Kim Fielding's Blog, page 11

Interview Roulette: Laura Bailo

It’s Laura Bailo’s turn at the wheel!

Describe one especially fond childhood memory—for yourself or for one of your characters. There was this one time, when my dad brought home a kitten he’d rescued from the place he was working at. I fed him milk and took care of it, but we couldn’t keep him in the flat we were living in. At that time, we used to go spend a lot of my summer vacation in a small village in the Pyrenees, where we had – and still have – a house, so we took the kitten with us. And since then, every time we went back, the cat would plaster himself to me, follow me everywhere and even sleep in my bed. I loved that cat.
Which would be your preferred vacation choice: a luxury hotel, an apartment in a historic building, or a tent? Anything by a tent! Seriously, I’m not made for sleeping outside a building. An apartment in a historic building would be my preferred choice, since I like setting my won hours and routines. And this way I could cook – or not – whatever I wanted to eat.
Are you a nerd and/or a geek? Provide evidence to support your answer. I am! My last book is set in a board games convention; do you really need more evidence?

Interview Roulette: K-lee Klein

K-lee Klein spins the wheel today!

 

Hey. Hi! Welcome to my birthday interview. Let’s have some fun.

What is your superpower? Your Kryptonite?

Ah cool! My superpower would be physical and emotional healing. I’m very empathetic so this would suit me well. I like to help people, and as a survivor of abuse, I know it’s just as important to heal the inside as the outside. My Kryptonite is my own emotional instability because my emotions can get overblown and debilitating. I imagine healing people takes a toll on those feelings too. OH AND…I’ll definitely be wearing a cape.

If you were a shapeshifter, what shape would you most likely shift into?

It’s very cliché, but I’d be a wolf—probably the same one that’s tattooed on my arm; Mika, one of my characters from Family of Misfits. This is a description I found on the personality of a wolf. It totally speaks to me.

“Keep in mind that a wolf’s real personality is often hidden under the character of his or her social position. Intelligent, non-aggressive, and friendly with the ability to make strong emotional attachments are among those traits we can generalize about the magnificent wolf.”

What food would you only consider eating if you were stranded on a desert isle with nothing else to consume?

Definitely sashimi, but I’d need someone to prepare it.

Interview Roulette: Blaine D. Arden

Today’s player is Blaine D. Arden!

 

What advice would you give your 17-year-old self?

For crying out loud, research economics instead of enrolling because you like to play with numbers and they offer computer sciences. Most importantly, don’t put writing second. Just go for it and keep creating fantastical worlds.

 

You’re being transported to the Middle Ages and can take with you a single piece of modern technology. What do you choose?

To be honest, being transported back in time, my whole life experiences could well be considered a piece of modern technology, having been brought up in this modern world. Still, in the end, I’d go for a fully charged e-ink ereader filled with information to help me MacGyver my way through the Middle Ages, and maybe a small number of books for those first dark nights of settling in.

 

If you had a time machine, where/when would you go and why?

My first instinct is to go back to 1992, about a year before my mother’s cancer diagnosis, and just hang out with her.

 

There’s Tumblr site called Describe a Film Plot Badly. Describe one (or more) of your own book plots badly, in no more than 140 characters.

Lovesick tree hugger pines for mourning friend’s cinnamon buns.

(not sure I’m very good at this)

 

Aside from the country you live in now, which country can you best picture yourself living in?

That’s a tricky one. For a long time, I’ve been thinking about moving to the UK after my husband retires. Buy a nice idyllic cottage somewhere rural, where the hubs can tinker with cars and tend a luscious garden, and I can have a secluded hiding place to write, read, sing, and practice whatever hobby du jour. This whole Brexit thing more or less ruined that dream, though.

So, now I’m still looking for a new moving dream. It can’t be anywhere light and sunny, since I’m very light sensitive and don’t do heat very well, which leaves some lovely northern countries to choose from. Most of which I’ve never really looked at before. Though, Canada comes to mind. I’ve always wanted to visit. Still, should Scotland ever become independent and decide to stay in the EU, that would definitely be my first pick.

 

What’s the one article of clothing you love, but really should throw away because you’d die if anyone ever caught you wearing it?

Maybe not so much die if anyone caught me, but more die if anyone realised just how threadbare a certain pair of trousers really are. I do tend to overwear trousers that fit me well. And the fabric of my favourite black pair(s) tends to fray white. It’s a good thing I prefer to wear long tunics over them.

 

If one of your characters were to practice a random act of kindness, what would it be?

The guide exists for random acts of kindness, but choosing him is a bit of a cop out. Still, since he’s one of my personal favourites, I couldn’t help but mention him.

Ianys, though, from my Triad in Three Acts, would gladly pay a full meal for the family with four children whose parents are counting their cash to make sure they have enough for four burgers. He has a weakness for seeing children happy.

 

If you could build any kind of structure to live in, what would you choose and why?

There are endless possibilities, yet, because I’m only slightly obsessed with them, *cough*, my brain immediately conjured up a cute tiny house with multifunctional furniture, including a sturdy and comfy writing desk, that we could take anywhere we wanted. When not travelling, it will connect to three others. One would be a bedroom/bathroom combo, and the other two would be our offices slash work spaces. Mine, of course, would have purple accents everywhere, no matter how much the hubs protests.

A good second would be a hobbit house that’s partially dug into the ground.

 

Pick a politician and give him or her one piece of really good advice.

Such a funny question for someone who, though rather opinionated at times, knows nothing about politics, and prefers looking at the world through rose-tinted glasses. Why do you think I create my own worlds?

Even worse is that I read more about American politics than Dutch politics, since my timeline is filled with the results of the Trump administration. (though I fully understand it).

My advice, as much as I’m qualified to give advice in this matter, would be for politicians in general: “Think before you speak.”

 

What’s the longest road trip you’ve been on?

I’d have to say my honeymoon. The hubs and I travelled from the Netherlands (where we live) through Germany, Poland, the Chech Republic, Austria (taking a day trip or two into Italy), and back through Germany on the drive home. We were young, carefree, and just married. We had a brilliant time.

Though our 2005 UK camping trip (from Dover to Scotland, Wales, Devon, and back to Dover) with the kids is a close second. Well, aside from eldest (then 13) breaking his wrist rolling down Greenwich park.

 

 

A Triad in Three Acts (the complete Forester Trilogy)

Book blurb:

“There is always a way.”

Kelnaht, Taruif, and Ianys are meant to be together, but old promises and the decree of the elders prevent them from claiming each other openly at Solstice. Kelnaht can investigate murder and foul play, but he can’t see how he can keep both his lovers without breaking the rules. But if he believes in the guide’s words and trusts his faith in Ma’terra, they will find a way to clear the fog and puddles from their paths.

 

The Forester

Kelnaht, a cloud elf, is a truth seeker caught between love and faith, when a murder reveals an illicit affair between two tree elves he desires more than he can admit. Kelnaht’s former lover Ianys once betrayed him, and the shunned forester Taruif is not allowed to talk to anyone but the guide, their spiritual pathfinder.

 

Lost and Found

A stripling goes missing from the tribe, and heavy rainfall hides all traces of his whereabouts. With days creeping by without a lead, it’s hard to keep the tribe’s spirits up, more so when Kelnaht’s own future depends on the elders. Taruif has been shunned for almost twenty turns, but now that a possible forester’s apprentice is coming of age, the elders consider reducing his sentence. Taruif could be set free.

 

Full Circle

When several children fall ill with more than a summer bug, truth seeker Kelnaht is assigned to investigate. What he finds is deadly and threatens the life of every underage child in the tribe, including Ianys’ daughter Atèn. Then a wounded traveller is found in the forest, left to die after a vicious attack.

 

Book buy links:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JPCNVAO

https://books2read.com/triad3acts  (universal link)

Author bio:

Blaine D. Arden is a purple-haired, forty-something author of queer romance mixed with fantasy, mystery, and magic who sings her way through life in platform boots.

Blaine is an EPIC Award winning author and has been published by Storm Moon Press, Less Than Three Press, and Wilde City Press. Her scifi romance “Aliens, Smith and Jones” received an Honourable Mention in the Best Gay Sci-Fi/Fantasy category of the Rainbow Awards 2012.

Author contacts:

Website: http://blainedarden.com
Blog: http://blainedarden.com/blog
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BlaineDArden
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BlaineDArden
Email: blaine@blainedarden.com
Goodread: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5043444.Blaine_D_Arden

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Interview Roulette: Karenna Colcroft

Now Karenna Colcroft takes a turn at the wheel!

 

What is a positive personality quality you share with one of your characters?

I would say my sense of humor. Being able to laugh at myself (without being mean), and to get others to laugh, is definitely a benefit sometimes.

 

If you could be any other living person for a single day, who would you be?

Hmm. I’m not sure about that. Most of the time, I’m pretty happy being me. I guess if I had to choose, I would want to be J.K. Rowling, because I would love to see what being a hugely successful author is like.

 

Is there a New Year’s resolution you’ve made more than once? Did you keep it?

Most years, I’ve made resolutions about what and how much I’m going to write that year. I pretty much never keep it, because things change through the course of any given year and sometimes I just don’t have the time or motivation to write. And unfortunately sometimes I don’t have the ideas. This year, I’ve resolved to just try to write things and enjoy doing it.

 

Which of your characters would you most like to be romantically involved with?

Out of my books that are currently still in print, I think I would choose Hunter, from I Should Tell You. He’s quiet and mellow, the type of personality with which I get along well. And he’s a musician, which is a definite plus. Maybe he would teach me how to play guitar.

 

What’s the most interesting or weird thing you’ve ever had to research for your writing?

Recently, for a book I’m working on under a new pen name, I had to look up bondage equipment because I couldn’t remember the name of something my characters were using. Apparently a bondage bench is actually called a bondage bench, at least according to the information I found.

 

One of your characters has an allergy that’s proved problematic. Tell us about it.

Weston, one of the main characters in Dawn Over Dayfield, is allergic to dust. Since his job is maintaining the historical records for the town of Dayfield, Massachusetts, he’s often given old papers and other items by town residents. And most of them are covered in dust. Trying to clean them and display them properly is not easy for him.

 

Dawn Over Dayfield:

After the death of his adoptive mother, Andy Forrest decides to track down his biological family. The search leads him to the struggling central Massachusetts town of Dayfield—and local historian Weston Thibeault, the town’s only other openly gay man. With the help of Weston, Andy uncovers secrets about his birth father, the youngest son of the Chaffees, the family that once owned Dayfield’s largest employer, a furniture factory that closed thirty years earlier.

As Andy and Weston work together, they find a connection to a scandal that rocked the Chaffee family over 125 years ago. But small towns like to bury their secrets, and many of the older residents of Dayfield will do anything to stop Andy and Weston from discovering the truth about the town and its inhabitants.

 

Book buy links: DSP Publications: https://www.dsppublications.com/books/dawn-over-dayfield-by-karenna-colcroft-213-b

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dawn-Over-Dayfield-Karenna-Colcroft-ebook/dp/B01HLYKIPE/

Karenna Colcroft is the alter ego of a shy, sedate wife. Well, okay, maybe not THAT shy and sedate. She believes that love is love, regardless of gender or how many people are involved, and she tries to show this in her books as well as in her life. She lives in the northeastern United States with her husband and spends time with her committed partner. She also has three cats, but is determined not to become a cat lady!

Author contacts:

Website: http://www.karennacolcroft.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karennacolcr...
Twitter: @KarennaColcroft
Email: karennac@hotmail.com

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Interview Roulette: Alix Bekins and Connie Bailey

Today we have a two-fer! Alix Bekins and Connie Bailey spin the wheel.

Say you met your all-time favorite celebrity, would you play it cool? Or would you utterly humiliate yourself?

(Connie)

I have met an all-time fave celeb: Art Garfunkel. I tried hard to play it cool, but he saw right through me. I had done a sketch of him in hopes of getting an autograph. I gave the sketch to the guard at the stage door and he took it to Art. Art invited me backstage and talked to me for what seemed like hours, but was probably five minutes. He complimented the drawing and I gushed about my favorite songs. He asked what I particularly liked about the songs. He was terribly gracious and I got a memory that will last till I die.

(Alix)

I would like to think I’d play it cool, but if I was trapped in an elevator with Robert Downey, Jr., I’d probably hyperventilate from trying not to giggle for a few moments until I managed to get myself together.

What advice would you give your 17-year-old self?

(Connie)

Everyone is just as unsure as you are. Keep moving forward and don’t stress over all the small details.

(Alix)

Please ask your parents if you can see a therapist. It will help you so much. But if not, I can promise you that everything in your life will get better once you move away to college. Relax a little. Oh, and ice cream is not an acceptable source of protein; anemia is no fun. Eat properly, damnit.

 

Describe an annoying habit one of your characters has.

(Connie)

Annoying but (I hope) kind of cute, Seva Song deliberately mangles English sayings to irk his partner.

(Alix)

Keller never puts the top on the toothpaste. It drives Seva (and me) nuts.

 

One of your books is being made into a movie. Who would you cast for the major roles?

(Connie)

If I was allowed to cast Song and Key, Keller Key would be played by Chris Evans with the personality of Chris Pine as Capt. Kirk. The role of Seva Song would go to Lee Byung-hun.

(Alix)

I was sort of thinking of Liam Hemsworth for Keller. I’m fully on board with Connie’s casting for Seva, though – yum!

 

A 17-year-old girl has asked one of your characters for advice. What is she asking about and what advice does the character give?

(Alix)

Sweetie17 wants to know what Keller has to say about coming out in high school. Should she, or should she just wait until college, like her friends say? Or until she has a serious relationship with a girl? Being bisexual is confusing.

Keller says that being bisexual is FABULOUS. But haters are gonna hate, so you gotta take care of yourself. If you have a supportive family and friends, and think you won’t get hassled at school, be out and proud. If you want to wait until you’re a little more grown up and living life on your own terms, that’s cool too. If someone tells you bis don’t exist, tell them you’re fine with being an incredibly sexy hallucination.

 

What is your most dreaded household chore? Your favorite?

(Connie)

I hate cleaning up after cooking. I adore doing laundry.

(Alix)

I hate mopping. So much so that I’d rather clean toilets. I secretly love doing the dishes though, especially after a big holiday meal where everyone is grateful to have me do the washing up and—far more importantly—I get to hide in the kitchen and get some peace and quiet for a little while.

 

When you read, is there a trope you just can’t resist?

(Connie)

I love reading about a boy in disguise as a girl, or a girl in disguise as a boy. My favorite romance novel is The Masqueraders by Georgette Heyer.

(Alix)

I have a weakness for the fake relationship/engagement trope. Especially if the two start off somewhat hostile to each other, but are secretly super attracted to each other. I do love me some verbal sparring.

 

The Men from GLEN

Dreamspun Beyond | #11

So-called monsters won’t hold these spies back!

For two secret agents on a mission to a secluded Romanian village, the toughest fight they face may not be against the folktale monsters lurking in the foggy mountains and old ruins, but against their unlikely attraction to each other.

Keller Key is the top operative at the covert Global Law Enforcement Network—and boy, does he know it. Sexy half-Ukrainian, half-Korean Sevastyan Song is a close second. When the agents go undercover to investigate an old friend’s suspicious death, it soon becomes clear something sinister is afoot in the ancient forest and decrepit abbey. If an evil organization doesn’t spell the end of them, the angry locals might. But if they’re going to conquer their enemies, they need to keep their hands off each other and their minds on the case, in a rivals-to-lovers paranormal mash-up that gives new meaning to spy-on-spy action.

 

Available January 2, 2018 from Dreamspinner Press: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/song-and-key-by-alix-bekins-and-connie-bailey-9155-b

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Song-Key-Dreamspun-Beyond-Book-ebook/dp/B078BXF1T9/

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Song-Key-Dreamspun-Beyond-Book-ebook/dp/B078BXF1T9/

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/song-and-key-alix-bekins/1127661059?ean=2940158894169

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/song-and-key

 

Alix Bekins lives and writes atop a treacherous hillside in the Santa Cruz mountains. Her days start with a cup of proper British tea and end with knitting while watching TV. In real life, Alix is a no-nonsense, judgmental-eyebrow, whip-cracking admin whose turn-ons include glitter nail polish, hiking, dogs, chocolate, and sensual walks in the rain. Without the rain, because that sounds cold.

Alix is pretty sure she’s the only person in the world who wears a plastic Viking helmet as a thinking cap when she battles writer’s block. She always wins.

Connie Bailey is a Luddite who can’t live without her computer. She’s an acrophobic who loves to fly, a faultfinding pessimist who, nonetheless, is always surprised when something bad happens, and an antisocialite who loves her friends like family. She’s held a number of jobs in many disparate arenas to put food on the table, but writing is the occupation that feeds her soul.

 

SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AlixBekins

Email: alixbekins@gmail.com

Blog: http://alixbekins.wordpress.com

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/connie.bailey.587

Email: bailey.connie@gmail.com

 

 

 

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Interview Roulette: Grace R. Duncan

Grace R. Duncan is here to play today!

 

What are you wearing right now?

My Dr. Who T-shirt, purple leggings, and socks. I actually get dressed every day, even though I work from home. I’ve worked from home with other jobs and found it actually helps me switch to a working mindset. Though it goes against my not-wanting-to-adult mindest of not putting on pants.

Interview Roulette: Matt Doyle

Today Matt Doyle takes a spin!

 

What’s one thing that inspired your latest book?

You know, it was more of a conglomerate of things than a single thing. The earliest inkling that I had that I was going to write Addict actually just came out of the blue. I was playing BlazBlue Central Fiction online – and by playing, I mean getting whupped by complete strangers for the most part – when the thought popped into my head that my next book was going to be a sci-fi mystery novel. After that, I left the idea alone while I was sorting out some other stuff, but once I was ready to begin work, I kinda thought that it would be interesting concept to work with. Most of my work fits broadly into the science fiction category, but it always takes some cues from other genres too, and mystery was something that I hadn’t really approached before.

So, I decided to get some inspiration by binge watching a couple of films: Blade Runner, The Maltese Falcon, and L.A. Confidential. The reason I picked those three is because I wanted a very specific feeling for the book; I wanted to take an old school hard boiled PI, and place them in a cyberpunk-y setting (albeit one that is more near future than far future) that had a ton of corruption running in the background.

And so, the basis for Addict was born. From there, I really just started sucking in different things as I went along. The tech that I touch on for example, is noticeably close to what we have now. Like I said, we’re looking at near future stuff here, so I basically took what we have and gave some thought to where it could end up if we didn’t take care to avoid some pitfalls. I mean, let’s be honest here: is the idea of VR addiction really that unrealistic? Of course not. With how immersive things are now in games like Resident Evil 7, it’s easy to see how people could get hooked. Add that in with the reliance of an online environment when it comes to business, and you have a bit of a volatile mix if both of those sides of the electronic world were to intermingle. And as for metallic animal suites used in Tech Shifting? That’s really just a tech-heavy extension for both the furry fandom and the pup play community.

 

When you read, is there a trope you just can’t resist?

Hmm … now, I had to look up the actual term for this – thanks TV Tropes dot org! – but I do seem to be quite partial to the ‘Action Girl’ trope. The thing is, I never really enjoyed the whole ‘damsel in distress’ storyline. I grew up in a household with a Mum that held her own when she had to, and a little sister who remains one of the toughest women I’ve known. As a result, the idea of sitting around and waiting to be rescued just seemed really odd to me.

So, when I was enjoying fiction, what female leads did I enjoy? Well, I was reading Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series from the age of about nine, and I always did love werewolf cop Angua von Uberwald. Then, when it came to live action stuff, Ellen Ripley in the Alien franchise always stood out to me. Cartoons were the same too. Growing up, I always enjoyed anime, and my favourites as a kid tended to be those like Rika (Digimon Tamers) and Sakura (Cardcaptor Sakura), neither of whom were the sort to sit back and wait for a prince.

As I’ve grown, the same thing still holds true in my reading (and other fiction based) habits. I still love Angua in Discworld. Urban Fantasy works well for me in a similar way – characters like Kelley Armstrong’s Elena Michaels or Cherie Priest’s Raylene Pendle for example. Oh, and don’t forget the comics! Give me an Alopex (IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), or a Revy (Black Lagoon) as a lead any day!

 

Write a haiku poem about your favorite beverage.

Tea

Milk dashed, a true brew,

Strong in flavor and colour.

Ah, dear friend! Such warmth!

 

What’s one event in your life or on your travels that you wish you’d caught on film?

I’ve been lucky insofar as I did catch a lot of the fun moments on film. For example, when my youngest gave her first smile, my camera just happened to be on. I spent ten years as a professional wrestler too, and while we didn’t film too much at training, pretty much every show I’ve been on has been filmed by someone. Like I said, I’ve been lucky with catching stuff. As to something that we didn’t catch though …

Okay, so when I was younger, I used to love tormenting my Dad. There was one prank that my brother and I pulled that I would have loved to have caught on film, but we were too busy having fun to even consider doing so. You see, my Dad used to fall asleep in front of the TV a lot. Of course, if you turned it off, he’d immediately wake up with a cry of, “I was watching that!” As long as you left it running in the background though, he’d remain asleep through most things. So, this particular day, we decided to take advantage of his sleep routine by grabbing a few rolls of masking tape and attempting to mummify him while he slept. It sounds ridiculous, and truth be told, it was. We got a fair way up his body before we accidentally woke him though! The look of slow realisation dawning on his face, and the mix of bemusement and annoyance that crept in afterwards were priceless. That I would have loved to have captured on film.

 

One of your characters has a guilty favorite TV show. Tell us about it.

Heh. Our heroine in Addict, PI Cassie Tam, is a big fan of horror films. Most of the time, she’s happy to stick something spooky on, and huddle up on her couch with her robot gargoyle Bert. The funny thing is though, it’s really bad for her. Horror movies are virtually guaranteed to give Cassie terrible nightmares, but she just can’t get enough of them. Despite this though, we learn in the upcoming second book, that she does have a soft spot for slightly hammy stuff too. You see, she goes to a variety show at the local theatre that sees a Tech Shifter – someone who uses a metal exoskeleton to roleplay as an animal – performing a mix of stories and songs in the guise of a family of Japanese Kitsune spirits. By the end of the show, she’s actually considering looking for download purchases of previous shows! So, despite her tough exterior and love of scares, if Cassie were to stumble across anything a little fantasy based with a touch of cheesy romance, she’d no doubt get hooked within minutes. In that regard, and in keeping with her coming from a Chinese-Canadian family, I would say that he guilty pleasure TV show would like be the 2016 drama series ‘Legend of Nine Tails Fox’ (or 青丘狐传说).

 

What food would you only consider eating if you were stranded on a desert isle with nothing else to consume?

Grapes. It’s a simple answer, but seedless grapes are one of my favourite foods ever. Seriously, you give me a few packets of them, and they’ll be gone far quicker than is probably healthy!

 

Book blurb:

New Hopeland was built to be the centre of the technological age, but like everywhere else, it has its dark side. Assassins, drug dealers and crooked businessmen form a vital part of the city’s make-up, and sometimes, the police are in too deep themselves to be effective. But hey, there are always other options …

For P.I. Cassie Tam, business has been slow. So, when she’s hired to investigate the death of a local VR addict named Eddie Redwood, she thinks it’ll be easy money. All she has to do is prove to the deceased’s sister Lori that the local P.D. were right to call it an accidental overdose. The more she digs though, the more things don’t seem to sit right, and soon, Cassie finds herself knee deep in a murder investigation. But that’s just the start of her problems.

When the case forces Cassie to make contact with her drug dealing ex-girlfriend, Charlie Goldman, she’s left with a whole lot of long buried personal issues to deal with. Then there’s her client. Lori Redwood is a Tech Shifter, someone who uses a metal exoskeleton to roleplay as an animal. Cassie isn’t one to judge, but the Tech Shifting community has always left her a bit nervous. That wouldn’t be a problem if Lori wasn’t fast becoming the first person that she’s been genuinely attracted to since splitting with Charlie. Oh, and then there’s the small matter of the police wanting her to back off the case.

Easy money, huh? Yeah, right.

Book buy links:

Amazon
Ninestar Press         
Smashwords       
  Barnes & Noble         
Kobo
iBooks

 

Author bio:

Matt Doyle lives in the South East of England and shares his home with a wide variety of people and animals, as well as a fine selection of teas. He has spent his life chasing dreams, a habit which has seen him gain success in a great number of fields. To date, this has included spending ten years as a professional wrestler, completing a range of cosplay projects, and publishing multiple works of fiction.

These days, Matt can be found working on far too many novels at once, blogging about anime, comics, and games, and plotting and planning what other things he’ll be doing to take up what little free time he has.

 

Author contacts:

Website: www.mattdoylemedia.com
Blog: www.mattdoylemedia.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MattDoyleMedia/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mattdoylemedia
Email: mattdoylemedia@hotmail.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
DeviantArt: https://mattdoylemedia.deviantart.com

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Interview Roulette: Rebecca Cohen

It’s Rebecca Cohen’s turn at the wheel!

If you had to live in a movie, TV show, or book, which would you choose and why?

I’d like to be in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.  Douglas Adams and his story telling were a major influence on my writing. I adore sci fi with humor and I’d love to have dinner at the restaurant at the end of the universe.

Describe a really bad decision you once made.

I don’t linger on mistakes, regrets aren’t something that help me move forward. Even a bad decision can lead to somewhere that will ultimately work out. There’s a part of me that thinks I should have left a particular job earlier than I did (it really didn’t help my mental health) but that in the end put me on the path to where I am now.

A genie pops up and offers to grant you one talent. What do you choose and why?

Patience. I have a 5-year-old little boy, and some days I need to count up to 100!

Who’s one of the most interesting people you’ve met?

An elderly gentleman who at one time been a professional actor, stage, screen and radio, and had story after story about both amateur and professional theatre. He was quite the character, once proclaiming that he believed in ghosts but not gravity.

You’ve just met an alien from a planet where there’s no such thing as fiction writing. Explain to him/her/it/them why humans read made-up stories.

Because sometimes life is hard, and we want to escape – whether that is being swept up in a romance or questing as a knight. Reading can take you on a journey away for the immediate issues of real life

Which (living) celebrity would you most want to have dinner with?

Mark Gatiss – I think he would be fascinating to talk to and discuss which was his real love, the writing or the acting, and which he would chose if forced to do so

Cats or dogs? Discuss.

Growing up I’ve always had cats as pets. I like dogs, but cats are what I know. I love it when then curl up and purr, their attitude that they are godlike, and there’s nothing like kitten tummy fur to run your fingers through.

Not All Chocolate and Cuckoo Clocks

Neither of them wants to fall in love, but getting exactly what they don’t want might be the best thing to ever happen to them.

Mark hopes his boredom with his current job will be alleviated by a short stint in Basel, Switzerland. When he meets Steffen, who struck out on his own from an old-money family to establish an IT firm, Mark expects some fun, great sex, and a clean break when his job is done. The arrangement is perfect for Steffen, who has been content with casual after a betrayal—and has a taste for British men after attending university in the UK. But as they explore the city’s rich history and traditions, Mark begins to see Steffen as much more than a tour guide with benefits. If he isn’t careful, the trip meant to break the lull in his career might end up breaking his heart instead….

World of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the globe.

 

Book buy links:

ebook Dreamspinner Press

Amazon

Author bio:

Rebecca Cohen is a Brit abroad. Having swapped the Thames for the Rhine, she left London behind and now lives in Basel, Switzerland with her husband and young son.

Author contacts:

Website/Blog: http://rebeccacohenwrites.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebecca.cohen.710
Twitter: https://twitter.com/R_Cohen_writes

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Interview Roulette: Jamie Lynn Miller

Today is Jamie Lynn’s turn!

 

If you could be granted instant virtuosity on a musical instrument you don’t now play, which one would it be, and why?

The drums, hands down! I wanted to play them as a kid but my parents said no (gee, wonder why! LOL!) but I’ve still always wanted to learn, thanks to my love (to this day!) of 80’s hair bands.

Interview Roulette: Sean Michael

Guess what! It’s Sean Michael’s turn at the wheel!

 

What’s your writing style—slow and steady or full speed ahead?

I’m definitely full speed ahead.

 

Write a short ode to your favorite virus or bacterium.

Ah, the plague with your black death and spores

Ah, the plague with your posies in pockets and mores

Ah, the plague with your bring me your dead whores

Ah, the plague thank god you’re no mores.

 

What are three books in your keeper pile?

Just three? That’s cruel. Can I pick three authors?

Sephen King, BA Tortuga, Timothy Findlay

 

Your letter from Hogwarts never arrived. Now what?

Now I join Star Fleet!

Share an awkward teenage memory—your own or one of your character’s.

Almost all of my teenage memories are awkward! I had the same two boys sitting behind me in almost all my classes and when they were bored, they would try to get me giggling, and once I got giggling, I couldn’t stop. They disrupted classes this way all the time – to my great embarrassment!

 

One of your characters has an allergy that’s proved problematic. Tell us about it.

Hmm, well Rock of the Jarheads is allergic to talking about his feelings. Lucky for him Rig and Dick both speak Rock and usually can figure things out without Rock having to say a word.

 

If you could make anything edible, what would you choose?

Wouldn’t it be great if dirt was edible and was delicious? That’s what I would choose.

 

Which of your characters is going to Vegas with you and why?

I think King and Dusty from Protectin Detail would be great fun to take with Vegas. First of all those guys are bodyguards so I wouldn’t have to worry about being safe. Secondly, I think they would both have a great time there, so that would enhance my time.

 

What is your least favorite writing trope, cliché, or character archetype, and why?

Hmmm… If I answer this, some character’s going to come along and insist I write exactly that. So I’m going to plead the fifth on this one.

 

Book blurb:

Tenor Abriole has just finished his stint as nanny for the Wilsons. He was with the family for twenty-one years, ever since he was eighteen. Now he’s looking for a new family, but finding that at thirty-nine, many people think he’s too old, and those who don’t think that’s a problem are balking at the fact that he’s a man, or that he’s gay, or both. He finally turns to Mannies Inc. for help finding a new position.

Daniel Thorpe is a well-known composer who lives and breathes music. He very much wants to be a father, so he goes the surrogate route, and winds up with triplets on the way. He turns to Mannies Inc. well before his girls are born, but so far has not been happy with any of the men who have applied, until Tenor shows up for an interview. Tenor’s experience being nanny to five children, as well as the fact that he stayed with a single family that long are both pluses in Daniel’s book.

Could it be that Tenor is the last note Daniel needs to compose his greatest work yet – his family?

 

Book buy links:

Evil Plot Bunny: http://www.evilplotbunny.com/index.ph...

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078H9VJ7Z/...

 

Author bio:

 

Best-selling author Sean Michael is a maple leaf–loving Canadian who spends hours hiding out in used book stores. With far more ideas than time, Sean keeps several documents open at all times. From romance to fantasy, paranormal and sci-fi, Sean is limited only by the need for sleep—and the periodic Beaver Tail.

Sean fantasizes about one day retiring on a secluded island populated entirely by horseshoe crabs after inventing a brain-to-computer dictation system. Until then, Sean will continue to write the old-fashioned way.

 

Author contacts:

Website: http://www.seanmichaelwrites.com
Blog: http://seanmichaelwrites.blogspot.ca
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SeanMichaelW...
Twitter: seanmichael09
Email: seanmichaelwrites@gmail.com
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/seanmichael...

 

 

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