Mia Darien's Blog, page 17

Ten Questions with… Wayne Neely

Today’s episode of Ten Questions with Mia is hosting Wayne Neely, who has written several books about hurricanes. Welcome!

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Author Bio: Wayne Neely is an international speaker, best-selling author, lecturer on hurricanes, and a Meteorologist. Travelling extensively, Wayne addresses critical issues affecting all aspects of hurricanes, especially Bahamian hurricanes which are one of his central areas of expertise. Wayne Neely is a certified Bahamian Meteorologist working at the Department of Meteorology in Nassau, Bahamas for the last 22 years. He has written seven books on hurricanes.

You can find his books from iUniverse and AuthorHouse, Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

About the Writer

1. What five words describe you?

Passionate, goal oriented, loving, caring and loyal.

2. What was the first story you ever wrote? I mean the really bad one we all have that you’re trying to hide in the back of closet now that you’re published?

In school writing a story describing my summer vacation experience. It was a really terrible story trying to explain it and sadly my English teacher Mrs. Anderson also agreed with me.

3. What inspires you?

I am inspired by an inner clock which always pushes me to write a better book than my previous one. I am also inspired to become a better person and to help others in need.

4. What distracts you?

What distracts me is my critics of my books and while writing my book a good episode of NCIS.

5. What’s your favorite story? This can be specific, as in a particular book or even story-driven movie, or general, like “I’m a sucker for a hero looking for redemption story.”

I know this might sound self conceited but my first book called “The Great Bahamas Hurricane of 1929” this is because it was my first time I published anything including my book.

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About the Writing

1. Tell us about your currently available titles.

I have written seven books on hurricanes here in the Bahamas and the North Atlantic. They are:

1) The Great Bahamas Hurricane of 1929 and the Publisher is mediaenterprises publishing.

2) The Major Hurricanes to Affect The Bahamas(It includes all of the major hurricanes that affected the Bahamas from 1500 to Present Day) and the publisher is Authorhouse…www.authorhouse.com

3) Rediscovering Hurricanes(This book includes all of the major Hurricanes of The North Atlantic from 1494 to present-foreword by Herbert Saffir-co-developer of the Saffir Simpson Scale) and the publisher is also Authorhouse….www.authorhouse.com

4) The Great Bahamian Hurricanes of 1926-The story of three of the greatest hurricanes to affect the Bahamas(Foreword by Bryan Norcross-CBS Evening News Hurricane Meteorologist) and the Publisher is IUniverse.www.iuniverse.com

5) The Great Bahamas Hurricanes of 1866-The story of one of the greatest and deadliest hurricanes to affect the Bahamas(Foreword by Phil Kloztbach-Chief research scientist at Colorado State University) and the Publisher is IUniverse.www.iuniverse.com

6) The Great Bahamian Hurricanes of 1899 and 1932-The story of two of the greatest and deadliest hurricanes to impact the Bahamas.(Foreword by Professor William Gray from Colorado State University)

7) The Great Hurricane of 1780-The Story of the greatest and deadliest hurricane to impact the Caribbean and the Americas (foreword by Dr. Steve Lyons from the Weather Channel

2. What’s your favorite part about writing these stories?

Interviewing persons who experienced these deadly hurricanes and being amazed by the great impact these storms had on their lives.

3. What would your characters say about you? Be honest! Always willing to help others.

[N/A]

4. Who would play your favorite character if they made a movie of their story?

Will Smith

5. Do you have any projects currently in the works you want to talk about?

Yes I am presently writing two books to be published later this year and they are 1) The Greatest and Deadliest Hurricanes of the Caribbean and the Americas and 2) The Great Bahamas Hurricane of 1929 Volume 2.

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Wayne, thanks for being with us today and good luck with your writing!

Character Interview: Jamie Marchant & Princess Samantha from “The Goddess’s Choice”

Please help me in welcoming today, Jamie Marchant and Princess Samantha from The Goddess’s Choice. Welcome!

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Mia: What is the name of the book where we’ll find you? Can you tell us a little about it?

Samantha: I’m in a sword and sorcery, fantasy novel titled The Goddess’s Choice, and I’m one of the two main characters—Princess Samantha, the seventeen-year-old heir to the throne of Korthlundia. The other main character is a sixteen-year-old peasant named Robrek Angusstamm, but I can him “Robbie.” The novel is based on an old Norwegian fairy tale, “The Princess and the Glass Hill,” that hardly any one has ever heard of, but my author loved it as a child. In the original tale, I’m nothing more than a prize to be handed off to the victorious male, but as my author became an adult, she didn’t like that very much. So she made me into a strong heroine, every bit as likely to be the rescuer as the one rescued.

Half the novel tells my story, and in the beginning I’m frightened that I’m crazy; no one else but me sees colors glowing around people. Only later do I learn these colors make me an aurora—a person able to discern a person’s character through their multi-colored aura. Near the beginning of the novel, I meet Robrek. At the horse fair where we meet, he tells me he has the absurd idea that he’s a demon; animals speak to him, and his healing powers far outstrip those of his village’s priests. I can tell at once he’s a powerful sorcerer. He rides a Horsetad, for the goddess’s sake. Nobody can tame a Horsetad. He isn’t like any of the men at court, but of course, I can’t marry a peasant.

All the nobles at court want to marry me though. Some see this as a way to seize my throne, and when that doesn’t work, my arch-enemy, Duke Argblutal, tries to kill me. He don’t leave Robrek out of it either. Argblutal kidnaps Robbie and tries to exploit his magic in order to force me into marriage. To save our lives and stop Argblutal from plunging the realm into civil war, Robrek and I must consolidate our powers and unite the people behind us.

Mia: Tell us a little about yourself. Where do you fit into the story? What should we know about you?

Samantha: As I mentioned, I’m the seventeen-year-old heir to the throne of Korthlundian. Since my father, the king, is eighty-nine, I suppose I’ll have to take over pretty soon. I don’t know what I’ll do without him. My father and I have always been close—maybe because it’s always been just the two of us. My mother died in childbirth. Because I am his only heir, my father raised me more like a son than a daughter. He insisted I start weapons training as soon as I was old enough to hold a sword, and I’m more skilled than at least half the Royal Guard—or so I’m told. I’m most at home on horseback, and I don’t give a fig for fashion and gossip. I’m on the short side, and my chest is flatter than I’d like it, but you can’t have everything, even if you are a princess. I have freckles on my nose that I’m rather fond of, even if they aren’t fashionable.

Mia: What do you think of the author? Be honest. We won’t tell.

Samantha: To tell the truth, she’s a bit controlling. She is always wanting to take the story one way when I am sure it should go another. We often tussle, but I usually end up getting my way.

Mia: How do you feel about the story you’re in?

Samantha: It’s a great read. It has action and adventure, tragedy and triumph. It will make you laugh and cry and keep you up at night. It’s also a story of forbidden love, and who doesn’t like that?

Mia: Do you like being a character in the book?

Samantha: I love it. I get to be a strong, powerful heroine with a mind and will of my own. I get to outwit the ones who plot against me and those who dismiss me because of my youth and gender. I demonstrate the true power of women, and I get love to boot. What’s not to like?

Mia: How do you see your future? Without giving anything away about the story, naturally.

Samantha: My hope is to maintain the peace, as my father did for fifty years. But I foresee trouble. The Royal Council is at each others’ throats, and I fear they will tear the joined kingdoms apart and me with it.

Mia: What do you know about your author’s plans? Can we expect to see you in any future stories?

Samantha: Jamie has a sequel to The Goddess’s Choice, titled The Soul Stone, nearly finished. I play a major role in it. There will then be a third volume in the trilogy, featuring me. She plans a novel in the same universe, but outside of the trilogy, about Darhour, my chief bodyguard. She is also nearly finished with a totally unrelated and irrelevant (since I’m not in it) urban fantasy novel titled The Bull Riding Witch.

Mia: Let’s say they make a movie about this book. Who do you want to play you, and why?

Samantha: Everyone is always asking me this, and I must admit I have no idea. Movies don’t exist in Korthlundia, so I’m not familiar with many actors.

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Author’s Bio: Jamie Marchant lives in Auburn, Alabama, with her husband, son, and four cats, which (so she’s been told) officially makes her a cat lady. She teaches writing and literature at Auburn University. Her first novel, The Goddess’s Choice, was released in April 2012 from Reliquary Press. She is hard at work on the sequel, tentatively titled The Soul Stone. She has also published a novella, titled Demons in the Big Easy. Her short fiction has been published in Bards & Sages, The World of Myth, and Short-story.me.

Author Site: http://jamie-marchant.blogspot.com/

Buy Link: Barnes & Noble

Buy Link: Reliquary Press

Ten Questions with… Luke Murphy

Now that we had the chance to meet Calvin, from Dead Man’s Hand, last week, we get to meet his writer! Luke Murphy is with us today to answer Ten Questions. Welcome back, Luke!

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Author Bio: Luke Murphy lives in Shawville, Quebec with his wife, two daughters and pug.

He played six years of professional hockey before retiring in 2006. Since then, he’s held a number of jobs, from sports columnist to radio journalist, before earning his Bachelor of Education degree (Magna Cum Laude).

Murphy’s debut novel, Dead Man’s Hand, was released by Imajin Books on October 20, 2012.

Author Site: http://www.authorlukemurphy.com

You can find Dead Man’s Hand at Amazon.

About the Writer

1. What five words describe you?

Patient, determined, persistent, hard-working, thick-skinned

2. What was the first story you ever wrote? I mean the really bad one we all have that you’re trying to hide in the back of closet now that you’re published?

Untitled, I wrote it right out of college, following the life of a female, rookie detective on the LAPD. I would like to go back and work on it to improve the novel, hopefully for publication someday.

3. What inspires you?

I’ve always been self-motivated. But for DEAD MAN’S HAND, there is not a single moment in time when this idea came to be, but circumstances over the years that led to this story: my hockey injuries, frequent visits to Las Vegas, my love of football, crime books and movies.

Dead Man’s Hand became real from mixing these events, taking advantage of experts in their field, and adding my wild imagination. The internet also provides a wealth of information, available at our fingertips with a click of the mouse.

4. What distracts you?

My daughters, but it’s a good distraction. 2 and 4 years-old, playing ring-around-the-rosie and duck-duck-goose

5. What’s your favorite story? This can be specific, as in a particular book or even story-driven movie, or general, like “I’m a sucker for a hero looking for redemption story.”

I like suspense-thrillers…a great homicide investigation/detective story.

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About the Writing

1. Tell us about your currently available titles.

Dead Man’s Hand, my debut novel, is a crime-thriller that takes readers inside the head of Calvin Watters, a sadistically violent African-American Las Vegas debt-collector, who was once a rising football star, now a murder suspect on the run.

2. What’s your favorite part about writing these stories?

Writing allows me, for a short time, the freedom to leave my everyday world and explore new avenues, to be in another place and time. It allows me to get inside the head of characters—to think, do, and say whatever I want with no rules or restrictions. It means liberty and freedom to express myself.

3. What would your characters say about you? Be honest!

Calvin Watters could relate to my sports injuries, and probably would like to have a beer together to compare our “war” wounds.

4. Who would play your favorite character if they made a movie of their story?

I’ve thought about this question before. Back when I started to write this novel (2006), I pictured Denzel Washington as Calvin Watters. But that was a while ago and I think that Denzel would be too old now.

5. Do you have any projects currently in the works you want to talk about?

I’m currently working (revising) on the first novel I ever wrote, a crime-thriller following the career of a female, rookie detective on the LAPD.

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Thanks for joining us today, Luke, and good luck with your stories!

Character Interview: Luke Murphy & Calvin from “Dead Man’s Hand”

Today, our guests are Luke Murphy and Calvin from Dead Man’s Hand. Welcome to you both!

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Mia: What is the name of the book where we’ll find you? Can you tell us a little about it?

Calvin Watters: The title is DEAD MAN’S HAND, and it’s about one man’s quest for redemption. I’m framed for a murder that I didn’t commit, and I have to avoid the LVMPD, as well as a hired hitman, to prove my innocence.

Mia: Tell us a little about yourself. Where do you fit into the story? What should we know about you?

Calvin Watters: You wouldn’t know it by looking at me, but four years ago I was the next “Big Thing”. The rich had welcomed me into their group with open arms. But now I’m just a thug to them, just an outsider looking in. I might look like only a bill collector to you, but at one time I knew how to act with the arrogance of the very rich. I was on my way back, until I was framed for murder.

Mia: What do you think of the author? Be honest. We won’t tell.

Calvin Watters: Luke Murphy is alright. He’s suffered like me, maybe not to my depth, but he’s always beat the odds and found a way to succeed.

Mia: How do you feel about the story you’re in?

Calvin Watters: Ever since my football days, I’ve been all about intensity, and that’s what this book is all about. Fast paced and thrilling. Everything happens for a reason and I had my chance at redemption.

Mia: Do you like being a character in the book?

Calvin Watters: I love it! It shows everyone my story, the real person I am. It proves that I’ve had problems but I worked hard to overcome my troubled past and move on to a brighter life for both me and Rachel.

Mia: How do you see your future? Without giving anything away about the story, naturally.

Calvin Watters: A new career…a new life with the woman I love.

Mia: What do you know about your author’s plans? Can we expect to see you in any future stories?

Calvin Watters: I know that he would like to write another story. But right now, he teaches fulltime, tutors part time, has two little girls (you should see how cute they are), and another child on the way, so he doesn’t have a whole lot of time. But all in due time…I’ll be back.

Mia: Let’s say they make a movie about this book. Who do you want to play you, and why?

Calvin Watters: I’ve thought about this question before. Back when my story was written (2006), I pictured Denzel Washington as myself. He had what it took to pull it off…good looks, intensity and a fire under him. But that was a while ago, and I think that Denzel might be too old now.

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Author Bio: Luke Murphy lives in Shawville, Quebec with his wife, two daughters and pug.

He played six years of professional hockey before retiring in 2006. Since then, he’s held a number of jobs, from sports columnist to radio journalist, before earning his Bachelor of Education degree (Magna Cum Laude).

Murphy’s debut novel, Dead Man’s Hand, was released by Imajin Books on October 20, 2012.

Author Site: http://www.authorlukemurphy.com

Choose Your Own Adventure!

…okay, not really.

In case anyone has wondered, I have still been working on writing my own stuff. It’s not just been posting new interviews! After my flurry of releases over the summer, however, it’s been onto new content, and my life has gone very crazy these pasts months and that has made the writing slow-going.

Still, the first incredibly rough draft of the fourth Adelheid book (Written All Over Her) is done and with the First Readers, who will undoubtedly tear it apart and make me do lots of work before the next draft. Even so, we’re making progress.

While on this phase of the fourth story, however, I turn to the fifth and plotting it out. Anyone who has read the Adelheid page knows that I have lots of ideas, but that the order of five and on was not set in stone. I’ve decided to see if any of my readers out there have an opinion about what story they’d like to see next!

Thus without further ado, I’m going to list the contestants. Please comment, email, tweet, or facebook me with what you’d like to see!

1) Vance’s story, which will feature an undercover investigation into an underground supernatural fighting ring.

2) Donovan’s story, which will feature a secret organization trying to bring up a very bad supernatural creature.

3) Cassandra’s story, which will feature her back story, a murder mystery, and the keys to this kind of ‘odd’ character.

4) A new story for Sadie, which doesn’t have a plot yet but I’m sure she’d give me one.

5) A new story for Dakota, which would feature an ancient magical journal that shakes the foundations of her soul.

So! These are the candidates. Let me hear from you!

Mia

Ten Questions with… Jade Varden

Today we welcome back Jade Varden to the blog. She was last with us for a character interview with River, and today she is here to answer Ten Questions with Mia. Welcome back!

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Author Bio: Jade Varden writes young adult novels for teen readers, using real settings and situations to create rich detail in her stories. Jade blended fashion, romance and mystery together to create her YA book series, Deck of Lies. When she’s not crafting mysteries in her books, Jade also blogs practical writing tips for authors who self-publish. Follow her on Twitter @JadeVarden. Visit Jade’s blog for reviews, writing tips, self-publishing advice and everything else you ever wanted to know about reading and writing books.

Author Site: http://jadevarden.blogspot.com/

You can find her books at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords or Kobo!

About the Writer

1. What five words describe you?

Passionate, optimistic, introspective, analytical and creative.

2. What was the first story you ever wrote? I mean the really bad one we all have that you’re trying to hide in the back of closet now that you’re published?

I once wrote a story that had something to do with a dollhouse. I barely remember it, but my main character somehow ended up living inside the dollhouse with the doll family.

3. What inspires you?

Asking questions. I’ll start thinking about something, and wondering what the world would be like if this thing was completely different suddenly…somehow I get ideas out of this.

4. What distracts you?

My cats, and other people. Any living creature immediately around me when I’m writing. Oddly, the TV affects me not at all. Twitter is also a huge distraction. I’m always checking it.

5. What’s your favorite story? This can be specific, as in a particular book or even story-driven movie, or general, like “I’m a sucker for a hero looking for redemption story.”

Gone With the Wind is my favorite book and movie, and Scarlett is my favorite heroine.

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About the Writing

1. Tell us about your currently available titles.

My 4-book series, Deck of Lies, is currently available. Each book in the Deck is out right now, and you can get all 4 in a boxed set edition (Deck of Lies: The Full Deck). The boxed set contains bonus materials and lots of extras.

2. What’s your favorite part about writing these stories?

I love getting reviews and reading along as other people work their way through all the mysteries. I particularly enjoy reading their theories as they move through the series.

3. What would your characters say about you? Be honest!

That I’m always testing them, and purposefully setting them up to fail.

4. Who would play your favorite character if they made a movie of their story?

Skylar Samuels has the perfect look for Rain, I think.

5. Do you have any projects currently in the works you want to talk about?

I am working on something, but I just started it. I will say it’s YA, but it’s vastly different from Deck of Lies. It’s not a mystery, and I think that will surprise a lot of my readers.

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Thank you for joining us today, Jade, and good luck with your stories!

Character Interview: KC Sprayberry & Erin from “Softly Say Goodbye”

Today I’m happy to introduce a new character to join us here at From Mia’s Desk: Erin Sellers and her author KC Sprayberry. Welcome!

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Mia: What is the name of the book where we’ll find you? Can you tell us a little about it?

Erin: Softly Say Goodbye.

Erin Sellers, an eighteen-year-old high school senior, hates teen drinking. She and her three friends – Bill, her guy, Shari and Jake – decide to use Twitter to stop a group, the Kewl Krew, from using their high school as the local bar. But the members of this group are just as determined to stop anyone from messing up their fun. Despite veiled threats to her safety, Erin continues her crusade.

To make matters worse for her, the stress of school and extracurricular work mounts and suddenly, shockingly, booze-fuelled tragedy strikes. Erin is now under greater pressure as she spends all hours to produce a mural and other work to commemorate the death of a teen friend. Bill, Jake and Shari support her in all this…

But more tragedy lurks nearby… until it’s time to softly say goodbye.

Mia: Tell us a little about yourself. Where do you fit into the story? What should we know about you?

Erin: My name is Erin Sellers, and I recently graduated high school. This is my story about the last three months I was at Landry High School. Everything was almost great, except for the Kewl Krew. They’re into drinking booze, and I really hate how some teens do that. So, I decided to do something about it, but it took me a while to figure out what.

Mia: What do you think of the author? Be honest. We won’t tell.

Erin: She took so long to figure out how to tell my story. First, she tried third person, past tense. Talk about a bomb! Then we went to first person, past tense, but that was hokey. Finally, I kicked her backside and told her first person, present tense was super for this story, and it worked! That’s when we became BFFs, and I let her tell what happened that year.

Mia: How do you feel about the story you’re in?

Erin: Sad, and somewhat happy other people are learning about my story. I mean, I’ve loved Bill Lomax all my life, sort of. We were friends since forever, but it wasn’t until he spilled red fruit punch on my best white shorts back in sixth grade that I figured out how I felt about him. He was so sweet, apologizing over and over, even though I forgave him in like two seconds.

The sad part comes from what I lost in Softly Say Goodbye. But telling about that would be a spoiler, so you’ll just have to read the book to find out.

Mia: Do you like being a character in the book?

Erin: Oh yes! How can I not like being a character in the book? This is how I did something positive for my school. It was so … emotional. I make my author tell everyone to have a box of Kleenex handy for those hard parts. Even I still cry when I read about everything.

Mia: How do you see your future? Without giving anything away about the story, naturally.

Erin: Hmmm? I’ll hint at giving something away. Right now, I’m thinking about how I’ll get into a good college. I had an acceptance, but then I took some time off to deal with the consequences of taking my stand against teen drinking. But I think I’m more than ready to go back to school now. See, I want to be a graphic artist. I’m real good at drawing, and I’ve always wanted to learn how to surf, but Landry Georgia is nowhere near an ocean, so I think I’ll see if UCLA will have me again. They should. My grades are outstanding, and I have been going to a local community college.

Mia: What do you know about your author’s plans? Can we expect to see you in any future stories?

Erin: She says no, I won’t be in any other stories. There really isn’t more to tell. But I love, love, love her plans for other teen books, about stuff that really makes a difference. Like the one she’s plotting now about a girl who grows up in a family that constantly changes who they are – they’re identity thieves, but the girl, she isn’t real sure of her true name, hates all this. I’m betting there won’t be many tears in this one. And it’s supposed to be a love story, too. I really love those kind.

Mia: Let’s say they make a movie about this book. Who do you want to play you, and why?

Erin: Two people come to mind here. I mean it’s a tie, and I can’t decide which would do better.

The first is Bonnie Wright. Everyone knows her as Ginny Weasley from the Harry Potter movies. She’s definitely like me – a teen who knows what she wants and goes for it.

The second is Bella Thorne. Her hair is pretty much the same as mine, what my dad calls an “evening sky before a storm red.” Bella was in Big Love and Shake It Up!

Wow, those are a couple of well-known actresses. But they’d do a great job with Softly Say Goodbye!

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Author Bio: I am happily married to a man I met while in the Air Force. We recently celebrated our eighteen years of marriage. Our teen, the youngest of eight, keeps us on our toes with his band activities. Writing is something I’ve done since I was very young. At first, it was in a diary and then I poured all my energies into English compositions, earning praise from my Advanced Composition teacher in high school for an extremely visual project. While in the Air Force, I placed second in the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge’s annual contest and from then on, was hooked. However, the reality of a military career and raising children forced me to put off attempting publication until my husband and I moved to Georgia. It was after the birth of our now teen that I began taking courses through The Institute of Children’s Literature, Long Ridge Writer’s Group, and Writers Digest in an effort to make my life’s dream come true.

We live in Northwest Georgia, in a small town, where I write Romance, Westerns, Young Adult, and Middle Grade stories, both short and book length. More than a dozen of my short stories have appeared in magazines such as Listen Magazine, Brio, and The Pink Chameleon website. I also have two short stories in anthologies, Passionate Hearts Anthology and Mystery Times Ten.

My westerns have garnered interest by avid readers and appear on The Western Online and Frontier Tales.

My work appears under the pen names of KC Sprayberry and Kathi Sprayberry. Softly Say Goodbye, a young adult novel, was my NaNoWriMo winning project for 2010. This story was inspired by a quote from a song and hearing of an auto wreck involving teens and drinking.

Author Site: http://www.kcsprayberry.com/

Author Blog: http://outofcontrolcharacters.blogspot.com/

Buy Link: Solstice Publishing

Buy Link: Amazon

Buy Link: Barnes and Noble

Buy Link: Smashwords

Ten Questions with… Steve S. Grant

Hello there, and welcome to Ten Questions with Mia Mondays! On tap for today is science-fiction author Steve S. Grant, author of Original Strand and The Dreamer Genome! Welcome to the blog, Steve.

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Author Bio: Steve S. Grant lives near Montreal, Canada, where he raises a family and reads whatever he gets his hands on. His hobbies include video games, hockey, camping and playing with the kids.

Author Site: http://www.stevegrant.ca/

You can find his books at Amazon and Smashwords!

About the Writer

1. What five words describe you?

Energetic, curious, stubborn, easygoing, loyal.

2. What was the first story you ever wrote? I mean the really bad one we all have that you’re trying to hide in the back of closet now that you’re published?

I wrote a medieval fantasy epic in my early twenties. It’s not finished. I see it as the beginning of a learning process.

3. What inspires you?

Daily events, newspapers, books and some of the people I interact with.

4. What distracts you?

Family and friends (I need to isolate myself). Stress is bad because I can’t focus.

5. What’s your favorite story? This can be specific, as in a particular book or even story-driven movie, or general, like “I’m a sucker for a hero looking for redemption story.”

I like realistic human interactions that keep me guessing. It doesn’t matter if it happens in medieval times with magic dragons or on another planet with light sabers. The characters have to feel real and the authors must not treat readers like idiots. Readers are smart and can figure things out by themselves. As I re-read what I just wrote, Stephen King naturally pops to mind.

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About the Writing

1. Tell us about your currently available titles.

The Dreamer Genome is my first self-published novel. It’s about corporate greed, genetic manipulations, space exploration, cryogenics and a twisted experiment that slowly unravels as test subjects grow up over a period of 30 years. It should appeal to a broad array of science fiction fans.

Original Strand is a short story of roughly 10 000 words (free on Smashwords and soon to be free on Amazon). In a post apocalyptic scenario where Earth is a radioactive wasteland, genetically modified moon inhabitants discover a war survivor and bring him back to life.

2. What’s your favorite part about writing these stories?

I love the creative release that it brings and the evasion from the real world that it provides. It’s like working on an immense puzzle where each word, each sentence, each character and each scene is a piece that needs to be shaped and trimmed perfectly to fit the emotions and images in my mind. It’s a labor of love and a powerful drug.

3. What would your characters say about you? Be honest!

They would all say different things. Some of them would take my lunch money, some would sign me autographs, some would go out with me (I wish) and a few might hang out for a beer.

4. Who would play your favorite character if they made a movie of their story?

Will Smith would be great as Russell Reynald.

5. Do you have any projects currently in the works you want to talk about?

The sequel to The Dreamer Genome is written and edition will start in January. It should get published somewhere in 2013.

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Thanks for joining us today, Steve, and good luck with your books!

Character Interview: Jade Varden & River from the ‘Deck of Lies’ Series

Today I’m happy to welcome Jade Varden and River, from the four book Deck of Lies series. Thanks to you both for joining us!

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Mia: What is the name of the book where we’ll find you? Can you tell us a little about it?

River: I’m in all four books in the Deck of Lies series: Justice, The Tower, Death and Judgment. I meet a girl named Rain Ramey in Justice, but pretty soon she has a different name and a whole new life. We become friends, and I get sucked into her new world of lies, cover-ups and manipulation. I end up in all sorts of trouble as a result.

Mia: Tell us a little about yourself. Where do you fit into the story? What should we know about you?

River: You should probably know what everyone else already knows about me – I’m well-known for being an emotional mess. Something happened to be before I met Rain, and it changed me.

Mia: What do you think of the author? Be honest. We won’t tell.

River: I think she’s a pretty sick ticket, considering that she puts multiple people in jail and institutions through the course of the series.

Mia: How do you feel about the story you’re in?

River: Still a little bewildered by it all, to be honest. I never knew so many secrets could say hidden for so long.

Mia: Do you like being a character in the book?

River: Yes, because of the other characters in the book…or maybe just one.

Mia: How do you see your future? Without giving anything away about the story, naturally.

River: Through a wineglass.

Mia: What do you know about your author’s plans? Can we expect to see you in any future stories?

River: I’d say it’s a definite possibility. I don’t mean to brag, but I’m one of her most popular characters.

Mia: Let’s say they make a movie about this book. Who do you want to play you, and why?

River: The author thinks I look like Nicholas Hoult. I’d say I’m much more Johnny Depp, like a young Johnny Depp…but better-looking.

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Author Bio: Jade Varden writes young adult novels for teen readers, using real settings and situations to create rich detail in her stories. Jade blended fashion, romance and mystery together to create her YA book series, Deck of Lies. When she’s not crafting mysteries in her books, Jade also blogs practical writing tips for authors who self-publish. Follow her on Twitter @JadeVarden. Visit Jade’s blog for reviews, writing tips, self-publishing advice and everything else you ever wanted to know about reading and writing books.

Author Site: http://jadevarden.blogspot.com/

Buy Link: Amazon

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Ten Questions with… Ira Nayman

Some of you remember that Ira Nayman has been with us before in the Brenda versus Brenda character interview, and he’s returned to answer Ten Questions with Mia for his new release, Welcome to the Multiverse (Sorry for the Inconvenience)! Thanks for joining us again!

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Ira Nayman Author Photo

Author Bio: The odds are good that Ira Nayman has been writing humour longer than you have been alive. That thought scares him more than it does you, although he also finds it perversely comforting.

Author Site: http://www.lespagesauxfolles.ca & http://www.facebook.com/ThrishtyFriednishes

You can find Welcome to the Multiverse at Elsewhen Press and at Amazon!

About the Writer

1. What five words describe you?

Aerodynamic. Invertebrate. Inveterate. Slartibartfastian. Purple.

2. What was the first story you ever wrote? I mean the really bad one we all have that you’re trying to hide in the back of closet now that you’re published?

According to family legend, I decided I wanted to be a humour writer when I was eight years old. The first things I wrote were parodies of Sherlock Holmes stories (ever precocious, I was reading Conan Doyle at the time). They (my stories, not Conan Doyle’s) were written on the backs of my father’s green, legal-sized accounting sheets (because the fronts had distracting lines all over them). Each story was a page long. I remember thinking at the time, “How do people come up with enough ideas to fill whole stories?” Over the years, I must have learned…

My family moved around when I was young, and these stories were lost to time. I am, of course, curious about them; I’m sure they were awful, but they may have given an early indication of how I would develop as a writer. This assumes, of course, that I could even read them (my handwriting today is not quite good enough to be considered atrocious; back then, it must have been absolutely Hieroglyphic!).

3. What inspires you?

The sound of other people’s laughter. It is a joyous sound that I would like to create more of in the world.

4. What distracts you?

Apple pie and lobster. Not necessarily together. But, not necessarily separate, either.

5. What’s your favorite story? This can be specific, as in a particular book or even story-driven movie, or general, like “I’m a sucker for a hero looking for redemption story.”

I’m a fan of intelligent, anarchic, absurdist/surreal comedy. I grew up with the Marx brothers, the Firesign Theatre, Samuel Beckett, Thomas Pynchon and Monty Python’s Flying Circus, among others. My favourite story is: boy meets girl. Boy turns into a giant space squid. Girl gets a job stamping passports in an interdimensional customs office. It rains. THE END. Preferably, the story should be told in faux Italian. The fauxer, the better.

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About the Writing

Ira Nayman Cover Art

1. Tell us about your currently available titles.

I have three Alternate Reality News Service books in print, Alternate Reality Ain’t What It Used To Be, What Were Once Miracles Are Now Children’s Toys and Luna for the Lunies! These are collections of short (mostly under 1,000 words) humourous science fiction stories in the form of news articles. I also have a novel, Welcome to the Multiverse (Sorry for the Inconvenience) out. Published by Elsewhen Press, it is currently available as an ebook; it will be available in print early in 2013.

2. What’s your favorite part about writing these stories?

Making myself laugh. It’s best when I’m sitting at my computer and surprise myself so much that it just falls out of me. Unfortunately, that’s rare. What happens more often is a year or two will pass, and, rereading something that I have written, I will have forgotten a specific idea or turn of phrase, and I will burst out laughing.

3. What would your characters say about you? Be honest!

Are you kidding? They would love me! After all, they are made up of parts of me, so how could they not love me?

4. Who would play your favorite character if a movie of their story was made?

A young Whoopi Goldberg, but with a little less attitude.

5. Do you have any projects currently in the works you want to talk about?

Indeed, I have: two new Alternate Reality News Service books will be published in 2013. The Street Finds its own Uses for Mutant Technologies will be a collection of general news articles. The Alternate Reality News Service’s Guide to Love, Sex and Robots will be a collection of the advice columns Ask Amritsar and Ask the Tech Answer Guy. I would also like to finish my series of Antonio Van der Whall, object psychologist short stories and write a sequel to my novel. But, shhh, these projects are still gestating.

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Thanks for joining us, and good luck with your stories!