Sara Jayne Townsend's Blog, page 22

Monday’s Friend: J Q Rose

Today I am pleased to welcome fellow MuseItUp author J Q Rose to the blog.

Endings

By J Q Rose

Hi Sara Jayne and Readers. I am delighted to be here today.

As a reader, I have a pet peeve when it comes to reading books or watching movies. I bet you do too. I like to have a satisfying ending to the book. (That doesn’t mean every book has to have a happy ending.) I get pretty frustrated with the author/movie maker when they draw me into the beginning of the story, but don’t deliver on the end.

As writers we always work hard to make the first sentence in a story pop to hook the reader. Do you put as much thought into writing the ending of your story? After all, the ending is a reward to the reader for finishing the book, and it should tie up all the loose ends of the sub-plots and main plots in a satisfactory way. When the reader closes the book, she should be happy she spent the time in those pages with your characters and story.

I am a semi-pantser and a semi-plotter. I scribble out a few plans for the plot line, and then I begin writing. This kind of mini-outline keeps me focused on the story so I don’t get carried away with writing scenes that have no reason to be there.

The big question is, do I know the ending for the story before I begin writing it? Yes, I have an idea, but by the time I get to the ending it may change from my original conception.

In Coda to Murder I switched the killer in the blink of an eye. I didn’t even suspect the person until I’d written almost the entire story! See? The mystery was even a mystery to me until the end.

I’ve listed a few things I believe an ending should do for a reader. You are welcome to leave a comment with more suggestions to add to the list. Thank you.

• All readers want a satisfying ending where all sub-plots and major plot questions are answered.

• The ending should be plausible. After reading the ending, don’t have the reader wonder how in the world is that possible.

• Don’t you hate those unbelievable stories where the person wakes up at the end and we readers discover it was all a dream?

• Do not leave the reader hanging in order to sell the next book in the series. (Refer to the first bullet point.) If the reader falls in love with the characters, of course she will look up the sequel to the stories. After investing my time into reading a book, I get grumpy when I discover the answer may be in the next book. Or will I have to buy a third book to wrap up all the loose ends from the previous two books? I like each book to be a stand-alone. In Janet Evanovitch’s Stephanie Plum twenty book series she ties up the loose ends in every book. Her characters relationships keep readers coming back for the next adventure.

• Achieving a balance in revealing the answers to all the questions brought up through the story line is difficult. Authors need not race to reveal the ending because the reader will feel cheated of the emotional buildup, but we shouldn’t drag it out with re-telling the entire plot either.

• Spend as much time on the ending as you do on the first paragraph. Your readers will love you for it.

Tagline for CODA TO MURDER

Pastor Christine Hobbs never imagined she would be caring for a flock that includes a pig, a kangaroo, and a murderer.

BLURB:

Pastor Christine Hobbs has been in the pulpit business for over five years. She never imagined herself caring for a flock that includes a pig, a kangaroo, and a murderer.

Detective Cole Stephens doesn’t want the pretty pastor to get away with murdering the church music director. His investigative methods infuriate Christine as much as his deep brown eyes attract her.

Can they find the real killer and build a loving relationship based on trust?

BUY LINKS:

MuseItUp Publishing

Amazon.com

Barnes & Noble

and major online booksellers.

Get CODA TO MURDER free for a limited time only!  See the code below to learn how to get your copy.

AUTHOR BIO

After writing feature articles in magazines, newspapers, and online magazines for over fifteen years, J.Q. Rose entered the world of fiction writing with her mysteries, Sunshine Boulevard and Coda to Murder released by MuseItUp Publishing. Blogging, reading, photography, Pegs and Jokers board games, and travel are the things that keep her out of trouble. Spending winters in Florida with her husband allows Janet the opportunity to enjoy the life of a snowbird. Summer finds her camping and hunting toads, frogs, and salamanders with her four grandsons and granddaughter.

Connect with J.Q. Rose online at

J.Q. Rose blog http://www.jqrose.com/

Girls Succeed blog http://girlssucceed.blogspot.com/

Author website http://jqrose.webs.com/

Facebook http://facebook.com/jqroseauthor

J. Q. Rose Amazon Author Page http://tinyurl.com/aeuv4m4

Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/jqrose

Pinterest http://pinterest.com/janetglaser/

You Tube Book Trailer– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9FONg4mJ9g&feature=youtube_gdata

 

One Day To Sci Fi Weekender

(Cross-posted on the WriteClub blog)

Tomorrow I’m off to my first convention of the year – the fifth Sci Fi Weekender, in North Wales.

It’s the third year I’ve attended this Con, and I always look forward to it.  It’s a Con to celebrate all things geeky in TV, film and books, and it actively encourages Cosplay.  Seeing all the incredible costumes is always a highlight of the Con.

This year I’m looking forward to it all the more as I am on several panels.  As it happens they are all on Saturday afternoon – at least I get them all out of the way at once.  At 2pm I am on a panel called ‘Does Crime Pay’, exploring the concept that ‘crime is the new black’.  Then I’ve got a bit of a break, but can’t go too far as at 3pm I’m moderating the ‘Blurred Lines’ panel discussing cross-genre.  And I still haven’t come up with questions for the panel yet.  So I know what I shall be doing tonight.

And following that I’m on the next panel too, which is exploring what makes science fiction – ‘from Space Opera to Dystopian Futures’, the panel description says.  I suspect it was my public declaration of love for Star Wars that got me on that one.

With only a day to go, the usual dilemma has reared its head – what to wear for a Con?  I’m not organised enough to put a costume together.  The usual fall-back Con wear is jeans and a Geek t-shirt.  However, I have recently realised that I literally have a drawer full of Geek t-shirts, reflecting an array of geeky interests – Star Wars; Buffy; Dr Who.  I’ve even got a Resident Evil 4 t-shirt.  So which ones do I pack?  My favourite Con t-shirt is the girlie pink one with the cartoon grim reaper on that says ‘Horror Writer’.  But I wore that at the last Con.  Can a self-respecting geek be seen in public wearing the same t-shirt at every Con?

If you’re going to be at the convention, do stop by and say hello.  And if you’re not – well, I’ll catch up with you when I return to normal life.

In the meantime, I’m off to go ransack my t-shirt drawer and think up intelligent questions for my panel.

 

Monday’s Friend: Janie Franz

Today I am pleased to welcome fellow MUI author Janie Franz to the blog. Take it away, Janie!

INSPIRATION

By Janie Franz

Thank you for inviting me to appear on your blog, Sara-Jayne. As I pondered what to write about, I thought of a blog I did recently for a special feature on JQ Rose’s blog called Seeds of Inspiration. She asked writers to talk about what inspired them to become writers. I had toyed with an idea of either writing about how I became a multi-published author or what inspired my flagship series, The Bowdancer Saga. As I wrote, my life story spilled out. But I never talked about what inspired The Bowdancer. That’s what I’ll write about.

Sometime in the late 80s or early 90s, I stretched out on my dining room floor and drifted into meditation in the middle of the day. I just opened myself to see what happened. I’d been doing visual mediation, some guided, some not. As I relaxed, a landscape appeared. It was night and I saw this petite female figure shooting a flaming arrow across the night sky. I knew her instantly. Her title—the Bowdancer. And her dilemma, her angst.

Nothing else appeared in the few seconds of that flash of insight. When I was alert and aware again, grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled down what I’d seen.

The Bowdancer incubated for a few years. I finally wrote a brief sketch of a story, reworked it, and even tried to market it to a couple of magazines. One hated it. One loved it but the magazine couldn’t find room for it. It went back into a drawer.

In the late 90s when I was in college to finish a degree in anthropology, I pulled it out once again for a writing workshop I took as part of an English concentration. It was well received even though I broke every rule my instructor set up.

Again the story went back into a drawer. I pulled it out one final time to pitch to Breathless Press in 2009 during a pitch session for the Muse Online Writers Conference. They picked it up, published it December of that year, and then released two new books in that series.

In 2010, I pitched new books to MuseItUp Publishing, including three more books in the ongoing Bowdancer Saga. This year, the entire saga will be under one publishing roof. They will join the two published books in my Ruins trilogy, a couple of non-formula contemporary romances, and a creepy little horror story—to make eleven books published by MuseItUp Publishing.

I never realized how significant that one meditation would become. The Bowdancer, a novelette, sparked five other books. And I have ideas for four more that I hope to write eventually (as well as a time-warp novel that may be more than one book and a paranormal series).

You never know where inspiration will come from.

Author Bio

Janie Franz comes from a long line of liars and storytellers with roots deep in east Tennessee. Honed by the frigid Northern Plains and the high desert of New Mexico, as well as a degree in anthropology, her writing skill and curiosity generated thousands of feature and cover articles over a vast range of topics for more than a hundred regional, national, and international publications.

She co-wrote two books with Texas wedding DJ, Bill Cox (The Ultimate Wedding Ceremony Book and The Ultimate Wedding Reception Book), and self-published a writing manual, Freelance Writing: It’s a Business, Stupid!

She is a professional speaker and occasionally still reviews books, CDs, and concerts. Previously, she ran her own online music publication, Refrain Magazine, and was an agent/publicist for a groove/funk band, a radio announcer, and a yoga/relaxation instructor.

The Wayfarer’s Road: Book 2 of The Bowdancer Saga

Healer Jan-nell and her precocious daughter meet a handsome wandering bard, carrying secrets and the hope of belonging.

The Bowdancer Saga continues in The Wayfarer’s Road. Healer Jan-nell, now a woman traveling alone with her precocious young daughter on the Wayfarer’s Road, meets a handsome wandering bard. But he is carrying his own secrets along with the priceless chance at hope for her and her child to belong.

Excerpt

The stranger stepped a bit further into the room and pulled back the wet hood of her sodden, brown cloak, revealing a delicate, fair face. A thick chestnut braid curved across one suede-covered shoulder like a docile snake.

“It is the changing moon,” her soft voice answered. She untied the laces of her cloak and pulled the cloth free from her other shoulder, revealing the black curls of a three-year-old child against her thigh-length tunic. The girl’s little arms wrapped protectively around the woman’s brown leggings.

The traveler shook the water from her cloak and asked, “Might I have a dry bed, sir?”

The innkeeper’s eyes narrowed. “We be not offering beds to women alone. This be a respectable place.”

“I am not alone,” the woman answered, smoothing the child’s curls from off her face. “Would you deny a child a dry blanket?”

The innkeeper frowned. “Good woman, if that indeed be what you are, it is not seemly to be housed here without your man.”

“I take care of myself,” she said and struck her great staff against the floor for emphasis, ignoring the customers’ mumbled responses.

Buy Links

MuseItUp Publishing Bookstore:  https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/museitup/romance/fantasy-romance/the-wayfarer-s-road-detail

Find the first book in the Bowdancer series at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Another Promotional Roundup

(Cross-posted on the WriteClub blog)

This blog has been a bit quiet of late, and for that I apologise.  We had an unexpected burst of Spring here in London last weekend, and we all went rushing outside to make the most of it.  Sadly it seemed to have been a blip, with normal UK weather restored in time for the working week.  After basking in the garden in a t-shirt on Sunday, I was obliged to get back into my coat and scarf on Monday.  Still, at least the rain has been holding off of late.

And in the meantime I’ve been very busy in cyberspace, with two more guest appearances in the last week or so.

First up, I was interviewed by Pete Sutton for his BRSBKBLOG blog, which is described as ‘Adventures in Publishing’.  We talked a lot about the creation of my amateur sleuth Shara Summers, and the forthcoming re-release of DEATH SCENE, and you can find the interview here.

This week, I’ve been visiting ‘Waibel’s World‘, blog of fellow MuseItUp author Mary Waibel, and talking about how being a writer is both a curse and a blessing.

And finally, it’s just over two weeks until the Sci Fi Weekender in Wales, my first Con of 2014.  This year, not only am I going, I’m on the programme.  I’m very excited to have received preliminary details this week about the panels I’ll be on.  All will be revealed soon!

In the meantime, if you’ll be at the Con, do stop by and say hello.

Monday’s Friend: Heather Greenis

Today my guest is MuseItUp author Heather Greenis. Welcome, Heather!

The Beginning

By Heather Greenis

Thank you so much for hosting me.

I find it interesting to read how others began writing at an early age. In school, I hated multiple choice and true and false questions but love writing essays.  I aced them, every time. It didn’t click that I could or should write.

My career began in finance which taught me a lot, personally. My positions gave me the opportunity to sit and have some good conversations with clients. Not that I plan to write about their stories, but I certainly have ideas for character development.

The concept for the Natasha Saga began with a dream and my imagination had fun with it. I’ve always been a fan of a good drama with a touch of mystery. Something that makes a person think.  When I need a breather, I enjoy something light that makes me chuckle.

Speaking with a friend recently, she gave me a huge complement. “While reading your books I have to remind myself you wrote these. I actually know the author behind this. It has drama, but also has some lighter moments. The books hit all my emotions.”

I have a lot of respect for this woman so I was thrilled.

Writing has become more than a hobby, it is a passion.

NATASHA’S DREAM and NATASHA’S DIARY are available through my publisher, Museitup Publishing and all major on-line distributors of ebooks.

Natasha’s Dream (Book 1 in the Natasha Saga)

Natasha’s dream is to escape a horrid future. The reserved young woman unexpectedly rebels in search of something very different. But there are consequences.

Growing up, her only friends were her brothers and Nanny. In her parent’s mind, she was a mistake. As a result of an innocent swim, she discovered life existed beyond the walls of her home. Families, peers, underprivileged children. Can a dream turn into reality? Anything is possible, but dreams come with consequences that not only affect her, but those she loves. What is Natasha willing to risk to persevere?

Natasha’s Diary (Book 2 in the saga)

More than a collection of inner thoughts, the diary becomes a blueprint for future generations. Will history repeat itself?

Keeghan’s subconscious has played tricks on her in the past, but she’s normally able to control the outcome of her dreams. No such luck with this story. The mystery magnifies when her husband William discovers something else by the eroding sea wall, something that peaks their curiosity even further. Now, Keeghan wants the saga to continue. Drawn into the story more than she was prepared for, she needs answers.

Hope is growing up quickly. She’s intelligent, independent, and stubborn. Negative traits inherited from both her parents surface at inconvenient times. Will her beauty help or hinder her?

A tragedy. Stewart is forced to make a decision that will affect his life and the rest of his family. Then, an encounter that changes everything. Is he ready for this? Has Stewart’s past really been left behind? Will history repeat itself? Trust, integrity, and tradition all come into question.

Natasha’s Hope (Book 3 – launching March 14, 2014)

Tragedies reshape Stewart’s plans and Hope’s dreams. Is the future of the orphanage at risk?

Natasha’s Hope – Having read the diary, Hope desperately wants the world to evolve according to her dreams. Through Adam, Hope finds an inner strength she never knew existed. Life-threatening events test her inner resolve and purpose in life.

Coming soon – Natasha’s Legacy – the conclusion to the saga – launching June 2014

Author Bio

Heather has an uncanny ability to frequently “manipulate” her dreams. As a bonus, she remembers them in extensive detail the following morning. A dream inspired the basic storyline. Then her overactive imagination developed the characters and the detail. In her spare time Heather assists the Healing Cycle, Hospice Palliative Care. She is also actively involved with the local curling club, currently volunteering her time teaching children when she isn’t curling herself. Heather has a passion for travel, photography and gardening. She would like to extend a special thank-you to her niece for reading and re-reading and to her husband for his support, and encouragement, suggesting she “write it down”.

Find out more about Heather, including where to buy her books, from her website , or follow her on Facebook.

Commercial Break

(Cross-posted on the WriteClub blog)

As we settle into 2014 I’ve been rather busy with promotional stuff, so I thought it was appropriate for a general update on what I’ve been up to of late.

Firstly, a round-up of guest appearances on the Internet for 2014. At the end of January, I featured on Chris Weigand’s Palace of Twelve Pillars blog, talking about how I was inspired to create my amateur sleuth Shara Summers. Earlier this month I visited Janie Franz’s blog Anasazi Dreams, talking about ambition and discipline being the tools of a writer. And most recently I’ve visited Helena Fairfax’s blog, where we’ve been reminiscing about childhood holidays in Blackpool.

All of this is an endeavour to drum up interest in the Shara Summers series, as the first two books are being released by MuseItUp this year. The first, DEATH SCENE, is a re-release. The previous version is no longer available, but the re-release will be out in the summer. If you haven’t been introduced to Shara yet, this is the one to start with. And if you’ve already read DEATH SCENE, a new publisher means new round of edits, so this version will be slightly different than the first.

If you enjoy meeting Shara in the first book, the second book in the series, DEAD COOL, will be released in Autumn so you won’t have to wait too long to catch up with her again.

Thus far, I don’t have definitive release dates or covers for either book. But you’ll be the first to know when I do, so watch this space.  In the meantime, if you want a sneak peek, there’s a blurb about each on the ‘Coming Soon’ page on my website.

And finally, if your tastes run to darker fiction, I’ve got some back listed horror titles that might be to your liking. SUFFER THE CHILDREN – available on the Kindle (US and UK) - is a supernatural horror novel with its roots based in mythology. And SOUL SCREAMS - available in print and ebook – is a collection of short horror stories about “that inner scream no one can hear but you”. It’s recently received some rather positive reviews on Goodreads, and if creepy stories are your thing, it might be right up your alley.

All this is why I’ve not had much time for the blog recently.  But of course that’s a poor excuse, and I hope that from now on I can improve on this year’s track record.

If you’ve recently discovered this blog, I bid you welcome and I hope you’ll stick around for a while.  If you’ve been following from the beginning, I’d like to say thank you for bearing with me – your support means a lot.  It’s going to be a busy year for me, writing-wise, and I hope you’ll join me for the ride.

Monday’s Friend: Christina Weigand

Today I am interviewing MUI author Christina Weigand to the blog, in reciprocation for the visit she allowed me to pay to her own blog earlier this year.  Welcome, Christina.

SJT:  All writers are readers.  Who are your influences?

CW:  God, my faith. Other writers like Bryan Davis, Wayne Thomas Baston, Donita K. Paul, Darlene Reilley, Mariana Thorn and Sarah Jayne Carr to name a few.

SJT:  What advice would you pass on to beginner writers that you wish someone had told you when you were first starting out?

CW:  If it is your passion then keep on writing. Don’t let others convince you that you’re not good enough or that you should be doing something else. Write because you want to write, because that’s what you do. Don’t write to become rich and don’t write what everyone else says you should be writing. Writing what your heart and soul lead you to write.

SJT:  Tell us about your latest release.

CW:  Joachim banishes Brandan to prison island of Hyogo. His infant son, Prince Airyn disappears from his cradle. A chain of events is set in motion that will pit brother against brother, friend against friend, parents against children as Brandan and Joachim struggle for control of their sanity and their very lives.

With Brandan declared dead and his son missing Joachim sinks into despair and anger, where those close to him fear he may never return.

Is Brandan really dead and if he is, who is manipulating the Mantion and enemies of Crato?

Can Maeve save her country and her husband from the tentacles of evil pervading the land?

SJT:  Have you ever been inspired to put people you know in real life in your books?

CW:  That’s hard to answer.  I don’t set out to put a particular person or people in my books. But, being a person myself I can’t help but be influenced by the people that come into my life. So I am sure that someone might see themselves in one of my books but it was never my intention to put them there.

SJT:  When it comes to your writing projects, would you describe yourself as a meticulous planner, or a ‘seat-of-the-pantser’?

CW:  Seat-of-the-pantser.

 SJT:  What are you writing at the moment?

CW:  I have a couple of projects in the pipeline and I have been waiting for one to jump to the head of the pack. The story that seems to be in the lead  will contain dragons and continue to explore young people’s faith or lack of it as a young man will confront the trials of life and have to decide what to believe.

AUTHOR BIO

Christina Weigand is a writer, wife, and mother of three grown children and a middle school daughter. She is also Nana to three granddaughters. She lives with her husband and youngest daughter in Pennsylvania, returning there after a short sabbatical in Washington. Currently, she’s working on fantasy novels and inspirational writing. Through her writing, she strives to share the Word of God and help people young and old to realize the love and mercy He has for everyone.

When she’s not writing, she’s active in her local Church as a lector, Bible Study, or with the church theater group, volunteering at her daughter’s school helping the children develop a love for reading and writing. Jesus fills her home with love as she shares Him through her writing.

Find Christina on Amazon, Goodreads, Twitter and Facebook, or visit her blog.

Monday’s Friend: James Crofoot

Today I am interviewing fellow MUI author James Crofoot on the blog. Welcome, James.

SJT:  What advice would you pass on to beginner writers that you wish someone had told you when you were first starting out?

JC:  Don’t get discouraged with rejections letters. You’ll get a few before you get that first contract. AND learn from the ones that give you a critique, some will. Read them and listen to the constructive ones. Work on the mistakes. How bad do you want it?

SJT:  Tell us about your latest release, THE CONTINUING JOURNEYS OF A DIFFERENT NECROMANCER.

JC:  My newest release is about Thomas coming to terms with the magic he knows. Although he still thinks it evil and unnatural, he’s got Christina to willingly play his conscience.

SJT:  Your new book is classified as a YA fantasy.  Do you write other genres also (ie adult, non-fantasy?)

JC:  Yes, I write more contemporary as well, I’ve a few out as we speak.

SJT:  Why fantasy?  What’s the attraction for you?

JC:  My first love, when quite young, was history. From there it went to Mythology, Greek and Norse. The two just kind of mixed when I started plying RPGs. I always loved feudal period history so swords and sorcery wasn’t a big step.

SJT:  Your website says you’ve travelled extensively.  Any favourite places?

JC:  Wow, someone actually has seen my site? Haha. I loved Alaska, but the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen was at sea. There was this one night when I was in the Navy, I had to take the trash to the fantail, the back of the ship, to throw it over. After, instead of going right back below, I walked to the forecastle, the front most part of the ship, and looked straight up. With a clear night, hundreds of mile from the nearest land and city lights, the Milky Way stood out as a band of white stretching from horizon to horizon. I just stood there and took in every star. More than I could begin to count.

SJT:  Which of those little cultural differences have struck you most in dealing with locals in different places?

JC:  I’ve found the people are really the same no matter where you go. If you get away from the tourist traps and take the time to get to know the people there, a smile will be answered with a smile.

SJT:  When it comes to your writing projects, would you describe yourself as a meticulous planner, or a ‘seat-of-the-pantser’?

JC:  I would really have to say somewhere in between. I jot down scribbles a lot, brainstorming I was taught to call it. Just general things, some dialogue maybe. I get the story in my head then do some research perhaps, Then I write, but sometimes the thing just flows from my mind onto the paper, almost as if there’s nothing in between.

SJT:  What are you working on right now?

JC:  I have two pieces in the works as of now. I had planned to get away from The Necromancer series but my sister and a reviewer of my first book talked me into doing one more to make it a Trilogy. I think it’s going to be my best yet. I’m constantly learning new ways to put the words down and what to look for in writing. As I said first off – You have to pay attention to some of that constructive criticism.

SJT:  Thank you, James, for being my guest today!

Author Bio.

Now a published author, James has two books available from MuseItUp publishing and a story on an online magazine SilverBlade. His books are also available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Above all else, he hopes you enjoy his work.

Learn more about James by visiting his website.

Clumsy

I am not one of those people blessed with grace and elegance. I can’t throw, I can’t catch, I can’t run (and if I try I fall over), I possess no manual dexterity and I trip over my own feet a lot. This is probably why I’ve always been hopeless at sports. In school, not only was I always the last to be picked for sports teams, I had to endure the groans of the team that was stuck with me and the mutters of, “we’re going to lose now.”

Exercise remains a necessary evil. Whenever I try aerobics or zumba or anything else requiring co-ordination I get frustrated because I can’t keep up – I just can’t get my arms and legs to move the way they are supposed to. I persevere with the yoga, but it’s not easy for me. I have no balance and I get left and right confused, I ache for a week after every class and I appear to pull muscles (more on that later).

Things haven’t improved much as I’ve got older. I’ve always avoided hazardous activities such as ski-ing, since I’d be guaranteed to break a bone. Over the course of my life I’ve sprained my ankle three times, and it was always the same one (the left – it still gives me twinges now and again). On one occasion I was running across a field playing Paintball (told you running was dangerous), and on the other two occasions I was merely trying to walk down some steps. A few years ago I fell over trying to enter the underground station on the way home from work and bashed my head rather hard. I was taken to A&E and x-rayed, but my skull was intact. Instead I had concussion that had me off work for a week, and a golf ball-sized lump on my forehead that left me with a headache and a black eye as it receded.

A few weeks ago I managed to trip over my own feet walking across London Bridge on my way to work, and bashed my knee and my hand quite hard as I fell over.  I still can’t kneel down on that knee, and it looks a bit bruised.  This weekend I am also suffering with what appears to be a torn tendon in my calf.  Which I think possibly came about from my yoga class a couple of weeks ago – we were doing poses that involved leg stretches. It was hurting for a while,  and then it seemed to get better, but this week’s tube strike has necessitated more walking than usual on my daily commute, and this seems to have aggravated my injury.

This is how it’s been, all my life. I fall over simply moving through life. Apparently physical activity is bad for my health. It happens so often I get used to picking myself up and carrying on. I am usually full of bruises. I misjudge doors when I walk through them and walk into the wall. I swing my arm too wide and it hits something. I go to sit down on a bus and somehow manage to bash my backside on the bar separating the seats. I get bruises on my knees from bashing them on the underside of my desk.

I don’t what it is that causes this chronic inability to get my body to co-ordinate itself to do anything physical – even something as simple as walking. I spent quite a long time assuming I wasn’t any good at anything, but much of this came from the fact that when and where I went to school there was a huge emphasis on physical activity. Fortunately I had a couple of supportive English teachers who reassured me that one isn’t necessarily exiled from society simply because one isn’t any good at sports. They recognised that I had a talent for writing.

Perhaps the writing ability is nature’s way of compensating for my appalling lack of physical agility – as in, “kid, you’re going to go through life being completely hopeless at anything physical, but you’ve got a talent for something that you get to sit down for.”

I should probably give up on all things sporty and focus on the writing instead. At least I’m not likely to injure myself that way. Well, apart from bashing my knees on the underside of the desk…

Monday’s Friend: Penny Estelle

Today I am pleased to welcome fellow MuseItUp author Penny Estelle to the blog.

SJT:  When did you first know you were destined to be a writer?

PE:  I retired from working as a school secretary at the age of 56.  I started writing my first story, Hike Up Devil’s Mountain, the year before I retired.  I was so excited when Solstice Publishing offered me a contract.  Since then I have been lucky enough to have eleven more stories picked up.  I say this because even having several stories published, I’m not sure if I’m destined to be a writer!!!  But it is my hope – LOL

SJT:  Who would you cite as your influences?

PE:  HMMMM – I never read as a kid/teen, so I really have no influences as far as writing, but my ideas have come from either my real life memories or from my grandkids.  I have my first historical romance coming out in April.  Rosemary Rogers, Kathleen Woodwiss, Johanna Lindsey – The best!!!!

SJT:  What advice would you pass on to beginner writers that you wish someone had told you when you were first starting out?

PE:  Writing your story is the east part. Money will not come flooding in because you have a contract. Write for the love of writing. Marketing will become your life!!!

SJT:  You have written many novels for children.  What inspires you to write for the particular age group you do?

PE:  This is an easy one.  There is soooooo much material.  Kids in the middle grades are fun, talk crazy, and are sarcastic.  I really like sarcasm!!!!

SJT:  On your website you say that working as a school secretary for many years inspired you to write stories about kids.  Have you ever put anyone you met in real life into one of your stories?

PE:  Being secretary to the principal, we had lots of kids through the office.  I actually liked sparring with them about why they were in trouble, etc.  I had a few favourites and I use some of them for my characters.

SJT:  You also write novels for adults.  Does your approach to writing a novel differ depending on the age of the target audience?

PE:  I think so.  The ones I have written so far don’t have a lot of humor.  I have a family drama and two love stories with a touch of tragedy mixed in.  I have to watch my wording so I don’t revert to, “Hey Dude!”   LOL

SJT:  Tell us about your latest release.

PE: Well my latest release was THE UNWANTED CHRISTMAS GUEST.  I really liked writing this one as it has a two year old little Downs Syndrome girl in it and I copied her right from my own granddaughter – Caity.  It’s a love/hate relationship involving an attorney and a reporter.  It also has a secret that must be kept at all costs!

SJT:  What’s next for you, writing-wise?

PE:  Just started a new story – It will be for kids and it involves a brother, sister, jigsaw puzzle, and a wizard.  That’s all you get for now!!!

Thanks, Penny, for being my guest this week!

Buy THE UNWANTED CHRISTMAS GUEST from Amazon, or direct from MuseItUp Publishing.

Author Bio:

My name is Penny Estelle.  I was a school secretary for 21 years and retired in 2009.  We moved to our retirement home in Kingman, AZ and we live on 54 acres in a very rural area.  Actually we live “off the grid”.  We live on solar and wind.  A real adjustment for a city girl.  I must say – I love it.  Nothing like walking out your front door and hear coyotes howling in the distance and seeing a sky bursting with stars.  It is breathtaking!

Catch up with me online at any of the following links:

Amazon

www.pennystales.com

www.pennyestelle.blogspot.com

Twitter

Goodreads

Pinterest

Blurb for REVENGE, THE COWBOY WAY

When Brian Thornton is taken by surprise at gunpoint, while in the bed of a beautiful, wealthy woman, he swears his revenge.  But when he learns his humiliation was at the hands of a young woman and a boy, his vengeance knows no bounds.

Joanna Simmons finds herself snatched out of her home and taken to Thornton’s ship.  Against her will, she travels to Texas, and then by wagon train to Bastrop, Brian’s home town.  Joanna finds acceptance and genuine friendship with the people of the town, down to Brian’s sister, but the emotional war that wages between Brian and Joanna, keeps any kind of happiness at bay.

REVENGE, THE COWBOY WAY is the story of hate, love and revenge.  The question is whose revenge is it?