Shai August's Blog, page 5

Black & Paranormal: Featured Paranormal Author - Alexis D. Craig

Alexis D. Craig

Black & Paranormal is an ongoing series featuring paranormal writers of color.

1.     Favorite month of the year? Why?

Favorite month of the year is June. Beginning of summer, it’s warm, and full of promise of long nights, endless adventures and no mf’in snow.

2.     Pen name or real name? Why?

Real name: I worked for a long time to get published and I’m proud to put my actual name on my work. I did not spent all that time in the back of French and Latin class in high school writing notebooks full of stories and fanfic longhand to not put my name on my legit work.

3.     Most common shifter in your book(s)?

Right now, it’s wolves and ravens, but my goal is to bring in a LOT of uncommon shifters.

4.     Most uncommon shifter in your book(s)?

So far I go for the more obscure birds for some reason. Kestrel, peregrine falcon, cooper’s hawk, ibis, osprey and eventually penguins and a gila monster.

5.     Which dead author would you want to have coffee or tea with for an hour? What would you ask them?

Gabriel Garcia Márquez. I love his writing, and everything I’ve read from interviews with him say he’d be fun to talk to and drink with. If not him, Hunter S Thompson.

6.     Which genre of books do you read the least? Why?

I love history but I don’t read a lot of nonfiction books. I will read them, but they’re not my go to choice.

7.     Biggest writing pet peeve?

My pet peeve of writing is that I can’t type as fast as I think. I live for the day the telepathic typewriter is invented.

8.     How do you work through writer’s block?

I get though writer’s block by whining, reading, and writing on things other than my current project. I also find that discussing my current project with people tends to reignite the juices. Occasionally I find that if I change the POV of a scene I can flesh it out better and then if I need to make changes later, I can do that.

9.     Do you have a writing routine? If yes, what is it?

I write when I get home from work, late into the night, on the weekends. Basically any free time I have.

10.  Which one of your characters do you most identify with?

Cora. I want to be her when I grow up.

11.  Are any of the scenarios or scenes in your books real? Did you change the names to protect the innocent or not so innocent?

Yes, some scenes in my books are taken from real life experiences, but I do change the names.

12.  How do you address fans who want to set the agenda of your books?

I thank them profusely for their interest in my work and assure them I have a plan, though I take ideas seriously because sometimes other people have perspectives on things I’m too close to see.

13.  Favorite distraction from writing?

Archiveofourown.com or tumblr I have a fanfiction addiction.

14.  What’s the most expensive thing you’ve purchased for your writing career?

The review money to submit to Kirkus. It’s a good bit of money up front and then it’s no guarantee that they’re gonna like your stuff. It’s a gamble.

15.  Which character do you regret torturing the most?

I don’t regret torturing characters. Like real life, I do things for a reason in my books and I don’t have room for regrets there.

16.  Cliffhanger or happily ever after?

  I prefer happily ever after and yet I write cliffhangers. I’m a mess.

17.  What book had the best and most satisfying ending? Yours or another?

None come to mind off the top of my head. I’m tempted to say The Ex File because in my head, the timeline of finishing that book is inherently tied to Dead and Disorderly and together, they’re both narratively satisfying in terms of finishes for me.

18.  Favorite writing place? Time?

Either in my comfy writing chair in my living room or Sbx, and I love to write late at night, easier for my brain to settle down and focus.

19.  Day job or full time writer?

Day job, until being an awesome writer pays all the bills and for health insurance, I gotta do what I need to in order to keep my dog in the manner to which she is accustomed.

20.  Favorite vacation spot?

Paris France and Pompeii Italy. There will never be a moment when I can go through and do all the things I want to in Paris but I’m down to continue to try and Pompeii was the first time I had some kind of weird feeling of coming home even though I’d never been before. I want to go back and explore that place and those feelings.

21.  If you could live in any city no matter the cost and still make money as a writer; which city would you choose?

Tucson, Az. I’m over snow, I miss the sunshine and I would love to go back and live there forever.

22.  Favorite romance trope?

I’m a sucker for a forced proximity/bodyguard scenario in romance, though I kinda love the coffeeshop AU in fanfic.

23.  How are your books organized on your shelves?

Ideally, by genre, then author last name, first name, and book title, with series grouped together in numerical order. In real life, though, shelving in my house is at a premium so it is very much ‘get in where you fit in’ and they are overstuffed and then some.

24.  What are you currently working on? What do you plan to do in the future?

I’m putting the finishing touches on A Hunter’s Moon which is Vasily’s story in my Winged Guardians series, and then I’m off to work on A Sugar Moon, which is Xander’s story. 

Behind the Covers - Sapphire J Blue

Behind the Covers is a series that will feature interviews with the cover artists, designers, typesetters, editors and others who make authors and their work look good. and in some cases great.

This interview features Jeanette of Sapphire J. Blue; who is a voracious reader and super fan of authors.

I hope you enjoy learning more about Jeanette, and platform that features new and up and coming authors.

What service do you provide to writers?

I give authors worldwide exposure with my platform, where they experience an easy, non-pressurized interview. Authors receive a chance to talk about their book, some for the very first time.  In the interview, they are able to explain what their book is about and they can introduce themselves and their writing to the world.

Are you also a writer? What genre?

I am an author and poet and my genre of choice is Erotica. My work is featured in two erotica anthologies: “Red Shoes & Sex: An Erotic Journey” and “Dip in My Ink”. I am planning on expanding the stories.

How did you get starting doing this service?

When I started, I was among this wonderful group of ladies who had a great Facebook page and had started doing interviews, spotlighting authors every week.  I was one of three interviewers for that show; it went so well that I started to have my own show on Sundays. As I became more popular, more authors started asking for me to interview them.  At that time, I was on someone else’s network, but once I became very popular, I decided to have my own independent show.

Which Author was your first client?

I don't know! I don't remember my first client, but I do know that some older authors that I interviewed are no longer popular on Facebook, or are no longer publishing books.

Do you have multiple streams of income form assisting Authors?

I don't charge for regular interviews from the individual authors. However, I do charge Publishing companies and Promoters. I charge for these services because these people charge. It is harder to have a one-on-one with the author when a third party is the middle-man. I also found out that some promoters had written into potential contracts and promoted to new authors that they would have an interview with me. (They charged extra for that service.)

What genre of author do you prefer to work with?

I love them all. The only genres I have a problem with are biographies. It’s hard for me to criticize the details of someone’s personal life – it’s what they went through, I can’t judge them.

How much of a reader are you?

I read every book that is the subject of an interview.  Before I started “Conversations with Sapphire Blue”, I used to read six books a week, sometimes even seven – that was my personal reading goal. Now I read the same amount a week, but I read for the show! I read all genres – I like to say that I read from the Bible all the way through to Zoology books.

What do Authors need to know about working with a professional reviewer?

I will read your book and I will ask questions you never thought about. What authors need to know in order to work with me is: I need YOU to know your book.  I am a reader. I'm going to ask you questions that other interviewers may not ask you because I actually read the book and become invested in the story. I also need them to know that I expect them to be professional in advertising and to be professional during the interview.

Writers get writer’s block; do you get creative block?

I do get burnout sometimes; during those times I usually cancel a couple of shows and use that time to get back into the correct creative space. I think the burnout happens from time to time because sometimes there are just too many genres in one week to focus on, too many back-to-back shows every two weeks. I also work full-time so the pressure gets too much sometimes. It is very mentally exhausting at times and I need to step away periodically.

What does a typical day look like for you?

The typical day for me: I get up at 6:00 and take two trains to work. I work all day, but during the day I try to read at least half of the book I need to focus on for the show.  Once I get home, I eat dinner and finish reading.  I then have my show and then cool off mentally by watching HGTV.

What work are you the proudest of?

The best part of my job is that the show has built up an audience and a fan club. When authors are getting ready to release a book – or even to begin to write a new one – they tell me ahead of time. They also let me know they want my interview to be their first even though they are working on so many things. I also feel honored when authors share secrets with me. They respect me and they my opinion and that's what I'm most proud of: that I've gained a great reputation amongst my authors. I can even call on authors and say I have a day open and several authors will volunteer to come onto the show!

Favorite distraction from creating?

Listening to audiobooks, crocheting and watching trashy TV!

What is the most expensive thing you’ve purchased for your professional career?

I was once on this new upcoming radio show and I had to pay for my show to be played.

It was a total waste of my time and money. I had bought equipment and everything! Thank goodness I was able to return the equipment. The station didn’t pan out and I also realized that I was helping someone else with their dream and treating mine as though it was nothing.

How are your books organized on your bookshelves?

By size and author.

What are you currently working on? What do plan to do in the future?

I would like to do live shows where I can see the author and the author can see me.

I am also working on a website where I can advertise my interviews and also charge others to advertise as well.  I want to build a platform where I can reach out to people who might not be on Facebook or on Instagram. I want to reach more people – I want to interview more people around the country and the world!

Black & Paranormal: Featured Paranormal Author - N.D. Jones

Black & Paranormal is an ongoing series featuring paranormal writers of color.

I’m obsessed with paranormal books, hell I’m obsessed with all books. Black & Paranormal is an ongoing series featuring paranormal writers of color.

N.D. Jones

Most common shifter in your book(s)?

I’ve written eight books with shapeshifters. Four of those books include characters who can shift into a type of predatory cat—lion, tiger, panther. In the case of Special FBI Agent Assefa Berber the hero of my Death and Destiny paranormal romance trilogy, he shifts into a mythological Mngwa—a deadly, undefeated cat of legend. In Crimson Hunter, my reimagining of Red Riding Hood, the hero is a werewolf. Whereas, in A Queen’s Pride , I focus on an entire kingdom of lion shifters. While I’ve written two paranormal romance novels— Dragon Lore and Love: Isis and Osiris and Stones of Dracontias: The Bloodstone Dragon —with dragons who can shift into humans, most of my books have centered around land-based shifters instead of air or water shifters.

Most uncommon shifter in your book(s)?

In Of Deception and Divinity , the third novel in my Death and Destiny paranormal romance trilogy, I included an encantado, a dolphin shifter, as well as an Alaskan who could shift into a wolf and an orca. Apart from the orca and dolphin shifters, I haven’t explored water shifters in my novels. I would like to, though.

What’s the most expensive thing you’ve purchased for your writing career?

I spend most of my money on editing expenses. Having a high-quality editor is critical to every author’s writing career and professional development. I once read an article where the author noted that effective editing is invisible to readers whereas poor or unedited novels are not. Indeed, poor or unedited novels, regardless of the quality of the plot or characters, draw readers out of the story and makes for an unsatisfactory reading experience.

Cliffhanger or happily-ever-after?

All my romance novels conclude with a happily-ever-after. For me, that’s the rewarding part of a romance. The key, however, is for me to create characters and romantic relationships readers care about and want to see succeed. My goal, as a romance author, is to write a story and characters readers root for from the first page to the last one. Within a series, however, cliffhangers aren’t uncommon. Or rather, the couple’s happily-ever-after doesn’t occur in book one. Instead, they work for their happy ending throughout the series—earning their happiness because it was hard fought.

What book had the best or most satisfying ending?

The Gift of Second Chances , the third and final book in my Styles of Love series, is the longest book I’ve written. It is also my favorite book because it has the most satisfying ending. This was also the most emotionally difficult book to write. The novel follows the struggles of a couple to recover from the husband’s brief affair. Angie and Sean have been married twenty years, have three great children and wonderful careers. They love each other. Yet, Sean had an affair with a colleague, which is very common in the real world. He ends the affair and confesses to his wife. This is where the book begins. The novel isn’t about the affair but everything that happens in the aftermath of betrayal. No villains or perfect people but a hard- fought recovery from pain and guilt. Infidelity is a sensitive topic. Angie and Sean’s ending was so satisfying because they worked like hell for it.

Which character do you regret torturing the most?

Asha is the heroine of A Queen’s Pride, an urban fantasy shapeshifter novel. Asha at eighteen, when the novel opens, is the youngest heroine I’ve written. In this novel, she is literally tortured. I played with the negative/stereotypical damsel-in-distress trope. I put the poor girl through the ringer—physically and emotionally—a brutal coming of age story. I can’t say I regret the torture, because the story wouldn’t have turned out as well as it did without it, but I take no pleasure in hurting my characters.

What are you currently working on?

My first two published works were novellas for my Winged Warriors trilogy. I wrote the first two books ages ago. Instead of finishing the series, I began my Death and Destiny trilogy. Now, years later and with brand spankin’ new covers for the novella series, I’ve decided to write the third and last book. I’m still in the planning phase. But I hope to begin writing soon, so I can publish the book in the autumn and close out the Winged Warriors series.

 You can follow and connect with N.D. Jones and fall into her complex worlds all over the internet. Her Social Media links are below:

Website: http://ndjonesparanormalpleasure.com/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/ndjonesparanormalromanceauthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ndjonesauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NDJonesAuthor

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ndjones001/

Readers’ Group: https://www.ndjonesparanormalpleasure.com/ndjonesnewsletter/

Amazon Profile Page: amazon.com/author/ndjones1

Black & Paranormal: Featured Paranormal Author - Stella Williams

Black & Paranormal is an ongoing series featuring paranormal writers of color.

I’m obsessed with paranormal books, hell I’m obsessed with all books. Black & Paranormal is an ongoing series featuring paranormal writers of color.

1.      Favorite month of the year? Why?  June because it’s my birth month

2.      Most common shifter in your book(s)?  Wolves

3.      Most uncommon shifter in your book(s)? Non mammals

4.      What’s the most expensive thing you have purchased for your writing career? My computer

5.      Which character do you regret torturing the most? It’s a tie between Gretchen (Claude’s Conquest) and Daphne Orion (Ferocious). Both were innocent young women who had no idea what they were getting themselves into.

6.      Cliffhanger of Happily Ever after? That depends if the book is standalone or a series. I do prefer each book to have at least the main couple Happily ever after by the end.

7.      How are books organized on your shelves? I have different shelves for different genres, then they are sorted by TBR and Read, and lastly sorted by author.

8.      What are you currently working on? What do you plan to do in the future? I am currently finishing up my Secret of Ceres series. Any other future series are a secret even to myself.

Behind the Covers - Markayla Blake of Covers In Color

Behind the Covers is a series that will feature interviews with the cover artists, designers, typesetters, editors and others who make authors and their work look good. and in some cases great.

This first interview features Markayla Blake of Covers In Color; who is generous, gracious, and one of the easiest people to work with on anything. We’ve never met in person, but we get down like four flat tires.

I hope you enjoy learning more about Markayla, and her advice on hiring and working with a cover designer.

1.       What service do you provide to writers?

Pre-designed and custom book covers, as well as promotional graphics.

2.       Are you also a writer? What genre?

I have published in the past under a different pen name. I write/wrote BWWM erotic-romance.

3.       How did you get started doing this service?

When I was writing (circa 2015), I didn’t have the money to hire a professional designer for my book covers, so I started looking at pre-mades to save money. I was surprised to see that there was barely any ‘decent’ looking covers showcasing people of color or interracial couples. I decided that we needed to have affordable pre-made options that focused on characters of color, so I created Covers in Color.

4.       How much of a reader are you?

I read A LOT!

5.       What do authors need to know about working with (your profession)?

If you’re working with a designer who licenses stock images, either from a photographer or a stock site, for their designs, make sure they understand and comply with the license terms. Also, if you or your designer is working directly with a photographer, make sure to obtain a model release for any cover model that appears in your artwork.

6.       Writers get writer’s block; do you get creative block?

I do. When that happens I typically take a break from designing for a day or two, or try to find inspiration by going to the library. Sometimes, just being around books help me.

7.   What does a typical day look like for you?

After my daughter and husband are out the door for school and work, I grab coffee and spend a few minutes reviewing my planner for my scheduled tasks. I spend some time following up on my emails before starting on any design projects. My afternoons are typically reserved for household chores and personal tasks, and yes, sometimes that includes a nap. Then, I make dinner and spend some time with my family before going back to work. My creativity peaks at night, so I spend most of my evenings working and designing new content. 

  8.   Favorite distraction from creating?

Reading.

9.   How are your books organized on your shelves?

By genre for the most part – sometimes I get lazy and just put things where they fit but I try to keep it organized.

10.   What are you currently working on? What do you plan to do in the future?

I am currently working on creating new pre-designed cover options and other custom design products. I plan to expand Covers in Color a bit more so that I can offer more services to indie authors and publishers. In the future, I do plan to branch out and offer more than just design.

You can reach Markayla via:

Web               www.coversincolor.com

Twitter         @coversincolor

Instagram    @coversincolor

Who is Shai?

Who is Shai?

Hell, I’m in my forties and sometimes I don’t know the answer to that. The Shifter Bachelor was published Halloween 2018 and even a year and a half later - I still don’t feel like a “real” writer - even with several other books under my belt.

I get around both physically and mentally, I move around the country a lot. I job hop like I get paid for it (Ha). Monotony is my worst enemy, doing the same thing over and over again is the absolute definition of insanity to be, and so is showing up to the same coworkers who greet you the same way, and tell you the same stories while you sit in the exact same spot doing the exact same thing. For others that’s fine but for me its a slow death.

The thing that has always centered me, distracted me, kept me from falling too far down the sadness hole or from dying under the monotony of life has been my one true and first love and probably longest running relationship - reading.

One of the things about being a life long voracious reader is that you love words and the images they paint. You ruminate on a story far too long, then if you’re Type A+++ like me, you try to improve on it. Then eventually, you want to paint your own images with words. One day you feel your ready and then you start and instantly regret it. Because let me tell you writing and being a writer are majorly different things and both are some of the hardest things I’ve ever done.

I used to blog steadily, daily about my struggles, being a single mother of an ADHD child while dating, later my personal finances, then just random shit.

This blog is about my new adventures as a writer/author/publisher, but I don’t have a mission statement and I’m sure personal crap will eventually migrate here because my filter has broken.