this tale to the utmost and give Time to Live five quills.


[image error]


Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on September 28, 2018 05:00

September 26, 2018

The Many Faces of Poetry: Poetry And Surrealism

[image error]


Surrealism And Poetry, by Art Rosch


Surrealism as a concept is well entrenched in the world’s consciousness. If you say, or think, the word “surreal”, a panoply of images will no doubt arise. “Weird, strange, odd, Salvador Dali, the subconscious, unlikely juxtapositions.” Anyway, that’s what pops into my head. You might think of snails, rock and roll and Frank Zappa…how the hell would I know what you think? Surrealism can be elusive. Everyone has their own idea of what constitutes the surreal. I find the world itself to be extremely surreal.


Let’s ask the internet. “Surrealism: a 20th-century avant-garde movement in art and literature that sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind, for example by the irrational juxtaposition of images.”


Aha! Surrealism began as a movement around the time of World War One. The fact that Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung were unlocking hidden layers in our psyches bears strongly on the rise of surrealism. Another important quote:” Surrealism allows us to see art in it’s purest form because it stems from imagination rather than rational thought. Because of this, artists are able to better express their emotions and thoughts through this art form.”


It was the writer Andre Breton who is regarded as the founder of Surrealism. In 1924 he wrote The Surrealist Manifesto. There were heated arguments, even violent brawls, over who got credit for being the father of Surrealism. That seems only appropriate. What events could be more surreal than fights over Surrealism? Consider those fights as early bits of performance art.


Earlier today I was talking to Poetry and I asked it, “When did you abandon rhyme and meter?” Let’s leave aside the vast bodies of oriental literature. They were never as welded to meter and rhyme as was the literature of Homer, Shakespeare, Milton, Donne, Shelley and Keats. I will be writing about this question in a later essay. I was asking the question because I realized that I have hardly ever written rhymed poetry. I realized that I have been a surrealist my whole life. Surrealism dovetails nicely with fantasy and science fiction and, provided one has the chops, er, the technique, the tools of modern poetry are liberating. In fact, rhyming poetry now sounds quaint, even corny. Forgive me if I insult your work, for no doubt there are many exceptional poets who use rhyme and meter.


Here, though, is Andre Breton:


 


All Paradise Is Not Love


The stone cocks turn to crystal

They defend the dew with battering crests

And then the charming flash of lightning

Strikes the banner of ruins

The sand is no more than a phosphorescent clock

Murmuring midnight

Through the arms of a forgotten woman

No shelter revolving in the fields

Is prepared for Heaven’s attacks and retreats

It is here

The house and its hard blue temples bathe in the night

that draws my images

Heads of hair, heads of hair

Evil gathers its strength quite near

But will it want us?


 


I think poetry like this is meant to be felt, not to be understood. Put away your rational mind and allow the words to penetrate to a deeper level. That’s what surrealism is asking of us. In the 1920s there was an epochal change in all art, all philosophy, all advanced thought. Science and art were getting closer to one another. Freud’s work was bleeding into the thinking of the poets and painters. There was really something going on, a ferment, a frisson, an explosion of creative energy. Such movements and moods arise in regular cycles. A war had just ended that challenged the very imagination of mankind. And another, even more shattering war, was just over the horizon. Artists of every stripe felt the need to come to grips with the overwhelming sense of violence in the air. Dali was painting clocks that hung melting over tree branches. His “Premonitions Of The Spanish Civil War” is a painting of a monster that can’t let go of itself. The Surrealists flocked to Paris in the 1920s and must have had a hell of a lot of fun. I wasn’t there but I’m here now in another efflorescence of the odd, the weird and the strangely juxtaposed. We are in another one of these epochs of high creativity.


One of my most surrealistic poems is this one, “Ghost Voiices”


Ghost voices grow


like weaving spires in the corridor of the night.


Stalactites of moonlight,


they hum and fade


through the wake of other minds.


A sheet of star rain glinting light,


a mist of moon- heat lost from sight


these spectral hints emerge


from the night floor in the dark.


Silver waving plants recede forever


in a song of twinkling echoes.


Ghost voices, shadow worlds


arise and converse


while my sleep waits beyond the hills,


listening.


 


This poem was inspired by a piece of avant garde music, something I listened to while under the influence of mushrooms. What does it make you feel? Anything? Or does it just go ‘wheeeewwwww…zoooom’ see ya later? That fleeting moment between wakefulness and sleep is called a “hypnagogic state”. I was in such a state when the poem wrote itself. It must have been around 1972. I regard it as surrealistic poetry, unmoored from rationality, free to tickle around inside your psyche.


That, my friends, is this month’s musing on poetry in its wonders and aspects.


 


Arthur Rosch: A Midwesterner by birth, Arthur Rosch migrated to the West Coast just in time to be a hippie but discovered that he was more connected to the Beatnik generation. He harkened back to an Old School world of jazz, poetry, painting and photography.  In the Eighties he received Playboy Magazine’s Best Short Story Award for a comic view of a planet where there are six genders.  The timing was not good.  His life was falling apart as he struggled with addiction and depression.  He experienced the reality of the streets for more than a decade. Putting himself back together was the defining experience of his life. It wasn’t easy.  It did, however, nurture his literary soul. He has a passion for astronomy, photography, history, psychology and the weird puzzle of human experience.  He is currently a certified Seniors Peer Counselor in Sonoma County, California.


Links:


www.artrosch.com


Read my new novel, out in paperback on Amazon


and FREE as an e-book at http://bit.ly/1QynBVD

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on September 26, 2018 08:57

September 24, 2018

“Ask the Authors” (Round 2): Meet the Authors

[image error]


I’m excited to tell you that Ask the Authors is coming back to Writing to be Read starting next Monday. And wait until you see the great line-up of authors we have for our Round 2 panel. We’ve got an interesting mash up of talent just waiting to be shared and I’m going to delve in with the important questions, which could help other authors along the way.


Round 2 of Ask the Authors will include twelve segments, includining this introductory post and the final round of quetions, one every Monday. Topics include:



The Writing Process: You’ve Got a Story Idea, Now What?
Plot/Storyline: Where Do We Go From Here?
Setting the Tone with Point of View, Tense, Narrative Distance and Voice
Creating and Developing Character: Writing a Character Readers Will Relate To
World Building: Making it Real with Effective Dialog and Sensory Details
Action Scenes: Keeping the Story Moving
Editing & Revision: The Finishing Touches
The business segments will include: A Discussion on Publishing Platforms
How and Why You Should Build an Author Platform
Marketing and Promotion.

Fourteen great authors who all write different genres and for different audiences, both traditional published and self-published, all with expertise to offer to you, my readers and fellow authors. They will each weigh in on the weekly topics with writing tips and  advice on the business of writing. So, without further ado, let’s meet the authors.


[image error]We have Margareth Stewart, who emerges from academia to write her first novel, Open: Pierre’s journey after war. One unusual thing I know about Margareth is that her book is not on the Big A, Amazon, and I can’t wait until the publishing segment to discuss that decission and see how the publishing platform she’s using is working out for her. Margareth was on the first AtA panel, and I’m thrilled to have her back for another round.


Bio: Margareth Stewart is the pen name for Mônica Mastrantonio, debut author of Open/ Pierre’s Journey After War published by web-e-books.com. She has also compiled and published three international Anthologies featuring global authors: Whitmanthology, Womenthology, The Pain that Unites us All.


She holds a PhD in Social Psychology, and she has been teaching and tutoring students over 22 years. This zen-mother of 3, loves life and her tattoos. She spends her time between Sao Paolo, Miami and writing residencies.


When asked about her favorite form of exercise: “Jogging – that´s kind of an obligation for me. As writers, we tend to sit for long hours, so every single day, I do try to keep that up and go out for a short run of 4 to 5 kilometers. If I have more time, I go round a park nearby and that makes 6 kilometers. I do recommend it – it keeps our mind sharp and our ideas bright.


Links: You can learn more about Margareth and her book on her Facebook page.



[image error]DeAnna Knippling is another return panel member, who I’m thrilled to welcome back. I made DeAnna’s acquaintance through the Pike’s Peak Writers and have been learning from her ever since. Besides writing her own wonderful stories, she freelances full time and makes it all work. You can read my interview with her here. Her books which I’ve reviewed include: How Smoke Got Out of the ChimneysClockwork Alice; and Something Borrowed, Something Blue.  I also interviewed her for my 2017 Book Marketing series, and did an author profile on her, in addition to her being a panel member in Round 1 of AtA. She is a fantastic resource.


Bio: DeAnna Knippling writes across many different genres, both under her own name and under several pen names as a ghostwriter, and has written over thirty novels and a hundred short stories.  Under her own name, she is the author of The Clockwork Alice and A Murder of Crows:  Seventeen Tales of Monsters & the Macabre. She lives in Colorado.


Links: You can learn more about Deanna and her books by visiting the following sites:


Goodreads

www.WonderlandPress.com

www.facebook.com/deanna.knippling



[image error]I’m happy to be working with Cynthia Vespia, a.k.a. Original Cyn, once more in AtA: Round 2. Cyn has turned her many talents including design, video, and promotional skills into a lucrative promotional service, as well as writing dark fantasy, suspense and paranormal thrillers. I reviewed the books from her Demon Hunter Saga, all the way back in 2010, completing the series a couple of years later with the review of Hero’s Call. I reviewed Resurection, when it was only Life, Death, and Back, now the subtitle. My first interview with Cynthia was back in 2012. She participated in my 2017 Book Marketing series, as well as being a panel member in Round 1.


Bio: Cynthia Vespia an award nominated speculative fiction author, cover designer and promotional content developer. She also teaches internet advertising classes and marshal arts workshops. Her speculative fiction encompasses fantasy, the paranormal, and magic realism.


Links: You can learn more about Cynthia and her books at her website: www.cynthiavespia.com/ 



[image error]Another AtA panel member in Round 1, who I’m pleased to say, will be returning for Round 2, is Art Rosch. Art also does a monthly segment, The Many Faces of Poetry, here on Writing to be Read, the fourth Wednesday of every month. I’ve known Art for many years, I’ve reviewed all three of his published works: his science fiction novel, The Gods of the Gift; his autobiographically based fiction, Confessions of an Honest Man; and his memoir, The Road Has Eyes: An RV, a Relationship, and a Wild Ride. Art always gives lengthy, well thought out responses. In fact, during the first round of AtA, Art gave me one lengthy reponse which, I felt, warranted a post all its own, and I gave it to him here. In addition to being a writer, Art is a photographer and a musician with an ear for jazz music.


Bio: The greatest thing that ever happened to Arthur Rosch was his awful childhood. He had no choice but to get angry, rebel and follow his path to becoming an artist. His first duty as an artist was to cultivate obsessions. He proceeded to do this with gusto and learned that there is no substitute for a good obsession, compulsion or addiction to gain insight into human nature.


Of course it was a girl who inspired Arthur to write poetry. It wasn’t until he was twenty six that he realized he could write novels. Prior to that he had been a jazz musician. He changed direction after winning Playboy Magazine‘s Best Short Story Award.  Arthur has appeared in Across the Margin, Exquisite Corpse, Shutterbug Magazine and several online venues. His novel, Confessions of an Honest Man won Honorable Mention from Writer’s Digest.


Writing is the refuge of his life after forty. It took him that long to wear out the obsessions. They had really gotten out of hand. Not that he regrets a single one. Part of a writer’s apprenticeship, he believes, is to spend at least twenty years being mentally deranged. It took twelve years of intense therapy to pull himself back into the functioning world.


One of Arthur’s passionate interests is astronomy.  He got some lovely recognition as a photographer by doing creative work at night with cameras. He loves science fiction, literary fiction, Rumi’s poetry, travel, history, dogs and cats and his wife, who is half Apache. She can be very eerie when she goes dipping into the shaman’s world. She invokes the spirit helpers called “The Grandmothers”. Those ladies have helped Arthur and his spouse out of a lot of jams.


Stories of weird miracles are told in the travel memoir THE ROAD HAS EYES, AN RV, A RELATIONSHIP AND A WILD RIDE. This book is available at Smashwords dot com. Arthur’s younger and musical life is described in CONFESSIONS OF AN HONEST MAN, which has appeared in both paperback and e-book form. Everything else he either know or doesn’t know is in the sci fi epic THE GODS OF THE GIFT. Then there’s the new trilogy, THE SHADOW STORM.


Links: You can learn more about Art Rosch and his books at www.artrosch.com




[image error] Also returning is young adult fantasy author, Jordan Elizabeth. Jordan has been featured on Writing to be Read several times. Always willing to jump in and help out, I’ve interviewed her and she participated in both my 2016 Publishing series and my 2017 Book Marketing series. Currently, you can find her on the third Wednesday of each month with her segment, Writing for a YA Audience. I have reviewed most of Jordan’s books, including: Kissed by Literature, Rotham Race, Kistishi Island, Wicked Treasure, The Path to Old Talbot, Runners & Riders, The Goat Children, Victorian, Treasure Darkly, Cogling, and Escape to Witchwood Hollow, in addition to several anthologies in which her stories were featured.


Bio: Jordan Elizabeth is a young adult fantasy author of more than fourteen books. She writes down her nightmares in order to live her dreams.


Links: Learn more about Jordan and her books at the folowing links:


Website: JordanElizabethBooks.com


Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Jordan-Elizabeth/e/B00P0KBRD4/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1537224298&sr=1-1




[image error]Tom Johnson is one author who will be new to the Ask the Author panel. He has published multiple novels, which I think are reminescent of Edgar Rice Burroughs or the pulp fiction novels of times past. I reviewed of his book, Pangaea: Eden’s Planet or you can find my interview with him here.


Bio: Tom Johnson’s dad was a cowboy and cook, giving his family an itinerant lifestyle. Tom changed schools often, as his dad’s jobs were relocated. His dad wanted him to follow in his footsteps, but a cowboy’s life didn’t appeal to him. Instead, during his high school years, Tom dreamed about becoming an entomologist. He loved biology and math, but was weak in other subjects. He read every book he could find on insects, reptiles, and arachnids, as well as paleontology.


Years later, he and his wife, Ginger, started the publishing imprint of FADING SHADOWS, and published a hobby magazine for 22 years, and several genre titles for nine years. He was a voracious reader from an early age, and has never stopped reading for pleasure, though his interest in genres have often switched from SF to western, to hardboiled detectives, the classics, and back to science fiction again over the years. In his own writing readers will often find something about his love of zoology, whether insects, reptiles, or saber-tooth cats. Now retired, they devote their time to keeping Tom’s books in print, as well as helping promote other writers.


With over 80 books in print which he has contributed to, Tom has slowed down now. He is still writing children stories, while promoting his books still on the market. Plus, he still has hopes of one day seeing his short novel, The Man In The Black Fedora, made into a film.


Links: You can learn more about Tom and his books at the following links:


Tom’s Blog http://pulplair.blogspot.com


Tom’s Face Book Page https://www.facebook.com/tomginger.johnson


Tom’s Books http://jur1.brinkster.net/index.html


Tom’s Amazon Page http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B008MM81CM


ALTUS PRESS http://www.altuspress.com



[image error]Another new panel member will be RA Winter, whom I only recently met. She is a multi-genre author who writes fantasy, science fiction, contemporay and paranormal romance. Most of her work contains Native American elements which reflect herheritage. You can find last week’s interview with her here or check out my review of her Vampire Werewolf Freaky Friday novelette, Twisted. I believe she will be a welcomed addition to the AtA Round 2 panel.


Bio: RA Winter loves to create magical worlds with strong female leads who grow into their love. Humor is a big part of her life and she brings a touch of it into all her stories. She promises a smile, a look beyond reality, and interesting characters in all her novels.


RA grew up in a small town in Indiana, surrounded by lakes, creeks, and woods were she stomped around as a child. She’s traveled the world and has called Germany, Turkey, Egypt, Jodan, and various US states home at one time or another.


Links: If you like to stay updated on discounts, new releases, and exciting finds, please subscribe to her mailing list: http://eepurl.com/dbCIE5


You can learn more about RA and her books at the following links:


Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/By-RA-Winter/e/B00PMF26SC


Spirit Keys site: http://rsch881.wixsite.com/rawinter


Website: https://rawinterwriter.wordpress.com/


Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9869268.R_A_Winter



[image error]I’m extremely pleased to welcome author duo, Mark Todd and Kym O’Connel Todd. Mark was one of my graduate program instructors. He and his wife Kym write books and talk as a team. (Seriously, they finish each other’s sentences both on the page and in their speech.) They have been published traditionally and also self-published, so they should have great stuff to add, particularly in the publishing segment. I interviewed them for my 2017 Book Marketing series, and I’ve reviewed many of their books, including: Wild West Ghosts; Strange Attractors; and, (as the Southern Colorado Literature Examiner), their Silverville Saga: Little Greed Men, All Plucked Up, and The Magicke Outhouse.


Bio: Mark Todd and Kym O’Connell Todd are writers and novelists who have collaborated on four books: the paranormal-comedy Silverville Saga trilogy as well as the nonfiction book Wild West Ghosts, the latter an exploration of frontier haunted hotels in Colorado. Their research for their books has included their experiences as U.F.O. investigators and ghost hunters, including a guest spot on Ghost Adventures in 2017.


Links: You can learn more about Mark & Kym and their books at the following links:


Website: WriteintheThick.com

Blog: WriteintheThick.blogspot.com

FB page: facebook.com/WriteintheThick

Twitter page: twitter.com/WriteintheThick

Google+ page: plus.google.com/+KymnMarkTodd

YouTube page: youtube.com/c/KymnMarkTodd




[image error]Amy Cecil is another new face to Ask the Authors. She writes both historical and contemporary romance. I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing her twice: one was a regular author interview, and she also participated in my 2017 Book Marketing Series; and I also reviewed Ice on Fire, the second book in her Knights of Silence Mseries.


Bio: Amy Cecil writes contemporary and historical romance. Amy has published seven books which include three Historical Romances that are Pride and Prejudice variations, A Royal Disposition, Relentless Considerations and On Stranger Prides. She also has an MC series, Knights of Silence MC, which includes, ICE, ICE on FIRE and Celtic Dragon. Her latest release, Ripper is her first attempt at a new genre, Erotic Thriller/Romance. She has several works in progress, including additions to the Knights series, a new mafia romance series and hopefully more on Ripper.


Amy has held memberships in the Romance Writers of America (RWA) and the Published Authors Network (PAN). She was a winner in the 2015-2017 NanNoWriMo writing contests and a nominee in Metamorph Publishing’s Indie Book 2016 contest in historical romance, and her books have won multiple awards.


She lives in North Carolina with her husband, Kevin, and their three dogs, Hobbes, Koda, Karma and Katie. When she isn’t writing, she is spending time with her husband, friends and her dogs.


Links: Learn more about Amy and her books at the following links:


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoramycecil


Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/authoramycecil


Twitter: https://twitter.com/acecil65


Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/amycecil


Website: http://acecil65.wix.com/amycecil



[image error]I want to welcome paranormal romance author, Lilly Rayman to the Ask the Authors panel, as well. I had the pleasure of interviewing Lilly earlier this year. I don’t know her well, but I’m sure she will have a lot to share.


Bio: First and foremost, Lilly describes herself as a wife and mother. She was born in England where she had a dream at the age of fourteen. That dream was to chase cattle on horseback across the Australian Outback.


In 2008, Lilly had the opportunity to follow that dream and found herself travelling to Australia on an Outback working holiday, and she’s chased cattle, on horseback, across the Outback. Lilly met her soul mate, while on her working holiday, married him, and now they have two beautiful daughters, and she is still in love with life in Australia.


Lilly loves to read, much to her husband’s dismay sometimes when she has her head metaphorically buried in the pages of a book (after all, how can that be literal since the dawn of e-books?)! She love’s fantasy; she used to take herself away from her nasty world of bullies and appear in some beautiful land of dragons and magic! Pern was her all-time favourite hide out world, and Lilly is often heard saying “God bless Anne and Todd MacCaffery”.


Whenever Lilly immersed herself in her fantasy worlds, she would re-write the plots in her head, starring herself as some great, sword drawn character who wouldn’t give two hoots what the local bully thought! That eventuated in Lilly’s first foray into writing down her stories at the age of fourteen.


More recently Lilly was inspired to start writing again, and picked up on the whole craze of werewolf and vampire. She has had the most enjoyment writing AN UNEXPECTED BONDING, the first book of An Unexpected Trilogy.


Links: You can learn more about Lilly and her books at the following links:


Website: http://lillyrayman0007.wixsite.com/lillyrayman


Goodreads Author page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9866872.Lilly_Rayman


Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Lilly-Rayman/e/B00X5CR5QC


Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/LillyRayman0007/


Twitter: https://twitter.com/lillyrayman0007



[image error]Dan Alatorre is a well-versed independent international best selling author with a sense of humor. Dan was the first author I actually interviewed and it was a fun one. He has written many books, including one called 25 eBook Marketing Tips You Wish You Knew, so I’m looking forward to picking his brain in the marketing and promotion segment. I’m pleased to welcome him to the AtA: Round 2 panel.


Bio: International bestselling author Dan Alatorre has published more than 22 titles in over a dozen languages.


You’ll find action-adventure in the sci-fi thriller The Navigators, a gripping paranormal roller coaster ride in An Angel On Her Shoulder, heartwarming and humorous anecdotes about parenting in the popular Savvy Stories series, an atypical romance story in Poggibonsi, and terrific comedy in Night Of The Colonoscopy: A Horror Story (Sort Of). Dan’s knack for surprising audiences and making you laugh or cry – or hang onto the edge of your seat – has been enjoyed by audiences around the world. And you are guaranteed to get a page turner every time.


“That’s my style,” Dan says. “Grab you on page one and then send you on a roller coaster ride, regardless of the story or genre.”


His unique writing style can make you chuckle or shed tears—sometimes on the same page (or steam up the room if it’s one of his romances). Regardless of genre, his novels always contain unexpected twists and turns, and his endearing nonfiction stories will stay in your heart forever.


He has also written illustrated children’s book and cookbooks, as well as stories for young readers. 25 eBook Marketing Tips You Wish You Knew, co-authored by Dan, has been a valuable tool for upcoming writers of any age (it’s free, but only available to subscribers of his newsletter) and his dedication to helping authors of any skill level is evident in his wildly popular blog “Dan Alatorre – AUTHOR”.


Dan’s success is widespread and varied. In addition to being a bestselling author, he has achieved President’s Circle with two different Fortune 500 companies. Dan also mentors grade school children in his Young Authors Club and adults in his Private Critique Group, helping struggling authors find their voice and get published.


Dan resides in the Tampa, Florida area with his wife and daughter.


Links: Learn more about Dan and his books on his blog:  www.DanAlatorre.com




[image error]I made the acquaintance of multi-genre author Ashley Fontainne after I reviewed her book, Zero Balance. She is talented and vivacious, with a killer smile, and I just had to interview her. She’s an independent author who writes in several genres, including: thriller, science fiction, mystery, suspense, post-apocalyptic, romantic suspense and coming of age. I was thrilled when she accepted my invitation to be on the AtA Round 2 panel.


Bio: Ashley writes in multiple genres ranging from mystery/thrillers to suspenseful paranormal to dark comedy. The recipient of numerous awards for her gritty, no-holds barred style of writing, her stories will captivate and pull you inside the lives of her characters and intricate plot lines.


Links: You can learn more about Ashley and her books at the following links:


Website: http://www.ashleyfontainne.com/


Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/ashley.fontainne/


Blog: http://ramblingsofamadsouthernwoman.blogspot.com


Twitter: http://twitter.com/AshleyFontainne

Movie site of Ruined Wings https://ruinedwings.com/






[image error]Our final addition to the AtA Round 2 panel is a traditionally published author of non-fiction with a background in journalism, Mark Shaw. His investigative research has resulted in controversial books, one of which, The Reporter Who Knew Too Much is now being produced through visual media. I began reviewing Marks books as the Southern Colorado Literature Examiner and have reviewed a couple here on Writing to be Read: The Reporter Who Knew Too Much, and Courage in the Face of Evil. I also had the privalege of interviewing him this past year and he participated in my 2016 series on Publishing. His work raises historical questions and touches the heart, and I am thrilled to welcome him to the AtA panel.


Bio: The bestselling author of The Reporter Who Knew Too Much: The Mysterious Death of What’s My Line TV Star and Media Icon Dorothy Kilgallen, and the follow-up book, Denial of Justice: Dorothy Kilgallen, Abuse of Power and the Most Compelling JFK Assassination Investigation in History, to be released November 20, 2018, Mark Shaw is an investigative reporter who has written more than 20 books including The Poison Patriarch, Miscarriage of Justice, Beneath the Mask of Holiness, Courage in the Face of Evil, and Down for the Count. A former legal analyst for USA Today, CNN and ESPN, Shaw, a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, has written for Huffington Post, the New York Daily News, USA Today and the Aspen Daily News. He lives with his wife in the San Francisco area.


Links: More about Mark and his books at:


www.markshawbooks.com


www.thereporterwhoknewtoomuch.com


www.thedorothykilgallenstory.org


I hope all of you will join us for Round 2 of Ask the Authors. Pop in on Mondays to find out what tips and advice our panel has to offer. I’m very excited about this round and hope that everyone else is, too. It should be a really good series and I can’t wait to see what our panel members have to say. Be sure and drop in next Monday, when our topic will be The Writing Process. See you there!



Like this post? Subscribe to Writing to be Read for e-mail notifications whenever new content is posted or follow WtbR on WordPress.

1 like ·   •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on September 24, 2018 05:00

September 21, 2018

“Twisted”: An Unusual Body Switching Tale

[image error]


We’ve all heard tales which involved body switching, but what does one do when they are switched into the body of, not only the opposite sex, but that of a different species, one that is your sworn enemy? Twisted is a Vampire Werewolf Freaky Friday novelette, by R.A. Winter which deals with just such a delimma. And the worst part is, they are going to have to work together if they want to save their world.


This funny, quirky novelette explores the unthinkable and makes it believable and entertaining. The humor is on the adult side and may be a little over the top for the YA crowd, but it will keep the pages turning. It’s a fun read andI give Twisted five quills.


[image error]


Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on September 21, 2018 05:00

September 19, 2018

Writing for a YA Audience: Boo! There’s a ghost behind you.

[image error]


Ghost stories have always fascinated me.  I’m obsessed with history, so I see ghosts as a link to the past.  They’re our chance to communicate with those who came before.  Plus, the mystery surrounding ghosts is fascinating.


Ghost stories are prevalent in young adult fiction, as well as non-fiction.  Whenever I visit a new locale, I always check out books on local ghosts.  You can see I love ghosts, right?  They tend to drift into my writing more often than not.  My young adult novel, VICTORIAN, centers around ghosts in an abandoned village where visitors come to relive the past.  ESCAPE FROM WITCHWOOD HOLLOW features a ghost child trapped by a witch’s curse.  TREASURE DARKLY tells the story of Clark Treasure, a young man who receives the gift of communicating – and raising – the dead.


Oftentimes, I’m asked if I believe in ghosts.  That’s a big yes.  I’ve even experienced a few ghostly happenings.


[image error]

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com


Ever since I was a small child, I’ve had people say my name, voices no one else hears.  It doesn’t happen all the time and the voices never answer if I reply.  I always turn to find no one behind me.  The earliest time I can remember was when I was driving by Lake Delta.  A voice came from beside me on the back seat.  “Jordan!”  No one was there and my parents hadn’t heard it.  More recently (a few years ago), I was working in a renovated woolen mill.  This building of weathered brick was infamous in the neighborhood for its hauntings.  I never saw or felt a presence, but twice a female called my name from directly behind me when I was alone in an office with a closed door – and the only other person in the building was a male custodian.


I was a recent high school graduate when one of my grandmother’s close friends passed away.  She and I were in her bedroom when the phone rang,  My dog – the only one else in the house – was also in the bedroom.  While my grandmother was learning about the passing from her friend’s daughter, a box of candy flew off the kitchen table and slid across the floor.  It had been on the center of the table and we hadn’t experienced an earthquake.  Nothing else in the house moved.  I like to think it was the friend’s way of saying goodbye.


The other ghostly goodbye came while I was at my then-boyfriend’s house.  I suddenly had an eerie feeling.  The world wasn’t quite right.  After a few minutes, I went to get a drink.  As soon as I walked into the other room, a female voice said my name directly behind me.  Almost instantly, the eerie feeling passed.  I learned the next day that my father’s aunt had died.  I’d only met her a few times, but perhaps she had done her rounds through the family to say farewell.


I’ve been on plenty of ghost tours, but only once did I catch an orb on film.  A local church is connected to a mansion with giant pillars, beautiful windows, and embellished rooms.  The mansion is breathtaking.  A friend hooked my parents and I up with an exclusive tour.  Many people have claimed to have experienced ghostly happenings, but we didn’t see or feel anything.  I did, however, catch a clear orb in a picture of the upstairs sitting room.  Ghost or dust?  I like to think it’s a ghost saying hello.


[image error]

Photo by OVAN on Pexels.com


Have you had any ghostly experiences?  If you have, share them with us below!


Jordan Elizabeth is a young adult fantasy author.  She may or may not be staring at a supposedly haunted house trying to see faces in the windows. You can connect with Jordan – and point her in the direction of some paranormal activity – via her website, JordanElizabethBooks.com.

1 like ·   •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on September 19, 2018 05:00

September 17, 2018

Interview with Multi-Genre Author R.A. Winter

[image error]


I recently made the acquaintance of the energetic, sassy author, R.A. Winter. She writes in several genres, including fantasy, magical realism, dark fantasy, , time travel romance, contemporary Native American romance, and paranormal Native American western. And it seems she never rests when it comes to writing. Please help me to welcome R.A. Winter to Writing to be Read.


Kaye:  Hello and welcome. Would you start by sharing the story of your own publishing journey?


R.A.: I started out writing genealogy nonfiction books under my married name.  I love research and old libraries! I also love reading romances.  With so many ideas flirting around my head, I thought I’d give creative writing a go.


Kaye: Is there anything unique or unusual about your writing process?


R.A.: I write the raunchiest first draft, the humor is way over the top. Then I cut it down, and my crit circle cuts it down further.  My editor slices more.  They say that a bit of humor goes a long way.


Kaye: You have sites on both WordPress and Wix. Can you give us the advantages and disadvantages of each? Which site do you prefer? Why?


R.A.: Wix is easier to deal with, super simple to navigate and change.  WordPress is a bit of a pickle to deal with, and every time I change something, I mess up the page.  I do prefer WordPress because I can easily  share review and pages on a whim.  Wix doesn’t give you that option.


Kaye: You’re on the review team at The Naked Reviewers, where authors can submit a book and request an honest review. Would you like to tell us a little about that site and what the review process is?


R.A.: We have a group of published author on Scribophile.com who formed the group.  Right now, I think there is twelve of us.  When someone submits a book, we all read the first chapter, the ‘look inside’ feature on Amazon.  Then we rate the writing, the blurb, and the cover.  If two of us agree, we review the book.  Each Wednesday, two of us leave our review as a feature, if anyone else read it, they leave their thoughts in the ‘comment’ section.  It does mean that most books that we review get a 4.0 or higher rating, usually.  We wanted to show off the best books.


Kaye: You had bad experience with Amazon regarding reviews. This is something we’re hearing from many authors, although complaints vary. Many reviewers, including myself,  have had book reviews pulled by Amazon, with the claim that their terms of use were violated because of an existing relationship which would bias our opinions. I even heard of an reviewer whose reviews were pulled because Amazon saw that they were Facebook friends, which they claimed indicated a prior relationship. (This doesn’t make sense to me. Many authors who I have done reviews for have become virtual online friends because of the review, not the other way around.) Your experience was a bit different because it wasn’t books that you were reviewing. Would you like to tell us a little about your experience?


R.A.: I ordered products from Amazon.com.  A coffee grinder, a milk frother, and a small coffee taper, they just happened to be from the same company in China.  Now, I review every product I receive, but when I went to upload my reviews, Amazon wouldn’t allow it.  After contacting them, they said that I had a ‘relationship’ with the company in China and that I’d violated their terms.  Apparently, I ordered too many things from them. I just don’t understand. They ask you to review, you review… then they’re like… you review too much! They banned me for LIFE for writing any reviews.


My point to them was- IF I was screwing reviews, wouldn’t my books have like 300 hundred reviews instead of each of them having less then 10? I mean seriously. THAT’S what would have benefited me!


Kaye: What is one thing that your readers would never guess about you?


R.A.: I have five children… all boys. I’ve lived in 5 different countries too. I don’t know which one was harder to live through. And all my boys look like my husband.


Kaye: What are your secrets for juggling writing with family?


R.A.: My kids are older, so they don’t need me. I like to write at night, when the house is quiet and no one interrupts. My earbuds are essential, and a song list that corresponds to my writing mood.


Kaye: You have some really great covers, some of which you’ve shared here. What do you do for cover art? DIY, or hired out, or cookie cutter prefab? Do you have a great cover designer you’d like to recommend?


R.A.: Some  are creations of Kayci Morgan, from KreativeCovers.com.  A few I did myself, which you can probably tell.  Kayci is wonderful to work with and very reasonable.  I am learning Photoshop and I’m doing my own teasers.  I’m getting better but I just don’t have the finesse to do covers well.


Kaye: You have a paranormal romance fantasy novella, Twisted, which I’m excited to be reviewing here on Writing to be Read. (So watch for that review on Friday.) What can you tell us about that story?


[image error]R.A.: Twisted is a novella, and one of the hardest things I’ve


written.


It’s a Freaky-Friday, body switching piece… full of adult humor. A witch’s land is cursed. Males are no longer born to the vampires, nor are females born to the wolves. To end the curse, the witch must solve a riddle, and she has to have the cooperation of the vampires and the werewolves.





The only way to make them work together, is to make them work with themselves, so she switches their bodies. The male werewolf becomes the female vamp, and the vamp a male wolf. Then, the fun begins. It’s been called a cross between the “Underworld Series’ and ‘Once upon a Time.’












Kaye: What is the strangest inspiration for a story you’ve ever had?


R.A.: My Spirit Key series was a way to keep my cat alive in my memories.  He’d just past away, and Dingle had the oddest personality for a cat. He always reminded me of an old man, you know the one.  The spunky old guy in the nursing home who’s constantly bugging the pretty nurses and running behind them with his walker, never able to catch them.  Occasionally, he’d pinch their behinds, but act like he didn’t do it. I taught Dingle how to wink, but usually he had this grumpy look on his face.  He used to love to jump out and scare me, then give me that ugh, you’re-stupid-to-fall-for-that-again look.  He’s now a ten-thousand year old spirit who has a bit of trickster in him.


Kaye: Your Spirit Key series are westerns with a bit of a different twist to them. Would you like to tell us about them?


R.A.: Contemporary Native American’s in a western setting with magical realism is the gist of the Spirit Key Series.  In book 1, we follow young Sara,  as  the ghosts of ancestors  haunt her days and try to keep her away from young RedHorse.  There’s a new spirit in town, a nefarious one who has his own agenda.  The Old One wants the land for the dead and he’ll do anything to have it, including taking away what Sara loves most.






Kaye: There are two books in The Spirit Key series: Painted Girl and Redhorse. What type of research did you do for these books?


R.A.: The first two book are contemporary, set in modern day Kansas on a farm.  Books 3 and 4 (which are almost finished) go back to 1950, and we delve into Grandfather’s life, and that of the ten-thousand year old spirit who watches over them.  My research centered on the old Indian Schools, and the horrors that the children underwent.  It’s all to stop the spirits from invading this world, and to give grandfather his happy ending.  The Native American research is from my family.


Kaye: You also write contemporary romance with a Native American twist. What about Little Sparrow, A Kiowa in Love or Red Dress, Two Wives?


R.A.: Those were my early books.  I’ve taken the ebooks down, and now I’m writing those into the Spirit Key Series.  Everyone is related, so it made sense to do that.  I kept the hard copies up because a few people really liked them the way they were.  My writing evolved, and I thought those two would be great as part of the Spirit Key Series with some rework.


Kaye: What is the attraction for adding a Native American element to your writing?


R.A.: Two fold.  My grandmother was ‘found’.  It was assumed that she was Native American.  This was in the 1880’s, a time when the tribes had to travel west and were forced onto reservations.  Our family farm was near one of the routes and my grandfather brought home a baby girl one day, saying that he’d found her. My cousins are Sioux.  I barely remember the eldest two girls but I do remember their beauty.  One day, when I was only six years old, they disappeared.  Just up and gone.  Our family went nuts, as you can imagine.  It wasn’t until twelve years later that we learned that they had been taken west  to different orphanages and divided up.   (This was the early ’70’s when the government still took NA children on a whim.)  Anyway, my stories revolve around finding your identity when you don’t know who you are, when you have no memories of your family.  My Native American family is rooted by my life stories. You know that you’re different, but you feel the same as everyone else.  You just have to find your own special, because it’s there, you don’t have to go looking for it.  It just may be hiding in plain sight.


Kaye: I’m also very interested in your time travel romances, As Long As I Have You and Always With You. What can you share with us about them?


[image error]R.A.: These were part of an anthology, and part of a series inside the anthology. The rules  are simple, Cupid owns a bar, and his mate has a special tattoo that glows when soul mates are touched.  In book 1, Ann Paolo comes to the bar with her dog.  Unbeknownst to her, the dog, Han, is the spirit of a long dead Native American,  who has been cursed to follow Ann through time, always to love her, and be loved, but never to be with her.  Cupid sends them back in time, so Han can erase his curse.  In book 2, Ann’s back, because so many lifetimes couldn’t be rewritten.  This time, Cupid calls on the fates to bring Han to life in this day and time.  The fates have a bit of trouble writing him into time-line, so they turn to Netflix for ideas.  Han is now, Dan Winchesty, from the TV show Super-Unnatural Killers and Revealers  Suckers for short.  You know, Dan Winchesty- the one with the perky nipples?  It’s a spoof on Supernatural, and I think it’s hilarious, but that’s just my opinion.


Kaye: What is your favorite genre to write in so far? Why?


R.A.: I love magical realism and fantasy.  Creating my own world, and rules, takes a lot of thought and design.  You just can’t pop something on paper, it has to make sense, have rules, have life, and you have to bring a reader into your world and make them happy.


Kaye: How much non-writing work, (marketing & promotion, illustrations & book covers, etc…), do you do yourself for your books?


R.A.: I do all my own marketing, which isn’t much.  Word of mouth is my best friend, because lets face it, my works are different.  I just had a review from a guy, who said that someone at work bullied him into reading it and he loved it, even with the romance in the book.  I think that was a compliment.


Kaye: If one of your books was made into a film, which book would you want it to be? And who would you like to play the lead?


R.A.: Hmm, I’d love the Spirit Key to be a series on Netflix, but for a movie, I’d chose Twisted. Sam Witwer and Meaghan Rath. They had great chemistry in Being Human.  Now, however, Meaghan would be a vampire, and Sam would be a wolf.


Kaye: What’s next? What does the future look like for R.A, Winter?


R.A.: Oh, I have at least six books in various stages of completion. Twisted will be turned

into a series, readers have asked for that. I’m also writing a series about Death Takers

coming alive and finding love. It’s a dark romance series that takes the reader on a

journey to Tartarus and the bowels of hell. Book 1 is finished, book 2 is halfway. Once

book 2 is ready I’ll publish.


Kaye: If writing suddenly made you rich and famous, what would you do?


R.A.: I’ve done a lot of things on my bucket list. I’ve traveled the world, lived in five different countries and enjoyed most of my life. If I had a lot of money, I’d pay off my family’s student loans. Right now, it’s around 200k, and I’m serious. It would be life changing for them to pay off their debts. BTW, I have one family member, with 100k debt who graduated from Pitt with a bachelor’s in psychology. Anyone have any job prospects for him? E-mail me.


I want to thank R.A. Winter for joining us today and putting up with my interrogation. Seriously though, she was really a good sport about answering all of my questions with open, honest answers. You can find out more about her and her writing on her website, her Spirit Keys site, or her Amazon Author Page.


 


Like this post? Subscribe to Writing to be Read for e-mail notifications whenever new content is posted or follow WtbR on WordPress.

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on September 17, 2018 05:00

Writing to be Read

Kaye Lynne Booth
Author's blog featuring reflections on writing, author interviews, writing tips, inspirational posts, book reviews and other things of interest to authors, poets and screenwriters. ...more
Follow Kaye Lynne Booth's blog with rss.