S.T. Sanchez's Blog, page 18

Interview with author TL Clark

Today I'd like to welcome author T. L. Clark, tell us a little about yourself.

I’m a British author writing heart-racing, tear-inducing tales of love.
My aim is to explore different kinds of love in the hopes I’ll discover some answers to its mysteries.
I live in the south of the UK with my hubby and spoiled cat.
And go through life as if it were a gauntlet of catastrophes, using coffee as my fuel to get me through.




What brought about the idea for this book?

Self Love is actually inspired by (but not based on) my own weight loss journey.
I lost 2.5 stone (35lbs) and realised I was working in the inside as much as the outside of me.
As a holistic therapist, I am very good at encouraging others, but terrible at self-love. But it’s so important to take care of and respect ourselves.
Like Molly in my book, I need to silence my inner critic.


I think that's something a lot of us have problems with. It's a lot easier to love others than to love yourselves. T.L, where do you see yourself in five years?

My dream is to own a farmhouse. The aim is to rescue horses, who in turn, will help heal frazzled souls who come to my holistic retreat. I also plan on running writing retreats too, knowing how important it is to have calm surroundings to apply one’s craft sometimes.


Currently, what are you working on?

In my ongoing quest to explore love from different angles, I am currently writing a Regency romance. Despite being British and a huge fan of Jane Austen, this task is still proving challenging.
A lot of my time is being taken up with researching whether a particular word or phrase was used in 1814. I’m writing it with a modern spin though, whilst being true to the period i.e. trying to keep the flowery language to a minimum so it’s easier to understand. 

It's amazing how much time can be spent on research. What has been the best compliment you have received?

I’ve been blessed with so many lovely comments. Love Bites was just awarded a bronze medal in the Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards, which was awesome.
But the one which really made my heart sing and tears spring forth was the reviewer who said that Love Bites reminded her why she fell in love with reading <3


That's so nice! How do you promote your books? Any tips you can share?

I’ve tried so many things in my five years of being an indie author. It’s really challenging, and as soon as you get the hang of one thing, the goalposts change and you have to learn another.
But so far, the most effective things I’ve found are AMS (Amazon Marketing Services) and Facebook ads (the paid ones from the dropdown, NOT boosted posts which are different). 


And there’s a fab company called ItsyBitsyBookPromotions who help spread the word on social media. There’s a small fee attached, but they are superb, and help save me a lot of time: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ItsyBitsyAuthorServicesandpromotions/


Who designed the artwork for your cover?  Or did you design it yourself?
This honour goes to my marvelous book designer Robin of https://www.gobookcoverdesign.com/
She has the patience of a saint! I can often start off very vague and unsure what the cover should look like, but she always helps to guide me until we agree the final version.


How do you handle criticism when it comes to your writing?
Many authors will tell you not to read reviews. But I’m always eager to see what people think about my books; whether they love them or if there’s anything I can improve on. Life is a learning journey, and therefore so is my writing career. I learn new things all the time, and fashions change.
I’m not going to lie, sometimes people are plain spiteful and rip you apart. When there seems to be no justified reason for this (e.g. trolls) this is really upsetting and frustrating. I think people often forget how much time and effort goes into books, and that there’s a human author at the helm. I have feelings!
In the main, I try to shrug off the bad stuff. As long as most of my readers are happy then I’m happy.


You can never please everyone. I think that's a good philosophy. Which do you find more challenging inventing the hero or the villain?  Why?
My dark elf in Love Bites Hard (2nd part of the Darkness & Light Duology) was my most challenging character to date. The nasty little devil lead me a merry dance, I can tell you! He ran me right into a dead end at one point, and I had to fight him to write myself out of it. Git!
But generally, they’re all as easy and hard as each other. Have you heard others refer to their characters as imaginary friends? It’s true. Mine talk to me, and I am a mere conduit for their tale. They often take twists and turns I had not planned, but I dutifully follow and it usually leads to a fabulous plot line.


Any last words?
Thanks so much for having me here. Please do check out my full range of books. There’s contemporary, inspirational, paranormal and humorous romances.
And give me a follow on social media. I’m most active on Instagram at the moment, where you’ll find random stuff, recipe ideas, inspirational quotes and pics of Pusskin (my cat).

Thanks for Sharing with us Today. Check out more of TL at the links below:) Happy Reading!!


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Today and Tomorrow ONLY. To get ready for Halloween, Try my YA Vampire Trilogy. Book 1 Sunwalker for FREE and Nightwalker book 2 only .99 cents.  Oct 3rd & 4th only. Reviews are always appreciated

Get Ready for Halloween!

Oct. 3rd & 4th ONLY. In honor of Halloween, Try my YA Vampire Trilogy. Book 1 Sunwalker for FREE and Nightwalker book 2 only .99 cents. Reviews are always appreciated

Halloween Reading List

                                    13
                                Fantastic Reads 
                           to get you in the mood for 
                              Halloween


Halloween is fast approaching and I know to many of us it it one of our favorite holidays. So I thought I would share some great reads to help get you ready for Halloween. These are in no particular order. 


Book 1 available on Kindle Unlimited. Don't forget to check out the rest of the series

Every family has its secrets…
One hot August morning in 1892, Lizzie Borden picked up an axe and murdered her father and stepmother. Newspapers claim she did it for the oldest of reasons: family conflicts, jealousy and greed. But what if her parents were already dead? What if Lizzie slaughtered them because they’d become… zombies?
Amazon


A Paranormal Excursion in Four Acts.

It should have been a simple field experiment. Go in, prove I can do what I claim, and walk out with the cash. If they could see what I see. Feel the helplessness I do when something else takes over. I’ll bet they’re not kept awake at night by the voices in this place. They don’t see the darkness with eyes that follows us all around this estate as we gather proof. This money was going to help my little sister with her surgery. Good intentions and the road to Hell.
Amazon




Book 1 available on Kindle Unlimited. Don't forget to check out the rest of the series
Fans of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals will Love Sunwalker.


Lilly is a sunwalker—a vampire born from human parents, able to walk in the daylight. She lives life as human, hiding her true identity from all those around her.

One evening, she comes to the rescue of her best friend, Lex, as a vampire is about to make a meal out of her. Lilly is drawn to him, despite her desire to loathe him for almost murdering Lex, as he is the first of her kind she has ever met.

As the vampire, Tread, begins to open Lilly's eyes to a world she has never known, Lilly must decide where she belongs. After she is betrayed by the person she loves most, Lilly is forced to submerge herself entirely in the vampire world, only to discover that Tread has a secret so shocking it could destroy them all.
AmazonBarnes & Noble



It's a dirty job - but someone's got to do it.Robert Stephenson burns zombies for a living.It's a profession that pays the bills and plays tricks on the mind. Still, his life is routine until his four-year-old son becomes stranded in a quarantined zone, teeming with rotters.Does Rob have what it takes to fight the undead and put his broken family back together?Or will he also end up in the incinerator - burning with the rest of the dead?Universal Link



A haunted airship made from living people…
Nineteen-year-old hacker Tim Zaytsev is a traitor, but he never expected his betrayal would earn him the highest honor among the international community—a place among the Camaraderie’s elite council.
Ushered into a glamorous lifestyle of fancy airships and a chance to use his programming skills to better the world, Tim is assigned the task of finishing their secret Legion Spore project—a living airship made from shapeshifters.
Inside the Legion Spore, dozens of humans have been forcibly hooked to the vessel’s computer, but fragments of their memories reside in the airship’s internal code as glitches. Their faces appear in the walls, and their whispers invade the code of the Camaraderie’s base. Tim’s ability to telepathically connect with computers means that he’s the only one who can make the ship fully functional.
But programming a computer is one thing. Dealing with a haunted, living airship will not only test Tim’s wit, but his sanity. If he can’t learn to trust himself and his abilities, his mind will be trapped in the Legion Spore as just another whisper in the code.


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These stories contain naughty necromancers, moderately wicked witches, and zombies who might eat your brains if they don’t succeed at seducing you. This quirky collection gathers the funniest fantasy, weirdest paranormal and most hilarious horror written by award winning author, Sarina Dorie. Included in this book of treats are stories previously published such as:
Putting the Romance Back into Necromancy
Five Tips for Outsmarting Satan—and Your Students 
Bite Me
Night of the Living Deadcrumbs
Zombie Psychology
In all, there are seventeen tales to transport you to another world and tickle your funny bone! 

Amazon





For centuries, many believed that the world would end in 2012. The fact that we are still here dispelled this as just another myth.


But what if the end really had begun, only in a quiet corner of the world that very few knew even existed?


March 1684

Under the guidance of their despicable leader, The Council of Eternal Light sacrifice innocent lives for the sake of his diabolical plan - to complete the Ascension Rite and summon an unfathomable evil to reap revenge on those that shunned them.
Ewan Childs leads the search for the woman he loves; the latest of the Council's intended victims. It will lead him to the Council's lair, face-to-face with a horror beyond his wildest nightmares.
August 2002
A killer claims another life, claiming to be under the control of a terrifying hooded spectre known as The Reaper. The Council of Eternal Light reconvene, aware that the crimes signal the start of the master plan they set in motion over three hundred years earlier.
For Detective Inspector Truman Darke, it is a race against time as he finds himself at the centre of his own manhunt. He must cling to what remains of his life and his sanity, whilst unearthing the secrets of Wildermoor's dark past...as well as his own.
The end has begun. First, for Wildermoor. Next...the world.
Universal Book Link




Three mysterious women inhabit the American southwest. La Llorona, a ghost, haunts the waterways searching for the children she drowned before killing herself. La Muerte, much more than just a ghost, is Santa Muerte, who takes every man to his eternal home. La Lunática, a recent ghost, spent much of her life fighting el Diablo's obsession with her. These three women battle for the soul of another, a human named Rosita, who fears nothing and innocently accepts a gift from la Llorona. After years of learning how to use her skill, Rosita can only free herself from the ghost's spell by complying with her demands. However, her freedom depends on a Pyrrhic victory: she can only win by losing something precious.
Ebook
Paperback




There are gates around the world that lead to Hell, even one close by. Every generation, from the ancient times to the modern eras have believed in them, and one must remember, whatever can enter these entry ways into the infernal regions below, can also come back out. Two couples, John and Holly Billings, and Josh and Jessica McKenzie, search for the ultimate haunted hayride and find one at Milford Grove Farms in picturesque Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It's one of the best in the country, but sometimes too much of a good time is not always good, and when you think it's over and time to leave, that's when the real ride begins.

Amazon


THE FACTS: Soon after the 1947 death of history's most notorious occultist, Aleister "The Beast" Crowley, the urn containing his ashes mysteriously vanished.

THE FICTION: Now, more than 60 years later, the urn has resurfaced and Seattle's clergymen are dying... one at a time... exactly nine days apart.
ASH: RETURN OF THE BEAST pulls you into the shifting shadows of the most bizarre serial killer case that has ever landed on the desk of street-worn Seattle Police Detective, Brian Kane. The case is so "out there" that FBI Special Agent Rowena Ravenwood knows Kane will never solve it without her expert assistance. Her expertise is in realms of reality that Detective Kane thinks only exist in B-grade movies. Ritual magic? The Dark Arts? Kane isn’t buying it. But what about his own dark and deeply personal connection to the case? How long can he keep that a secret? And what about that enigmatic young rock star, Rye Cowl? What is his role in these strange events?
The future of the entire human race hangs in the balance. The clues to help solve the case are in desperately short supply and so is the amount of time remaining before all Hell breaks loose. And, according to Special Agent Ravenwood, that's not just a figure of speech.
Amazon

Join Special Agent Kane in the pursuit of the sacrificial knife of Kali, hunting a werewolf, facing off against an assortment of demons, and trapping a sorcerer who’s turning the statuary of New York into weapons of mass murder.
Travel with him to Iceland to face an ancient Nordic evil, and to the Middle East where he is trapped in a murderous game in the prehistoric abode of the mother of demons.
Amazon


My mom's a zombie, a non-breathing slowly rotting corpse. I say slowly because it’s almost nonexistent when she takes the proper medications whipped up by the family witch doctor. She wasn’t always a zombie, but yeah you guessed it…if she’s a zombie what am I? Yep, half zombie. Here I am the daughter of the Prince of Darkness himself and a zombie - nice combination right. What does this mean for my future? I have no idea I'm just trying to navigate through high school and develop a relationship with my biological father despite my mother's vehement disapproval. I can't blame her, he's the reason she went all zombie. He's doing what he can to mend the fences, but really how do you say I'm sorry for that...it's not really a fruit basket kind of apology.
Amazon

The world is full of horrors if you’re a woman. Vengeful spirits, crazy cowboys, homicidal hillbillies, the grossest case of post-partum depression ever, possessed stuffed animals, and a demented Poseidon – to name a few. So what’s a girl to do?

Well, get this book for starters. Then try not to lose your marbles (or your lunch) as you go about your business after reading some of the most mind-bending horror around. Then you can share all the gory details with your fellow horror fans, if you think they can handle it.

Just remember, always keep it Twisted. 
Amazon

need to finish

Tell us a little about yourself  I’m a Georgia born native who has spent most my life near the Atlanta area before pulling up stakes and moving clear across the country with my husband, Ben, and our two daughters. History piques my interests, especially European history. I’m a big nerd at heart. I love reading science-fiction and fantasy stories, and I enjoy old B horror films. I also get a kick out of playing classic Atari video games.I’m a daydreamer and animal lover. I have two young kitties, Nico and Max, and one demanding guinea pig. I took up writing as a serious career choice twenty years ago, learning a lot and sharpening my skills along the way. My works include several published novels such as  The Warning ,  Cherished Thief,   Atlantic Pyramid , and Children’s books,  Poe’s Haunted House Tour , and The Hex Hunt series. My latest published escapade is the third installment to my steampunk/fantasy series, titled Legacy-The Underground, released on the 20th of September.  Legacy and Legacy-The Reunion, are the first two out of this six-part series.Share a short excerpt from your novelThe morning fog was heavy and moist. When Pierce opened his eyes, he found he had to wipe dew off his face with his coat sleeve. The campsite was empty.“Taisia?”He rose and scanned the area. The mist prevented him from seeing much.“I’m over here,” she called from within the fogHe followed the direction of her voice and soon, poles appeared. They were tall timber posts jutting up nearly as high as Stonehenge just over yonder. They weren’t perfectly shaped poles. Most of them stuck up like thick fingers pointing crookedly toward the sky.  But the beams hadn’t been there before, right?A small gathering of men, women, and children, stood inside the circle. They were dressed in robes and holding crackling torches. The firelight blended into the dull, misty morning. Some of these people wore masks made of leaves, while others had tattoos on their faces. Their hair was lengthy, matted, and braided. They appeared not as ghosts, but more like echoes of a population long gone. They were worshipers of nature who praised the gifts that the earth had provided them. Gifts that modern men and women took for granted.They watched Pierce as he approached the place of his birth. No one uttered a word as he walked by. He had no fear of them, but they forced him to wonder, Why have they come?Taisia stood in the center of the circle.“Taisia,” he said. “What’s going on?”As he drew near, he noticed gunshot wounds in her, and the blood that poured from them.“Don’t believe it, Pierce,” she told him.Have you been given any helpful advice?I had a writing mentor years ago who had founded an online writer’s workshop called Wolf Pirate Projects. It’s no longer around, but while I participated in this program I learned so much about writing and character development that I otherwise may have never learned on my own. I owe the people at Wolf Pirate a great deal of gratitude. Also, I’m not sure if this qualifies as advice and it wasn’t said to me personally, but there’s this lovely quote by Toni Morrison, “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”I like this quote a lot because if an author writes what he or she wants to read, the story will be more enriched by the care and devotion the writer is willing to put into it.If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you go and why?For years I’ve been wanting to go to England. As I mentioned before, I have a fondness for European history, and naturally, England has loads of it. I’d like to travel around the island and visit various locations, including (because I’m a nerd for the Robin Hood story) Nottingham and then go for a long stroll through Sherwood Forest. Also, I wrote one nonfictional book, Cherished Thief, about legendary highwayman, Claude Du Vall, and I’d like to go to some of the places and hotels he frequently visited such as The Holt Hotel in Oxfordshire where it’s said that he haunts Room 3.Currently, what are you working on?I’ve finished with Legacy, i.e, I have written all the books and they are ready for editing once I have the money up to do so. Now I’m working on the next series, The Age of the Machine. It will be more steampunk than Legacy, and I aim for it to be four books, but we’ll see. 

Title Reveal!

Just finished the first draft of book 2 in The Keeper Chronicles!!  I also finally settled on a title.


The


Secret


Of the Realms




The Keeper Chronicles Book 2

If you haven't had a chance to read book 1, now is the time. It's free on Kindle Unlimited and you can read a free sample on amazon.




“Love this book! Couldn't put it down. Cannot wait for the second book!” V. Bruderer 
A shadow of shame has fallen over the once proud Maxwell family, and only their faithful son Ajax, can restore honor to their name. He is tasked with guarding a mysterious portal, the existence of which only a few people outside the King are aware. A prophecy warns of a danger to come, as the new keeper, Ajax fears he will let everyone down. 
When the Prince of Rastella comes to visit the portal for the first time, accompanied by Ajax’s childhood friend Nivara, disaster strikes! In an accident, the Prince falls into the portal and Ajax knows that it’s up to him to venture in and get him back. 
With the knowledge that nobody who has entered it has ever returned, Ajax and Nivara leap through the portal to try to save the Prince. He discovers a world full of magic and fantastic creatures, in an adventure that will test him to his limits, and leave him wondering if he will ever get home. 
If you like Brandon Mull, you’ll love The Portal Keeper!
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Interview with Merc Boyan author of Alonzo's Emotions

Welcome Merc Boyan! Can you tell us a little about yourself? 
My name is Merc Boyan and I am a new children’s book author and illustrator. I work as the Visual Storyteller for The Planetary Society during the day and have been writing kid’s books at night. My wife and I recently completed and selfpublished our first book, Alonzo’s Emotions . In 2017 we were honored to work with the National Park Service and The Planetary Society to create a Junior Ranger book and badge about the Total Solar Eclipse. The book was distributed in National Parks nationwide and was a great success! You can still download the pdf of the book for free here: https://www.nps.gov/home/homestead-eclipse-junior-ranger.htm

We have several other books coming out soon as we are using this as a hobby while we await out first foster child placement!
Congrats on the book and for fostering. I think its wonderful when couples open their homes to children who have lost theirs. What brought about the idea for this book?

I wrote Alonzo’s Emotions some time ago. I wanted to help kids better understand their complex emotions by giving them more vocabulary about them. I often see children’s books with “happy, sad, mad, etc...” but I wanted to teach them about annoyance, melancholy, and irate. There are subtle differences, but just knowing more words will help them realize that it’s okay when they feel is way. Showing them that emotions are complex validates their feelings.
After writing it I kind of put it on the backburner for a while. I wasn’t sure how to do the artwork! It took a little dreaming and a lot of inspiration from my wife to figure out how to make it work right. We are quite pleased with the outcome!

I think that's a great idea. There are so many emotions kids feel and it's a fantastic idea to help them learn about the more complex emotions they feel and the differences between them. Currently, what are you working on?

When we published Alonzo’s Emotions, We created a mini-publishing team called Camp Heartwood Books. This was really just going to be a name for the website where we would post links to all of the books we made. Now some other friends of mine have expressed an interest in writing kid’s books, so I am going to help them create their books through Camp Heartwood. It’s exciting! So I am working on a book called “What if the Cows are Really Saying Mooooon?” and my wife is working on a few other book ideas and there will be a very fun book from a freiend that’s all about Pineapples coming out soon.
Merc, what has been the most difficult thing you have struggled with since you began a career in writing?

Getting people to look at your book is the hardset thing. The second hardest thing is when you come up with a brilliant idea! ...but then need to figure out how to accomplish it. Taking that wild dream out of your head and getting it onto the paper can be a great challenge, but I think sometimes it’s best to just give it a shot. You can always change things later, so I just like to get started as soon as I have the idea. Play with art ideas and word placements on the page. Just making little demo pages in Photoshop with random photos collaged helps me visualizewhat the artwork will end up like.
That can be a struggle. With so many books being published each year it is difficult getting readers to notice your book no matter how good it is. That's one reason I like to do author interviews. I love helping readers find new books. Merc, Can you tell us what your favorite scene was to write?
On one page Alonzo finds himself at a taco trunk that has run out of tacos. He’s very bummed about being handed some tamales instead of tacos and he runs home before the emotions overtake him and paints some delicious looking tacos. It was a fun scene to play out and I think it is suprising realistic. What seems like a simple event of not getting the food we want can really spiral us down if we let it. I hope this let’s kids know that it’s okay to be upset and that it is natural and offer them a suggestion of how to creatively reset their mood once they are ready.
What kind of research do you do before you start a new story?

With kid’s books, I will check around a little to make sure the exact book I am thinking of doesn’t already exist, but I won’t spend too much time hunting down other examples of things that are close to the idea. I don’t like to be over influenced by things like “the book market” or “publishing trends.” I just want to make the best book I can for my own kids, then hope that the rest of the world enjoys it a little as well.
I think that sounds like wise advice. How do you handle criticism when it comes to your writing?

The secret to handling criticism is to love your own work so much that it doesn’t bother you when others don’t. I haven’t had too much negativity on this book yet, but I’ve had it on LOTS of stuff in the past. Use the good criticism to grow and make your next project better. Let the mean criticism go. The hardest critic will be our own future children. Now that’s going to be harder to take! I hope they love the books we are making for them.
That's great advice. Writing a book takes so much work. How many times do you think you read your book before going to print?

So so many times! Since this is a kid’s book and is very short, I read it again and again and again. I still read it now to check it even though it’s done.


amazon.com/gp/product/1724655140 www.campheartwoodbooks.com facebook.com/campheartwoodtwitter @campheartwood
 Thanks so much for sharing with us. Happy Reading!!

Interview with Frances Richardson author of Not All of Me is Dust

Today I would like to welcome author Frances Richardson. Tell us a little about yourself.
I believe a life dedicated to literature is a beautiful existence. Years ago I set out to work on a master's degree in English literature, but halfway in I realized that what I really wanted to do was study theology. After I obtained my master's degree in theology I was able to combine my love of the two disciplines in writing and publishing my novel, Not All Of Me Is Dust.
It's great when you can find out what your passionate about. Frances, tell us something about your main characters.

The book is an account of the cost exacted by living out a high ideal. It tells the story of three members of a particular family: imaginative, high-spirited Clare Engle, the youngest, whose childhood fantasies of Christian perfection are realized in the shattering actuality of adulthood; her beautiful conflicted sister, Kathleen; and her brother, Stephen, a priest and poet and the hero of the novel.
Will you share a short excerpt from your novel?

This is from Part Three of a three-part novel:
     "Jacques, Louis . . ." The emotion of the moment was almost more than Stephen could bear. Dropping his hands, he stepped back.    Joyeaux shifted into gear and the van lurched forward, heading for the open gate; picking up speed, it veered out into the road.    Just as the road began to bend to the right, before the van reached the first trees of the woods, Cormier turned round to glance back, and Stephen, standing in the very spot on the mission grounds where he had first stepped down nine months before, looking across the low wall with its purplish haze of bougainvillea, in a profound and awful silence penetrated only by the far-off four note call of some unseen, unknown bird, saw his companion's face one last time.
Have you been given any helpful advice? If so, what?

Yes, especially in regard to writer's block. "Put your work away for a while. But don't stop writing. Write 200-300 words a day on any topic: how to make and serve cucumber sandwiches; how surly your neighbor becomes when he has to mow the lawn, that kind of thing. And read, read the very best writers, whether fiction or nonfiction. Your story will come back to you."
I'll have to try that. I haven't heard that advice. Frances, did you have to do any research for your novel?

The third part takes place in a fictionalized Rwanda. I researched the tragedy that occurred there in the early 1990s extensively: the history of the country, the culture, the scenes people would have witnessed, the conditions they had to cope with.
Do you have people read your drafts before you publish?

Yes, I think every writer needs a good editor. I was very fortunate to have found two. My first editor, Gladys Leithauser, was a treasure: brilliant, nurturing and dedicated to my work. When she died of cancer, I was distraught on many levels. I was blessed to find another excellent editor, Jeanette Piccirelli. She brought me to the finish line.
So sorry to hear about your first editor. Cancer is a horrible disease that takes far too many lives. Can you tell us who designed your cover?

Very fine artists at CreateSpace. I told them what I envisioned and they drew what I consider a beautiful cover, evoking a forest scene from Part Three of the novel.
As an author one thing we all have had to deal with or will deal with is criticism? How do you handle it?

Of course, it can hurt. But sincere criticism from someone whose judgment we value can be a gift. For the rest:  I remember once happening upon Amazon reviews of the 1980 National Book Award for Fiction, William Styron's Sophie's Choice. Here are three of them:              five stars:   "A masterpiece, one of the most harrowing books I have                                  ever read. It is life-changing."              two stars:   "Hard to plow through."              one star:    "Very depressing. Pass on it."
     Seeing this keeps one grounded, I think.
I enjoy getting constructive criticism that is done in a non hateful way. Some of it has helped me to become a better writer. It can be tough, I know we all enjoy the positive feedback. What is the best compliment you've ever received?

One of the people who reviewed my book on Amazon said that he/she walked away with a new found respect for their religion. I was very touched by that.
Frances, how many times did you read your book before you published it?
Fifty or sixty. I wrote and rewrote for years. It will never be as good as I hoped it would be, but I had to finish at some point.
Where do you see yourself in five years?

I hope I will have learned how to market my work. That has been the hardest part of publishing for me.
I agree it's not anything you think about when your writing a book. I always heard that the real work starts after you write your book. You never really understand that until you start marketing the book. Any last words?

Yes. Someone once said, "Don't die with your song still locked within you."  Keep writing. Believe in yourself. Publish.




Thanks so much for sharing. Happy Reading!!

Interview with Terri Bertha Author of Spooky Twisties Series

Tell us a little about yourself  

I've lived my entire life in the rolling hills and three rivers of western Pennsylvania and the majority of my working years were as a Systems Engineer for a large corporation. When my sons were born, I took a hiatus from work, and tutored math and reading while being a substitute teacher in local schools. I returned to the workforce and retired a few years ago which allowed me to pursue my true passions of writing and art.

There is nothing better than finding the time to do what you are passionate about. Will you share a short excerpt from your novel?


From Spooky Twisties II: The Eternal Tree Story

The kids traveled down to the edge of town where the old cemetery sat between the railroad tracks and a row of huge old oak trees. Even though it was daylight, the thickness of the tree limbs and leaves turned the surroundings into darkness.

“Did anyone bring a flashlight?” asked Chris.

“I did,” said Jack. “Don’t know why. Just thought it may be helpful, along with a shovel to dig.”

When they reached the cemetery, they noticed only a few headstones, sitting crooked and half buried in the ground. The engravings on the front were barely readable from the years gone by. The kids started walking by the trees, inspecting each one.

“We found it!” yelled Chris when they got to the fifth tree. “We found the tree with the ‘X’. Everyone take a look around and see if we find anything else.”

They were about ready to start digging when Jack hollered, “I found something, guys.” Jack’s hands were brushing away dirt and leaves in the tangled roots at the base of the tree. The kids gathered around closely and watched in anticipation as he pulled out an old leather pouch.

“Here,” said Jack to Chris, handing him the pouch. “You open it.”

Chris carefully untied the rawhide strings.

“Maybe it’s a big diamond,” said Lindsay, jumping up and down. Then she stopped and said, “But how do we split up a diamond?”

“We hit it with a big hammer,” laughed Nick. “How do you think we do it?”

Everyone laughed and waited eagerly to see the pouch contents.

Chris reached inside and pulled out a piece of paper.

“Don’t tell me it’s another map,” said Nick.

“No, it looks like a poem or something.”

“What kind of stupid treasure is that?” said Paul. “A poem!”

“Hurry up and read it!” ordered Lindsay, who was the bossiest of them all. “Maybe it will tell us where to find the treasure!”

“Okay, be quiet and listen up,” said Chris.

My spirit holds here,
Tied to a tree.
Without a sacrifice,
It’s eternity.
The rope tear down,
And place below.
My spirit then free,
Will forward go.
I need release,
For me to be free.
A sign of the cross,
To bury me.
The sacrifice,
You need to show,
Is help me down,
To earth below.

“What the heck does that mean?” asked Lindsay. “It doesn’t make any sense.”


“Yeah, it doesn’t make sense. And what about the part about a sacrifice? What’s that supposed to mean?” said Paul.

Terri can you tell us what brought about the idea for this book?
One of my first stories was about a group of kids that go out to play their annual game of ghosts in the graveyard. Thinking of other things twelve-year-olds like to do and 'what if' scenarios led to additional tales which eventually became the Spooky Twisties Series. Each of the books consists of thirteen interconnected stories which follow a group of friends as they navigate their way through supernatural events in an idyllic community during the course of a ‘normal’ day. A mix of horror, humor, and ‘twisted endings’ make the short stories fun and entertaining for young and old alike.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
This may sound silly but my dream in five years would be to be collaborating on a TV series based on Spooky Twisties.  Each of my books contains 13 unique and original stories (39 stories total) which I can easily visualize as three seasons of half hour episodes.

I don't think it's silly at all. Dreams are what keep us going. I wish you all the best. Currently, what are you working on?
I am currently working on a Spooky Twisites IV involving the same group of kids, but it would be a chapter book and not individual stories.

Tell us a little bit about your main characters
My characters begin as twelve-year-olds and age as the books progress. They are everyday normal kids who like to hang out together and have fun. There is a mix of boys and girls and the stories revolve around how they solve supernatural events thrown their way in their neighborhood without adult help.
What has been the best compliment you have received?
The best compliment received was from reviews comparing my books to Goosebumps/RL Stein – “would recommend books to those who enjoy RL Stine/Goosebumps”“Look out Goosebumps there's a new spooky series in town.”

That's a great compliment. How do you promote your books? Any tips you can share?
My promotion is shared by my publisher and myself. On my end, I use social media quite a bit, such as Facebook groups, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin and my website. I also visit local libraries and donate my books.

Who designed the artwork for your cover?  Or did you design it yourself?
I submit ideas on what I’d like to see on the cover to Charlotte Volnek – head of the Art Department at MuseItUp Publishing who works with me on the design.

Is there something you learned from writing your first book?
After my first book was published, my writing developed and improved with the second and third books.  The stories were written smoother and less edits were required.  I found that the more I write, the better I write.

How many times do you think you read your book before going to print?
I easily reread my manuscript at least 10-12 times before I send it to my editor.

It's amazing how much time gets spent working on a book before it becomes published. Any last words?
Follow your dreams and turn them into something to leave your mark in this world. It’s never too late to try something new.


Thank you so much for sharing with us today! Don't forget to check out all of Terri's Spooky TalesWebsiteFacebookTwitterGoodreadsInstagramLinkedin

Interview with John Coon author of Pandora Reborn

Today I would like to welcome John Coon. Tell us a little about yourself.
My name is John Coon. I work full-time as a sports and business reporter in Utah, which is also my home state. I grew up in rural Utah and lived for a short time in Texas and Louisiana after high school. I returned to Utah in 2000 and received a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Utah. After graduating in 2004, the Salt Lake Tribune hired me to their scoreboard staff and I became a sports reporter in 2005. I worked there until 2007 when I left to take a job at the Deseret News. I stayed at the Deseret News until the end of 2010. Since the start of 2011, I have freelanced for multiple media outlets including, most notably, the Associated Press. When I'm not writing, you'll usually find me hiking a trail somewhere and taking pictures.
Wow John, you sound busy. It's amazing that you find the time to write. Will you share a short excerpt from your novel.
   "Let me put this in clear terms for you, Dean." The deputy rose from his chair and walked over to Dean's side. "There are no such things as witches, monsters, demons or whatever else your imagination is trying to cook up.”      His firm eyes and stony expression made it clear that their chat was destined to meet an abrupt end. Dean felt dismayed at the deputy's stubbornness. After all of the sacrifices he made to keep Deer Falls safe, he had become a joke and an afterthought to this entire town. How many more times did he need to come in here before they took his warnings seriously?     "You have to know what will happen if that chest isn't sealed and buried again."     "I only deal in the real world,” the deputy replied. “Catching real criminals. Stopping real crimes.”      “I'm not some random lunatic. I guarded that tree with my life for a good reason. You've have to listen to me."      "Go get yourself cleaned up. See a psychiatrist. They'll give you some meds and counseling. It will make a world of difference for you. Trust me."      Tears started to form in the corners of Dean's eyes. His chin dipped to his chest. He buried his mouth in his hands for a moment, before looking back up at the deputy.     “Why would I lie about this, Deputy Palmer? What do I have to gain? All I want is to stop this monster from destroying other lives the way it destroyed mine.”       Deputy Palmer grabbed Dean's left arm and motioned to the door with his other hand.      “Leave. Now.”      “Go check out my lot,” Dean insisted. “That little thug stole the chest right out from under me. See the hole he left behind for yourself. He's in danger. His family is in danger. This whole town is in danger.”(Pandora Reborn, Chapter 4, Pages 37-38)
John, Can you tell us what brought about the idea for this book?
Ultimately, I wrote Pandora Reborn because it told a story I really wanted to share with the world. I first developed the idea while in high school and it stuck with me for more than 20 years.
My initial story idea was sparked by a legend about the lost Rhoads mine near my hometown. Gold from the mine was supposedly used to help finance the construction of the Salt Lake Temple and the location was known only to Mormon pioneer Thomas Rhoads and his son. After they died, others died or disappeared in the Uinta Mountains over the years while searching for the mine. It led to the lost mine gaining cursed status. I wondered what could make a mine cursed and the image of an evil witch sealed in a chest popped into my head. 
As I fleshed out my characters and I started visualizing scenes, I realized it that would make a good novel. It sat on the back burner until I finally committed to putting in the work necessary to bring it to life last year.
It always amazes me how long an author can hold on to a story until they finally take the time to write it down. Where do you see yourself in five years?
Writing more fiction. Pandora Reborn is my debut novel and I have many other stories in the pipeline I wanted to flesh out and publish. Being a reporter can be mentally and emotionally draining at times. It is a high stress occupation. Writing fiction is fun because it offers an escape valve from those pressures and gives me a chance to exercise my creative muscles.
It's great when you find that release. Writing can be so rewarding, sometimes it's hard to understand why everyone doesn't do it. John, have you been given any helpful advice during this journey? If so What?
One helpful piece advice for me, that applies to every writer,  is to find your own voice. So many writers think they need to write exactly like some famous or popular author that went before them or that they need to do a vampire  story , a zombie story , or a Game of Thrones style epic because that's what sells. It's better to create stories you enjoy and carving out your own identity.  Building your own fictional worlds and characters is so much more satisfying than copying what  a zillion other authors are already doing.
I completely agree. Currently, what are you working on?
I have two projects I'm working on for the immediate future. One is a sci-fi/horror novella centered on four students from McNeese State who become stranded in a remote Texas town after their car breaks down on a spring break road trip. My goal is to publish this story before the end of the year. The other is a science fiction novel I plan to release in the summer of 2019. I do have other stories in mind involving select characters from Pandora Reborn, but I may not get to those stories until late 2019 or early 2020 at the earliest.
What has been the most difficult thing you have struggled with since you began a career in writing?
Making time to work on fiction requires a careful balancing act when being a journalist is your day job. When I wrote the rough draft for Pandora Reborn, I had to carve out whatever time I could while covering the NBA and college basketball. That wasn't an easy thing to do because covering those sports is so time intensive between writing game previews, game recaps, and features. It's so easy to feel burned out in that situation and I had to fight through those periods of burnout in order to reach my goal.
Tell us a little bit about your main characters
My main protagonist is Ron Olson. He is a teenage soccer player who is a reluctant newcomer to Deer Falls. Ron's main concern is keeping aspirations of playing college and pro soccer alive in a small town. He's kind of arrogant, single-minded and prone to drama at times. But Ron also has a good heart and is strong and brave when the occasion calls for it. I used to cover high school sports in my day job and I modeled his personality after various players I interviewed and interacted with over the years.
John, what was your favorite scene to write?
Tough question. I had so many favorite scenes, it's hard to settle on just one. One scene that does stand out as a favorite is when Christina bumps into Ron at the town park after he sneaks out of his house following an argument with his mom, Emily.
It is such a cool character defining moment for both teens. The scene climaxes in a powerful way with Ron getting his first exposure to the reality of the supernatural realm in Deer Falls. It is easy enough for him to scoff and dismiss what he is told earlier in the book by multiple characters. But when he witnesses an event for himself that challenges everything he believed, it is earth-shattering for Ron.
Ultimately, I like Ron’s evolution in the scene. He takes the first steps in a journey to overcoming his own fears and selfish attitude. Christina shows a vulnerable side of her personality for the first time and you begin to see what led a girl like her to end up with the detention crowd at Deer Falls High.

I can see why you like that scene. What  has been the best compliment  you have received?
I've had a couple of reviewers who have compared Pandora Reborn favorably to the Netflix series "Stranger Things" and one of them said it had the potential to be a TV series or a movie. That's pretty cool. An even better compliment I've received, though, is that almost everyone who has read my book has told me they have enjoyed it and couldn't put it down. I love hearing that as an author. You know at that point you've succeeded in creating a story and characters that resonate with a wide audience.
What kind of research do you do before you start a new story?
One thing I like to do before I get into a novel is I like to sketch out each major character and key scene in the story. It gives me a rough outline of what the beginning, middle and end of the story will look like and how the action will unfold. This is so helpful in combating writer's block and getting stuck on a story. The other thing that helps in sketching out characters ahead of time is that it gives you a better idea of their individual personalities. You can predict how they will react in a given situation and how they will interact with one another. Thus when the plot is set in motion, their thoughts and actions will feel more authentic because it's consistent with the personalities you've established for them as the author.
John, which do you find more challenging inventing the hero or the villain? Why?
Creating a strong antagonist presents a bigger challenge in my opinion. Your story is only as good as your villain. A complex multi-dimensional antagonist can push and challenge the hero in unexpected ways. It forces them to grow and evolve. Nothing derails a story faster than having a cliched mustache twirling villain who is evil only because the plot calls for it. Every villain should be the hero of their own story, even if their actions dictate otherwise.
Thanks so much for stopping by John. Happy Reading!!

  Pandora Reborn is widely distributed through major booksellers worldwide. It can be found on Amazon as an ebook or a paperback. Barnes and Noble also offers ebook and paperback versions. Walmart carries the ebook through Kobo. Hundreds of independent U.S. and Canadian bookstores carry ebook and paperback copies through Kobo and Indiebound.
I have author pages at Goodreads and on Amazon. People can also check out my personal website -- http://johncoon.net -- where I maintain a blog. They can also follow me on Twitter -- my Twitter handle is @johncoonsports -- and follow my Facebook author page.