Alexander M. Zoltai's Blog, page 235

BestsellerBound Forums ~ Your One-Stop Place To Connect :-)

Because of the very special nature of BestsellerBound, this post is for Readers, Writers, and Publishers.

I've already had author interviews with the three Resident Authors of BestsellerBound: Darcia Helle Here, Stacy Juba Here, and Maria Savva Here.

I've also interviewed Joel Blaine Kirkpatrick, the man who gave over 60 authors from BestsellerBound the surprising and wonderful gift of creating a three volume Anthology of the first chapters from their books :-)

Here's a bit of their Purpose Statement:

"BestsellerBound is a place for independent authors to connect with readers. Many readers don't know the nitty gritty day-to-day tasks that go with the territory of being an author. Writing books is the fun part, but there is a lot more that goes into being a successful author….Readers, this is a place to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of what it's like to be a working author and to support them on their path to literary success….Writing is a solitary business that can easily leave us disconnected from the readers we hope to reach. However, we write for you, the reader, as much as, if not more than, we write for ourselves. As a reader, I've also felt the disconnect with the authors who write the words I read. When I began networking with fellow authors, I realized how much fun it truly is to ask those questions about their ideas, their writing habits, and their world. Their books became so much more than just words on paper. This message board is for all of us, readers and writers alike, to interact and share our passion."

There are 53 separate forums at BestsellerBound!!

Naturally, there are forums for all the major genres; forums about social networking, and many problem-solving forums. There are also a few forums over there that I want to showcase:

Theme Discussions, Proofreading Exchange, and Discounts & Special Offers.

Two pairs of forums that are especially interesting are:

Authors Requesting Reviews and Readers Offering Reviews

Seeking Blog Guests and Blog Guest Offers

There's even a forum to share recipes :-)

So, whether you're primarily a Reader or a Writer or a Publisher, head over to BestsellerBound and reap the benefits!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our Comment Link Is At The Top of The Post :-)

Follow the "co-author" of Notes from An Alien, Sena Quaren:

On Facebook

On Twitter

AND, Get A Free Copy of Our Book

Tagged: BestsellerBound, Darcia Helle, Joel Blaine Kirkpatrick, Maria Savva, Readers, Stacy Juba, writers, Writers Resources

Author Interview ~ Joel Blaine Kirkpatrick

It gives me much pleasure welcoming Joel here today for the interview. He gave me (and a lot of other people) a wonderful gift that he'll be explaining :-)

Welcome, Joel ! Where are you from and how old are you?

I'll be 52 on my next birthday. I've just forgotten when that is. Oklahoma is my birthplace, I'm a farm kid, but I've called many places home.

When did you begin writing and can you remember how it felt inside, back then?

The writing disease nearly struck over twenty years ago. A story materialized, and I wrote about thirty pages of it. It's utterly gone, nothing of it remains. My younger brother wanted to co-write a science fiction back in the early '90s, so I started all the research for the project. That fell apart too, but the tiniest spark remained with me for all those years. When I began in earnest, to write an actual book, it was the science fiction which drew me back. I have to admit, I gave myself to it completely, loving every second I could spend writing or doing research.

Was there any certain date or time you remember when you began to either think of yourself as or call yourself a "writer"?

After that first chapter of Harmony's Passing. The project had a life of its own, and that told me it could be something very real.

What are your hopes, or dreams, or goals for your writing?

I just want to hear that people like what I've created. I don't have any illusions this will bring fame, or pay the rent.

Have you had any "formal" training in the art of writing?

Only the high school brand. There was that year and a half that I studied Journalism, but that was mostly newsprint page design, and exercises in writing snappy headlines. This was years before the computer revolution, and it couldn't hold my interest. I never bought into the self-aggrandizement that comes with being a Journalist to "make a difference".

What do you feel has taught you the most about "how to write"?

Completing my first book, and plunging directly into the second. I'd completed my second novel before realizing the books could be sold, and that it would involve actual work to do it. The activity comes so naturally, fluidly to me, that I could easily make up for that empty twenty years I should have been writing. Handing out those self-printed manuscripts, and hearing back from the first dozen readers–that told me there was a reason to continue.

I would think so :-)

Who are your favorite writers and why are they favorites?

I love classics. I love silly and serious. Anywhere from Edward Lear to Bulwer Lytton. But Gary Jennings impressed me as one of the most talented storytellers I'd read, and there have been a few others like him. Mind-numbing detail thrills me, and stories that take weeks and weeks to read; those are my favorites.

Where and/or how do you get your ideas for your writing?

All my ideas are the product of daydreaming, or being half-awake very late at night in a quiet house. We have a half-hour drive to get into town, and I'm alone about half the time driving it. I create a lot of fiction while driving.

What is your normal revision or editing routine?

I just write. I never edit. Oh, I'll try a little to catch typos, or untwist my prose. The only experience I've had with editing was to follow some horrid advice from a very lazy agent. I reduced my third novel for her, to the point that I hated being in the file. That agent will never come near my books again. Neither will any others, for that matter; the words in my books are mine alone. No one can say which ones should be removed or changed.

Yay, Joel :-)

Are you published?

I'm self-published. I've produced four novels. My fifth novel is tickling my brain, but it will have to wait. The idea is sound, it can wait for me this time. Life has other plans, and that fifth novel is not a priority.

Tell us about your blog: its purpose, how you go about deciding what to post, and what you want to do with it in the future?

My experiments into marketing morphed into a discovery of talented Indie authors. While planning and playing with my own books to make them visible, I began to read some other works. Before long those stories begged me to help expose them. The blog, The Tale's The Thing, just popped into being because those new authors became friends and I wanted to talk about what they had written. My intent is to only showcase what I've read, because those conversations can be more personal. The blog is a bit more work than I'd planned, and like I'd said – life is interfering at the moment. I'm just about out of good reads to showcase, and may put the blog on hiatus soon. One thing is certain–I can be delayed or sidetracked–but, only for a while. I'm having too much fun.

O.K., Joel, it's time to tell us about your connection with BestsellerBound and the gift you gave to a bunch of the writers over there :-)

I found BestsellerBound while trying to rid myself of memberships in forums that really did nothing for authors. Somehow I found BsB and it only took me a few minutes to decide and join. I read the welcomes from the three founders; Darcia, Maria, Stacy, and recognized them as genuine people. Lots of connections can be made in book forums, but few real friendships. Those three ladies seemed to be seeking just that from their members. And the fun exploded. I've tried to be uberGoofy over there, and they've not locked me out–yet.

The real attraction of the forum is the openness; their encouragement of Indie authors to come aboard and share. They encourage involvement. So authors trade ideas there, swap books, review one another, and they commiserate about this industry. That alone is a very fine thing. However, that forum has some of the most talented authors I've read in years. I've not needed to visit a bookstore for a long while, and my TBR shelf is packed with Indie books just screaming at me to hurry and open them. It's as close to perfect as you could imagine.

To give back to that wonderful group of people, I offered to organize and assemble some first chapter samples for them. When word got out about the project–just before Christmas–sixty authors jumped at the chance. It turned into a three volume set of great beginnings, nearly every genre you could imagine. The BestsellerBound Sample Anthology project has been seen by more than four thousand readers now, on a bevvy of websites. Given out as free files, people have been gathering them up, or reading online. To be honest, I've not seen anything like them, anywhere, and it won't be the last time BsB puts out a project of that sort. Darcia is already organizing a short story collection, and BsB has become a brand. Indie authors deserve such attention, and few places can match what BestsellerBound offers. It has been one of my greatest joys as an author, to be involved there.

Joel, it's been a rare pleasure having you here today :-) Two more favors:

Tell us your important links:

My lowest prices

My website

My blog

And, here come some questions for you in the comments :-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our Comment Link Is At The Top of The Post :-)

Follow the "co-author" of Notes from An Alien, Sena Quaren:

On Facebook

On Twitter

AND, Get A Free Copy of Our Book

Tagged: author interview, BestsellerBound, Bulwer Lytton, Edward Lear, Gary Jennings, Joel Blaine Kirkpatrick, Joel Kirkpatrick, self-publishing

The Different Flavors of Reality ~ Where Do Creative Ideas Come From?

I may lose a few folks with these opening comments but to really "get" this post you should first read this one and then read this one. They'll open in new windows so you can pop right back here… I totally recommend you read the comments on those posts, too. Seems our regulars are getting into the spirit of things :-)

For those who haven't read those other posts, I'll face the challenge of writing a synopsis:

Writers seem like strange creatures, always coming up with make-believes that seem real, talking to characters in their heads, spending lots of time absolutely alone…

Seems we writers are actually like other people but more so…

Writers use something everyone has but they use it more.

I'm going to insert an image, but first want to credit the man from whom it was adapted, William S. Hatcher. I found the diagram in his book, Logic & Logos. I should mention, mostly because the image implies it, that the theories of Carl Jung support Hatcher's ideas.

MAP of REALITY

First, notice that Unconscious Reality and Conscious Reality are both Subjective: they are what each individual has "within" them…

Then, Visible Reality and Invisible Reality are both Objective: "outside" the individual…

Now, a little explanation of each flavor of Reality:

Conscious Reality: This is what far too many people think is the only reality. It's the Ego-consciousness, the part of the mind that sees objects, the place where we do our thinking and shout in silence…

Visible Reality: This is the world-out-there. Again, far too many people think this is the only reality that's outside their mind–if ya can't see it, it ain't real…

Invisible Reality: This flavor of Reality might sound totally strange but contemplate gravity–can't see it but you definitely know it's there. Magnetism is another part of Invisible Reality. And, if you really want to grasp this aspect of Reality, realize that most of what we call Social Reality–institutions, corporations, various civic offices–are also part of Invisible Reality. Sure there are Visible buildings and corporate headquarters and mayors but the concepts of institution, corporation, and office are truly invisible. There may be a President in the White House but you can't actually see The Presidency…

Unconscious Reality: Now we're into the area of Reality that writers (and any creative person) use so much. This is internal to a person. Most people don't pay conscious attention to this part of their mind. It makes itself known, whether a person wishes it or not, in dreams, day-dreams, sudden speech we often wish hadn't left our mouths, and other interesting manifestations.

The Unconscious Mind of each individual is also, apparently, connected at its deepest levels with what might be called the Memory of Humanity–the Collective Unconscious–but this memory isn't passive; it has energy and purpose and has powered many a fine conscious idea…

For more info on this rich reservoir of creative potential, read this.

So, to summarize:

There are, at least, four realms of Reality and two of them are inside us. Most people cling to their Conscious Reality and shun the Unconscious. They leave themselves open to bad dreams, embarrassing social gaffs, troublesome relationships, and even increased illness…

Writers (and other creative types) take advantage of their Unconscious Reality. It either flows up to the conscious mind without bidding and is accepted as a resource for creativity or they work to make it manifest its images and energies.

I hope you read those two earlier posts I recommended and it would be just fantastic if you've checked out the other links. Now, I will eagerly anticipate the continuation of the conversation from the earlier posts' Comments………

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our Comment Link Is At The Top of The Post :-)

Follow the "co-author" of Notes from An Alien, Sena Quaren:

On Facebook

On Twitter

AND, Get A Free Copy of Our Book

Tagged: artist, Carl Jung, Consciousness, creativity, Reality, Unconscious mind, William S. Hatcher, writer

Where Do Writers Find Their Ideas? ~ Revisited…

For anyone who happened on this post by mistake, I put a cool music video at the end.

Please don't tell the folks who actually read the post that it's for them, too :-)

Back in February I wrote a post called Where Do Writers Find Their Ideas?. The post may or may not be valuable but the conversation in the comments really got interesting.

I hope some of you will read that post and its comments so you can become the scouts for the territory this post is revisiting.

I want to add a few notions to my ponderings about where writers find ideas and, if the gods of blogging allow, perhaps the comments on this post can recall and carry forward what folks began exploring back then–especially if we get a few scouts to help us in our wanderings…

A few of the comments back in February touched on writers finding their ideas in the lives they lead–essentially, right in front of their noses. While it can certainly seem that way at times, I'm going to step out on that limb I keep weighing down with my own ideas and suggest that even what seems to come from in front of us is actually coming from deep inside–somewhere about six inches behind the nose and seemingly buried in the black hole that leads to another dimension some call the soul.

For the truly brave readers, I'll link to a page about some of Plato's ideas and another about some of Jung's concepts.

O.K., now I'll wait for the scouts and brave ones to carry out their missions………

………………………………………………..

Alright, let's carry on.

Look! There's a writer right there, sitting at the computer desk writing on a piece of paper. Let's peek over their shoulder.

I walked to the store. Strange lady there. Seemed kindly and normal till I looked in her eyes… Weird. She seemed to be damning me, calling me out on what I haven't done for the kids, making me wonder–ok, she's a witch but only uses her power to uncover what people are hiding from themselves. It feels like a judgement when she trains those violet eyes on you but she only wants you to realize your hidden strength, only wants the best even if if means a time of suffering through–

No, she wants no suffering and what looks like damnation of you is her own suffering, not being able to stop the manifestation of her power, her gift…………………….

O.K., I cheated.

I made the example adhere to my theory that even what seems like an idea from outside actually lives and breaths with what we add to it from inside.

But then, plenty of sane psychologists would say that everyone does this to some degree. Writers just can't seem to help focusing on the process–taking what happens around them and infusing it with what-ifs and I betchas and spinning tales and knitting plots.

Then there are the writers who research various topics and use the fabrics of history as their launch pad. [mixing metaphors like that is one tactic some writers use to make their everyday minds jump the track and spin out yarns that glow in the dark]

Then we find the writers who go deep into the cave behind their nose and pull out whole worlds glimmering with unrealities that illuminate our lives with hope and courage, making our own dreams blossom and flourish.

Like almost all my posts, I don't intend to lay down any rules or make up any musts. I want to incite. I want to prod. I want to tease out your own ideas; and, I pray you'll play along and tell me the effect my words had on your own remarkable mind :-)

And, one last kind of writer, sitting alone with just their thoughts–full of characters they wish were real, that they're working hard to make real. To that writer who can't seem to let themselves crawl out of their cave and find a kindred soul, here's a video with musicians from around the world, singing a song just for you:

Comments anyone?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our Comment Link Is At The Top of The Post :-)

Follow the "co-author" of Notes from An Alien, Sena Quaren:

On Facebook

On Twitter

AND, Get A Free Copy of Our Book

Tagged: dreams, ideas, Jung, Music video, Plato, soul, spirit, writers

Author Interview ~ Maria Savva

Today is the last day of our Triple-Header with the three Resident Authors of the incredible BestsellerBound Forums.

Just scan the forum topics and you'll want to dive in!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yesterday and Tuesday were interviews with Darcia Helle and Stacy Juba

Today's interview is with Maria Savva

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maria, when did you begin writing and can you remember how it felt inside, back then?

I started writing my first novel, Coincidences, in 1997.  I used to write poems and short stories before then, but nothing serious.  When I started writing Coincidences I think it felt more like a challenge really.  I didn't actually know whether I'd be able to write a whole novel, but it was something I'd always wanted to do.  Once I started writing it, though, the story really flowed and I'd finished it within 6 months.  Of course, there was a lot of editing to be done after that before I was happy with the finished draft.  Writing is a learning process.  I am continually learning and growing as a writer.  Funnily enough, I am currently re-editing Coincidences.  What I was happy with 10 years ago, I'm not so overjoyed with now.  I still love the story, but I'm revising the book because I want to get it onto kindle and other ebook formats, and as it will be a new edition I thought it would be fitting to completely revise it so that it reflects where I am as a writer now, rather than how I started.  In its current format it is a typical debut novel, good but could be better.  Sentence structure, background detail, things like that, are getting a bit of an overhaul.

Was there any certain date or time you remember when you began to either think of yourself as or call yourself a "writer"?

I remember a comment my brother made when he'd read Coincidences.  He said that when I asked him to read it he thought he'd be reading it and wouldn't be able to take it seriously because it would "sound" like me but he said the narration actually "sounded" to him like an author.  That was a nice compliment and the first time I actually thought, "Oh, okay, maybe I can do this".

What are your current hopes, dreams, or goals for your writing?

To have a bestseller, and be discovered by a Hollywood director who really wants to make a film out of my novel, and wants to cast me in the film too.  No, really that is it.  I aim high.   That has always been my dream, but I would settle for being taken seriously as a writer and selling enough books to make a living from my writing.

Well, that's certainly something worth settling for :-)

Have you had any "formal" training in the art of writing?

Other than O'Level and A'Level English, no.  I read a lot about writing, and read a lot of books in general, which I think is a good way to learn.

What do you feel has taught you the most about "how to write"?

A couple of years ago I was helping another author edit his trilogy of books (Jerry Travis — author of the Safety Factor Books), and he helped me out with editing/proofreading mine.  I think we learnt a lot from each other at that time.  It's amazing how much you can learn by doing something like that.  Just by noticing things that another author is doing wrong, or could do better, really helps you to see that in your own writing.  Sometimes it's harder to see things that need to be changed in our own work.  Another funny thing was that he is American so has a different way of spelling a lot of words, and different ways of phrasing things, so we each learnt a lot about the difference between English and American-English.

I've also learnt a lot just by writing and re-writing my own work over the years.  It's a continual learning curve.

I just learned a lot about you with your consistent use of "learnt" :-)

To let our readers in on a bit of your English history, I'm going to insert just a bit of your Bio from your site:

Maria Savva was born in London on 19th March 1970. She studied for a Law Degree at Middlesex University and went on to gain a professional solicitor qualification at The College of Law in London. She qualified as a solicitor in 1996. Maria continues to practice as a solicitor in London whilst writing her novels and stories in her spare time.

She was able to read before starting school, and on her first day at infants school, she remembers reading a story to another child in the class. Maria was immediately moved into the second year class, being too advanced for the first year.

Who are your favorite writers and why are they favorites?

These days, a lot of my favourite writers are also my friends. They become favourite writers when I read and fall in love with their books.  Darcia Helle, for example, the creator of BestsellerBound.com where I'm a resident author.  I met her online and got to know her on various networking sites.  Recently I have been reading her books and absolutely love her style.  Julie Elizabeth Powell, an author who writes in many different genres, I always enjoy her books.  Quentin R. Bufogle, author of Horse Latitudes.  That book is one of only a few that has made me laugh out loud when reading it.  He is a very funny writer who also writes short humourous pieces on his blog.  Jason C McIntyre, my co-author for Cutting the Fat.  After writing that novella with him and being exposed to his raw talent I am a great fan of his writing.  Joel Blaine Kirkpatrick, author of Breathing into Stone, that is an amazing book which should be a bestseller.  Stacy Juba, Paul Mansfield Keefe, there are so many talented indie writers out there who I am privileged to meet in my role as moderator on BestsellerBound and on other networking sites like Goodreads, it would take me all night to list all my favourites.  As for well known writers, I am a diehard fan of Paulo Coelho.  His book The Alchemist was probably the biggest influence on my writing when I first started as a novelist.  I always find profound words in any book he writes and thought provoking prose.  I intend to read all his books when I get the time.

You mentioned Joel Blaine Kirkpatrick and I'm happy to say that we'll be having him over for an interview on Monday :-)

So, Maria, where and/or how do you get your ideas for your writing?

From life.  Maybe from hearing someone say something, or a news article, or a line in a song that makes me think of something.  Anything really, I always have ideas floating around in my head.

What is your normal revision or editing routine?

My normal routine used to be that I would write my first draft in longhand and then sit and type it up editing as I went.  Then I would print out and read the edited version checking for inconsistencies in the plot.  This would usually result in me adding more scenes and filling in background and basically adding more detail to the story.  Then I'd read it again, and again, and again, each time finding less and less to edit. Eventually I would come to the stage where I'm happy with it.  That's when I give it to someone else to read and ask them to let me know if they find any mistakes.

For my new novel, which I'm currently editing, I have changed things.  For this one I wrote about half of it in longhand, but then decided to try to just write it straight onto the computer and I found that I could do that.  Another thing I changed is that I edited it as I went along, so each chapter I wrote I would go back over and edit, in the hope that there will be less editing to do when I read over it.  I am currently waiting for some free time when I can read it again.  I'm hopeful that there won't be much editing needed this time.

Would you tell us a bit about your published work?

I have published three novels, Coincidences, A Time to Tell, and Second Chances, and three short story collections, Pieces of a Rainbow, Love and Loyalty (and Other Tales), and Fusion.  I've also published one novella, Cutting the Fat, with co-author Jason C McIntyre.

I'm hoping to publish my next novel by the end of the year.

Tell us about your blog: its purpose, how you go about deciding what to post, and what you want to do with it in the future?

I mainly blog on Goodreads.com.  I use the blog to let my followers know about any new releases I have, any interviews I have done, any giveaways or discounts, or just generally any news I have, or just something I need to say.

In the coming weeks I am going to be interviewing some of my favourite authors on my blog. I got the idea for this because I recently posted a blog about my favourite books and it was very popular.  I had a lot of positive feedback on that.  Most of my favourite authors are indie authors who most people have never even heard of, so by interviewing them and hopefully getting the word out to a few more people about them I will be helping out in some way.  It can feel very lonely being an indie author, and my attitude is that whenever we can help each other, we should do that.

I wholeheartedly agree, Maria !

Thank you for sharing this time with us and letting us into your writing world :-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maria's WebSite

Maria's Blog on GoodReads

Her Amazon Author's Page

And, her Lulu Storefront

And now, you can ask Maria a question or two :-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our Comment Link Is At The Top of The Post :-)

Follow the "co-author" of Notes from An Alien, Sena Quaren:

On Facebook

On Twitter

AND, Get A Free Copy of Our Book

Tagged: author interview, BestsellerBound, fiction, London, Maria Savva, Middlesex University, Paulo Coelho, Short story

Author Interview ~ Darcia Helle

We have a wonderful triple-header going on–Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow!

The three Resident Authors and Founders of the incredible BestsellerBound Forums.

Just scan the forum topics and you'll want to dive in!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today's interview is with Darcia Helle

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Darcia, where are you from and how old are you?

I was born, raised, and spent most of my life in Southeastern Massachusetts. In 2002, I escaped the snow, ice and cold and moved to Florida. I'm 48, generally behave like I'm 28 and sometimes feel like I'm 88.

When did you begin writing and can you remember how it felt inside, back then?

I don't remember ever not writing. When I was very young, I wrote children's picture book stories. (And I am a horrible artist!) In my teen years, I progressed to the typical teen angst poetry. I do still remember how it felt to complete my first full length novel. The best description I can give is euphoric. Or, now that I think about it, shocked is probably the first emotion I felt.

:-)

Was there any certain date or time you remember when you began to either think of yourself as or call yourself a "writer"?

That's been a very recent development for me. Even after I'd written and published a few books, I didn't refer to myself as a writer. For some reason, it felt presumptuous to pin that label on myself. I had this preconception that, to be called a writer, a person had to be receiving a regular paycheck for his/her work and be recognized by the mainstream world. I was self-published and unknown, therefore who was I to claim to be a writer? Now I realize how silly and illogical that was. I'm still self-published and only slightly more known than I was a year ago–but I now regularly call myself a writer.

What are your hopes, or dreams, or goals for your writing?

I'd be lying if I didn't say that one of my dreams was to see my titles regularly appear on the bestseller lists. That's the ultimate form of recognition for any author. Beyond that, my hopes and dreams are that my books are able to touch those who read them. I'd love for my words to leave a lasting impression. Fiction has the ability to impact readers in profound ways. To accomplish that would be the ultimate high point for me.

As for my goals, I want to keep writing until the characters in my head stop speaking to me. And I hope that never happens.

I hope so too :-)

Have you had any "formal" training in the art of writing?

Aside from one college English composition class, no, I've had no formal training.

What do you feel has taught you the most about "how to write"?

That's a tough question. Different things, to varying degrees, have helped me along the way. If I had to name the one thing that taught me the most, I'd have to say reading. As a writer, I read differently. I pay attention to pacing and style, take note of what I like and what I don't. This isn't something I set out to do with pen and paper and note-taking. Instead, it's often a subconscious thing that occasionally jumps out at me.

After I'd written my first novel, I realized I had a lot to learn about the process. At that point, I read a lot of "how-to" books that I obtained through Writer's Digest. I learned quite a bit that way. The other two big teachers for me are the process of writing in and of itself and talking to other writers, sharing thoughts and helpful tidbits.

Who are your favorite writers and why are they favorites?

Oh, so many and for so many reasons! I can't name a few authors because I know I would inevitably leave out a few other equally important favorites. I have eclectic taste and read a wide variety of both fiction and nonfiction. I am inspired by authors with unique voices, who are able to bring characters to life and suck me into their world. I love fiction that entertains while tackling a social issue, whether that is poverty, greed, homelessness, etc. These types of books make me think long after I've turned the last page. But I also enjoy fiction that is light, with the sole ability to make me forget the evils of the world for awhile. For me, there is no one formula, genre, or writing style. My favorite authors are those with the ability to step out of the way of the story they're telling.

Yes, step out of the way of the story they're telling…

Where and/or how do you get the ideas for your writing?

I wish I could tell you! In all honestly, I don't know. Most often, a character will pop into my head out of nowhere. I have competing voices in my head almost all the time. Sometimes it will be a 15-second scene that plays in my head. Occasionally, a plot idea is the initial spark and a character fitting the scenario will emerge as I mull the idea over. I've always been fascinated by human nature and the drive behind certain behaviors, so this is likely the root of all my ideas. I'm always character-driven first. Plot is secondary in my approach.

What is your normal revision or editing routine?

I typically write the entire novel first in a rough draft. I don't like to spend a lot of time dissecting my work at this stage. For me, that ruins the creative flow. I do my entire first draft on my laptop. When the rough draft is complete, I print it out. I have to do the initial revisions using printed pages. I need to hold them and feel the pages as I work. I read through, make corrections, expand on characterization, add scenes, remove scenes, etc. Then I take my jumbled mess of corrected pages and retype it all onto a Word file. This forces me to work slowly and, as I do this, I make further changes. These are typically the minor edits, such as word choices and sentence structure.

Once I've finished, I like to let it sit for at least a few days. I'll work on cover design, write the blurb, and do assorted tasks unrelated to editing. This gives me a fresher perspective when I go back to the manuscript for the final micro edit.

Please tell us a bit about your blog and your published books.

My blog is a hodgepodge of book and writing related information. I try to make it both fun and informative. Each Thursday, I host a guest author. Typically, this includes an interview about a book I've read. Occasionally, the author will instead write a guest post on a topic related to his/her book. Mondays were my day for random posts from my own perspective, on anything from the history of book burning to background on one of my novels. I've recently begun a new Monday feature called Quirky Question Monday, in which I ask an indie author one quirky question. On Sundays, I toss out a sample of my writing. I also host giveaways and keep my readers posted on new developments.

As for my books, all six are some aspect of suspense. Enemies and Playmates (my first) is romantic suspense. The Cutting Edge (my last) is dark comedy/suspense and also the only book I've written in first person. My other four are a combination of mystery and suspense. Number seven, the book I'm working on now, is my first paranormal suspense.

I'd love it if you'd give us a little behind the scenes on a couple of your books. How about No Justice?

Some time ago, I served on a jury for the murder trial of a man accused of raping and murdering his

girlfriend. While I had known that our justice system had flaws, this was a close-up view of those

injustices behind our justice system. We, the jury, were not allowed to hear anything about the plaintiff's

past. His life was a locked box. The victim, however, had no such privacy. The defense attorney gleefully

flaunted the victim's past, including her sexual history from as far back as her teen years. I will never

forget the look of anguish on her parents' faces.

The defense did a great job of spinning the tale and making the victim out to be less than virtuous. After a

week of this, when we were sent to deliberate, only two of the 12 jurors initially voted for murder one. I

was one of them. The other 10 wanted involuntary manslaughter, citing her behavior and his cocaine use

as "excuses". I should mention here that the man had left his dead girlfriend in his bed, while he went out

and partied with friends all night. Also, according to witnesses, he was quite sober at the time of the

murder.

The other juror and I fought for, and eventually won, a murder one conviction. Before we left the

courthouse, the judge spoke to us privately. She congratulated and thanked us for the conviction. At that

time, she was able to tell us what had been carefully kept from us throughout the trial; the man we'd just

convicted had a long history of abusing women. He'd already been convicted of several assaults and one

rape. An involuntary manslaughter charge would have been little more than a slap on the wrist. He'd have

been out in no time, free to rape and murder yet another woman.

My husband and I were discussing this one day; that case specifically and the justice system in general.

That's when the character Michael Sykora was born. In many ways, Sykora is my husband's alter ego.

(But, to be clear, my husband does not moonlight as a hit man!)

As for the specific plot, that developed from a combination of the characters' voices and the conversation

with my husband. I don't write from an outline. I start with a character and a vague idea. Then I listen and

follow where that leads me. About midway through writing No Justice, I realized that I had way too many

plots and subplots going on. At that point, I knew that Michael Sykora needed to be a series. He wasn't

happy with one book. I stripped down that initial manuscript and told the story of where I thought the

series needed to begin.

And, Beyond Salvation, the sequel to No Justice?

Homelessness is a huge problem in the U.S. Every age range, from children to the very old, exist in a

separate and hidden world on our streets.

In No Justice, two homeless teens made a brief appearance when they helped Nicki out of a difficult jam.

I wanted to bring them back and let them tell their story. That's when Sara popped into my head and led the way.

Sara is a teenage runaway, friends with the two boys, and missing. The problem with runaways is,

when they disappear from the streets, no one but their few friends on those same streets notices. Often

there is nowhere to turn for help. Michael Sykora works within that lost world and sets out to find Sara.

To be honest, when I began writing this book, I had no idea what had happened to Sara. I don't

outline and only began with that vague premise. As I explored the reasons behind Sara and her friends

winding up on the streets, I was led to the few options they might have to reach out for help. Sadly, there

will always be people who prey on those who are desperate. Cults are one of the biggest offenders, often

masking themselves as Churches and various sanctuaries of hope. Sara stumbled upon one of these.

As I was writing this book, I wasn't looking to give a lesson in morality or write a societal thesis. I

simply wanted to give these lost people, the characters in my head, a voice. I hope that I achieved that and

managed to entertain at the same time.

Darcia, thank you, ever so much, for taking the time to tell us your background as an author and give us your insights about writing; and, those two Stories Behind The Stories :-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Darcia's blog is A Word Please

You can buy her books on Smashwords and Amazon

Now, it's time to ask Darcia a question :-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our Comment Link Is At The Top of The Post :-)

Follow the "co-author" of Notes from An Alien, Sena Quaren:

On Facebook

On Twitter

AND, Get A Free Copy of Our Book

Tagged: author, author interview, Beyond Salvation, Darcia Helle, fiction, Massachusetts, No Justice, self-publishing

Author Interview ~ Stacy Juba

We have a wonderful triple-header for you today, tomorrow, and Thursday! The three Resident Authors and Founders of the incredible BestsellerBound Forums.

Just scan their topics and you'll want to dive in!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today's interview is with Stacy Juba

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stacy, when did you begin writing and can you remember how it felt inside, back then?

I wrote my first story, a paranormal thriller, The Curse of the White Witch, in third grade. I remember the excitement of asking my parents to bind it into a folder. I started a mystery series in fifth grade about an amateur sleuth named Cathy Summers. I remember sitting in my bedroom, filling up lined notebook paper. Every sentence had to be perfect. If I made a mistake on the page and it looked messy when erased, I recopied the page.

Such devotion at such a young age…

Was there any certain date or time you remember when you began to either think of yourself as or call yourself a "writer"?

My teachers and classmates started labeling me as a writer in fifth grade, and by high school, there were even rumors going around school that I had published a book. I actually hadn't–my first book was accepted for publication shortly after graduating from high school. Back then, I resented the label as it made me seem different from the other kids. It's ironic, as now, I work hard at branding myself as an author. That's a big part of who I am. It's interesting how we get more comfortable with ourselves as we get older.

Well, some of us do :-)

What are your hopes, or dreams, or goals for your writing?

My main hopes are to entertain people, and to make a steady income each year from my books.

Have you had any "formal" training in the art of writing?

A little bit, but not at first. I majored in exercise science in college as I didn't know what kind of job I could get with a creative writing degree. I took one creative writing class in college and enrolled in an adult education class in creative writing. I participated in an intensive online mystery writers class through UCLA Extension and have taken about a half-dozen online classes offered through various professional organizations that I belong to, classes in the criminal mind, romantic suspense, pacing, character development, and synopsis-writing. I've also taken workshops at conferences over the years and have read multiple books about the craft of writing. Working as a reporter for a daily newspaper also honed my writing skills.

I would think it certainly would!

What do you feel has taught you the most about "how to write"?

I think just being in the business for so long and having received so many rejection letters. Many editors saw potential in my work and gave me ideas on how to rewrite to make various books stronger. I also had an agent for a couple of years who gave me similar feedback. For me, it wasn't about learning how to write. It was about learning how to edit and fill in the gaps.

I hope a reader or two asks you more about your last two ideas in the comments :-)

Who are your favorite writers and why are they favorites?

My favorite author growing up was S.E. Hinton, the author of The Outsiders. I was inspired by her as she published her first book when she was a teenager and her books had a unique voice. As an adult, I admire J.K. Rowling because of the depth of her imagination and how she was able to carry on this huge series under a lot of pressure.

Where and/or how do you get your ideas for your writing?

I got the idea for Twenty-Five Years Ago Today because of my newspaper background. When I first started out in journalism, I was an obit writer/editorial assistant and one of my tasks was compiling the 25 years ago today column from the microfilm. I got the idea, what if an editorial assistant stumbled across an unsolved murder on the microfilm? For Sink or Swim, I didn't really understand why reality shows were so popular. I wanted to explore why a regular person might go on a reality show and then weave a mystery story around what might happen after this normal person is thrust into the limelight. Ideas just pop into my head–some ideas keep persisting until I start writing, while other ideas just sit on the backburner as they don't feel ready yet. I learned from my former agent to follow up on the ideas that have the most marketing potential.

Aha…

So, what is your normal revision or editing routine?

I outline each book and refer to the outline as I write each chapter. I tend to write a handful of chapters, then go back and edit. Once I finish the manuscript, I use different colored highlighters to highlight description, dialogue, internal thought, action, etc. That way I can focus on tightening up or embellishing one aspect of the story at a time.

Please tell us about your published work.

My first book, the young adult novel, Face-Off, was published by Avon when I was 18 under Stacy Drumtra. It is long out of print as it was published in 1992, but I will be bringing it back in the next year or two and will also publish its never-before seen sequel Offsides. More recently, my mystery novel, Twenty-Five Years Ago Today, was published by Mainly Murder Press in late 2009 and Sink or Swim was published by Mainly Murder Press in January 2011. My children's picture book, The Flag Keeper, was independently published last fall. My paranormal young adult thriller, Dark Before Dawn, is scheduled for release by Mainly Murder Press in January 2012.

Very impressive line-up of books, Stacy!

Tell us about your blog: its purpose, how you go about deciding what to post, and what you want to do with it in the future?

My blog ties in to my books. As a tie-in to Twenty-Five Years Ago Today, I invite guest authors to answer the question: What were you (or your character) doing 25 Years Ago? I also started a new feature called the Sink or Swim 6, where authors fill out a six-question "contestant application" interview from the perspective of one of their characters. The authors are encouraged to solicit comments from their friends and readers. At the end of the year, the three posts that drew in the highest number of unique commenters will be declared the winners of the fictional reality show, Sink or Swim. The features have been so popular that I've had to close submissions until mid-May. My blog can be found at http://stacyjuba.com/blog/blog/.

Wonderfully inventive idea, Stacy!!

Please tell us about the availability of your titles.

The mysteries are available in paperback and multiple $2.99 e-book formats. The picture book is available in paperback and will be released in multiple e-book formats in the near future.

And, synopses?

Sink or Swim: After starring on a hit game show set aboard a Tall Ship, personal trainer Cassidy Novak discovers that she has attracted a stalker. Soon, she will need to call SOS for real…

Twenty-Five Years Ago Today: For twenty-five years, Diana Ferguson's killer has gotten away with murder. When rookie obit writer and newsroom editorial assistant Kris Langley investigates the cold case of the artistic young cocktail waitress who was obsessed with Greek and Roman mythology, she must fight to stay off the obituary page herself.

The Flag Keeper: This illustrated picture book teaches children about U.S. flag etiquette through a fiction story, flag facts, activity idea, and discussion questions.

Excerpts, books trailers and reviews of my books can be found at http://stacyjuba.com/blog/.

And, where can we get the books?

Buy links to different retailers are available in my store: http://stacyjuba.com/blog/store/

Stacy, thanks, so much, for taking the time to stop by and share all this information about your writing career!

And, here come the questions in the comments :-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Folks, be sure to visit Stacy's links up there and don't forget the forums she helped create and maintains at BestsellerBound!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our Comment Link Is At The Top of The Post :-)

Follow the "co-author" of Notes from An Alien, Sena Quaren:

On Facebook

On Twitter

AND, Get A Free Copy of Our Book

Tagged: Bestseller Bound, J.K. Rowling, Mainly Murder Press, mystery, paranormal thriller, reality shows, S.E. Hinton, Stacy Juba

Rediscovering The Power of The Word, "No!", with Irina Avtsin

I want to give a respectful welcome to Irina and thank her for choosing this blog as a stop on her BlogTour. On to our interview…

Irina, I think a good first question is where are you from and what are some of the highlights of what brought you to write your book, Rediscovering The Power of No?

I was born and raised in Moscow, Russia and, being an admittedly brave teenager (or just a teenager :-) immigrated to Israel on my own, arriving there on the second day of the first Gulf War. I got my gas mask and an Israeli passport at the airport. That was my welcome to the country.

I worked my way through getting a BSc in Computer science from Technion, the Israeli analog of MIT. I came to the US in 1999 and soon started working on Wall Street – first at Merrill Lynch and then at Citigroup. I graduated from Columbia Business School in 2007. I worked at Credit Suisse Private banking before starting my own Personal Confidantency, which I then  expanded into "Let's do a reality check!" and "MBA Confidante".

I think my experience in all of that is what brought me to write the book.

Would you share a few personal interests and abilities with us?

I like Yoga, Pilates and I hope to learn to play golf some day.

I appreciate good food, nice wine and well written books.

And, I'm fluent in Russian, Hebrew, and English and speak some French.

Thanks for that personal touch :-)

So, your book says that saying "Yes" can be harmful. Would you explain that?

"Yesomania" is a term I use to describe the chronic and widespread desire to please other people and always say "Yes", often times compromising one's own health, money or relationships.

My book helps you take the first step towards having more control over your life. Beginning to take a closer look at how saying yes to everything affects you and what the price you pay for it is. This will help you see where you need to change then take the steps towards making your life easier and less anxiety prone.

O.K., let's get just a bit of your advice from the book right here. How about in career matters?

It's hard to say 'No' to your boss. However few people realize that if you are the one who always says "Yes" you will be given all those tasks that others said "No" to – and for a good reason. Your raises and promotions will likely get postponed, since there is no reason to make sure that you are happy with your job. You will say "yes" anyway.

What about personal relationships?

When you always say "Yes" to others' requests and suggestions you are not allowing other people to really get to know you. All they know is that you are someone with no preferences, who always says "Yes". While it might feel that you are always surrounded by people who could help, you could find yourself alone in a moment of need.  You could also suddenly realize you won't be able to accommodate everybody. It often happens to those affected by Yesomania that accommodation might be the only thing people came to them for. Once "Yes" is not on the menu they will disappear and you will see the friends who stay with you and can help in times of need.

Money?

Your finances are bound to suffer if you can't say "No" to a small loan, going out to a restaurant that's too expensive, or buying something you don't need because you can't refuse a salesperson. Do a quick calculation – how much did it cost you over the last month?

How about health and stress?

If you can not say 'No' to your boss' request to stay for a few hours longer and skip the gym as a result, you might start piling up those pounds that are so hard to lose later on. When you are on a diet and say "Yes" to a friend's dessert, your waist line is likely to suffer.

Also, When you are spread too thin you're stressed. Period. You do not have the time to evaluate your priorities and that in itself leads to additional stress.

Irina, thanks, so much, for that peek into the kind of help you offer in your book!

I should add that, even if a particular reader of your blog doesn't have the problems that come with Yesomania, the book would make a great gift (for under $5) for any push-overs in their life!

Absolutely, Irina!! Thanks, again, for stopping off on your BlogTour and I'm sure your book could help many of our readers :-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Feel free to ask Irina a question in our Comments

Listen to Irina's audio interview at TheGCafe

Buy her book on Amazon

BTW, there are free Kindle applications available for PC, iPhone, etc.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our Comment Link Is At The Top of The Post :-)

Follow the "co-author" of Notes from An Alien, Sena Quaren:

On Facebook

On Twitter

AND, Get A Free Copy of Our Book

Tagged: author, book, Columbia Business School, Irina Avtsin, Israel, Merrill Lynch, Moscow, psychology

Alert: A Very Special Visit To "Notes from An Alien" !

Monday, the 28th of February

Columbia Business School graduate, Irina Avtsin

Telling us about "Rediscovering the power of 'No'"

For all Readers, Writers, and Publishers

Make your life easier by learning to say, "No"!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our Comment Link Is At The Top of The Post :-)

Follow the "co-author" of Notes from An Alien, Sena Quaren:

On Facebook

On Twitter

AND, Get A Free Copy of Our Book

Tagged: Columbia Business School, Irina Avtsin, psychology, Publishers, Readers, writers, Writers Resources

When Is The Word "No" Better Than The Word "Yes"?

I normally post to this blog Monday through Saturday, every week.

Yes, that's quite a schedule but it helps with search engine visibility and I have a lot to say.

Yes, I've had a number of author interviews lately and there are some really cool ones to come next week.

Yes, it does still take me just about as long to post an interview as my own words, what with all the emailing and editing.

Yes, I do work about 12 to 14 hours a day, seven days a week on pre-publication activities for my forthcoming book.

No, I won't be posting tomorrow. And, No, I won't even be looking at new posts from my Blogroll buddies or making comments on your blogs…

Yes, it feels Great to say "No" today 'cause I'm going to do the final revisions on Notes from An Alien today, tomorrow, and Sunday.

Monday is a Special Day!! Irina Avtsin will be here to tell us about the Power of the word "No!" :-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our Comment Link Is At The Top of The Post :-)

Follow the "co-author" of Notes from An Alien, Sena Quaren:

On Facebook

On Twitter

AND, Get A Free Copy of Our Book

Tagged: blog, blogroll, book, no, Notes from An Alien, publication, search, yes