Lisa M. Collins's Blog, page 7
March 5, 2015
Interview with Joel Jenkins — Weird Worlds
Joel Jenkins lives in the heron-haunted shadows of the Rainier��Mountains, and finds the perpetual twilight conducive to writing. He��is the former front-man for several obscure rock bands, was once��nearly shot by the law for appearing ‘intimidating’, and impersonated��a ghost on a number of occasions.
Interview with Joel Jenkins
author of Weird Worlds
3/05/2015
What is your current release and (without spoilers) tell us about the new book or series.
Weird Worlds of Joel Jenkins 2 is the latest collection of stories from my overwrought and fervid imagination. Ever wonder what would happen if a zombie bull and a skateboarder with a cavalry saber were trapped in a bull ring together? Well I did. And I wrote a story about it. And I wrote stories about a lot of other weird stuff as well.
What is the usual process for your writing? Are you a plotter or a pantser?
It depends on how complicated my story is. If it’s complicated I’ll do a brief outline. However, I don’t force the characters to follow my outline. If they break out in some other direction I let them, and then I find out where they are going. Mostly I have an idea where the story starts, a couple of points in between, and an ending. I get the characters moving and then let them go. Sometimes they surprise me and do unexpected things.
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?
If my story is based in the real world I’ll research certain pertinent areas, things, and events. Some or none of this will go into the story, depending upon where the story heads. I try not to get too��bogged down in research. I try to get the facts I need and get back to writing.
Are you a full time writer?
No. However, I did manage to write about a quarter million words last year.
What is your daily writing time like?
I get up at 5 am, eat breakfast and make lunches for the kids. Then I start to write. I try to get two hours in before work. If I write a couple of sentences outlining the day’s writing and then focus like a��telephoto lens I can put a fair number of words down. My goal is 2,000 words a day Monday through Saturday. I take Sundays off. I don’t always reach my goal, but I frequently manage it.
Can you tell us about your publishing experience? Are you Indie, Traditional, or do a bit of both?
My experiences are strictly with a number of independent publishers. I have a good working relationship with a number of independent publishers, but there are some that I would never work with again. One��publisher tried to sell me back the rights to my own novel one month prior to the contract’s expiration, at which time the rights reverted to me automatically. They were hoping that I was ignorant of the contracts terms, so that they could make some more money off me. Needless to say, I waited a month and took my rights back at no cost.
Everyone like to know where an author gets their ideas from, but what I want to know is what is the strangest thing to inspire one of your stories?
Rappers used to run around shooting each other all the time. I wondered what it would be like if rock musicians were toting guns and I wrote The Nuclear Suitcase, The Gantlet Brothers Greatest Hits, The��Gantlet Brothers: Sold Out, and The Specialists based around that premise.
Can you tell us about some of your other writing (fiction or nonfiction)?
I’ve got nineteen books in print (maybe 20 by the time this is posted) and they all (even the children’s book, Pirates of Mirror Land, and the nonfiction book, One Foot in My Grave) have an action adventure��theme, though the genre designation may vary from Weird Western to Science Fiction.
As an author what inspiration or advice would you give to a writer who is working to make the transition to Author?
A productive and prolific author must have blind, unreasoning persistence flying in the face of all logic.
Who is your favorite author? Tell us what makes this author stand out in your mind, and what book would you recommend to someone new to that author?
I look for vivid and poetic word usage and wild imagination, and though I have difficulty narrowing authors down to one favorite, I would recommend Homer (The Iliad), Robert E Howard (Kull), Edgar Rice Burroughs (Warlord of Mars) Josh Reynolds (The White Chapel Demon), and Derrick Ferguson (Dillon and the Golden Bell) among others.
If you would like more information about Joel Jenkins��and��his books look on Amazon,��Facebook,��or��his website.
February 19, 2015
Interview with Erwin K. Roberts — Casebook of the Voice
Erwin K. Roberts grew up watching western movies and television. He is particularly proud that his first ever celebrity interview was with Clayton Moore. Moore visited Kansas City about three weeks after giving up the Lone Ranger’s mask. He told the press that he would get the mask back. Took a while, but by gosh he did it.��Starting about 1980 Erwin began appearing on the Public Access cable channel in Kansas City, Missouri. He reviewed movies, books, and the occasional comic. He interviewed actors, writers, artists, gaffers & grips, plus a Klingon, or two.
These days Erwin has been retired for a couple of years. He and his wife plan to travel a bit now that they have both given up the rat race. (What’s so fun about racing rats, anyway?) In the meantime he continues to pound the keyboard. Sometimes this activity even produces understandable English
Interview with Erwin K. Roberts
author of Casebook of the Voice
6/06/2014
What is your current release and (without spoilers) tell us about the new book or series.
I have a story in with Mechanoid Press for their upcoming anthology titled GIANT SWINGIN’ SUPERHERO 1968 SPECIAL. If you haven’t guessed, the stories and characters are inspired by some of the, shall we say, unusual strips that popped up in the days of the hippies and the unpopular war. My story is about a guy called Changeor. The release date is yet to be set, but soonish.
On the other hand, I am still trying to whip up interest in my self-published book from last year titled Casebook of the Voice. The Voice is my signature next generation pulp hero. He is the son of one of the old timers. (Which one, I can’t say��� wink-wink!) He first appeared in the novel Plutonium Nightmare where he fought to stop a series of dirty bombs. Casebook contains five stories that pretty much span his active years from the 1970’s through December, 1999. They range from five-thousand to twenty-five thousand words. Want a sample? Three of the Voice’s stories are online here, here, and here. Only the first one of these appears in Casebook of the Voice.
What is the usual process for your writing? Are you a plotter or a pantser?
That depends. For a story for Airship-27’s Sinbad – The New Voyages the final line of the story came to me in a flash. Then all I had to do was to get Sinbad to help a newly found castaway get home.
Other times I both outline and throw potential plot elements and points into a figurative bowl for possible use. Sometimes I write disconnected scenes at the beginning, and/or middle, and/or end of a story. Then I sew them together. Sometimes the sewing requires that I re-write earlier parts.
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?
Once the idea hits I jot down a few things so I will not forget something major. If my initial brainstorm includes real scenes I get them into my word processor post-haste. Then I turn navigation over to the muse, with an option to regain control.
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?
I’m two years retired. Yet I sometimes feel like I fighting to find time to write. I’ve never been a high volume writer. Wish I was.
What is your daily writing time like?
Right now is kind of typical. I’m trying to write while my wife has Dr. Phil on in the background.
Can you tell us about your publishing experience? Are you Indie, Traditional, or do a bit of both?
I got into New Pulp before that name first came up. I had some stories published in Tom & Ginger Johnson’s Double Danger Tales chapbooks at the beginning of the century. Then I was fortunate enough to get in on the ground floor with Ron Fortier & Rob Davis’ imprint Airship-27. A-27 just passed one-hundred titles. My work has appeared in seven of them. I self published Plutonium Nightmare in 2005, then moved it to CreateSpace a bit over a year ago. Via the Pulp Factory mailing list I met Pro Se Productions’ Tommy Hancock. Pro Se published my villain pulp Sons of Thor, plus I chipped in a story for the first anthology featuring their Pulptress signature character.
My “box score” is currently:�� Airship-27…7,��Pro Se…3,��Self-published…2,��Mechanoid Press…1 (forthcoming.)
Everyone like to know where an author gets their ideas from, but what I want to know is what is the strangest thing to inspire one of your stories?
One day I decided to write a third story about Jim Anthony, the Half Irish – Half Comanche All American hero. I picked July of 1938, about a year after the previous story I’d written, for it to happen. Then I plugged the month and year into a search engine. Tons of links showed up, of course. There were lots about unrest in Canada caused by right-wing/Fascist/Nazi groups. Jim almost headed in that direction. Then my brain formed a short circuit between two totally unconnected items. First, near Bandolier National Monument, just outside Los Alamos, New Mexico, a big rock tipped over exposing a mysterious skeleton. Second, at an airfield in the New York City area, Howard Hughes and Douglas “Wrong-Way” Corrigan crossed trails. They probably did not meet. Hughes was prepping for a much ballyhooed flight around the world, while Corrigan was about to make his namesake unauthorized flight to Ireland. Suddenly I decided that they did meet. For an earthshakingly important reason. So Jim Anthony and his Shaman grandfather headed for New Mexico near the edge of the old Comanche hunting grounds. Canada went out the window, except for a couple of Mounties I tossed in later. “Home on the Pandemic Range” became part of the Sons of Thor volumes.
Can you tell us about some of your other writing (fiction or nonfiction) and any appearances or signings that you have planned?
I’ve written numerous book, film and play reviews for various publication including one or two for the Kansas City Star. On cable TV I did hundreds of film, book and local venue reviews. Many of them were live, without script or teleprompter. My show Entertainment Spectrum visited all sorts of conventions. Once we covered the first North American Sherlock Holmes con and a Star Trek one, on the same weekend.
This year, so far, I plan to be at the Windy City Pulp & Paperback Show in April.
As an author what inspiration or advice would you give to a writer who is working to make the transition to Author?
Well, I’m not ashamed to admit I had to look this up. I’d always assumed “author” was the fifty cent word used in place of the fifteen cent word “writer.” Sort of the prose version of the “ARTIST” vs illustrator debate.
The most common point I found in the top five results of a Google search is that the writer has not been published, but the author has. To this point I say to the soon-to-be author: One make sure you have done enough research and/or world building. Two, Find a reader who will give you their honest opinion, rather than flattery, or going easy on your writing.
Who is your favorite author? Tell us what makes this author stand out in your mind, and what book would you recommend to someone new to that author?
Without doubt, Anne McCaffery. Strangely, I very briefly encountered her at the 1969 WorldCon before I began reading her work. A few years later, when I was in a bad place in my life I picked up Dragonflight and Dragonquest at a local library. I lost myself on Pern. McCaffrey built worlds like few others. Even today re-reading up one of her books can raise my spirits when I’m down.
For someone new to McCaffery, ask your library for a copy of The Ship Who Sang and the trilogy contained in The Dragonriders of Pern.
If you would like more information about Erwin K. Roberts and��his books look on Amazon,��Facebook,��or��email.
February 5, 2015
Interview with Ron Fortier — Occult Detectives
Ron Fortier is a comics and pulps writer/editor best known for his work on the Green Hornet comic series and Terminator ��� Burning Earth with Alex Ross.�� He won the Pulp Factory Award for Best Pulp Short Story of 2011 for ���Vengeance Is Mine,��� which appeared in Moonstone���s The Avenger ��� Justice Inc. and in 2012 for ���The Ghoul,��� from the anthology Monster Aces.�� He is the Managing Editor of Airship 27 Productions, a New Pulp Fiction publisher and writes the continuing adventures of both his own character, Brother Bones ��� the Undead Avenger and the classic pulp hero, Captain Hazzard ��� Champion of Justice.
Interview with Ron Fortier
contributor/editor in Occult Detectives
2/05/2015
What is your current release and (without spoilers) tell us about the new book or series.
My latest piece of fiction was a ���Ravenwood ��� Stepson of Mystery��� short story in the ���Occult Detectives��� anthology released from Airship 27 Productions last Dec.�� I���ve got way too many things in the works these days.�� A new pulp book ���Nighthawk-Burning Skies��� coming from Moonstone Books and I���m currently writing two on-going pulp comicbook titles for them; ���Black Bat ��� Domino Lady : Danger Coast to Coast��� and ���Guns of the Black Bat.����� Hopefully both comics will be out sometime this year.
What is the usual process for your writing? Are you a plotter or a pantser?
I���m a by-the-seat-of-your-pants writer for sure.�� I often just plunge into a story with a very tentative (sometimes non-existent���ha) plot in my head and hope for the best.�� I tend to write scenes instead of a scheduled routine for so many pages or word courts.�� I do a scene and then quit. When the muse strikes again, I go back and write the next scene.
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?
I’ve pretty much answered that question so far.�� Where if there is something historical or technical in the plot, I will of course research it to make the story as authentic as possible.�� But then again, it is fiction and there���s always room to fudge.
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?
I���m now 68.�� I worked for 30 years in a plant to support my family. Then writing was part time, but I still managed to write well over 500 comicbooks and a few novels in that time.�� I retired from the day-job over 14 yrs ago now and devote myself to writing and editing, when I���m not traveling with my wife or spending time with our six grand kids.�� It���s a great life these days.�� But I did work hard to get here.
What is your daily writing time like?
I spend most mornings editing other people���s fiction, be it novels or short stories for my Airship 27 Productions line.�� Then after lunch, I���ll try to get in some writing if the muse is willing.�� If it isn���t, then I simply kick back and do some reading���until it is.
Can you tell us about your publishing experience? Are you Indie, Traditional, or do a bit of both?
Comicbook wise I started working in the independents then was lucky enough to move up to professional outfits like Malibu, Now Comics and even Marvel.�� My prose work has been published by Wizards of the Coasts and other professional publishers. Today I work in both equally.
Everyone like to know where an author gets their ideas from, but what I want to know is what is the strangest thing to inspire one of your stories?
That���s easy.�� A few years ago I was part of a bestselling anthology from Pro Se Press.�� Upon getting my comp copies, I immediately sat down to read my colleague���s stories in the collection.�� In one, the writer had created a marvel cast of characters, including one I thought had tons of real story potential.�� I contacted him and we are no currently planning a brand new anthology based around this one supporting character from his short story.
Can you tell us about some of your other writing (fiction or nonfiction) and any appearances or signings that you have planned?
I���ll be traveling quite a bit this year with Airship 27 Productions, both at pulp and comic cons.�� We, myself and Airship 27 Art Director Rob Davis, will be at the FoCo Comic & Gaming Festival in early March here in Fort Collins, Co. In April we���ll be at the Windy City Pulp & Paper Con, then its off to Louisville, Con for the Derby Comic Con. In Aug we show up at PulpFest in Columbus and in early Nov. we fly off to Akron for the Akron Comic Con���and my one solo appearance (other than at the local comic shop on Free Comic book day) will be at the Rocky Mountain Comic Show in Denver in late Nov.�� Phew, I���m tired just writing about them. Ha.
As an author what inspiration or advice would you give to a writer who is working to make the transition to Author?
Don���t worry yourself about being a full time writer.�� Only a very tiny percentage of writers ever realize that dream.�� Most have day jobs and there���s absolutely nothing wrong with that.�� Being a writer should be about your desire to want to tell stories, not a quest for fame and fortune. That���s just bogus to the max.
Who is your favorite author? Tell us what makes this author stand out in your mind and what book would you recommend to someone new to that author?
The late mystery writer Ed McBain was my favorite writer of all time.�� I discovered him as a teenager and was amazed at the economy of his prose.�� He never used more words than were necessary and he had a keen insight into human psychology. I still to this day try to emulate his terse, clean style. As for favorite books, try any of this fifty novels in the popular 87th PRECINCT mystery series. Everyone one of them is a lesson in how to write effectively.
If you would like more information about Ron Fortier��and��his books look on the��Airship 27��Hangar, Amazon, Facebook, Twitter , or��on his website.
February 2, 2015
Readers Roll with the Punches: Use Your Writing Style for the Knockout!
Every writer has a style that comes naturally. Perhaps you haven’t discovered what your style is, or you are testing out various ones for fit. That’s well and good, but let me give you a big hint: Don’t fight your natural inclination. Your brain was wired a certain way and your internal voice has a dialect all your own. It’s time to embrace your style and knock your readers out with amazing and unique storytelling.
There are loosely five basic styles of boxers–out-fighters, punchers, counter-punchers, sluggers, in-fighters. Each of these styles have champions and names the average person would recognize and all have tremendous followings among the fans. Just like in boxing, writers fall into different camps based on technique, skill, and habit.
Classic boxers are called Out-Fighters. They maintain distance between themselves and their opponent, with fast, longer range punches. The idea is to methodically wear an opponent down using skill in pacing,��finesse, quick reflexes, and footwork. (Examples: Muhammad Ali, Salvador Sanchez, Manny Pacquiao.)
Writers that exhibit this classical style are more formulaic in their stories. Romance, Westerns, Pulp Action, Cozy Mystery…all generally follow a tried and true formula. That does not mean these genres��won’t surprise the dickens out you, because the best authors will knock your socks off. That is what makes readers come back time and time again. The reader knows authors in these genres��will deliver reliable of drama and pacing right up to the climax. (Examples:��Johanna Lindsey,�� Louis L���Amour,��Lester Dent,��Lillian Jackson Braun.)
For the month of February I am��going to focus on 5 styles of fiction writing. With these guides you can��give your readers a barnburner every time.
Romance writers be sure to check out Jami Gold’s post:��Write Romance? Get Your Beat Sheet Here! The post is full of good things including this link for a blow up of the beat sheet.��Writers of any genre would do well to take a peek at this list.
Westerns are a different animal entirely. The genre is the subject of university classes and Ph.D��dissertations. The web is full of scholarly papers discussing everything from setting to formula. R.L. Coffield’s post is a great place to dive into the genre.
Pulp Action, today, is called New Pulp. And the folks over at the New Pulp website have the skinny on the genre. Pulp novels are written in a fast pace style that amaze readers with dashing over-the-top characters in settings that range from the mundane to the fantastical. But one thing is certain New Pulp books are like an Action sandwich filled with explosives!
Cozy Mysteries are near and dear to my heart. My bookcase runneth over with paperback volumes running the gamut between stories with cats to cooking shows gone awry. They all follow an unmistakable path, but the best writers amaze me with their sneaky and deft handling of the details.��Elizabeth S. Craig’s post:��Top Tips for Cozy Mystery Writing and a Crazy Cozy Blogfest, has a list you don’t want to miss.
Next week we will look at��boxing style called a��puncher and look at the type of writers who give readers the big KO!
January 30, 2015
Interview with Lisa Jey Davis — MsCheevious In Hollywood
Lisa Jey Davis is an award-winning writer, blogger, author, and a fitness expert & health enthusiast. Her newest book ���Ms. Cheevious in Hollywood ��� My Zany Years Spent Working in Tinsel Town��� is due in February, 2015 and offers a peek behind the scenes in Hollywood and humorous tales from the life of a newly divorced single mom. As the editor in [Mis] Chief at MsCheevious.com Lisa Jey “brings the funny” about life, love & dating. In the fitness & health realm, Lisa Jey has appeared on The Doctors TV show and the CW in LA (among others). She is a health & a fitness contributor for LiveStrong.com and blogs for the Huffington Post. Lisa Jey resides in Santa Monica, California. She loves the beach.
Interview with Lisa Jey Davis
��author of MsCheevious In
Hollywood.
01/30/2015
What is your current release and (without spoilers) tell us about the new book or series.
FROM THE BACK OF THE BOOK:�� When Lisa Jey Davis (aka Ms. Cheevious) decides to tell her story of working in television as a single mom in Tinsel Town, she does it with loads of mischief, a ton of chocolate and an ounce of vodka. If you found yourself face-to-face with a very handsome and famous a-list actor, smiling and shaking your hand back stage, or you snubbed a flirtation from the lead singer of the hottest band in the U.S., not knowing it was him – you might just do the same. Welcome to the world of Ms. Cheevious. A world where nothing is sacred or predictable. In Ms. Cheeviousland, life is a farce – at least when it’s not so damn serious. In this hilarious compilation of stories, Lisa Jey navigates the minefield of her past for tales from her divorce (which unleashed her on an unsuspecting Hollywood), her family, relationships and an enviable turn working in television. Whether she’s hiding from an interested suitor in a Vegas casino, her son is mistaken for a homeless guy, her best friend is forced to scrub in to help choose her boobs’ implant size, or she’s so tipsy, even a strip club turns her away, Lisa Jey always seems to get herself into the most ridiculous situations. The innocent mistakes she makes, even when launched into the big, bad, single Jungle in the City of Angels, are laced with tales of a beautiful bond with her two boys and tender lessons for all single moms gone a little wild. Ms. Cheevious in Hollywood – My Zany Years Spent Working in Tinsel Town showcases the razor-sharp wit, frankness, and delicious turns of phrase that have made Lisa Jey Davis the one and only Ms. Cheevious.
What is the usual process for your writing? Are you a plotter or a pantser?
I am a little of both! For this book, I plotted, outlined, planned, and took almost 9 years to finish it! Another book I���m almost finished with started because of a funny couple of videos I posted on youtube, and I was able to sit and type it over the course of a few days. It was magical to be able to get that content out in that way!
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?
Well, I write non-fiction (as of yet), so my writing depends on what I am writing. If it is health and fitness related (which I write often) and requires research, I start there, and piece together the content based on my findings. If it���s experiential (which I also write on my blogs at MsCheevious.com and at LisaJeyDavis.com), I start with an idea and begin writing based on the Muse and where it takes me. More often than not, I visit some of my favorite blogger���s posts, or well-written websites to spark a certain tone or get me going in a given direction, because I am all about ���the funny.��� If a blog post or article I write for MsCheevious.com doesn���t make me laugh in some way, it���s not post-worthy (in most cases). I am always inspired and motivated by truly well-written (particularly witty) content.
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?
Wow! For me, the answer to this is complex, with lots of moving parts. I suppose I could be called a full-time writer. I was a publicist by profession and owned my own marketing and public relations firm. I���d been writing this book, ���Ms. Cheevious in Hollywood��� for many years (started in 2005), but life kept getting in the way. My career took precedence. Then, when I underwent some life-changing surgeries because of my genetic mutation��putting me at considerably higher risk of breast and ovarian cancer (than the general population). I made the decision to go on hiatus from PR and, because I���d coincidentally become a certified fitness instructor (I���ve always been involved in and interested in health and fitness), I shifted gears, simplified my life to accommodate lower income and started teaching fitness classes for a base income, so I could concentrate on writing.�� Now I also write for other websites, professionally, as a health and fitness pro��� so it���s been a good move!
What is your daily writing time like?
I rarely say, ���Today I am writing��� these days, because my current book is finished, and the upcoming one is almost finished, but will wait until the current one is launched and released. But generally, if I get inspired about a topic I am writing about, I sit down to jot some things down. But if I were to add up the amount of time I sit and write, creatively, I���d have to say it comes in chunks, and when I���m doing it, it���s all day long (for the most part).�� Does that help? Ha ha! I pride myself on being flexible and doing things when they must be done��� and that���s pretty much how I approach my writing. If/when I sit down to write a novel, I know that will most certainly change, and I���ll probably schedule a few hours a day to sit down and write something��� anything��� But that time is not now.
Can you tell us about your publishing experience? Are you Indie, Traditional, or do a bit of both?
I was all set to publish everything I owned independently, because although my book Ms. Cheevious in Hollywood ��� My Zany Years Spent Working in Tinsel Town won BEST UNPUBLISHED MANUSCRIPT at NY Book Festival in 2007, I still was unable to acquire representation or garner publisher interest. Then, when I started to write and talk about another book a couple of years ago (a witty, post-surgery book now titled ���Orchids, the New Black: How to Get Over Your Ovaries and Make ‘The Change of Life’ Your BITCH���), I got some interest from a literary agent, who signed me. She was unsuccessful in selling that book, so I am currently publishing everything on my own unless something miraculous happens (don���t doubt it!). But I am very happy with my decision!
Everyone likes to know where an author gets their ideas from, but what I want to know is what is the strangest thing to inspire one of your stories?
OH.MY.GOD. Have you read the Ms. Cheevious blog?�� Some of my stories are extremely strange, funny, and crazy��� Most of the time the inspiration comes while sitting around (usually with a glass of wine in hand) with friends, laughing and making jokes about life and love. Some of my ideas are way out there, and if you don���t follow the blog weekly, you could seriously miss something. But it���s all fun and interesting. One of the oddest, but still funny posts was from this past Thanksgiving. My beau and a good girlfriend of ours were having some pre-Thanksgiving dinner. (Our friend is one of those quintessential ���Burning Man��� people, who loves to wear costumes and feathers and such to events. She is a hoot). We had some wine and were talking about the upcoming holidays. The conversation meandered to the subject of ice-skating at an annual outdoor rink in Santa Monica, and we all decided we would go this year, but that we would dress up with funny hats or something when we do. I said to my friend ���I have wigs! We could do wigs! I���ll show you��� – – and thus the Pulp Fiction Thanksgiving post was born and the wigs came out.
Can you tell us about some of your other writing (fiction or nonfiction) and any appearances or signings that you have planned?
A book release event in San Diego and possibly in Los Angeles are in the early planning stages, so there are no dates or information to share about those as of yet. I have no in-person appearances planned as of yet, but be on the lookout for radio and other interviews on the web, as well as in the mainstream media! Fingers crossed!
As an author, what inspiration or advice would you give to a writer who is working to make the transition to Author?
Write every day that you possibly can. Even if you think you are capable of writing something really great��� the greatness comes in the writing and in LOTS OF IT.�� And���.�� NEVER.GIVE.UP.
Who is your favorite author? Tell us what makes this author stand out in your mind, and what book would you recommend to someone new to that author?
Oh ��� I hate that question. I love authors of all types and genres. There are far too many����� It���s like asking my favorite quote. I used a quote at the front of Ms. Cheevious by Louisa May Alcott ���I���m not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship��� but I wanted to use several, so at the end of the book, I provided a slew of other quotes that inspire me. It���s so difficult. I think that is why author Cheryl Strayed used two quotes at the beginning of each chapter of her book ���Wild���! I really can���t name just one author, and to start to list them here would not be truly representative of who I love, because my favorites change like the wind. I love certain authors for certain subject matter and others for their own niche��� Sorry, I can���t give you more!
If you would like more information about Lisa Jey Davis��and her books checkout these links on Amazon,��Twitter, Facebook, ��G+, Huffington Post,��and on her��website.
Also check out Lisa’s��segment on “The Doctors��� for important information on the BRCA2 gene and her��own journey (similar to Angelina Jolie���s).
January 26, 2015
Writer Rx: Sometimes You NEED Encouragement
There are days where I doubt myself to the point of distraction. Don’t even ask my family and friends because they would most likely roll there eyes and then say, “Oh that’s Lisa’s process. She gets a great idea, falls in love with it, then falls off the wagon with worry.” I don’t think I’m alone. And it is true I do fall hopelessly in love with my story ideas. I know how the story should��go, and then I flake out right at the ending.��
I discussed this phenomenon with my (wonderful, amazing, loyal) husband. I don’t want the story to end. Like never. Ever.
I do this kind of thing when I read series too!��I admit to being a bit weird. Example: I read ALL but the last Dragonlance books involving Raistlin Majere���I read the Raistlin Chronicles: The Soulforge and Brothers in Arms, the Chronicles series: Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Dragons of Winter Night, and Dragons of Spring Dawning, the Legends series: Time of the Twins, War of the Twins, and Test of the Twins���BUT could not bring myself, to this day, to read the last one���Dragons of Summer Flame.
Please don’t disown me. My husband had a hard enough time with this confession.
I have no logical reason to not pick that book up off the shelf and read it…none, yet it still stares at me from behind the dust bunnies…waiting.
Now you know my secret shame. It is worse than being a quitter. A quitter has a completed task. They are done with it, never to return, but I languish.����
Ok so far this post hasn’t been encouraging, but I swear I’m getting there. :) You see I found myself, yet again, in this hole of despair over a short story this very weekend. It is part of my process. I understand. I know I have to fight my way through it. I know. But here is the key to my ability to move forward…Encouragement.
You have��to go out and fill this void for yourself, although it is nice if you have a peanut gallery full of helpful souls. You have to be able to encourage yourself. You have find that thing, whatever it is, that makes your heart sing with renewed vigor!
For me I get the best encouragement from other writers. Ones��who have been in the business for a while know the right things to say. They have trodden these steps before and know how emotional it can be to put yourself out there in today’s critical market and let your flag fly. So one of the things I do with this blog is interview others, and they in turn encourage me to be all I can be. They have seen the other side and know the way. You can learn so much from the wisdom of those who have gone on before you. Here is a link to all my interviews on the site. I hope they encourage you as well.
Another thing that really gets me motivated are the cool memes that people are making these days with author quotes. The��Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing Facebook page is full of great ones. I follow them on FB mostly for the memes rather than the info.
Do you have ways to encourage yourself? Even if you aren’t a writer I would love to know how you keep yourself motivated and working toward your goals. Who knows you might be my next inspiration! :)
January 22, 2015
Interview with Bobby Nash — Operation: Silver Moon
An award-winning author, Bobby Nash writes novels, comic books, and short prose tales for a number of publishers and clients. Publishers including IDW, Sequential Pulp Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Random House, Moonstone Books, Airship 27 Productions, Pro Se Press, Raven���s Head Press, Stark Raving Press, Farragut Films, Dark Oak Press, Radio Archives, and more.
Bobby���s most recent offerings include the novels, Alexandra Holzer���s Ghost Gal: The Wild Hunt, Domino Lady ���Money Shot���, Snow Falls, and Fight Card: Barefoot Bones as well as work appearing in several anthologies, with many more projects scheduled for release throughout 2015. Bobby���s first screenplay debuted recently with Starship Farragut���s ���Conspiracy of Innocence.��� A comprehensive list of Bobby���s titles can be found at http://www.bobbynash.com. Bobby is a member of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers and International Thriller Writers.
Between writing deadlines, Bobby is an actor and extra in movies and television, including appearances in Deviant Pictures��� upcoming Camp Massacre (formerly known as Fat Chance), FOX���s The Following, USA���s Satisfaction, AMC���s Halt and Catch Fire, Dumb and Dumber To, and more.��He is also the co-host of the Earth Station One podcast.
Interview with Author Bobby Nash
author of Operation: Silver Moon
1/22/2015
Tell us about your newest release or series and where should a new reader of your books be best suited to begin reading their way through you back catalog?
In Operation: Silver Moon, (graphic novel) Nazi agents have discovered a long lost army of the undead that they plan to unleash on an unsuspecting world. Agent Lupis is sent in to deal with the threat, which brings him into contact with the vampire lord known as Vlas. Can Lupis and Vlas put aside their ages old differences and work together to stop the Nazi’s Army of the Undead?���the amazing and beautiful artwork is by Rick Johnson.
I’ve had three stand-alone releases (novels, novellas) out in recent months. Domino Lady ���Money Shot��� for Moonstone Books, Alexandra Holzer���s Ghost Gal: The Wild Hunt for Raven���s Head Press, and Snow Falls for Stark Raving Press. Anyone not familiar with my work might find those a good place to start.
Domino Lady ���Money Shot��� is a pulpy political thriller set in the 1930���s featuring the saucy pulp adventuress Domino Lady, who was created in the 30���s as well. Money Shot picks up on some threads sewn in both the original Domino Lady stories as well as some of the Domino Lady tales I’ve written for Moonstone. If you’ve read those stories, this is a continuation of Domino Lady���s story, but if you’ve not, the novel stands pretty well on its own. Everything you need to know is in there. I love this character and had a blast writing her. I���m not sure what the future holds in terms of more Domino Lady Novels, I presume that will depend on how well this one sells, but I am working on some Domino Lady comic book stories for Moonstone so more fun times to come.
Alexandra Holzer���s Ghost Gal: The Wild Hunt is the first book in a series of pulpy paranormal stories featuring real-life ghost hunters Alexandra Holzer, her father, Hans Holzer, and a cast of cool and quirky characters as they take on hauntings, possessions, and monsters in 1960���s New York. I had so much fun getting to know about the real Alexandra and the Alexandra that appears in our book. She brings a wealth of experience and extra zing that really adds layers to the paranormal elements of the book. Book 2, Alexandra Holzer���s Ghost Gal: A Haunting We Will Go��� is scheduled for a 2015 release and I’m working on it now.
Snow Falls is the first in a series of modern day action/adventure thrillers. A child of the 70���s and 80���s, I grew up with action heroes on TV like Jim Rockford, Thomas Magnum, Matt Houston, Steve Austin, and the like. This is my ode to those kinds of stories. Book 2, Snow Storm is scheduled for a 2015 release and I���m putting the finishing touches on it now.
It seems writers today have to publish more often than in the past to really make a living. How do you manage your time? What length of works do you write…mostly novels, novellas, short stories, or flash?
It is very hard to make a living as a writer. I was a full-time writer for a few years, but I eventually had to rejoin the corporate world and took on a day job. The 60 hours a week (I have a lengthy commute) I���m away does put a crimp in my writing schedule so I do most of my writing on the weekends or, when I’m on a deadline, on my lunch hour.
I write in many different formats. Since I do a lot of work for publishers, there is usually a word count in place before I begin so the size is really dependent on what the publisher requires. On my novels that I complete then shop around or publish myself, the length varies and I give the story as much breathing room as it needs. Within reason, of course.
Authors today seem to need a social media platform that covers everything from Q&A posts to video; what do you think the fledgling authors need to focus on to get on the right track with social media?
This is so true. Social media is a big part of the writing business. You have to build your brand, which is you just as much as it is the book(s) you���re promoting. The trick is being able to balance between promotion and networking. If all you post are ���Buy My Book��� links, you’ll turn away potential readers. Q&A sessions, meet-n-greets, contests, sneak peeks, photos, all of that is important to connecting with people instead of just trying to sell them something. I don���t want to come across like the clich�� of a car salesperson. I don���t like it when people do that to me so I make sure not to do it to others.
If you could go back in time to when you were just starting out, what advice would you give yourself? What pitfalls would you steer away from?
Well, I would have told myself to make a plan. I spent a lot of time floundering. I also let outside influences sway me from the path I���d charted for myself. I wish I had not let myself get detoured as much as I did. I would have also laid off the snack foods and joined a gym a lot earlier.
How important is it that authors do the Convention circuit? When in a career do you think con appearances become a valuable tool?
Conventions are a very important tool in my marketing campaign. I can show off books, meet new people, make lasting friendships, share knowledge, learn new things, and generally enjoy being surrounded by creative people. There���s no feeling like it in the world. Oh, sure, it���s hard word and I���m exhausted when the con is done, but I walk away from every con with some great experiences. They are a great way to, much like with social media, work on building your brand and making connections with people who may want to read your work.
Do you consider yourself a indie/traditional/both?
A little of both. I’ve worked with large publishers, mid-level publishers, small publishers, and I’ve done some self-publishing. I go where I need to go to get the story in front of the audience.
Getting books into audio is the latest thing that writers seem to be learning how to do. Are your books available in audio format? And if so how was the recording produced?
Audio is a fun new area I’ve worked in recently. I wrote a few things for Radio Archives (Nightbeat: Night Stories and Box Thirteen – Adventure Wanted!) with the intention of writing them for audio. It was fun. Raven���s Head Press also converted Alexandra Holzer���s Ghost Gal: The Wild Hunt to audio as well. It���s an interesting sensation, hearing something I wrote being performed. I even tried my hand at reading one of my short stories for audio. You can listen to Midway, which is part of the Frontier collection, at http://www.bobbynash.com for free. Look under the Audio tab. That was a unique experience. I don’t think my voice is the right one for reading them, but people keep telling me that no one likes to hear their own voice so maybe I’m being too critical of it. You can judge it for yourself if you give it a listen at my website.
If you enjoyed this interview with Bobby Nash be sure to read other posts on this site about him: Frontier��and��Major Lacy. You can get��more information about Bobby Nash and��his books on��Amazon, and��updates about his writing on��Twitter,��Facebook,��Instagram, Pinterest, G+, Ben Books, Lance Star, Rick Ruby,��and on his��website.
January 21, 2015
Sign up for the Newsletter today!
I wanted a way to��keep people informed on the��latest info on book launches. So I decided to start a newsletter. It is not blog content regurgitated in your inbox. the newsletter is only for announcements regarding book releases and specials. At most you would receive 2-3 emails from me per month. The signup is quick and easy, and here is the best part, subscribers��will get��special newsletter only promotions. Click the picture below to sign up. Thanks!
January 19, 2015
Learn Your Voice. Writing 101. The Short Story
These days writers think they need to start with a novel length work, or even design a series. I call it the gospel according to Amazon.com. Well if you are an up-and-coming writer,��I want you to take a moment. Yes I know you are in an all fired hurry to get out there. You must��be the next Stephenie Meyer or J. K. Rowling, but bare with me for a second.
Have you ever written a short story? Have you ever taken a short story and made it better than your original? If not, I want you try. Not because umteen million writers like��Gaiman, Poe,��Bradbury, or��Welty will tell you to start with shorter works,��but because you owe it to yourself. Your��readers deserve to be enchanted by a true wordsmith.
A friend and fellow writer once told me that they need at minimum 5,000 words to just get started. I thought if it takes that long to set the bait then the reader will have already swam past. You see my friend had never written a complete short story. Her writing suffered for it.
���Short stories consume you faster. They���re connected to brevity. With the short story, you are up against mortality. I know how tough they are as a form, but they���re also a total joy.��� ��� Ali Smith
The reason most new writers back away from short form literature is because it is hard to do right. It all comes down to brevity, as Ali Smith said. Taking that a bit further, we all know King’s famous ‘kill your darlings’ quote, and you have to be willing to bleed. Non-writers say that is a dumb way of looking at things, and a bit morbid to boot. They are so wrong.
Take a Project Manager for example. The PM has to cut away any unnecessary steps or process that slow production. There isn’t a PM on Earth that hasn’t heard the lament of older management saying, “But we have always done it that way!” So what! There is a better way. A clearer approach.
Story writing, short or long form, has much in common with a production schedule. The first thing on the block is extraneous words. If a word can be left out and you retain the meaning, cut it. If a paragraph has no plot moving element, remove it. If you can skip a whole chapter and the plot still works, get rid of it. Yes, this sucks!��Just try. Short stories a worth their weight in gold. Often they create in us new pathways of looking at the world and how we, writers, fit into it.
���A short story I have written long ago would barge into my house in the middle of the night, shake me awake and shout, ���Hey, this is no time for sleeping! You can���t forget me, there���s still more to write!��� Impelled by that voice, I would find myself writing a novel. In this sense, too, my short stories and novels connect inside me in a very natural, organic way.��� ��� Haruki MurakamiTry your hand at short stories. Truly trim them down to the barest essentials of storytelling, you will find in you new depths, and your��words with literally leap off the page!
Here is an audio of today’s post:
Want an example of my personal journey with short stories? Read this��story written September 23, 2010. After nearly 4 and half years I hope that you see improvement. Yes, I am putting myself out there, but I’m not one of those ‘do what I say not what I do’ people. I try to practice what I preach.
Unlatched��by ��Lisa M. Collins (Revised from Bridget)
Bridget felt a��hand cover her nose and mouth. ��Acrid fumes assailed her. She lost consciousness.
Awaking, Bridget held her head in her hands. ��The pounding was so intense she heaved into a��wastebasket. ��Sunlight streaming��into her window made her focus fuzzy. ��Her bedroom was just as��she remembered, even the glass of water by the bed. ��Reaching for the it,��she drank deeply, but remained thirsty.
Images of yesterday flashed before Bridget���s eyes, and her heart started to pound. ��The last thing remembered was waking up. Hearing the window creak open in the dark.��She thought her imagination was running wild, but a cool breeze��slid across her bared shoulders. ��Then nothing���she could not remember anything else.
Running her hands over her body Bridget checked for signs of pain or abuse. ��It must have been a dream. She got up and walked over to the window, and��reached to unhitch the latch. It was not in the locked position.
���Shake it off, Bridget,��� she said aloud.
���Honey!��� her mom yelled from downstairs. ���Get up, you are going to be late for practice!���
Bridget sprinted through her morning routine and grabbed her gym bag on the way down stairs.
���I thought I was going to have to come up there and get��you.��� Her mom fussed.
���I slept late, but I can still catch the 8:15.��� Bridget took a banana from her��mom, and ran out the door. ��She jogged down the block to the bus stop. The 8:15 arrived at 8:17. ��Bridget hopped on the bus and slid her pass for the fare. ��Finding a seat near the rear she relaxed and ate her breakfast.
At the next stop a familiar looking boy got on the bus. ��Bridge smiled. The boy reciprocated. She couldn���t remember where she had seen him before. ��He sat a few rows ahead, and she could not see his face. ��He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt obscuring his features.
The next stop was the softball field as Bridget got up, the boy did as well. ��In her haste to get off the bus she bumped him in the back, but he didn���t look back.
���Sorry!��� Bridget said.
���It���s not a problem,��� the boy said looking over his shoulder. ��His voice was like music.
Her breath caught in her throat. ��She wanted…No needed to see his face.
He stepped down to the sidewalk and��headed away from the ballfield. ��Bridget paused. ��She wanted to follow him, but the team was expecting her. ��She was paralyzed��by indecision. ��At the corner he looked back over his shoulder. ��Bridget���s feet turned to follow him. At first he maintained at a leisurely pace, but as Bridget got closer he sped up. ��Soon the two were running down the street. ��Losing track of where she was going. Her only concern was catching up to him. At a fork in the road the boy ran left and ducked into a warehouse.
Bridget��followed him inside, creeping��into the darkness. She��strained to see into the gloom. She dropped her bag and inched forward, engulfed by shadows.
���Why are you following me, Bridget?��� His voice said in the dark
She��froze. The voice was close, she felt a drop of sweat skitter down her spine. She��shivered. ���Why are you running from me?��� ��She did not receive an answer.
Coming to her senses Bridget realized she needed to get out. What was she doing?! Bridget slowly backed toward the door.
Right by her ear the boy whispered, ���I am the one who asks questions here.���
Bridget screamed and tried to bolt. She was caught in vice like grip.
���Stop. Struggling. Bridget!��� He commanded and clamped her arms tighter.
Bridget felt faint. Sick. Desperate. Fear stunned her still.
���There now, isn’t that better,��� his whisper nuzzled her ear.�����You are shaking, Bridget. I am not going to hurt you.���
���Why are you doing this to me?��� She asked.
���No questions. I do not like to repeat myself.���
���I just want to know what is going on.��� Bridget asked
���Nothing is happening, Bridget.��This is not real. I am the one you want, but cannot have. I am your dream, your wish, your desire.���
���No! No! No!��� Bridget yelled.
���Honey are you OK?��� Bridget���s mom ran into her bedroom and flicked on the light.
Bridget sat��bolt upright in her bed, sweat streaming down her face.
���It���s fine, Honey. It was just a nightmare.��� Her mom hugged her tight.
Bridget relaxed into��the��embrace, ���I’m OK, Mom. Go back to bed.���
Her mom looked her right in the eye. ���You sure, Honey.���
���Yeah, I���m fine.��� Bridget leaned back on her pillow.
Once her mom was down the hall, Bridget hopped out of bed and walked to the window. It was unlatched. Her hands shook as she fiddled with the lock. Looking down in the backyard��next to the oak was a boy dressed in a black hooded sweatshirt. All she��could see was his Cheshire smile.
Here is an audio of Unlatched:
January 15, 2015
Interview with Diane Rapp — Dragon Knight: and the Heart’s Blood Curse
Interview with Diane Rapp��
author of Dragon Knight:
and the Heart's Blood Curse.
10/9/2014
What is your current release and (without spoilers) tell us about the new book or series.
My most recent book release is a Fantasy titled DRAGON KNIGHT: and the Heart���s Blood Curse. ��Although this novel is technically a fairy tale, I wrote the story with adults in mind.�� I included whimsical ideas such as famous dead singers who were kidnapped by the demon and brought to the magical realm as slaves.�� Their songs affect magical folk, turning them into vampires, zombies, ghosts, harpies, and giant spiders.�� Next the demon intends to kidnap a living musician, Jimmy Buffett, from the mundane world and use his music to destroy the barriers between the worlds.
Click for the buy link.
Meanwhile Dragon has been turned into a knight by a bad-tempered witch.�� He doesn’t enjoy occupying a human body, so he must help a young sorceress defeat the evil demon, Sandoval.�� On the journey to find the sorceress, Dragon meets helpful humans and fairies and slowly changes his cantankerous personality.�� While living with her parents in the castle Robyn, the young sorceress, shirked her studies.�� Now on her own, she must master difficult spells before her sixteenth birthday.�� It doesn’t help that her book of magic refuses to display the new spells she needs to wield. ��Her aunt promised to send a knight to aid her in the upcoming battle with Sandoval, so Robyn tries to remember small spells she already knows how to use.
Robyn���s parents, powerful sorcerers in the magical realm, find themselves living in the mundane world.�� Learning to survive without magic is a daunting prospect, but they soon discover it���s important to save Jimmy Buffett from being kidnapped by Sandoval.�� If the demon succeeds in his plans, both worlds will be destroyed and the underworld reign supreme.�� Driving a magical Prius automobile, surfing the magic of the Internet, and using their wands as smartphones, the wizards attend Buffett concerts and discover how mundane magic might become lethal.�� Will Robyn defeat Sandoval in time?�� Global warming is already a small sample of the heat that might be unleashed by the demon.
Two bonus short stories are included in this new book.
TIGER, TIGER takes place in a distant future where Florida has been destroyed by ten years of horrific hurricanes.�� Only a few humans live in the wildlife sanctuary. Jungle animals once held captive in zoos now roam free in the wilds of Florida.�� After a series of killings in the human community, a park service ranger arrives to track a deadly tiger and investigates the mysterious deaths.�� Is the tiger really to blame or is a human villain involved?
TRACKING THE ENEMY is a story about Amber, a telepathic wolf, who was first introduced in THE ALPHAS mystery/sci-fi novel. ��The clever she-wolf must find a way to escape from an animal enclosure and track the man who keeps her mate captive in a nearby facility.�� The Enemy holds the power of life and death over the wolves, and the entire pack learns their lives are in jeopardy.�� Amber executes her plan with bravery and tenacity.�� Will it be enough?
Click for buy links
What is the usual process for your writing? Are you a plotter or a pantser?��
It depends on what genre I am tackling.�� When I write a mystery I become a plotter. ��I construct a timeline organized along ports that the cruise ship visits.�� I write back stories and descriptions of my characters and figure out motives for potential suspects.�� I also do detailed research or actually visit the places I write about.�� Then I start ���dreaming��� about what the characters are doing inside the timeline and begin writing the story.
When I write a sci-fi/fantasy, I am a ���dreamer���.�� I think about a character, dream about them, and consider the problems they might face in a specific type of situation.�� I research, watch animal documentaries, or read about distant places, and adapt strange environments to the out-of-this-world place I imagine.�� When characters begin shouting at me during my dreams, it���s time to record their stories with my computer.�� Sometimes I can���t type fast enough to get the story down and I guess I become a ���pantser��� writing without a specific plan.�� When I finish the current train of thought, I find myself thinking, researching, and dreaming again.�� Along the way I do editing, cut/paste to make the character���s story fit into a general timeline.
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?
Research is essential.�� When my basic research about a subject or location is finished, I immerse my mind into a scene with the character involved.�� I see the character, hear sounds, smell scents, and feel their emotions.�� When I can visualize the scene completely, I sit down and write.�� It might not be the first scene of the book or even the first scene with the character, but it becomes a piece of the entire story. ��Eventually each character gets fleshed out and I drop them into the storyline.�� It���s my job to link the scenes and make them fit together. ��I must be flexible.�� Once I imagined a character in the middle of a book that was a fantastic villain.�� I decided to add him into the story at an earlier point to let the gritty character do his worst.�� I love computers!
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?
I am a full time writer.�� I ���retired��� after selling my retail business in a resort community.�� That gave me sufficient time to work on writing.�� I���d been writing for years for myself but got serious about selling at this point.�� I decided to pay an editor to help make my first mystery novel saleable.�� After the long editing process, I signed up with an agent and found a publisher.
Hooray!
Not so fast.�� The publisher went bankrupt before the book was released and returned the rights to me.�� I got so frustrated and discouraged that I QUIT for five years.�� One day my husband read an article in an RV magazine about an Indie author who published on Amazon.�� He gave me the article and put the idea into my brain. ��I revised my mystery, MURDER CARIBBEAN-STYLE, once again and published the final version on Amazon and Createspace. ��The book describes exotic locations in the Caribbean as Kayla and Steven investigate the death of her slimy ex-boyfriend.�� A new romance begins with Steven as the mystery reaches a dramatic conclusion.�� Two books about the same characters have been published.
What is your daily writing time like?��
I work on marketing every morning, and then I spend time researching or writing the next idea I���ve been dreaming about.�� It���s a continual process and I don���t give myself a hard deadline.�� Since I write both mystery and science-fantasy, I find myself reading both types of genres to get my mind into the right atmosphere before I write.�� To me writing is a compulsion so it never stops.
Can you tell us about your publishing experience? Are you Indie, Traditional, or do a bit of both?
I’ve experienced traditional publishing.�� My daughter and I wrote a guidebook to the Caribbean and that was successful. ��The problem I faced was continual updates were needed and the writing was not very much fun.�� After the frustrations in my early career, I���m quite happy being an Indie author.�� As an Indie I get to control my books and earn a monthly royalty that I don’t have to split with a publisher.�� I have a background in art, and I’m computer savvy, so I design my own book covers and format on my own manuscripts.�� I don’t have to wait for a publisher to mail me a bi-annual check.�� Of course constant advertising gets to be a drag but that happens in the traditional market as well.
Click for buy link.
Everyone like to know where an author gets their ideas from, but what I want to know is what is the strangest thing to inspire one of your stories?
I watched a nature program about a native hunter in the Amazon catching a dangerous poison dart frog.�� He was extremely careful about touching the frog as he wiped darts across the toxin on the skin and hunted his prey.�� I decided that frog toxin would make an inventive murder weapon.�� After researching the various types of frogs, I learned which ones were most poisonous and used frog toxin as a murder weapon in MURDER CARIBBEAN-STYLE.�� That���s not a spoiler.�� Readers find out about the frog and its toxin in the first chapter.
Can you tell us about some of your other writing (fiction or nonfiction) and any appearances or signings that you have planned?
Click for buy link.
After publishing my first mystery, I revised the next book in the mystery series and launched MURDER ON A GHOST SHIP.�� The story includes characters introduced in the first book.�� Kayla and Natalia agree to help the cruise ship owner, Emily, when she discovers the ship she bought at a bargain is haunted by a lady ghost.�� They must find out who the ghost might be and try to get her to cross over.�� The ship sails to Bermuda and the Azores while our favorite characters handle a crazed ghost and investigate a dangerous smuggling ring.
Click for buy link.
The third book in the High Seas Mystery series is MURDER FOR GLACIER BLUE.�� It takes place on a cruise ship sailing the inside passage of Alaska.�� Kayla and Steven must guard six million-dollar paintings while they entertain guests who will attend their wedding on Glacier Bay.�� Of course, murder, an art theft, and Steven���s ex-wife threaten to interrupt their nuptials. ��Readers enjoy beautiful Alaskan scenery along the way and ���see��� wild animals during the story. (I even include photos taken on my own Alaskan cruise.)
HOWL OF THE WOLF, THE HAVENSHIRE RESISTANCE and DRAGON DEFENSE are three novels in an epic science-fantasy trilogy.�� Readers meet telepathic wolves, dragons, and space travelers who are trying to hide on the distant planet, Drako. The spacers escaped from an evil galactic empire with an assassin hot on their trail and must integrate into a feudal society that forbids the use of technology. The adventure involves cloning, mind transfer, telepathy, and special abilities of the main characters.�� Experience romance, sword fights, and a tournament for the crown.�� Have you ever stared into your dog���s eyes and thought he was trying to tell you something?�� Would you enjoy learning to fly on the back of a dragon?�� This series fulfills those fantasies.
Click for buy link.
THE ALPHAS (a prequel to the above series) begins as a mystery set on Earth and evolves into a science-fiction tale that reveals the history of intelligent telepathic wolves.�� Readers asked to know more about how the wolves got to Drako. ��Now they can read the back story and find out why the wolves escaped from Earth with help from human scientists.
As an author what inspiration or advice would you give to a writer who is working to make the transition to Author?
READ a lot!�� Analyze how your favorite authors capture your attention and apply what you discover to your own style.�� You can���t just copy a writer but you can learn their tricks. SHOW don���t tell.�� Notice how the author shows the action. Break things up to create interest. Intersperse dialog with direct action or colorful description to keep readers interested.
Study grammar!�� It���s an important tool, one that is necessary for every writer to succeed.�� Hire an editor after completing a full manuscript and learn from their suggestions.
Who is your favorite author? Tell us what makes this author stand out in your mind, and what book would you recommend to someone new to that author?
My favorite science-fantasy writer was Anne McCaffrey.�� She wrote the DRAGON RIDERS OF PERN series and created a new world to explore.�� Her novels were futuristic fiction but they were not ���space cowboys��� or technical hard science-fiction.�� She blended sci-fi and fantasy with style and imagination. ��Pern was planet where human society regressed.�� Intelligent dragons interacted with humans to protect the planet from a mindless scourge that arrived periodically.�� The author dropped hints about the planet���s history, how the society devolved from technologic space travelers to subsistence farmers.�� Later books followed the people as they rediscovered inventions and finally unearthed their original technology���very exciting.
When it comes to mystery novels, I read Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle.�� Their distinctive styles and clever plots never fail to intrigue as I reread them again and again.
If you would like more information about Diane Rapp��you can find out more about her and her books on Amazon, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads,��and on her��website.
