V.K. Tritschler's Blog, page 6

Media Entanglement

Author interview with Lisa Jo Symonds and Grahame Peace

Media Entanglement

When I was a kid, the newspaper would arrive wrapped in plastic in case it rained, and delivered by hand, to the vicinity of our mailbox. Normally, by a kid who would rather be doing anything else but delivering the mail. And my parents would drag it in, unwrapping it carefully and scanning through the adverts to glean pertinent information on what is happening around the world. Now we jump to my generation. Information and news snippets are everywhere. From the moment we wake up, our phones buzz alive and our televisions blare. My kids no longer can get jobs delivering newspapers reluctantly or otherwise, because the standard media form is disappearing. Instead, we are plugged into a new kind of media entanglement, where news can change from one minute to the next and each of us is an 'on the spot' reporter. And I wondered how that affects us as authors? Are we now 'on the spot' writers, who are pumping out entertainment for the masses or do we still keep the slow write going? I was keen to chat this month to two authors, one who has written a memoir, and the other who uses his life experiences in his fiction writing to see how they managed to disentangle their thoughts. This month's authors: Lisa Jo Symonds Lisa Jo has written a gritty memoir about her life and I was interested to find out about her process: What was the most challenging part of writing a memoir? The most challenging part of writing a memoir was having to be so careful in my wording, even having to eliminate things I really wanted to include, in order to avoid hurting or offending people I love. How did you tackle the issues of confidentiality? Confidentiality was tough, to say the least. I had to be very crafty in my writing to not expose people and tie them to events. Honestly, you will find that my book, The Hands that Held Me, maybe the only book that was ever written without one name within it. That took every ounce of talent I have to pull off an edge of your seat story...with no names. What process did you go through to get your book published and what struggles did you have? I had no struggles getting my book published whatsoever. My story sells itself. I hear of others who struggle and never land a publisher. I feel for them, its such a competitive market. What are your plans for the future? Are you writing more books? After I graduate with my dual degree in July (Bachelor's and Master's Degree in Health Sciences -Public Health), I plan to work from home, researching the spread of disease and bioterroris and write articles for medical and public health journals. And, yes, I plan to write another book, this time writing all I could not write in my first book. Lisa Jo loves to interact with her readers via Facebook. You can find her on :
https://www.facebook.com/TheHandsThat... I hope you can take a moment to support her, and I extend my thanks for being interviewed! Grahame Peace From a lover of fashion to a lover of the written word this gentleman has created a unique style from both of these loves. I asked Grahame what inspired him and this is what he told me: You went from a fashion focus in your youth to a fashion focus in your writing. What inspired you to bring a pen to paper after so many years? I was born in 1958 in the North of England at a place called Huddersfield, in West Yorkshire, where I still live. It’s famous as a textile town, although it’s now a University town. I attended school in the early 1960s/70s, and young men from my background certainly did not do ‘fashion’ as a career. So, I drifted into mental health nursing, which became my career for over 36 years. However, fashion was always my passion, and it never went away. I wish fashion had been my career, it should have been, but writing about fashion, has in a strange way, allowed me to have the fashion career I always wanted, and pay homage to some great historic French, British, Italian, and American designers. In terms of writing, they say you should write about what you know, and I found that a good starting point, so my first two books have a strong fashion focus. Working in mental health is rewarding, but it’s also emotionally draining, so I wanted to write something entertaining and light-hearted, nothing too dark. My book genres are humorous, paranormal-historical-mysteries, fantasy, and fashion fiction. The third book in my fashion fiction genre has just been released worldwide on Amazon it’s a Romantic Comedy called, ‘The Fabulous Life of Patrina Fletcher’ who’s a social media and reality TV star, she’s very 2019! Patrina appeared in my book, ‘The Psychic Agency’, which is book four in my ‘Ghost from the Molly-House’ series. I liked her character so much I decided I had to tell her story; I hope people will love her as much as I do. Do you like to research your books, or do you prefer to use your imagination? Yes, I spend hours researching history and all manner of subjects for my books, in particular, my ‘Ghost from the Molly-House’ books, which are about a time-traveling ghost, with a wicked sense of humor. It’s often the real history that drives the stories, which I then sprinkle liberally with my wild imagination. I should add that fashion has a habit of creeping into these books as well, but it’s much more in the background. I’m currently working on book six in the series, which should be out early next year on Amazon and will be titled, ‘The Sirens Call’, it’s set in Cornwall in England in 1936. What do you think is the most important thing to do or be as an author? Good question, it’s a very overcrowded profession, so first you have to be determined and stick at it, few writers are an overnight success. It’s a craft that has to be learned, so the more you read and write, the better you will become. Don’t write to be rich and famous, yes, that would be lovely if it happens, but write for the love and joy of writing, and do pay attention to detail. Be prepared for hard work, and long hours not just with the book and editing, but the marketing, which is very tough and time-consuming. For me, it’s been a big learning curve, and I’m still learning. I treat my writing as a very demanding hobby, one which requires my full attention. Who inspires you and why? I always enjoyed writing, but most of it had been for work reports and academic assignments. So, when I retired from my career in mental health nursing, I had the opportunity to dip my toe in the water, and it went from there. I had an awful review for my first book (no longer in print), and while some of the comments were justified others were inaccurate and just not true, so I lost confidence for a while, but gradually I picked my writing back up again, like it or not, everyone’s a critic in one form or another. However, on reflection, I’m grateful for that lousy review; it helped me to develop my skills. I want to be the best writer I can be, so as I write I hopefully continue to improve and will continue to do so, ‘practice makes perfect’ as they say. Grahame is on loads of book sites like Goodreads and Bookbub, but his main forums are listed below. Website: www.grahamepeaceauthor.com Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Grahame-Peace/... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gpeaceauthor... Twitter: https://twitter.com/GrahamePeace Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grahamepeac... MeWe: https://mewe.com/profile/5c9347d71f7f... I hope you can take a moment to support him by checking out one of his pages, and I extend my thanks for being interviewed! I wish to thank you for taking the time to read and engage with me! Happy reading everyone! VK Tritschler

Tenacity of Typing

I use Scrivener to help me focus on my writing, but like all authors, we have our electronic preferences for all things word-related. Be it an app on your phone, an old version of Word, or a clanky old keyboard missing a few keys; we all have our nuances. I learned to type when I was just little. A local school did an experiment teaching five-year-olds and although I was too small to reach the keyboard without assistance, my mother dutifully brought along my car booster seat each week. The quick brown fox jumped over several lazy dogs before I was finally fluid at typing. It became so natural that now I now can't remember a time without it. This month I got the pleasure of talking to two other women who have garnered both natural writing talent, and the tenacity to keep learning and here is what they told me... This month's authors: E. Rachael Hardcastle Author, publisher and all-round writing guru, I was keen to chat with best-selling author Ms Hardcastle and find out her tricks and tips: As a best selling author – what has been the highlight of your writing career to date and why? It's always nice to see your book in print, especially if it's on the shelves of your favourite or local store. I think, though, the highlight of my career to date is the response I've been receiving from my readers and the joy I see in their faces at signings.
I remember meeting my favourite author (the first famous author I'd ever met, actually), and I was so nervous. I couldn't wait to ask her all about her writing processes but when I got to the front of the queue I stammered and didn't say much at all. Though I'm not a famous author, young children don't know the difference—an author is an author. They are always so thrilled to chat about books, especially if they are illustrated. I love inspiring them.
I absolutely adore meeting my readers and signing their copies—I like learning about their favourite genres, hearing their recommendations and taking photos with them. Last year, someone also told me I was their favourite author and this was such an amazing feeling as an indie. I can only hope it continues. What inspired you to start your own business helping self-published authors? I started as a writer and self-published my debut book in 2010 after a bad experience with an agent and various offers from publishers who were just looking to take advantage of my age and naivety. I was eighteen and didn't really understand the difference between the platforms, or what a vanity press did. Thankfully, I avoided falling for any offers and put my time and effort into learning the skills required to self-publish my paperback. It took a long time and I made tons of mistakes, but it allowed me to build rapport with companies, shops and other authors and improve my knowledge.
Then, a few years back, I fell in love with editing. I got good grades in school but didn't study writing at university, so I wasn't sure if becoming an editor was a possibility. I took some courses and got my first couple of clients, then branched out and offered other services. I'd found something I enjoyed that I was good at, so it made perfect sense to help other authors to accomplish what I had through my skills. But I didn't want them to fall into the same traps I did. I didn't want them to waste time learning from petty, avoidable mistakes; if I could tell them all about my experiences and failures, perhaps they'd be ahead of the game.
This being the case, I started a publishing company. Curious Cat Books (2017) offers a variety of services (including publishing!) for new or struggling authors, and it's a company I'm so pleased to run. I also have a book due for release at the end of November 2019 called, 'The Universe Doesn't Give A Sh*t About Your Book: A Brutally Honest Guide to Self-Publishing', which is my honest account of what it's like and what authors should know. What do you wish authors knew or did when they first started writing? This is a really difficult question (and is why I wrote the book I just mentioned!) because there are so many things I'd want them to know... we'd be here all day! I think above all else, write for yourself at first. Worrying about the quality of your work before actually completing it will dampen your creativity and only encourage self-doubt, so try not to stress over whether it's any good and what people will think until you actually have a polished draft that's ready for an editor's eye.
I would also encourage new authors to learn the basics of self-editing (spelling, grammar, punctuation). Learn as much as you can about the industry and the way things work. What does interior formatting involve? How much does a decent book cover cost to produce? These are all areas where authors could lose money (or if they do it themselves without the relevant skill/s, quality!). Knowing ahead of time what to expect means you can make safer choices and give your book a chance at success. Which genre do you like working on most, or which one do you find easiest? I read a lot of speculative fiction, so I enjoy editing that the most I think. Fantasy and dystopian fiction are favourites of mine, but I also love to read personal development books, particularly anxiety-related as I've suffered from this most of my life. I also love working with children's fiction for the photographs and the rhyming—it's so much fun!
I'll work with almost anything. I avoid crime and erotica because I don't usually read these genres, and some non-fiction depending on the subject and if I know anything about the content. Rachael uses Facebook most often, though she does have Instagram and Twitter, plus a YouTube channel. All her social media links can be found on my website at www.erachaelhardcastle.com, where a list of her books, the authors signed to her company and news can be found. I hope you can take a moment to support her and her upcoming authors, and I extend my thanks for being interviewed! Lindsey Frantz With stories and poems aplenty, I was keen to chat with Lindsey about her writing and her inspiration: What are the pros and cons of working alongside other authors on an anthology? Working with other authors on an anthology is really challenging but also really fun. On one hand, working with other authors is amazing, because as you’re planning the anthology, and then writing it, you can bounce ideas off of each other and get instant, really great feedback. But on the other hand, you’re tied to whatever the group decides. So unlike when you’re writing alone, you can’t totally change tracks without clearing your ideas and choices with other people first. Which, I suppose, is good and bad, because it forces you to problem-solve and write within boundaries. What would you consider the highlight of your career to date, and why? The highlight of my writing career so far was the day that my publisher, Line by Lion, emailed me and offered me a deal for my novel, The Upworld. I remember, my husband was driving, and I was in shock as I read the email over and over. (Not that I’d been compulsively checking it for the previous 2 weeks or anything.) It was such an amazing, surreal feeling. Then, a close second was when I got to hold an early copy and see my words bound as a novel before it was officially for sale, and I was just completely over the moon! I definitely cried. How do you like to tackle starting a story? I used to just sit down and start writing and hope for the best, but things always went wonky that way. So now, I have a system. For starters, I have to know my world and my characters (and any rules the world has, for magic or science or whatever) backward and forward. Then, I need to have a rough outline of my plot from start to finish. And only then can I even think about starting a story - a short one or a novel-length one. I’ve had too many false starts trying to wing it. That being said, I’m not a true “plotter,” because my plot outlines are always the roughest part of the story and almost always change. Who would you most identify with as one of your own characters? I supposed I identify in a small way with every character I write. But Erilyn, the protagonist in my novel, is who I probably identify with the most. Erilyn is an empath, in the sense that she has powers that literally allow her to feel what others feel, see what they see, and experience what they experience. I’m an empath in the sense that I’m an extremely emotional person and am strongly affected by the emotions of those around me. So, when I was writing Erilyn and her powers, I was definitely keeping that feeling I have when I am affected by other people’s emotions in mind. And, she’s also kind of the person I wish I was - strong and quiet (I’m very loud). Lindsey loves talking with readers on multiple platforms. Her top two are Instagram (www.instagram.com/lindseysfrantzwriter) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/lindseysfrantzwriter). I hope you can take a moment to support her by checking out one of her pages, and I extend my thanks for being interviewed! I wish to thank you for taking the time to read and engage with me! Happy reading everyone! VK Tritschler

Tenacity of Typing

Interview with authors E. Rachael Hardcastle and Lindsey Frantz

Tales from the Cosmos

Interview with authors Nhi the Poet and Jake Hatmacher

Tales from the Cosmos

For centuries as humans, we have been listening to stories from storytellers around the world about life in the Cosmos. With a range of Gods created to explain unusual events, and to resolve issues and arguments, it is difficult for me to wrap my head around the concept that as an author, I am creating my own potentially eternal tales. Mine is not of either the caliber nor expected to have such an impact; but I am in my own small and humble way bringing forward new worlds, characters, and tales. And as I write down another tale, I often think back on the collected stories through the centuries and wonder how closely I have inadvertently replicated a storyteller before me. And I wonder how they lived their life. I only hope I am doing their story justice. Speaking of which, I again have had the chance to interview two more amazing authors. Let's see how they create their own tales from the Cosmos. This month's authors: Nhi the Poet Magnus came to fiction writing relatively late in life, and via literary detours in song-writing, film scripts and film criticism. He was kind enough to reply to my questions on how he managed his craft. How do you get inspiration from the world around you and how does this influence your writing? I get a lot of my inspiration from friends, family, even strangers. A lot of the time, I’ll just be spending a day out at the mall or in a coffee shop and I’ll find an interesting subject. From there, ideas about their backstory and who they are pop into my mind and I quickly jot down blurbs in the notes section of my phone. I have a super sporadic relationship with my flow of inspiration. I also feel that I tend to hyper-observe people, taking even the slightest nuances in their interactions to delve deeper into who they are. I guess this goes directly into my writing style because I’m pretty obsessed with the details of a character. I love world-building and plot, but getting lost in the details of a person, especially the minute things that set them apart from anyone else, are what really get me. What is your favourite concept or genre of writing and why? I think my favorite thing about writing is the fact that as a story teller, you get the opportunity to show commonplace things in a completely new light to your readers. It’s this element of magical realism or romanticism where you almost separate parts of people or parts of behaviors from the whole, in order to appreciate them more fully. Suddenly, a coffee cup isn’t a coffee cup anymore, but maybe it’s a crystal ball or a lens into the person holding the cup itself. This is what I love most about the power behind writing. Who is your key supporter in your art, and how do they support you? Oh man, this is a tough one. My family and friends are all incredibly supportive of what I create whether that be through purchasing new books or beta-reading new stories. I’m very blessed in that sense, but if I had to pick a key supporter, it’d be a dead tie between my dad and my husband. Maybe rightfully so! After all, they are the most important men in my life. My dad has always believed in my skill as an artist. Growing up, I could only imagine how annoying I was, constantly showing my dad my stories and poems. Regardless, I don’t think I can remember a single instant where he wasn’t ecstatic to read my work and applaud me. That relentless enthusiasm really helped me develop confidence in my craft from a young age. These days, my dad doesn’t have as much feedback because I’ve somewhat surpassed him in terms of writing skills, but he’s still always just as eager to read my new material. As for my husband, well, he’s the main reason why I’m even doing this interview right now. I kid, but only partially, because for a long time I couldn’t take myself as a writer and and artist seriously. I worked so hard in college to create a stable career for myself and after I graduated, I went into corporate digital media marketing jobs. The daily grind started to wear me down and my writing quickly gathered dust. My husband, then boyfriend, had always been supportive of my creative outlets whether it be photography, video editing, or writing even if he didn’t quite understand them. We were quite opposites with him being an applied mathematics major and myself a creative writing major back in college. I think there was just one point when he could tell I was losing myself in the daily grind. I just wasn’t happy doing office work anymore and when he confronted me, I responded truthfully that I had always wanted to just tell stories. To which he responded, “you mean publish a book?” And that sparked that fire within me once more. I always thought to go the traditional route for success, but at the end of the day it’s not really about success for me. It’s more or less the opportunity to tell a story, reach out to someone, and to let them know they are not alone. After that talk with my husband, I decided to quit my full-time job and pursue completing my books. I am always grateful to my husband for being my emotional and financial rock through all of the struggles in my publishing process. What process do you go through when you start a new project? It often just starts with a single idea. A line from a song. Perhaps even just the look of a stranger. I come from a background in film and cinema and so I approach writing the way I approach envisioning a scene. That’s usually how I can write scenes in settings so ordinary and yet make them feel so close that you could feel the corded fluffy rug on the floor of a San Franciscan hipster’s loft right between your fingers as you read the words. I quickly jot down my ideas and blurbs in the notes section of my phone. I have tons of unexplored ideas, but when I’m ready for a new story, I go through those blurbs and see which ones can be fleshed out more. I even ask myself, which of these people do I want to get to know myself? If I don’t care, how could I expect anyone else to? From there, I use a mix of plotting and 'pantsing' until a story is painstakingly finished. And trust me, it is a very painstaking process because I’m a notorious procrastinator with a heavy side of imposter syndrome so I’m constantly doubting if my ideas are even good enough to pursue in the first place. Being a millennial, Nhi loves the use of social media. You can always find her on :
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhithepoet/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NhiThePoet
Or her Website: https://www.nhithepoet.com/ I hope you can take a moment to support (and distract) by contacting her, and I extend my thanks for being interviewed! Jake Hatmacher Jake is an American Obstetrician and Gynecologist, who writes books inspired during his work in practising medicine. With strong female characters, I was keen to see how Jake creates his stories. Here are his replies: In several of your stories you deal with females in the main role, do you feel that your working environment has helped provide your insight into the female psyche? Being of the male gender I’m not certain that I can assuredly say that I could ever have total insight into the female psyche! In my last story, A Secret Lies Deep, I even intimate that point during one of Eryn’s (the protagonist) visits with her psychologist. We love ‘em and we hate ‘em. We cannot live without ‘em. Remember the movie, What Women Want? It certainly ain’t easy knowing how they tick. Mel had to be shocked by a hairdryer in his bathtub to gain the ability to know. But let me get back to really answering the question you posed. I must assume…no, more than assume…the answer must be a YES. Let’s see, I started in about 1980 with my training in obstetrics and gynecology. That was after I spent a good part of one-year of training in Internal Medicine. I didn’t feel I fit in I.M., and after some thought of where I thought I would be happy and productive (no intended pun here), I switched my training to OB/GYN. One of the reasons I did so was that I was a hands-on type, so in the OB/GYN field of medicine, I could do surgery, deliver babies, as well as use my brain with listening, diagnosing, and prescribing. I think, and I have thought this for a very long time, the other reason for my choosing OB/GYN as a field is that I always found it easy, in fact, just as easy if not easier for me to converse with women. So, in completely answering your question, I think that my field of work in addition to my inherent ease of conversing with women…Oh, and of course, let’s not forget, I was privy to a lot of personal information that many individuals would never have the privilege of knowing, physical as well as psychological…has at least given me a view of many a woman’s heart. Do you find it difficult to write about such complex psychological issues? The only difficulty is becoming the character in one’s head – actually feeling what she feels or must feel, and then by my learned experiences, attempting to have the characters react as I have witnessed. If you meant by your question, is it tough to tackle the issues I write about, the answer is, no. In my first book, The Unintended: R u sure??, the difficult decisions both the protagonists make has to do with abortion. The conundrum has been around for ages, and as you well know, is an issue that still divides, as well as can be seen by the stories of Elsa and Ginny and their families and significant others. Also, as I would guess most people are aware, actions most always end up with consequences, often unintended, thus the title, The Unintended… I wrote the story of The Unintended… factually. What I mean by that is all the medical information is factual, at least the modern-day medical information. I had to use some poetic license for the 19th-century medical information since I could not gather any direct first-hand information, although the social, political, and religious contexts hold close to what was occurring at the time. In writing A Secret Lies Deep, the psychological issues are different, although when multiple people are involved, and the issues are complex and unusual, and even controversial, psychological stress can’t help but seep out with the conflict. As I believe you know, A Secret… involves the exploration of a secret stressor for Eryn (the protagonist), and also involves her evolution and the psychological stressors accompanying her ability to find comfort with who she is individually as well as with her coworkers and finally with her sexuality. What is your writing process, do you like to plot or do you write as you go? You might say it is a bit of both. I have the big picture in my mind from the beginning. It is the details that make the work, and that includes pieces of the plot, the characters, the setting, the dialogue, and the sundry other twists and turns that fit like a jigsaw puzzle into the final tapestry. To paint this clearer – I know where I’m starting and where I want to finish. So, as in my stories, I knew I was going to have female-gendered protagonists. I also knew what main points I wanted to present. Then it takes collecting a cast of supporting characters to get that done while having an interesting storyline to tell. Here is when the twists come in since although I have in my mind the ultimate direction I want to go, the supporting cast must become intertwined in a way to make the story interesting, adding, if not conflicts, at least different viewpoints to the main character. There were many times when I went down a story path only to be stopped with brambles, too many sticking points that gummed-up my computer keyboard, too many dead ends that would have caused the story to stall, too many rabbit-holes that would have led me away from writing a coherent plausible story. It was when I ran into these obstacles that I would often resort to my most trusted means of resolution – I would either pour myself a bourbon and Coke and go out to the porch to think or I would take a long hot shower. Yes, those two options usually did the trick! They relaxed me, letting in new ideas that would be more workable than the ones that failed. Having now written several books, what did you wish you knew when you wrote your first book that you now know? Not sure I want to answer with my first thought because that would mean I may not have ventured my efforts at all. To explain – If I’d known how difficult it would be to market my books, in terms of effort, money, and time, I may not have begun. And therefore, I’m glad I didn’t know how difficult those things would be because I sorely wanted to get my stories out. I don’t think anybody believes me when I tell them I felt inspired to write what I have, but it’s true. Besides that, the whole process was a great learning experience. Yes, it took tons of hours, a lot of trial and error on my computer, a lot of aggravation for family members that had to deal with my constant asking to listen to passages I wrote, etc., but most difficult processes are worth the experience in the end. Besides, there was so much history that I was unaware of. I knew this fact before, but the knowledge I gained in the process of writing made it even more clear – when you are awed by someone speaking about a topic, great; but you may know more than that awe-inspiring speaker on some other topic. Don’t ever sell yourself short, but when you speak make sure you know your topic and don’t try to pull the wool over someone else’s eyes, for you end up the fool; of course, you could tell them what you were saying was all fictional, but that would probably just add to your agony. You can reach Jake through his website, jakehatmacher.wordpress.com, or you can friend him on Goodreads through JAKe Hatmacher. You're welcome to ask me questions through his author page on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show.... I hope you can take a moment to support him by contacting him, and I extend my thanks for being interviewed! This month's book challenge - To win yourself a $10 Amazon gift card, this month I would like you to send in a review of a book you have read recently that you enjoyed. Each month our winner will have their review published in my next month's blog and get the gift card information emailed to them. So send me your review - any book, any genre, let's see what you love to read! I wish to thank you for taking the time to read and engage with me! Happy reading everyone! VK Tritschler

From the mouths of babes

Interview with authors Ernie Briginshaw and Shari Sakurai

Getting my write on

Interview with authors E. Elizabeth Watson and Doug Schwartz

Getting my Write On

I am still learning every day a little nuance that is important as an author. How to write, what to write, how to edit, how to publish, how to promote. All linked and interlinked components of becoming a successful writer. So it always exciting for me to get a small win. A little piece of positive feedback, a nudge to write a short story that ends up doing better than I had hoped, or even just a nice email from a reader who enjoyed my work. These are all things that I enjoy. So this year I have been working hard to 'get my write on' and making sure that I have been doing small but noticeable steps in a positive direction every day, week and month. And, I am getting there. Like a slug on a Ferrari, it might take me a while to climb the bonnet, but I am admiring the view as I go. I hope you are too! Let's have a chat with this month's authors and see where they are at. This month's authors: E. Elizabeth Watson E. Elizabeth Watson writes historical romance and lives in West Virginia with her sons, husband, and various pets. With degrees in Archaeology and Anthropology, Elizabeth instead began pursuing a career in fiction writing after earning an Honorable Mention in the 2013 Texas Observer short story completion, and making it to the quarter-finals in the 2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest. Elizabeth is a member of RWA and Maryland Romance Writers. She was kind enough to reply to my questions on how she worked on her craft. You have written now several romance novels, from a range of eras in time. If you could travel in time, which one would you like to visit most and why? This is such a hard question for me. I love to study history. I’m an archaeologist by degree, and am naturally curious about the human past. I’d like to time-travel to many time periods and places, to see if our understanding based on records is accurate. Many of my books are set in are Medieval. I would definitely like to visit the years 1100 thru 1500 in Britain, though based on our modern understanding of infectious disease control with good hygiene and effective sewage, I don’t know that I’d want to stay visiting very long! But it would be fascinating to examine the architecture, watch how vassal lords, ladies, and serfs went about their lives, take notes on government, and observe how councils were held. Watching the creation of the Magna Carta would be extraordinary! I’d also like to visit Scotland during the 1600s to see castles, that I’ve visited, in their original state, as well as see the older forests that have since been cleared for agriculture. If only I had that time-machine! In the process of writing, what part do you find hardest to do and why? Different books present different challenges. I’ve never been a writer who plots out my manuscript, researches it, writes it, puts some editing polish on it, and sends it off. Some books have been merely a premise in my mind, and through the writing I tease out the nuances. This is how I wrote An Earl for the Archeress. I knew the heroine I wanted to create—a forward-thinking, hardened woman and master archer in a time when women weren’t allowed to hone traditionally male skills, who is also protecting her vulnerable heart. She’s on the run from an abusive father, entering archery tourneys and pocketing the winnings in order to pay her way to safety, when she unexpectedly ties in a contest with the hero—Robert, Earl of Huntington. The story flowed to the half-way point, when I had to question myself as to how I was going to bring about the ending. It was as I reread the beginning that I finally had an epiphany. I was writing a Robin Hood Story! Other books I’ve written were clear from beginning to end, and the hardest part was making my fingers keep up typing while the story flowed out. The Maiden’s Defender was like this. I had a bullet point and a brief sentence for each chapter, then filled it in. Yet still, other books have required layers of developmental editing in order to shift the pieces of the story into their proper place. How important is historical accuracy for you? Historical accuracy is very important to creating an authentic story, and yet, I write historical romance, as well as historical fantasy, which allows for artistic liberty and interpretation. Also, historical accuracy is relative to the story an author is crafting. A story centralized upon a major event, needs to pay attention to facts surrounding those battles, or political moments, etc., and spend less time on, say, describing what the medieval kitchens looked like (unless the kitchens are also important!). The question I ask myself when writing is, “Does this further my plot or help define my characters?” If the answer is no, it needs to be cut. For example, in my novella Christmas Wore Plaid, the story takes place as the Highland Clearances are almost over, and the hero of the story, a penniless earl, is ailing from the poverty that has afflicted Scotland over decades of eradicating Highland culture and commerce. But the story is more about how he and the heroine overcome his bruised pride to accept that although he cannot provide for her in the way society dictates a man must, that he can still give their love a chance. The minutiae of the Highland Clearances doesn’t matter to the story, so only enough is included to create an authentic setting and believable thoughts and reactions in my characters’ minds. You have a very thorough marketing plan for your books, including social media, videos and a beautiful website. How did you learn these skills and what did you wish you had found out sooner? I learned, and am still learning, through a lot of trial and error! For me, I have to be hands-on, experiment, see how people react, see what I’m doing well and where I can do better, tweak and adjust. When I first started publishing, it was my agent—who wasn’t yet my agent at the time—who told me I absolutely had to polish up a website and create a social media venue to provide a space for readers and potential editors to get to know me. I will admit I was shy about putting myself out there, and loved the idea of anonymity that writing provides. After all, people might love my books. But they also might hate them! It’s a vulnerable position in which to be. But once I embraced self-promotion, I was inspired. Promoting myself, and taking pride in my work became like putting on a different hat. I had to own it, thrust it out into the world, and have confidence that I’d build a readership among people who like my writing style. Gone are the days of tossing a manuscript over the transom in hopes that an editor will read it, and in today’s world, we need to be our own biggest advocate. The internet makes many things possible and has changed how readers and authors interact with each other. But I am still learning. Having joined and become active in a chapter of RWA (Romance Writers of America) has been exceedingly beneficial, too, because I’ve forged relationships with authors who are both mentors, as well as a supports. Elizabeth is everywhere on the web! And each place is a little different. So please take a moment and reach out to her, she would love to hear from you. And I wish to extend my thanks again for her engaging here on my blog - thank you! Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/e-eli... Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Author.E.Eli... Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorEEWatson Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authoreewat... Doug Schwartz Doug is the king of whimsical fantasy and a master game creator. So I dropped him a line to find out what inspired him to do both, and here's what he said: You have a range of talents across the writing field, what style or genre would be your favourite and why? Short fiction is my favorite. It's focused and typically requires less world-building. There is more focus on the characters, which have smaller webs of interaction. Do you find your ability to write stories helps you create and build on ideas for the games you work on? Simple answer--yes. The more complex answer...I find my varied skill sets often intermingle. An author once told me I can't do both writing and game design. If I understood her correctly, she implied that to be successful, I should focus on one or the other in order to perfect my craft. To me, that's like telling someone they can either have a job or a family, not both. Why can't someone do and be successful at both? It is possible to find a balance. Just because I write fiction at home, doesn't mean I can't apply my creativity at my day-job, or that I can't apply my QA problem-solving skills on one of my stories. Just because you are wearing your writing hat doesn't mean you can't pull a few tricks out of the other hats you wear. We write about what we know, so use it! Multiple people have noted my unique, balanced way of thinking both creatively and analytically. In my projects, I blend seemingly unrelated things in a way that offers a different perspective. The same is true with how I use my talents. Project planning for my day-job in the software industry helps with how I approach outlining a story. Learning and developing gaming strategies can help with character interactions. The years I spent co-writing scripts for children's musicals helps me find voices for my characters. Developing themes for games is similar to world-building for stories. For my first game, the earlier design felt like a wild goose chase. What better than a snipe hunt theme where people hunt for a fabled bird? From that concept, the setting of the game became wandering through a crazy forest where all sorts of dramatic events could happen, from an alien abduction to a roaming werewolf. When you start the writing process do you envision the story or the characters first? Most of the time, I envision the story first, or at least the situation. From there, I start outlining and filling in the details. One of the stories I did start with a character is Pickled Bananas in the collection of short fiction of the same name. My wife challenged me to write a story where a teenage girl was the main character. She starts out as teased by other girls in her school, goes on an epic journey to make the ultimate sandwich, and discovers her self-worth through her varied talents and quirks, transforming her into someone much more comfortable in her own skin. Who or what is the favourite character you have created to date, and why? Kasper, from Checkered Scissors, is my favorite character. He is a shape-changing character that chooses the most random things to look like. He might look like a rhino in a tutu in one scene, and then transform into a purple giraffe with a fish head. Besides his abstract outward appearance, he is as loveable and as he is socially awkward. He's just wants someplace he can feel accepted and appreciated. My other favorite characters to write are the silent ones. It's like writing for Grommit, Ferb, or Silent Bob. Much of my dialog writing experience originates from co-writing scripts for children's theater. Sometimes, writing dialog makes me lazy when it comes to a character's other attributes. When a character does not speak, it forces me to think more about their actions and mannerisms. No dialog forces me to make the silent ones adequately communicate with other characters through body language. You can reach Doug through his website http://www.checkeredscissors.com/ where he has a range of links to his books and games. I hope you can take a moment to support him by contacting him, and I extend my thanks for being interviewed! This months book challenge - To win yourself a $10 Amazon gift card, this month I would like you to send in a review of a book you have read recently that you enjoyed. Each month our winner will have their review published in my next months blog and get the gift card information emailed to them. So send me your review - any book, any genre, let's see what you love to read! I wish to thank you for taking the time to read and engage with me! Happy reading everyone! VK Tritschler

Ye olde English and the modern word

Interview with authors Magnus Stanke and Amaranthine Poetry