Mayra Calvani's Blog, page 15

5 Questions with Greg Byrne, author of NINE PLANETS

Greg Byrne is an English teacher, grammar consultant, and lecturer. He enjoys exploring places, ideas, history, languages and science, dinners with friends, watching his family grow, and living life’s great adventure. His next projects are a young adult thriller with a twist, developing a grammar teaching system for schools, and writing a grammar text for ESL students. He lives in Perth, Western Australia, with his beloved wife and family and an overweight British Blue.

About the book:

In the world of despair, Father Nick’s Day is the only hope…

Peter Blackwell wakes from a coma into a world he doesn’t recognize. Without memory or identity, all he has are nine random images. Nine planets. Eight he can see, although he does not understand them, but the impenetrable ninth is the secret that two opposing and hidden brotherhoods have been seeking for nearly two millennia. Pursued, betrayed, Blackwell has twelve days to unlock his Ninth Planet and prevent terminal worldwide suicide. And his only ally is a manic assassin sent to extract the secret and kill him.

NINE PLANETS is a debut Christmas-themed science fiction thriller from an Australian author.

Find out more on AMAZON.

Q: What’s inside the mind of a fantasy author?

A: Wild extravagant thoughts. Real and unreal people in unreal worlds. Plenty of hypothesizing and re-imagining stories, images, characters and worlds in new ways. A whole library of histories and myths. Any number of fragments of constructed languages.

Q: Tell us why readers should buy Nine Planets.

A: Because it is unlike anything available today on the market, a story that hides one story beneath another, a very real and human story in a very unusual world.

Q: What makes a good fantasy novel?

A: A story that combines everything that makes us human with everything that does not: real human desires, character, brokenness, rages, loves, weaknesses, strengths and courage placed among strange landscapes, creatures, physical laws, languages and realities. Tolkien embodies this: the small hobbit, with all his simple desires, placed among the wide, legendary vistas of Middle Earth.

Q: What is a regular writing day like for you?

A: Have coffee, check emails and site posts, and write down all the dreams, images, mental tastes and flavours marinating in my subconscious. Then sit down at the computer and read the chapter I wrote the night before. Start writing. Walk around the park. Let thoughts rise up. Make connections. Get excited. Rush back to the keyboard. Write. Talk to the family. Disconnect from the book. Go to bed. Repeat.

Q: What do you find most rewarding about being an author?

A: It fulfils me. It activates all the DNA that make me who I am. It honours my parents for their gift to me. It gives me the opportunity to share my stories with the world.

 

Interview with Cindy Lynn Speer, author of 'Wishes and Sorrows'

Cindy Lynn Speer is the author of several novels, including The Chocolatier’s Wife and the short story collection Wishes and Sorrows.  She loves mixing fantasy, mystery and romance and playing with the old stories.  When not writing she can be found reading, teaching people historical fencing, and costuming.

About Wishes and Sorrows:

"Richly ambitious" -- Publishers Weekly

For every wish there is a sorrow...

Wishes are born from sorrows, blessings are sometimes curses, and even fairy godmothers cannot always get what they want. In this original collection, Cindy Lynn Speer, the author of “The Chocolatier’s Wife”, brings to life creatures of myths and tales, mixing them into a vibrant tapestry of stories, happy and sad, magical and real, each lovingly crafted and sure to touch the reader’s soul.

Step into the world where magic is real, and every mundane bit of reality is as magical as a true fairy tale.

Q: Congratulations on the release of your latest book, Wishes and Sorrows. What was your inspiration for it?

A:  I love writing short stories – I get lovely little scenes in my head, or people just settle into the back of my mind and start telling their story, and I know that these are not huge stories, they are just this one part of this person’s life, so I settle down and I write it.  Short stories are awesome because it makes you move a different set of mental muscles, keeping the prose on track, focusing on this one tale.  And it’s liberating to have something done in a shorter length of time.  (Though, I do love longer works, too, just for very different reasons.)

Q: Tell us something interesting about your protagonist.

A:  I have several…there’s a woman named Aziza, who is a “Bell Witch” – she scares away ghosts from her village every night.  There’s a lady who marries a very dangerous man despite her friend’s worries in my re-telling of the Mr. Fox/Bluebeard myth “A Necklace of Rubies.”  I have runaways, princesses, faeries, ghosts…each trying to find their way out of a mess to some sort of happy ending.  Some succeed, some…not so much.

Q: How was your creative process like during the writing of this book and how long did it take you to complete it? Did you face any bumps along the way?

A:  This book is so completely different from my other novels because it is the work of many years.  There’s “Remember” – a dark little story that I wrote in college, and the person I was then is not the person who wrote “But Can you Let Him Go?”  The person who wrote the first story had a totally different take on love, darkness…the one who wrote the second, at that time of her life, was much more interested in redemption and how we earn our happy endings in the hope that, eventually, I will earn my own.  So in a lot of ways, this is an interesting look at my development as a writer.  The stories are, on the surface, just good, solid stories with a mix of horror, fantasy, and romance.  Underneath they form my own history, as a writer – what I learned, finding the truth of my voice – and as a person, about what I felt was important at the time, what I valued.  There are more happy endings the older I get (Wow, I sound like I’m 80, I’m not quite half that) because I see how much more important they are.

That all sounds deep…more deep, really, than it should be.  *grins*

Q: How do you keep your narrative exciting throughout the creation of a novel?

A:  One of the awesome things about short stories is that the narratives are short, focused.  You can’t go wandering all around and everything needs to be important.  In novels you can sometimes get away with an awesome conversation or a small side trip as long as it feels like it belongs and it does not bore the reader, but in short stories everything excess is stripped away.  And…also…in a collection, if someone hates one story, they can leap to the next.  The stories are all kind of a mix, so there is something for everyone in it.

Q: Do you experience anxiety before sitting down to write? If yes, how do you handle it?

A:  I don’t…I have anxiety about trying to find time to write, but never about writing itself.  Once I have my mind locked into the writing, I have an awesome time.  It is simply a matter of making time and being disciplined.

Q: What is your writing schedule like and how do you balance it with your other work and family time?

A:  My writing schedule is a bit of catch as catch can sometimes.  I write when I find time…lunch breaks, after dinner, whenever there is free time.

Q: How do you define success?

A:  A lot of ways!  Getting something done you can be proud to stand behind and encourage people to read.  Having someone review your book and really seemed to have enjoyed it.  Even a tweet where someone says, “Hey, when is another book coming out?” is an amazing thing.

A lot of people want to define success with money – and goodness, it would be fun to be able to stay home and write, that is my dream.  But who knows if it will ever happen?  So I define success by the small goals.  I am so happy when someone says, “I liked this!” – making my readers happy is the best thing, ever.

Q: What advice would you give to aspiring writers whose spouses or partners don’t support their dreams of becoming an author?

A:  It is about balance and honesty.  I have seen so many people who were unhappy swallow it – they have someone who does not support their work, but they keep their unhappiness to themselves because they don’t want to hurt their partner.  I see this as treating the person you love as someone who isn’t your friend.  Sit down and talk to them about how important this is, how it is a part of you.  Ask how you can both work together so you have the writing time you need.

Mostly people are reasonable.  Some are not.  But the key is…I think the things that mean the most are the ones worth fighting for.  So if he or she won’t support you, as long as you are doing your part to keep the house/life/relationship going, there is no shame in carving out time to write, locking the door and saying, “I love you, but this is my time to work on my dreams.”

Q: George Orwell once wrote: “Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand.” Do you agree?

A:I do, mostly.  Writing is work…sometimes you are just clicking away and you are like, “This is the best thing, ever!” and then you slow down, and you stop.  For me it’s not (generally) like hitting a way as much as coming to c clearing and having a feeling that you took a wrong turn back there somewhere, and you are unsure what direction you should go, so you sort of wander around the edges and try and see if any the paths out look right.  And making sure it all sounds right, everything is work.  But like I said, if it’s worth it, it’s worth the work.

Q:  Anything else you’d like to tell my readers?

A:  If  you want to be a writer, be persistent.  Never give up, read lots, and keep going.  If you are a reader, thank you – keep reading and telling people what makes you happy, because it is a great gift.

Meet James Ryan Daley, author of 'Jesus Jackson'

James Ryan Daley is a writer, editor, and digital designer. After earning an MFA in fiction at the Vermont College of Fine Arts in 2004, James has spent most of the years since teaching writing to college students, creating websites about video games, and editing anthologies of fiction and political rhetoric. When he's not glued to his computer, James can usually be found skiing the slopes of Vermont’s famous mountains or sailing the harbors of Rhode Island. He lives in Newport, RI with his wife and two daughters.

Q: Congratulations on the release of your latest book, Jesus Jackson. What was your inspiration for it?

A: While the plot of Jesus Jackson centers on a murder mystery, at its heart, it’s the story of a young man searching for answers to the same huge, impossible, unanswerable questions that we all ask ourselves all the time: Is there a god? What happens after I die? How well do I really know the people in my life? How do I make sense of all the crazy, sad, frustrating, and unfair things that life is constantly throwing at me? These are all questions that I struggled with quite a bit when I was a teenager (and still struggle with, frankly).  Jesus Jackson was a fun and intriguing way of exploring them.

Q: Tell us something interesting about your protagonist.

A: In this story, Jonathan is in a sort of philosophical limbo that I think a lot of people experience: he has come to conclusion that he doesn’t believe in any type of god or religion, but he hasn’t yet figured out how to deal with life’s challenges without a belief system to guide him. This story is largely about Jonathan coming to understand how to live his life in the absence of any specific religious faith.

Q: How was your creative process like during the writing of this book and how long did it take you to complete it? Did you face any bumps along the way?

A: Writing the first draft of Jesus Jackson was actually a fairly smooth process: I woke up early every morning, wrote a few pages, and repeated until it was done. Revising the story was a whole lot less smooth. I had to go through multiple revisions (some of them quite extensive, and none of them easy) before I wound up with a finished product that I was really happy with.

Q: How do you keep your narrative exciting throughout the creation of a novel?

A: I just always try to ask myself what would be fun to read about next if I were the reader instead of the writer. Usually that leads me to jump right into something exciting.

Q: Do you experience anxiety before sitting down to write? If yes, how do you handle it?

A: I've always found that the best way to deal with that kind of anxiety is to avoid it. For me, that means waking up as early as I can stand to, and sitting down to write before I have enough time to start worrying about it.

Q: What is your writing schedule like and how do you balance it with your other work and family time?

A:  Most of my other work is done on a freelance basis these days, so my schedule is pretty flexible. That flexibility can be just as much of a curse as a blessing, though, because it's easy to get caught up in other projects, especially when you're approaching a deadline. That’s another reason why I try to write in the morning, before I have a chance to get distracted.  If I'm approaching an immediate deadline for my writing, though, then all bets are off: it’s just wake up, write, and keep writing until it’s time to go to sleep again.

Q: How do you define success?

A: As an author, I would define success simply having an audience. If there are people who read your book, enjoy it, and want to read your next one: that’s success.

Q: What advice would you give to aspiring writers whose spouses or partners don’t support their dreams of becoming an author?

A:  That's a tough one. I'm extremely fortunate to have a wife who has always been supportive of my writing, and who happens to be an amazing editor, as well.  I honestly don’t know what advice I would give to someone whose spouse is actively against their writing, except to say that, sooner or later, they’re going have a pretty serious decision to make.

Q: George Orwell once wrote: “Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand.” Do you agree?

A: Absolutely, though I tend to equate writing more with an incurable addiction than a painful illness. I feel miserable when I don’t write. I feel great after I’ve just finished writing. Most of the time, the actual writing itself is mildly disappointing, but every once in a while, it feels absolutely amazing.

Q:  Anything else you’d like to tell my readers?

A: Yes: that they should all go check out the trailer I made for Jesus Jackson. I basically spent half of my summer learning how to use professional film-making software, and the other half actually making this trailer. The response to it has been really amazing, so I am sure that they will consider it a well-spent 80 seconds. Here’s the link: http://youtu.be/iD3nMqCzjxo 

Book info:

Title:  Jesus Jackson
Genre:  Young Adult Mystery
Author: James Ryan Daley
Website: www.jamesryandaley.com
Publisher:  The Poisoned Pencil
The Poisoned Pen / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

An Interview with Beverly McClure, Author of 'A Pirate, a Blockade Runner, and a Cat'

When Beverly Stowe McClure was in eighth grade, her teacher sent her poem “Stars” to the National High School Poetry Association, and she was soon a published writer in Young America Sings, an anthology of Texas high school poetry. Today, Beverly is a cum laude graduate of Midwestern State University with a BSEd degree. For twenty-two years, she taught children to read and write. They taught her patience. She is affectionately known as the “Bug Lady” because she rescues butterflies, moths, walking sticks, and praying mantis from her cats.

Most of the time, you’ll find Beverly in front of her computer, writing the stories little voices in her head tell her. When she’s not writing, she takes long walks and snaps photos of clouds, wild flowers, birds and deer. She also enjoys visiting with her family and teaching a women’s Sunday school class at her church. Her articles have been published in leading children’s magazines. Two of her stories are in CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL ANTHOLOGIES, and she has nine novels published, two of them award winning novels at Children’s Literary Classics and other competitions.

Q: What’s inside the mind of a children and teen's author?

A: Haha. I'm not sure you'd want to look inside my mind. I think, though, I'm still a child at heart. I taught in elementary school for twenty-two years. My thoughts are often like a child's/teen’s thoughts: the insecurities of life and wanting to be popular.

I don’t know about other writers but like many children/teens I’m insecure at times. Instead of worrying about homework and dates like kids do, I worry if I’ll ever be able to write another story. If I manage to do so, will it be published?

I also want my writing to be popular, or at least to be liked. Instead of worrying about my best friend now having another best friend or all the cute guys ignoring me, I worry over whether readers will buy my story. If they read it, will they enjoy it?

Q: Tell us why readers should buy A PIRATE, A BLOCKADE RUNNER, AND A CAT.

A: The novel is a paranormal novel for MG/Tween readers that enjoy reading about pirates and ghosts, mixed with a bit of history and adventure. The novel also is about family and what happens when parents split up. Many of the readers will relate to Erik as he tries to make sense of why his father left home and his mother moved Erik halfway across the country. Star, one of Erik’s new friends, is a great character because she can read mind dreams (she calls them.)This makes for some interesting clashes with Erik.

Q: What makes a good MG paranormal novel?

A: Good question. It's hard for me to say why one story attracts the reader’s attention and another one doesn't. One thing I discovered with my latest novel is to make sure you have the historical facts and ghostly facts straight. Kids are smart and will catch a mistake, even a small one. Then they may not believe anything else you say in the story. Do the research to make sure your facts are accurate. Also, the characters must be realistic, with good points and bad. To me, the characters make the story. The main character should have a realistic goal or problem that he/she struggles to solve. I think young readers want characters they like and can even relate to.

Q: What is a regular writing day like for you?

A: After breakfast, I check email, visit my blogs, Face Book and other sites, and then I write, usually from 9:00 AM until noon. I might work on a new story or do a second, third, or more revision on another story. In the afternoon, I edit work if I have a new book coming out. If not, I play around with ideas for new stories and do more Online stuff. At night, I enjoy reading and writing reviews.

Q: What do you find most rewarding about being an author?

A: When a child says they loved my story, or it helped them with a similar problem to the girl/boy in the story, I am happy. I don't write to teach a lesson, but if a reader can relate to the character(s)and find hope in his/her life, what more could I ask for?

Interview with Andrew Cratsley, author of 'Keepers of Runes and the Tower of Shadows'

 

A native of Honeoye, New York, Andrew Cratsley lives in North Carolina. Keepers of Runes and the Tower of Shadows is his debut novel. Cratsley is a lifelong fan of fantasy books, films, and RPG-style gaming.  A champion of literacy issues and proud supporter of the World Literacy Foundation, Cratsley will donate a portion of the proceeds from Keepers of Runes and the Tower of Shadows to the World Literacy Foundation’s fight against illiteracy.

Twitter: @Mortiscet / www.keeperofrunes.com

https://www.facebook.com/andy.cratsley?fref=ts

When did you decide you wanted to become an author?

 

It was about fifteen years ago my interest started, but a lot of study was needed and was done between my revisions over the years.

Do you have another job besides writing?

Unfortunately, which makes an annual release a difficult promise to keep, but I will do what I can for my readers.

Were you an avid reader as a child? What type of books did you enjoy reading?

Fantasy was always my biggest interest (followed by horror) in the form of books, movies, and games. In recent years finding time to read and write is difficult, but high five to Miss Rowling.

Tell us a bit about your latest book, and what inspired you to write such a story.

The Tower of Shadows is the first of my five book series Keepers of Runes. How the idea came to me I’ll never know, but I blame a lifetime of hardcore love for fantasy. As a fan of the genre; I expect a nice blend of action, comedy, and romance, which of course I weave into my stories.

How would you describe your creative process while writing this book? Was it stream-of-consciousness writing, or did you first write an outline?

There was no outline on the first volume as it was rewritten several times over the years. The rest of the series is being mapped out carefully, however.

Did your book require a lot of research?

It was surprising the number of things that interrupted the writing process. I researched things such as geothermal energy, meteorology, evolution, and of course the more obvious: Latin, medieval technology, etc.

What was your goal when writing this book?

I know the book will appeal most to high fantasy fans and RPG gamers, but I wanted anyone to be able to pick up the book and understand it. I’m relieved to see the array of readers who enjoy the book.

Who is your target audience?

The series will appeal to teens and adults. It has caught the attention of a wide range of fantasy fans, so I can’t wait to see this novel hit the shelves.

What will the reader learn after reading your book?

They will see that this is only the beginning of an exciting saga.

What type of writer are you—the one who experiences before writing, like Hemingway, or the one who mostly daydreams and fantasizes?

I live inside my fantasies as much as I can without getting committed. Fortunately we have renaissance fairs that allow me to dress up and carry a sword once in a while. :)

Agatha Christie got her best ideas while eating green apples in the bathtub. Steven Spielberg says he gets his best ideas while driving on the highway. When do you get your best ideas and why do you think this is?

At completely random times…like when the boss at my day job wants me to explain why an accident happened, or when the power goes out. I have no idea how my mind functions, but it all works out somehow.

Describe your working environment.

 

A quiet dark room at a desk with a pot of coffee on hand.

What types of scenes give you the most trouble to write?

Nothing in particular. If my mood isn’t appropriate to the scene it can be difficult. That’s when you step back and get into character.

They say authors have immensely fragile egos… How would you handle negative criticism or a negative review?

 

Being offended is a choice. You can choose to actually learn something from you feedback.

As a writer, what scares you the most?

Running out of stories to tell.

When writing, what themes do you feel passionate about?

All of them. You have to capture the mood of the moment or you’re wasting your time.

Are you a disciplined writer?

That depends...how much time away is appropriate for a Skyrim break?

When it comes to writing, are you an early bird, or a night owl?

 

I’m a vampire.

Do you have an agent?  How was your experience in searching for one?

No agents. I’m self-published and proud of it.

Do you have any unusual writing quirks?

I gnaw on pens. Don’t let me borrow yours.

What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

 

Being concise and avoiding the passive.

Do you have a website/blog where readers may learn more about you and your work?

My website is  www.keeperofrunes.com  and I created a blog on my goodreads profile:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22071000-keepers-of-runes-and-the-tower-of-shadows?from_search=true  There are 30 copies available for giveaway and can be found on that page. The giveaway ends on September 17th .

I can also be found on twitter @Mortiscet.

Do you have another book on the works? Would you like to tell readers about your current or future projects?

Book 2 will be called Keepers of Runes and the Rise of Khalid. My hope is to release it the same time next year, but I can’t promise it.

As an author, what is your greatest reward?

Knowing that my finished work is a piece of history I can leave behind for generations to come.

Anything else you’d like to say about yourself or your work?

Enjoy the ride, because the rabbit hole will venture deeper in Terranesit, and it is about to get much darker.

Thanks for stopping by! It was a pleasure to have you here!

'5 Questions with Donna Galanti,' Author of A Hidden Element, book 2 in the Element Trilogy

Donna Galanti writes murder and mystery with a dash of steam as well as middle grade adventure fiction. She is the author of books 1 and 2 in the paranormal suspense Element Trilogy, A Human Element andA Hidden Element, the short story collection The Dark Inside, and Joshua and The Lightning Road (Books 1 and 2, 2015). She’s lived from England as a child, to Hawaii as a U.S. Navy photographer. She now lives in Pennsylvania with her family in an old farmhouse. It has lots of writing nooks, fireplaces, and stink bugs, but she’s still wishing for a castle again—preferably with ghosts.

Website: www.ElementTrilogy.com
Blog: http://www.elementtrilogy.com/blog/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/DonnaGalanti
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DonnaGalantiAuthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5767306.Donna_Galanti

Q: What’s inside the mind of a suspense author?

A: Never ending dialogue. Scenes of evil doers and people in peril. Tormented villains getting revenge, and then their comeuppance. Steamy lovers in a survival showdown. Yep, it’s generally dark in there full of murder, mystery, and mayhem! Then add a dash of hope and humanity alongside a love for creating psychopathic melee and you’ve got a brew for one wild ride.

Q: Tell us why readers should buy A Hidden Element.

A: I believe the book contains universal elements that people can relate to; abandonment, loss, redemption, acceptance, grief, and yearning for something you can never have. I write from the dark side with a glimpse of hope and am drawn to writing the tormented hero’s journey–and tormented villain’s. I enjoy creating empathy for both by blurring the lines between good and evil. And I especially enjoy using the paranormal elements of mind control to shake the foundation of my character’s world. If you enjoy murder and mystery with a dash of steam you’ll enjoy A Hidden Element.

Q: What makes a good paranormal suspense novel?

A: As a subgenre of suspense, a well-crafted paranormal suspense novel (for me) can include elements that range beyond scientific explanation and blend other genres together such as fantasy, horror, and science fiction. The fantastic thing about writing paranormal is that there are so many avenues of paranormal to write about including psychic powers (my favorite!) or ghosts, time travel, or vampires.

Q: What is a regular writing day like for you?

A: It begins with the alarm clock usually buzzing at 4:30am. The dark morning hours are my best time to do creative writing on a new book when my mind is uncluttered. Afternoons are best left for revisions, research, and promotion. When I am creating a new book I love to sit outdoors overlooking the woods with a pen and notebook and handwrite my ideas. My thoughts are slowed down this way as my brain connects to pen in hand, and it opens my mind up to brainstorm. There is nothing more freeing creatively to journal new characters and story ideas and throw all sorts of “what if?” questions out there to find the kernel of a good story you want to pursue.

Q: What do you find most rewarding about being an author?

A: Two things. First, when it comes to readers, there is nothing more thrilling than reading wonderful reviews about your book that you spent months, or years, creating and shaping. It’s from that private place in your heart, where you love the most – and hurt the most – that you pour out pages to show the world. And it’s all worthwhile when you discover that others have been touched by your story, just as you were touched while you were writing it. Second, it’s rewarding to pay it forward to up-and-coming authors. There is a wonderful feeling that comes from speaking to writers about your publishing journey and sharing advice and techniques on how to find success as an author, and hope that they do.

ABOUT A HIDDEN ELEMENT:
Evil lurks within…
When Caleb Madroc is used against his will as part of his father’s plan to breed a secret community and infiltrate society with their unique powers, he vows to save his oppressed people and the two children kept from him. Seven years later, Laura and Ben Fieldstone’s son is abducted, and they are forced to trust a madman’s son who puts his life on the line to save them all. The enemy’s desire to own them—or destroy them—leads to a survival showdown. Laura and Ben must risk everything to defeat a new nemesis that wants to rule the world with their son, and Caleb may be their only hope—if he survives. But must he sacrifice what he most desires to do so?

PRAISE FOR A HIDDEN ELEMENT:
"Chilling and dark…a twisty journey into another world." —J.T. Ellison, New York Times bestselling author of When Shadows Fall

"Fascinating…a haunting story…"—Rebecca Cantrell, New York Times bestselling author of The World Beneath

"Will keep you up long past your bedtime...a pulse-pounding read."—Allan Leverone, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Final Vector

BUY THE ELEMENT TRILOGY BOOKS:

Purchase Book 2 in the Element Trilogy, A Hidden Element: http://amzn.to/1p1YD1o

Purchase Book 1 in the Element Trilogy, A Human Element: http://amzn.to/1mNcyCO
ON SALE NOW FOR JUST $.99cents!

Profile: Donna Galanti, Author of ‘A Human Element’

Donna Galanti writes murder and mystery as well as middle grade adventure fiction. She is an International Thriller Writers Debut Author of the paranormal suspense novel A Human Element , the short story collection The Dark Inside, and the forthcoming Joshua and The Lightning Road.

An avid reader as a child, Galanti grew up in a nurturing environment, immersed in books such asThe Hobbit, Little House in the Big Woods, The Island of the Blue Dolphins, My Side of The Mountain, Call of the Wild and White Fang. “My favorite author was Roald Dahl and my favorite book of his was Danny the Champion of the World,” says Galanti, whose dark imagination ran wild from the start.

From her early years in England to her later work in Hawaii as a U.S. Navy photographer, Galanti always dreamed of becoming an author. She wrote her first murder mystery screenplay at the tender age of seven. She had a career in writing for marketing and communications and ran her own resume writing service, but it wasn’t until her mother died five years ago that she began writing novels out of her grief. Eventually, that grief turned to peace, when she fully realized what it was she truly loved to do: becoming a storyteller. In addition to being a full-time author, Galanti also works part time as a freelance copywriter for an advertising agency.

“I write from the dark side with a glimpse of hope. I am drawn to writing the hero’s journey – more so the tormented hero, and tormented villain. I enjoy creating empathy for both by blurring the lines between good and evil,” states the author, whose first two books in The Element Trilogy , A Human Element and A Hidden Element (Imajin Books, August 2014) are both full of murder and mystery with a dash of steam, and both have their own tormented hero and villain. “I slay my own demons through my writing – and I highly recommend it!” she says.

A Human Element , just released by Imajin Books, is the thrilling, unrelenting page-turner story of Laura Armstrong. Her friends and family members are being murdered and, despite her unique healing powers, she can do nothing to stop it. Determined to find the killer, she follows her visions to the site of a crashed meteorite in her hometown, where she eventually unravels a terrifying secret that binds her to the killer.

The book has already garnered excellent praise from New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry and international bestselling author M.J. Rose.

Galanti lives in an old farmhouse – sadly, with no ghosts – with many fireplaces where she often curls up to create her page-turners. Other times she works in her office overlooking the woods. Throughout the year she meets weekly with a women’s writing group at a café where they write together and share advice and their success stories.

“When I am creating a new book I love to sit outdoors overlooking the woods with a pen and notebook and handwrite my ideas. My thoughts are slowed down this way as my brain connects to pen in hand, and it opens my mind up to brainstorm,” says the author, describing her creative process. “There is nothing more freeing creatively to journal story ideas and throw all sorts of ‘what if?’ questions out there to find the kernel of a good story you want to pursue. Then I create character worksheets and type up a ten page synopsis of the book. I do all this before I write that first word of the story. And I always create a title first! It’s what drives my inspiration for the story.”

Galanti began writing A Human Element seventeen years ago from a vision she had while driving to work one day. She wrote two chapters and shelved them for over a decade. When she finally decided to continue the story, she wrote Monday through Friday from 4:30am to 6:30am. After seven months she typed THE END.

All writers have their stronger and weaker points, and for this author, revision is her favorite process. That’s where she can make her story shine. “Knowing how important this process is has been one of my strong points,” she says. “There are many layers to a story to be found after you write that first draft, and that’s what I love to do: peel back the layers.” One area she struggled in for a long time was to slow down her writing. She can be a very fast writer, creating pages and pages of words that often would need to be trimmed down. She has since then learned to slow down her writing and craft her words with care as she writes them, so she doesn’t have to spend so much time on revision.

In an era when small presses, the good, the bad and the ugly, abound, Galanti’s experience has been nothing but positive. “My experience with Imajin Books has been amazing!” she says of her Canadian-based publisher. “Imajin Books is dedicated to working with me to help my books succeed. The owner, Cheryl Kaye Tardif, is a bestselling author in her own right.” Imajin Books was very responsive and provided in-depth editorial guidance as well as marketing plans, not to mention fantastic book cover designs. The publishing industry is notorious for being slow-moving, but in the case of The Element Trilogy, Imajin Books made the process quick and efficient.

As with many authors, Galanti finds starting a new book most challenging. The first blank page can be a scary thing, until the story takes over, propelling your main character into his new unbalanced world toward the ultimate end. However, being an author can be extremely rewarding. “When it comes to readers, there is nothing more thrilling than reading wonderful reviews about your book that you spent months, or years, creating and shaping,” she says. “It’s from that private place in your heart, where you love the most – and hurt the most – that you pour out pages to show the world. And it’s all worthwhile when you discover that others have been touched by your story, just as you were touched while you were writing it. Second, it’s rewarding to pay it forward to up-and-coming authors. There is a wonderful feeling that comes from speaking to writers about your publishing journey and sharing advice and techniques on how to find success as an author, and hope that they do.”

Galanti is currently working on the idea for the third and final book in The Element Trilogy called, A Healing Element, and gearing up to release book 2, A Hidden Element, on August 28th. A native of upstate New York, the author now lives in Southeastern Pennsylvania with her family in an old farmhouse. It has lots of writing nooks, fireplaces, and stink bugs, but she’s still wishing for a castle—preferably with ghosts.

Connect with the author on Facebook , Twitter and her Blog.

This profile was originally published in Blogcritics. 

 

5 Questions with D.W. Raleigh, Author of 'Shiloh's True Nature'

My guest today is debut YA fantasy author D.W. Raleigh, whose novel, Shiloh's True Nature, was just published by Hobbes End Publishing.

D.W. Raleigh is from the mid-Atlantic region. He holds numerous college degrees, including an M.A. in Philosophy. Race track teller, debt collector, and merchandiser are just a few of the jobs he had held in addition to being a published author. Shiloh's True Nature is the first in a series of novels he plans to write.

Shiloh's True Nature tells the suspenseful story of a 12 year-old farm boy who is sent to stay with his estranged grandfather and discovers a mysterious new world inhabited by supernatural beings called 'Movers.' Find out more about the book from Hobbes End Publishing.

Q: What’s inside the mind of a Fantasy author?

A: For me, it is the desire to construct a unique tale that uses mythological themes without relying on technology.  It enhances my creativity to try to think of new ways for characters to accomplish ordinary tasks.

Q: Tell us why readers should buy Shiloh’s True Nature.

A: I can think of many reasons why fiction readers will love STN, but, for the sake of brevity, I’ll give just two.  First, they should buy it for the pure enjoyment of reading.  I believe I’ve constructed a compelling read that will draw the reader in and reward them for their effort.  Second, people need to unplug every now and then.  We are becoming so dependent on technological devices and visuals that it is stifling thought and imagination.  A good book is a great escape.

Q: What makes a good Fantasy novel?

A: I believe, with all novels, what is most important is being able to relate to the characters in some way.  If you can’t understand their motivations or see yourself in their position, you won’t keep reading.

Q: What is a regular writing day like for you?

A: There is no such thing as ‘a regular writing day’ for me.  I write when the mood strikes.  That’s not to say I don’t have to motivate myself from time to time.  However, if I try to force myself, I am usually unhappy with the results.

Q: What do you find most rewarding about being an author?

A: Knowing that an unbiased individual read something I created and truly enjoyed it is the most rewarding thing.  It vindicates my time and effort.

5 Questions with Author Sharon van Ivan

Sharon van Ivan lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with her two cats, The Duke and Earl.  She was born in Brooklyn New York and couldn’t wait to move back to New York when she grew up.  Her parents divorced when she was a baby and she lived with her mother in Akron, Ohio, until she returned to New York in her early 20s.  There she studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and was a working actress for many years.  But she was always writing.  Her debut as a playwright was when she was 10 years old and living in Sacramento, California.  She wrote about the hardships of a young girl in Mexico.  The play was so good, it was presented to the whole school.  Sharon was mortified and did not write again until high school.  Then when she had a writing assignment, she would dream about it the night before, and write it just before class.  She was an A student in English.  Not the most popular person in school, however.

Growing up with an alcoholic and, therefore, mentally ill mother and a mostly-absent father (plus a slew of stepfathers) was a challenge that Sharon met head-on – as she had no choice. Later in life when she did have a choice, the patterns had already been set and she followed a similarly disastrous road until she found show business, a great psychiatrist and the love of her life, the renowned realist painter, Charles Pfahl.

Purchase Juggle and Hide on Amazon.

Q: What’s inside the mind of a memoir author?

A: Memories – both good and bad – that have been with me throughout my life. The memories are like slides stuck in a corner of my brain that I need to sort out so that I can go on to write about other things.

Q: Tell us why readers should buy Juggle and Hide.

A: Juggle and Hide has a great cover.  It’s a photo of a painting – also entitled Juggle and Hide – that my husband worked on while I wrote the book. I also believe my story might help others who suffered by growing up in a parent’s alcoholic blackout and then going on to become alcoholics themselves -- even though they swore they never would. And how they came through it all. We are all survivors.

Q: What makes a good memoir?

A: People learning how do deal with their troubled lives. How to live with something horrible from childhood, or even later – even now – and then being able to see that they’re not alone.  We can survive even some of the darkest times, accept our losses and move on without fear if we can relate to others who have experienced the same horrors or similar horrors.

Q: What is a regular writing day like for you?

A: I always begin the day by writing in my journal.  Otherwise, I’m sad to say that I am not very disciplined as a writer and I am high-level procrastinator.  Every day is different for me writing-wise unless I’m really caught up in a project and then I’m writing all day every day. Very erratic way of writing.

Q: What do you find most rewarding about being an author?

A: Completing a project. Being able to stay home and create something from nothing.  Well, not actually nothing.  And people.  I am one of those who who listens all the time to what people are saying: on their phones, in a restaurant, anywhere.  It often doesn’t mean anything at the time, but something important may come out of it later.

Meet Children's Author Anita Banks

Please welcome debut children's author Anita Banks. Anita harbored her secret of writing since she was in junior high school where the desire took seed in a creative writing class. She enjoys journaling, reading, running and traveling, but nothing compares to playing with her grandchildren. She's here today to talk about her new picture book, Tanner Builds a Block Tower.

Visit:

http://www.anitabanks.com/

https://www.facebook.com/anita.banks.9

Q: Congratulations on the release of your book, Tanner Builds a Block Tower. What was your inspiration for it?

A:  Thank you. The inspiration for this book, was my grandson, Tanner. On a visit when he was about three years old, he loved to play with his building blocks and build towers, over and over. He was fascinated with this repetitive play. We also went on numerous walks, he loved to explore the outdoors, and still does. So it seemed a natural fit to combine the two activities.

Q: When did your passion for children’s books begin? Did you have a favorite book when you were a child?

A: I have loved reading since my introduction to Dick and Jane and Dr. Seuss. I am constantly reading something all the time. When I was in junior high school, I had a creative writing class, that is when the writing bug stung me. But when family and life took over, I put the dream aside and just occasionally thought of it.

Q: Did you take any workshops or courses before you started writing?

A:  Yes, I am a workshop junkie. One of my favorites was Walking on a Rainbow, a Fiction Picture Book Workshop with Mayra Calvani. I have completed a number of online workshops and also completed the Institute of Children's Literature course.

Q: How was your creative process like during the writing of this book and how long did it take you to complete it? Did you face any difficulties along the way?

A: This book was created in the Walking on a Rainbow workshop a couple of year ago. I loved the interaction and instruction that was had. The feedback from Mayra and the other participants was fuel that I needed to pursue my dream.

Q: What do you find most challenging about writing for children?

A: I have a number of challenges, I sometimes over think my idea before I start writing, when I should just get the words on the page then edit. I struggle with writing too much and having to cut down to the small number of words that is required for picture books. Some day's it my own self-doubt of my ability and that I shouldn't try at all.

Q: What is your writing schedule like and how do you balance it with your other work and family time?

A: I'm sorry to say that I don't have a writing schedule. My "day" job is nine hours each day on a computer, so some days I just can't make myself look at a computer when I get home. I mostly try to write on my breaks and the weekends. My family time is limited to visits, since my three children are grown and gone, but I'm blessed with grandchildren.

Q: Tell us about your publisher and how you found it.

A: I entered a pitch contest at Savvy Authors, and the editor of Wee Creek Press, Melanie Billings, asked to see the manuscript after she read the pitch, then she contacted me to make the offer.

Q: What was it like working with an illustrator and how much control did you have over the artwork?

A: Wee Creek Press selected the illustrator, Molly Courtright. I didn't have any contact with her. until it was completed.

Q: How do you define success?

A: Success for me is enjoying another day. Living the best person that I can be each day. But career success would be to be able to give up the day job and be an at home full time writer.

Q: Do you think that becoming an author entails sacrifices?

A:  I don't know that I have made any sacrifices, you live with the choices that you make. I have chosen to write, so I have to learn to accommodate my life with that choice. I haven't achieve the full dream yet.

Q: What advice would you give to aspiring children’s writers? Do you know of any helpful resources you’d like to share?

A: Read children's books, first for the enjoyment. Then a second time for the craft. Study books that you truly like. Take classes and join groups. I am in several Facebook children's writers groups. They are informative and you can learn from others that are in the field.

Q:  What’s on the horizon for you?

A: I'm working on a chapter book, and I have a couple of picture books that I am shopping out.

Thank you so much for your time.