Scott Seldon's Blog, page 13

Pirates of I'ab Release Imminent

The final editing is nearly complete and and the only big step left is final formatting and Pirates of I'ab, the second installment of the Zaran Journals series, will be ready to upload to Smashwords and Amazon. Other retailers will follow through the Smashwords distribution process (Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Sony Reader Store, Kobo, Diesel, and Blio).

Ven Zaran takes over the last three months of a contract as a favor for a fellow trader. The system is knows for the piracy problem, but Ven is willing to take the risk. What he encounters are well connected pirates who can seemingly take any cargo at will. Each time they stop his ship and take a cargo, Ven resorts to more extreme measures. In the end he breaks the contract and sets out to take down the Dolf, the leader of the pirates out of I'ab.

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A Conversation with Natalie Starr

This week, as part of the Master Koda Blog Tour, I have the pleasure of interviewing my fellow writer, Natalie Starr.



What is the title of your most recently published book and where can we buy it?
The Keeper, is a young adult paranormal romance. It can be purchased on a dozen or so sites, but I would love it if people would purchase it through my publisher’s website:
http://bonobookstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_39&products_id=20

Is this your first book? Or have you written others?
The Keeper is my debut novel. I am working on the next book in the series now called The Organizer.

Can you share an excerpt or blurb?
The Keeper (Young Adult/Paranormal Romance/heat level 2), by Natalie Star
Blurb:
The morning of her sixteenth birthday, Billie feels blessed despite the reoccurring nightmare that wakes her. Loving parents, a caring boyfriend, and great friends surround her until an heirloom necklace throws her into a world she never imagined.

“Gifted” with supernatural powers and an unexpected destiny as the Keeper, Billie and a mysterious boy from her past must work together to find answers. But, as they begin to discover feelings for one another, he disappears leaving her to fight evil alone. Her life spirals out of control. She breaks up with her boyfriend, Tony, and alienates her best friends Arianna and Jocelyn to protect them from the truth.

As dark forces pursue her, Billie longs to run away from it all, yet a need to do what’s right compels her to face the future as the keeper of more than her own fortune.

What other writing projects are you working on currently?
The Keeper will have three books total in the series. That’s my current work in progress, but in between edits I also write under a different pen name in a different genre. So I’m always writing something.

Do you have a favorite character you’ve created and can you describe them?
I really like my bad boy in The Keeper, his name is Adrik. He is attractive, fair skinned with dark hair and dark eyes. The name Adrik in Russian means: dark. This is why I chose the name. He is evil and represents the Dark side. The Dark is the governing body of evil, so I think it’s a perfect fit for him.

What do you like to do in your spare time (other than writing)?
I LOVE taking photos. I’m not that good at it, but I enjoy it! I also love watching my children play soccer. They’ve been playing for eight years now.

Who is your favorite music artist?
I don’t have one. I enjoy ALL kinds of music. It just depends on my mood, but music that makes me want to get up and dance is the best!

Who is your favorite author? And why?
I have too many favorites. They’re the popular ones with the young adult/vampire/paranormal romance fans. Richelle Mead, Rachel Caine, PC and Krisin Cast, Cassandra Clare, and Melissa De La Cruz.

How did you get into writing?
I was inspired after reading Twilight. While I don’t write about vampires, I made up my own variety of paranormal. I wanted to be different.

Do you ever get writer’s block? And if yes, how do you get through it?
I don’t believe in writer’s block. I think if I come to a point and I don’t know what to write, then that scene is over and I need to move on.

Is writing your hobby or your job?
Even though I am published it’s a hobby or more like a part-time job, but it would be awesome if I can do it full time in the future.

What is some advice you’d give new writers striving to be in your place?
Read, read, and read. Then write every day for practice. Just as your muscles need to be exercised so does your brain.

And finally, where do you envision yourself five years from now?
Five years from now I hope to have my trilogy complete and out in paperback. It’s currently only available in eBook format. I also plan on having another series out. This one I started last year with NaNoWriMo. I never finished it, but it’s a great story that needs to be finished.

Thank you Scott for having me today! You had a great line of questions that I enjoyed answering!


Links:
Book Trailer on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8x0K05MHWA
http://www.authornataliestar.com
http://authornataliestar.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/#!/iamjustnatalie
https://plus.google.com/u/0/116484157865842677580/posts
http://www.shelfari.com/nataliestar
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5424878.Natalie_Star
Purchase sites: http://authornataliestar.blogspot.com/2012/01/keeper-where-can-you-find-it.html


Author Bio:

Three years ago, if you told me one day I would love to read and write, I would have told you you were crazy-out-of-your-mind. Since then I have read 150+ books and written 2 complete novels (one of them being The Keeper) and I have 3 more in the works.

When I'm not reading or writing, I can be found with my husband supporting my two children on the soccer fields. Or maybe running around with my camera taking photos while camping and/or hiking. Or lastly, and most probable - I'm watching movies on Netflix while simultaneously perusing Facebook.

Our family resides in the state of Virginia along with our old-unintelligent-diabetic cat named Lucky.


Please email any comments to Scott.

Turning Darkness to Light by KD Emerson

This week I have the pleasure of hosting KD Emerson with some interesting insights.

In 2009 I got a wild idea for an experiment of how to touch people’s lives in the suffering economy. I started this crazy group on Face Book called the
Big Fat Giveaway group. I set up a website where I ran games and contests. We had a lot of fun and I gave away lots of cool things. Most of the time people just had to answer a trivia question or something equally simple to
win cash cards, movies, flash drives, GPS and other fun things.

Reactions from people were very interesting and sometimes surprising. Of the people who joined, most of them had fun and enjoyed the energy boost it gave
them. Quite a few people asked why I was doing it, what was in it for me. When I responded, “I just want to change the energy for folks who are suffering with the economy and allow them to win something for a change.”
There were a lot of people who couldn’t accept this answer. They would come back with an argument. Some thought there had to be a business brewing behind the scenes, others just shook their heads, but a couple people got
angry. These couple people felt I had to have an evil or sinister reason for doing it. They couldn’t accept that there was a human who just wanted to give some fun and light in a dark and dreary world. I shed some tears
back in 2009 over that.

Thinking of those couple people rips me open, even today. My tears are for them. My tears are because they live in such darkness that they can’t believe
there is one human who would give a gift without a thought of what it might bring them.

Digitus 233, the young adult novel I am writing deals with a world of darkness; it also deals with the light that dispels that darkness. It is my deepest desire it will bring hope and
strength to those that read it.

Author, KD Emerson was born (or is that hatched) several years ago. We won’t go into how long it has been because she has this fantasy that she is still
a teenager off to conquer the world. She has a passion for the written word and assisting other writers in becoming the best they can be. She also loves to promote others and cheer them on to victory. Follow her on twitter
@MstrKoda or you can find her at www.masterkoda.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kimmutch.emerson

Please email any comments to Scott.

Marilyn Monroe Lives! by K.R. Hughes & T.L. Burns

This week on the Master Koda Blog Tour, we hear from K. R. Hughes and T. L. Burns on their book, "What She Knew." A fascinating premise praised by their peers.




As we continue the celebration of Marilyn for the month of August, we thought we would share some of the love that we have been blessed with ourselves!!

As authors, we have received some awesome reviews from our readers for our book "What She Knew." And while reviews from our readers are priceless, really they are, we have to admit that when we get praise from another author, it really makes us proud of our work. We think you would agree that if you get praise from a peer in whatever industry you work, you can't help but to feel a sense of pride.

Here's one of our latest reviews from a fellow author:

"As a writer, I cannot imagine attempting to change the death and life of a historical figure. Thankfully, K. R. Hughes and T. L. Burns can. What She Knew is a well-researched account of what if. What if Marilyn Monroe didn't actually die of an overdose? What if she instead survived a murder attempt? Who was out to silence her and who would protect her?

I found myself transformed into the past, sometimes questioning if the events were real or part of the story. And honestly, I'm still not certain about some of them. To me that is the beauty of a well-crafted book.

I was excited to receive a copy of What She Knew as a gift from a thoughtful friend. She was right...it was definitely my kind of book"

Thank you Jane! This really has meant the world to us. Jane has such a flair with the written word and a quick wit that you immediately fall in love with. You can find Jane's book, "Bertha Size Your Life," on Amazon. It is free thru August 3rd so hurry and get yourself a copy!!
 



Head over to our blog roll on the right for a direct link to her book Bertha Size Your Life, you'll be glad you did!!!







August Celebration of Marilyn's life!

It is still early days in the celebration of Marilyn Monroe and plenty of time for you to win any one of our What She Knew Signature Prizes!

~~Comment on any of our blogs (www.krhughestlburns.wordpress.com), Facebook us (whatsheknew), or Tweet us (whatsheknewbook) with your favorite Marilyn Monroe quote!!

~~To enter for your chance to win the grand prize all you need to do is buy our book and send us a screen shot of the receipt to our email address (whatsheknew@gmail.com.) One lucky winner will win an hour of Skype time with us, a signed original What She Knew first edition (no longer available to the public), a Marilyn Monroe clock, and a What She Knew Signature Pink Purse filled with Marilyn Monroe approved goodies!!

We will also be hosting other easy contests throughout the month on our Facebook page. So be sure to check back often for your chance to win What She Knew Signature Bookmarks, Pens and Bookbags!! It's our way of honoring a life that was cut way to short!

Blessings, K.R. and T.L.
Website: www.whatsheknew.com
Facebook: whatsheknew
Twitter: whatsheknewbook
Email: whatsheknew@gmail.com

The Muse vs The Writer by Jennifer Don

This week on the blog tour, I am please to host Jennifer Don as she has a conversation with her muse.

How do you do it? That’s the question I found myself looking at as I entered my writing space to contemplate the answer. No sooner had I readied myself and prepped my working area, did my muse interrupt my thoughts. His bombardment of questions couldn’t be deflected any further and the whole process happened as follows:

Muse: Are you a Pantser?
Me: What do you mean by Pantser?
Muse: Do you fly by the seat of your pants like a lifelong chancer?
Me: Perhaps on occasion I do, but I can’t say the lifestyle is for me.
Muse: Or are you a Plotter?
Me: What is this, a game of questions or something? What do you mean by a Plotter?
Muse: A writer who needs controlled order.
Me: Can’t I be both Sir?
Muse: Both, why would you want to be both?
Me: Well why not? Is there any rule out there that states I need to be one or the other? If there is one such rule then I have yet to cross that on my journey. Until such a time where it states that I need to be one or the other I will stick to being both.
Muse: Say you had to choose, which would it be?
Me: You’re not letting this go are you? I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again. I am both. I see no reason as to why I can’t be. I mean there are times where I’ll take the risk. I’ll run the gauntlet with the hounds of hell on my tail as I weave through the trees just to reach my target. Other times, I’ll sit and map aspects out.
Muse: Hmm, I see. So this gauntlet, do you run it often?
Me: You really like your questions don’t you?
Muse: *Nods head and grins*
Me: *Sigh* Do I run the gauntlet often? I can’t say that I do. You know that. You’ve been with me every step of the way, you know how I work.

Muse: This is true, but I am not your audience…. *he turns and nods* … they are.
Me: Oh right!
Muse: So tell them, don’t tell me.
Me: Could you repeat the question then please.
Muse: Certainly… *grins wildly* Do you run the gauntlet often? This gauntlet being the flying by the seat of your pants action that most will know as being a Pantser.
Me: Hmm… I don’t run is as often as I would like, but then I run it more times than I would care to remember. Does that help?
Muse: *Shakes head and laughs* Help? No, that doesn’t help. During the time you have spent running the gauntlet, what methods or problems have you crossed that others might be interested in hearing?
Me: Urgh! I ran, I played, and I wrote and panicked. I feared the shadows that flooded the rooms I entered and found everything rather daunting. Yet, I was free. I had no restraints in which I had to follow. I allowed my characters the freedom to react as they pleased. It made for an interesting time, I tell you. I was merely the vessel of their actions and their thoughts. I was the puppet in the process.
Muse: And how did this affect your progress?
Me: Well, I found that not knowing where I was going often led to periods of being stressed and worried. I felt lost in the consuming darkness as the hounds of hell waited right around the corner. Waiting for me to mess up so that they would tear me to pieces then spit me back out and have me start again. I never did reach that stage though.

Muse: How so?
Me: Because during those times, I did my best to remain focused on the task at hand as well as remembering to take regular intervals to break the momentum up.
Muse: So the constant threat of being a hound of hells dinner had you on your toes long enough to keep writing, but not long enough so as to avoid periods of rest?
Me: That’s right.
Muse: How interesting. Can we go back to being a Plotter now?
Me:  Do I have any choice?
Muse: Well, actually… No. I decide when and where we go with this. *Grins*
Me: *Groans*
Muse: *Clears throat* so, we already know you’re a bit of a Pantser. You’ve already admitted to running around like a fool with pants on your head. *laughs*
Me: Hey! I said no such thing.
Muse: Gauntlet, shmaunlet. I get the picture. We all know 2 and 2 make 5, don’t try and tell us otherwise.
Me: 4
Muse: Huh?
Me: 2 and 2 make 4 not 5.
Muse: 4, 5 same thing.
Me: *rolls eyes*
Muse: Right where were we?
Me: Plotter.
Muse: That’s right. So plotting your stories, your structures, how has this helped you?
Me: Helped? I don’t know exactly. I’m still running from the shadows and lurking monsters at this moment in time. Do you see what you do to me?

Muse: What I do to you? I don’t make you take up the mighty pen and battle your way through those worlds. I merely give you guidance and inspiration. Don’t turn this around on me just because you’re running around with pants on your head. Just answer the question please. Your audience awaits *tilts head to the crowd*
Me: Great! Good way to make me feel guilty!
Muse: Does it work?
Me: No!
Muse: Humph! Question… answer please. Now if you don’t mind.
Me: What if I don’t want do? What will you do about it?
Muse: Oh I can think of a few things.
Me: Such as?
Muse: I’ll take Sati away, and Ashran… and
Me: What no! You can’t! I need them!
Muse: Oh, but I can. Now answer that question or they go!
Me: *Sulks* If I must then, but be warned, after this you and me – we have some serious talking to do!
Muse: Yea right, later okay now answer.
Me: Plotting…
Muse: Yes, yes. We’ve established that part already so get on with it!
Me: *glares* you’re really bossy do you know that?
Muse: *coughs*
Me: Oh all right! I’m still new to this so stop being so hard on me! Plotting, yes I’ve been able to plot my way through a novel and now planning another for November. It’s rather difficult if you are not used to it, much like me. But I found it very beneficial in bringing some direction to the plot lines whilst allowing characters to run at their own pace and have the life they want. At the same time, it helps me to keep everything in perspective. By this I mean that planning out the structure allows me to see where I need to be and how long I have until I get there. Fair enough, there are times where you need to extend the timeline to fit more in as your characters do like to go walk about. You know everything in their time. They’ll get there when they get there, as they like to remind me. This is your doing I’m sure of it.
Muse: Me? No they have their own say on matters. I merely push you in the direction you should be going. I can’t be held responsible for their actions. I mean, honestly? Would I ever have you write something only to have your characters become rebels and give you hassle so that you have to extend your structure even further?
Me: Yes! You really would do that!
Muse: …
Me: Regardless, to the above statements, I stand by my original answer. I am both or neither. I will run with what occurs at the time of writing. Whether my mind says just go for it, or whether I feel inclined to map out certain points or periods that need to be achieved. After all, I am me and I will work the way I do. To change it up when the need suits doesn’t bother me. I’ll happily try something new, as long as it appears to be beneficial to what it is that I am undertaking.
Muse: So you admit to running around with pants on your head, flapping your arms and sounding like a headless chicken?
Me: No, I most certainly do not!
Muse: I dis-agree. You have all but admitted to being a Pantser. Why can you not just admit to wearing pants on your head while you do it? I’m sure everyone out there would love to know the truth… *snickers*
Me: Perhaps if I was to ever do that, then I might admit it. But the fact of the matter here is that I do not. Now shall I tell everyone what you are doing right now? This very moment in time you are…
Muse: NO! Don’t! Okay I’ll stop with the pants thing. Sheesh! Trust me to be landed with someone like you!
Me: Someone like me huh? Well the feeling is currently mutual. First you threaten me to answer your questions with the removal of my much loved characters. Second, you accuse me of doing something that I did not and have not ever done. And now, you make it sound like I’m trouble!
Muse: But you are trouble. You NEVER listen!
Me: Never Listen? I beg to differ. Have I not listened to you every step of the way through whatever this is?
Muse:  With difficulty yes you have.
Me: See, I’m not so bad now am I?
Muse: I guess not.
Me: So what were we doing exactly?
Muse: We… There are no we here. You were telling your readers of your writing process and how you go about doing it. That was my intention the whole time. Now if you would like to ask them any questions, then please do so.

As you can see, I have one difficult muse!

I am glad that is now over with, as he has gone and left me.  Imagine it, being given the third degree in questions just so you can explain how you work to others. Oh wait, we aren’t done yet. Please forgive me for sounding off. I hope you have enjoyed your time reading over this interview of sorts. I decided, well we decided it would be a better way to present the information to you than simply telling you as it is. Life is no fun unless you make it fun. I’ve had fun writing this and I hope it has come across that way to you the reader.

How do you do it? How do you turn your creative mind around into something more fluent? Do you plan ahead and map out all the ideas that are running around or do you…. Run around with pants on your head like my muse thinks I do and just go with the flow? Your thoughts are very welcome. Feel free to leave your comments here or pass them along to me via the contact details. I hope to hear from you all soon.

About Jennifer Don 
Jennifer spent many years without daring to lift a pen, without writing a word that wasn’t forced. But 2008 arrived and with it, her love of writing. She began with poetry which quenched her thirst to begin with but soon that wasn’t enough to satisfy her. 2011 arrived with a dream to write her first novel – Awakening, which is on-going. November saw her attempt her first NaNoWriMo, and so Timber Varden was born, with the bulk of it being written within that month. Now she finds herself aiming to re-write that draft and turn it into her first published novel.

Contact

While she aims to work through the edits needed, updates on her progress can be found on here -http://www.facebook.com/AuthorJenniferDon
To find out more with regards to her other projects, then check out her blog here - http://thoughtsgowild.blogspot.co.uk/
And should you wish to follow her on Twitter, or ask her any questions please see here -https://twitter.com/#!/Voice_Of_Spirit
You can also add and follow Jennifer over on Goodreads. You will find that link here – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6155054.Jennifer_Don


Jennifer will be more than happy to answer any questions you have for her. You can contact her at any of the links posted above. Or email her at authorjenniferdon@hotmail.co.uk

Both Ways by Jennifer Starks

My guest this week is Jennifer Starks who shares some insights on her writing process.

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A typical writing day for me consists of getting 500 words down no matter what. Some days are harder than
others and I take days off occasionally. Messy Death was a panster project. There was a vague outline and an idea but nothing more. The first draft was all about getting to know my characters and their world. For me, this
was an uncomfortable process that I’ve become humbled by. Being a panster is a creatively stimulating experience that encourages the writer to trust their characters as well as themselves.

My current WIP, Prowling for Demons, is not a panster project. There are aspects that haven’t been outlined,
but for the most part I know exactly where I’m going and what plot points need to be made. This is a great feeling. There’s comfort and stability in it. I appreciate comfort and stability as much as I now appreciate the
thrill of being a panster.

Many writers listen to music while they write. I go both ways. Sometimes writing in silence works best. Other
times I need me some tunes. Friends of mine ask me how I can write or read listening to anything other than a quiet house. The trick for me is to:

A) listen to music that sets the mood or

B) listen to music that entertains but doesn’t distract.

I can’t have Seether or Metallica blaring while I’m composing a romantic scene just like I can’t have
Adel warbling about her love during and action sequence. Pandora is my go to station. I listen to a lot of Ellie Goulding and such. Techno keeps my brain entranced without disrupting the imagination. Strange? Maybe. But a
writer’s got to do what a writer’s got to do. I will say this, the commercials on this station make me irate. Truly, utterly irate. I don’t care if Obama approves this message or Skinny Girl Cocktails are awesome. I’m
trying to pen my worth. Stop talking to me!

Currently, I’m editing my debut novel, Messy Death. It’s a process that’s much harder than expected.
I’m averaging about a chapter a day. To be honest, it doesn’t seem like enough, but slow and steady wins the race. (Grumble, grumble.) I find myself more taxed after a round of editing than writing. When I finished chapter
one, I needed a day off. Now that I’m done with chapter two, I could use another one.

Can someone tell me why I’m so drained? Is this normal?

 

Jennifer Starks has been writing since the tender, but still wise beyond her years, age of eight. She gets
giddy at the thought of visiting a bookstore, loves that good ole Library smell, is most at home on the couch reading or at her desk writing. She adores her children (though they make it entirely difficult to keep any kind
of writing schedule) and is humbled beyond belief to have a mother who fostered her love of the arts and a husband who supports the lifestyle even when it means listening to her type at 5 AM. Messy Death will be Jennifer’s
debut novel. Updates on its progress can be found at www.jenniferstarks.wordpress.com

Twitter: @princessjen20           

Facebook: www.facebook.com/princessjen2020000

Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jennifer-Minshall-Starks/376756749003411

Email: princessjenjs202000@gmail.com

Into The Cement Mixer by Amadi Kyymm

My guest this week, Amadi Kyymm, shares the origins of some of her characters.


I used a combination of methods to
develop my characters for Knight Riders. I may admire a certain actor
or actress and use them or a prototype of them.

I've worked
with the public for nearly 30 years, and I've encountered countless
personalities which would fill volumes if I had the time to write about
all of them. Which means I've had countless opportunities to “people
watch” and make note of many things. However, I managed to narrow
everything down to a few.


So far there are four main characters in Knight Riders. Four regulars and four heavies.

1.
Eva Hamilton: Black, plus sized, female Vampiress. Closely
resembles Queen Latifa. She used to be a cop but was “bitten”. Now,
she's starting her own private detective and recovery agency. She looks
sweet as sugar on the outside, but, the criminal element doesn't fare
well around her.


2. Kevin Delacroix: Black, male, rookie Vampire. Closely resembles
Keith Hamilton Cobb when he played “Tyr Anasazi” in Gene Roddenberry's
“Andromeda”. Yes, dreadlocks and muscles. . . . He's also a retired
veteran detective. Kevin is a big, strong and mean-as-hell looking, and
doesn't take no crap. But, he has a heart of gold.


3. Steve Kennedy: This is my real life character. Meaning, Steve
is a “real” cop at work. When he found out I was working on a crime
novel asked me to write him in, so I did. He is a white, male, veteran
Detective Sergeant at the 3rd Precinct in Knight Riders. He's also
Kevin's former boss and a very good human friend of his. Oh, he doesn't
know Kevin is a Vampire. . . .


4. Janice Pinkerton aka “Pinky”: Black, female Vampiress who works
at the 3rd Precinct Detective Squad as a police clerical supervisor.
Her nickname is “Pinky” because she loves pink and formally sold a lot
of Mary Kay products. Yes, she does have a pink Cadillac. . . . .
Pinky loves her job at the precinct, but she's stayed long past
retirement age and her co-workers (detectives) are getting suspicious. .
.


How did I come by those names? I had no problem thinking of them. I
nearly named “Eva”, “Eve”, but changed my mind. Eve Hamilton sounded
kinda blah to me. “Kevin” is sort of a derivative of “Keith”, the
actor's real name. I did want to name my character Keith, but that
would've been too close for comfort. Mr. Kennedy? He's tickled pink to
be in my first book and possibly others. As for “Pinky”, I made her
name up.


Thanks to my handy-dandy Baby Name book, or website, I don't have
problems with names. However, if I need something really unique I'll go
to the American Indian name, or the African name listings, or use
mythological names. I've had plenty of practice doing this when I used
to participate in written role playing games. Back then, one had to be
able to make up names and characters on the fly. Just think, that was
before the internet. . . . . . . .


What methods do you use to generate names for your stories. Who do
you pattern your characters after? Are there any real life characters
in your book?


I, Amadi Kyymm am a humble writer,
voracious reader, and hope to be by the end of the year, a published
author of my first book, “The Knight Riders”. I'm a life long resident
of New York City, and I live with my two fur kin (cats). I'm a Star
Trek fan, love SciFi, fantasy, dragons, vampires, computers, and
photography. My occupation: police clerical.


Contact Links

My Mixed Bag Blog: Radical Scribblings
http://radicalscribblings.wordpress.com
Facebook Writer/Author Page: Please LIKE if you LIKE

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amadi-Kyymm/223218331131277
Twitter: @WriterKyymm
Email: electladynanci@gmail.com

Into The Cement Mixer

My guest this week, Amadi Kyymm, shares the origins of some of her characters.


I used a combination of methods to
develop my characters for Knight Riders. I may admire a certain actor
or actress and use them or a prototype of them.

I've worked
with the public for nearly 30 years, and I've encountered countless
personalities which would fill volumes if I had the time to write about
all of them. Which means I've had countless opportunities to “people
watch” and make note of many things. However, I managed to narrow
everything down to a few.


So far there are four main characters in Knight Riders. Four regulars and four heavies.

1.
Eva Hamilton: Black, plus sized, female Vampiress. Closely
resembles Queen Latifa. She used to be a cop but was “bitten”. Now,
she's starting her own private detective and recovery agency. She looks
sweet as sugar on the outside, but, the criminal element doesn't fare
well around her.


2. Kevin Delacroix: Black, male, rookie Vampire. Closely resembles
Keith Hamilton Cobb when he played “Tyr Anasazi” in Gene Roddenberry's
“Andromeda”. Yes, dreadlocks and muscles. . . . He's also a retired
veteran detective. Kevin is a big, strong and mean-as-hell looking, and
doesn't take no crap. But, he has a heart of gold.


3. Steve Kennedy: This is my real life character. Meaning, Steve
is a “real” cop at work. When he found out I was working on a crime
novel asked me to write him in, so I did. He is a white, male, veteran
Detective Sergeant at the 3rd Precinct in Knight Riders. He's also
Kevin's former boss and a very good human friend of his. Oh, he doesn't
know Kevin is a Vampire. . . .


4. Janice Pinkerton aka “Pinky”: Black, female Vampiress who works
at the 3rd Precinct Detective Squad as a police clerical supervisor.
Her nickname is “Pinky” because she loves pink and formally sold a lot
of Mary Kay products. Yes, she does have a pink Cadillac. . . . .
Pinky loves her job at the precinct, but she's stayed long past
retirement age and her co-workers (detectives) are getting suspicious. .
.


How did I come by those names? I had no problem thinking of them. I
nearly named “Eva”, “Eve”, but changed my mind. Eve Hamilton sounded
kinda blah to me. “Kevin” is sort of a derivative of “Keith”, the
actor's real name. I did want to name my character Keith, but that
would've been too close for comfort. Mr. Kennedy? He's tickled pink to
be in my first book and possibly others. As for “Pinky”, I made her
name up.


Thanks to my handy-dandy Baby Name book, or website, I don't have
problems with names. However, if I need something really unique I'll go
to the American Indian name, or the African name listings, or use
mythological names. I've had plenty of practice doing this when I used
to participate in written role playing games. Back then, one had to be
able to make up names and characters on the fly. Just think, that was
before the internet. . . . . . . .


What methods do you use to generate names for your stories. Who do
you pattern your characters after? Are there any real life characters
in your book?


I, Amadi Kyymm am a humble writer,
voracious reader, and hope to be by the end of the year, a published
author of my first book, “The Knight Riders”. I'm a life long resident
of New York City, and I live with my two fur kin (cats). I'm a Star
Trek fan, love SciFi, fantasy, dragons, vampires, computers, and
photography. My occupation: police clerical.


Contact Links

My Mixed Bag Blog: Radical Scribblings
http://radicalscribblings.wordpress.com
Facebook Writer/Author Page: Please LIKE if you LIKE

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amadi-Kyymm/223218331131277
Twitter: @WriterKyymm
Email: electladynanci@gmail.com

Texting with Myself by Penelope Price

This week my guest in the Master Koda Blog Tour is Penelope Price who shares with us the origins of one of her stories. Sit back, read, enjoy, and consider the questions she poses at the end.


People always ask a writer where he gets his ideas and inspiration from. Neil Gaiman says, "I make them up. Out of my head" *. Stephen King's answer is longer, but boils down to the same thing, "I get my ideas from everywhere. But what all of my ideas boil down to is seeing maybe one thing, but in a lot of cases it's seeing two things and having them come together in some new and interesting way, and then adding the question 'What if?' 'What if' is always the key question." *. One of my favorite answers is from Lemony Snicket (whose NaNoWriMo PepTalk was one of the best ever). He said, "From eavesdropping and from reading other books. Writers are, pretty much thieves, stealing ideas from other people who didn't have the foresight to write them down, and then from the people who did have the foresight to write them down." *.

Were you to ask me, I would probably say something similar. Where do you get your ideas, Penelope Price? Where?! From the world, from what I see or watch or read, from thin air. I get flashes of inspiration from random sensory input all the time. Most of them won't go anywhere, but they pop up all the time and its just a matter of capturing that ephemeral spark in a jar so I can mull it over at length. Well then how do you capture the spark, Penelope Price? How?!

Funny you should ask.

I text myself. When an idea pops into my head, even if I have a notebook and pen close to hand (which I always do - always), I usually reach for my cellphone and get my thumbs to typing as fast as they can... which is not very fast and is usually filled with typos. Still - that little 160 character SMS gets sent to my email account where I automatically file it away under a specific tag and without much work on my part, its recorded for posterity.

That's how I recorded the spark that started "Incandescence" and "Inferno".

It was October 3rd, 2011, a Monday, and I was at work. NaNoWriMo - one of my favorite yearly events - was looming and I did not yet have an idea. I remember being worried that I would not have a plot ready to go and would fail miserably... again. Out of nine years doing NaNo, I had only "won" three times. Well, thanks to those fateful text messages - I am now four for ten.

I had been talking to a co-worker, telling him that I wrote fantasy novels. The kind with magic and wars and intrigue and romance and armored warriors and- He interrupted me to ask if I wrote about elves and dwarves. "No, not usually", I said pleasantly, though I was annoyed that yet another person seemed to think there were only two kinds of fantasy - Tolkien or Harry Potter.

"Well maybe you should," he said. "Or wait, write about elves and dwarves walking around in the modern day."

And I experienced one of those ephemeral sparks I mentioned earlier. I immediately tuned him out and started to texting myself. I think it took four or five texts to get the 'idea' out, but there it was - beautiful. Modern day mageborn siblings, the last of their kind so far as they know, struggling for survival against the end of the world.

To thank my co-worker, I named a character after him. And then murdered it. It was epic.

So yes, like Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Lemony Snicket and a whole host of other writers, I would say that my ideas and inspiration come from everywhere and nowhere, from the world at large. My job is just to snatch the good ones and develop them. To do that - I text myself. Its as simple as that.

If someone asked you, dear friend, where do you get your ideas? What would be your response? How do you capture them? Do you have a muse who feeds you delicious tidbits of plot and character, or do you sit down and think until something awesome comes out? Or something else entirely? Comment below and let us know!

Love & Rainbows,
P.P.


Penelope Price:
author, gamer, nerd. Though she has been writing since she learned to
read, P.P. did not emerge from her coccoon to join the writing circuit
until the year of Tangerine Tango. She is the crazy chick behind this
summer's Incandescence and its sequel, Inferno and can usually be found plotting projects
with her partner-in-crime, Jack Morgan of PunchJackMorgan.com. Get updates,
gossip and geekery by following P.P. on Facebook (http://facebook.com/PP_TheWriter),
Twitter (http://twitter.com/#!/PP_TheWriter), and at her blog (http://www.penelopeprice.net).

Don't forget to stop and smell the flowers by DeAnna Troupe

While most of the writers participating in the Morgan Koda Blog Tour write fiction, this week I am pleased to host DeAnna Troupe, a non-fiction writer. Here is her take on using an image to inspire her writing.


Okay, fiction and I have never been friends, so I'm not going to punish you by trying to make you suffer through a fiction piece of mine. Instead I used the photo to write an advice piece. Enjoy.

Do you schedule time to stop and smell the roses?

I know we all get busy with our businesses. We have to finish writing our books. Once we finish writing the books we have to edit the books. Once the books get edited and published, we have to promote the books. Whew. That's a lot. However, in all of that be sure to schedule time for breaks. Remember to schedule time for stuff like eating and sleeping. I know it seems silly to remind people to eat, but entrepreneurs always forget that, especially if they are on a deadline.

Schedule some face time with the people you meet online. People will be more likely to buy your books if they have met you in person. It's pretty cool to be reading a book and say, "I know the author personally." when you tell other people about the fabulous book you are reading.

Schedule some time for fun stuff as well. If you don't schedule time for what you consider fun, you will burn out and your writing will suffer. If you're a writer, you should also be reading. Read books in your genre so you can get an idea of what other people are selling. Read books in other genres as well so you can keep your creative juices going. Don't forget your hobbies. You know, those things you do other than writing. Things like art, fishing, gardening-stuff that you can do to relax and get your mind off of the fact that you're stuck on a plot or you can't figure out a name for your main character's sidekick. Lastly, make sure you spend some time with your friends and family. You don't want them to become resentful because all they ever see of you is the back of your head.


DeAnna Troupe is a native of Atlanta, Georgia, and a serial entrepreneur that has always loved helping others.  Her very first job was as an algebra tutor at the tender age of 14.  Since then she has amassed over 10 years of experience at all levels of business including running her own freelance secretarial business for 5 years.  She has been on the social media scene since before we even knew that’s what we were doing.  She has a knack for coming up with creative ways to solve tough problems.  She has two books out on Amazon’s kindle. One is called Tips For The Sophisticated Marketer. The other one is called Tips About Twitter For The Sophisticated Marketer. She is an effective teacher that enjoys seeing her clients get to the next level with their business.  When she’s not coaching clients on integrating video in their social media strategy, she enjoys spending time with her husband and kids. She also enjoys reading, writing, crocheting, singing, playing cards, and playing board games.

Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/deannatroupecoach

Twitter:http://www.twitter.com/deannatroupe

Web:http://www.learnsmallbusiness.com