C.J. Ives Lopez's Blog, page 17

The Sound of Wings

About The Author

Suzanne Simonetti is an award-winning novelist who grew up in the New York suburbs. She lived just outside of the city and is the author of The Sound of Wings.

After earning a BS in marketing, she spent several years writing press releases, until she left her corporate job to focus on her passion for crafting fiction.

She lives on Cape May Harbor with her husband.

When not on her paddleboard or yoga mat, she can be found at the beach trailing the shoreline for seashells, scribbling in her notebook, and channeling dolphins for meaningful conversation.

SYNOPSIS: https://www.amazon.com/Sound-Wings-Novel-Suzanne-Simonetti/dp/164742044X

Seventy-year-old Goldie Sparrows faces declining finances, questionable health, and a late husband who torments her from the beyond. She seeks refuge in her butterfly garden, which is filled with voices and memories from long ago.

Jocelyn Anderson is a struggling writer who finds escape from her custody battle in the journal of her late mother-in-law. As she gets pulled through the pages of time, Jocelyn discovers her own husband has a hidden history she knows nothing about. Is this secret now Jocelyn’s to keep?

Krystal Axelrod is living a life she never dreamed she could have. And yet the demons of a dysfunctional childhood and mean girl culture from her cheerleading days cast their shadow over her ability to feel whole, capable, and worthy. Does Goldie hold the key to Krystal’s path to freedom?

A masterfully crafted tale of love, friendship, betrayal, and the risks we take in the pursuit of justice.

A Review by Tamara Collins:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I sat wrapped in the story with my tea in the dark far after bedtime unable to pull myself away.

The story woven about the relationship between these three women is so powerful and such a beautiful portrayal of the bonds we form and the secrets that we hide.

The characters were easy to relate to and Suzanne’s color language made the story really come to life as you read it.

Highly recommend it to anyone looking for an immersive tale that really gets you in the feels!

If you would like to have your book reviewed, please reach out to The Authors Porch today.

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The Rival Courts

Tell us a little about yourself 

I have written two books in The Rival Courts series in 1 year after 10 years of researching the Victorian Era.

Why Do you write?

To tell the story of Historical figures I feel that more people ought to know about.

https://therivalcourts.com/products/under-his-spellWhat genre do you write and Why did you pick this genre? 

Historical Romance – it fits my research the best.

Tell us about your book 

A lonely young man attends the first World’s Fair – the Great Exhibition of 1851 – and meets a family who changes his life forever. Follow the young Prince Fritz – later Friedrich III – of Prussia and his wife, Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter, Vicky, (parents of Kaiser Wilhelm II) through their courtship and the joys and struggles of their first four years of marriage. Fritz and Vicky dream of a peaceful united Germany, but Fritz’s uncle Karl has his own dreams of power… Discover often hinted at but unrevealed secrets of the Prussian Royal court.

My books are a novel format of the story of Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter, Vicky, who married the future German Emperor Frederick III – the parents of Kaiser Wilhelm II hence The Royal Courts.

https://therivalcourts.com/products/under-his-spellHow much time do you dedicate to your author career? 

I write 2 to 28 hours a week.

How long on average does it take you to write your books? 

I wrote my first book in 3 months – the second I started while still writing the first, and finished it 11 months later.

What is the best money you have ever spent on your author career? 

The money I spent on my research books.

What is the most difficult part of being an author? 

Making my writing schedule fit with spending time with my family.

https://therivalcourts.com/products/What is the best piece of advice you have for other authors? 

Research thoroughly

What is your favorite book? 

The Bible, Jane Eyre, Redwall series, The Woman in White

Provide direct book link for purchase 

https://therivalcourts.com/products/u...

Social Media Sites 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/theri...

https://www.facebook.com/groups/theri...

https://www.facebook.com/luvy.lubker/

https://www.youtube.com/user/LuvCritters

Website

The Rival Courts, by Luv Lubker

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PUERTO RICAN-AMERICAN AUTHOR

Tell us a little about yourself

I am a Puerto Rican-American author who grew up in the Bronx, New York. I attended Lehman College where I received both my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and my Master of Science in Education.

I went on to teach at an inner-city school in the Bronx, shortly after receiving my Masters, for five years before joining the New York City Police Department, wherein I attained the rank of Sergeant. My two books, ‘Moving On’ and ‘Butterflies in Production; Five Short Stories,’ were published in 2020 and 2021.

Why Do you write? 

The reason I write, much the same reason that I read, is to escape reality.

Life is filled with much personal strife; therefore, I choose to remove myself from the harsh realities of my world. I, instead of dwelling on the ‘real,’ focus on my character’s struggles; these, at least, I can somewhat control.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MHMP2M7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_Q6S8V5W06WV8D7BZXXHMWhat genre do you write and Why did you pick this genre? 

I choose to write fiction because it takes me away from my personal reality. If I weren’t penning my character’s plots, then I’d wind up sitting and ruminating on my own struggles and worries; so, I pick up my pen and put ink to paper… this serves as the perfect escape from the grim and cumbersome world.

Tell us about your book 

I have written and published two books, ‘Moving On’ and ‘Butterflies in Production; Five Short Stories.’

‘Moving On is a coming-of-age, first-person, tale about an eighteen-year-old young man who is escaping a world of drugs and alcohol, but having a rough time in doing so; however, with the help of friends and family, he struggles to find his path to clarity.

‘Butterflies in Production; Five Short Stories’ is, as part of the title suggests, a book of short vignettes that pulls some characters from the first book to chronicle certain events at different time periods of their lives. These events touch on some social and moral issues that we, as a society, deal with on a daily basis (such as biracial relationships, the plights of women in a male-dominated workplace, domestic violence, &c.).

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09GSYFP2J/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_2B059R3YEXVY3GN1ZQRMHow much time do you dedicate to your author career? 

I try to dedicate at least an hour a day to my work; but, working a full-time job, that sometimes proves to be a bit difficult. Also, there are times that I just don’t feel the passion, the desire, to write.

Artists are highly emotional creatures, we ride these sort of proverbial waves of highs and lows, the slightest thing sending us flailing uncontrollably one way or the other. Something that serves as a great source of inspiration to me is music, specifically the music of Lauren Mia and Elif; these two are to me what Erato was to the Greek artists of yore… tremendously uplifting.

How long on average does it take you to write your books? 

Moving On’ took me over twenty-five years to complete. The reason for that is, I began that particular project when I was about eighteen years old. Somewhere along the road the book was abandoned, lying dormant inside of a desk drawer for decades until it was rescued and finished. ‘Butterflies in Production’ took me a little under a year to write; I sort of flew through that one!

What is the best money you have ever spent on your author career? 

*The best money I ever spent on my author career was a keyboard attachment for my tablet. It truly has come in clutch for me, not having, as of yet, to spend money on a real laptop! Pretty humorous, I have to admit.

What is the most difficult part of being an author? 

The most difficult thing about being an author is coming up with stories that people are interested in; especially nowadays where people are more captivated by movies and shows with all kinds of special effects… the age of instant gratification. Not many want to invest their time curling up with a good book anymore, unfortunately.

What is the best piece of advice you have for other authors? 

The best piece of advice I have for other authors is not to give up. Continue writing… see your projects through to the end. Don’t let your negative energy defeat you or deter your dream. We all, every one of us in every artistic realm, have our doubts about our own work… it’s a natural phenomenon. Just keep at it and never lose sight of your vision.

What is your favorite book? 

*My favorite book of all time is ‘The Catcher in the Rye,’ by JD Salinger. I first read this book as an adolescent and felt an immediate connection to the protagonist, Holden Caulfield. I always wanted to grab a cup of coffee with Mr. Salinger and talk about absolutely nothing. Just to sit with him and “chew the fat,” as he words it, would have been an amazing experience for me as a Puerto Rican-American author.

Provide direct book link for purchase 

Moving On

Butterflies in Production: Five Short Stories https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09GSYFP2J/...

Social media sites 

Facebook: @JLCaban1972

Instagram: JLCaban

If you need help completing your book, don’t hesitate to reach out to The Authors’ Porch

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LGBTQ Author LM Archer

Tell us a little about yourself 

I’m LGBTQ Author LM Archer and I’m from a holler in the middle of nowhere West Virginia.

Against my parents’ wishes, I went to college and received a degree in religious studies and another in anthropology. Later, I went on to earn a master’s. I use my degrees a lot in my writings, specifically the degree in religious studies.

I live with my husband, our girlfriend, our dog, and our two cats.

Why Do you write? 

At first, I started writing to help myself get out of the darkness that lives in my head, but over time that changed. Now I write to help others. To let them know they aren’t alone in this world. I write to change lives.

I use my platform to ask difficult questions and highlight the atrocities of the world. I want to change people’s perspectives for the better.

What genre do you write and Why did you pick this genre?  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08ZBJR494/

I write in gay romance, specifically m/m. I tend to write dark fiction and new adult.

I picked gay romance because I am a part of the LGBTQ community and some stories need to be told. I wanted to do it on a fictional platform because not all of it is my story. I like to write on the darker side because I find the harsh line that people set for morals fascinating.

Tell us about your book  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08ZBJR494/

The Take me to Church series is a real depiction of falling in love as a gay teen amidst the rampant homophobia of the south and the mental health issues many people face. It’s explicit in the way that life is. It’s raw, beautiful, and real. I use my education in religious studies and my experience growing up in a strict Christian household to take a good, hard look at Christianity in the southern US and highlight the atrocities that are committed in the name of religion.

How much time do you dedicate to your author career? 

I wish I could dedicate more. As of now, usually, the evenings and weekends are dedicated to my author career.

How long on average does it take you to write your books? 

Probably around 3 to 6 months depending on the story and how intricate it is. Of course, editing and getting it ready for publication takes much longer.

What is the best money you have ever spent on your author career? 

The money I spend on my website. I think having a landing page like a website is an amazing tool.

I have a lot of international readers, and just sharing my Amazon link will take them to the US Amazon store. I share the link to my website instead, which has my book links and those will take them to the correct Amazon store for their area.

What is the most difficult part of being an author? 

Marketing and graphics.

When you’re an indie author, you essentially have to sell yourself.

I was never taught how to do that, and I don’t always value myself as I should. I struggle to understand why anyone would be at all interested in my life.

Imposter Syndrome is an everyday struggle for me that I still haven’t figured out how to overcome.

As for graphics… I’m not a visual person. I am creative with words so I struggle with graphics and what looks good.

What is the best piece of advice you have for other authors? 

Keep writing. It’s probably the advice always given, but that’s because it’s true.

Writing and reading can be therapeutic. Not only does it help your mental health, but it may be able to help the mental health of the people who read your work. You can’t do that if you stop writing.

Your voice needs to be heard. The more you write, the more you improve.

What is your favorite book? 

As a child, I read The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi and for some reason, it had a lasting impact on me. I think it’s because I always had a desire to run away from my strict, Christian upbringing.

Provide direct book link for purchase 

social media sites 

Twitter: www.twitter.com/lmarcherbooks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/lmarcherbooks

Instagram: www.instagram.com/lmarcherbooks

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZM8FEA6Ek/

Website

Lmarcherofficial.com

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Sekhet Saga Book Three

Release Day

Sekhet Saga Book Three and we couldn’t be more excited for author KK Weakley for this huge accomplishment.

About KK

K K Weakley was born and reared in Wexford Ireland. Now living in Cashmere Washington with her husband, kids, and 3 dogs. She has written 11 books and plays for the stage. K K loves to read historical fiction, fast-moving, and a good love story kind of book. I love that people enjoy my stories, and I hope to never disappoint.

That is not to say my first attempts were not disastrous, because they were. But, I continue to write tales of castles, warriors, hell demons, witches, and whatever else comes to mind. May it never stop. Writing under the watchful eye of Blackhawk Literary Agency, where I believe I have the best agent and editor there is. Having just signed a new publishing deal with Wild Wolf Publishing, for the SEKHET SAGA, things are very exciting right now.

Book Three – Eternity Book 1 – Sekhet

Find out what people are saying about books 1 & 2

Molly, unaware of her black powers, summons the red-eyed Hell Demon Sekhet by accident. Furious, ready to kill, Sekhet demands Molly make a deal – supply Sekhet with someone to take her place! Time? Place? Sekhet will decide. Molly hides this from her coven and her friends, a fatal mistake. Everyone she loves is now in the Hell Demon’s path!

Rating: 5 out of 5.

 Delightfully Chilling! Sekhet, oh Sekhet!

What a perfectly wicked demon thou art! The diabolic name (and title) thrusts the reader into the lives and times of a band of modern-day witches, necromancers, seers, and yes…demons. And it exposes the underworld’s dark retribution when one of the witches’ own dabbles in the dark arts.

The novel begins with an introduction to the multiple players; characters the author defines artfully and completely. In fact, it is rather difficult to select one individual as the main protagonist in this story. None can be defined as simply “good” or “bad. Rather, each one is multi-dimensional, painted a dappled grey as we all are. Even the Hell Demon has some finer traits. For instance, she always keeps her promises—as dark and terrible as they might be!

The storyline starts slowly with the intro of the characters and their many dilemmas. After Sekhet makes her appearance though, the brakes are off and you better hold on to your seat ‘cause we’re “off to the races” as our characters are hurled into one deadly situation after another. Well, deadly might be an understatement…actually burn-in-hell terrifying! Plot twists abound. The good sheriff provides quite a shake-up. As does the ending… biting my lip here, but book 2, please? The first novel I’ve read by this author, and it won’t be the last. Well done, K.K.!

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Fast-paced

Very exciting first book of a series that leaves you craving more. Sekhet has a large cast of characters that all seem to have a role that, without them, the story would flounder and fail.

I commend K. K for managing all of them and making them all multilayered characters that are neither bad nor good. My favorite was actually Sekhet. While a demon, she was very confident in her demon-ness, and the frustration she felt could be felt through the pages to the reader.

I am very excited to read the next installment of this series to see how Molly deals with the newest insanity hurled her way.

Book 2 – Hellbound

Witches, necromancers, seers, and the human world, where they live as one of us, with werewolves thrown in! No longer able to hide her mistakes, Molly discovers that Sekhet is the lesser of two evils. Now her biggest problem is to avoid descending into Hell. Her powers will be tested to the max.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Witches and Werewolves Unite!

Hellbound is the much anticipated (by this reader) book 2 in “The Sekhet Saga” by K.K. Weakley, (so I was very pleased to receive an ARC copy). Happily, we are reunited with the survivors from Book 1 (and some who did not survive!). Both the well-loved and the cringe-worthy return, although in K.K.’s hands, these are often one and the same. The new characters, pulled from a remote Werewolf pack, offer a glimpse of the demon Sekhet’s reach into the fetid underbelly of the paranormal.

The dark tale begins just prior to Hell claiming its due from the powerful witch, Molly Patterson. Her outstanding debt? The self-sacrificing “IOU” she wrote against her soul to save her Sisters. As Molly’s beloved, Joe, searches for answers in the “normal” world, her sisterhood pulls out all the stops to save one of their own from eternal damnation. In the wilds of Montana, the werewolf pack deals with their own bloody “Sekhet problem.” Lucifer and his bride wait in the wings, impatient for Molly’s company in the pits of hell, as two sparring hell demons consider alternate fates for the young witch.

Werewolves, witch covens, and hell demons populate the pages of this engaging account. Cunning Machiavellian plots abound, as devious as you might expect from this group of intriguing characters. The author casts a literary spell as potent as an enchantment from her Twisp coven. You’re drawn—spellbound into her world of demons, werewolves, vampires… indeed, a full cast of Supernaturals who are impossible to resist.

Can even Lucifer hold Sekhet’s sublime fiendishness in check? Will Molly’s demonic father aid the coven to spoil the plans of his dark lord? Or at threat of death, will he bow to the demands of the king of hell…for what does a demon know of love? Can the witches and werewolves find common ground to defeat their mutual enemy? Or do the pages of the mysterious and forbidden grimoire hold the key to Molly’s salvation?

No spoilers here! Turn the pages and see for yourself. You won’t be disappointed! But fasten your seatbelts and place your seats in the full upright position in preparation for a wild ride. “Hellbound” is a must-read for horror lovers!

Rating: 5 out of 5.

A captivating read!

I have read the first book from this author and it was awesome! So when I got the opportunity to receive an ARC copy from the author, I took it!

The first book left me wanting more, and I couldn’t wait to read this one. My favorite two characters are Molly and Sekhet. One is a witch and the other is a demon. Both women are powerful and have their own agendas, and it makes the story damn interesting. Sekhet wants to destroy Molly, but the Dark Lord wants her alive just to serve/please Lilith. Chief of police/werewolf is having his own problems and when his sweet loving wife has killed ruthlessly the mystery brews further. If it was not the Dark Lord, not Sekhet, who killed her?

While Molly’s fate is sealed, her father buys her some time, her family and her love are trying to save her. But will it be enough? Will she end up in hell? Serve Lucifer for eternity? You have to read this one to find out!

We interviewed KK earlier in the year, you can check out her BLOG interview and her Livecast to get to know more about this author.

Follow KK

https://facebook.com/authorkkweakley/com

http://linkedin.com/in/k-kweakley

authorkkweakley.simplesite.com

twitter.com/authorkkweakley

pinterest.com/kkweakley

instagram.com/kkweakley

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Who is Arnold Lopez

Arnold is a Featured Author and on the cover of The Authors Porch magazine issue #2. He is a youth author with two books published and a high school student. Being a high school student for Arnold isn’t easy with such a kind soul, but he doesn’t let the world change him. Hear about his life in his own words and explore his books.

I was born in September on a warm summer day, and am the oldest child of my parents, but I have a little brother and sister that I adore.

When I was about one year old, I had three seizures. After these seizures, there was something wrong with my feet. Walking and doing any physical activity was difficult for me, I couldn’t do what other kids my age were doing, so I was left feeling sad. but my parents were super supportive.

My parents took me to therapy to walk better, but I was in constant pain. The one thing that made it worth my time was meeting other kids with disabilities who kept me smiling.

The doctors said I would need surgery to correct my feet’ issue, which worried my parents, but I knew I would be okay. After the surgery and a little bit of therapy, I got my robot shoes. Some people called them braces, but I liked to refer to them as my robot shoes because I could run a little faster with them.

It is challenging for people to understand me, so I have trouble making friends. I get made fun of and picked on, but I try not to let it bother me, but sometimes it just does. In school, my purpose is to help other kids learn how to go on their own extraordinary journey, like the one I go on with writing my books. a

https://smile.amazon.com/Arnold-Gentle-Giant-Extraordinary-Adventure-ebook/dp/B08MGZLTWD/ref

I have learned that if someone doesn’t like me, it is their inability to see the awesomeness that is me, Arnold, The Gentle Giant.

https://smile.amazon.com/Found-Fountain-Southmost-Valley-Book-ebook/dp/B09BLJ2CXV/ref

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Award-Winning Author Leslie Rasmussen

Tell us a little about yourself

Leslie A. Rasmussen is the award-winning author of the novel, After Happily Ever After. She was born and raised in Los Angeles and graduated from UCLA. She went on to write television comedies and is a member of The Writers’ Guild of America. Leslie wrote for Gerald McRaney, Burt Reynolds, Roseanne Barr, Norm McDonald, Drew Carey, as well as The Wild Thornberrys, and Sweet Valley High. After leaving the business to raise her boys, she attained a master’s in nutrition and ran her own business for ten years. Recently, she’s written over twenty essays for Huffington Post, MariaShriver, and SheKnows. Leslie loves dogs and is a member of The Alliance of therapy dogs and has volunteered at her local Animal Shelter. She lives in Los Angeles and is married and has two sons.

Why Do you write? 

I have been writing since I was young. First a journal, then short stories, then television sitcoms, then personal essays, then my novel. I love the creativity and the idea that I’m creating characters that are relatable to people. Also knowing that a reader is not only enjoying my book but that they are escaping their real lives and going on a journey with my characters is very satisfying.

What genre do you write and Why did you pick this genre? 

I write Women’s Fiction because I enjoy writing about women’s issues and how women are changing in our society.

Tell us about your book 

Maggie Dolan is forty-five years old and at a crossroads in her life. Once a high-level executive, she’s chosen to be a stay-at-home mom for the last seventeen years. But now with her daughter soon leaving for college, and her husband disconnected and with secrets, he hasn’t shared, Maggie decides it’s time for her to rediscover who she is and what she wants for the rest of her life. As she begins her exciting yet scary journey, she has to deal with a narcissistic mother, a brother who resents her, and most damaging of all, the news that her father, has devastating medical issues. When everything comes crashing down at the same time, Maggie becomes overwhelmed and is led in a direction that causes her to be torn between the life she’s always known and something more exciting that she never expected. After Happily Ever After deals with love, marriage, family, the empty nest, aging parents, and what happens when they all come crashing down at the same time.

https://smile.amazon.com/After-Happily-Ever-Novel-ebook/dp/B08DK22T13/refHow much time do you dedicate to your author career? 

I dedicate most of my time to my author career. I’m working five days a week from 10:00 am to 5:00, and sometimes on weekends. I use that time both to promote my first novel and to write my second.

How long on average does it take you to write your books? 

The first book took me four years because I was still raising my children and in all honesty, I wasn’t sure how to write a book since it was my first. My second book took ten months to write because now I know what I’m doing.

What is the best money you have ever spent on your author career? 

The best money I spent on my author career was going to the 2018 Kauai Writers’ Conference. There I met and did workshops with Christina Baker Kline, Kristin Hannah, Alice Hoffman, and Josh Mohr. I learned so much from those authors, which I took back with me and rewrote my novel, and then got it published.

What is the most difficult part of being an author? 

The most difficult part of being an author is the marketing of the novel. I have had to learn a whole new set of skills, and it takes up so much time from my day. That is something I never expected.

https://theauthorsporch.com/the-authors-porch-magazine/What is the best piece of advice you have for other authors? 

The best piece of advice I would give to other authors is to find a network of other authors who can support you and understand what you are going through. Writing a novel is a very solitary thing, and you need to have other people to turn to when you are frustrated or stuck or just need advice. Having a community gives you all of that.

What is your favorite book? 

My favorite book is Nightingale, by Kristin Hannah.

Link for purchase 

https://www.amazon.com/s? k=after+happily+ever+after+leslie+rasmussen&crid=3FSYZY5LVYLUO&sprefix=after+happily+%2Caps%2C231&ref

Social media sites 

IG: https://www.instagram.com/Leslierauthor

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

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Leslier

Website

https://www.leslieARasmussen.com

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Award-Winning Novelist Mary Camarillo

Tell us a little about yourself 

I am a sixty-nine-year-old award-winning debut novelist. My novel “The Lockhart Women” was published in June of 2021 by She Writes Press. My short stories and poems and have appeared in publications such as The Sonora Review, 166 Palms, Lunch Ticket, and The Ear. I live in Huntington Beach, California with my husband who plays ukulele, and our terrorist cat Riley.

Why Do you write? 

I write to understand my world. I love storytelling and creating characters, especially flawed ones who get in all kinds of trouble.

What genre do you write and Why did you pick this genre?

I write fiction. I called The Lockhart Women women’s fiction simply because it’s about women and I identify as a woman. But male readers enjoy it too and the novel was a finalist in the Women’s Fiction category in the American Fiction Awards.

https://bookshop.org/books/the-lockhart-women/9781647421007Tell us about your book 

The Lockhart Women is a mother/daughter/sister story set in Huntington Beach, California in the mid-1990s. It’s about choices and regrets. Brenda Lockhart has never worked outside the home when her husband announces he’s leaving her for an older (and in Brenda’s opinion much less attractive woman) coworker at the post office. He drops this bombshell on the night of the OJ Simpson slow-speed chase through Southern California. Brenda needs to go find a job. Instead, she watches the Simpson trial 24/7. Meanwhile, her two teenage daughters make their own bad decisions with lovers and crime.

How much time do you dedicate to your author career?

I’m a caregiver for my fiercely independent 99-year-old father but otherwise writing is my full-time job. I’m spending a lot of my time promoting my novel these days and am anxious to get back to work on novel number two.

How long on average does it take you to write your books? 

I spent six years on The Lockhart Women. I’ve just finished a rough draft of a second novel, which I’ve been working on for a little over two years. I’m a “pantser”, not a plotter, which isn’t always efficient but it takes me some time to explore and understand my characters and figure out what kind of trouble to put them in. I’m hoping novel number two doesn’t take six years!

What is the best money you have ever spent on your author career? 

Attending the Fiction Workshop at Community of Writers in the High Sierra. I got very honest feedback on my work and met incredible writers who have become friends.

What is the most difficult part of being an author? 

Lately, it’s been breaking my social media addiction, acerbated by the need to promote my novel, which is slightly ironic, considering the protagonist of The Lockhart Women also struggles with her addiction to the media frenzy around the OJ Simpson trial. I’m looking forward to disconnecting with my phone eventually.

What is the best piece of advice you have for other authors? 

Find a writing community and support and champion their work. Find a workshop group to get feedback and learn to trust your own voice.

What is your favorite book?

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout. I love unlikeable characters.

Provide direct book link for purchase 

*https://bookshop.org/books/the-lockha...

Follow Mary

*Facebook @mary.camarillo.31

Instagram @marycamel13

Twitter @marycamelmarywebsite

https://www.marycamarillo.com

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Spoken Word Artist Bob McNeil

Tell us a little about yourself.

I am Bob McNeil, a spoken word artist, creator, editor, and writer. From my public school years, I became a linguaphile. Now all these gray follicles later, my love for writing has not waned in the least.  If anything, age increased it.  Dissimilar to singing or sports, growing old in the field of writing is a plus. Take it from an opsimath.  Cumulative knowledge enriches the way one uses language to convey all those feelings in cerebral storage rooms.   

https://tinylink.net/muF6C

Why do you write?

I’m just a simple ink slinger who feels creative writing is cheaper than paying for a psychologist.  The blank page, as opposed to a therapy session, awaits confessions from me.  This poem from my chapbook Verses of Realness expresses that sentiment:

Sword of Words

We create

We shape

We mold

A cosmos of star-lustered concepts with words

God-hallowed words

Sage-made words

Adam-ancient words

Sermon-mounting words

We write

We inspect

We dissect

Exposing our love-housing hearts

Exposing our world-impaired spirits

We infuse each page with words

Passion-inclined words

Birth-painful words

War-morbid words

Rainbow-garnished words

The serum, language

Flows from our veins

Words are forces

Possessing an artery

To assault or soothe

We’re poets

Throughout our souls

Throughout our limbs

We feel our poems

What genre do you write and why did you pick this genre?

By nature, I am a mercurial person.  Rivaling the number of grains on a beach, I have myriad interests. So whatever my Muse tells me to write, I write.  It is that simple.  Over the years, I wrote numerous poems dealing with either the microcosm or macrocosm.   My recent stories explore sci-fi and horror. If time and my health allow, I will present my prose about urban alienation.  In comparison to some previous literary endeavors, those tales have all the realism of an open wound. 

Tell us about your book.

 My chapbook, Verses of Realness, explores the myriad problems of the modern world and the historical seeds that created them.  It is composed of poetical compositions and illustrations about racism, unity, gun control, poverty, alienation, feminism, environmentalism, police brutality, anti-terrorism, the pandemic, gay rights, and cultural icons.  Upon each page, readers will find my soul and its need to share positivity.  I am grateful that venerated literary figures see merit in my well-meaning collection. Ramya Ramana, former Youth Poet Laureate, wrote this about my work: “Your poetry is beautiful. It has the spirit of revolution and renaissance carried in the world.”

How much time do you dedicate to your author career?

All my thoughts from the time I leave the Sanctum of Somulous to my return many hours later stay focused on creative endeavors.  My dedication is zealot-like.  Supplicating at my laptop altar, I ask imaginary Muses to inspire more compositions out of me.    

What is the most difficult part of being an author?

Creative writing has a lot in common with wild animals.   The blank page is a jungle.  Sans cohesion, the first draft of any essay, poem, story, or play roams wherever it wants.  Wild with errors, the early incarnation runs up trees and swings from vine to vine. The literary creature goes from one tangent to another.  That creation is free, but it roars, snarls and bites without purpose. 

The actual challenge is editing the work. Realize snaring words for a page is simple. Training them in the ways of logic demands effort.  That struggle has all the daring drive of a lion tamer, a snake charmer, and a horse whisperer.  Not in need of a whip, cage, gun, or mesmerism, the writer, as an editor, comes with a different arsenal.  Grammar and punctuation are the weapons.

What is the best piece of advice you have for other authors?

Regardless of whether your being’s balloon is touching the troposphere or deflating on the salt flats, continue to write.  If you are as dour as a mourner, write about it.  If your days possess the jubilation that a lottery winner knows, write about it. Chronicle who and what you are before you are no more.  Furthermore, in the rental home known as life, remember the pending end of your lease.  So before relocating to a necropolis, create at the rate rabbits procreate.  Calendars do not determine your days.  The number of poems, stories, essays, drawings, and performances define your time as an artist.  From my point of view, all artists should use that approach as time encroaches.  

What is your favorite book?

This question, without a doubt, is the most difficult. Any answer I can provide is contingent on a genre. Unquestionably my love of Richard Wright’s Invisible Man is not the same as my affection for H.G. Wells’ sci-fi book with the same title.  I must admit that your query possessing all the force of a heavyweight boxer’s punch knocked me on the canvas.  Thus defeated by a complete inability to share a single response, I am relieved by the sight of the thrown towel.  But while telling this challenging topic goodbye, I want you and your readers to know about a particular book that moved me. Les Miserable, out of all the novels I read over the years, made me cry.   Victor Hugo, a brilliant author, influenced the Symbolist Movement and touched me.   Also, due to Jean Valjean, I will never look at a loaf of bread the same way again.

In conclusion, is there anything else you would like to share with the reading audience? 

Dissimilar to individuals muted by alienation, writers express everyone’s emotions. Essentially writers are empaths with lexicons for minds.  And this particular author feels deep respect for you and your audience.

I am a writer, editor, cartoonist, and spoken word artist, who authored Verses of Realness (https://tinylink.net/muF6C)). Hal Sirowitz, former Queens Poet Laureate, called the book “A fantastic trip through the mind of a poet who doesn’t flinch at the truth.”  To order Bob McNeil’s chapbook for a mere $10, contact him at the following PayPal address: mcneil_bob@yahoo.com or P. O. Box 144, Hollis, NY 11423.   Out of appreciation, he will send a bonus gift.

Follow Bob:

https://www.facebook.com/bob.mcneil.16

Tweets by BobMcNeil7

https://www.youtube.com/user/mcneilbob1

The post Spoken Word Artist Bob McNeil appeared first on The Authors Porch.

Life as a Multi-Genre Author

1.  Tell us a little about yourself

Hi, I’m Sarah L Campbell and this is my life as a Multi-Genre Author. I have published seven books, including children’s, young adult, and a small-town romance series called The Leaves of Change Cafe series. I live in the northeast of England with our grumpy but loveable cat Louie. When I’m not writing, you can usually find me reading as I run a book blog.

2.  Why Do you write?

I always loved writing as a child but life and work took over. It wasn’t until I had to leave my job due to anxiety and depression that I started writing. It gave me a focus and an escape from my problems. I love being able to create new words and getting to know new characters.

3.  What genre do you write and why did you pick this genre?

I write in contemporary romance at the moment, but I don’t pick genres to write in before I start writing. The story always comes first and then I work out what genre it fits into afterward.  

https://www.amazon.com/Proposal-Leaves-Change-Caf%C3%A9-Book-ebook/dp/B097KLT89H/ref4.  Tell us about your book

My latest book is called A Proposal for the Leaves of Change Café. Things are going well for Michael and Aurora in Green Leaf until his ex-girlfriend shows up and starts causing trouble between them. Aurora begins to suspect that there is something more between the two of them than organizing a book launch.

She comes to a drastic decision about the future for her and her baby daughter Robin. A return to acting sounds promising for her but is it worth moving away from everyone for? Can Michael offer an explanation for his behaviour and stop her from leaving? It can be read as a standalone novel or as part of The Leaves of Change Café series.

5.  How much time do you dedicate to your author career?

Life as a multi-genre author is busy. I write full-time, at least five days a week.

6.  How long on average does it take you to write your books?

It can take anywhere between five months and a year to write a book. Life as a multi-genre author is always full of unexpected turns.

7.  What is the best money you have ever spent on your author career?

Advertising on Facebook and Amazon. It helped to kick-start sales for my first book in The Leaves of Change Café series.

8.  What is the most difficult part of being an author

For me at the moment, it’s a balancing act between promotion, marketing, and spending time writing new books.

9.  What is the best piece of advice you have for other authors?

Join a supportive writing group – other writers know how hard it is to write a book.

10.  What is your favourite book?

I have so many! This year I’ve really loved Escape to Honeysuckle Hall by Rebecca Raisin. I love books by Jennifer Donnelly, Paula McLain, Stacey Halls, and Danielle Steel to name a few fantastic authors. 

Follow Sarah:

https://www.sarahlcampbell.com/

Goodreads Page

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18173432.Sarah_L_Campbell/

Instagram

   https://www.instagram.com/sarahlcamwriter/Twitter

https://twitter.com/SarahLCamWriter/

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/SarahLCampbellAuthor

Linkedin

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-campbell-75962a193/

You tube

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCjfnwrf9vq1hrMdBuw_vrg/

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