A.L. Sowards's Blog, page 16

Author Interview with Joan Sowards

I’ve had several people ask me if I’m related to Joan Sowards. The answer is yes, through our husbands. The relationship is distant enough that we’d never met until a few weeks ago, but close enough that we could figure it out with a few emails. It’s a small, small world. Joan is a songwriter and a novelist. She loves her big family, writing, composing, and doing family history. Oh, and chocolate. She currently lives in Arizona, and I’m delighted to have her on my blog today.

What is your favorite Shakespeare play?

In college at Arizona State University, I took a Shakespeare class and loved it. We read Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice, and studied many sonnets. By the end of the semester I came to understand Shakespeare’s language and appreciated that he was a master of words. The idea that writers could take famous works and write modern retellings, as they had done using Shakespeare’s works, fascinated me. This is how I came to write Chocolate Roses based on the ideas in Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre.

If you had a time machine, when would you like to visit?

I definitely would visit ancestors in early America and ask them to sort out my tangled genealogy records, tell me where they migrated from, and fill in the blanks!

Best writing advice you’ve ever received?

Your best writing is when you write from the top of your head and from your heart. Don’t stop to edit. Don’t watch your keyboard. Dig, and write your deepest feelings, upbraideth not. When I’ve done this, and later read what I wrote, I am amazed at how good it is.

What are you working on now?

I am finishing the first draft of a YA medieval novel titled, Shadows of Montségur, based on the 1244 massacre of the Cathars during the Inquisition in France. A young orphan girl leaves the nunnery where she has lived for a year, to take care of her dying grandmother in southern France, only to find herself thrown into the middle of the Cathar eradication. Nicole has lived a cushy life to this point and must learn to stand strong on her own and decide with whom her true loyalties lie.

Writing advice you’d give to others?

Keep writing and be prepared for when you are in the right place at the right time. Learn the craft of writing—there is plenty to learn that high school and college English classes don’t teach. Attend writers’ workshops and classes, read books on writing. Join a critique group and learn to take criticism.

You can visit Joan at her website or her blog.

Filed under: Author Interviews

Deseret News Review

The Deseret News reviewed my book this past weekend. You can read the review here. It’s a very positive review, which of course makes me happy. And I’ll apologize now to any readers who don’t like words such as “standartenführer.” But it sounds more menancing than “SS colonel,” right? Maybe?

 

Filed under: Espionage, Me, Elsewhere on the Web

Author Interview with J. Lloyd Morgan

Today’s guest is a fellow BYU grad, J. Lloyd Morgan. He’s an author and a television director, with a beautiful family. He has four daughters, so I guess he’s a little outnumbered. He writes in a variety of genres, including fantasy. This month is a busy one for him. His new novel, The Waxing Moon, the second novel in the Bariwon Chronicles, is coming out any day now (you can see the book trailer at the end of this post). Thanks for being part of my blog today!

List five movies you LOVE:

I’d say these 5 movies had the biggest impact on me in both what I like to read and write:

Star Wars, Episode IV
Raiders of the Lost Ark
The Princess Bride
Serenity
Lord of the Rings 

Favorite quote:

I have two. “Spam Happens” and “No matter where you go, there you are”. 

Do you have any hidden talents?

I’m dyslexic and somewhat ambidextrous. I can write my name (and about anything else) on a chalkboard with both hands at the same time.

Best writing advice you’ve ever received?

Don’t keep re-writing the first chapter. Meaning: write out the whole story with the understanding you’ll be going back to “fix it” later.

What are you working on now?

My second book, The Waxing Moon, was just released. My publisher has green-lighted (green-lit?) my book called The Mirror of the Soul. It’s not part of the Bariwon Chronicles, but rather a standalone book based on the songs of Chris de Burgh—who has given me permission to write it. I’ve completed the first draft of Wall of Faith. It’s a novel based on my experiences when I was hit by a car on my LDS mission in Mexico. My short story, The Doughnut, was one of the top five winners in the Parables For Today contest. That book will be out in September. My short story based on the Christmas Carol I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day will be included in Michael Young’s to-be-named Christmas Anthology. Lastly, my publisher indicated my next book in the Bariwon Chronicles, The Zealous Star, will be out in 2013. I should probably finish writing that soon. *winks*  

Pick a character from one of your books and tell us about him or her:

The main character in The Waxing Moon is Snapdragon. His father is a gardener with an odd way about him. His siblings are named Oakleaf and Sunshine and were introduced in The Hidden Sun. As the youngest of three children, Snapdragon wants to stand out from his famous brother and sister. He earns the right to be a royal guardian, a high honor, but not enough to measure up, at least in his own eyes. The Waxing Moon is at its heart a story about him trying to prove himself.  

What is your favorite thing about writing?

Freedom. Well, at least until my characters start doing things I don’t expect. 

You can read more about J. Lloyd Morgan and his books at his website or blog.

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Filed under: Author Interviews

A review, an interview, and some book signings

Author Jennie Hansen reviewed Espionage today on Meridian Magazine. She doesn’t always like the books she reviews, so I’m excited that she liked mine. Here’s the link: Meridian Magazine.

I also exchanged interviews with Rebecca Jamison. You can read my interview of her by scrolling to the previous post or clicking here. You can read her interview of me on her blog, Latter-day Tales. I mention some of my favorite books, favorite movies, and favorite ways to get out of grocery shopping.

And with the hope that people will be looking for books this weekend (books make great gifts for Mother’s Day, right?), I have two book signings on Saturday (May 12). If you’re in the area, I’d love you to stop by! The Harrisville signing will include Gary Toyn, author of Life Lessons from Mothers of Faith.

Seagull Book Harrisville, 1 to 3pm

514 North 325 East, Harrisville, UT, 84404

Seagull Book Riverdale, 4 to 6pm

4031 S. Riverdale Rd., Riverdale, UT, 84405

Filed under: Espionage, Me, Elsewhere on the Web

Author Interview with Rebecca H. Jamison

A special welcome to author Rebecca Jamison! Her first novel, Persuasion: A Latter-Day Tale, is a retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. She likes books, music, water, children, and dancing.

List five movies you LOVE:

Bringing Up Baby (black and white with Cary Grant)

The Shop Around the Corner (black and white with James Stewart)

Groundhog Day (with Bill Murray)

Sense and Sensibility (with Emma Thompson)

Hobson’s Choice (Black and White British)

As you can tell, I love old black and white movies.

Favorite Quote:

“A year from now, you will wish you’d started today”—Karen Lamb

List five books you’ve read recently that you liked:

The Help, A Guide to the Birds of East Africa (Nicholas Drayson), The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Jane Eyre, and Sophie’s Heart (Lori Wick)

Best writing advice you’ve ever received?

Read a lot of good books.

How do you come up with ideas for your books?

All my books start with one of my obsessions. I wrote my first novel because I was interested in a refugee I met who was abused by her husband. (It’s not published, but you can find it in the BYU library. It was my Master’s thesis.)

Eight years later, I fell in love with Jane Austen’s Persuasion and got the idea to write a modern version of it. I didn’t want to write a romance, but it was torture to have two chapters stuck in my head. I just had to write it.

I’m still working through my obsession with Jane Austen now as I’m writing my version of Emma.

What type of readers would like your book?

People who enjoy clean romance or Jane Austen retellings.

You can visit Rebecca’s blog here. And here’s a sneak peak of her writing:

Mary swings her legs out of bed. “You never told me how you know that boy that was with Lily and Hannah.”

I decide to change the subject. “He’s hardly a boy. He’s got to be at least twenty-nine.”

“He seems nice, the poor thing. Lily and Hannah are both after him. How’s he ever going to decide which one to pick?”

I’m not in the mood for this conversation. “I’m sure he’ll survive.”

I don’t have time to wonder whether I’ll see Neil again. I see him again that evening as I’m taking out the trash. He’s leaving the Musgroves’ house as I’m carrying three giant trash bags out of Mary’s. He gives me a policeman-like wave with his good hand as he limps along in the direction of Jack’s house. I think it’s probably the same wave he’d give to someone on parole.

Filed under: Author Interviews

The Whitneys and Wazzu

Some great things happened last weekend. I went to the LDStorymakers Writer’s Conference in Provo and had a wonderful time. I strengthened some existing friendships, made new friends, and learned a ton. Thank you to everyone who helped make the conference a success!

The rest of this post is about giving congratulations to some very deserving individuals. After the conference were the Whitney awards, and I’d like to congratulate the winners: Dan Wells for I Don’t Want to Kill You (Novel of the Year), Tess Hilmo for With a Name Like Love (Best Novel by a New Author AND Best Youth Fiction/General),  Rachel Ann Nunes for Before I Say Goodbye (Best General Fiction), Gale Sears for Letters in the Jade Dragon Box (Best Historical), Carla Kelly for Borrowed Light (Best Romance), Stephanie Black for Rearview Mirror (Best Mystery/Suspense), Robison Wells for Variant (Best Youth Fiction/Speculative) and Brandon Sanderson for The Alloy of Law: A Mistborn Novel (Best Speculative Fiction). You can see the cover art for the winning books here.

Never heard of the Whitneys? It’s an awards program designed to highlight the best works of fiction by LDS authors and help raise the quality of LDS literature. You can see all the finalists from 2011 here. If you’re looking for a great book to read, this list is a good place to start! And if you’ve read a great book by a LDS author, you can nominate them for a Whitney Award here.

The next congratulations goes to one of my little brothers. This past weekend he graduated from Washington State University and received his commission in the US Army. Congrats, Second Lieutenant Grant! I have five siblings, and they are all wonderful, talented, amazing people and good friends. This week I am extra proud of my brother Jeremy. Here are a few pictures taken by my awesome big sister VaLynn.

2Lt. Grant, in the front row, second from the left.

I, having been appointed an officer in the Army of the United States…do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; So help me God.

Pictures like this make me wish I could have been in more than one place last weekend! I’m so grateful to live in the United States and to have such a wonderful family. As a side note, I’ve had a few people ask me if Jeremy is the model for the cover of Espionage. The answer is no, but he’s now the right rank!

Filed under: My Family, Reading, Whitneys, Writing

Author Interview with Jennifer Clark and Stephonie Williams

Author Stephonie Williams

Today’s Post is something new. I’m interviewing sisters Jennifer Clark and Stephonie Williams, co-authors of Mark of Royalty.

What have you read lately?  

Jennifer-  The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.  The imagery was so vivid that I dreamed about the circus for several nights after.

Stephonie- I have read several good books lately. But I think the one that struck a chord with me the most was I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett. 

Do you have any hidden talents?  

Jennifer is pretty modest so I’ll let you know some of her hidden talents.  She is an amazing artist. She has the unique talent of being able to see something then find a way to create her own version of it.  As a matter of fact she was so good at replicating Harry Potter memorabilia that Warner Brothers contacted her several times and requested that she ‘cease and desist’.

Stephonie- I love to quill.  I’m still learning but I really love it. It is an old art form that is being used in astonishing and innovative ways. If you don’t know what quilling is, do an internet search.  You will be amazed.

Tell a funny story.  

Growing up Jennifer and I would occasionally engage in arguments with some of the neighborhood kids. On one such occasion we came up with a brilliant way to get even, so to speak.  We took our dog’s dry kibble then gave each piece a quick dip in water, rolled them in powdered sugar, and wrapped them in wax paper. We then passed this off to some of the neighborhood kids as homemade candy.  They enjoyed it so much that Jennifer began selling it to them as they came back again and again to get more.

Writing Advice We Can Give To Others

Jennifer-  The best advice I have received: “If you want to make a living from your writing you  need to treat it like a business.  This includes your writing time, your submission process, your interaction with publishers etc. It all needs to be treated like a business.”

Stephonie- Nothing is written in stone.  Of course there are general guidelines that should be followed but in reality, anything is possible.  Dare to take a chance on your dream.

What are you working on now?

Jennifer- I recently had another manuscript accepted for publication by Covenant. Unbreakable Chain is slated to be released next year.

Stephonie and I have just finished and submitted the sequel to our first novel Mark of Royalty. And I am currently working on a contemporary suspense/romance, the story of a female coal miner.

Stephonie- I have been mulling over the idea of a middle grade or YA fantasy series–Not quite what anyone has ever seen before.

How do you come up with ideas for your books?  

Jennifer-  Dreams, writing prompts, and collaborative efforts with other people.  Some of my ideas also come from unusual and insightful experiences.

Stephonie- Interestingly enough, my ideas usually come when I am very very tired.  Often ideas hit me at the earliest hours of the morning on an important day when I should be getting as much sleep as possible instead of sitting in bed with my pencil and notepad frantically writing and not being able to keep up with the ideas as they spill over the paper.

 

You can read more about these authors at Stephonie’s Blog and Jennifer’s Blog. Here’s a music video about their book:

Filed under: Author Interviews

Espionage Blog Tour, Day 11

Today is the final day of the blog tour, with a review over at The Book Bug.

Thank you for following me for part or all of the tour! If you’ve missed any of the stops and would like to go back and read them, here’s a list:

Kick-off and giveaway at The Book Bug. (giveaway ends today, April 30th).

Guest post and review at Fire and Ice.

Review and interview at LDS Writer Mom (Julie Coulter Bellon).

Guest post at The Book Bug.

Interview and giveaway at I Am A Reader, Not A Writer (giveaway ends May 10th).

Interview at The Book Bug.

Review by Bookworm Lisa.

Review and giveaway at Getting Your Read On (giveaway ends May 8th).

Review at Books For Me.

Review, interview, and giveaway at Bonnie Gets a Say (giveaway ends May 4th).

Review at Why Not? Because I Said So!

Review at LDS Women’s Book Review.

Review at The Book Bug.

Filed under: Espionage, Espionage Blog Tour, Me, Elsewhere on the Web

Espionage Blog Tour, Day 10

Today’s blog tour includes two reviews. Both are written by Sheila of LDS Women’s Book Review. You can read her thoughts on her blog, Why Not? Because I Said So!, or on LDS Women’s Book Review.

Filed under: Espionage, Espionage Blog Tour, Me, Elsewhere on the Web

Espionage Blog Tour, Day 9

Today’s stop is a review, interview, and giveaway at Bonnie Gets a Say.  There are currently four giveaways for the book: The Book Bug; I Am A Reader, Not A Writer; Getting Your Read On; and Bonnie Gets a Say. Good luck with your entries!

Filed under: Espionage, Espionage Blog Tour, Me, Elsewhere on the Web