Helen Garraway's Blog, page 11
July 13, 2024
Author Interview – Kimly Hoang-Nakata
Helen: Welcome Kimly. Congratulations on your gold medal. I am very excited to learn more about your book. Tell us a little about it.
Kimly: My current book is an award-winning bilingual children’s book written in English and Vietnamese. The book describes a cultural experience through a narration with beautiful illustrations that bring joy to our young readers while helping them understand the traditional meanings of Tết, the festive Vietnamese Lunar New Year. The book received two awards within two months of release in 2024! It won First Place Award at the BookFest Awards for children’s picture books and it was featured on the Nasdaq billboard at Times Square, New York City. The other award is the “International Impact Book Awards” for children’s education.
Helen: It was so exciting to see our books up in Times Square. One of those special moments. What were your thoughts behind the cover design?
Kimly: The cover of this book uniquely captures the essence of the story and highlights the festive symbols of the Tết holiday with the happy characters from two generations.
Helen: It is a happy cover and looks great up in Times Square. Is there a special meaning behind the title?
Kimly: It’s my intention to call this book “Bringing in Tết” because I hope it brings in the festive joy and feeling to every reader who reads the book.
Helen: What made you write this particular book?
Kimly: I was born in Central Vietnam and lived there for 9 years prior to immigrating to the U.S. with my family. Despite the economic challenges throughout my childhood, Tết is a time when everyone in the family paused their work to come together to celebrate. When I was a little girl, I remember getting really excited because it was the only time in the year that I got to wear new clothes and new shoes! Through this experience, I learned to appreciate the hard work and the value of family bonding more than anything. After moving to the U.S, my parents continue to keep the tradition of celebrating Tết every year. Now I want to share this cultural experience with children through a children’s picture book. When I was a newcomer in the U.S., I didn’t have culturally relevant books at school to support my learning. Now as an educator, I teach kids from all walks of life and it’s important to have multicultural books to educate them about different cultures. I also hope to inspire others to embrace their own cultures. I believe that sharing cultural experiences can foster compassion, appreciation, empathy, and joy that can enrich our lives.
Helen: That is such a lovely sentiment. I hope your book helps others experience your joy of Tết. When did you first realise that you wanted to write a children’s book?
Kimly: Writing allows me to unwind and reflect on my day so it became an important part in my daily routine since I was a teenager, but I never thought I could publish a book until I took the courage to do it. While in quarantine mode during the pandemic, I thought of my story ideas and that was how my first children’s picture book called “Mama Get Well Soon” was published. It was based on a true personal experience depicting a family life that shows support to one another during a challenging time. Writing brings a sense of clarity and comfort to me. My first set of ten children’s picture books were published because I wanted to inspire my students to write. Having their teacher as a published author really got them to lift up their pencils and started writing. Seeing my students enjoy writing and doing their best work brought me a lot of joy!
Helen: Sharing the joy of writing is so fulfilling. I am glad your students are inspired by your writing success. How do you come up with the ideas for your books?
Kimly: My work and life involve around my children and my students at school, so my ideas and inspirations came from my daily interactions with them. I enjoy capturing life’s moments through writing.
ScreenshotHelen: Being an educator, when do you find the time to fit in your writing?
Kimly: I try to fit writing into my everyday life as much as I can, but I find the most productive time for me to write is when the night calms down, I enjoy the quiet atmosphere to relax, reflect, and write.
Helen: What is the best thing that has happened to you since you began writing?
Kimly: Besides the recognitions and awards, I got to know more wonderful people beyond my social circle. It’s the joy that increased in volume for the opportunity to share my stories with others. Thank you for the support.
Helen: It’s been lovely to meet you. Kimly. Thank you so much for chatting with me today. Last question! What advice would you give to aspiriing authors?
Kimly: For new writers out there, I encourage you to make writing part of your daily routine and write about everything and anything that you are passionate about. Just let your thoughts flow out without worrying about the grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc. because all that can be edited once you finish your drafts.
About the Author
Kimly Hoang-NakataKimly Hoang-Nakata is passionate about educating children and inspiring them to
love learning. Kimly is the founder of Achieve Education, an exceptional
coaching service specializing in holistic learning success for K-12 students.
Together with her husband (who is an award-winning pediatrician), Achieve
Education empowers growth and confidence by providing personalized learning to
help students reach their full potential. For a free consultation and a 45-minute
lesson, please e-mail support@achieve.education or visit website
https://www.achieve.education. Kimly’s work earned her the recognitions on NBC
7 News, SBTN (Saigon Broadcasting Network), and Global Thought Leaders
Network air on ABC15.
Follow Kimly:
Purchase Kimly’s book, Bringing in Tết:
Link to book on Amazon UK: eBook | Paperback
Link to book on Amazon US: eBook | Paperback
As an Amazon Associate I may benefit from purchases made using these links.
If you enjoy epic fantasy then check out my award winning Sentinal series, which is now complete. If you like fantasy books with a touch of romance then you will love my SoulMist series, start with SoulBreather. Prefer Dystopian Science Fantasy? Then try Harmony. Start the adventure and stay for the journey.
Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.
Sign up to my newsletter and download a free copy of Sentinals Stirring
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July 8, 2024
Book Review Alert: Ribbon Dance by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
Reviewed: July 8th, 2024
Released: June 17th, 2024
Genre: Space Opera
On a world where cake is a necessity, it takes the Grid to protect the civilized and the deaf from the dire influences of the ambient and to keep the chaotic Haosa at bay.
Having arrived at recently Dust-bound Colemeno, Trader Padi yos’Galan is essential to Master Trader Shan yos’Galan’s plan to recoup Clan Korval’s fortunes by establishing new routes for the clan’s tradeship. Shan’s inner Healer insists Padi come to terms with her as-yet unplumbed psychic abilities, which might place her in the top tier of dramliz, if she can learn control.
Padi yearns to concentrate on trade, but Colemeno’s fey ambient and deadly long-term politics combine to bring her face-to-face with the Haosa, and in particular with the mysterious and untouchable Tekelia, as Korval’s trade mission’s necessity of a port audit collide with a cruel history of murder, deception, and brutality. Amid the dangers, Padi unexpectedly finds herself eagerly exploring her dramliz side when faced with the unspoken powers of the ambient, the sky-filling energy of the ribbon dance, and Tekelia’s mutable eyes. Read My Thoughts…
July 5, 2024
Author Interview – David Niemitz
Helen: Welcome David. Congratulations on the release of your latest book. I am very excited to learn more about The Faerie Knight. Tell us a little about it.
David: The Faerie Knight is the first novel in a fantasy trilogy, inspired by Arthurian and other medieval romances, as well as the British Romantic poets – among other things! I’m very excited about this project, for one thing because it’s an experiment for
me, in a lot of ways. To being with, I’m Beta-releasing the trilogy in serial format on Royal Road, and that process has gotten me tons of great feedback. It’s been a great writing excercise to practice crafting chapters to a specific length, on a regular time table, and structured in such a way as to (hopefully) keep people coming back for
the next chapter each time they get to the end of the current one. I’ve had readers tell me they stayed up until 5am finishing volume one in ebook format, and then immediately go to Royal Road to keep going on the first fifteen chapters of volume two, so I’m quite pleased.
Helen: That is great writing habit to get into. I imagine your book grows quite fast writing by chapter. Though I tend to jump around, I’m not sure I could write in a linear fashion! What were your thoughts behind the cover design?
David: The cover of The Faerie Knight features our protagonist, Trist, and the Faerie Acrasia, from whom he draws power. The art is by my wonderful wife, Sarah Murphy, and she’s hard at work on covers for books two and three. She also did the map inside!
We talked about quite a few options for this cover, and went to the MET in New York to look at art for inspiration. I’m really happy with what we ended up with, and we’re already talking about options for volume two, which will be in the same visual style.
Helen: An excellent excuse for a trip to the museum, and how lucky for you to have an amazing artist in-house! I’m glad you found inspiration. Why did you write this particular book?
David: This book came from a couple pieces of inspiration – Keats’ La Belle Dame Sans Merci, Byron’s Darkness, Mallory, Spenser, all things that I love. But then I also read a wonderful metaphor for understanding theoretical five dimensional creatures, and it gave me this idea: what if faeries were essentially 5th dimensional angler fish? That’s the fish that dangles a glowing lure out in front of its mouth to attract its pray. In this world, the majority of a Faerie exists in the 5th dimension, where humans can’t perceive it. But they can perceive the beautiful, shiny lure that brings them right up to the gaping maw. Humans are food.
Helen: What an intriguing premise. Who knows what is behind the next bright light! Which genre do you typically write?
David: Various flavors of science fiction and fantasy. Sci Fi tends toward the harder end of the spectrum, while my fantasy tends more toward traditional/epic, and I would say in either case it’s very character driven.
It was sci-fi and fantasy that I found immersive when I was a young reader, and I loved to lose myself in worlds that were both wonderful and terrifying. That’s the kind of experience I want to craft for other people, now. And I also think both genres provide space to tackle the kinds of questions I find interesting: how would such and such a technology affect the way people live and interact with each other? How would immortal creatures regard humans?
Helen: I think that is what is such fun for writers. We have endless questions and buckets of imagination. Together that drives some amazing stories. I find writing the most enjoyable part, though I find it difficult to put myself out there, so I have to make the effort to put my hand up, and do that author talk or book event. Which part of the writing process do you find most challenging?
David: Marketing. Is that a cop out? I love the process of writing itself, and it’s an escape from the pressures of my career. I find it fulfilling and I’m excited to dive into each new project. Some people can’t stand doing revisions, but I even enjoy that, and the reception I’ve gotten from the Royal Road community has been overwhelmingly positive, even when people had critique or suggestions. I actually recently added an entire chapter to volume two based on reader feedback – they wanted more development on Ismet, a supporting character, when I had been a bit afraid of spending too long with anyone but the Protagonist.
But yeah, Marketing is very daunting. I credit my sister quite a bit with pushing me to challenge myself and work harder in that aspect, and members of my writing group for turning me on to various opportunities. I’ve gotten plenty of advice along the way: anything I do right is probably a credit to someone who has helped me out, and anything I do wrong is my own fault!
Helen: Marketing is difficult. Finding your perfect reader is an ongoing process. Thank you so much for joining me today. It’s been great meeting you. Just to finish, what do we have to look forward to next?
David: I’m currently revising volume two of The Faerie Knight, which will be entitled The Graal Knight, while also drafting volume three: Knight of Doors. The third volume will conclude this project, though I do potentially see room for a spin off featuring the protagonist’s squire, some years later.
At the same time, I’m taking notes and developing characters/settings for my next series, which I intend to begin on November first. I’ve never done a National Novel Month – last year I was already deep into revising Faerie Knight at that time. Royal Road also runs a contest that lines up with that in November, but of course to qualify you can’t have anything pre-written. So, I’m doing as much development and prep as I can, and then we’ll see how it goes.
I haven’t made every decision, but I think I have a very interesting protagonist shaping up. In Faerie Knight, of course, I had a male knight as a Protagonist, very traditional for the genre inspirations. In my first science fiction novel, A Sea Cold and Deep, I had a pair of lovers who shared equal screentime, Kaito and Annie. Liv – there’s still time for me to change my mind on her name, but I think I’m 90% settled – is occupying more and more of my mind as I draw closer to the end of Trist’s journey. I want to really play with some permutations of this sort of traditional fantasy idea of the half elf with her. For instance, what if elves have certain nutritional requirements that humans don’t, and that manifests as physical problems for her in childhood, because she’s raised by a human mother who just doesn’t know what to do? If Elves live a long time, longer than humans, do they develop more slowly? Is that interpreted as something being wrong with her? What’s it like for her mother to grow into middle age while Liv still isn’t really even an adult? What’s it like for her when her first crush grows up and moves on and gets married and is an adult, and she isn’t really? I think there’s some really interesting stuff to play with there, and I want to start with Liv as a child and cover decades.
About the Author
David NiemitzDave Niemitz is a writer and teacher; he lives with his wife, son, a black cat named Charlie, and a Pug named Duncan. He holds a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Follow David:
Purchase David’s book: The Faerie Knight
Link to book on Amazon UK: eBook | Paperback
Link to book on Amazon US: eBook | Paperback
As an Amazon Associate I may benefit from purchases made using these links.
If you enjoy epic fantasy then check out my award winning Sentinal series, which is now complete. If you like fantasy books with a touch of romance then you will love my SoulMist series, start with SoulBreather. Prefer Dystopian Science Fantasy? Then try Harmony. Start the adventure and stay for the journey.
Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.
Sign up to my newsletter and download a free copy of Sentinals Stirring
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July 1, 2024
OblivionGate is Live!!
Release Day: July 1st, 2024
It’s Launch day! OblivionGate is live! The SoulMist series is now complete, and I am so excited to share the third book of the SoulMist series.
This is the perfect trilogy for your Summer reading:
a new world to immerse yourself in,some great characters to fall in love with,a rollercoaster of a ride,plenty of action and adventure,along with all the emotional feels.The SoulMist series is a series that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.
OblivionGate
Having survived Apologia and faced down the Angelic Assembly, Demavrian has every right to be feeling triumphant, but the threat hanging over his head from the vengeful god, Kaenera, is enough to snuff out any celebrations.
His fledglings are distraught and in disarray, Solanji’s brother is still without a soul and Solanji has no idea how her SoulBreathing works. He has no idea how to manage the Oblivion Gate and even with his Gate Wraith’s help, the burden of the soulless banging on the door may be his undoing.
Kaenera is poised to strike back and if Demavrian doesn’t learn the secrets of the Oblivion Gate fast enough, he may be the shortest lived Gate Keeper in history.
OblivionGate is the third enthralling book in the Fantasy Romance SoulMist series full of vibrant characters, political intrigue and betrayal.
While you are here, check out my epic fantasy Sentinal Series.
The Complete Sentinal Series:
Book One: Sentinals Awaken
Book Two: Sentinals Rising
Book Three: Sentinals Justice
Book 3.5: Sentinals Recovery
Boook Four: Sentinals Across Time
Book Five: Sentinals Banished
Book Six: Sentinals Destiny
If you would like to read an ARC for my future novels, then sign up to my ARC team via the link in my linktr.ee. All I ask is that you leave an honest review on the week of the launch to as many platforms as you can!! (Amazon/Goodreads/Bookbub)
June 27, 2024
Impressive glass trophy arrives for SoulBreather and Sentinals Justice
So excited to share that both SoulBreather, book one of the SoulMist series, and Sentinals Justice, book three of the Epic Fantasy Sentinal series won First Place in the Spring 2024 BookFest Awards.
Celebrating winning gold medals in the Spring 2024 BookFest book awards.
SoulBreather won the first place gold medal for Paranormal & Urban Fantasy
And the glass trophy has arrived!
UnboxingSentinals Justice won first place gold medal for Epic Fantasy.
Sentinals Justice
Readers’ Favorite Five Star Review.
“… a truly thrilling setting filled with political and royal intrigue, interpersonal drama, and dangerous games of secrets, warmongering, and missing persons … I would not hesitate to recommend Sentinals Justice to fans of epic fantasy and the series so far; you won’t be disappointed.” K.C. Finn for Readers’ Favorite.
SoulBreather
Readers’ Favorite Five Star Review
SoulBreather by Helen Garraway is moving and gripping, with a perfect plot boasting the most incredible, cleverly crafted protagonists I’ve enjoyed in recent literature. It’s a wonderful, utterly addictive series launch filled with detailed worldbuilding, sweet romance, and plenty of intrigue and adventure. I especially loved the romantic chemistry between Mav and Solanji and their determination for justice and to save others. I nearly devoured this brilliant tale in one sitting. Garraway’s narrative is highly immersive and action-packed. I would recommend SoulBreather to all fans of paranormal fantasy and anyone who loves stories with heart, adventure, feisty heroines, and fallen angels.” Reviewed By Emma Megan for Readers’ Favorite
Not started the SoulMist series yet?
Book1: SoulBreather
Book 2: DragonBound
Book3: OblivionGate (On preorder-Releases July 1st, 2024)
Sentinal Series (Now complete.)
Book1: Sentinals Awaken
Book 2: Sentinals Rising
Book3: Sentinals Justice
Book 4: Sentinals Across Time
Book 5: Sentinals Banished
Book 6: Sentinals Destiny
Associated books:
Book 3.5: Sentinals Recovery
Happy Listening!
If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series or my PNR/Fantasy Romance SoulMist series or Harmony, a standalone Dystopian fantasy. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and a bonus story, Sentinals Discovery, and never miss a notification when my next book is published.
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SoulBreather FREE for today
bit.ly/stuff-your-kindle-fantasy
SoulBreather: Books2Read.com/SoulBreather
June 22, 2024
Author Interview – Michael Thomas Perone
Helen: Many congratulations, Michael, on your gold medal and getting your book up in lights in Times Square. It is so exciting! Tell us about your award winning book, Déjà View.
Michael: Déjà View is about a 12-year-old boy named Bobby Dalton who doesn’t want to grow up. All his life, he has relied on the imaginary games of childhood with his best friends Joe and Max to get him through the tough times. But this all changes when his Seventh-Grade class buries a time capsule to commemorate the end of the 1980s. Now Bobby is being haunted by visions: ghostly doppelgangers of himself, his friends, and others. He calls them “déjà view.” Are these visions real, or has his imagination finally gotten away from him? And if they’re real, what do they want? Bobby needs to figure this all out to survive his childhood…and his life.
Helen: You have chosen quite an atmospheric cover design. What were your thoughts behind the design?
Michael: The cover is a slightly spooky image of my three main characters burying something under the cover of moonlight. I wanted readers who first glanced at the cover to become intrigued and ask themselves, “What are these kids burying?” and hope that this inspired them to read the back cover copy to get some clues. I wanted the boys to be in shadow because this reinforces the book’s theme of ghostly doppelgangers. (Bobby calls them “shadows.”) Also, I wanted to have the title superimposed so that it would appear it had its own shadow (again, emphasizing the theme of doubles in the book). I gave these ideas to my publisher, and I think they did a great job. Since I’m a writer and not an artist, though I originally wanted to be a cartoonist when I was a kid, one thing I hadn’t thought of was the color of the cover, and I was very pleased when it came back. I think the dark blues and purples really make the cover pop and help convey the overall spooky vibe of the book.
Helen: It works!! I love finding out the detail behind the cover design, because their is a lot of thought put into it than many readers realise and understanding the thought process makes the cover even more meaningful. How did you come up with the book title?
Michael: The original title was just Déjà Vu, but after a quick Amazon search, I discovered only about a million books already have that title. (That’s just a slight exaggeration.) So I changed it to Déjà View and had Bobby come up with this name since these repeated visions of his are things that he’s actually seeing, not just feeling. (There’s also a running gag in the book that he keeps misspelling and mispronouncing things; he is a kid after all.) There are still a few books out there with this title, so to differentiate it even further, I gave the book a subtitle: A Kid Nightmare, since I consider this a companion book to my debut novel Danger Peak, which also had a subtitle, A Kid Adventure, though I should say Déjà View isn’t a sequel to that book. There is, however, a very brief cameo from the kids of Danger Peak, but it’s so short, if you blink while reading the sentence, you might miss it.
Helen: You know, I hadn’t even noticed the change in spelling until you said!! The mind just reads it as Vue as that is what you expect! Why did you write this particular book?
Michael: My first book was more or less about the death of my brother, and I wanted to write about another kind of death, the death of childhood. I knew the book would be more ambitious, cover more ground, be longer, and take place over a longer period of time than Danger Peak, but I also wanted to answer a question: “How exactly does childhood die?” We know the broad brushstrokes, but I’m a very detail-oriented person, and I wanted to know, just for myself, how precisely does it happen? To answer the question, I searched through old diaries of mine, and I also just have a really good memory of this time in my life. Almost everything that happens in the first half of the book happened to me in real life (with exaggerations of course to make it more entertaining for the reader). The second half, what I jokingly call “the crazy half,” is when Bobby starts seeing his visions, so the story is a slow burn, but I hope it’s worth it. And I did discover the answer to my question, but I think I’ll keep it to myself for now. Or you can just read my book!
Helen: They always say write from experience. Though I write epic fantasy, so I can’t say that I’ve experienced epic battles!! When did you realise you had a passion for writing?
Michael: I’ve been writing stories basically since I was taught the alphabet. I used to bring my stories into school in third and fourth grade and read them in front of the class. At the time, I thought everyone was doing this. I would ask my friends what stories they were working on, and they assumed I was talking about homework. Despite this, I never considered myself seriously as a writer until the mid-2000s when my whole life imploded. In less than a year, I lost my girlfriend, my roommate, my apartment, and my job and was forced to move back home. I was wondering what to do with my life, and my Mom suggested I write. I blew her off, but she reminded me that when I was a kid, I would write story after story in my bedroom. “No one told you to do that, Michael,” she said. “You did that yourself.” The rest, as they say, is history, though I should say my writing doesn’t pay the bills. I’m not Stephen King…yet!
Helen: Life changes do seem to be a catalyst for putting pen to paper. Which genre do you write and why?
Michael: I write young adult for several reasons. I’m never going to be a genius author who can write a 1,000-page book with over a hundred characters; my books are a little over 200 pages each and have six or seven main characters. That’s about as much as my brain can handle per book, and young adult tends to be shorter with fewer characters. The other reason is that I tend to think like someone in junior high; I have a very child-like sensibility, much to the consternation of my family, but that helps me identify with my characters more.
As for the genre of action-adventure, in the case of Danger Peak, or sci-fi, for Déjà View, those genres just generally interest me as a reader and film lover. I was a child of the ‘80s raised by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas after all.
Finally, I love the genre of magical realism for a similar reason of why I write young adult. It’s too much for my brain to handle a world where everything is magical, like Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings. I can only handle one magical thing per book, like the supernatural mountain in Danger Peak or the ghostly visions in Déjà View. I like playing with that one magical idea and seeing how it affects my characters and their more-or-less real world.
Helen: Your books do sound intriguing. Who is your favourite character?
Michael: By far, my favorite character is Bobby’s therapist Dr. Pann. Without giving too much away, he’s more complex than at first glance, and he was a lot of fun to write, especially playing with the different shades of his personality. I also gave him some of the best lines in the book.
Helen: Let’s switch to your writing process. Which part of the writing process do you find most challenging?
Michael: I think most writers would probably say sitting down and doing the actual writing, but, not to sound obnoxious, I don’t usually get writer’s block. The hardest part for me is structuring the story, so I guess, in a way, you can say I get “story structure block,” to coin a phrase. I can come up with a good idea to sustain a novel-length story and have no problem developing the characters. Also, as writer-director John Hughes once said, “I can write dialogue as fast as I can say it,” but putting all that together into a good beginning, middle, and unexpected yet satisfying end is the hardest part for me. For example, it took me almost a year thinking about Déjà View to come up with the ending, and even then, it came to me in a dream. Once I figure out the story though, I’m off and running and usually finish the first draft within 3 to 4 months.
Helen: So do you plan out your story in advance, or do you find you write better on the fly, so to speak?
Michael: This goes hand in hand with my last answer. I used to write “by the seat of my pants” when I was a kid and just make it up as I went along. That worked with a few stories but not with most. They usually ended with a conclusion that may have been unexpected but definitely wasn’t inevitable or satisfying to read. As an adult, I learned to outline my stories, something I used to hate doing in English class but is something I’ve learned is necessary if you want to write a truly memorable story that doesn’t cheat the reader. There’s no, as they say, deus ex machina that comes in to save the day at the end of my stories. The characters either naturally solve the problem on their own or they face the consequences of the decisions they’ve made all throughout the story (or both). That said, this doesn’t necessarily mean I have everything figured out in the story when I begin writing, especially the dialogue. That part I like making up as I go along, and I think that also helps it sound more natural, like how real people talk.
Helen: I’ve found that the more I write, the more I plan the framework in advance. Now whether I follow the plan is another matter! Having completed and published Déjà View, what else are you working on?
Michael: I’m working on a collection of my favorite short stories I’ve written over the years. When I was putting it together, I was afraid the reader would ping-pong between different themes (if you read Déjà View, you’ll know theme is a big deal for me), but either by coincidence or sheer luck, the stories I chose have pretty much the same theme: a sane person trying to live in an insane world. It’s definitely the craziest thing I’ve ever written, and that’s saying something after my last book. The best part for readers is that if they don’t like one story, they can just skip to the next one.
Helen: Thank you so much for spending time with me today. Congratulations again on your BookFest award. Just to close us out, what piece of writing advice to find most useful and would share with aspiring authors?
Michael: My real, full-time job is a Senior Editor in Manhattan, so it’s very difficult for me to take off my editing hat when I’m writing, but a college professor once told me to just concentrate on the writing first. Then, after you’re finished, you can put on that editing hat and get to work. But it still remains a struggle, at least for me, switching between both worlds. Sometimes I try to edit a sentence as I’m writing it, and I have to remind myself to stop.
About the Author
Michael Thomas PeroneMichael Thomas Perone is an award-winning author who has written for The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore City Paper, Long Island Voice (a spinoff of The Village Voice), and others. Online, he has written for Yahoo!, WhatCulture!, and other websites that don’t end with an exclamation mark. His debut novel Danger Peak was called “the perfect teenage boy crusade” by Publishers Weekly and “a compelling bildungsroman about grief and finding wisdom” by Kirkus Reviews. If nothing else, he learned the word “bildungsroman” from the experience. His follow-up, the coming-of-age/sci-fi mindbender Déjà View, won First Place at The Spring 2024 BookFest Awards in the category of Young Adult – Literary and Coming of Age. It was also a finalist of The 2024 Eric Hoffer Book Award. He works as a Senior Editor in Manhattan and lives on Long Island with his wife and two daughters.
Follow Michael:
Twitter/X
Purchase Michael’s book: Deja V iew
Link to book on Amazon UK: eBook | Paperback
Link to book on Amazon US: eBook | Paperback
As an Amazon Associate I may benefit from purchases made using these links.
If you enjoy epic fantasy then check out my award winning Sentinal series, which is now complete. If you like fantasy books with a touch of romance then you will love my SoulMist series, start with SoulBreather. Prefer Dystopian Science Fantasy? Then try Harmony. Start the adventure and stay for the journey.
Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.
Sign up to my newsletter and download a free copy of Sentinals Stirring
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June 15, 2024
Author Interview – Kimberly Muka Powers
Helen: Many congratulations to Kim on her medal and getting her book up in lights in Times Square. Tell us about her award winning book, A Mind Restored.
A: “A Mind Restored: Finding Freedom from the Shame & Stigma of Mental Illness” by Kimberly Muka Powers is a global award-winning creative non-fiction Christian self-help book.
Powers’ book is a must-read for those with mental illness, their loved ones, providers, and those seeking to gain more insight and understanding into the world of someone living with symptoms of mental illness.
This compelling read is Kim’s unique and inspiring story of how she has successfully learned to live with bipolar disorder, type 1, with psychotic features since the year 2000. With her illness primarily in remission since 2010, now as a Licensed professional counselor she equips and empowers others to do the same.
Kim emphasizes you are not alone in your illness, and you are not defined by it. Her inspirational writing style ties in educational components about mental illness and holistic health, passionately spreading awareness and encouraging individuals to cultivate wellness, pursue their dreams, and find freedom, hope, and healing.
Helen: Kim chose a simple cover, what were her thoughts behind the design?
A: Kim kept her illness hidden, in a dark, lonely place for over two decades. Due to the overwhelming sense of humiliation and shame she carried from receiving a diagnosis at 16 years old, living with severe and profound mental illness and being hospitalized in a psychiatric inpatient facility amidst four different manic, depressive, and psychotic episodes, Kim felt alone and ostracized by what she had to endure.
Kim’s cover highlights the serenity and peace she has found, now two decades later, within herself, with God, and with others. As an adult who has done the hard work of healing and found the tools to functional independence and freedom. Kim’s cover portrays that reconciliation and acceptance she now embodies.
Helen: It is a calming scene and I believe evokes the feeling Kim intended. How did she come up with the book title?
A: Through receiving mental health therapy throughout her adult life, specifically EMDR therapy (See EMDR.org) to treat the wounds of trauma, Kim has finally found freedom from the shame and stigma of mental illness, and her mind is now restored. By the grace of God, her illness has been in remission since 2010. With the freedom she has found from the heavy weight of shame, she now more confidently can help others find their freedom too.
Helen: I know Kim writes from personal experience, but why did she decide to share her story and write this particular book?
A: Kim found the transition in keeping her story hidden and trying to hide the truth of what she went through, to now publicly speaking about her illness, to be the most challenging part of writing her memoir. The act of bravery and steps of courage she had to embrace and the challenge she needed to overcome and grow. Now fully healed, she can better help others.
In college, Kim learned that vulnerability breeds vulnerability. This step of vulnerability seems counter intuitive that it would help free her from the shame she carried. However, with the action of bringing her shameful past into the light, the heavy chains and shackles were unlocked, removed, and destroyed. With supernatural help, intensive therapy and healing, medical and therapeutic intervention, support and love from others, medication, and many answered prayers, she found the key, she opened the lock-she was set free.
Helen: I’m glad Kim found her voice and shared her experiences to help others. Why should people read Kim’s book?
A: Reading “A Mind Restored” provides hope and insight to the reader. Do you or someone you know live with mental health challenges? Maybe it is not bipolar disorder, maybe it is depression. Maybe anxiety, maybe schizo-affective disorder, or ADHD. Have you learned to effectively manage the symptoms of your illness? Have you found freedom from the stigma associated with these symptoms? Have you found effective coping skills and strategies to be empowered and pursue the abundant life God has called you to?
If not, or if you want more help, this book is for you. Do you need encouragement that you are not alone in your battle? Do you struggle with being defined by your illness, but want to know your true identity apart from your symptoms? Do you need encouragement to find safe circles of belonging? Do you need better insight into how to identify your triggers and warning signs of when your health is at risk? You too can rise above, conquer your problems with courage and health, maintain your health, and pursue your God-given calling in education, career, relationship, and ministry goals. Kim’s story is one of encouragement, resilience, success, and victory. Find hope today.
Helen: Thank you for sharing a little about Kim’s journey. What advice would Kim give to aspiring authors?
A: If you are on the writing journey, whether as a beginner, working on your work in progress for a while now, or a seasoned writer, in order to be successful completing your next writing project, Kim recommends dedicating a recurring date on your calendar, time of day, and ideal place and setting which is conducive to concentrating on your next piece of art.
Kim has found this approach extremely helpful as she developed and perfected each of the ten drafts she wrote- in two years- to create her finished published multi-award-winning book. In addition, she found it extremely supportive to choose a willing writing partner to work with, which happened to be her father, who is also on his writing journey. With the presence of another committed individual in the writing process, Kim found the ongoing accountability, and mental and emotional safety, to write, process, explore, and express her thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a cohesive and a profound finished product.
About the Author
Kimberley Muka PowersKim Powers is a fully licensed professional counselor, author, and entrepreneur- owning and operating her private practice in the state of Michigan, where she resides with her husband. Kim is honored to be featured in Voyage Magazine in their Hidden Gem Series: (“Hidden Gems: local businesses and creatives you should know.”) Kim was thrilled to be a guest on Fox News Morning Mix, Kalamazoo’s local National Public Radio- NPR, and featured as a Global Book Fest award winner on the NASDAQ board in New York City Times Square. Kim’s book “A Mind Restored: Finding Freedom from the Shame & Stigma of Mental Illness” won first place in the Oasis Awards in Grand Rapids, Michigan. While studying psychology and mental health therapy,
Kim speaks not only as a trained professional in the mental health field, but also one who has successfully navigated the trials of living with bipolar disorder type one with psychotic features. While her illness has been primarily in remission since 2010, she now educates and provides support to those seeking freedom and functional independence. Counseling is not only Kim’s career, it is her passion and her calling.
Follow Kim:
Website or www.HeartSoulMindStrengthLLC.com
Twitter: @KMukaPowers
Purchase Kim’s book: A Mind Restored
Link to book on Amazon UK: eBook | Paperback
Link to book on Amazon US: eBook | Paperback
As an Amazon Associate I may benefit from purchases made using these links.
If you enjoy epic fantasy then check out my award winning Sentinal series, which is now complete. If you like fantasy books with a touch of romance then you will love my SoulMist series, start with SoulBreather. Prefer Dystopian Science Fantasy? Then try Harmony. Start the adventure and stay for the journey.
Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.
Sign up to my newsletter and download a free copy of Sentinals Stirring
By clicking the sign up button above, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and the newsletter platform provider to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.
By signing up to my newsletter, you agree to receive commercial information from Helen Garraway, located at 61 Bridge St, Kingston, Hertfordshire, UK (Data Administrator). You can withdraw your consent at any time. The data will be processed until the consent is withdrawn.
June 7, 2024
Book Review Alert: The Winter Prince by Constance Lopez
Reviewed: June 7th, 2024
Released: December 15th, 2023
Genre: Fairytale Retelling
A beastly prince. A cursed land. One last hope.
Breaking his bargain with another fae has earned Revi, Prince of the Winter Court, a terrible curse: he lives as a beast and must watch his people suffer under a withering blight. The only cure? A heart freely given.
When a human patrol steals one of Revi’s magical roses, a sliver of opportunity strikes. He agrees to spare their lives in return for a woman who must live in his castle for a year and a day. But could such a beauty learn to love a beast like him?
Although Kienna was warned of conniving fae before her arrival at the Winter Court, the Winter Prince, while beastly, is not the monster she expected. Her dreams plague her—or more specifically, the enigmatic silvery man who walks them does. She’s determined to find him in the waking world and free him from his imprisonment.
Her dream prince begs her not to trust her eyes. But… can she trust her heart?
The Winter Prince, a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, is book 12 of Once Upon A Prince, a multi-author series of clean fairy tale retellings. Each standalone story features a swoony prince fighting for his happily ever after. Read My Thoughts…
June 4, 2024
Author Interview – Sara Jane Triglia
Helen: Welcome, Sara Jane. Congratulations on the release of your book. I am so excited that today is your launch day! Tell us a little about Souls in the Stars.
Sara Jane: Souls in the Stars is my debut novel. It’s a thought-provoking sci-fi adventure that explores spiritually in a unique and nuanced way for young, sensitive souls who are seeking depth and meaning. It’s essentially about a teenage girl who has to rescue her little brother after he dies and becomes trapped as an orb of light. But, really, there’s a lot more to the story.
It has some of your favorite YA tropes: chosen one, dystopia/utopia (yes, both), jungle adventure, mystical island, love triangle romance, telekinesis, magical systems, reincarnation, reluctant hero. (Think Hunger Games meets Avatar.)
Helen: Your cover is beautiful, what were your thoughts behind the design?
Sara Jane: The cover began as a simple image of a ball of light—a soul orb—in the dark. For the second version, we tried to make it more interesting, so we created a scene from the novel where Bay is marveling at the soul orb in the jungle. It was a great cover, but we were told to follow cover trends, so we made another cover option that looked more “2024”. Yet, it felt like something essential was missing. So we combined the two covers and got our final cover which I LOVE. I think it’s perfect. My designer did a spectacular job.
(I made a video showing my audience the process of this on my Instagram.)
Helen: It was worth all the effort. How did you come up with the book title?
Sara Jane: The stand-in title during my first draft was “Infinite” but I thought it sounded too amorphous and unspecific. After changing the title three or four more times I landed on Souls in the Stars because it best represented the story while also being a never before used title. The book takes on both spirituality and science in a nuanced way, so the title reflects that. Souls/Stars. At the end of the book there’s a bit of dialogue that explains this more in-depth. What I’m saying is that, yes, there’s definitely a special meaning behind the title but I don’t want to spoil it.
Helen: Book titles can be difficult to nail down! Tell us what made you write this particular book?
Sara Jane: The idea of reincarnation has always been interesting to me and I wanted to explore that more. The stars and outer space have always fascinated me as well. So, I think this novel was born out of those two curiosities.
I dreamt it up back in 2011, but only wrote the first chapter before my inner critic got the best of me. I was only twenty three years old back then. For years, I thought about the story and the characters, jotting down notes and subplot ideas.
It wasn’t until December 2018, when I was thirty, that I got re-inspired and decided it was time to finish the story.
This is my “hard” novel, and I think only writers’ know what I’m talking about when I say that. Basically, writers have no shortage of ideas and some of them we know are easier to execute than others. I once wrote a rough draft of a fluffy romance in a month because it was just that kind of story.
Souls in the Stars was not that. This novel required major research, world-building, and character development. I knew that tackling this story was going to be a rough climb and that was terrifying. I honestly didn’t know if I could pull it off.
There was a time, maybe in my third or forth draft, where I truly doubted myself. But, I worked at this thing for five years, perfecting each word, each line. Getting beta readers and editors feedback. Rechecking my facts. Reorganizing the scenes. Making sure the characters all went deep and were properly fleshed out. Killing all my darlings. Agonizing over word choices. Implementing agent and publisher suggestions. Making sure it had all the elements of a great book as well as being commercially viable.
At this point, I believe I made a great quality novel and did the story justice. I’m proud of what I created.
Helen: Congratulations on persevering and publishing your debut novel. That is an amazing acheivement and one you should be proud of. Who is your protagonist and why did you write them?
Sara Jane: Bay Lilly. I wrote her has a role model that I wished I had as a twelve-year-old.
I grew up watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and it meant everything to me that she was a blonde girl who could kick ass while also being a capable leader. I’m not sure how it is today, but as a blonde girl, I heard nothing but “dumb blonde” jokes everywhere I went. I never felt capable or smart and I struggled with that most of my adolescence.
I wanted Bay to be someone that teenage girls could look up to and in more ways than one. In that she is strong and capable, but also sensitive and empathetic (two traits that are often looked at as a weakness). Her biggest strength of all doesn’t end up coming from her ability to beat people up, but in her emotional intelligence and compassion. Most of all I want girls to know they can be pretty (and blonde) but also capable and valuable as a sensitive, empathic person. And not just valuable, but needed in this world.
The irony is that it took me so long to finish this novel that I now have an eleven-year-old blonde daughter who reminds me a lot of Bay. So, in many ways, Bay is for her.
Helen: Having reached this milestone and released a novel, and after the well deserved celebrations, are you working on anything else?
Sara Jane: My husband is begging me to take a break. This debut novel has been more than a part-time job and I need my next project to be myself. I have a lot of self-care I need catching up on.
With that said, I have an old (finished) manuscript I want to tweak for my next release. It’s a young adult magical realism romance and I love it.
Helen: You have a young family, and you said it was quite hard to write Souls in the Stars. How do you fit writing into your daily life?
Sara Jane: I stay up way too late. I have young kids who I homeschool, so that’s basically my only choice. What’s crazy is that I don’t drink coffee. So, on those long writing days I basically run on the high of creativity.
Helen: Thank you so much for talking to us today. Just to close us out, could you share your favourite book that you would recommend to others?
Sara Jane: The Giver by Lois Lowery. It’s the book that made me want to be a writer. I’ve loved it since sixth grade. It’s so clever and emotional and tragic.
Thinking about it now, I think it has some of the same undertones as Souls in the Stars. A sci-fi dystopian/utopian society that is trying to be so perfect that they lose their humanity—their empathy—and they need someone to remind them how to feel.
About the Author
Sara Jane TrigaliaSARA JANE TRIGLIA is a young adult sci-fi, fantasy, and mindfulness author writing from the slopes of a volcano. As a sensitive person who craves depth and meaning, she loves to bring these elements to her stories for young readers. From children’s books to young adult novels, Sara’s stories are often emotional, adventurous, and thought-provoking. Sara has published short story eBooks, including, Jumping Caspian and The Origins of Raine.
In 2021, she published her mindfulness children’s book The Littlest Magnolia which she wrote and illustrated when her daughter was diagnosed with epilepsy. As a former YouTube vlogger, Sara loves to share her passion for writing on social media. When she is not writing, you can find her homeschooling her kids, practicing mindfulness, or folding a massive pile of laundry.
Follow Sara Jane:
Purchase Sara Jane’s book: Souls in the Stars
Link to book on Amazon UK: eBook | Paperback
Link to book on Amazon US: eBook | Paperback
As an Amazon Associate I may benefit from purchases made using these links.
If you enjoy fantasy books with a touch of romance then you will love SoulBreather, or my epic fantasy Sentinal series. As a new threat against Remargaren is discovered, only one man can wake the ancient guards who can protect them, only he doesn’t know how. Start the adventure and stay for the journey.
Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.
Sign up to my newsletter and download a free copy of Sentinals Stirring
By clicking the sign up button above, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and the newsletter platform provider to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.
By signing up to my newsletter, you agree to receive commercial information from Helen Garraway, located at 61 Bridge St, Kingston, Hertfordshire, UK (Data Administrator). You can withdraw your consent at any time. The data will be processed until the consent is withdrawn.
