Lisa M. Collins's Blog, page 2
May 21, 2017
Get your own Dangerous Client…Fedoras Required
My new short story is available on Amazon for $0.99.
[image error]Private investigator Mack Stevens is embroiled in the job of a lifetime. Mack’s sugar daddy client is pushing him deeper and deeper into the abyss of crimes committed around the globe. Only now those crimes have landed on Mack’s Chicago doorstep.
Follow Mack Stevens through the underbelly of historical Chicago’s speakeasies and clubs. This tale has it all, so light a lucky, pour a scotch, flip down your fedora, and join Mack on the mean streets where brains and beauty, hustlers and hussies sometimes come all in one package.
Originally published in Legends of New Pulp Fiction an anthology collected by Airship 27.
November 1, 2016
#NaNoWriMo2016 Back to Chevron Station!
This year I’m returning to a place I love, Chevron Station. For those of you who haven’t heard of the station, it is one of my completed NaNoWriMo novels. I am ready to get back to the space station and write more of the story. I have hoped to make the book into a series of three or four books and perhaps skip several decades into the future and then write another set of books based on the children of the colonists.
To give you a bit of background about our main character here is a down and dirty bio of Doctor of Psychology and matchmaker extraordinaire, Margaret Morris.
Maggie leaves her academic career on the Moon and trades it for a posting on Earth’s only colony outside of the Sol system. As a professional in relational psychology Maggie is hired by Western Federated Military to help colonize the planet Chevron and keep peace on the space station between the military and the colonists.
There are some parts of Maggie’s past that I feel I would like to flesh out, so I may be going back in time to write about Dr. Morris’ time at Armstrong University. Why would a tenured professor want to leave their school? What would lead Maggie to make the decision to leave her well crafted life for working with the military? These are some of the questions I think I would like to have answered.
Also I felt like I finished the ending of the first novel too quickly. Beta readers still have questions and wanted a bit more meat at the end. So there is some work to be done there. I think once these areas are beefed up a bit more then I’ll see a clear plan for how to begin the next book.
Wow! So there you have it, my goal for NaNoWriMo 2016…being a rebel.
* If you don’t know about NaNoWriMo check it out.
October 5, 2016
31 Days of October Interview with Shae Hamrick and a Giveaway!
I am excited to announce a new anthology: 31 Days of October: A Haunting Collection of Hallowe’en Tales. This book is filled with 33 short stories by 23 writers each with suspense and that feeling of relaxing by a crackling fire telling ghost stories. Below is an interview with one of my co-writers and organizer, Shae Hamrick. I hope you will enjoy my offering in the collection, Night of Shadows, and Happy Hallowe’en!
Shae was born in Kansas, raised in Oklahoma, and transplanted in Texas after a short tour in the U.S. Army. Her husband, Mark, and two children keep her active and busy with school and events. The focus of Shae’s career has been in the electronics and telecom industries, but mostly, she loves to create stories.
I was wondering where you get your story ideas?
Stories often come to me in random events that happen around me. Usually it is more about how people react to situations rather than the event itself. But for my anthology stories, I tend to take the prompts given and see if I can find a new and different way to use them, often brainstorming several ideas and scenarios before settling on one. The important thing, when I’m creating, is to develop the reactions that I’m looking for in the characters in order to create a specific response in the reader.
What is the usual process for your fiction writing? Are you a plotter or a panther?
Starting with the second question first, I’m mostly a pantser with a little plotting on the side. Once I have a basic idea of the type of scene and characters I want, I often plot out a rough outline of where to take the story. Then I release the hounds and follow the trail. It’s often a wild and crazy ride. Watch out for that low hanging branch!
Once you have an idea that sparks your imagination do you research your idea or do any world-building exercises, or do you just begin to write and see where the Muse takes you?
Depends on the idea. For my asteroid story and my volcano story, I had to do some research. So first I decided what reaction I wanted from my characters and then research the possible settings that would create that response. Other stories though, such as my medieval works or contemporary settings, I really have all the basics and can just take off at a trot and see where it goes. Then if I need something specific, I can go back, do my research, and correct for that detail. For my medieval stories, I did create a whole world for them, maps, herbology, language, and all. But I didn’t do that until I was quite far along in the story and needed those details nailed down. I really like the research though and have to be careful about not getting side tracked.
What is your daily writing time like?
Daily. Uhm. Yeah. I used to have lots of time after work for that, particularly when the kids were doing homework or were in bed. They are grown now and there is a lot less time. So I get to edit or write after everyone is in bed and the house is all mine. So mostly, I don’t always get to write daily but on my weekends I can squeeze in more time.
Are you a full time writer? If so when did you make the decision and what factors led to the decision. If you are not a full time writer…Is your plan to one day being a full time writer?
Nope, but I would love to be a full time writer. Unfortunately, finances and circumstances have not aligned to allow me to move to writing full time. I am working to get there and have a 5 (or 10) year plan but I am leaving that up to God’s design. I have the impression that I may not ever get there but hoping to eventually be able to part time work a “day job” and part time work my writing. I miss my worlds and characters some times. But I also have a passion for the special needs individuals and would like to shift to working in that area as my “day job”.
Can you tell us about your experience working with your current publisher? (Any other publishers?) (Or your self-publishing experiences?)
Well, that’s a long story. I have several short stories published in the Giant Tales books (a Writer’s 750 group from Linked in and now working out of Goodreads). It was a lot of fun. But my novels are still a work in progress. Mostly because it’s harder to edit 80k to 100k novel than to edit a 750 word short story in 15 minutes. But I have an agent who is interested in the novels. So we will see. The 31 Days of October Anthology is my first self-published adventure as a publisher. It really makes you appreciate all the work that the traditional publishers go through to get a book out.
What is your current release and (without spoilers) tell us about the new book or series.
31 Days of October is a collection of Hallowe’en and Suspense stories. There is a melting pot of genres from Horror to Romance. Most are 15 – 20 minute reads. Some are longer but well worth the time. We have a poem and a literary story as well. The back of the book are the stories that will give even the most hardened adult a chill down their back.
Can you tell us about some of your other writing (fiction or nonfiction) and any appearances or signings that you have planned?
I have four short stories out in four Giant Tales Anthologies including “Rain” in Giant Tales Dangerous Days: Tales of Climate Change and Crowns, “Baruthian Attack” in Of Past and Future, “Embers for Amber” in Lava Storm in the Neighborhood, and “The Mystery of the Sinking Ships” in Final Ships in the Neighborhood. I also have several articles from 2009 and 2010 at The Christian Pulse.
As an author what inspiration or advice would and you give to a writer who is working to make the transition to Author?
Keep writing. Keep learning. Keep going. The hardest part is struggling and not giving up. Try out new genres. Take classes every chance you get, even if you have taken it before. Buy conference/teaching audio/videos and listen to them over and over, in the car, at home, wherever. And above all, keep writing. Short stories are a good test of new skills and provide practice. They teach you to write tight and avoid the unnecessary. But if you have a passion for telling stories and making up worlds, keep writing. You will get there.
If you had a choice between two superpowers–being invisible or flying–which would you choose?
I used to say flying because I always dreamed of being able to just fly someplace or to get away from something in my dreams. But as an author, I think invisible would be really cool. I used to find a “corner” of the room that lots of people were gathered in and watch them. I like people watching and get lots of inspiration for both characters and stories. But I would really like to have magical powers, like Genie in I Dream of Genie. Then I could just nod my head and have the house clean itself.
If you would like to learn more about Shae Hamrick and her books you can follow her on Amazon, Goodreads, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, or her website.
September 30, 2016
My New Year Starts Now
I tend to look at my writing goals by quarters. Also I look at the writing year kind of like a fiscal year in business. My year starts in October, for NaNoWriMo preparation. November is, of course, writing full out tilting at windmills ala Quixote style. December is for editing and evaluations of the newly produced story.
This is when I decide if the new novel needs more work. Was it really better suited for short stories, a novella, or is it a bust all the way around? Now, if the new novel sucks and it turned out more like a big long drafting session, that is ok. I haven’t lost anything, I don’t consider that NaNoWriMo wasted. I learned something about myself and my writing. Like the NaNo I tried to write a mystery. Dear heavens! I am not a mystery writer. But I would not know if I hadn’t given it a real, honest, 50,000 word try.
The second quarter of my writing year is devoted to preparing for Camp NaNoWriMo in April. Jan-March is where I plot my next novel for Camp, plan my blogging for the year, and prepare the last quarter’s stories for publication (traditional and self pubbed). The third quarter, April-June, is much like what I described above for October…Camp Novel writing, Editing, and Evaluation.
The summer, and final quarter, July-Sept, is my lowest productivity time but I usually try to submit to an anthology or publish a short story, and most importantly, spend time with family and friends.
This pattern took me long time to develop, and my 15 month goals start tomorrow, October 1, through the end of 2017. I think this will be my most productive year yet. I have high hopes and determination. If it all goes to plan…[insert evil laugh]…then I will have 4 new short stories published and 2 novels published, with 2 more ready for editing by the end of 2017.
September 26, 2016
Goal Setting–What Is Your Linchpin?
Sometimes I get my best blogging post ideas when reading or making comments on other people’s blogs. Today’s post is like that, here is the link to the Verve House Collective that inspired me.
It has taken me awhile to get to the place where I know what I want out of life. I started journaling every morning, before I’m good and awake. I brain dump on the pages anything that comes to mind. Now, you need to understand, I am not one of those people who have stacks of notebooks from when I was a kid. Journaling was a decision I made as an adult to figure out what I was all about.
So I took a lesson page from my writing (novels/short stories) manuals. Whenever I need to figure out why a character does what they do in a story, I jot it all down to get a “character sheet”. Taking myself as the subject, and a fresh notebook, I began to write. What are my motivations, What makes me sad, What makes me get up in the morning, Who do I love, Who loves me, and why. Before you knew it I was energized by getting up an hour early to drink my coffee and journal. After a year of doing this steadily I know I’ll never go back. I have narrowed my life down to 2 main overarching goals, and everything I want or desire to do falls under those headings.
No, at this point I’m not going to share mine, that is super-personal and unique to me. My goals aren’t what you should be doing with your career. You have to find your unique calling/goals/desires (whatever you want to call them).
The linchpin keeps the wheels from falling off. Without it the buggy will crash. Do you have linchpin goals?
One of the things I did that made the biggest impact on me and helped be see the way my various goals and desires were interwoven was to make a list of 25 things I wanted to do with my life. It took me a day or two to get the list complete. You want to write down the ones that instantly come to mind, but give yourself time to think about the others. After I did this I looked for patterns in the list. What topics or talents did they fall under. My list fell into three sub headings, writing (big surprise), travel, and skill building. From those three I realized there were 2 things that were linchpins. If I didn’t accomplish those 2 goals, then none of the other things on my list would happen, much less matter.
With these 2 goals in mind I am focused and right on top of my game. I highly recommend trying out this exercise for yourself. Find out what you are really all about. What is at your essence? What is holding you back? How are you going to fix it? Do you have linchpin goals, ones that hold the key to the life you want? Get to the bottom of these questions, once and for all, and you will move forward each day with intensity and integrity toward who you want to be.
September 20, 2016
My Process…Superheroes and NaNoWriMo #amwriting
So… I have been working on a superhero story for about 20 days now. I would love to say it is going well and I should be done soon. However, that would be a lie…a big fat superpowered lie! This story is going nowhere and I’m on a deadline!
What is a writer to do? Some would say, “Power through”, “writers’ write, so suck it up buttercup”, or some such nonsense they read on the Internet. Here is what I’m going to do…kill it. The story is nothing but a bunch of headaches wrapped in a strangle hold of contemp. I am going to start a new story and write like John Boyne. I have 10 days to get this new story written and edited. OMG. Y’all need to send me good vibes and pray if that is your custom–Lisa needs you!
As for NaNoWriMo this year, I have BIG plans. I am finally going to write the 2nd book in my Chevron series and then for Camp NaNo in April I’m going to write the 3rd. So the plan is to have the first one ready to publish in early summer of 2017 and then follow with 2nd and 3rd over the course of the late summer and fall! It is going to be a marathon of writing and dedication but, I have the power!
July 20, 2016
Chat with Kevin Broden – Revenge Of The Masked Ghost
Kevin Broden has been telling stories ever since. His first published story was a science fiction tale that appeared in his college newspaper. Since then he has written for television animation, including the Japanese series MIDNIGHT HORROR SCHOOL. Kevin is a member of the Animation Writers Caucus of the Writers Guild of America.I was wondering where you get your story ideas?
Truthfully, I haven’t a clue.
The spark that ignites a story can come from practically anywhere or anything. Perhaps reading an article, seeing a picture, or even a smell can start the creative processes at the back of my mind. Sometimes it forms a single scene, which I will later build around, but other times a full fledged story emerges within moments and I have to get it down fast.
My novel REVENGE OF THE MASKED GHOST is an example of this fully formed birth of a story. However, I realize it was a convergence of interests going back to my childhood. Before I discovered comic book super heroes, I was listening to Old Time Radio programs about mysterious heroes such as The Green Hornet and The Shadow. Those original Pulp Era adventurers, and later reading Roy Thomas’ ALL-STAR SQUADRON about the Golden Age of super heroes, made me fall in love with that first generation of masked men and women. So many years passed, and my mind fed on all those heroes, I sat in the porch swing of my parents’ backyard, with no real goal in mind but to relax, when a question popped into my mind: How does a family react to discovering one of them is a masked hero? This question was quickly followed by: What do they do when he dies at their feet?
Those two questions demanded to be answered. I grabbed my notepad and wrote. Soon a fedora-wearing Masked Ghost stepped through the French doors of his sister’s Park Avenue penthouse and died at her feet. I kept writing, discovering what she and her husband would do, and within an hour I had worked out the overall story for the novel. I would first release this story online as a weekly serial, and then turned it into a complete novel, adding a back up story called “Bargain Basement Murder”.
What is the usual process for your fiction writing? Are you a plotter or a pantser?
That’s an easy one. I’m a
Though I wrote a very basic outline for REVENGE OF THE MASKED GHOST, it was more a list of title cards like those that appeared at the beginning of each chapter of movie serials.
When I sat down to write the next chapter, it was full speed ahead, starting off from where I had ended the previous one.
For me, any detailed outlining or plotting only bogs down the creative processes. I just need the basic idea, some rough notes, and jump in headfirst and start writing.
Of course there is a lot of rewriting and editing that follows, but that is good too because you discover things you missed as you went by the first time. Keep writing.
Once you have an idea that sparks your imagination do you research your idea or do any world-building exercises, or do you just begin to write and see where the Muse takes you?
Pretty much I follow where my masked muse takes me.
Sometimes, however, the muse comes to a stop and suggests I do research. REVENGE OF THE MASKED GHOST takes place in Manhattan of the 1930s. There are things that I needed to know about that location and time, like when was the construction of the Empire State Building finished. It’s an important point in time for my story, and it also played an important role with one of my main characters. In doing the research, I found things that could take the story places I hadn’t expected or planned for.
I love doing research for stories, but I do it as the story demands.
I tend not to do much world building other than to know the overall setting in my mind. I think the best world building comes from discovering it through the eyes of my characters. If there is something further needed, then I expand upon what is discovered. As a writer, I am an explorer on an expedition to a new world and my characters are leading the way. It’s their world I’m exploring.
What is your daily writing time like?
Overall I it’s when I can find it. Though at the moment, that can be much of the day. As an artist I begin each day doing a warm up sketch, sometimes of an idea out of my head, or of some pulp era comic character or actress. This gets me started towards working on the next page of my comic. However, this morning warm up sketch also can get the writing juices flowing.
While sketching an unrelated drawing, it may spur a story idea and I will quickly jot it down. If it’s a good idea, those first notes expand into a couple of pages and eventually a story.
I tend to devote my mornings to art and my evenings to writing. If I have a story that must be finished, especially with a deadline, I will devote entire days to it.
Are you a full time writer? If so when did you make the decision and what factors led to the decision? If you are not a full time writer… Is your plan to one day being a full time writer?
From childhood, I saw myself with a career as an artist and writer. That career began illustrating backgrounds for comic books, followed by writing television animation scripts, and now writing stories and novels. I truly do want to become a full time writer, but that isn’t practical at the moment.
Can you tell us about your experience working with your current publisher? (Any other publishers?) (Or your self-publishing experiences?)
REVENGE OF THE MASKED GHOST and my first fantasy romance novel CLOCKWORK GENIE were self-published as eBooks, followed by related short stories. I have had two short stories published by Pro Se Productions, one in the anthology NEWSHOUNDS and the other in an anthology called BLACK FEDORA.
As mentioned earlier, along with being a writer I am also an artist. For my self-published works I painted all my own covers. I also painted the cover art for NEWSHOUNDS, and did an interior illustration for LEGENDS OF NEW PULP FICTION from Airship 27 Productions. I have been paid to do covers for other authors.
Having a publisher such as Pro Se provides an outside eye for editing and packaging that is easily lost as a self-published author. Things can slip by if there isn’t someone at the gate to catch it and send back for improvements. This is truth for both a writer and artist, you can declare it done but its not really until someone else has seen it.
When I did the illustration for Airship 27, there was a lot of reworking of the image at the suggestion of my art director. I liked what I had first drawn, but it is much better because I listened to others. The greatest problem for any writer is marketing and getting people to know my books exist, but that doesn’t stop me from writing more stories.
What is your current release and (without spoilers) tell us about the new book or series.
I have just released a 5th Anniversary edition of REVENGE OF THE MASKED GHOST, which includes a new introduction and additional interior illustrations. I then followed it up with A TALE OF THE SCARLET SPIRIT: “In the Clutches of Convicts“. As you can tell my passion is with the masked heroes, and after discovered the Masked Ghost I soon found his mate The Scarlet Spirit. The two work great together, but she likes to have adventures on her own. They fight crime on the streets and the towers of Manhattan while the police believe they are criminals. New Pulp author Derrick Ferguson has included REVENGE OF THE MASKED GHOST in his list 35 New Pulp Books To Get You Started.
FLYING GLORY AND THE HOUNDS OF GLORY, the webcomic I illustrate and co-write with Shannon Muir is currently celebrating its 15th Anniversary. This too is about masked super heroes. Debra Clay is the granddaughter of the wartime super heroine Flying Glory. Discovering that she has inherited super powers, she convinces her friends to put on costumes to become super heroes. It starts off as a way to promote their high school rock band, but they soon find themselves fighting real villains. New readers should start with issue 17 at http://www.flying-glory.com/issue17.htm as it both catches up the comic history and opens up new story avenues.
Can you tell us about some of your other writing (fiction or nonfiction) and any appearances or signings that you have planned?
Though I will be attending the San Diego Comic Con when this interview sees publication, I won’t be on any panels. This past February, while attending the Long Beach Comic Expo, I sat on a panel entitled “Adventures in New Pulp Fiction” with my wife, Shannon Muir. The audience was interested about the history of pulp, the growth of New Pulp and the Masked Ghost’s place in it. Shannon also discussed her experience breaking into the New Pulp and genre fiction markets after college training in classic literature and poetry. I look forward to the opportunity to be a part of future panels.
By the end of this year, I will be releasing an anthology of short stories that follow up on the adventures of the family that have to live with the REVENGE OF THE MASKED GHOST.
As an author what inspiration or advice would you give to a writer who is working to make the transition to Author?
There is a lot that can get in a way of a writer finding the story, but no barrier is greater than the writer’s own fears. If you put words on paper or on in a computer screen, then you are a writer. Don’t worry about what comes next until you’re finished writing the story.
I held my muse back for a long time, but once it escapes there is only one thing to do. Follow wherever it takes you and write down everything it tells you.
To close out this interview … Who is your favorite author, and can you recommend a book by that author?
Growing up my favorite author was Ray Bradbury; however, if you’d like to read something that has inspired me to write things like REVENGE OF THE MASKED GHOST, then take a look at Dashiell Hammett’s THE THIN MAN. The character relationships in this story have heavily influenced my own storytelling.
For more information about Kevin Broden or his books please check out his links: Amazon, Website, Webcomic, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Goodreads, Instagram, Pinterest.
April 26, 2016
April 5, 2016
April 4, 2016
My Dupe for Aveda Comforting Tea —Yogi Bedtime®
Click here for buy link.
When I lived in Mississippi, I used to visit an Aveda store in Jackson. Now it has been over a decade since then, so who knows if the store is still there. Anyway, the purveyors always had a cup of their signature Aveda Comforting Tea available for shoppers to sip on as they made their selections.
I have to tell you it is delish! I have spent an unearthly amount of cash on this tea. As I’ve admitted it is special. This is a tea that requires no sweetener, whatsoever, due to the licorice root, peppermint, sweet fennel, and basil. It will flat out chill you out. That’s pretty smart there Aveda…I bet chill customers are quite spendy…I know I was.
Click here for buy link.
I have found a much less expensive, but equally wonderful dupe—Yogi Bedtime®.
This tea has all the wonderful flavor of licorice root that the Aveda tea has, but also spearmint leaf, chamomile flower, skullcap leaf, cardamom seed, cinnamon bark, St. John’s Wort leaf & flower, rosehip, raspberry leaf (which is so important), lavender flower, stevia leaf, passion flower extract, and valerian root extract. A cup of this tastes so similar to the Aveda, I know I’ll have this instead. It is calming and soothing. I am drinking a cup right now…yawwwwwwwwnnn…I think I’m going to hit the hay.
Drink up, friends, relax, and check out my tea review playlist on Youtube.
