E.B. Roshan's Blog: This, That and the Other, page 13

Preen and Kiva

Writing stories is fun. It’s relaxing. It’s intensely creative and satisfying in ways that few other projects are (to me, at least.) But every now and then, life happens, and it’s time to take a break. Sickness that lasted for months followed by a cross-country move, following by an (imminent) new addition to the family mean that even the best stories need to take a backseat sometimes.

But that’s not to say the storytelling has to stop. In fact, though it’s off to a painfully slow start, the next installment in the Shards of Sevia series, the continuing story of Preen, teenage mother and widow, and Kiva, the young man who insists upon loving her whether she likes it or not, is in the works. Stay tuned…

Book Review: Rough Way to the Highway by Kelly Mack McCoy

Robert, better known as “Mack,” an aging pastor newly turned trucker, has a fairly easy job for his first run. He needs to deliver a refrigerated container of beef to a warehouse in Chicago. But shady characters are moving behind the scenes and there’s more than just swinging meat in that trailer. One thing leads to another, and the simple northward run turns into the trip of a lifetime, and nearly costs Mack his life—more than once.

Rough Way to the Highway is a bit of everything—a travelogue, a mystery thriller, a sometimes humorous, sometimes poignant character study. While both story-telling and writing style could use some polish, as is to be expected from a first novel (the author tends to ramble at times, and some of the mystery elements remain so vague as to be confusing even to the end) overall, Rough Way to the Highway is an entertaining “All-American” read, with the ring of authenticity when it comes to descriptions of truck driving and scenes on the road. If you’re interested in giving it a try, the book is available on Amazon HERE.

I received a free copy from this author for the purpose of sharing a fair and honest review.

“Ghoti” says “Fish”

If the way English is spelled vs. the way it is pronounced has ever driven you crazy, you’re not alone. And you’re not crazy, either. Check out THIS fascinating article to learn more about our language’s idiosyncrasies.

Author Interview with Kristina Hall

Today we’ll hear from Kristina Hall, a young author who’s both prolific and eclectic, with contemporary suspense, Westerns, and historical fiction already under her belt.

Please share a line or two about yourself: I’m a sinner saved by grace who desires to honor God with my words. I’m a home-school graduate and hold a degree in accounting.

I assume you’ve been writing for a long time, but when did you decide you wanted to self-publish? I’ve been writing since 2017, but I decided to self-publish in 2020. A few things led to this decision. First, I’ve always wanted to be published and to use my stories as a witness to God. Second, I was laid off thanks to the craziness of 2020 and had more time to focus on writing, editing, and everything else that goes along with publishing. Third, my dad found out I was writing. For some silly reason, I was secretive about my writing. But once he found out, he started encouraging me to publish. And I decided to do it.

Who’s the biggest critic of your writing? I’d have to say I’m my own biggest critic.

What about your biggest fan? My sister is definitely my biggest fan. She reads and loves everything I write and is always really encouraging to me.

Who’s your favorite character you’ve created? Why? I actually just wrote a blog post about how I have a really hard time answering this question, but I’ll give it my best shot. I’m going to stick to the books I’ve published to give myself an easier time. I’d have to say my favorite character is Derek Walker from my Science Falsely So Called series. I really enjoyed writing his character arc, and I appreciated that he was a normal guy shoved in not-so-normal situations.

Can you write in chaos, or does your creativity require peace and quiet? I prefer peace and quiet. I know some people enjoy listening to music when they write, but I’ve never been able to do that. I’d probably start typing out the lyrics …

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing? I like to read, spend time with my family, lift weights, arm wrestle, and play the violin. And do my best to avoid editing.

Don’t forget to check out Kristina’s website and learn more about her and her books HERE.

40 Writing Tips

Whether you agree with all of these or not, they’re thought-provoking. And very short. Check out “40 Once Sentence Writing Tips” HERE.

100 Books

A few days ago, I hit the milestone of a hundred books sold. That’s not a huge amount, and it took a little over a year to get there, but for me, it’s a satisfying point to mark in my progress as an author.

To celebrate, all the books in the Shards of Sevia series will be on sale for .99 cents each for the first week in July. You can find “Buy” links for each book HERE. If you haven’t got yours yet, now is the time.

Author Interview with Kate LeRoux

Today I have the privilege of chatting with Kate LeRoux, the author of the Kalathan series, among other things. Here’s what she had to say.

I live in the beautiful city of Cape Town in South Africa and except for 9 months in the UK and Europe when I was 21 have never been anywhere else in the world! I am a Christian which defines every aspect of my life including my writing. I am happily married with 4 kids between the ages of 9 and 15, used to be a high school English teacher, homeschooled my kids until last year and love pretty much anything arty and creative. 

I assume you’ve been writing for a long time, but when did you decide you wanted to self-publish?

I have always written bits and pieces of poetry, plays, and stories for family and friends – at University a professor told me I shouldn’t teach but rather write, but I don’t regret my years as a teacher at all. I never thought I was capable of writing a novel until I tried 3 years ago and I haven’t looked back. I have never tried to get published because the South African fiction market is teeny, especially for something niche like my YA Christian stories. With my crazy life I need the freedom and flexibility of self-publishing.

Who’s the biggest critic of your writing?

My husband is not a novel-reader, but he is very sharp and has an amazing eye for details and inconsistencies. Also he is easily bored and not afraid to criticise! So any criticism from him is super helpful. If something I write keeps him engaged then I am satisfied! 

What about your biggest fan?

Do I have one? I don’t know! There is one person who read my books after a mutual friend recommended them. She has become a beta-reader and wonderful encouragement and I am so grateful for her excitement every time she reads my work. 

Who’s your favorite character you’ve created? Why?

Oh goodness – I am very attached to my characters. I daydream about them more than I should, even after their stories are written. One of my favourites is Jack from Teacher, Teacher. I don’t know why other than he’s just a nice guy. My favourite character to write so far has probably been the witty, snarky, arrogant prince Jandrin from the Kalathan books, or crazy Grigor from Brothers of Kalathan. 

What book or story are you currently working on? Can you tell us a bit about it?

I am working on Book 3 of the Kalathan series, Return to Kalathan. It follows the exile Korbin as he returns to his homeland to face a different kind of persecution, and his own love story of course! I am also often working on short stories for the weekly Reedsy Prompts Contests. I love the sense of community and was very excited to win a couple of months ago for a story set in Kalathan! When I feel discouraged I can go back to read all the cool comments to feel inspired again. I feel that it stretches me and keeps me writing “fit”. 

Kalathan is an interesting world, not quite fantasy, not quite reality. What was your inspiration for it?

I actually began scribbling a story about an ordinary girl going on a journey with 6 princes when I was in high school. I dug out my old notes one day and went from there. I think I was mostly inspired by Robin McKinley’s books, The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown, which are set in a reimagined colonised India-type land. I enjoy historical fiction but am not interested in being finicky about accurate details. It was much more fun to make up my own history! We are friends with some missionaries in Kazakhstan and their updates got me interested in Central Asia. Adding the European conqueror aspect allowed me to mix that with things more familiar to me. 

Can you write in chaos, or does your creativity require peace and quiet?

I can write in chaos; if I could not there would be no books! I do a lot in the small pockets of time between driving kids around once I know where I am going with a story. But I do need some quiet. I wrote a lot before Corona hit when my husband was traveling out of town for work. I would stay up very late writing and regret it in the morning! But he has stopped traveling for now, and my kids are not back at school full-time yet, so there is plenty of chaos here. 

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing?

I love going for walks with my family and friends in the forest on the slopes of Table Mountain near our home. I like playing the guitar and piano, making art and doing some baking. I adore going to the theatre when I can, especially to see a musical. I have also enjoyed doing DIY with my husband – we did some renovations on our house ourselves which was hard work but very rewarding. 

Thanks for sharing with us today, Kate!

How Many Languages Do You Speak?

For those interested in learning a new language…or several…HERE are some tips.

Interview on The Suspense Zone

The Suspense Zone is a great place to find your next Christian suspense or mystery novel. I recently had the privilege to share an interview, in which I discuss my latest short novel and writing in general. You can check it out HERE, and take some time to explore the rest of the site, too.

Book Spotlight: A Reason to Forget by C.L. Giles

“A Reason to Forget” is a fast-paced, smoothly written YA adventure, with a focus on the special relationship between the main character, “Jazz” (Jasmine) and her grandfather, who is suffering from dementia due to Alzheimer’s.

Due to this premise, I was anticipating a bit more of a serious, family drama-type story, rather than the farfetched romp “A Reason to Forget” actually is, with a plot that seemed a little contrived, and secondary characters who, though entertaining, were a little too kooky to seem fully real. Perhaps I would have enjoyed the story more had I been closer to the age of the author’s intended audience but that’s certainly no fault of the author or the story. You can get your copy HERE.

I received a free copy of “A Reason to Forget” in exchange for a fair and honest review.