Cege Smith's Blog, page 10

Contest Winner: A Numerological Evaluation with Deborah Hughes!

There was a ton of great comments on last week's interview with Deborah Hughes. I really enjoyed seeing everyone ask Deborah questions and sharing with her their own ghostly experiences.

I am delighted to share that Penelope Crowe is the lucky winner of the numerological evaluation with Deborah!  Congratulations Penelope!

And Thank You again to Deborah for providing such a fun and unique prize!

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Paranormal Headliner: Stacy Eaton

I'm kicking off Friday with a bang and welcoming author Stacy Eaton to the blog. Stacy is the international bestselling author of the paranormal series My Blood Runs Blue.  As you'll find out soon, the color blue in this context has a special meaning for Stacy. Let's jump in!

A Little About Stacy

Currently Stacy works full time as a Police Officer for a small township is Southeastern Pennsylvania. While her current position is that of a patrol officer, she spend a lot of time doing investigations and crime scene processing. Forensics is something she loves and she takes her job seriously. It is not just about proving who is guilty, it is also about proving people are innocent.

She is also a wife to a Police Officer and with their constant schedules life can get very hectic at home. She has been blessed with two children, a son who is currently in the United States Navy and is very proud of him for what he is doing and for serving his Country. Her daughter is a priceless princess who loves to help market her books to teachers and other parents while she is at school and church. She is also working on a book too.

When she is not working the job that currently pays all the bills she works on her business. Yes, she has her own business too.

In her spare time… she writes.

You mention in your author profile that you hail from Pennsylvania. For someone who has never visited there, what things make your hometown unique?

Stacy: Southeastern Pennsylvania is a pretty awesome place just because of where it is and what it has to offer.  If you go to the North – you have the mountains – and New York City is not too far away. If you go to the east, Philadelphia which is rich in history is less than an hour away. Just a bit further past that and you find yourself at the beach. Heading south of us, Delaware and Maryland was very close by, and the west takes you to Amish county.  While I live in a place where it is very populate, getting in the car and driving to the west 20 minutes takes me to the county so it is a very diverse area and I like that.

As a child, did you know that you wanted to be a Police Officer?

Stacy: I didn't know I wanted to be a police officer until I turned 30. It was never a thought in my mind. One night on television I saw them talking on the news about how woman were vital to the job.  I had recently watched the movie Patch Adams and that movie stuck with me.  I had been asking myself about my life and what could I do with it that I could have a "passion" about. Once I saw the news article, for some reason the idea clicked in my head and I started looking into it. Not long after I applied to the academy and got accepted. I never looked back.

What do you do to unwind and relax?

Stacy: It all depends on what I'm in the mood for and what might be going on around me.  If I just need to do a quick unwind – I read, or snuggle with my daughter. Throwing toys for my dogs helps relax me a bit too.  If I have more time, Watching a movie with my husband, taking a walk or hanging out with my best friend for coffee or a beer make a huge difference in my life.

The thing that relaxes me the most would be to be near the ocean with my camera in my hands.  I love to view the world through the viewfinder and stop time in milliseconds. A piece of time forever stopped to be viewed over and over again.

Stacy On Writing

What is it about writing that brings you back to the page for more?

Stacy: Allowing all the crazy thoughts in my head to get out!  I am a classic Type A person and my mind is constantly thriving.  It feels good to get some of those thoughts out of my head and on to paper.  Allows me to forget about them for a time and move forward, making room for more thoughts to come.

How much has your work as a Police Officer influenced your books?

Stacy: My career has been a huge influence in my writing.  All of my books take place in the world of law enforcement.  I have found it is easy to write, when you can write what you love and know.  Since I thrive on my job, it is easy to write about it.  There is so much that people don't know about what police officers really do, that this is my way of showing them the real world and not the "Hollywood" version of what they think really happens.

How did you come up with the title for your books?

Stacy: Every title I use is a line within my books.  These particular words hold that particular book together all the way through and give you the theme.  "My Blood Runs Blue" brings to you how important being a police officer is to Kristin Greene, and police officers around the world hold the thought that we all share the same blue blood.

"Blue Blood for Life" is a slight twist to that.  Blue Blood keeps with the theme of the series while 'for Life' is a huge part of this particular book.  It will be referenced in there many times.

Another book I am writing and should have released this summer is "Whether I'll Live or Die" and is a thought the main character will have during a traumatic time in her life.

Are you encountering any surprises in writing a series?

Stacy: I wouldn't exactly say I am encountering surprises; there are some roadblocks at times, but no real surprises for me.  In book 3 of the series, I have had to go back three times to redo the plot to make sure it goes where I want it to go so that the fourth and final book will give closure to all the characters. It seems more daunting to makes sure I do that then surprising.

What is the hardest part of writing for you?

Stacy: Editing… sigh…  I hate editing my work, but it needs to be done.  I love the writing of it, but I get tired of going back and reading and re-reading everything over and over again.  I always send my work to a professional editor, but it is the editing over and over again beforehand that wears me down.

What advice would you give to writers just starting out?

Stacy: Grow a thick skin.  Being an author is not an easy thing.  There are people out there that do not want you to succeed, but what those people don't realize is that there is plenty of room for everyone.

Also, understand that not everyone will like your writing. Everyone has personal tastes, and while you can reach a lot of people with your marketing, not everyone is going to want to read what you write and some, once they read it won't like it at all.  I never take offense to that. I know there are plenty of books out there that I have no interest in reading, but I support the authors and help them when I can. Learn to accept what comes your way. Embrace the positive and let go of the negative.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk? 

Stacy: I'm not sure I have a quirk.  I will say I need to listen to music when I write and the music has to fit the feeling of the chapter I am working on.  I write fast and just let things flow.  After I put it all down on paper – I will go back and read it over to figure out what I just wrote and how to make it better or remove things that take away from the story.

What is your favorite supernatural creature and why?

Stacy: If you knew me – you would probably say a werewolf.  Only because I LOVE WOLVES!  I have them everywhere around me – including a custom made pendant around my neck and a tattoo on my back shoulder.  However, while I like some werewolf stories, my heart belongs to the vampire.

I'm not entirely sure why that is, but I find myself drawn to the mystery of them.  There is that mysterious darkness about them that I find draws me in and holds me close. The myths behind them make them almost appear real in some ways and it is just different enough from real life that I think, keeps my interest.

Stacy's Paranormal Perspectives

What's your definition of the paranormal genre?

Stacy: Something that could be possible but is different than the way we view real life.  There are so many different aspects of the Paranormal – the angels and demons, werewolves and vampires, ghosts and spirits. When you look at it – paranormal is like the category of "This could be true", but no one knows for certain.

How do you feel about the boom of paranormal fiction recently?

Stacy: Personally, I love it. I deal with so much drama in my everyday life that I like to step away from that and fall into a fantasy of 'what if'.  What if this could be real, how different would our lives really be?  It is rare for me to read a book that does not fall into this genre of some type.  Don't get me wrong, I do read other fiction, but if I had to choose between a women's drama novel and one of fantasy, I'd take the fantasy 9 times out of 10.

Is there a specific paranormal sub-genre interests you the most? 

Stacy: I tend to stick to the vampires and wolves, although I have read quite a few books dealing with angels and demons.  I am not one for horror so I stay away from the violent books they depict the gory and violence of these characters – I am not a fan of Zombies, lol… they just make me really uneasy.

What scares you?

Stacy: Lol….  I don't scare easily, but what truly freaks me out are things that slither and crawl.  I am not a fan of snakes and spiders.  I come across them in my job and they give me that all-encompassing spine shiver that chills you to the bone.

Our police station is haunted, and while it used to spook me, I embrace it now finding it rather interesting when he shows up.

What is your favorite paranormal book?

Stacy: Oh man, Really?  Wow…  hmmm….  I'm not sure I have a favorite. I have read so many of them, but if I had to pick one, I would have to say the Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward.  I loved this series… Thrived on it.  J.R. Ward is an incredible author and I love all of her books! Don't tell anyone, but I want to be like her when I grow up! Lol…

What is your favorite paranormal movie?

Stacy: Wow! Another incredible question!  The first movie that comes to mind is The Lake House that starred Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock.  I absolutely loved that movie! The second is Premonition staring Sandra Bullock.  I am a huge fan of hers.

What do you think draws people to paranormal novels? 

Stacy: The "What If" factor.  People want to think that some of these things could happen or that they "do" happen.  I think a lot of people don't want to deal with reality because sometimes reality just plain sucks so they jump into fantasy and get sucked in!

Do you ever research real events, legends, or myths to get ideas?

Stacy: Nope – I use my own imagination to draw from.  I don't want to use the same ole stuff that others have used. I want something that came to my mind that is fresh from what is already out there.  I think I succeeded in it too!

Cege – Thank you sooo much for allowing me to visit with you today!  It has been a true honor to be here.

Thank you Stacy- I loved having you here!

Connect With Stacy

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stacy-Eaton/191880767522183

Twitter: @StacySEaton

Blog: http://stacyeatonauthor.blogspot.com/

Website: http://stacyeaton.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4826711.Stacy_Eaton

Purchase My Blood Runs Blue here.

Purchase Blue Blood For Life here.

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Paranormal Headliner: Deborah Hughes (and a Special Treat!)

Today I am welcoming Deborah Hughes, author of Be Still, My Love. Deborah has had some real life paranormal experiences that definitely shaped her work. And she's met Stephen King!!  (I swoon in envy.)  As a special treat, Deborah is offering up a Numerological Evaluation to one randomly chosen reader!  (Read on to hear more about how to score that…)

A Little About Deborah

Deborah Hughes moved into a haunted house at the age of seven.  She lived there for seven years and that experience spurred her to learn all she could about the bizarre world of the paranormal and the supernatural.  The more she read, the more she learned, the more she realized how little she knew. This realization has led to a lifelong search for knowledge, truth, and enlightenment.  The writer in her is constantly inspired.  From the age of eight, she scribbled down the stories that streamed like movies through her mind.   She enjoys the process of their evolution from thought to completed book and hopes others will enjoy those stories as much as she does.

Where are you from? 

Deborah: I was born and raised in Bucksport, Maine.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?  

Deborah: I have honestly wanted to be a writer since the age of eight when I wrote my first story.  I decided then and there that I wanted to grow up and write books.

What do you do to unwind and relax? 

Deborah: I read quite a bit but I also love movies.  If I need something that requires more action, I love traveling and sightseeing.

Deborah on Writing

Your bio mentions that you had some experiences as a child that influenced your decision to write. Can you share a bit more about that? 

Deborah: I moved into a haunted house when I was seven.  We lived there for seven years.  I lived in fear for all seven of them.  Although nothing bad every happened to us, the fact that unseen people…dead ones!…really freaked me out.  When I became more proficient at reading, I started checking out books from the library about ghosts and hauntings.  I wanted to understand the phenomena.  It was only natural to start writing stories that involved ghosts.  I love romances, too, so I like to combine both of those passions. One of my favorite people in the world, a beloved uncle, encouraged me to follow my dream of being an author.  I was 14 when he died.  I swore I'd dedicate my first book to him and I have.

How did you come up with the title for your book? 

Deborah: It came from the book, actually.  I was nearing the end and Tess's husband, who is dead (she's a medium), says to her, "Be still, my love" when she managed to live through a particularly dangerous situation and I loved it.  I thought how fitting since this is what the story is about…Tess needs to get past her husband's death and he needs to move on in the after life.  Not to mention, the two restless spirits Tess was trying to help…well, she was trying to "still" their anguish as well.

Are your characters based on people that you've known, or situations in your book things you've encountered in real life? 

Deborah: I have certainly based a lot of the situations that Tess encounters with my own experiences.  For instance, Tess holds a seance and I've done that.  The way she experiences the spirits or encounters her spirit guide…they are similar to my own.  As for the other characters, no, I didn't base them on anyone I knew.  I think there is a lot of me in Tess but I can't say that any of the other characters are similar to anyone I know.

What are your current projects? 

Deborah: I am nearly finished with the sequel to "Be Still, My Love".  The town in which "Be Still" took place is a fabrication but the next story takes place in Bucksport, my hometown.  There's a cool legend associated with the town's founder Jonathan Buck.  Supposedly his grave monument is cursed by a witch.  The story is brought to Tess's attention in "Be Still" and I thought, how cool would it be for Tess to go to Bucksport and try to figure out if that witch's curse has any basis?  I'm really enjoying the story and learning a lot of Bucksport's colorful, tragic history.  I also have another book which I'm preparing for publication called "No Matter What".  It's about a young girl who was burned for witch craft and is now reincarnated to save her spirit which now haunts the estate where she lived and died.  Some of the people who took part in her death are also reincarnated and they are all trying to work out issues associated with that past life event.  I'm very excited to share both stories with the public.

What is the hardest part of writing? 

Deborah: Finding the time to actually write!  Seriously, life has a way of getting in the way of my make believe stuff!  (smile) Writing the stories is really not a problem for me, I've been doing that since I was old enough to string words together.  For me, it's marketing my book that I'm finding the most difficult.  It sucks up even more of my valuable time.  So, the hardest part is getting enough uninterrupted time to write.

What advice would you give to writers just starting out? 

Deborah: Don't give up and don't let anyone tell you that you can't do it.  Nowadays, anyone can write and publish.  How successful you are as a published author depends on how much time and effort you are willing to put into it.  Be prepared to put in a lot of both.  And believe in yourself.  If you don't believe you have what it takes to be a writer who can produce stories others will want to read, then it's probably not going to happen.  Take a look around you.  There are successful people whom you can't believe are successful.  In your opinion, they might not have the level of talent needed to be successful…but in their opinion and belief…they do.  And they are.

Deborah's Paranormal Perspectives

What's your definition of the paranormal genre? 

Deborah: Well, nowadays it seems to mean anything involving vampires and werewolves and the like.  It's a bit frustrating because when I do a search for ghost stories, it's hard to find them!  Most authors categorize their ghost stories under the paranormal umbrella and there are so many vampire books that ghost books get buried.  I think we're going to have to come up with another genre subdivision for ghost stories.  I categorized my book as "ghost" and "gothic" but people looking for those sorts of books normally do so by searching the paranormal so it's going to be hard to find my books in a general search.   The Paranormal Genre is a pretty broad category.  The Supernatural Genre is pretty much the same though that seems to be more associated with horror.  By "horror" I mean, terror and possibly gore.  My books are spooky but there's no genre specifically designed for spooky ghost stories.  It's a bit of a paradox.

How do you feel about the boom of paranormal fiction recently?

Deborah: I think it's not going away.  The paranormal is a wide open realm of possibility.  There are no rules and the imagination is not limited by set parameters.  I think it's great that writers have flocked into this genre with such enthusiasm and creativity.

Is there a specific paranormal sub-genre interests you the most? 

Deborah: Obviously my sub-genre is ghost stories!  But I enjoy all of it…the whole spectrum of the paranormal.  It's all fascinating.

What scares you?  

Deborah: Evil.  I know there is negative entities in the world and I know that I've brushed up against it a time or two.  I know there was something not "nice" in that haunted house I lived in.  I prayed a lot while I lived there.  I believe my faith kept us safe.  I have a hard time watching true horror because it does scare me.  Dying horribly, painfully…it's the worst thing ever.  I get spooked sometimes while writing my stories but I don't get terrified.  I make sure that the entities in my stories cannot overpower the characters.  Because, it's that sort of thing that would scare me.  A lot.

What is your favorite paranormal book?  

Deborah: The Reincarnation of Audrey Rose.  It inspired me to write "No Matter What".  But I also love Jacqueline Frank's Nightwalker series.  And really, I could go on here because I love so many.  The Shining by Stephen King is another favorite.  I met him right after reading The Shining; it left quite an impression on me.  I was 16 at the time and worked at a party he was hosting.  He took time out of his busy day to come talk to me and my friend…the kitchen help.  I thought, someday, I'm going to be like him.  (smile)

What is your favorite paranormal movie?  

Deborah: I loved The Sixth Sense!  What a great spooky movie that was!  I also like Poltergeist.  It got a little weird toward the end but I think it's a great paranormal movie.  The Entity is another great movie.  Again, it's hard to give a favorite because there are so many but those are at the top of my list.

Do you ever come up with anything so wild in your writing that you scared yourself? What was it?  

Deborah: Yes!  I scare myself all the time. I'll be working on a spooky scene and then suddenly one of the kid's toys will come on or I'll hear a knock somewhere.  I truly think sometimes that writing spooky stories invites the spirits to come around.  When writing ghost stories, you get in that groove and begin to feel the spookiness of what you are writing.  It becomes almost real.  In "No Matter What" the little girl, Lynn, finds an old ragdoll and she and her mother bury it.  Later, when Lynn goes to her room…the doll is on the bed. I was not expecting that to happen. It gave me the creeps!  Lol.  Little things like that spook me enough that I sometimes have to stop and think about other stuff.  You get in that mood and suddenly your skin is broke out in goosebumps and the more you write, the more you begin to think someone is standing behind you.  Creepy.

What do you think draws people to paranormal novels? 

Deborah: We need to be taken out of the norm…the ordinary…and experience something more, something out of this world.  The paranormal cannot be predicted and it certainly isn't "normal".  It's paranormal and it's exciting.

Do you ever research real events, legends, or myths to get ideas? 

Deborah: Yes!  I think there's some truth to art imitating life imitating art.  As I said, I'm working on a book now that is based on an actual legend.  While researching that, I found out some other mysteries and now I'm thinking I'd like to explore those as well.  There's something exciting about taking something that happened but has unknown elements and creating something to explain the unknown elements.  It makes it seem more real somehow and thus, spookier!

Connect with Deborah

Website: www.deborahjhughes.com

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/DeborahJHughes

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Deborah-J-Hughes-Author-Page/257975100917551

Purchase Be Still, My Love on Amazon here.

A Little Something Special:

For one lucky reader, Deborah has offered to do a Numerological Evaluation of his/her birth name or birth date.

What's a Numerological Evaluation You Ask?

Each letter has a numeric value and each numeric number resonates to a specific meaning.  Since every letter has a numeric value, everything that exists can be reduced to a single number value (0 through 9) using a specific formula.  Our names and birthdates are two things most associated with our lives and the numerological value placed on those two things are supposed to give us insight into our life purpose, talents, and characteristics.  It's fascinating and can pretty accurate (and fun!).

What Do You Need to Do to Win?

Pop a comment on this post to say hello or ask Deborah a question. That's it! One random winner will be selected on March 13th, 2012.

Thank you for visiting Deborah!!

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The Anatomy of Sequel

Ever since I released Edge of Shadows, I've had readers asking when the sequel was going to be available. As an author, that is truly one of the best compliments in the world. Not only did someone read my book and liked it, but they want MORE.  Sweet.

At the time, I already had the first draft of The Soul Garden complete, and was halfway through Heiress of Lies so it didn't make sense to stop midstream and go back to take a look at where Ellie and David's path was going to lead them next. And I have always intended to start work on the first installment of the Purgatory series before the EoS sequel.

But as I've started sketching out and writing the first opening scenes to Purgatory, a strange thing started to happen. There was a little voice in the back of my head that questioned my decision to plow ahead on another new series. Was this move going to annoy and irate my fans? Probably the biggest reason that I gave some validation to that voice was because new fans were starting to read Heiress of Lies, and starting to ask about that sequel.

Hmmm.

Not surprisingly, I hit a roadblock with Purgatory. The words weren't flowing, and I wasn't happy with what I wrote. So I started over again with a new angle and still I got stuck rather quickly. After journaling a lot, it didn't take me long to realize that my head and my creative spirit were out of alignment.

It has always been my intention to have the next installments for all 4 series out by the end of the year. (Despite late nights and sore fingers.) But until I got my head on straight, I was going nowhere fast and that in and of itself just won't do.

I had to make a decision.

Edge of Shadows fans can rejoice, because the sequel is cooking as we speak! Once I gave myself permission to start thinking about Ellie and David again, things started falling into place pretty quickly. And I have to say, I got pretty excited about it.

I have a lot of people ask me questions about my characters and the plot and particularly about what's coming up next. Honestly, that's always been fuzzy to me too. There are a lot of loose ends that need to be addressed, and sometimes trying to tie those up have resulted in more questions that I feel like I will need to answer.

I am a pantster type writer as opposed to a planner. And contemplating a sequel requires a certain amount of planning. The main ingredients of your story (your main characters) have already been established. Even though you are putting them into a new situation or period of time, there is a structural framework that you established in the previous book that has to be honored. Because it's what you did in the first book that made people want more.

So for those of you who want to know what's up next in the Edge of Shadows sequel, and without giving any too much of a spoiler for anyone who hasn't read it yet, this is what I know for certain:

It will be told again from both Ellie and David's point of view
The house is as much a focal point as it was before, and you'll learn a lot more about it.
From a supporting cast standpoint, Jeffrey will definitely return.
Things are going to get a lot darker.

That's what I know. The rest is up for grabs. But what I have planned (I think) is pretty spectacular. I don't know yet if this is going to be just a sequel, or if the story will continue into a third book to make this a trilogy. Guess I'll find out soon enough.

Hopefully this is some happy news for my fans out there. And don't hesitate to leave a comment below or drop me an email at cege@cegesmith.com with any specific questions you may have. I'll try to answer all of them, assuming I have the answer.

Photo credit: Jayneandd

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Paranormal Headliner: Mia Darien

Today I am welcoming Mia Darien, author of Cameron's Law and When Forever Died, as my first ever Paranormal Headliner!  I'm introducing this series as a way to highlight other authors writing in the paranormal realm. One thing that intrigues me about Mia's books is that she is writing a whole series of standalone books that share a common setting: the town of Adelheid, CT. It looks like there is quite a bit of paranormal adventure going on in Adelheid! So grab a cup of your favorite beverage and settle in as we get to know Mia better.

A Little About Mia

Mia Darien has lived in New England all of her life and knows that no matter where she goes from here, New England is always going to live in her. Presently, she still lives in the land of snow and fast talkers, with her husband, her son and her pets. She writes a bit of everything genre fiction (horror, romance, mystery, fantasy and science fiction) and thinks it sounds like an odd joke: a unicorn, a space monster, and a pair of zombie lovers walk into a murder investigation…

You mention that you hail from New England, and you seem to have a strong affinity for it. For someone who has never visited there, what things make you love it the way that you do?

Mia: It may just be sentimentality. I was born here, I've grown up here. I lived in the same town my entire life. But it is more than that. New England is beautiful. I'm not good at describing scenery (my books are proof of that) but it's green and full of hills and every autumn, the trees look like they're on fire. I live in a rural area, farm country, where it's quiet and peaceful. That suits me very well. I can walk down my dirt road, after it stops being a road, and see history from two hundred years ago where stone walls used to wall off pastures but are now full of trees and wetlands, and how it used to be the main road from my town to the neighboring town. It's just full of history and personality. My husband, who was born and raised in the South, sometimes says it's not always a *nice* personality, but I say we're at least always honest.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Mia: Oh, all kinds of things! For a while, my best friend and I were going to open up a veterinarian's office. At another time, I wanted to be a police sketch artist. When I was fourteen, I got hit by the writing bug and wanted to be a published author, and I've stuck with that since.

What do you do to unwind and relax?

Mia: My husband would say I don't do either very well! It's true, I always feel like I should be doing something productive. I guess when I need to chill out, I like to read. I write as a hobby as well as for publication, so that unwinds me and I'm working on fitting time for World of Warcraft back into my schedule.

Mia On Writing

What is it about writing that brings you back to the page for more?

Mia: I can't stop. In fact, I've tried. There were a few years when life was too insane and I just couldn't write. Times when I felt like it was too much and I should stop, but the ideas wouldn't go away. I kept coming up with characters and story lines that wanted to be written, so I kept writing them down and leaving them for later. Now I have more stories than time to write them, and the knowledge that I just can't stop. I have to keep writing, or my head really might explode.

How did you come up with the title for your books?

Mia: "Cameron's Law" is fairly self explanatory when you read the book. My entire premise is that there is a law that makes preternatural creatures legal. It is officially the Preternatural Rights Act of 2010, but is named informally after the man (werewolf, Harvard Law student) who began the process, Cameron St John, hence Cameron's Law. "When Forever Died" is actually a line from the story, when one character is explaining something to another. To say any more would give away a plot point!

Are any of your characters based on people that you've known, or situations in your book things you've encountered in real life?

Mia: Yes, actually. Have you ever seen that t-shirt in catalogs: "Careful or you'll end up in my novel"? Well, in my case, I only make characters after people I like. Sadie and Dakota are both a little bit of me. Sadie Stanton's name comes from family names. Vance Johnston is a little bit of my husband. Sarah Beaumont is after a friend of mine. My family and friends always sneak in there in parts, even if it wasn't a conscious choice. As for situations, not specifically. But everything I see, everything I feel, read, watch, learn about, all eventually goes into the mix and comes out into a story in some way or another.

It looks like you have a lot of work planned for the future of your series (6+ more books- WOW!). What has been the thing that has surprised you the most in crafting storylines that all converge in the same town/same place?

Mia: I'm not sure if anything has surprised me about the whole thing, or the town, but the characters like to surprise me. I recently – in the book I'm writing now – had what was supposed to be an innocuous conversation turn into something I had to adjust my plot outline for. Sneaky vampires. It's always the characters that surprise me the most, saying or doing things I didn't see coming. But that's the fun part, too.

What is the hardest part of writing for you?

Mia: There are a lot of hard parts to writing. Just getting it done, for starters. Making sure it's a story that doesn't suck, is consistent and well written. Then the inherent anxiety that comes with releasing it to the public: oh no, are they going to like it, is anyone going to read it, are they going to pan it… and so on.

What advice would you give to writers just starting out?

Mia: Keep at it. It's hard and takes a lot of work, you'll want to throw yourself out a window at some point, but you just have to stick with it if you want to move forward. Listen to advice, but not all of it 'cause your head will explode. Read, read, read.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Mia: Oh, my. That's a tough one. It's hard for me to know what my "quirks" are, but one thing that I have found that differentiates me as a little odd, compared to other writers: I hear about a lot of authors that write to music, and what music inspires them. I listen to television shows and movies while I write. You would think it would get in the way, but it doesn't. I think it's something about hearing dialog and ongoing stories that inspires me more than music.

What is your favorite supernatural creature to write and why?

Mia: I don't know that I have a favorite creature, actually. Vampires are fun because I love making dead jokes. (I write in First Person and all my character have a hint or more of sarcasm in their wit.) So, they're great for the lack of a heart beat jokes and such. But Dakota and her unique nature are an absolute blast. And I have some other unique creatures in the pipeline that I bet will be as much fun, so I don't think I can actually pick a favorite.

Mia's Paranormal Perspectives

What's your definition of the paranormal genre?

Mia: I'm pretty broad about this. Paranormal is defined as anything "extra" normal, and that's how I view it. If it has vampires, werewolves, faerie folk, witches and what not, I would define that as paranormal. Though I suppose I'd have to further define it as these creatures in our world, at any time. If it's another world then it's sci-fi/fantasy.

How do you feel about the boom of paranormal fiction recently?

Mia: It worries me, to be honest. I love that it's popular. It's "okay" now to be a vampire freak. But at the same time, I worry about the genre I love being flooded with substandard story-telling. People writing paranormal *just* because it's popular and sells well, not because they love it, and there by weakening the whole thing.

Is there a specific paranormal sub-genre interests you the most?

Mia: You know, I don't think there is. I just like good stories. It's all about the story.

What scares you?

Mia: All manner of things! I'm anxious by nature, and neuro-chemistry, so real life can be pretty frightening. But seriously, reading books and what not, I can get spooked by things that strike too close to home, like zombie fiction that's more realistic than outrageous can give me the creeps. Or mysteries with particularly realistic killer perspectives.

What is your favorite paranormal book?

Mia: The first Vampire Files book by P. N. Elrod, because it's the first in a whole series I love a great deal and highly admire. If you want to put modern definition on classics, then I'd go with "Dracula." I have an audio version that is so fantastic that I've listened to it repeatedly.

What is your favorite paranormal movie?

Mia: You know, I really don't know. I've liked a lot of the blockbuster paranormal films, despite some defects. (Underworld, Blade) But there was a low budget indie time film called Demon Under Glass that was fascinating. I'm still waiting for someone to get "Dracula" right.

What do you think draws people to paranormal novels?

Mia: I think it's just something in the nature of humanity that's always been there. I watched "Ghost Hunters" for a while and that, by nature, proves my point but beyond that, I had considered doing a ghost hunting story. Still may, but it's down the line. I was researching ghost hunter sites and read a fascinating article, which had a part that I've always remembered. If you look back in old lore and read stories of the faeries, the wee folk, and how they used to kidnap babies and so forth, the descriptions of many of those stories sound a lot like people's descriptions of aliens in more recent time. From mythological to science, it's the same thing. People have always had these fascinations with things beyond themselves. Vampires and shifters in particular are so much like humans but not that it's easier to imagine, I guess.

Do you ever research real events, legends, or myths to get ideas?

Mia: I wouldn't say I research to get the ideas. I just research and read about these things because it interests me, and ideas may or may not come. Like, I've written a historical romance focused during the time of the Beast of Gevaudan. I don't qualify it as paranormal, but I did read about the Beast for the first time in the Werewolf Encyclopedia. (Fun book.) The French film 'Le Pacte des Loups' is also about the Beast. I was obsessed with Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Norse mythology in middle school and onward. Norse mythos has made its way into my story "When Forever Died."

I particularly enjoy regional stuff. I have two books on regional vampire stories, one in New England and one from the South, and then two books of ghost stories, same regions since I have ties there obviously. So, I can't say I go to this stuff to get the ideas, but it definitely gives me ideas when I read it. And even if it didn't, I'd read it anywhere because it's just fun and fascinating.

Connect With Mia

http://www.miadarien.com – Site & Blog

http://www.twitter.com/MiaDarien

http://www.facebook.com/author.miadarien

http://www.goodreads.com/mia_darien

Thanks so much for chat, Mia!

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Heiress of Lies Is Live on Amazon!

I am delighted to share that Heiress of Lies is officially available on Amazon!  While this story did not take me nearly as long to produce as Edge of Shadows, it definitely has its own backstory to share.

The first hint of Heiress of Lies came to me right after Christmas 2009.  I admit that I had just finished reading the Twilight saga (sigh, I know I know!) and I was in love with vampires again. I go through phases just like any writer, and with Edge of Shadows very much on my mind, I had ghosts on the brain- not vampires.  Plus, I was feeling like maybe vampires were a bit…overdone.

So even though I had a clear image of Angeline, Heiress of Lies' main character, in my head I resisted writing anything down.  That lasted about two weeks. Then the computer came out and the game was on.

I wrote about 15,000 words in the span of just a few days. And then whatever demon had possessed me flew away (or more than likely work got busy) and I put Angeline aside fully intending to come back to her when I wrapped Edge of Shadows.

Fast forward six months. On a lovely late spring evening, our car was broken into and my backpack was stolen. I won't go through the litany of everything I lost that night except for one thing: a small coin purse that I was using to carry all of my various USB drives. Basically everything I've ever written in my life. Gone.

I was fortunate to recover a workable version of Edge of Shadows- I had sent it out to beta readers and found it hiding in my email box. But Angeline was gone. It was heartbreaking. It took me a long time to feel like I was in a spot again where I felt like I could do Angeline justice.

Looking back at my writing goals in 2010 and early 2011, Angeline's name was there. My working title at the time was Angeline's Quest.  She waited patiently for me.

You see, I didn't want to try to just recreate the story that was stolen, because I wasn't even sure that was actually the right story. As a writer, you have to have no mercy and you have to be willing to completely change things up to make things work.  And I spent a long period of time feeling wedded to Angeline's beginning, and somewhere deep down, I just knew that it wasn't right.

In November 2011, I finally took the plunge to tell Angeline's story. Not surprising to me, while Angeline stayed the same, many things about the plot changed dramatically.  The story became a whole lot darker, and while there is a romantic element to it, it isn't the focus of the story. Ultimately I had to completely let the past story go in order to truly find Angeline.

Heiress of Lies synopsis:

With the King of Altera on his deathbed, all eyes are on his only child. Princess Angeline Robart has spent the last three years finishing her studies in a remote convent far away from the capital city of Brebackerin. On her way to her father's side in preparation for her Ascension, Angeline is kidnapped by Connor, a mysterious vampire who has his own motivations for becoming involved in the high stakes game of intrigue.

As the last of the Robart bloodline, Angeline soon realizes that enemies long thought conquered have been doing nothing but lying in wait for just such an opportunity to turn things to their advantage, and horrifying myths are actually realities.

Facing the impossible consequences of a freak accident, Angeline must travel a dangerous path to regain control of her fate, even if that means relying on Connor, a man who epitomizes everything her family hated and tried to destroy. As Angeline struggles to find an escape, the future of Altera hangs in the balance.

If this sounds like a story you'd enjoy, please consider picking up a copy and adding a review on Amazon.  And as always, thank you for your support!

 

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CG News: January Wrap-Up

January was quite a month in the Cege Smith universe. I made a big decision and decided to enroll Edge of Shadows into Amazon's KDP Select program. (If you have no idea what that is, google it because there just isn't enough time in the day to go through all of the opinions, rants, outrage, and support that this program has generated in the indie writing community and I won't be able to do it justice.)

In any case, net net of that decision was that EOS is exclusive with Amazon until mid-April. Ultimately, I felt like this was a good decision for me because it wasn't getting a lot of traction through any other distribution channel. And by enrolling in the program, Amazon gives authors 5 "promo" days where you can set your book for free. If you are wondering why that's attractive- it helps boost your overall rankings in the Amazon store which in turn makes you more visible to potential readers.

EOS went free Jan. 21-22nd and the results were nothing less than astounding:

10,500 downloads in 48 hours

Let's just sit with that number for a little bit…

That kind of exposure money can't buy. If even a 1% of those people read EOS then I have (hopefully) gained visibility of 105 new readers who, if they liked the book, will return to buy more. This is good stuff!

I also received 2 new reviews for EOS, and was interviewed on two blogs in January:

Were Vamps Romance (includes a review of EOS)

Book Bags and Cat Naps

I had a pretty grueling end of the month with the "day job" and traveled all over the U.S. for 2 consecutive weeks.  Despite that severe restriction of time, I was able to finalize my manuscript for Heiress of Lies (formerly titled Angeline's Quest) which I expect to release the week of Valentine's Day.

Whew- seems like a lot. But things are only going to pick up from here!  I'm going to make "CG News" a regular feature for anyone who is looking to keep up to date on what I'm up to.

And as always, THANK YOU for your support. The Cege Smith Universe wouldn't exist without you, Dear Reader.

Top photo credit: Neeta Lind

Heiress of Lies cover design: Scarlett Rugers

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Book Review: Gears of Wonderland by Jason G. Anderson

Title: Gears of Wonderland

Author: Jason G. Anderson

Type of Book: Fantasy steampunk

Book Summary:

James Riggs lives a normal life with a mind-numbing job, an overbearing boss, and a demanding fiancée. Then he witnesses the murder of his best friend. Saved from the murderer by a strange man in a white suit, James is cast down a hole and into a world he always believed was a kid's story. Wonderland.

But things have changed since Alice's visit. The Knave of Hearts has seized the Heart throne, conquered all of Wonderland with his steam-powered technological marvels, and rules the land with an iron fist.

Aided by the Mad Hatter's daughter, James journeys to discover why he has been brought to Wonderland and how the tattoo on his arm could be the key to Wonderland's salvation—or its destruction.

Cege's Review:

As always, I feel it's important to give some context about how I approach the books I review to level set expectations. So full disclosure, I have never read Alice in Wonderland, I've never watched the movies, and my knowledge of all things Wonderland in general are based purely on high-level references absorbed through regular media channels over the years. So I admit that I started reading with a bit of trepidation given I don't have a lot of exposure to the Alice story.

Good news- it makes no difference! I think the author balanced the introduction of familiar characters (the Mad Hatter, White Rabbit, Catepillar, etc.) for fans of Alice in Wonderland and a reader like me, who had previously had little exposure to the story very well.

I got hooked into James's plight right from the get go. He's just a regular guy who I think anyone can easily identify with: he's in a job he doesn't like, engaged to a woman who isn't right for him, and is basically just plodding through life. That is, until his best friend is murdered in front of him and he ends up getting pushed down a hole into Wonderland.

This is Wonderland 150 years after Alice's visit and things have changed; for the worse. James is caught up in the rebellion against the Knave of Hearts who has declared himself King of Hearts and has either destroyed or taken over the other five kingdoms of Wonderland. He rules with fear through the use of advanced technological machines, and at first glance appears unstoppable.

But you discover that it appears fate intervened by bringing James to Wonderland, and as he meets more Wonderland natives and learns more about himself, he embraces a whole new destiny.

I always like the "David vs. Goliath" type theme that is woven into this story. Considering James lands in Wonderland with nothing but the clothes on his back, and a few weeks later is overthrowing the most powerful man in Wonderland, it would be easy to be pushed beyond the boundaries of believability. But the author handles this well. James needs a lot of help along the way, and if I have any critique of the story at all, it's that the very first person he encounters in Wonderland is the one that sets all of the other dominoes up for him (pretty convenient).

But I loved exploring Wonderland through James's eyes and getting to know all of the other characters.  James is a likable protagonist, but it's the supporting cast who really make the book.

Gears of Wonderland is a well-written fantasy adventure with a little something for everyone. I would highly recommend it.

Cege's Rating: 5/5

**Reviewer disclosure: I was provided a complimentary copy of Gears of Wonderland in exchange for my fair and honest review.**

 

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Book Review and Blog Tour: Noah Zarc: Mammoth Trouble by D. Robert Pease

Title: Noah Zarc: Mammoth Trouble

Author: D. Robert Pease

Type of Book: YA Fiction

*Please note that this review is part of the Noah Zarc blog tour. There are things to win so be sure to check out all the details below!*

Quick Summary:

This is the first book in the Noah Zarc series. Twelve-year old Noah and his family are traveling through time collecting animals to repopulate the Earth, which in the future was destroyed and unable to support life. Despite their noble cause, not everyone agrees with what the Zarc family is doing, and soon Noah's family and their mission is in danger and it's up to Noah to save them.

Cege's Review:

There are a lot of great things to love about this book, and so I'm going to do something a little bit different with this review to highlight what I consider are its best elements.

N is for Noah Zarc himself.  He's young but has a maturity well beyond his years. He was born without the use of his legs, but there doesn't seem to be a thing that he can't do. He's a whiz kid at flying, and that comes in handy in multiple situations he encounters throughout the book.

O is for origins. It is revealed that Noah's parents have been hiding a secret from him about where he came from. We also learn the backstory about why the Earth was destroyed, and the main crisis that Noah faces here is making sure it doesn't happen all over again. There's definitely a theme here: learn from past mistakes, but at the same time, what happens in the past doesn't define us.

A is for the Animals! Of course the whole premise of the book is based on bringing animal life back to the future Earth. I thought that the author skillfully weaved in Noah's love of the animals and it was fun to read about how the Zarcs were caring for them aboard the ARC (Animal Rescue Cruiser).

H is for Haon, the bad guy. Haon kills animals for sport, kidnaps Noah's mother, and attempts to destroy the future Earth so it can never support animal life again. But the author offers up glimmers of the guy Haon used to be and that was something that as a reader I enjoyed. Sympathetic villains make a story more believable.

Z is for the Zarc family. Two brilliant parents and three equally unique and talented children. Yes, they have the typical family problems with sibling squabbles and tween parental rebellion, but it's clear that they all have each other's backs and would do anything for each other.

A is for Adventure. This plot moves along at breakneck speed. No sooner is one piece of the overall puzzle solved but another mystery is right behind it. I think this is great for the younger reader because it's guaranteed to keep their attention.

R is for randomness. That's part of the fun of time travel right?  The Zarcs are from 1000 years in the future from now, and this story jumps from present day to the Ice Age to medieval Scotland back to the future. They don't always know where they'll end up next, and so it keeps the reader guessing as well.

C is for choice. Noah is faced with a lot of difficult situations, and he makes some choices that I think were rash and unwise. But you also have to remember that he's 12. And the only way that you learn is by making mistakes. Luckily for Noah, his choices seem to generally always work out, and if I had but one critique of the plot, that would be it (because things shouldn't always work out).

Cege's Rating: 4.5/5

*Reviewer Disclaimer: I was provided a complimentary copy of Noah Zarc: Mammoth Trouble for review.*

Blog Tour Notes

OVERVIEW

Noah lives for piloting spaceships through time, dodging killer robots and saving Earth's animals from extinction.

Life couldn't be better.

But the twelve-year-old time traveler learns it could be a whole lot worse. His mom is kidnapped and taken to Mars; his dad is stranded in the Ice Age; and Noah is attacked at every turn by a foe bent on destroying Earth… for the second time.

Get your copy today by visiting Amazon.com (available in paperback or as an eBook) or the online retailer of your choice (more links below).

CASH PRIZES

Guess what? You could win a $50 Amazon gift card as part of this special blog tour. That's right! Just leave a comment below saying something about the post you just read, and you'll be entered into the raffle. I could win $50 too by having the most comments. So tell your friends to stop by and comment on this post too!

GIVEAWAY

Win 1 of 5 copies of the paperback version of Noah Zarc: Mammoth Trouble by entering the giveaway on GoodReads.

THE AUTHOR

D. Robert Pease has been interested in creating worlds since childhood. From building in the sandbox behind his house, to drawing fantastical worlds with paper and pencil, there has hardly been a time he hasn't been off on some adventure in his mind, to the dismay of parents and teachers alike. Also, since the moment he could read, books have consumed vast swaths of his life. From The Mouse and the Motorcycle, to The Lord of the Rings, worlds just beyond reality have called to him like Homer's Sirens. It's not surprising then he chose to write stories of his own. Each filled with worlds just beyond reach, but close enough we can all catch a glimpse of ourselves in the characters.

Discover ways to connect with the author by visiting his site at www.drobertpease.com

BOOK TRAILER

THANK YOU! for visiting. And don't forget to comment below for that chance to win the $50 Amazon gift card. And of course head on over to your favorite online book store and buy a copy of Noah Zarc: Mammoth Trouble, for you or for the kids in your life.

Amazon Paperback | Amazon Kindle | Barnes & Noble Nook | Apple iBookstore | Smashwords | Diesel eBook Store | CreateSpace Paperback | Amazon UK | Amazon France | Amazon Germany

 

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Book Review: Gerald and the Wee People by Greta Burroughs

Title: Gerald and the Wee People

Author: Greta Burroughs

Type of Book: YA Fantasy

Book Summary:

Gerald and his best friend, Vernon discover a mysterious spot in the woods where Gerald visualizes a miniature village complete with wee inhabitants. He enjoys going back to that spot and watching the day to day activities until trouble starts in the village and he tries to convince Vernon that the "visions" are real and the wee people need help.

While trying to prove that the whole thing is just Gerald's wild imagination, the boys literally fall into the new world and get caught up in a war. The boys come up with ways to keep the invading force from entering the village but another solution has to be found in order to put an end to the conflict.

Along with a few companions from the village, Gerald and Vernon embark on a quest to face down the deranged forest god who instigated the mayhem. The dangerous path is laid out by an ancient prophecy, but not everything goes as planned.

Cege's Review:

I knew as soon as I started reading Gerald and the Wee People that I knew that I needed to find the perfect person to help me review this book.  While I was entertained by Gerald and Vernon's adventure trying to save the Wee People from the misshapen ones and the treachery of the forest god, I knew that I wasn't exactly the book's target audience.

Gerald and the Wee People is chock full of adventures, battles, magic, and mystical creatures encountered by the book's heroes.  Who would love this book and be able to read it in time to help me with my review?  And then I recruited someone who jumped at the chance to share his viewpoint with the whole internet: my 10-year old son (whose nickname is RyRy).

When I turned him loose on the book, he promptly devoured it (I was so proud). So I am happily sharing RyRy's thoughts here as well as my own.

What was your favorite part of Gerald and the Wee People?

RyRy: My favorite part of the book was when Gerald was in Miach's cave and was having his mind messed with because of the descriptive choice of words. It really gave me a lots of vivid imagery.

What was your least favorite part of the book?

RyRy: My least favorite part was the journey to Miach's cave because it seemed to just go on a long time.

Who was your favorite character?

RyRy: My favorite character was Sheela because of her magical talents and I think that is really cool.

Cege: My favorite character was Dora. I'm very partial to strong female characters, and Dora spoke her mind and I thought was a fair and honest elder for the Wee People.

Would you like to visit the village of the Wee People?

RyRy: Yes, I would like to because I would like to see all of the jobs of the Wee People and experience life in their village.

**Spoiler Alert**

Do you think it was the right thing for Gerald to let George keep his secret?

RyRy: No, because George terrorized the Wee people and didn't care. He was going to kill everybody with him just because he couldn't get what he wanted.

Cege: I'm going to agree with RyRy on this one, but that's probably just my jaded adult perspective! In all actuality, by letting George keep his secret, I think the author is teaching kids a valuable life lesson: if someone is truly sorry, then he should be forgiven, and that even the most terrible of villains have good qualities and can change.

What kind of job do you think George will have in the village?

RyRy: I think George would be a materials gatherer or a sort of "jack-of-all-trades" to fulfill all of the needs of the village.

What would you like to see happen next for Gerald and the Wee People?

RyRy: I would like to see Gerald become a more skilled far-seer and become an elder.

As a parent, this is exactly the type of book that I am delighted to see my son read.  The fantasy elements are just right and the author brought together the right blend of action and character development to keep a reader of his age entertained.

RyRy's Rating: 4.5/5

*Reviewer Disclaimer: I was provided a complimentary copy of Gerald and the Wee People for review.*

Buy Gerald and the Wee People :

Smashwords:  http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/39307

Amazon US (paperback edition): http://www.amazon.com/Gerald-Wee-People-Greta-Burroughs/dp/143275596X/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1311006477&sr=1-1

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004JKMT0Q

Breakthrough Bookstore: http://astore.amazon.com/breakthroughstore-20/detail/B004JKMT0Q

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gerald-and-the-wee-people-greta-burroughs/1021925998?ean=2940011199691&itm=1&usri=greta%2bburroughs

Connect with Greta:

Greta on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorgretaburroughs

Greta on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/gretaburroughs

 

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