Mia Darien's Blog, page 21

Giveaway!

I’m hosting a giveaway through goodreads for the next month, giving away three print copies of Welcome to Adelheid (Three Book Bundle), which contains the three books from the Adelheid series!

You can enter at goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/33041-welcome-to-adelheid

Ten Questions with… B. Morris Allen

For today’s guest, we have B. Morris Allen, the author of The Speed of Winter. Welcome to the blog today!

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Author Bio: B. Morris Allen grew up in a house full of books that traveled the world, and was initially a fan of Gogol and Dickens. Then, one cool night, he saw the light of Barsoom…

He’s been a biochemist, an environmental activist, and a lawyer. He pauses from time to time on the Oregon coast to recharge, but now he’s back on the move, and the books are multiplying like mad. When he can, he works on his own contributions to speculative fiction.

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

You can find his book at Amazon, Smashwords and Barnes & Noble!

About the Writer

1. What five words describe you?

Reserved, funny, tall, vegan, reader.

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?

“The Orange Donkey”. This is the story that started me on the path to best-sellerdom, back when I was six. My parents liked it. I actually posted it on my website, just for fun, so it’s a closet with a window.

3. What inspires you?

Almost everything inspires me. I keep a file full of story ideas that’s up to a few hundred now. My SF novella The Speed of Winter emerged from the chance juxtaposition of two of them. One, the idea of an arkship (suspended animation colony ship) with an unlivable destination, arose after remembering Robert Heinlein’s classic Orphans of the Sky (about an arkship crew that forgets what it is). The other, the title “Speed of Winter” came from the 2003 (I think) UNDP Human Development Report for Mongolia. But really almost anything can trigger an idea. Usually I forget about them before I can write them down.

4. What distracts you?

Almost anything, but reading and pets have to be at the top. Setting aside work, family, and the real world.

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 actually sat down once and figured out what it is I like in stories, and I can sum it up with “discovery”. A good alien ruin (cf. Jack McDevitt) gets me every time. But good writing will get me to read about anything. I’ll read anything Jack Vance writes – I’m a proud owner of a very expensive Compact Vance Integral Edition of everything he’s written, because the way he uses language is so fantastic. But one of the best SF stories I ever read was “Ender’s Game” – way back in the last century, my middle school English teacher gave me her boyfriend’s old SF pulps, and Ender was in one of them. I’ve seldom read anything so powerful. And George R. R. Martin’s Dying of the Light really affected me. His novels are hugely popular now, but it’s in his shorter work that he really excels. And How Green Was My Valley – a really effective piece of writing; the rest of the series went downhill, but I read the first book as a child, and thought it was amazing; still do. I could go on and on.

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About the Writing

1. Tell us about your currently available titles.

There are several short stories out there, and more coming (see my website for links). In books, I have a story in the Sparks fantasy anthology on Amazon, and my SF novella The Speed of Winter is on Amazon as well.

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

Getting down to work is usually hard, but once I’ve started and I’m fully immersed in the story, I sometimes get into a mode where I feel really good about what I’m writing, and I get really excited. When that happens, I could go for hours, if real life didn’t interfere. I do some of y best writing at those times.

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

They’d probably say I’m cruel. Bad things happen to some of my characters. Good things happen to them too, but you know characters. And they might say there’s a lot of dry humor floating just beneath the surface (so to speak).

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

I have a story called “Spring and the Arachnodactylst” in which Jeff Goldblum would play the lead character – a guy who’s in thrall to his books, but breaks free to find love and happiness. Or maybe Johnyy Depp. But it would be tough to film. The Speed of Winter would be easier – Clive Owen would play Arek Khachatrya, the Lieutenant; he doesn’t look too Armenian, but it would make my wife happy. And Salma Hayek would play the Captain. No idea about Elyse, the main character – someone small, and cool, and hard. The most filmable story is probably my short serial “Drive Like Lightning…Crash Like Thunder” (Out someday soon at Ray Gun Revival, I think). Jewel Staite would play Anjica Zelnov, the feisty pilot.

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

The Speed of Winter started out as a short story, but readers wanted it expanded, so it became a novella. As I was writing it, I realized that it was just one of a set of five stories. As it grew, so did they. So, now I have three more books in the Four Seasons series plotted, and feeling about the last – which is important, since they all have different moods. I’ve already written a short story sequel to book two (A Heading for Fall), and I’ve plotted a prequel to book three (tentatively The Loss of Summer). But generally, I have more projects than time. I’ve also got at least a dozen other stories partly done.

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

Character Interview: Kaitlyn Deann & Kindness from “The Witches’ Sleep”

For today’s character interview, we welcome Prince Kindness and his writing Kaitlyn Deann from The Witches’ Sleep. 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?

Kindness: You can find me in The Witches’ Sleep, which will be a trilogy, written by Kaitlyn Deann. The first book, The Witches’ Sleep, is about my girlfriend mainly. During the beginning, she’s killed when we’re human, which was completely devastating for me. A few days later, her murderer killed me as well. I immediately woke up on Raena, the world of the witches. I think the adaption to Raena was harder for Ella than it was for me. Change never really bothered me that much — at least not like it bothers Ella, who I’m really not allowed to call Ella anymore. I’ll refer to her as Sunlight or Sunny from now on, lest I dig a deeper hole than I’ve already dug for us.

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

Kindness: Well, I’m Prince of Raena, which is an honor and a horror story all at once. You see, I’m the son of a tyrant, which isn’t exactly thrilling, considering I’m sure he wants me dead because I’m against a lot of the laws he fights to uphold. He hates me, but what scares me more is that he hates Sunny so much more than he does me. Sometimes I have nightmares of Wise, my tyrannical witch father, killing Sunny. I don’t tell anyone about the nightmares though, because I don’t want to worry anybody. Yes, I’m protective of Sunny, but — obviously — I have good reasons. Something you should know about me: Without meaning to be, I’m sort of persuasive. Sunny likes to kid that I’m manipulative, but I prefer the word persuasive. It sounds less intimidating and evil, don’t you think? Also, I really don’t like conflict, but that doesn’t stop me from taking a stand against Wise. That’s one of many things Sunny taught me: stand up, no matter the cost.

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

Kindness: The author? Kaitlyn? She’s young. She’s homeschooled. She’s in love with me. In the first draft of The Witches’ Sleep, I didn’t even exist! But Tuck did. (I will not admit that this bothers me a little bit). I didn’t come around until her dad — who reminds her very much of Clap — suggested it would be better if I, a boyfriend from Earth, were in here somewhere. And then, boom. I was “born”.

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

Kindness: I feel very lucky to be a part of something bigger than Raena and myself. I mean, this slavery ordeal persists on two other worlds as well. This is a HUGE thing. Sunny has big dreams about completely freeing the were-creatures one day. I hope we succeed but I have to be honest when I say I have a few doubts. Many things could go wrong. I’d hate to wake up one morning and find some of my closest friends dead. (We all know Wise would do something like that). I guess I also am slightly anxious about the future. Wise is obviously very, very angry with us. What will he do? I don’t know.

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

Kindness: I do, actually. The author allows all her characters figure out their own feelings and paths and what they believe. I think what I like the most about being in this book is the fact I’m living a life that others only dream about living. I was once human, thinking things like this were impossible, but here I am, Prince of Raena. I wouldn’t say it’s a dream come true since I never fantasied about being the prince of some planet. But I did consider going into politics on earth. Maybe president? I kind of skipped a few steps when I died, huh? Straight to Prince and I hadn’t even graduated high school yet. Have to find the positives somewhere, right?

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

Kindness: Honestly, the near future doesn’t look too promising. I can’t imagine Wise is going to let what Sunny and I did go, and I have no idea how he’s going to get his revenge. I just hope, whatever it is, we can all bounce back from it, that the impact won’t be too painful. In the far future, I’d like to think that Sunny and I will have our own little family and take Wise’s place, change the world, fix things here and hopefully on Aphalie, the world of the beasts, and Torx, the world of the were-creatures. I hope the latter comes sooner than the first.

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

Kindness: The author is giving some of us whiplash. *Laughs* She’s having to write in a few different perspectives to get the view of the second book in full. I’m not the main guy character in the sequel, let’s just say that. Besides, I think Sea-Anna and Tuck deserve a little spotlight too. Don’t you think so? Kaitlyn is telling me to shut up now before I ruin the surprise ending which involves — *Kaitlyn punches my shoulder* — I’m not allowed to say. Sorry.

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

Kindness: I’m trying to recall the names of some of the actors from Earth. Hmm, maybe Shia LaBeouf? I liked him in Transformers. Sunny says Hunter Parrish would be good — maybe. The author, Kaitlyn, says Asher Book. Yeah, the author is screaming Asher Book at me. ASHER BOOK!!! …She made me type that.

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Author Bio: KAITLYN DEANN is a seventeen-year-old homeschooled author. As a writer she wants to be able to keep a reader turning the pages late into the night and give them something to think about long after they finish the last page. Activities include piano, singing badly and not caring, breathing, eating too many cuties (fruit) at inappropriate times and of course, writing. Laughing is her favorite calorie burner. She lives in Texas with her family. To know more, visit http://www.kaitlyndeann.com.

Again with the Mess!

I know, I know… You’re thinking: Geez, Mia, would you make up your mind already?

And you’re not wrong! Unfortunately, there were a few issues with the last theme. Despite how much I liked it and thought it fit me, I couldn’t seem to fix those issues and had to change the theme. Some of My Crazy is a little compulsive about organization, so here we are…

I’ve also been doing some other “tidying up” around the place. So, you know, sorry for the mess!

…again.

Ten Questions with… Paulette Harper Johnson

Today I am welcoming Paulette Harper Johnson. For the first time, my blog is hosting an interview with a non-fiction writer. Welcome, Paulette!

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Author Bio: Paulette Harper Johnson, an award winning author, writing coach, and speaker, seeks to inspire women from all walks of life. As an inspirational and motivational speaker, Paulette’s desire is to empower, influence and cultivate women to move forward while dealing with issues that hinder women from becoming all they are created to be. Her topics are biblicly sound and pertinent to the needs of today’s women.

Paulette is a wife, mother, grandmother, Bible teacher, radio host, writer and the owner of WNL Virtual Blog Tours. She has been mentoring and teaching women for years though seminars, workshops and conferences. Paulette Harper Johnson serves in ministry as an Elder with her husband Sr. Pastor Tony E. Johnson at Word of Faith Worship Center in Bradenton and North Port FL.

Author Site: http://pauletteharper.com/ & http://writenowlit.blogspot.com

You can find her books at Amazon: Completely Whole, That Was Then, This Is Now and Write Now Authors’ Manual.

About the Writer

1. What five words describe you?

Five words that describe me are trustworthy, faithful, easygoing, team player and honest.

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?

Well to be honest I don’t have one. I’m not trying to toot my own horn but I’ve only been writing since 2007 and I write non-fiction inspirational books which makes writing a bad book kind of hard.

3. What inspires you?

There are several people that inspire me. First the inspiration to write comes from a nudge from God. Knowing that what I write is to encourage and empower women is my passion. I’m inspired by my readers. When the readers convey to me either by email, phone calls or reviews on how my books have made a great impact on them causing spiritual growth that inspires me to continue writing the type of books I do.

4. What distracts you?

I think with all authors there are some types of distractions when trying to finish a book. I’m no exception. There are many distractions that will continue to pull for my attention be it, home, ministry, family and/or job. I try to bring balance in my life so I can prioritize those things that are important. I must set deadlines for myself and stick with those deadlines.

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 love a great romance story where fate brings two protagonist get together.

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About the Writing

1. Tell us about your currently available titles.

I have authored two non-fiction, inspirational books, one author’s manual, and co-authored two books. My first book, That Was Then, This Is Now, This Broken Vessel Restored, was written from my personal journey while facing divorce. Within the pages of this book are my personal struggles with rejection, abandonment, and low self-esteem. I had no idea that God was going to have me write my first book that exposed my brokenness, vulnerability, and weakness; from that, I realized He was going to use my pain to help others.

My latest book, Completely Whole, is a resource-filled guide, full of practical and Biblically-based principles, real-life application strategies, and prayers to give the readers a holistic approach to living a life of wholeness through Jesus Christ. This book is inspiring, optimistic, hopeful, and encouraging, while providing a clear-cut, Scriptural blueprint for each reader to follow as they allow the Word and the power of God to transform their pain and restore their lives on their road to becoming Completely Whole.

Write Now Authors Manual was released this year. The idea around this manual is twofold: First, I want to help writers maneuver through the process of writing, promoting, and publishing their books as easily as possible. Secondly, I want this manual to be used as their guide to answer some of their questions as it pertains to the publishing industry. This manual is their handbook, author’s guide, writer’s workbook, dictionary, how-to book, and instructional tool to help them become all that they desire in the area of writing. In this manual are keys to success; it is loaded with website links, terminology used in the industry, recommended books, marketing strategies, and promotional ideas that will help them bring their books to life.

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

I believe my favorite part about writing these books is realizing that I really do have something to say. I’m not writing just for the sake of putting words on paper, but it’s to get a reaction out of the readers and that’s exactly what has happened.

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

I think readers will agree that the messages in my books does hit home. There is a call to action in my books that challenges the readers to move beyond where they are and get to the place where purpose can be fulfilled.

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

If the current book I’m working on would be made into a movie, I would love to have Halle Barry play one of the protagonists and the male protagonist be played by Columbus Short

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

I am working on two more books. My first Christian fiction book “The Sanctuary” will be out later this year. I’m also working on a young girl’s teen book “My Sista Girl, A guide to loving you,” will be out early 2013.

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Thank you for joining us today, Paulette, and good luck with your writing!

New Romance Release: “Sub Rosa”

Writing is a long, complicated process. This is my third release this month, but that is a byproduct of chance rather than speed.

Steel Wings and Sub Rosa were actually completed a while ago, but I had trouble with the beta phase — mainly finding enough beta readers for these two. And then Sub Rosa took a few rounds to get right. It’s simple chance that has led these books to end up being completed at the same time, even though their development was initially staggered.

It’s also that I spent a lot of time writing without aiming for publication, but the stories were waiting for their time and now it’s come, and I’m very glad for it. This release, however, marks the final book ready and my return to writing new stories.

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Sub Rosa is the first in what will be a series called Turnabout Tales, where I plan to take the fairy tales we all know, love and have seen the Disney movie of and turn them about in terms of gender roles, orientations, and however I feel like mixing it up. The first in the series, Sub Rosa, is my turned about take on Beauty & the Beast.

Presently, there are plans for Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty. I hope readers enjoy the mixing-it-up as much as I do!

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Everyone knows the stories, but what if they went a little differently?

Beau Merchant is your average twenty-something college kid, living at home with two obnoxious brothers and a quietly grieving mother. That is until a simple favor for Mom turns into a broken leg and an extended stay at a castle out of time and place, first patient and then prisoner of a strange female creature…

[Amazon] [Barnes & Noble] [Smashwords]

Character Interview: Slick & Junebug from Amy Metz’s “Murder & Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction”

I’m happy to welcome Amy Metz back to From Mia’s Desk! This time, she joins us with a character interview from two very colorful people named Slick and Junebug, residents of Goose Pimple Junction. Enjoy!

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Penny: Hi, Slick. Hi, Junebug. Do y’all have a moment? I want to interview you for an article on the diner for the school newspaper.

Junebug: Why sure, hon! Come on in and sit a spell.

Slick: I’ll get some sweet tea. You want lemon in yours?

Penny: Thank you. Yes, please. *sits down* Well, I guess I’ll start off with the background stuff. How long have you two been running the diner?

Junebug: These pictures on the wall will give you some idea of how long. We took all of them ourselves.

Slick: Yeah, that ‘n over there of Moses is a good indicator.

Junebug: Let’s just say Slick’s owned this place since he was young and restless and now he’s old and senseless.

Penny: *giggle* What made you want to run a diner?

Slick: When I was about your age, I went to work at the Howard Johnson’s that used to be up on Route 4. I went from bus boy to cook, and I learned a lot.

Junebug: ‘Course he already knew a lot. His mama was a great cook, and she taught him everything he knows.

Slick: Then one day, shortly after Junie and I got married, the people at Howard Johnson’s wanted to open up a restaurant in town. They asked me to run the place, which I accepted. The first thing I did was hire Junebug to wait tables. About five years later I bought it from ‘em, changed the name to Slick & Junebug’s, and the rest is history.

Penny: Do you have a favorite story that happened in the diner?

Junebug: I swan, we got some stories. One I like is the day Pickle came in and said he was so hungry he could eat a stinkbug off a dead skunk. Well, Slick challenged him on that. He said he could make him a two-pound skunk burger. Of course it was really beef, but Slick didn’t think Pickle would eat it if he thought it was skunk, and he didn’t think he could eat the whole thing on account of him being so skinny when he sticks his tongue out he looks like a zipper.

Slick: But he ate it. It took that boy four and a half hours, but he ate it all. Made me eat my words. Plus I had to give him the burger for free.

Penny: Wow! That’s a lot of hamburger! And Pickle ate all that? Wow… Um, so, what’s your favorite part about the job?

Junebug: Yes’m. He ate it all. But don’t forget he’s a 16-year-old boy. They have the appetites of three regular people. Favorite part of the job? I don’t know. Slick, what do you think?

Slick: Well, seein’ as how I do all the cookin’ and you do all the waitressin’, I’d say my favorite is the cookin’.

Junebug: Slick isn’t much of a talker, ya know? I guess that’s what I like best–talkin’ to folks. I like fillin’ their bellies, and findin’ out what’s goin’ on around Goose Pimple Junction. Or just shootin’ the breeze. I like that too.

Penny: I can tell. So… what dish do you like making the best? Which dish of your own do you like eating best?

Slick: Hmm…*he thinks for a moment* I think I like to make hash the best–

Junebug calls out: Customer will take a chance! *she cups her hand to her mouth and says,* That’s diner lingo for hash.

Slick: Anyway…I like to make hash because it’s tasty, I can be creative with it, and I get to use up ingredients that might otherwise get tossed. As far as what I like to eat the best, I’d have to say pie. Any kind. That’s probably why you can count on there bein’ three or four to choose from every day.

Penny: I can certainly appreciate that. They all look so good! Mm… anyways. Junebug, is there something particular that Slick makes that you like to eat?

Junebug: Ooh, law, everything Slick makes is delicious. I really have to watch what I eat around here in order to keep my girlish figure.

Slick: She’s just as pretty as the day I met her. Maybe prettier.

Junebug: Am I a lucky girl or what? Not only does he cook, but he’s a sweetheart too. Anyway…I was gonna say pie, but since Slick already said that, I don’t want people to think he don’t make anything but sweets, so I’ll say his fried chicken is the best. Which it is. Can’t be beat, not even by the Colonel. But after I ate his fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn bread, I’d order his Eve with a lid on it.

Slick: She means my apple pie.

Junebug: Honey, I could live off it.

Penny: Me, too… but my mom probably wouldn’t approve of my trying. So, where do y’all get these names for your food? The diner lingo and such.

Junebug: We can’t claim ‘em as our own. Anybody in the business uses ‘em, although not everybody’s fluent in ‘em. But they do put a little spice in the gumbo, so to speak.

Penny: Certainly does make things interesting around here. Well, I think I have enough for my article. Thanks for talking to me!

Junebug: Why thank you, darlin’. You’re just as sweet as the dew off a honeysuckle. It’s been real nice talkin’ with you. You come back any time, and we’ll fix you right up.

Slick: Don’t worry, I won’t make you eat a two-pound burger.

Junebug: Good luck with your article. And you come back now, ya hear?

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Author Bio: Amy Metz is a former first grade teacher who lives in Louisville, Kentucky. When not actively engaged in writing, enjoying her family, or spoiling her dog Cooper, and granddogs, Brown Dog and Arlo, Amy can usually be found with a mixing spoon, camera, or book in her hands.

Author Site: http://www.amymetz.com

Buy Link: Amazon

Buy Link: Barnes & Noble

Ten Questions with… Dariel Raye

Today’s special guest for Ten Questions with Mia Monday is Dariel Raye, author of the paranormal romance Sable, part of the Dark Sentinels series — among other stories. We hosted Sable himself here on the blog earlier this month, which you can check out here!

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Author Bio: Dariel loves books, animals, and all things paranormal. The paranormal romance, “Raven’s Shelter,” one of five stories in Taming of the Wolf, was her second publication, and her first with The Wild Rose Press as a result of placing second in their “Got Wolf” competition – prompted the new “Dark Sentinels” series. Dariel has written articles for The News Item of Mobile, and Black Health Magazine of Atlanta. A classically trained pianist and vocalist with a degree in piano and vocal performance and a master’s in counseling psychology, she completed studies for a Ph.D. with the exception of her dissertation.

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

& http://www.pendarielraye.blogspot.com

You can find her books on Amazon, or Barnes & Noble (Sable &

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

Probably a blue-eyed Joe Manganiello. He looks most like the Sable I’ve conjured in my head. Hugh Jackman with a mustache and beard would work, too.

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

I have another paranormal series that I’m planning to release later this year about vamp-angel descendants of the biblical banished Cain (they’re all cursed like their ancestor, so it’s a Beauty and the Beast –type theme, an epic reincarnation novel, and a contract with Red Rose Publishing for another Nephilim series.

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Thank you for joining us today, Dariel, and good luck with your books!

Ten Questions with… Charles Verhey

The author of Firecracker, Charles Verhey, is visiting for Ten Questions with Mia Monday. Welcome!

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Author Bio: I am a storyteller, in the classic sense of the word. This is best represented in my love of tabletop role playing games, which are nothing more than an excuse for me to invent new characters, new stories, and new adventures every week.

My Creative License states: I believe characters develop better than settings; love and faith are powerful and sometimes dangerous forces; physics and science are just toys for me to play with; anything and everything that can go wrong with a plan WILL go wrong; evil doesn’t always need a motive; and the light will always triumph over the darkness — though it’s never an easy victory.

Author Website: http://openspace2499.blogspot.com

You can find his book at Amazon or Barnes & Noble!

About the Writer

1. What five words describe you?

Tenacious, Kind, Addicting, Childlike, Patient

Note: When I say addicting, I don’t mean people get addicted to me necessarily. I mean I quickly and easily become addicted to things — which is why I have stayed clear of World of Warcraft for all these years. I know if I got involved, I’d not let it go and end up on the news as one of those guys who forgets to eat and dies in front of his computer.

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?

Ha. Wow. Well, I’ve always been pretty big into Anime. The one thing it’s good at is not revealing everything, and often the violence trumps the story, so I’m often left imagining how I could have made it so much better or how I would have done things differently. One in particular that I was a fan of was 3×3 Eyes [by Yuzo Takada], and I thought it was so good yet so lacking at the same time. I remember watching the show and reading the comics and thinking “I know what he’d be thinking right here,” or “I wish they could better describe how he’s feeling”. So I took it upon myself to detail it all out and wrote a 90,000 word novel adaptation for it. It’s not exactly my best work, and it’ll never see the light of day — but I realized something important when I was done. I’d written a novel. A whole novel! How many people could say that? Good or not, it was an accomplishment I was pretty proud of. And if I could do it once, I could do it again.

3. What inspires you?

My friends. I have some pretty awesome friends who also happen to be tabletop role players like me, and during a session of Dungeons and Dragons or whatever game we’re playing they often inspire me with their creativity and ingenuity. Plus it’s great practice for me to come up with stories and plot elements on the spot.

4. What distracts you?

Everything. Seriously, I’m pretty easily distracted. A new television series, a new book, a ball of yarn… I think “scatter brained” is a good phrase for it. The trick for me is not to fighting it. Let the distraction take me, as long as I can come back from it and keep writing. Sometimes my best ideas come during a moment of total distraction.

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 not sure I can narrow down my “favorite story” — I have many — but my favorite kind of story would be just about any story where good overcomes evil. I’ve been told that’s not very realistic, but that’s why I’m a fiction writer. And I’m not saying every story has to be bubbles and gumdrops, it should be a struggle where anything and everything that can go wrong for the hero goes wrong. But in the end, good trumps evil. The stories where you walk away smiling and nodding your head thinking “yeah, I’d love to be that guy or that girl”. People daydream of being John McClane and Indiana Jones, and maybe someday they’ll daydream of being one of my characters too.

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About the Writing

1. Tell us about your currently available titles.

Currently I have one book in publication. “Firecracker”. I have a handful of other books I’ve written that I’m editing and considering publishing, but Firecracker was the one I was most proud of. I thought, if I’m going to get published and basically introduce myself to new readers for the first time, then this is how I want to do it. Authors are often judged based on their first works, and I wanted to make a good first impression.

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

I love setting my characters up with a good plan, then diabolically sabotaging them so that everything goes wrong. It’s in that struggle that I get to see what my characters are made of, what truly motivates them, and I love that sense of discovery and overcoming adversity that often surprises even me.

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

“Hey! Cut us a break once in a while, would ya?! Just once it’d be nice to come away from one of your stories without third-degree burns and broken limbs.”

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

That’s a tough one. I sort of pictured Agent Li being played by Jason Scott Lee or maybe that Korean pop star / actor Rain. But for Aideen, I’d love to have a young Alyson Hannigan. She’s just so spunky and can go from laughing to crying to screaming to demon-like rage all in one scene, and that’s what would be needed to pull off Aideen. Plus I think comedians can pull off the best action / drama roles.

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

Yes I do, actually. I’m currently writing the next book in the Firecracker series, where Cass learns she’s not the only pyrokinetic in town. My new villain is like the polar opposite of Cass, and hopefully people will really enjoy the conflict that brings to the cast. Plus we get to find out what happened to Voss. I sorta left him bleeding in a cave.

I’m also working on my first young adult book, which is a modern day fantasy tale about a kid possessed by a demon. I’m not going to get into any more detail beyond that for right now, but the book will be geared towards a teen+ audience with a sense of humor and heart that I think anyone will be able to enjoy.

But the most exciting project for me right now is the Firecracker AUDIO BOOK, narrated by the very talented Jill Melancon, which is due for release sometime later this fall through Audible / Amazon.

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Charles, thank you for being with us today! Good luck with your story!

“Voracious” — New Release in the Adelheid Series!

There’s a new book in town!

I’m very happy to announce that the latest installment in the Adelheid series is live and available! This release is special because you’ll note for the first time I have a co-author, who I happen to be married to. Voracious was originally his idea, many moons ago, but he was nice enough to not only let me thieve D and his story, but also help me bring both to life.

I hope that you enjoy D’s journey, and watch this space for more Adelheid news — coming soon!

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[Amazon] [Barnes & Noble] [Smashwords] [CreateSpace - Print]

Sometimes, life doesn’t begin until after you’re dead.

Days stretch out in a series of predictable steps. A to B to C to A. Work. Friends. Life. But for some people, it’s not enough. It’s not enough for D. Possessed of a ravenous hunger for more, he’s at a loss for how to find it.

Until he meets Cielle. She’s everything he’s looking for: new and exciting.

And a vampire, which he’s less crazy about.

But when “new and exciting” Turns him, D is forced into an undead life he never anticipated. Trying to adjust to this new existence is hard enough, but he’s about to get more than he ever bargained for.

Will it be enough to sate his hunger?