A.L. Sowards's Blog, page 18
April 12, 2012
Author Interview with Kelly Nelson
Today's guest is Kelly Nelson, author of The Keeper's Calling. Kelly was raised in Orem, Utah, and now resides in Cornelius, Oregon, in the heart of the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She enjoys life on a ten-acre horse property with her husband, four children, and, of course, lots of horses. Kelly has a bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University. She worked as a certified public accountant for several years before opting to stay home and raise a family. As a young girl, she was an avid reader and had a passion for creative writing. Her travels to England, France, Egypt, Israel, West Indies, Mexico, and across the United States sparked a love of history, adventure, and exotic places. This led to the inspiration behind her debut novel, The Keeper's Calling, the first book in The Keeper's Saga.
List three people you admire and explain why.
My dad, Owen Cherrington, taught me through example to work hard and to dream big, and he always believed in me. His confidence in me gave me the courage to pursue my dreams.
My husband's cousin and best friend, Dave Clemens recently passed away from the effects of ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease. In spite of this devastating illness, Dave's never-ending optimism and good natured humor was always present. He showed me how to live life to its fullest and enjoy every good thing life has to offer up until the moment we are called back home.
My mom, Kristin Cherrington, gives hours of behind the scenes service and kindness to so many people. Since I was a little girl she has always been a great example to me of Christ-like service and of putting other's needs above her own.
Favorite quote:
That's easy. My favorite quote is from the Bible and I tell myself this all the time, (especially when I was querying my manuscript). "For with God nothing shall be impossible." Luke 1:37
What are your top three favorite books and why?
Deathwatch by Robb White—as a 13 yr old this suspenseful novel gave me my first taste of intense reading, and I still love it to this day.
Anthem by Ayn Rand—my daughter's assigned reading assignment sophomore year. She finished the book, declared it her favorite and handed it to me. I read it in one day and loved it. The message of free agency, proper level of government control in its citizen's lives and the value of individual worth and identity is timeless and powerful.
True Colors by Kristin Hannah—one of the most impactful books I have read. A story of love and loss, of never giving up—this book kept me thinking for days. I've never been able to get it out of my head.
What is your favorite thing about writing?
The feeling of excitement and exhilaration I get from knowing I created something. The year I spent writing The Keeper's Saga was the happiest year of my life—I was healthier and had more energy than at any other time. I absolutely love completing a novel and then reading it through from start to finish for the first time—so enjoyable.
What's the craziest thing you've ever found in one of your rough drafts?
This makes me chuckle even now. Two years ago I entered my first three chapters in the PNWA writing contest. On the last edit before I sent off the entry I decided to change "surrounding" to "around." I made the change, or so I thought, printed the designated entry pages and mailed it off. The next time I opened the document I realized I had changed "surrounding" to "arounding." My sister and I still laugh about my "arounding" error.
Pick a character from one of your books and tell us about him or her:
Chase Harper is my leading man in The Keeper's Calling. A close physical resemblance would be actor Liam Hemsworth in The Last Song. Chase is a typical 17 year old high school senior whose life turns upside down when he discovers a strange gold device—a counter—buried in a cave during a summer camping trip. He opens the device and touches one of the buttons, unknowingly transporting himself to 1863. When he leaves the cave he soon realizes something is terribly wrong. By using the counter he has become the next Keeper—a calling with both perks and demands far beyond his wildest imagination. Through his story, we experience his coming-of-age journey and see the process of self discovery.
What are you working on now?
The Keeper's Quest, the exciting sequel to The Keeper's Calling, as well as an LDS romance.
You can find out more about Kelly and her books on her blog or read the first chapter of The Keeper's Calling by clicking here.
Filed under: Author Interviews
April 10, 2012
LDS Writer Blogfest: Easter Traditions
The other day I was pushing my children in their stroller past the local Catholic school. It was a warm, sunny day, and several dozen groups of students were outside on the grass. I thought it might be a fire alarm at first, but then I noticed the billowing pieces of cloth many of them had. When I saw the fake swords and noticed the crowns that almost looked like they were made of thorns, I realized the students were preparing for an Easter pageant. The billowing cloths were part of costumes: off-white for disciples' robes, red for Roman capes.
I love Easter. I love that it's a holiday all of Christianity celebrates together (yes, I know Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter a week or two after the rest of us–but they still celebrate it with us). There is nothing better than remembering the miracle of the Savior's life, His atonement, and His resurrection. Because of Him, I know that I will live again after I die. Among the best words ever spoken are these: "He is not here, but is risen."
There is a beautiful Easter tradition in many countries with large Orthodox Christian populations. When greeting someone on Easter, one says "Christ is risen!" This is the response: "Truly, He is risen". My husband served a mission to an Eastern European country, and learned of this tradition there.
In our family we make music an important part of our Easter. My husband's favorite Easter hymn is "Stichera of the Holy Pascha". It's beautiful, but the version we listen to every Easter wasn't on youtube. Here is one of my favorite hymns instead:
Christ is risen. Truly, He is risen.
This post is part of an LDS writer's blogfest. You can view other blogs that are part of this event here:
Amanda Sowards
Filed under: Uncategorized
April 5, 2012
Author Interview with Monique Bucheger
Welcome Monique Bucheger, author of the Ginnie West Adventure series for middle-grade readers. Her first book in the series is The Secret Sisters Club, and book two, Trouble Blows West, comes out later this month.
Tell me about your family.
I am a happily married, single mom of 12. (My hubby works long hours—so I generally have the kids). I have a son-in-law and a new grandbaby.
What is your favorite dessert?
Anything chocolate or cheesecake, though homemade bread and real butter works too. 
If you were stuck in an airport with nothing else to read, would you rather have a copy of Twilight or Hunger Games?
Hunger Games—I haven't read it yet, but several of my children have and love it.
List five movies you LOVE:
Yours, Mine and Ours—both versions. It's a Wonderful Life and all three Tim Allen 'The Santa Clause' movies. I love Christmas movies—especially ones like The Christmas Shoes and The Christmas Box. Inspirational stories about ordinary people doing extra-ordinary things.
When did you start writing?
As a teen.
Pick a character from one of your books and tell us about him or her:
Virginia Maie Stratton West the 2nd—AKA Ginnie West.
Ginnie is fun, courageous, loyal, funny, adventurous, a great friend and who I wanted to be as a kid. She's not afraid to try new things and when things go awry, she rolls with the punches and has a way of making things turn out alright… and although she seldom breaks rules on purpose, there always seem to be a lot of bent and twisted ones in her wake.
What are you working on now?
I am finishing up Trouble Blows West (book 2). I hope to have it published in e-book by Monday. Then I'll be finishing book 3—which got set aside when I was offered a contract for The Secret Sisters Club: A Ginnie West Adventure.
How do you come up with ideas for your books?
I started with a fun, spirited girl and populated her world with things I love: a good family, good friends, horses, and farm life. As a teen, I babysat on the farm I write about (though Ginnie's mom, Queenie, is the only character 'based' on anyone—and her character is generously sprinkled with embellishment).
My husband and I have been foster parents to over 120 kids and my books deal with all sides of the child abuse issue: living with it, helping those suffering from it, empowering kids and adults.
Ginnie's best friend Tillie was a 3rd-generation victim of child abuse before being abandoned by her birth father. Now Ginnie and Tillie plot to unite Ginnie's widowed dad with Tillie's divorced mom to forge a new family and make their dream of having a sister come true.
You can read more about Monique and her Ginnie West Adventure books on her blog, or read a sample on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. She also offers printed, signed copies if you email her at monique.bucheger@gmail.com.
Filed under: Author Interviews
March 30, 2012
Author Interview with Carole Thayne Warburton
Welcome and thanks to Carole Thayne Warburton, author of novels such as: A Question of Trust, Sun Tunnels and Secrets, Just Shy of Paradise, and False Pretenses. Carole loves hiking, bike riding, skiing, making pots, and, of course, writing. She lives in Northern Utah with her husband of 32 years.
What is your favorite Shakespeare play?
I was a latecomer to Shakespeare and prefer the lighter plays like "Much Ado About Nothing."
If you had a time machine, when would you like to visit?
I may want to drop in on the Renaissance period and see some of the masters like Michelangelo and Leondardo Da Vinci, but I wouldn't want to spend much time there. I love the modern world. I think I'd rather head into the future about 150 years and see how our world is compared to now.
Do you have any hidden talents?
Although it isn't a hidden talent since I was a potter long before I began writing seriously, I graduated with an art degree and emphasis on pottery/ceramics. Ceramics is the proper term for any clay product fired in a kiln, but I don't like to use that term because often people assume I paint molded ceramic pieces. What I do is make pottery on the potters wheel or by hand. I've been doing it for over 35 years. A hidden talent I have is that although I am somewhat of a shy person, I am blessed with the ability to make friends from all walks of life.
Best writing advice you've ever received?
Write even when you don't feel like it. And put the editor in the closet while you write.
Writing advice you'd give to others?
Read, read, read! Also don't take your writing so seriously that you are defensive when editors and readers try to give you suggestions. But ultimately you are the one who has to decide what you want to say. Consider an editor asking you to rewrite as an opportunity to improve it, not as a rejection of your story.
What process do you go through as you get a book ready for submission?
I am involved in two writing critique groups. Several of these friends read my manuscript before I send it to a publisher or editor. I try to listen to what they have to say. Often they have good ideas that help me take a good idea into a better one. They also help me find awkward places that need reworking.
What are you working on now?
I am working on a novel that is set in Yellowstone National Park. It's a mystery suspense romance—similar to my others but without any LDS themes in it. My books are light on LDS themes anyway and since this one is not set in Utah, it was natural not to have religion play into it at all.
You can learn more about Carole and her books (and her pottery) here, or find her facebook page here. You can also read a sample chapter here: Chapter One.
Filed under: Author Interviews
March 28, 2012
Author Interview with Stephanie Worlton
Welcome to Stephanie Connelley Worlton, author of Hope's Journey. This post is part of her spring blog tour. Here's the book's synopsis: Sydney is a straight-A student heading to college on a scholarship, and Alex is a quiet jock preparing to serve an LDS mission. But their dreams are shattered on the eve of their high school graduation when they find out that Sydney is pregnant. Separated, they must both trust in God as they search for the worth they once found in each other.
List five books you're read recently that you liked:
Gifted – Karey White
The Hunger Games Series – Susan Collins (technically, this counts as three books, but for the purpose of this list, I'm counting them as one!)
Driven: An Autobiography – Larry H. Miller
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet – Jamie Ford
The Help – Kathryn Stockett
What household chore do you have the hardest time keeping up with?
Laundry. Sometimes it seems pointless to even try. There's nothing worse than getting pulled from my writing (or any other project) to take care of clothes… especially socks. I'm guilty of leaving them unfolded in a basket until they're pretty much picked down to the last couple of pairs.
List two people you admire and explain why.
Only two? Wow, this is tough. I guess the first one would be my grandma. She is probably the single most influential person in my life. She was the most patient, loving, and accepting person I've ever known. My husband, Ryan is a close second. Somehow he manages to juggle everything life throws at him including work, school, family life, and being a scoutmaster. I respect his hunger for knowledge and his drive to continually grow and improve. He inspires me to be my very best!
When did you start writing?
I've always enjoyed writing, but up until a few years ago I never even considered writing a novel. Hope's Journey was the first manuscript I ever wrote and it's been a very humbling experience to see it published.
Hope's Journey tackles a sticky problem: teenage pregnancy. What type of feedback have you received?
The feedback has been amazingly positive.Whether we want to admit it or not, teen pregnancy exists all around us. And, while it is a tender subject, it is so relevant! We can bury our heads in the sand or point scornful fingers in disgust, or we can do something to help make a difference. Hope's Journey doesn't advocate teen pregnancy. It promotes prevention, self worth, forgiveness, compassion, and repentance.
What type of readers would like your book?
Hope's Journey is written on a level that teens can understand, yet it appeals to a much larger audience. I have a pretty diverse readership consisting of teens, young adults, parents (mostly moms), and youth leaders. Despite their stage in life, there is a take-away for everyone.
What are you working on now?
I'm just finishing up two manuscripts: a non-fiction Girls' Camp leader guide and a romantic suspense called All the Finer Things (about overcoming abuse, because, yes, I like the tough-topics). I'm also working on a novel called Lucas Kai (about drug addicted babies) and another one, currently called Beyond Tomorrow that deals with the close connection between this life and the one after it.
Stephanie is a wife, the mother of four children, and enjoys interior design, gardening, carpentry, painting, and being involved with the youth of the rising generation. You can read more about her and her novel at http://hopesjourneybook.com or http://stephanieworlton.blogspot.com
Filed under: Author Interviews
March 22, 2012
Author Interview with Steve Westover
Today's interview is with Steve Westover, author of Defensive Tactics, an LDS thriller, and Crater Lake: Battle for Wizard Island, a middle-grade fantasy novel. He currently lives in Missouri with his wife and four children. Thanks, Steve, for volunteering to be interviewed today.
List five movies you LOVE:
Happy Gilmore- Because it's hilarious.
The Shawshank Redemption- I love a good story of redemption and overcoming overwhelming obstacles
Sneakers- There's not much better than a good, high tech heist
A Few Good Men- There's a good moral story and I love courtroom drama
Princess Bride- Because it's fun and clean
If you were stuck in an airport with nothing else to read, would you rather have a copy of Twilight or Hunger Games?
Hunger Games- No question. Twilight makes me nauseous.
List three people you admire and explain why.
My wife- Because she is a rock, and she's funny and exuberant and a great support. She's wonderful and I want to be like her.
Moroni-Because he is sensitive and tough and willing to do the right thing no matter what is required
My daughter- because she's a super talented artist and she cracks me up every day.
How do you come up with ideas for your books?
My first book, Defensive Tactics is the result of a very vivid dream. I love dreaming and I woke up from my dream thinking, "that would be a cool movie". As it is, it became a cool book. For Crater Lake I knew I wanted to do a fun outdoors adventure and as I started researching more about Crater Lake the rest of the story took shape. It seems like it wrote itself. Gold Clash will come out in December and its a sequel to Defensive Tactics. I love treasure hunts so I wove in elements of treasure hunting and church history. It all starts with what I enjoy. If I think it sounds fun, I'll write it. Now I need to develop a cool bank robbery book. That will have to come a little later.
What is your favorite thing about writing?
I love the freedom of creation. Just like a reader wondering what's going to happen next, I write wondering what's going to happen next. Sometimes I have an outline in my head but other times I just write and see what happens. It is very cool to create something new and be able to influence what happens next.
Pick a character from one of your books and tell us about him or her:
Jacob is from Crater Lake. He's a 90 pound freshman geek who wears thick glasses, and an australian style hat to compliment his scout uniform. He's a bit of a know it all in scouting which annoys some of the other boys, but his skills come in very handy when he has to rescue his friends.
What are you working on now?
I'm working on the sequel to Crater Lake which I think is going to be a lot of fun. I've also finished a YA dystopian that I'm shopping around that is a little darker but still very cool.
You can read more about Steve and his books, and get details about the library giveaway he's currently running by visiting his blog here.
Here's the synopsis from his latest book, Crater Lake: Battle for Wizard Island.
While visiting his crazy Uncle Bart at Crater Lake National Park, thirteen-year-old Ethan's world collapses when all the adults at Crater Lake disappear, including his parents. Now Ethan must rally his new friends and decipher the legends of Crater Lake to find the key to rescuing his parents from their earthen prison before he's captured too and their captivity becomes permanent.
Filed under: Author Interviews
March 15, 2012
And They Lived Happily Ever After (Maybe)
I'm really into how things end. Yes, the first chapter in a book needs to be good if I'm going to keep reading it, but the last chapter needs to be even better. Someone once told me that stories are either tragedies (the hero dies) or comedies (the hero lives). For this post, I'll use more than just two categories, with examples from books and movies. Maybe you'll have a different opinion. If so, awesome! Different opinions keep a variety of books on the shelves of bookstores. *This post contains spoilers.*
The Disney Princess Ending:
Here's the basic summary: good guys live, bad guys die or get sent to prison. The hero and heroine are usually married or going to be married soon, and they're often going to be rich, too. To this category I'll add Jane Austen novels and most chick flicks.
The Mostly-happy Ending:
The best example of this category is the movie "Star Wars IV: A New Hope" (the first movie in the original series). On one hand things are good: Luke learns to trust the force, Han Solo comes back to help his friends, R2D2 gets repaired, and the Death Star is destroyed. On the other hand, Obi Wan dies, the rebel base has been discovered, the Empire is still out there and a lot stronger than the Rebellion, and Darth Vader is still alive. I'd also put Espionage in this category, but it would involve too many plot spoilers to explain why.
The Tragedy:
For this post, I'm changing the traditional definition (the hero dies) to include anything that's sad, but in a good way. Like 1984. Winston doesn't die, yet it's still a sad ending. But that sad ending makes a good point. Into this category also fall a bunch of Shakespeare plays and books such as A Man for All Seasons and For Whom the Bell Tolls. And the true story of Count von Stauffenberg—it's told in a few books, and in the recent movie "Valkyrie". Yeah, he and everyone else involved in the plot to kill Hitler get executed, but at least they tried and got oh-so-close to succeeding.
The And-now-I'll-throw-the-book-(or DVD)-across-the-room Ending:
Sometimes it's a fine line between tragedy and just plain awful. Take "Valkyrie". If von Stauffenberg's family had been ruthlessly hunted and killed and the Nazis had won the war, I'd put it in this category. Aren't we glad the Nazis didn't win the war? Into this category I'd put the original Hans Christian Andersen version of The Little Mermaid (the version where she turns into foam at the end of the story). And "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (the third one) makes it to this category too. Hero and heroine get married but only get to see each other one day out of every ten years? Horrible! Can't believe I paid money to see that.
So what type of endings to you like to read (or write) or watch? Feel free to suggest more categories. . . if there's enough interest, we can do this again on another blog post.
Filed under: Movies, Reading, Writing
March 12, 2012
Goodreads giveaway and two book signings!
If you're on goodreads (or want to join), you can enter to win a copy of my book here: Goodreads Giveaway
I also have two book signings scheduled, and I'd love to see some familiar faces (wait–I'd just love to have anyone show up, period). The first is Saturday, March 24 @ the Seagull South Towne store from 9am to 11am. The second is Saturday, March 31 @ the Deseret Book Orem Parkway store from 6pm to 8pm. More details are on my events page (or click here): events.
Filed under: Espionage
March 8, 2012
Characters and how they sound
I love creating characters and then telling people about them. This week I've been working on the form I'll send to the publisher for the audio version of my second book. The bulk of the form is in two parts: a list of characters that speak and what their voices might sound like, and a list of words that might be hard to pronounce and how to pronounce them.
For Espionage, I tried to do the entire form in one weekend. It was stressful, especially since I don't speak French or German, so I not only had to figure out how to say all those foreign words I'd used, but also how to write out how to say them.
I have plenty of time to finish the form for book two, so I'm having fun with it. I compiled the list of characters during one of my revisions and now I'm writing out things like: "should have an English accent and sound like he's an arrogant jerk" or "he's the joker in the bunch with a nice Texas drawl". Sometimes I feel like I'm listing the cast in a movie: gestapo agent one, man at the train station, etc. It's fun.
As for the rest of the form, I'll compile that list of hard-to-pronounce words when I go through the manuscript again. With the copy/paste feature, I'm thinking it won't be so horrible—after all, I've already figured out how to pronounce standartenführer and einsatzgruppen.
I also want to say thank you to Jason Tatom. He's the narrator/performer/reader for the audio version of Espionage. I wrote the book not thinking much about the poor narrator. Switching back and forth between a Scottish and a French accent? Yep, somehow he manages that particular conversation. I hope he had fun recording it. I'm having fun listening to it.
Filed under: Book 2, Espionage, Writing
March 2, 2012
Special delivery
So remember yesterday's post? The analogy of how getting a book published is a little like having a baby? Well, sometimes deliveries come sooner than you expect.
Like my twins. I had a scheduled Cesarian for a Saturday. So naturally I went into labor Thursday night and the twins entered the world on a Friday morning. That meant that all the stuff I was planning to do on Friday—wash the laundry, water the houseplants, watch my husband install two car seats, take a picture of my very large 38-weeks-plus-a-few-days-pregnant-with-twins self—never happened. A few of our houseplants perished soon after the twins came along, but I think I made the right choice when I decided to take care of the babies and ignore the ivy.
Today I got another earlier-than-expected delivery: my box of comp books from the publisher. It's a very exciting day at my house. Watch out, houseplants. You've just been delegated to low-priority, again.
My book, in the paperback and book-on-cd forms.
Filed under: Espionage, Writing
