K.C. Sprayberry's Blog, page 188

Blitz: Falling Into Paradise

Ah romance! Those sweet moments we all love. The delight of watching a couple come together. And the ever so happy ending. This is the best escape in the world. There's a romance out there that will have you reading it over and over again.

 The artwork for this tour button is provided by Douglas Barnard
Welcome to Falling Into Paradise. Here's what it's all about:

A woman too afraid to commit. A man too hurt to love again. A passion that refuses to be denied. Sophie Redmond knew betrayal, she knew mistrust. She knew everything that was wrong with the world, until Damon Watson charmed his way into her life. The rules she used to shield her heart were broken one by one, as Damon showed her compassion and kindness. When no one else believes in her, he shows her hope. But is hope ever enough? Damon knew trouble when he saw it. He was the sheriff. He could spot it a mile away and Sophie was trouble with a capital T. What was it about this City Slicker doctor that made him want to forget everything but those whiskey brown eyes and that honey blonde hair spilled against his naked chest. Can Damon put the past behind him and choose to love again?


Are you ready to discover where to get this gem? I sure am. Check out below the links where this book is available, or you can learn more about the author:

Amazon Find out more about Kamy here: Facebook Blog or Wordpress Blog Website Twitter   And now I'm going to tell you all about Kamy Chetty!   There hasn’t been a time in her life that Kamy hasn’t been writing, or dreaming up some magical love story in her head. As an avid reader, it wasn’t long before she realised her talent for turning a phrase, and add to that a profession of nursing, it’s only natural that her stories have a medical theme with that happily ever after ending.
Recently she’s discovered that all those years she’s been fascinated with TV shows like CSI and Bones, has just been foreplay for her dark side and she now enjoys writing suspense with a dash of medical and a dollop of romance.
Originally from South Africa, Kamy now lives in Auckland, New Zealand with her very own hero and two children who keep her busy. She has two dogs who keep her out of trouble and shelves overflowing with books that she loves reading when she isn’t chasing deadlines.  

Review: Invisible by Jeanne Brannon

Lola Savullo is heavy, hates wearing a swimsuit. There's a dysfunctional family, caught up in their own narcissistic existences, except for Grandma Rose, who seems to understand Lola and her unusual way of dealing with the incessant bullying by most other teens in her school.
Lola's BFF calls the ability a superpower. Lola thinks differently, it's an escape, a way of avoiding the hurtful words and painful punches and slaps – both physical and verbal. What can she do? Lola disappears when she's overwhelmed by those around her. Grandma Rose calls it "The Vanishing." Lola is different, a negative, but she can also disappear, what every teenage girl wishes she could do.
Jeanne Bannon drops the reader into Lola's predicament right from the beginning, a humiliating moment at a public pool, and we immediately feel for this young woman. This is a story for all teens, a story about learning to cope with what gets you down, and rise above it. There are moments of humiliation most will know for a fact, and moments of utter joy. I highly recommend this book not only for teens, but also for their parents as a way to learn how to discover a way to stand up against bullying.
Jeanne Bannon has worked in the publishing industry for over twenty years. She started her career as a freelance journalist, then worked as an in-house editor for LexisNexis Canada. Jeanne currently works as a freelance editor and writer.
Invisible, her debut novel, is about a teenage girl who isn't happy with herself and wishes she could disappear. And one day she does. You can find Jeanne Bannon's Invisible at Amazon or Solstice Publishing 

A Life Wrecked?

Is this your story?

Kamy, eighteen, woke and wondered where she was and what had knocked her from sleep. A persistent buzzing from her pocket made her pull out an I-Phone. She stared at the screen, until the word "Mom" penetrated the hazy fuzz making it hard to think.

"OMG! What does she want?" Kamy answered the call. "What?""Where are you?" Mom screamed. "It's three in the morning. You were supposed to be home at eleven."

"Whatever." Kamy shook her head, it had just started spinning in these really weird circles.

When that didn't work, she lay back and stared at the dark sky, but things only got worse.
"Where are you?" Mom demanded.

"Party," Kamy slurred. "Hardy's Field."

"You're drunk!" Mom screeched.A horrendous throbbing took over the spinning in Kamy's head. She rolled her eyes.

Stupid. I should have told her I was at Mysty Valley."I'm coming to get you," Mom said. "Meet me at the highway."

"No!" Kamy bolted upright and regretted it. "I'll get one of the guys to bring me home."

"I'll be there in five minutes."

Kamy shut off the phone. She tried to stand, but her legs didn't feel like they belonged to her body. She laid back and shut her eyes.

Just five minutes," she promised herself. I'll just rest for five minutes, and then I'll get everyone out of here.The next thing she knew, blue lights flashed all over the place. A huge cop yanked her to her feet and fastened handcuffs around Kamy's wrists. She jerked and cried.

"What's going on?" Bill, her guy, yelled. "We didn't do anything wrong. All we had was a little beer."

"That's the problem," another cop said. "None of you are old enough to drink."Scenes like this play out daily across the world. Maybe in a field, or at a house party, or even in a club. Teens are turning to alcohol for many different reasons. And their lives can turn from the fast track to success to loser just as fast. Underage drinking is an epidemic. It's that simple. Facts from the CDC don't lie, and those facts are enough to scare most parents.

In 2003, a mere ten years ago, eighty percent of high school seniors admitted to trying alcohol. The numbers are somewhat improved for 2012, seventy-two percent of high school seniors admit they've tried alcohol, but then we look at the numbers for nineteen and twenty year olds for the same time period. Seventy percent of those old enough to have graduated high school, but not old enough to drink legally, admit they get drunk on a regular basis.The consequences of this problem are many and varied.

1.      Get drunk underage, but over eighteen, and you will have a criminal record that will follow you for the rest of your life. With the tough competitions for scholarships to college, it could mean the difference between having your higher education paid for or going to work at a dead end job and forgetting your dreams.2.      A juvenile record can be sealed, but there are some jobs where that seal means nothing. So, your partying might follow you into a career you've hungered after all your life.

3.      The younger you are when you start drinking, the harder it is to quit. Start drinking before fifteen and chances are really good you'll be a lifelong alcoholic. Before you shrug this off, think of looking ten to fifteen years older than you are, blacking out, and constantly facing a judge for your habit.

4.      A woman who drinks while pregnant, especially to excess, stands a very good chance of giving birth to a baby suffering from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. This particular syndrome causes poor growth in the womb and afterward, decreased muscle tone and poor coordination, thinking, speech, movement, and social skills will be delayed or have problems, and heart defects. The baby will also have narrow, small eyes with large upper eyelids, a small head, small upper jaw, a host of other problems.

5.      Drink and drive, especially underage, and you'll find yourself with a whole lot of legal problems. First, you will lose your driving privileges. That means public transportation in urban areas, and walking or begging others for a ride in rural areas. You'll have a criminal record. Insurance rates will skyrocket.

6.      Get into a wreck while driving and things just got a lot worse, especially if someone is hurt or dies.

Not enough yet to quit drinking before you're old enough? Ask  yourself these questions – Is alcohol really what I want to be addicted to the rest of my life?

When everyone gives me a hard time for not drinking, am I really willing to let them bully me into getting into trouble?

Are my friends really acting like adults, or are they just being stupid?

Peer pressure can work two ways. You can give in, take the easy way out, and face a lifetime of medical problems, legal issues, and ridicule as you grow older. Or you can walk away and ignore the drunken laughter. Find a party where teens are having fun without booze, throw a party like that yourself, don't fall into the trap of "everyone else is doing it." Be the first in your group to stand up for yourself.


KC Sprayberry is the author of the teen novel, Softly Say Goodbye. In this book, an eighteen-year-old teen, Erin Sellers, takes on underage drinking in her high school. Twitter and YouTube provide her a way to get the message out, but nothing can help when three guys are victims of underage drinking accidents – one when he was drunk and the other two being run off the road by a teen drunk.
She lives in Northwest Georgia with her husband and youngest son, a seventeen-year-old. KC's stories have appeared in many magazines for teens, four anthologies (Passionate Hearts Anthology (2010), Mystery Times Ten (2011), The Best of Frontier Tales, Vol. I (2012), Mystery Times Nine (2012).

You can find me on the web at: Website Twitter Facebook Goodreads JacketFlap LinkedIn  Looking to pick up your own copy of Softly Say Goodbye? Try these links: Amazon Solstice Publishing Barnes & Noble Smashwords       

Beyond the Iron Gate Cover Reveal

You have your contract. It's signed and back to the publisher. Then you get it, the cover of your book – what it will look like to the consumer when they pick up the book and decide if they want to purchase it. What next? Why we reveal the cover to those many fans gathering for the big release date, so they can ooh and ah over it with you.

Today we're revealing the cover for Beyond the Iron Gate by Alicia Michaels. Beyond the Iron Gate is the second installment of the The Lost Kingdom of Fallada Novella series. This fantasy series takes place in the nineteenth century, and here's a taste of what you can expect:  
In the year 1845, before the mystical land of Fallada was separated from the realm of men forever, the two worlds coexisted in harmony. Man could mingle freely in the world of the Elves and Faeries at will and peace reigned.
In the hills of Shropshire, England, just miles from the gate separating the village of Ludlow from the world of mystical creatures, farmer’s daughter Zara Wells longs for answers. It is not only the golden hair that trail feet behind her, or the strange hue of her violet eyes that separates her from the other girls her village. There is something inside of her, something touched by magic that longs to know more about what lies on the other side of the gate.
In Fallada, darkness has begun to spread. As the youngest and most beautiful girls of her village begin to disappear, Zara comes closer to discovering the true circumstances surrounding her birth. Little does she know, that the closer she comes to the answers she so desperately desires, the closer she will come to being ensnared in the dark queen’s web of growing treachery.
Now, there's a video about this story you can watch here: 
Giveaway!  a Rafflecopter giveaway Do you wonder who Alicia Michaels is:
 
Ever since she first read books like Chronicles of Narnia or Goosebumps, Alicia has been a lover of mind-bending fiction. Wherever imagination takes her, she is more than happy to call that place her home. The mother of two and wife to an Army sergeant loves chocolate, coffee, and of course good books. When not writing, you can usually find her with her nose in a book, shopping for shoes and fabulous jewelry, or spending time with her loving family.
 

Piercing the Fold: Surfacing the Rim

As an author, I meet many, many other authors. And I recently had the great luck to meet Venessa Kimball, author of the Piercing the Fold series. I reviewed the first and am now proud to present my review for the second book in this absorbing young adult fantasy series.


See for yourself with the review for the exciting second book, Surfacing the Rim:


Jesca, Nate, and Ezra return in this second book of the Piercing the Fold series. They have a multi-fold mission this time, and a timeline that scares them for failure isn't an option. A world changing event is approaching and they have no idea how the change will affect humanity.
Kimball's tale of a group of Dobrian guardians protecting Earth from Sondians determined to consume humanity is captivating from the beginning. The personalities shift and meld into new friendships, show their determination to follow through with their mission, and are ready for anything – or so they believe.
There are surprises, moments of "I never saw that coming!" Mostly this is a tale of religion and science coming together taken to the next level. The scientific information is revealed in a way most teens will understand.
Venessa Kimball stretches her storytelling muscles in this latest installment far, and succeeds in Surfacing the Rim. The reader is immediately caught up in the suspense of will Jesca and Nate take their relationship to the next level, and will they be able to stop the collision of Earth and Andromeda? What effect will this collision have on humanity? Nothing is clear as the people we came to love in Piercing the Fold return to solve the next problem on their radar.Here's the biggie. Venessa created a very special YouTube video. These are the people she wants to play her characters if it ever comes to a theater near you: What would a fabulous tour such as Venessa is running be without a giveaway - Book 1 of the Piercing the Fold series. What do you think? Does this book sound like something your teen might want? Or something you might want to read? Venessa is giving away an e-copy of Piercing the Fold Book 1 to one lucky commentator! All you have to do is leave a thank you comment on this post … preferably one that an over-the-top gush about how great her book is and thanking her for her generosity. Giveaway open today only!Where can you find this book? Try these links:GoodreadsAmazonYou can find Venessa and her work here:WebsiteFacebookPiercing the Fold on FacebookPinterestTumblrTwitterSo, check out Piercing the Fold Book 2: Surfacing the Rim today!      

Fade to Silver

  Title: Fade To Silver Character InterviewToday, Out of Control Characters brings you Catherine Converse. She's talking about her series The In Between, and specifically, the second book, Fade to Silver. This is a delightful fantasy series for young adults.1.      Talk to us about Fade To SilverFade To Silver is the sequel to The In Between, in what will be a four book series (The In Between Series). The overall, big picture premise of the series is that two girls (Adie and Dannika) that are completely opposite both have a psychic ability to dream about future murder. They are asked to join a covert intelligence agencies that uses the dreams to stop murder, and the agency headquarters are located deep in the earth to keep the ‘Visionaries’ safe. In the first book, the two girls are trying to navigate their own abilities as well as a relationship with one another, and the young men they are falling for. In book two, Dannika goes for a really wild ride, and goes missing, and Adie needs to find her before a huge corporate conspiracy goes incredibly sideways.  [image error]

2. Author Bio
Catherine Converse lives with her husband and four children in beautiful Montana.
If not writing, or researching, she would really like to be outside with her family, preferably snowboarding in winter, and playing with their horses in summer.
Grateful for such a blessed life and the ability to do the kind of work she loves, she just hopes to bring stories of all kinds to life, and enjoyment to those who read them.

3. Website/Blog/Twitter links
           Catherine Converse official Website: http://catherineconversebooks.com/For updates on current books and new releases, follow Catherine on Facebook at http://facebook.com/catherineconversebooks. Twitter: @catconverseFade to Silver on Amazon: http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=boobroandbar-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B00APOV8RA      Fade to Silver on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16124294-fade-to-silver                 We're going to talk to Adie now, the main character in this very interesting series.   1.      Introduce yourself to our readers. Where do you fit into the story? What should we know about you?My name is Adie Brighton. I guess you could say I was a pretty regular old teenage girl until one day when I had one of my crazy dreams, right in the middle of class. That day spiraled into something I never could have imagined, taking me into an unknown world, parallel with the one everyone lives in, yet invisible to them in their everyday lives. Yeah, being a Visionary is pretty awesome, once you get used to the idea. Living and working with the agency is, in a really strange way, a dream come true. I just didn’t know that when this all started. But using those nightmares to do something good in this world, it just feels right. I mean, yeah, I miss some things about my old life, but I think this life chooses you. And once you know you have a certain kind of power, how do you deny that you’re meant to be using it? It all happened really fast, and then there was Dannika, who became my partner, another whole challenge in itself, but now I can’t imagine life without her. And of course, there’s Jeff. I didn’t date much in high school, so, um, I guess you could say he really threw me for a loop.2.      What do you think about the author? Tell us everything. We want to know.She’s pretty nice to work with. She can be kind of overboard, though. She mothers us too much. I mean, I know she has four kids, so that probably just comes natural or something, but I wish she would just stop worry about us so much. Her life seems pretty hectic with kids and family and everything going on, yet it seems like she’s always scheming about our next moves. I guess I appreciate it and all, but she probably needs to get a life outside of reading and writing. Her husband’s pretty cool, she’s lucky there. I bet he’d love to get inside her head a little. At least we get to know what she’s thinking, and sometimes I’m thinking, “No, please, don’t make us do that!” She’s pretty good about listening to us and to our ideas, and of course we throw her a curveball every now and then. So, far we’ve gotten along just fine.3.      What are your feelings about this story?I love being part of this story. Saving lives is the best feeling ever. Watching someone save a life because of something I knew is the best warm fuzzy I could ever get. I just wish I knew guy I ended up with.4.      How do you feel about being a character in this book?It’s cool. At first, it was really freaky, but the author talked me down from the literal ledge, and I decided I could handle it. Now, I’m loving it. Eager and ready for whatever is next!5.      What do you see in your future? (No spoilers please!)Well, that’s the funny thing. We are considered psychic, but we don’t actually see the future. I wish we did, because between you and me, I love Jeff, I really do, but sometimes I can’t wrap my head around Witt’s deal, and why I keep feeling like I need to be a part of it. And it’s driving me nuts. So in terms of my romantic future, I’m lost on that one, but don’t tell Jeff I said that! As far as work goes, I think I’m both feet in with the agency. It seems like the right thing to do with my life.6.      Is there another Fade To Silver in the future? Will you be part of it?Coded in Stone is next up in the series. I’m pretty sure Dannika gets herself into some trouble again, and pretty sure I’m going to have to help get her out of it, as usual. But, I don’t mind, that seems to be the way things work around here, and especially with her, and for some reason, that always seems to work out for the case we’re on. So, I figure all of her antics are just kind of meant to be. And Coded in Stone will be no exception.7.      Say a movie producer comes knocking. What actor/actress would you want to play you and why?That’s a toughie. But I’d have to say that maybe a new up and coming actress that has many of the qualities of Ellen Page. I just love her wit and sense of humor, and then of course there’s Inception, where she basically rocked it. And I think she could really kick some butt if she had to. It would be cool to seek out an actress like her that’s breaking out.    
  

Mariah's Challenge

I wrote Softly Say Goodbye as a message about what can happen when teens abuse alcohol. My hopes were this book would open eyes, and bring people to the realization teen drinking is a problem we need to address at all levels. I knew about accidents involving underage drivers who were intoxicated, but while searching for information on this subject recently, I ran across a website that completely changed my perspective.  
Mariah Day McCarthy was fourteen, a freshman at Butte High School. She was a normal teen, and a great friend. On October 27, 2007, she and two friends were walking along a road when an underage drunk hit them. Mariah's friends survived, but she died. Instead of being another statistic of teen drinking, Mariah has become a symbol of the determination to stop this problem.
Her father, Leo McCarthy, showed enormous courage on the day of her funeral when he issued a challenge to Butte's youth.  
• If you are under 21, do not drink and never get in a car with someone who has been drinking.
• If you are over 21, do not drink and drive, and be a good role model for our children.
• If you sell alcohol, check IDs, train your employees to obey the law, and keep alcohol out of the hands of our children.
• If you're part of our justice system, enforce our laws and keep our children safe.
Mariah's Challenge now has thousands of people accepting the challenge and donating money to the scholarship fund. Communities in Montana, Idaho, Iowa, North Carolina, Washington, and Wyoming have accepted this challenge. Teens live by the challenge. One beautiful angel has brought together people as nothing else has.
Today, I'm proud to host Leo McCarthy, Mariah's dad, on Out of Control Characters.
1.      Tell us something about yourself:
 
I am a life long resident of Butte, MT. The youngest of 11. Married to Janice and have one daughter, Jenna finishing college and one daughter in Heaven.
 
 
2.      Can you explain how you went from grieving parent to a man determined to make a difference in your community?
 
I wanted to make a difference. I had no good or calming advice to the many grieving friends of Mariah. Their innocence was stolen as was our town’s and wanted to change a culture by one youth through one generation at a time.
   
 
3.      When you issued your challenge to Butte's youth, Montana routinely ranked in the top five per capita for drunk driving fatalities. Has your program made a difference?
 
Yes. DUI’s are down due personal responsibility and the pride of this town trying to be better. The physical evidence is the many cold cars in the parking lots bars on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
 
 
4.      How far will you go expanding Mariah's Challenge? Is this a program you see growing to include all high schools and colleges in the United States, or even beyond our borders?
 
My plans are to expand in Montana as well in the USA. It is the narrative response to youth’s needs for another tool to say yes to a better way of life.
 
 
5.      How can people contact you if they're interested in bringing Mariah's Challenge to their community or donating money?
 
Our website, Mariah's Challenge has links for both types of inquiry.
 
6.      To date, how successful has Mariah's Challenge been in reducing underage drinking?
 
It is becoming a tool to use at the dinner table to discuss what is going on in the youth’s world. It is a way of communicating in a way that has no beginning or end about the cycle teenage rite of passage of drinking.   
7.      You participate in a program that boots the vehicles of repeat DUI offenders. Do you see this as an extension of your foundation?
 
No, my family donated the boots along with others. It is a way to keep the drunks out of the cars if we can’t stop them before they get in.
 
8.      On December 2, 2012, you were honored as one of CNN's Top Ten Heroes of 2012. Has this helped your foundation in terms of increased donations?
 
Yes, donations have increased mathematically but out movement has increase geometrically. It is a fear of all parents to bury their children. It is a comfort to all parents when they know their children have a plan when confronted with the trials and tribulations drinking an driving.
 
 
 
9.      Is there anything else you would like to add?
 
My wish is all youth to grow old. To believe in themselves they are greater than the situation, always. Youth are are rarest and most valuable natural esource. 

Blog Hop Mission Not Too Impossible

Today, I, along with some of my friends, are hopping from blog to blog. We're showing you what we've just completed or are currently working on. So, come along for the ride!

1. What is the title of your book?

Starlight



2. Where did the idea come from for the book?

Several things. I had two characters kicking around in my head. They wanted a story, but I had never come up with something worthy of them. However, the recent political season, where things really heated up in my county, gave me an idea for supporting characters, but I still needed a hook, a reason to bring these characters to life. Then it hit me - a house that looked like the perfect combination of historical beauty from a distance combined with obvious decay and rot up close. A man who wants to get even for old issues. A woman determined to control everything, even to the point where she protects a criminal.

  3. What is the genre of your book? Romantic Suspense 4. What actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? Jayme Patterson is a strong woman kicked in the teeth by a tragedy, the apparent suicide of her teenage daughter. She's licking her wounds and the guilt she feels for not telling her daughter's father about the child. Then she discovers a way to prove her daughter didn't commit suicide, and tell the daddy without losing him a second time. Maggie Gyllenhaal would make a great Jayme - vulnerable but also strong.  [image error]   Brad Patterson is a deputy, the youngest second in command of the local sheriff's department. He hides the pain he feels for the loss of a child he loved like his own and losing the woman he loves. One thing betrays Brad's emotions - a great driver, he always ditches his vehicle now during a snowstorm. Paul Walker has not only the looks, but also the inner strength to play Brad.  [image error]   5. Provide a one-sentence synopsis of your book. Tragedy separates them - a search for answers reunites them and reignites their passion.    6. Will your book be self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency? I hope to have Starlight picked up by a small publisher. 7. How long did it take you to write your first draft of your manuscript? Starlight came to me almost complete, but holidays and a nasty case of the flu sidelined this story. It took a month to finish the first draft. 8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? Two come to mind with many of the same elements as Starlight: Kidnapped by Suzanne Ferrell and Wait for Me by Elisabeth Naughton. 9. Who or what inspired you to write this book? Vanilla Hearts Publishing had a call for submissions right as the story came together. I don't think it was any one thing in particular, but a series of events that brought out this book, and a desire to return to writing romantic suspense.    10. What else about this book might pique the reader's interest? Brad and Jayme face the worst any couple can, but they overcome their sorrow to stop the same tragedy from happening a second time. Now comes the fun part. Hop on over to these blogs, friends of mine who also have an exciting new project to talk about: Michael Thal Donna Alice Patton Kay LaLone 

Goodbye Tchaikovsky by: Michael Thal

First of all, I want to note this book is probably one of the most powerful stories for tween and teen boys I've ever read.


David Rothman loses his hearing at the age of twelve to a hereditary problem he knew nothing about. There is no warning, no gradual loss. One day, David is rejoicing after a virtuoso solo performance at Symphony Hall in New York. His performance receives rave reviews, and he's excited about a future performance for the Queen of England in London. David returns home to celebrate his twelfth birthday, and the next morning he wakes up deaf.

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Michael Thal brings us this story of personal triumph giving way to disaster into the forefront. His character, David, lives and breathes the violin. He is a hardworking prodigy, but now his world is forever silent. The reader experiences David's loss as he does. We walk the sad path where he stumbles, but he picks himself up with assistance from unexpected sources. Sometimes, adults show David the way, but as he slowly accepts his disability and makes his own decisions about his future, he finds himself on a path far different from what he once envisioned.


Adversity is something people face daily. Thal weaves a tale of overcoming an overwhelming and terrifying situation with grace and humor. I recommend this book not only for tween and teen boys, but also for their parents, grandparents, and families. David's courage as he straddles the hearing and deaf worlds shines throughout the story.

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On a personal note, I connected with this story from the parallels in my own life. My teenage son had an accident in middle school, where he punctured an ear drum. He plays the saxophone – alto, tenor, and is currently learning the baritone. We held our breath until he healed, but I could see myself in the place of David and his mother easily. Thank you, Michael Thal, for this moving tale of overcoming a major obstacle.

To pick up your copy of Goodbye Tchaikovsky, follow this link: Goodbye Tchaikovsky

Liebster Award

Today's blog is fun … as in I'm helping a friend with her Liebster Award nomination. Kay LaLone is someone I've known for many, many years. We met in a critique group run by an American writer living in Egypt, but when that group slid into oblivion, I invited Kay to join another of my groups. Since then, we've both worked hard to achieve our dreams, and we did … within month of each other. Her book, Ghostly Clues, and my book, Softly Say Goodbye, are both available on Amazon, and are both doing well.That being said, let's get on with the questions Kay sent me to answer. And they are some good questions. I think of them as my dreams coming true!

1.      If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would purchase?
Oh, that's so easy. I'd find a deserted island somewhere and buy it. Isolation is great for writers, but I'd also need to buy a nice boat so hubby, teenage son, and I could travel to populated areas to keep sane. 
 
2.      Is there something unique about you that you'd like to share with the readers?
Is there something unique about me? I'm sure there is. I'm an author now, but previously I've done the usual teen jobs, and then there was an eleven year stint in the Air Force, followed by working at a company that provides support teams for scientific research in Antarctica. All this led me to the path I'm taking now in my life, writing stories for teens and adults.   
3.      Where is your dream place to live and why?
That deserted island. I'm a person who loves peace and quiet. Malls, big cities, bumper-to-bumper traffic makes me crazed. Oh, like all humans I do need interaction, but in small doses please.   
4.      What do you find is the most difficult part of the writing process?
Getting people to believe writers don't have an unlimited amount of time to chat, get together at the local Starbucks, or just hang out. Writing is a solitary profession. Most writers are recluses, reluctantly dragged into the public eye to show off our latest product. But we'd much rather be back at our computer, pounding out the latest story!   
5.      Tell us something about yourself that we don't know.
I have to tell you a secret? Oh goodness! Well … let's see … I absolutely love getting into my Ford Explorer with my camera and seeking out places off the main drag. Give me a chance to explore, and I'm gone. I have what western stories call a set of "fiddle feet." Gotta see what there is to see.   
6.      Do you have any pet peeves?
Many. So many people call me stuck on myself at times. The biggest is how a lot of people now don't take responsibility for their actions. They're always searching for a reason why things happen instead of looking at what they did to cause whatever problem they're facing. Yes, this does bleed into my writing. My characters often are in situations where the bad decisions of others force them to act when they'd much rather ignore the problem.   
7.      Do you have any special habits you do when you write?
Sure. I think all writers do. First, I have to have no distractions. I really get involved with my stories. I can't have demands for me to cook, or clean the house, or even be taxi mom for my teen. I also have to have a cup of coffee or Diet Coke nearby.   
8.      Did you ever write your friends or family members into your books?
Guilty as charged. I can't help it. My friends and family are characters themselves. But I don't use all their characteristics in one character. Rather, I blend those attributes to create my characters.   
9.      What is your favorite drink?
Coffee first thing in the morning. I really have to have my coffee. No one who knows me comes anywhere near me until I've had my first pot of coffee.
Diet Coke after about ten in the morning, and usually for the rest of the day.
Rarely, I enjoy a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. Just one glass, though. More, and I get silly.   
10.  Who gives you the best encouragement to keep writing?
My husband of nineteen years. He's the one who prodded me to take up writing after we moved from Denver to North Georgia. He's the one who tells me I can keep doing this crazy thing.   
11.  Eleven random things about myself:
Loves heavy metal love ballads – those bands really know how to rock out a love song. Definitely a cat person, but I also love Labradors! Cans a mean, crispy pickle. Power walks through grocery shopping, to get back to writing faster. Can walk into a kitchen with no clue what to make and produce a meal my guys can't stop talking about later. Adores my house on one acre of land. It's inside the city limits, but set so I feel as if I'm living in the country. Grew up on the Los Angeles area, but prefers the quiet of the country. Prefers honey over sugar in my coffee – and wishes restaurants would offer honey. Spent five years in Germany while in the Air Force. Visited many attractions, but the one that made the biggest impression was seeing Dachau. The impressions I got from there stay with me to this day. Longs to visit both Australia and New Zealand someday. Is a grandmother to ten grandchildren, boys and girls. Loves them to pieces!