Katheryn Lane's Blog, page 10

Epic Viking Adventures with Mary Ann Bernal

Today it is great to welcome Mary Ann Bernal, the author of The Briton and the Dane novels. She is also kindly agreed to give away a FREE paperback copy
of her latest book, Legacy, but more about that later.



First, could you tell us what your books are about?



[image error] The Briton and the Dane novels bring to life the tumultuous ninth
century when the formidable Vikings terrorized the civilized world. The epic
adventure runs the gamut of deception, treachery, intrigue, and betrayal during
a time of war and conquest in Anglo-Saxon Britain.













What inspired you to
write them?



An incurable romantic Anglophile was born during my
high school years, after having read Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe, and seeing
the Hollywood blockbusters such as The Vikings, King Arthur and  Knights of the Round Table, to name but a
few.  When Hollywood changed its venue of
period movies, I found solace with the British programs being aired on the
local PBS station, and with the advent of Cable TV, historical documentaries
and period miniseries filled the void.



During this time, Erik the Viking was hovering in
the cobwebs of my creative mind, waiting to escape oblivion, waiting to tell
his story, waiting and waiting and waiting, but it was not until 2008 that I
was able to find the time to devote to fulfilling my lifelong dream of writing
my Erik the Viking story, and The Briton and the Dane trilogy was born.
What other periods of
history are you interested in?



Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece come to mind, but my fascination with
the rise and fall of the Roman Empire almost trumps my love of Anglo-Saxon
Britain. . . almost.  Roman Britain is
also included in my top five interests.



I believe you have
also written some short stories. Could you say something about them?



My short stories reflect my love for history in that I will take a
modern theme and set the characters in a bygone age.  Take for example betrayal.  I placed my characters in Rome when
Christians were being persecuted.  My
heroine was baptised into the Christian faith and she shared this information
with her Patrician husband who she trusted. 
Unfortunately, her politically-motivated husband had her arrested and
she was executed in the arena.  Betrayal
is betrayal no matter which century we live in, the only thing different is the
name and place.



What are you
currently working on?




The Briton and the Dane: Concordia will be available in 2013.



What are you reading at the moment?


Jacqueline Kennedy:  HistoricConversations on Life with John F. Kennedy



What do you like to
do in your free time when you're not reading or writing?



Attending my grandson’s sporting events and my granddaughter’s dance
competitions top the list of free time activities.  I also love to travel and have planned a trip
to Greece this fall.



Do you have any
advice for other authors?



Keep writing and never give up.  If
going the conventional route is not working for you, then consider
self-publishing - it is not as hard as it sounds.  Every successful author has had his/her share
of rejections and negative reviews, so you are in good company.  If you have a story to share, tell it.  Persevere and never, ever quit.



Do you have any
parting comments?



It has been a pleasure to be a guest on your blog.  It is always fun to humanize an author.  Thank you for giving me this opportunity, and
for a fun time.



Thank you so much Mary Ann for taking the time to chat with me!



Where can we buy your
books?



Purchase Info:



Amazon US




http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Ann-Bernal/e/B003D2DPZ4/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1


Amazon UK



http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mary-Ann-Bernal/e/B003D2DPZ4/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1



Barnes and Noble



http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/mary-ann-bernal



Where can readers find out more about
you?




Please visit my webpage:  http://www.maryannbernal.com


Novels published in association with The Literary Underground




http://www.litunderground.com/MaryAnnBernal.html


Book
Trailer:











[image error]



Win a FREE paperback copy of LEGACY. To enter,
just follow this blog (if you aren’t already) and leave a comment below with
your contact details (your email address or twitter account) before 30th June. How simple is
that!

Courage and Invisibility

I love
having guest writers here and today it’s wonderful to welcome Catherine Kirby,
the very talented author of Sari Caste and See Through. Over to you Catherine!




I'm honoured
to be invited to contribute to your blog Katheryn, thank you. I hope your
readers will enjoy this piece about my books and a little about myself.



I spent a
great deal of my early life moving around the country. My parents seemed unable
to settle anywhere for long. I've had experience of living in a variety of
places and of meeting a good variety of people. All of this helps with creating
characters. The experience helped me observe differences in communities and how
a place can affect the people who live there and vice versa.



I now enjoy
living down in the West Country with my husband, daughter and our crazy cat.
It's a beautiful part of the country and we love it here. We have the sea to
one side of us and the estuary to the other. Everywhere there are beautiful
rolling hillsides abounding in wild life, birds and of course sheep and cows.
Since our cat is mainly an indoors cat we also have visits from all kinds of
bird life in our garden too. It's a great place to be.



As a child, I
often wondered what it would be like to know what went on inside other people's
heads and to see what they thought about and why. I expect that was the
beginning of my writing dreams and ambitions.



I've always
loved reading and enjoyed writing too. First, I attempted short stories, gradually
extending my reach to longer ones. I had little idea what a story required to
make it complete. I enjoyed creating characters and stories though so I kept
going. I attended workshops and met like-minded people with whom I formed a
small writing group.



My first
novel, Sari Caste began after reading a newspaper feature that touched
me deeply and sparked my creative interest. I experimented with a series of
short stories, in which I tried out various characters and situations. In the
back of my mind was the certainty that I would use these to eventually develop
them further in a novel. My characters grew increasingly more rounded and
distinct. Once I embarked on writing the novel it took its own course. Whenever
I found myself struggling I'd look through my notes for inspiration. To spur my
enthusiasm and stamina there was always plenty of coffee to hand too! The
growing word count helped with pacing and with knowing I was getting towards those
satisfying words - The End. I discovered that it was, in fact, the beginning of
polishing and editing my work. Finishing that first draft was, nevertheless, a
wonderful feeling that I'd managed to complete my first attempt at a novel.



The research
was extensive. I spent a lot of time reading, looking at maps, studying the
geography, climate, food and even the electricity and water supply of Calcutta
and Darjeeling, in which the story is set. I became completely immersed in
everything to do with my subject.



By the time
it was almost complete, I found I'd written a circular novel that started and
ended in the same place. I didn't know I would do this when I started out. It
simply evolved that the main character began by looking back at events that led
up to that moment of reflection, and then beyond.



My second
novel, See Through , is completely different. It's a light-hearted
fantasy that deals with the way people perceive and interpret each other
through their own prejudices and needs. It's set in the basement of the local
shopping mall, which is a base for the invisible characters, as well as in the
homes of the other story characters.



In See Through, people who have a surname that is also a colour have the
ability in times of great stress to become invisible. They then have 3 months
to sort themselves out or they remain in an invisible limbo forever.



Fleur is an
exception to the rule that those who are invisible cannot be heard either. However, her young son, Dylan, can both see and hear her. This causes all kinds of
problems for Dylan with the rest of the family, who refuse to believe him.



Deserted by
Fleur, her husband Sean is tempted by a variety of other women in his life and chaos
ensues when Fleur finds out. The invisible and visible characters' lives become
entangled causing much confusion, humour and surprises. There's a twist ending that
hopefully draws the story to a satisfying conclusion and allows for the
possibility of a sequel.



At the
moment I'm writing another novel - the working title is Lies Truth and Other Rumours. I
don't want to say too much about it yet as there is still some way to go with
it. It's serious, funny and sad. In common with my other two novels it has
themes of the ways in which people's live collide and change.



Writing is
like a holiday for me. Escaping into the world of my characters is both exciting
and challenging - just right for an involving break from the everyday. I hope
it provides that for my readers too.



My novels are available here:



Sari Caste     -     Kindle - ClickHere



                           -    Paperback 
- Click Here



  See Through -   Kindle - Click Here

Get Unlimited FREE Books

If you love to read, you might find that it's an expensive habit, with some novels costing up to $16 each! Does that mean you have to cut back on your reading? Of course not. With recent developments in technology, there are now many ways in which you can get an unlimited number of free books! Here are some of the main ones:






1) Get Free Ebooks on Amazon

Many authors give away their books for free for a few days in order to gain more readers and exposure. For example, I am giving away my romance novel  Her Latin Lover for free on Amazon on 14th and 15th June (grab a copy here and you will already have saved $2.99 from reading this!) If you don't have an ereader, you can download reading apps from Amazon for free that let you read ebooks on your computer or phone (click here for details).



2) Review Books

Many authors are happy to send reviewers free copies of their books in return for an honest review posted on Amazon (if you would like a free review copy of any of my books, please email me at KatherynLane1 (at) hotmail (dot) com). If you set up a blog that mainly reviews books, tell your readers which genres you are interested in and what formats you would like (paperback, pdf file, etc). Let people know you are reviewing that genre in forums on sites such as Goodreads and watch the books come flooding in. Some of my favourite websites, such as Night Owl Reviews, have so many authors sending them books that they get more books than they can read!



3) Enter Giveaways

There are hundreds (thousands?) of giveaways taking place all the time on the internet. For example, I am currently giving away 2 paperback copies of Sarah Elle Emm's brilliant book, Prismatic (click here for details. This giveaway ends 16th June), as well as the chance to win a Kindle Fire as part of the Zombie Candy Blog Tour (click here for details. This giveaway ends 15th June). The more giveaways you enter, the better your chances of winning something.



4) Use Your Local Library

Sometimes the traditional methods are the best. I love libraries and many of them offer free membership for local residents. Go and visit your nearest one and borrow a couple of great books.



If you read and enjoy a free book, please thank the author by leaving a review and recommending it to your friends.



Are there any free books that you've read recently and enjoyed? If you're an author, is your book currently free on Amazon?

Get Unlimited FREE books

If you love to read, you might find that it's an expensive habit, with some novels costing up to $16 each! Does that mean you have to cut back on your reading? Of course not. With recent developments in technology, there are now many ways in which you can get an unlimited number of free books! Here are some of the main ones:






1) Get Free Ebooks on Amazon

Many authors give away their books for free for a few days in order to gain more readers and exposure. For example, I am giving away my romance novel  Her Latin Lover for free on Amazon on 14th and 15th June (grab a copy here and you will already have saved $2.99 from reading this!) If you don't have an ereader, you can download reading apps from Amazon for free that let you read ebooks on your computer or phone (click here for details).



2) Review Books

Many authors are happy to send reviewers free copies of their books in return for an honest review posted on Amazon (if you would like a free review copy of any of my books, please email me at KatherynLane1 (at) hotmail (dot) com). If you set up a blog that mainly reviews books, tell your readers which genres you are interested in and what formats you would like (paperback, pdf file, etc). Let people know you are reviewing that genre in forums on sites such as Goodreads and watch the books come flooding in. Some of my favourite websites, such as Night Owl Reviews, have so many authors sending them books that they get more books than they can read!



3) Enter Giveaways

There are hundreds (thousands?) of giveaways taking place all the time on the internet. For example, I am currently giving away 2 paperback copies of Sarah Elle Emm's brilliant book, Prismatic (click here for details. This giveaway ends 16th June), as well as the chance to win a Kindle Fire as part of the Zombie Candy Blog Tour (click here for details. This giveaway ends 15th June). The more giveaways you enter, the better your chances of winning something.



4) Use Your Local Library

Sometimes the traditional methods are the best. I love libraries and many of them offer free membership for local residents. Go and visit your nearest one and borrow a couple of great books.



If you read and enjoy a free book, please thank the author by leaving a review and recommending it to your friends.



Are there any free books that you've read recently and enjoyed? If you're an author, is your book currently free on Amazon?

An Interview with Frederick Lee Brooke, Author of Zombie Candy

Please enjoy this interview with Frederick Lee Brooke, author of the genre-bending mystery Zombie Candy . Then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including $550 in Amazon gift cards, a Kindle Fire, and 5 autographed copies of the book.

 





1. What was the inspiration behind your novel, Zombie Candy?





There was a famous golfer whose wife chased him out of the house with a golf club in the middle of the night a couple of years ago. It was funny that she attacked her husband with his own weapon of choice. I got to thinking what must be going through a woman's mind in that situation? I thought it would be interesting to explore the thought processes of a woman who discovers that her husband is a serial cheater. After the denial comes anger, but there is also a phase of grief. There's guilt. Maybe she blames herself, rightly or wrongly. Candace oscillates between wanting revenge and wanting her husband back, and as the novel winds up she makes discoveries about herself that I thought a woman in her situation would be likely to make.





2. Do you think Zombie Candy will appeal to true zombie fans?





What's a true zombie fan? I don't want to give anything away, but any active zombie fan who participates in zombie walks, goes to festivals, etc. will love Zombie Candy . That being said, this is a book that has elements of mystery, horror and romance all in one. It had quite a few early readers, fans of all different genres, and the consensus is that it really works.





3. The book contains some of Candace's favorite recipes. Why?





I confess, I love to cook, and it's such an important part of my life, it just felt natural to have Candace want to share her recipes. We are all vulnerable to being attacked through our taste buds. I like reading about cooking, and I love watching cooking shows on TV. I feel like I'm learning something and tasting it at the same time. It felt right for this to be really important for Candace. At the same time, her husband Larry is so incredibly lacking in appreciation of her talents, not just the cooking itself, but organizing complex meals and directing the preparation of them by her class of twelve people. These are amazing skills, and Larry is blind to them. I thought marriages are sometimes like that, where people get to a point where they are totally ignorant of what their partner is great at.





4. There is a no-cilantro label on the back cover of the book. What is the significance of it?





Candace is a gourmet cook, and her cheating husband Larry insists on covering all his food with cilantro. This is one of those minor points of contention in a marriage that flares up and becomes important, like a trigger. I thought it was funny. And it seems a lot of people really do have strong feelings about cilantro, either for or against. When I was searching for a good graphic I came across pages on the internet like ihatecilantro.com and facebook.com/i-hate-cilantro.





5. After starting out in Chicago, why did you decide to set the story in Tuscany?





I've been fortunate enough to travel to Italy forty or fifty times in my life, sometimes for a two-week vacation, sometimes just for a very short trip. I absolutely love it there, from the food to the language to the beauty of the countryside and the architecture. In Zombie Candy , Candace realizes at a certain point that she has to get Larry out of his comfort zone. This is a guy who travelled all over the country every week for his work, and cheated on Candace with waitresses, flight attendants, whoever. He can adapt just about anywhere. But in Tuscany Larry discovers two things: 1) it's not so easy to find a willing waitress or flight attendant to spend the night with him; and 2) there are zombies here.






6. How would you describe the way you work as a writer?



I guess I'm a bit of a chameleon, able to adapt pretty well to circumstances around me. My wife and I have three boys and they are not quiet. I can do most revision with significant background noise and interruptions. Only when I'm writing a first draft or doing some serious planning work do I need peace and quiet. Then I'll often take a walk in the forest anyway. It helps a lot to be adaptable. If I had to put off writing every time someone asked me to cook dinner or help them with their homework, my book would never have been finished. For me, being able to jump right back in has been the key to being able to finish big projects.





7. Did you always want to be a writer?





I was an early reader and this led to curiosity about writing stories. My sister and I wrote stories during long car trips. In high school and then in college I dreamed of writing novels, but I only started writing short stories after graduating from college. That writing phase lasted about five years, and I learned a lot about writing, but life got in the way, with marriage and job and career and kids. Only when my kids were halfway grown and my career reached a certain level of success did I find a way to return to writing. Now I'm fulfilling a lifelong dream.





8. What process do you go through to define your characters?





I start with an image of them as basically good or basically evil, and put them into a context or a situation, and then just basically make sure there is plenty of conflict. My characters are never perfectly white or black. I think we're drawn to weaknesses. We want to watch them mess up, and see how they'll extricate themselves. Of course, sometimes all my planning goes out the window. It's a cliche to say that characters surprise you with their actions, but they do. They're defined by what they do and what they say. I did some acting in high school and have always loved the theater, and knowing what it means to be in character helps me be in character when I'm writing dialogue. My books are fairly dialogue-driven. What the characters say reveals what they are thinking and feeling.



9. What writing advice did you receive that was most beneficial to you?





I had to learn to love conflict. The conflict is the story. The conflict shows the true colors of your characters. I grew up in the suburbs in a family where we avoided conflict at all costs. We talked like diplomats. So embracing conflict has been something I had to learn.





10. You're an indie author. Any thoughts on the divide between independent publishing and traditional publishing?





I think the market will sort itself out, but it's going to take time. Good books will find their way into readers' hands somehow, whether in printed or electronic form. We need our stories every day. We can't live without stories. For me personally, independent publishing has been the perfect solution. I found an excellent editor who professionally edited my manuscript. I like the idea that I can control the timing of the publication of my books. If my first book, Doing Max Vinyl , had been traditionally published in April 2011 instead of the way I did it, it probably would have hit the remainder tables by Thanksgiving, and it would be out of print now. I think Zombie Candy might spark some interest in Doing Max Vinyl , so it's a benefit to readers as well as to me that it continues to be available, rather than going out of print and being forgotten. E-books are clearly here to stay, because the consumers (readers) and providers (authors) are the big winners. The only losers are the bookstores, publishing companies, agents and others who refuse to adapt.

 





As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of the Zombie Candy eBook edition is just 99 cents this week. What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes. The prizes include $550 in Amazon gift cards, a Kindle Fire, and 5 autographed copies of the book.

All the info you need to win one of these amazing prizes is RIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment--easy to enter; easy to win!





To win the prizes:



Purchase your copy of Zombie Candy for just 99 cents
Enter the Rafflecopter contest on Novel Publicity
Visit today’s featured social media event

About the book: Weaving elements of mystery, horror and romance in a hilarious romp that starts in Chicago and ends in a quaint medieval town in sun-drenched Tuscany, Zombie Candy is a genre-hopping knee-slapper of a novel. Get it on Amazon.





About the author: Frederick Lee Brooke has worked as an English teacher, language school manager and small business owner and has travelled extensively in Tuscany, the setting of part of Zombie Candy.



V isit Fred on his website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.

Great Book Giveaway! Win a copy of Prismatic by Sarah Elle Emm

I've just finished reading Sarah Elle Emm's latest novel, Prismatic, and loved it! This is what I said about it on Amazon and Goodreads:





Prismatic is about a group of teenagers in the
not-so-distant future of 2050, living at a time when the USA is ruled by a
despotic President, Elizabeth Nicks, and divided up into zones according to
race. The worst of these zones are the mixed race ones, in particular Indy
Mixed Zone, where every possible comfort and human right has been taken away,
including schools, hot water and nutritious food. People, including children,
are made to work long hours producing goods and food for the other zones and
countries. Barely surviving on starvation wages and constantly threatened with
an indefinite prison sentence, the people of mixed race don’t dare to speak up
against the terrible way they are being treated. That is, until a very special
group of teenagers come together to fight against the system under which they
live. Leading this group are Jabari and Rain, a remarkable teenage couple, who battle
against the odds to try and bring down their oppressors.
Throughout the book, Sarah Elle Emm does a brilliant
job of describing life under an oppressive regime and how, even in the very
worst of circumstances, love and hope can find a way. I can’t wait until the
next book in the series, Opalescent!




To give you the chance to read it too, Sarah is giving away TWO paperback copies of Prismatic worth over $15 each! Just use the rafflecopter below to enter, and remember, the more entries you make, the better your chances of winning!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

So You Want To Be A Bestselling Author: What Should You Write About?

Thousands of people, like myself, have published on Amazon
in the last few years and many thousands more are planning to. However, if you’re
a first time author you might be faced with the dilemma of what to write. You know
that you want to publish a book, and hopefully become the next bestselling author, another E L James, Amanda Hocking or
John Locke, but where do you start?



For any product, whether it is toothpaste or sports cars,
many businesses conduct extensive market research first to find out what people
want to buy. In the case of books, you could research the market before you
write to find out what is selling i.e. what genres are in the top 100 on lists
such as Amazon’s, though generally the bestselling genre is romance, partly
because romance lovers are voracious readers, but this is not very helpful
information for authors that do not want to write romance. Also, there are many
other popular genres out there, such as thriller and non-fiction history. In
addition, it can be hard to be ‘visible’ and get to the top of a category where
you are competing with thousands of other books in the same genre (there are
currently over 80,000 romance ebooks available on Amazon.com). You might be
better off writing for a less popular category, such as religious fiction,
where you would have a greater chance of making it to the top (there are only
around 10,000 religious fiction ebooks on Amazon.com at the moment).



Moreover, readers are fickle and what is selling today may
not be what is selling by the time you have written your book. Also, people may
not know that they want your type of book until you have written it. For
example, in the wider world of business, no one knew they wanted potable
cassette players that could not even record music until Sony came out with the
Walkman in the 1980’s. Similarly, in the world of books, J. K. Rowling was told
by her first editor, Barry Cunningham, to keep her day job as there was no
money to be made from children’s books. J. K. Rowling’s children’s books have
had since made her a billionaire!



Rather than trying to follow a tend, you might be better off
writing the book that you want to write, rather than the book you think you
should write. Write what you love to read and what you know most about. Bestselling
romance author, Judy Powell, has this excellent advice for authors, ‘I would like to
encourage authors to write the book of their heart. If there is a particular
genre or subject that holds great appeal for you please translate your passion
for that idea into a book. Your readers will feel your passion and come to love
your book as you do.’ Readers certainly feel this passion in Judy Powell’s
writing; her contemporary romance, Hot Summer, is an Amazon bestseller!



For example, if you know a lot about vegan food, write a vegan cookbook,
or a novel in which the lead character is a vegan. The author, Alle Wells, is a
committed vegan from the South and her first novel, Lame Excuses, is about food and a
woman in a Southern town. Similarly, the author,
Philip Catshill, is a retired British policeman and his murder mystery novels,
Who Else Is There? and Suffer Little Children, are acclaimed for their
realism of UK police practice and criminal characters, while my romance, The Royal Sheikh, was inspired by my experience of living in the Middle East, though I
must admit I have never been seduced by a fabulously wealthy Sheikh!

Katheryn Lane Has Gone Chrome!

A huge thank you to Gemini Witching for
awarding this blog with the Chrome Versatile Blogger Award!



As seems to be the way with such awards,
I have a series of questions to answer in order to receive it, so here goes!















1. What was
your favorite food when you were a child?



Peanut butter, banana and
lettuce sandwiches (I still like them).



2. What’s the
#1 most played song on your iPod?



I’m afraid I don’t have an iPod (there is only so much technology I can
keep up with!), but my favourite CD at the moment is 21 by Adele.



3. What is
one of your favorite quotes?



“I used to be Snow White, but I drifted” - Mae West



4. If you
knew the world was ending in 2012, what would you do differently?



Pray more.



5. If you
could choose anyone, who would you pick as your mentor?



Nora Roberts, only she’s
so busy writing that she wouldn’t have any time to mentor!



6. If you
could witness any event past, present, or future, what would it be?



I’m full of Diamond Jubilee
fever at the moment, so I’d probably say the coronation of the Queen.



7. If you
could learn to do anything, what would it be?



Read and write Chinese. I like a
challenge!



8. If you had
to work on only one project for the next year, what would it be?



I would love to just
write.



9. If you
were immortal for a day, what would you do?



The same as I'm doing now.



10. When was
the last time you had an amazing meal?



The last time my husband cooked!



11. If you
could meet anyone, living or dead, who would you want to meet?



Charles Dickens or maybe Jane Austen or on second thoughts Shakespeare
- this question is too difficult!



Now I need to
nominate seven great blogs to receive this award too and I’m picking the
following - please go and check them out!




Alle's 5 Star Reviews



Miss Write



Making Baby Grand



Paula Martin - Romance Author



Jan's Blog



TM Souders, Author



Pages From My Thoughts



Happy blogging everyone!

Meet Bestselling Romance Author, Bella Andre

I am thrilled to be interviewing the bestselling romance author, Bella
Andre, on my blog! First, Bella, you have published many successful romance
novels, including The Sullivans series. Can I ask you what inspires your
great stories?






Thank you so much for having me on your blog, Katheryn! My stories are
character driven and I try to dig really deep into who my heroes and heroines
are - what their fears are, why they're afraid to love, how close they are to
other people, what their passions are, what they're hiding from other people. .
. and themselves.




Out of all your books, do you have a favourite one, or a favourite
character?




My favorite is always the one I'm working on. I just finished Zach
Sullivans story, IF YOU WERE MINE, which is the 5th book in my
Sullivan family contemporary romance series. I fell in love with him as I was
writing the book and I really hope my readers enjoy his love story.



















What do you think have been the biggest factors in the huge success of
your novels?




My fans are the reason for my success. I love that they trust me to put
out stories they want to read. That's what drives me to sit down with my
computer every day to write ten to twenty pages on my next story. With
self-publishing, being responsible for the whole process - from writing the
books to making the covers to hiring great copyeditors and proofreads - makes
me even more fanatic about making sure I do a great job for them.




In the last few years you have written many books. Can I ask how many
and how you manage to do it?




Over the past years, I've written five brand new Sullivans titles. I have
a very strict calendar where I've laid out deadlines for my work to be in
editing or copyedit. If I've sent one book off to an editor, then I'll
immediately start plotting and writing the next book. Luckily, I live with my
Sullivans in my head all the time and I love thinking about them! Plus, the
best part of my day is always when I'm writing. . . or as I like to say,
"Weeping over my keyboard." J




What are you currently working on at the moment?




I am launching Zach Sullivan's love story, IF YOU WERE MINE (The
Sullivans #5), and have just started writing Ryan Sullivan's story, LET ME BE
THE ONE (The Sullivans #6).




What do you think about the current changes in the publishing industry?




I think it's great that authors have a way to directly reach their
readers, and I love being able to get my books directly to my fans.




After writing for four major publishers, in 2010 the self-publishing
revolution was just beginning. I dipped my toes into the water with a sequel to
my bestselling NY published book, TAKE ME, and when LOVE ME did well, I dived
all the way in! It's been an incredible journey so far, taking me all over the
world this past year as I've sold 700,000 self-published ebooks as of May 2012,
the majority at an average price of $4.99.




When you are not writing, what do you like to do in your free time?




I love to hike, swim, hang out with friends and family, and chat with my
fans on Facebook (http://facebook.com/bellaandrefans)
and Twitter (http://twitter.com/bellaandre).

Thank you, again, for having me!




Thank you Bella for taking the time to chat with me! One last thing, where
can readers find out more about you and your books?




On my website (http://BellaAndre.com)
and my releases are available on Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Bella-Andre/e/B001JS38XI/,
Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/bella-andre and other major
retailers.




IF YOU WERE MINE is now available from





Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/7cuyebr



Barnes & Noble: http://tinyurl.com/cqqawln



Kobo: http://tinyurl.com/79vmm5m



Apple: http://tinyurl.com/6mqzcu4



Paperback: http://tinyurl.com/bnnawmt

Making the Unbelievable Become Believable: Meet Author Janet Beasley

I just love fairy tales, so I’m thrilled to be able to welcome fantasy
author, Janet Beasley. First Janet, could you tell me something about your wonderful
books?



My main books are epic fantasy. . . you know, good old fashioned good
vs. evil, but with a fresh new approach. So far people have said it is a very
intriguing colossal experience, it reminds them of the day when you believed in
the tooth fairy, and one even remarked that it was a mix of Harry Potter and
The Wizard of Oz.







What inspired you to write them?



Since childhood I have always been making up "lands" I could
be princess of, and "creatures" who were approachable, lovable, and
would let me ride them like horses and such. As life progressed, I married the
best guy for me around, and we expanded our productions talents into our own
company, Multi-Tech Productions, Inc. Since 1998 we've been involved in
creating theatrical productions where we are responsible for making the
unbelievable become believable with the use of special effects, audio,
lighting, and multi-media. If you saw our house you'd swear you're on a stage
set. . . a different one in every room! So I would have to say my background
and fantastical imagination would be one of the biggest inspirations I use to
create my novels.





What are you working on at the moment?



At the moment, I'm working hard to get the word out about Maycly. Hidden Earth Maycly Volume 1 Parts 1, 2, and 3 released on Feb 26, 2012 in paperback,
then on Mar 20, 2012 as ebooks. I say ebooks because the paperback holds all 3
Parts, where as each Part is a separate ebook.





What are you currently reading?



I'm reading 1106 Grand Boulevard by author Betty Dravis - a real thrill
as I'm from the area of Ohio she has written about, and I can relate to so
much. I'm also in the middle of reading The Children of Anak by author Daniel
Carter - the second in his trilogy of the G-6 Chronicles - a fast pace
scifi-fantasy that keeps your adrenaline running high.





You say on your Amazon profile that people should 'live life to the
fullest'. Do you think you have done this? If so, how?



Absolutely! I believe living life to the fullest is remaining happy,
with a great attitude, as many days of your life here on earth as possible. I
stay happy helping others, and assuring I bring a smile to at least one face a
day in need.





What do you like to do in your free time when you're not writing or reading?



My husband and I love to tandem kayak the beautiful, crystal clear,
spring fed rivers of Florida. He does most of the navigating so I can explore
into my other hobby: scenic nature photography. There's so much opportunity for
great shots of wildlife and nature when you kayak. You can go into so many more
places than you can get to by foot or regular boat. It's always peaceful,
serene, and makes for a great escape.





Do you have any advice for other authors?



I do, and it would probably be another book all in itself. I'm not just
talking the mechanics of writing, but there are so many other things fiction
authors must deal with on top of having to be creative and get their stories
out there. I guess the biggest thing I would stress to anyone wanting to be an
author, is to never listen to anyone who tells you it can't be done.





Do you have any parting comments?



I would like to thank you, Katheryn, for having me on your blog. It's
been really fun! And to all my current and future fans out there - may your
every day be filled with the good things of Maycly. ;-)





Thank you Janet! Just one last thing, where can readers buy your book and
find out more about you?



*MAYCLY ON AMAZON: Hidden Earth Series by Janet Beasley



*URL: JLBCreatives or HiddenEarthSeries



*BLOG #1: JLBCreatives
Blog



*BLOG #2: Live Events And Productions



*FACEBOOK: JLBCreatives



*TWITTER: http://twitter.com/JLBCreatives - @JLBCreatives



*PINTREST: JLB Creatives =
Janet Beasley



*LINKEDIN: http://www.linkedin.com/in/janetbeasley



*FLICKR - Free photos from Janet: Janet's Scenic
Nature Photography



*YOUTUBE CHANNEL: JLB CREATIVES
CHANNEL