Ally Shields's Blog, page 10
February 22, 2022
Author Jackie Layton Writes About the Low Country She Loves
Good Morning, Booklovers!With Spring teasing us in the Midwest—here one day and gone the next—we’re staying warm in front of the fireplace today as cozy mystery writer, Jackie Layton joins us, bringing her latest dog walker mystery, Caught and Collared!
Welcome, Jackie! How do you take your coffee?
JL: I enjoy my morning coffee with fun creamers, and they usually involve chocolate.
Ally: Then chocolate it shall be. While I pour, please introduce yourself to readers.
BIO: Author Bio: Former Kentuckian Jackie Layton loves her new life in the Low Country. Jackie enjoys time on the beach despite one trip that ended with cracked ribs from riding her boogie board with the kids and another trip that ended up with a hook in her foot and a trip to the emergency room. There’s nothing like time on the beach, although she tends to be a bit more cautious these days. Jackie is the author of Low Country Dog Walker Mystery series. Bite the Dust, Dog-Gone Dead and Bag of Bones were published in 2020.
Something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio: “When I had my first son, I decided to learn about sports. I have two sons, and over the years I grew to enjoy watching sports. I’m not very coordinated or athletic, but both of my kids grew up playing sports. They even played tennis in college. Now that we’re empty-nesters, I continue to watch sports on TV. Tennis, football, and basketball are my favorites. One year we went to the US Open, and it was so much fun. I also love going to college football and basketball games.”
Author Contact Links:
https://twitter.com/Joyfuljel
https://www.facebook.com/JackieLaytonAuthor
https://www.facebook.com/Joyfuljel
https://www.pinterest.com/jackielaytonauthor/
https://www.instagram.com/jackielaytonauthor.com INTERVIEW :
Ally: Are you self-published or traditionally published? How did you make the decision?
JL: I’m traditionally published, because I enjoy working with others. Writing can be lonely, and it’s fun to have others to work with once I’ve finished writing a book.
Ally: Do you write from an outline?
JL: I start with a loose outline, and I know my characters, victims, and suspects. But I have changed the killer midstream. I’m writing the fifth book now, and this morning I had a new idea concerning the killer. I’ll think about it for a while, and I may adjust the motive and killer. Sometimes the first idea isn’t always the best.
Ally: What book or movie character would you like to be? Why?
JL: When I had COVID, I got reacquainted with Jessica Fletcher and the Murder She Wrote series. Jessica is spunky, smart and travels a lot. I think it’d be fun to be her.
Ally: Are you a speed reader or do you settle in and savor a book?
JL: I took speed reading in high school, thinking it would help me in college. I made a B, and my teacher said it was because I savor what I read. I’ve always enjoyed reading and absorbing all the details.
Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
JL: Caught and Collared just released February 15. I’m contracted for two more books in this series, and they’ll release one a year.
Ally: Which of the trivia questions did you select to answer?
JL:Book you're currently reading - I’m reading Agatha Christie’s Secret Notebooks. It’s interesting to see how her mind worked.An author (living or dead) you'd love to chat with - Years ago, I read my first mystery by Diane Mott Davidson, and I was hooked. I couldn’t wait for each new book to release. I’d love to talk to her about how she kept her books fresh and how she kept readers yearning for the next book. I think she lives in Hawaii now, and wouldn’t it be fun to go visit her there?Favorite accessory (jewelry, scarves, shoes, etc.) - I love jewelry. It doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive, but I think it’s fun. If you meet me, I’ll probably be wearing earrings and multiple bracelets.Have you written a book during NaNo? - I’ve written many books during NaNo. My husband always dreads when I announce I’m going to participate. I like the fellowship of writing with others at the same time. We cheer each other to victory, and it’s fun to participate in writing sprints together.Pie or cake? What kind? - I adore pie. I’ve lived most of my life in Kentucky, and Derby Pie is my favorite pie. If you like chocolate, you need to try Derby Pie. You won’t be disappointed. Ally: You are the second guest author who has recommended Derby Pie. Since I consider chocolate an essential food group, I may have to find the recipe. Jackie it has been a pleasure meeting you. Before we finish for today, please show us your featured new release, Caught and Collared.
Caught and CollaredGenre: cozy mystery
Rating: PG-13
Blurb:
When a scavenger hunt turns up a dead body, dog walker Andi Grace Scott will have to make a dogged effort to collar the culprit . . .
Setting out for a day of fun on her town’s first-ever scavenger hunt, Low Country dog walker Andi Grace Scott is dismayed to find an unattended dog wandering the streets—but that’s nothing compared to the shock she gets when she finds a dead man floating in the swimming pool of the dog’s owner. What’s more, she’d seen the very same man having a very public altercation with his wife just the night before. Despite being warned off the case by the local sheriff, Andi Grace can’t help nosing around to find out who’s behind the foul deed.
It turns out the victim was a well-known radio personality who focused on cold-case investigations and was rumored to be breaking a huge story on his next show. As Andi Grace digs deeper to learn who may have wanted him dead, she’s faced with a suspect list that includes a cold-hearted widow who stands to inherit a bundle, a local country star with family demons to hide, and any number of unknown criminals who may have been the focus of the victim’s big reveal. Whether the motive was love gone bad, a career under duress, or a killer’s deadly secret, Andi Grace knows she’ll have to act fast before she becomes the next cold case herself . . .
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09Q97LD5M?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/caught-and-collared-jackie-layton/1140871860?ean=2940161056226
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Jackie_Layton_Caught_and_Collared?id=IdJYEAAAQBAJ&hl=en
Apple iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/caught-and-collared/id1604628619
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/caught-and-collared-1
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1126350
February 15, 2022
Coffee Chat with Edith Maxwell aka Maddie Day with a New Cozy Mystery Release
Good Morning, Booklovers!It is a beautiful February day in the Midwest, a perfect day for a little book talk with cozy and historical mystery writer, Edith Maxwell, featuring her new cozy mystery release, Batter Off Dead.
Welcome, Edith!. How do you take your coffee?
EM: I drink a good dark roast coffee with a splash of whole milk, but no more than two cups every morning.
Ally: I hope you haven’t reached your limit today because my magic pot makes the most delicious brew. While I pour, please tell readers something about yourself.
Bio:
Maddie Day pens the Country Store Mysteries and Cozy Capers Book Group Mysteries. As Agatha Award-winning author Edith Maxwell, she writes the Quaker Midwife Mysteries, the Local Foods Mysteries, and short crime fiction. Day/Maxwell lives with her beau north of Boston, where she writes, gardens, cooks, and wastes time on Facebook.
Something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio. “I hold a long-dusty black belt in karate, and an even dustier doctorate in linguistics.”
Find the author at EdithMaxwell.com, wickedauthors.com, Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen, and on social media:
Instagram INTERVIEW :
Ally: Who or what inspired your featured book?
EM: At the end of No Grater Crime, book #9, police lieutenant Buck Bird casually mentioned that his mother had been murdered when he was a teenager. My editor said he assumed I would be addressing that murder in the following book. I said, “Well, of course,” even though I hadn’t dropped that little bombshell on purpose. (This is what happens when you’re a pantser and your characters surprise you...) In Batter Off Dead, we have a murder in the present – but it oddly mirrors the murder of Buck’s mother in the past.
Ally: Are you self-published or traditionally published? How did you make the decision?
EM: I am traditionally published. I so much appreciate how my New York publisher gets the books into every Barnes and Noble in the country before the release date. The publicity Kensington Publishing does for me. The excellent editing and fabulous covers. The decent advances and prompt payment of royalties. All of that allows me to do what I do best – write compelling stories.
Ally: Why did you choose writing as a career? Is it your only career, or do you have a “day” job?
EM: I think writing chose me. I wrote lots of fiction as a child. As an adult, most of my careers have involved writing, but I only returned to fiction in the last decade and a half. I left my most recent day job – writing software manuals – nine years ago. Now writing mysteries IS my day job, and I love it.
Ally: Do you still have time for reading? How many books do you read in a month? Which genre(s)? Favorite authors?
EM: I don’t keep track – I read maybe ten or fifteen novels a month, although if I’m laid up after a surgery, I’ll read a book a day. I primarily read cozy and historical mysteries, although I snap up new thrillers from authors like Joanna Schaffhausen, Jess Lourey, and Tara Laskowski, and suspense novels by Hallie Ephron and Catriona McPherson (and readers should, too!). I just finished reading all the way through Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs historical series, getting ready for her new book next month.
Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
EM: The next to release is Batter Off Dead on February 22, and after that Murder in a Cape Cottage in September. I just turned in Four Leaf Cleaver, Country Store #11, which releases in March 2023. Next up to write is Murder in a Cape Bookstore, Cozy Capers Book Group #5, out sometime in 2023.
Ally: Which of the trivia questions did you choose to answer?
EM: Most watched tv show: “Call the Midwife”Favorite comfort food: Homemade sourdough bread fresh from the oven slathered in butter.Your pets: Our sweet cats have all left us, but Preston lives on in the Local Foods Mysteries, Cristabel in the Quaker Midwife Mysteries, and Birdy in the Country Store Mysteries.How long does it take you to write a book? I write three (or more) books a year, so I have four months start to finish – and I’ve been doing that for six years, with increasing sales, so I guess it’s working.A beer at the bar or a book on the deck? A beer on the deck with a book! Ally: Love your final answer! 😊 It has been a pleasure to have you, Edith. Before we finish, please show us your pending release, Batter Off Dead.
Batter Off DeadGenre: cozy mystery
Release Date: February 22, 2022
In South Lick, Indiana, fine foods and classic cookware can be found at Robbie Jordan’s Pans ’N Pancakes. Unfortunately, her country store also seems to stock up on murder . . .
In Batter Off Dead, Robbie and her new husband Abe O’Neill are enjoying a summer evening in the park with fellow townsfolk excited for some Friday night fireworks. In attendance are senior residents from Jupiter Springs Assisted Living including Roy Bird, father to South Lick’s very own Police Lieutenant Buck Bird. Despite his blindness, Roy is a member of his group home’s knitting circle, spending quality time with some lovely ladies.
But when the lightshow ends, one of the knitters who sat with Roy is found dead, a puncture wound in her neck. The poor woman’s death echoes that of Buck’s mother and Roy’s wife—an unsolved homicide. To help find the killer, Robbie’s going to have to untangle the knotty relationships deep in the victim’s past . . .
Buy Link (Pre-order now – releasing February 22, 2022):
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Batter-Dead-Country-Store-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0964F6KXW/
February 8, 2022
Meet Ginny Rorby, Author of LIKE DUST, I RISE, an Inspiring Coming of Age Story
Good Morning, Booklovers!What a nice February day in the Midwest with temps in the 40s! Still not deck weather, but it will be soon. I hope you can stop a while to visit with this week’s guest author, Ginny Rorby.
Welcome, Ginny! How do you take your coffee?
GR: I drink what an old boyfriend once call mooky-mooky. Café Vienna. A can of preservatives and sugar. The next to the last ingredient is coffee. Hasn’t killed me yet.
Ally: Fortunately, my magic pot is up to any challenge! While it prepares a mooky-mooky Café Vienna, please introduce yourself to readers.
Bio:Ginny Rorby is the author 6 MG/YA novels: How to Speak Dolphin, Lost in the River of Grass, 2013 winner of the Sunshine State Young Readers Award, Hurt Go Happy, 2008 winner of the Schneider Family Book Award, The Outside of a Horse, Dolphin Sky, and Freeing Finch (2019) is the inspiring story of a transgender girl and a stray dog who overcome adversity to find love and a place to belong. Like Dust, I Rise (Dec 2021) is a coming-of-age novel set in Dalhart, Texas, the epicenter of the Dust Bowl, and is appropriate for all ages.
Something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio. “I do animal rescues, including releasable bats. I once rescued 3, which got loose in my car. They circled around me the entire drive home and sailed to freedom when I reached my driveway and lowered the windows.”
She can be reached at www.ginnyrorby.org Ginnyrorby@mcn.org and at the following:Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/grorby Twitter – https://twitter.com/rorbywrites Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/ginnyrorby/ Website/Blog – www.ginnyrorby.org www.ginnyrorby.org/blog LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginny-rorby-94440613/ INTERVIEW:
Ally: Who or what inspired your featured book?
GR: I wanted to learn more about the Dust Bowl era after watching the Ken Burns documentary. I, then, read Timothy Egan’s The Worst Hard Time Ever, and was hooked. My parents grew up in the mid-west which means I’m a degree of separation from that era.
Ally: What is the easiest—or the hardest—part of writing for you?
GR: The easiest is rewriting. I love to rewrite. I love the research. What I ended up for this book were 24 single-spaces pages of bullet points. It was a little like trying to create a cohesive story out of a deck of playing cards. It’s the same with nearly every book, and is why I hate the actual act of creating the story line.
Ally: Do you use critique groups or beta readers? Do you find them valuable?
GR: I’ve been part of a writers’ group for 25 years. With the exception of my first novel, all the rest have been written by committee.
Ally: Why did you choose writing as a career? Is it your only career, or do you have a “day” job?
GR: I am an ACCIDENTAL AUTHOR. I was a Pan Am flight attendant when, in 1981, a friend found an abandoned dog in the doorway of the Catholic Church in Coconut Grove, Florida. She was young, skin and bones, with no fur left on her body except for a single long patch down the back of her neck. Maggots lived in open sores on her sides; her eyes were diseased and opaque. Her head and ears were bloody from her miserable digging at fleas, and flies drank at the discharge from her eyes. My friend and I took her to a vet and had her put down. On the way home, I wrote a letter to her owners describing how her life ended. Of course, I had no one to send it to, so I folded it and jammed into a pocket in my purse.
Early in August 1982, I was in the offices of the Miami News and, while waiting for the editor with whom I had appointment, I began cleaning out my purse. There in a side pocket was the letter I’d written about the dog. I scrawled, We Found Your Dog, at the top of the page and gave it to the woman who came to review my photographs. Two days later it was published as an editorial comment. That same day, John Hopkins, an editor with the News, called my home and left this message with my husband—a single sentence that changed my life: “Tell her if she can write like that, we’ll publish anything she writes.”
At the time of John’s call, I was five years into my work on a degree in Biology. Physics, Organic Chemistry, and Calculus loomed large. On a whim, I signed up for a creative writing class instead. Eventually, with the encouragement of Evelyn Wilde Mayerson and Lester Goran, and a pat or two on the head by Isaac Bashevis Singer and James Michener, I was, by 1985, committed to becoming a writer and began work on the novel that eventually became Dolphin Sky.
I’d never had an interest in writing, failed English at every opportunity, and don’t consider myself very imaginative, so over the course of the next three years, until I graduated in 1985, I rewrote the same story over and over. For each new class I trotted out the story of my husband sinking his airboat and walking out of the Everglades. That story eventually became Lost in the River of Grass and won the Sunshine State Young Readers award.
Ally: Do people you know sneak into your books as characters?
GR: Perhaps not the characters themselves, but I do name nearly all my characters after people I love. It gives me an existing relationship on which to build.
Ally: What is your next writing project?
GR: I’ve been working a YA novel about a juvenile delinquent assigned to do community service with a botanist doing research into plant communication. Anticipated release date? In my lifetime, I hope.
Ally: Which of the trivia questions did you pick to answer?Book you're currently reading: The OrchardistAn item on your bucket list: IcelandFavorite quote: "If the book will be too difficult for grownups, then you write it for children." Madeleine L'EngleLast time you rode a train (not subway): I took a train from Davis, CA to Jacksonville, FL in October. I love to write on trains. When I was researching Like Dust, I Rise, I took a train to Chicago, then on to Lamar, CO where I rented a car at the Ace Hardware store to drive to Dalhart, TX where Like Dust takes place.Best place you’ve ever visited: The Galapagos.If you couldn't write anymore, what would you do? Open a vein.How long does it take you to write a book? The longest I’ve taken to write a book is 30 years. The shortest, 2.Ally: It’s been a pleasure to meet you, Ginny. Before we end this session, please show us your featured book, Like Dust, I Rise.
Like Dust, I RiseGenre: MG / YA and Coming of Age
Little House on the Prairie meets the Four Winds in this novel of hope and heroism, set in Texas during one of America’s worst natural disasters—the Dust Bowl.
Inspired by Amelia Earhart’s heroics, young Winona ‘Nona’ Williams tenaciously clings to the desire to become a pilot even after her father, with dreams of his own, dismisses the idea. When he quits his job in the Chicago stockyards to join other homesteaders settling the Great Plains, Nona finds herself torn between supporting her father’s vision for their future and her mother’s struggle to adjust to life on a desolate prairie.
Initially, things look up for the family as they settle into life in Dalhart, Texas. The wheat boom is in full swing, and it appears her father’s dream of providing his family with a home of their own is coming true. Too soon the effects of the depression impact her family, then the rains stop. Before long, Dalhart is the epicenter of the Dust Bowl.
Like Dust I Rise transforms poverty into pride and reflects the heroism of endurance.
Buy Links:
https://www.blackrosewriting.com/literary/likedustirise
https://smile.amazon.com/Like-Dust-Rise-Ginny-Rorby/dp/1684338271/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1642881577&sr=1-1
February 1, 2022
Coffee Chat with Dr. Millicent Eidson, Featuring her Medical Mystery, ANTHRACIS
Good Morning, Booklovers!Please join me in welcoming women’s fiction writer, Millicent Eidson, bringing us her featured book, ANTHRACIS, a Microbial Mystery.
Nice to meet you, Millicent. What can I get you to drink?
ME: I forced myself to drink a few sips of coffee during college exams but the attraction didn’t take. So I’m a real iconoclast, drinking only water and cranberry juice.
Ally: I think my magic pot can fix you up with that cranberry juice. While I get our drinks, please introduce yourself to readers.
Bio:In her retirement from full-time public health, Dr. Millicent Eidson created the MayaVerse, an alphabetical microbial mystery series. On her way to completing Anthracis, she drifted back to Santa Fe, New Mexico, and wrote the award-winning short play “Monuments.”
Something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio. My first memory is dancing on a concert stage in front of an applauding audience, concerned about falling forward into the footlights. I was age three, and already knew how to read. I feel blessed to have started my life with sharing creative work and with the world of books wide open.”
Author Contacts:
Website: https://drmayamaguire.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmayamaguire/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EidsonMillicent
Amazon author page: Amazon.com: Millicent Eidson: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21893794.Millicent_Eidson
Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/contributors/millicent-eidson
Books2read: https://books2read.com/millicenteidson/ INTERVIEW:
Ally: Who or what inspired your featured book?
ME: The primary protagonist for my mystery/women’s fiction series is Dr. Maya Maguire, who, like my daughter, is adopted from China by parents living in the southwestern U.S. I loved creating a young Asian heroine in my daughter’s honor, and sharing the story creation and editing process with her.
Ally: Are you self-published or traditionally published? How did you make the decision?
ME: I’m happily self-published. I never realized how much fun, and work, it is to learn all the required steps. I queried Anthracis for a year and my writing style was well-received. However, there were some changes agents wanted that I wasn’t willing to make.
Ally: Do you use critique groups or beta readers? Do you find them valuable?
ME: I can’t imagine feeling confident I’ve published my best work without lengthy review and feedback. For Anthracis, it was two years with the Burlington Writers Workshop. For Borrelia, I’ve added a critique group and manuscript swap through Sisters in Crime.
Ally: Why did you choose writing as a career? Is it your only career, or do you have a “day” job?
ME: Writing has always been a passion, from a satirical high school newspaper to my first romance hand-written during a blissful summer in the high mountains of Utah before starting veterinary school. But scientific writing filled 34 years with state health departments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Now that I’m retired, it’s the joy of my life to sink back into creative impulses. I still teach once a year at the University of Vermont about zoonoses, diseases from animals.
Ally: If you could choose to be any book or movie character, who would it be?
ME: I’d like to be Carrie Mathison from the TV thriller series Homeland. Despite crippling mental health issues, she persisted in her career focused on making the world a safer place. She’s the kick-ass hero that I and my protagonist Maya Maguire strive to be.
Ally: Which trivia questions did you pick?
ME:Memorable book you’ve read: Tony Hillerman’s Dance Hall of the Dead, featuring a mystical Native American ceremony I was fortunate to see.An author (living or dead) you'd love to chat with: Shakespeare. I want to immerse myself in his creative process.Ebook or print? Print, as a reader and author. Anthracis has a diary formatted to show a boy’s thought processes, and that layout gets lost in an ebook.A movie you’ll always remember: “Sweet Home Alabama” with its themes of lost love regained, lightning art, appealing dogs, and quirky friends and family.Favorite comfort food: Dark chocolate—that’s where my caffeine comes from instead of coffee! Ally: It was a pleasure to meet you, Millicent. Good luck with your series. Before we end today’s interview, please show us your featured book, Anthracis.
Anthracis, A Microbial MysteryGenre: mystery/women’s fiction
Heat rating: sensual
Anthracis is the debut novel in an alphabetical series featuring Maya Maguire, medical detective, in her journey as an Asian American veterinarian solving microbial mysteries.
The spectacular southwestern desert is alive with Bacillus anthracis spores, and the summer is the hottest on record. As a new veterinary epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Maya Maguire confronts the largest, most complex anthrax outbreak in U.S. history.
Infections in persons of color and immigration activists resonate with Maya’s search, as a Chinese American adoptee, for a place in her American home. Younger than her fellow trainees and battling panic disorder from a horrific childhood accident, she struggles to solve an epidemic mystery in a physician-dominated public health world. From her home base in New Mexico, CDC sends her to join a federal team in Arizona, including provocative physician Dr. Manolo Miranda and tightlipped veterinarian Dr. Dave Schwartz.
The epidemic is linked to climate change—that’s the party line. But Homeland Security agents and the FBI are suspicious. Dave’s an anthrax expert and spores match his home Texas Triangle of Death.
An invisible enemy, team secrets, and romantic missteps may derail Maya’s confidence. If she can’t find the source, thousands could perish from anthrax-laced heroin and tainted milk. Anthracis takes us to the front lines with scientists betting their lives and relationships on the investigation outcome.
Buy Links:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09GS6PYLD
January 25, 2022
Meet Kevin Kluesner, Author of THE KILLER SERMON
Good Morning, Booklovers!It’s nice to see everyone gathered again. We took a break last week, as our scheduled author was unavailable. We are delighted to have Kevin Kluesner here today with his featured debut thriller, THE KILLER SERMON.
Welcome, Kevin. How do you take your coffee?
Kevin: I like it black and hot. Since I don't take cream, sugar, or other additives, a Kenyan light roast is particularly yummy. If it cools at all, I will nuke it.
Ally: An easy request for my magic pot! While I pour, please introduce yourself to readers.
Bio: I earned both a BA in journalism and later an MBA from Marquette University. I've worked as the outdoor writer for a daily newspaper, taught marketing and management classes at both the undergraduate and graduate level, and served as an administrator of an urban safety net hospital.
The Killer Sermon is my debut novel. It introduces FBI agent Cole Huebsch and a thriller series set in Wisconsin and the Midwest. I might be the only person to claim membership in both the American College of Healthcare Executives and the International Thriller Writers. I live in New Berlin, Wisconsin, with my soulmate and wife Janet.
Something unique not in my bio: “I wrote a hymn that was performed at a reception when I left my role as administrator of Ascension St. Joseph Hospital (Mr. Kluesner's Opus)!”
Check me out on LinkedIn (not on FB or Twitter)
My website is: kevinkluesner.net INTERVIEW:
Ally: Are you self-published or traditionally published? How did you make the decision?
Kevin: I found a traditional publisher in Level Best Books. No big advance, but they take all the financial risks (paying for editing, cover designs, and printing - and paying me royalties after books are sold). I decided I didn't want to self publish unless I had to. I know it is easier to self publish these days and a lot of people do it successfully. But, I'm old school, and we used to consider self publishing "vanity" publishing, and I only wanted to do that if I had been turned down by all the traditional publishers.
Ally: Why did you choose writing as a career? Is it your only career, or do you have a "day" job
.
Kevin: My undergraduate degree was in journalism, and I absolutely thought I would be a writer (Woodward or Bernstein, in fact). But jobs were scarce to come by when I graduated in 1980, and I was lucky to talk my way into a public relations job at a small private College. Way led to way from there, and a few months ago I left my dream job as the administrator of an urban safety net hospital. I've been in health care for 40 years, the past 38 in leadership, but I never stopped thinking of myself as a writer.
Ally: What's the best writing/marketing advice you've been given?
Kevin: If anyone wants to seriously be a writer (or if you just want to read a good story), read Stephen King's memoire, called On Writing. It took me 20 years to write the first half of The Killer Sermon, and only four months to write the second half (after reading King's memoire). It was eye opening. Little nuggets like, "Amateurs wait for inspiration, while professional writers sit down and write." Simple, but beautiful.
Ally: How many books do you read in a month? Which genre(s)?
Kevin: I read probably five novels a month (certainly more than one per week). I mostly read thrillers or suspense, but sometimes try other types of novels and non-fiction when recommended to me by people I trust. Every book I read leaves its mark on me, some more than others
.
Ally: Are you a speed reader or do you settle in and savor a book?
Kevin: I savor each book I read. I can usually hear the words in my head as I read and I get an amazing picture of the action, so much so that movies based on books I've read are usually a letdown.
Ally: Which of the trivia questions did you choose to answer? Memorable book I've read... Either The Call of the Wild or The Old Man and the Sea. More modern, I would pick John Grisham's A Painted House.An author (living or dead) you'd love to chat with. I might say Hemingway, but I'm afraid he would kick my butt for being impertinent. I will say Stephen King, so I could thank him from the bottom of my heart for entertaining me when I was younger, and helping me get my novel to the finish line when I was older.Ebook or print? Ebook (my wife converted me).A movie I'll always remember. It's A Wonderful Life AND Saving Private Ryan. Both are partially about man's search for meaning...Favorite comfort food... Jambalaya.Ally: It was a pleasure meeting you, Kevin. Good luck with your book. I hope you’ll come back with the next one. In the meantime, please tell us a little about The Killer Sermon.
The Killer Sermon (A Cole Huebsch Novel)
Genre: Societal Thriller
An aging priest in rural Wisconsin gives an impassioned Christmas homily condemning abortion as murder and exhorting his parishioners to stop it. A former mayor responds by starting a hunger strike in city hall, and the editor of the local weekly newspaper begins running a counter at the top of each edition that estimates the number of abortions performed since Roe v Wade. A third member of the congregation takes a more lethal approach and begins to target reproductive rights physicians for murder.
Cole Huebsch is a pro-life leaning Milwaukee FBI agent. Michele Fields is a pro-choice leaning reporter. They need to set aside their differences to catch the killer before the country is torn apart.
The Killer Sermon is a fast-moving thriller that reminds us that our words matter, and that regardless of how big our differences on divisive issues, we can still find respect, and maybe more…
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Killer-Sermon-Cole-Huebsch-Novel/dp/1685120415
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-killer-sermon-kevin-kluesner/1140805331?ean=9781685120412
IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781685120412
January 11, 2022
Author Matt Cost Talks About Writing Histories and Mysteries
GOOD MORNING, BOOKLOVERS!
Pull up a chair and meet mystery writer Matt Cost, featuring Mainely Angst, book four of his Mainely Mystery Series.
Welcome, Matt! How do you take your coffee?
MC: I drink it with gourmet flavored creamer. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but this is one weakness that I struggle to go without.
Ally: Any easy request. While I get our mugs ready, please tell readers something about yourself.
Bio:Matt Cost is the highly acclaimed, award-winning author of the Mainely Mystery series. The first book, Mainely Power, was selected as the Maine Humanities Council Read ME fiction book of 2020. This was followed by Mainely Fear and Mainely Money. Mainely Angst is the fourth book of the series.
I Am Cuba: Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution was his first traditionally published novel. He had another historical released in August of 2021, Love in a Time of Hate.
Wolfe Trap was the first in the Clay Wolfe Port Essex Trap series. This was followed by Mind Trap and Mouse Trap. Honey Trap is the fourth book in the series.
Cost was a history major at Trinity College. He owned a mystery bookstore, a video store, and a gym, before serving a ten-year sentence as a junior high school teacher. In 2014 he was released and began writing. And that’s what he does. He writes histories and mysteries.
Cost now lives in Brunswick, Maine, with his wife, Harper. There are four grown children: Brittany, Pearson, Miranda, and Ryan. A chocolate Lab and a basset hound round out the mix. He now spends his days at the computer, writing.
Something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio: “I once had to go to the ER because I put a pebble up my nose while watching a house fire and had not yet learned how to blow my nose. This wasn’t recently.”
Author Contacts:
Email: matthew-cost@comcast.net
Phone: (207) 751-5387
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matt.cost.3
Twitter: @MattCost8
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mlangdoncost/
INTERVIEW :
Ally: Who or what inspired your featured book?
MC: Mainely Angst was spawned in the division that has become our country. Politics and a pandemic have polarized the U.S. in many ways, and tempers are hot. The question I posed to myself is—what would happen if a match were thrown upon the tinder that is our country at the current time.
Ally: What is the hardest part of writing? Explain.
MC: I’ve had this question posed to me many a time and have come up with one answer or another that sounds hollow. I have come to the recent realization that no part of the process is the hardest. I enjoy all facets of the process. I know that many people have trouble getting started. I believe that once begun, half done, and you just do it. I love the creation of the story, the middle glue leading you to the climax, and the euphoria of completion. Then comes the editing, which makes everything better, so what’s not to like? And of course, marketing it and promoting it so people will read it. I also like this business aspect. So, yes, I like and believe that there is no ‘hardest’ part to the writing process.
Ally: If you could live in a fictional setting of your choosing for the next six months, where would it be? Explain where the setting came from and why you chose it.
MC: I am currently writing a book set in Brooklyn in 1923. This would be my choice. What a fabulous time period and place to be. Jazz and blues are raging from Harlem down to Brooklyn. Movies are starting to fill the theaters. The beach and amusement park in Coney Island has peaked. Famous people walking the streets of Brooklyn and New York City are Dorothy Parker, Coleman Hawkins, Mae West, Mamie Smith, Bugsy Siegel, Meyer Lansky, and Babe Ruth. And these are just the people I’ve put into the first ten thousand words.
Ally: Tell us about your reading habits. Current favorites?
MC: I have been reading many New England authors as of late. Favorites include authors BJ Magnani, S. Lee Manning, Kevin St. Jarre, Bruce Robert Coffin, Dick Cass, Gerry Boyle, and so many more.
Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
MC: I have book three and four of my Clay Wolfe/Port Essex series slated for release this year. Mouse Trap will be published in April and Honey Trap in September. The actual work in progress is a historical PI novel set in 1923 Brooklyn. Brooklyn Eight Ballo will be released in December of 2022.
Ally: Which of the trivia questions did you answer?
MC: Book you're currently reading: The Last Speaker of Skalwegian by David GardnerAn author (living or dead) you'd love to take to lunch: Carl HiaasenBest place you’ve ever visited: Iceland, Paris, and Cuba stand out as the top three.If you couldn't write anymore, what would you want to do? WriteHow long does it take you to write a book? I am writing three to four books a year Ally: Thanks for visiting with us, Matt. I hope you’ll come back again. Before we wind down for today, please show us your featured book.
MAINELY ANGST (Book 4)
Genre: Mystery/PI
In Cost’s fourth installment in the Mainely Mystery series, Mainely Angst, Langdon is hired to find a kidnapped boy. A man with a Salvador Dali mask threatens to execute the lad if the governor of Maine doesn’t ease up business restrictions and mask requirements due to the pandemic.
Goff Langdon leads an ideal life in Brunswick, Maine. Happily married, good friends, mystery bookstore owner, PI, and a dog—the way life should be. And then angst erupts disturbing everything and threatening not only the way of life, but life itself.
“Somebody stole my wife,” the man said. Did Annika Morin leave her husband or was she taken?
“I was sexually harass’ by my boss and then fire’ when I refused his advances.” Raven’s dark eyes flashed a promise of anger and vengeance.
Local brew pub owner Rick Strong is accused of sexual harassment, which seems likely, but is he guilty of much more? Or is it entirely fabricated?
“Where is my boy?” Jill asked, her words anguished.
And then the boy is abducted, and the kidnapper attempts to hold the entire state hostage. If the governor refuses their demands, the kidnapper promises to execute the child on Halloween.
Buy Links:
Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Mainely-Angst-Matt-Cost/dp/1645992845/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=mainely+angst&qid=1631819295&s=books&sr=1-1
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mainely-angst-matt-cost/1140142186?ean=9781645992844
January 4, 2022
Coffee Chat Interview with Author Janet Raye Stevens
Happy New Year, Booklovers!
Join me in welcoming this week’s guest author Janet Raye Stevens with her featured book, A Moment After Dark.
Good morning, Janet. What may I get you to drink?
JRS: I drink tea. Copious amounts of tea. Earl Gray, hot. Funny thing, I don’t like iced tea, but love iced coffee.
Ally: I guess I’m just the opposite – love iced tea, don’t really care for it hot. In any case, I will have a “cuppa” ready for you by the time you’ve told readers a little about yourself.
Bio:Meet award-winning author Janet Raye Stevens, mom, reader, tea-drinker (okay, tea guzzler), and weaver of adventurous, suspenseful, and stealthily romantic tales. A Derringer Award nominee and winner of RWA's Golden Heart® and Daphne du Maurier awards, Janet lives in Massachusetts with her handsome better half and their equally impressive children.
Something unique/unusual that isn’t in your regular bio: “I had the singular pleasure of meeting the Three Stooges when I was six, and was presented to the Queen of Bhutan much, much later. The Queen wore a gorgeous gown of colorful Bhutanese textiles; the Stooges wore goofy grins and costumes smeared with eggs and white paint from their antics performing at the Shrine Circus.”
Website: https://janetrayestevens.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janetrayestevens/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/janrayestevens
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janetrayestevens
INTERVIEW:
Ally: Who or what inspired your featured book?
JRS: A Moment After Dark is a mashup of my lifelong interests in both World War II history and the odd and unexplained. As a kid, I lived in a public housing project, populated for the most part by WWII veterans. Practically every dad, and some of the moms, had served in the war in some capacity. I grew up hearing their stories and developed a passion for the history of that time period. I also loved spooky movies and TV shows like The Twilight Zone and Dark Shadows as a kid and read anything I could get my hands on with supernatural and paranormal elements. When I began writing fiction, my life-long interests in history and spooky stuff just naturally blended together.
Ally: If you could live in a fictional setting of your choosing for the next six months, where would it be? Explain where the setting came from and why you chose it.
JRS: Oh, there’s a lot of fictional places I’d love to spend time in, but #1 would be Oz. Going back to my childhood again, I loved that movie and watched it every year when it came on TV. I always imagined myself flying off to Oz in one of Glinda’s bubbles. But, unlike Dorothy, who was singularly focused on getting home, I’d spend as much time in Oz as I could, taking many detours from that yellow brick road (while avoiding witches from all compass directions) as I explored that fascinating world.
Ally: If you were thrown into a different time period—either past or future—what book hero would you want with you? Why?
JRS: That’s a great question because, in addition to historical mystery and paranormal, I also write time travel, so I spend a lot of my days bopping around in time. I’d like to have Sully, the tough but tender-hearted hero of my time travel series, Beryl Blue, Time Cop as my wingman. He might be gruff and frequently opinionated, but he’s smart, funny, protective, resourceful, and always, always does the right thing.
Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
JRS: It’s a new year, time to write some new stories. First up is a time travel novella set on the Titanic, because doesn’t everyone who writes time travel eventually get around to a “try to save the Titanic” story? I’ll be offering that story free to readers who subscribe to my newsletter (easy-peasy to do—just visit my website to join the adventure!). Then I’ll be on to the next book in my Beryl Blue, Time Cop series, It’s Been a Long, Long Time, coming out in April, and also noodling with a sequel to A Moment After Dark.
Ally: Which of the trivia questions did you chose to answer?An author (living or dead) you'd love to take to lunch: Jane Austen. If she’s busy, Charles Dickens.A movie you’ll always remember: Oh, Casablanca, absolutely. That movie has everything—action, suspense, danger, romance, great characters, crackling dialogue, and surprising bursts of humor. The story’s writing has influenced my own writing style more than a little.Pie or cake? What kind? Cake, hands down. It has to be chocolate, but I’m adventurous when it comes to frosting and like a variety of flavors.If you couldn't write anymore, what would you want to do? Read, of course!Favorite holiday song: “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” It’s sad, longing, a little gut-wrenching but ultimately hopeful. Thanks for visiting the blog, Janet. I hope this year is a great one – for all of us. Before you go, please show us your featured book.
A Moment After DarkGenre: World War II historical suspense with paranormal elements
Rating: PG-13
She sees the future with a touch. A powerful gift in a time of war.
The enemy wants her. The Allies need her.
Addie Brandt is cursed. When she touches someone, or an object that belongs to them, she sees their future, and it’s rarely good. Mocked and teased her whole life, Addie hides from the world in her family’s funeral home. But when her second sight shows her a horrific attack on the Pearl Harbor Naval base, the gruesome images are too intense to ignore, and she sets out to raise the alarm. Will anyone listen?
Federal agent Jack Dunstan needs a miracle. He’s still reeling from the betrayal that nearly decimated his team of agents with paranormal powers, a vengeful Nazi spy with a terrifying ability of his own is out to destroy him, and he knows it’s only a matter of time before America is drawn into the war raging around the world. Hearing rumors of Addie’s vision, he seeks her out, hoping she could be the miracle he’s looking for.
Addie’s not sure she trusts Jack Dunstan. He’s rude, cocky, and insists on calling her curse of second sight a “gift.” But if she wants to save lives and prevent a terrible disaster, she has to put aside her fears and embrace her ability.
With the US on the brink of war and an enemy agent hunting her for her power, Addie must learn to trust Dunstan—and herself—to stop an attack that could forever change the course of history.
AMAD links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Moment-After-Dark-Paranormal-Suspense-ebook/dp/B09MDQL14Z/ref
Other Booksellers: https://books2read.com/u/bOJBkN
December 28, 2021
Coffee Chat with Romantic Suspense Author Sharon Michalove
Good Morning, Booklovers!
I hope everyone is having a terrific holiday season. Thank you for taking time to visit us for book talk with romantic suspense author Sharon Michalove.
Welcome, Sharon! How do you take your coffee?
SM: At home, strong with a tiny bit of cream. In Europe I like a macchiato.
Ally: Since we’re in the US Midwest, I’ll pour it strong with just a touch of cream. While I fix our mugs, please introduce yourself to readers.
Bio:Sharon Michalove grew up in suburban Chicago. She received four degrees from the University of Illinois because she didn't have the gumption to go anywhere else, and spent most of her career at the university. In graduate school, she met and married the love of her life. They shared a love of music, theater, travel and cats. He died in 2013.After spending most of her life in a medium-sized university town she moved back to Chicago in 2017.
Something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio: “My husband and I led a tour to Istanbul and Venice for 23 members of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2012.”
Author contact links:
Website: https://www.sharonmichalove.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sdmlove22
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sdmichaloveauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sdmichalove
Amazon author page: http://amazon.com/author/sdm_romance_and_more
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2128144.Sharon_D_Michalove?from_search=true&from_srp=true
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/sharon-michalove
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sharonmichalove/ INTERVIEW:
Ally: Are you self-published or traditionally published? How did you make the decision?
SM: I’m self-published. Many of my traditionally published friends are getting their rights back and moving to self-publishing so they have been a great resource. I decided that I wanted control over the process. I’m also impatient. Getting a book traditionally published can take a long time from getting an agent to finding a publisher to the year or so it takes to get the book released.
Ally: What would you say is the hardest part of writing?
SM: Not dumping in huge amounts of backstory. As a historian, I always want to give the reader all the facts and all the context. I’ve been learning to be more sparing, but it is a constant struggle. I just put it in and then pare it down in the editing process.
Ally: Tell us about your reading habits. Current favorite books?
SM: I read mystery and romance as well as some history and craft books since I’m always learning as a writer. These days I don’t read as much as I did when I wasn’t writing. Currently I would say favorites include Deborah Harkness’ All Souls Series, Dorothy Dunnett’s House of Niccolo books, The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves, Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers, and anything by Amy Harmon, Julie Moffett, Julie Mulhern, April White, Penny Reid, and Aven Ellis. I’ve also been revisiting Agatha Christie and Jane Austen.
Ally: Let us fantasize you’re thrown into a different time period—either past or future—what book hero would you want with you?
SM: Nicholas Fleury from Dorothy Dunnett’s wonderful series The House of Niccolo. Nicholas, for all his faults, is clever, resourceful, and loyal. He could get me out of any sticky situations and make me laugh while doing it.
Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?SM: My next book is At the Crossroads. The second in the Global Security Unlimited series continues Max and Cress story.
Max Grant finally has the girl of his dreams but his past roars back with a vengeance. when he is tagged by a Turkish terrorist seeking revenge for an event ten years ago.
Max finds his past roaring into the present when a terrorist escapes from a Turkish prison, vowing revenge. Working with an old rival from his days in MI6, Max seeks for his elusive foe. From London, to the Scottish highlands, Paris, and Istanbul, a deadly game of cat and mouse may keep the lovers apart—permanently.
The book is scheduled to be published in May 2022.
Ally: Which of the trivia questions did you choose?
SM:Memorable book you’ve read: The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis GravesBook you’re currently reading: Code of Ethics by April WhiteAuthor (living or dead) you’d love to take to lunch: April WhiteFavorite comfort food: stuffed cabbage and mashed potatoesBest place you’ve ever visited: Rosslyn Chapel, ScotlandAlly: Thanks for spending time with us at such a busy time of year, Sharon. I wish you the best of the holiday season. Before you go, please show us your featured book.
At First Sight (Global Security Unlimited #1)
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating: PG-13
Oxford, England 1993. An awkward American grad student runs into a gorgeous English undergrad with her bicycle. She’s embarrassed. He’s intrigued. They go their separate ways, but neither forgets.
Chicago, Illinois 2013. When Cress Taylor starts receiving anonymous threats, the successful novelist feels her world crashing down. Max Grant turns up at a book signing and wants to renew their fleeting acquaintance. Is the timing coincidental or suspicious? Should she fall into his arms or run like hell? Then the plagiarism accusations start.
A former spy now working for a global security company, Max Grant has always steered clear of relationships—until now. When he sees Cress in a TV interview, his curiosity ignites. Will the spark he felt twenty years ago burst into flame? Cress is a magnet he can’t resist. As threats escalate to physical danger, Max feels driven to protect Cress. They must learn to work together if they want to stop her nemesis and find their happy ending.
Buy Links:
At First Sight (ebook):
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B097CJDZ9Q/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0
At First Sight (paperback, Amazon): https://www.amazon.com/At-First-Sight-Security-Unlimited/dp/1736918702/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
At First Sight (paperback, Barnes and Noble):
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/at-first-sight-sharon-d-michalove/1140047370?ean=9781736918708
December 21, 2021
Thriller/Romantic Suspense Writer S. Lee Manning Visits the Coffee Chat
Good Morning, Booklovers!
Here we are two days before Christmas! Thanks to everyone for stopping by and also to today’s guest author S. Lee Manning for taking time out of the Christmas rush to chat with us about books and what she’s got coming next for her fans.
Welcome, Sandy! How do you take your coffee?
SLM: Black. Lots and lots of black coffee. Very strong.
Ally: Coming right up. While I pour, please introduce yourself to readers.
Bio:S. Lee Manning spent two years as managing editor of Law Enforcement Communications before realizing that lawyers make a lot more money. A subsequent career as an attorney spanned from a first-tier New York law firm, Cravath, Swaine & Moore, to working for the Office of the Attorney General, State of New Jersey, to solo practice. In 2001, Manning agreed to chair New Jerseyans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (NJADP), writing articles on the risk of wrongful execution and arguing against the death penalty on radio and television in the years leading up to its abolition in the state in 2007. An award-winning short story writer, Manning is the author of international thrillers. A life-long interest in Russia and espionage is reflected in the Kolya Petrov thrillers.
Something unique/unusual that isn’t in your regular bio: “When I was 21 and very insane, I hitchhiked from London to Edinburgh, Scotland by myself - and nothing bad happened. I still can't believe I did something that dangerous.”
Author Contacts:
https://www.sleemanning.com
@SLeeManning1952
https://www.facebook.com/sleemanning INTERVIEW:
Ally: Who or what inspired your featured book?
SLM: When I started planning my latest book, I had a dilemma. My protagonist, Kolya Petrov, had resigned from his job as an intelligence operative at the end of the previous book and was trying to build a more normal life with his fiancee. I had to figure out a way to get him back into the world - and back to doing the kind of stuff that nearly got him killed in the previous book - that would be believable and in character. There had to be a serious threat - that was no problem - and something that he and he alone could handle. If he was not essential to stopping the threat, not only would he not do it, his former boss wouldn't particularly want him back, given that he wanted to shoot her for what she did to him. So I came up with the idea of a former friend having essential knowledge who would talk only to Kolya - and everything flowed from that. Dmitri, Kolya's childhood best friend whom he'd helped put in prison, had made a few guest appearances in dreams and hallucinations in Trojan Horse - and I wound up building the plot around his and Kolya's fractured friendship. The theme of betrayed trust runs generally through Nerve Attack.
Nerve Attack, by the way, can be read without having read the previous novel.
Ally: Are you self-published or traditionally published? How did you make the decision?
SLM: Traditionally published but with a small publisher. I didn't want to deal with cover design, book layout, yada yada.
Ally: What for you is the hardest part of writing?
SLM: For me, the hardest part of writing has nothing to do with the writing. The writing is the fun part. The hard part is trying to get the word on your books out to people who've never read them and never heard of you. It has nothing to do with the quality of my books, but everything to do with the number of authors out there, the number of distractions, and the fact that I am not a celebrity. Being with a small publisher means that most of the marketing falls on me. I enjoy doing talks and meeting with book clubs, but getting the events is tough. It takes an enormous amount of time, and it has been especially hard during Covid. I spent a lot of hours making cold calls to libraries in my home state of Vermont to ask if they'd be interested in an author talk on zoom or in person - when it's safe. Even if I can get a gig, and I've done about ten so far this year, people are still reluctant to come out, and zoom doesn't have the same effect as in person events. But still, I feel like I'm slowly getting the word out.
Ally: Why did you choose writing as a career? Is it your only career, or do you have a “day” job?
SLM: I've wanted to be a writer since I was five years old. I always loved books, and I loved making up stories. I majored in English, got an MA in English lit, and then wrote short stories while working various jobs in my hometown of Cincinnati. When one story won a prize from the Mercantile Library and was published in Cincinnati magazine, I decided to head for the big city and become a fulltime writer. In New York, I worked on small magazines, shared an apartment with five other people until I got tired of being poor and went to law school. Through the years of my legal employment, I tried to keep up my writing, but it wasn't easy. So, now that I've stopped practicing law, I am writing full time. I have the luxury of not worrying about supporting myself with my writing, which allows me to write what I want and as much as I want.
Ally: Do you work from an outline?
SLM: Well, kind of. I tend to write a short outline and then a longer outline. I start writing, and as I write, I realize that the outline doesn't completely work and I deviate, and then I revise the outline, and then I go back to the novel and then deviate again from the outline and revise the outline again. I play the circle game until I finish - then I do the edit and rewrites without an outline, although at that stage, I sometimes do a timeline to make sure I don't mess up any of the dates.
Ally: How many drafts (revision passes) do you do on a typical book before submission to your editor/publisher?
SLM: Too many, if you count revising chapters as I go. I revise over and over before I even get to the end and do a global edit. Then I ask my husband to read - and after his input, I do another edit and revision.
And the above is one of the reasons I write a book a year.
Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
SLM: My next writing project is tentatively titled Bloody Soil.
Elevator pitch: Years after the murder of her father, a young woman infiltrates a far-right group in Germany, selectively eliminating neo-Nazi killers, to exact justice for her father's death until an American joins the group and poses a different kind of challenge.
Anticipated release date: November 2022.
Ally: Which of the trivia questions did you choose?
SLM:a movie you’ll always remember: Princess Bride. Some of the most quotable lines in all of moviedom. My go to response when being called by a live telephone scammer who asks my name is a quote from the movie: "Hallo. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."favorite comfort food: Pizza. Don't eat it much anymore, but I do love it.If you were a color, what would it be? Purple. (What can I say - I'm a child of the 60s.)something unique in your handbag: A beautiful pocketknife, green handle, that I bought at a street fair in Beaune, a gorgeous little town in France. I usually remember to remove it from my purse and leave it somewhere else when I have to go through security checks. Forgot a few times and got the knife through which, as a thriller writer, makes me nervous.pie or cake? Cake. Chocolate with amoretto icing.Your hobbies? Stand-up (comedy). When I have time - guitar and photography.If you couldn't write anymore, what would you want to do? Stand-up. And yes I do it now.How long does it take you to write a book? From idea to final draft - six months to a year. Ally: It’s been a pleasure having you, Sandy. Please show us your featured book before everyone takes off to finish those holiday preparations.
Nerve Attack (A Kolya Petrov Thriller)
Genre: international thriller/romantic suspense
Rating: PG-16
Former American intelligence operative Kolya Petrov, struggling with the physical and psychological aftereffects of kidnapping and torture, is drawn back into the game when Dmitri, his childhood best friend, holds the key to stopping an attack by terrorists armed with a deadly nerve agent. Working with Dmitri, however, is complicated. While their friendship had been forged during their years in an abusive Russian boys' home, the two men's lives took very different paths. Dmitri had headed the North American branch of a Russian gang until Kolya, working undercover, put him in prison. Ten years later, Dmitri's cooperation is essential to finding the smuggler of the nerve agent, and he refuses to work with anyone but Kolya. Kolya, trying to build a normal life with Alex, the woman he loves, reluctantly agrees to undertake one more mission. But while Kolya must trust Dmitri not to take revenge for the betrayal of their friendship while seeking information in Russia where Kolya would face torture and execution if caught, Alex must evade would-be kidnappers and killers in Vermont. To end an elaborate plot that threatens both their lives as well as the lives of hundreds of innocent people requires Kolya and Alex to use all their abilities and intelligence and to trust in unlikely allies. But can Kolya, fighting through PTSD and physical injuries, trust his own judgment?
Buy Link:
https://www.amazon.com/Nerve-Attack-Kolya-Petrov-Thriller-ebook/dp/B0971255GC/ Merry Christmas! ~ Happy Holidays!
December 14, 2021
Coffee Chat Interview with Multi-Genre Author Debbie de Louise
Good Morning, Booklovers!We're having weird weather in the Midwest. It is 70 degrees today with high winds and storms coming in tonight - not at all a typical December! It will be back to a high in the 30s by Saturday!
Despite all the weather warnings, multi-genre author Debbie de Louise is with us this morning, talking about writing, reading, and a couple of her books.
Welcome, Debbie! How do you take your coffee?
DDL: With a small amount of fat free milk added to it, no sugar, please.
Ally: No problem. While I fill our mugs, please introduce yourself to readers.
Bio:Debbie De Louise is an award-winning author and a reference librarian at a public library on Long Island. She is a member of Sisters-in-Crime, International Thriller Writers, Long Island Author’s Group, and the Cat Writers’ Association.
Her published novels and stories include the Cobble Cove cozy mystery series of five books and five stories featuring Alicia, the librarian and Sneaky, the library cat. She’s also published three standalone mysteries, a paranormal romance, a romantic comedy novella, and a collection of cat poems. Her stories and poetry appear in over a dozen anthologies. Debbie also writes articles for Catster.com.
She lives on Long Island with her husband Anthony, daughter Holly, and 3 cats, Stripey, Harry, and Hermione.
Tell me something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio: "That’s a tough one. I can’t think of anything really unusual except that I started exercising a few years ago and now walk 4 to 5 miles a day."
You can connect with Debbie on the following sites:
Website/Blog/Newsletter Sign Up: https://debbiedelouise.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/debbie.delouise.author/
Debbie’s Character’s Chat Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/748912598599469/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Deblibrarian
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/debbie_writer/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbiedelouise/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2750133.Debbie_De_Louise
Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2bIHdaQ
All Author: https://allauthor.com/author/debbiedelouise/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/debbie-de-louise
INTERVIEW:
Ally: Who or what inspired your featured book?
DDL: I’ve always enjoyed reading time-travel novels and watching shows/movies with that themes. In 1998, I had two cats and wanted to feature them in a book. I came up with the story and added the cats but didn’t end up publishing it back then. I rediscovered the manuscript in 2020 while I was home during the pandemic, updated and submitted it to my publisher.
Ally: What do you find is the hardest part of writing?
DDL: Finding the time to write and market your books is a challenge, especially when you have a family and a full-time job. You need to prioritize and learn how to juggle different tasks. Today’s authors need to be active on social media, publish a blog and/or newsletter, and belong to writing organizations and clubs where they can improve their craft, take classes, attend webinars and conferences, in-person book signings, etc.
Ally: Why did you choose writing as a career? Is it your only career, or do you have a “day” job?
DDL: I’ve always admired authors and enjoyed writing since I was a child. I was also told by teachers and others that I had writing talent. It’s always been a dream of mine and continues to be so. I enjoy the creative process and sharing my ideas and feelings with readers. My day job as a librarian compliments my writing.
Ally: Do you write from an outline?
DDL: The only outline I use is a character list. Everything else is in my head (except for some occasional notes in a notebook).
Ally: What three books in your featured genre would you recommend to readers?
DDL: The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, The Summer House by Jude Deveaux, and The Midnight Library by Matt Haig.
Ally: What is your favorite marketing tool? Why?
DDL: Canva. Even the free version allows you to make nice graphics using your book images or ones supplied by Canva.
Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
DDL: I’ve already had a reprint of my self-published cat book, Pet Posts: the Cat Chats, accepted by my publisher. It should be available soon. I’m also working on another time-travel tale and hope to query it to an agent. I have several other projects in planning stages.
Ally: Which trivia questions did you choose?
DDL:
memorable book you’ve read: The Eight by Katherine Nevillebook you're currently reading: The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foleymost watched tv show: Grey’s Anatomyfavorite comfort food: dark chocolatepie or cake? Black Forest CakeYour pets: Harry, black American shorthair cat; Hermione, calico cat; Stripey, Mackerel tabby cat.Ally: Thanks for spending the morning with us. Before you hurry home to avoid our pending storm, please show us your featured book.
Time’s Relative
Genre: Science Fiction/Cozy Time Travel
Rating: PG-13
It’s the fall of 1998, and librarian Samantha Stewart is looking for a new job. After seeing an ad for a high-paying position at a company called Virtual Software that entails research and travel, Sam investigates the company and learns that its president has gone missing, and that it’s currently being run by the vice-president Greg Parsons.
Before Sam makes it to the interview, she's visited by a strange woman who introduces herself as Jane Oldsfield: a time traveler whose mission Greg Parsons is trying to prevent.
Sam ignores the woman and goes on the job interview anyway. Soon, she finds herself involved not only with Greg Parsons, but also Philip Montmart, a chain-smoking detective with a vendetta for his wife’s killer, and the time-traveling Oldsfield and her feline accomplice.
Witnessing world events that have yet to happen in her lifetime, including 9/11, Hurricane Sandy, Y2K hysteria and the COVID pandemic, can Samantha figure out Oldsfield's plans?
Buy links:
Ebook (Kindle Unlimited), paperback, and hardcover: http://mybook.to/timesrelative
Large print: https://amzn.to/3y502fC
Print editions also available at online sellers including Bookshop.org: https://bit.ly/3lLWRVo and Barnes and Noble: https://bit.ly/31vIYnr
For the cat lovers out there, Debbie wanted you to know she has a book of cat poems. Check it out!Blurb:
In this collection of 30 cat poems, author Debbie De Louise shares her love and knowledge of the felines she’s known throughout her life.
Most of the poems are inspired by her current and past cats. Some poems are funny; others are sad, but all reflect the beauty, intelligence, and special characteristics of these animals.
If you are a cat lover or enjoy reading poems about cats, you will be both touched and entertained by this poetry collection that also includes photos of the author’s cats, and notes about how they inspired her to write the poems.
Buy links:
Ebook (Kindle Unlimited), paperback, hardcover, and audiobook: http://mybook.to/mapddl
Print editions also available at online sellers including Bookshop.org: https://bit.ly/3oyGtJB and Barnes and Noble: https://bit.ly/3rMlmW9Cat
