Ally Shields's Blog, page 25

Bradley Harper Interview: From Pathologist to Mystery Author

Welcome to this week's Coffee Chat!

​Mystery author Bradley Harper is with us this week with his debut novel, A Knife in the Fog. I've already put it on my TBR list!
​
Nice to meet you, Brad. How do you take your coffee?

BH: I am kind of a wimp when it comes to coffee. I put in milk and sweetener, and usually have a cookie or biscotti to add to it.

​Ally: Nothing wrong with that. It sounds delicious. While I gather our drinks and maybe those cookies, why don't you introduce yourself to readers? [image error] BIO:
 
Bradley Harper is a retired US Army Pathologist with over thirty-seven years of worldwide military/medical experience, ultimately serving as a Colonel/Physician in the Pentagon. During his Army career, Harper performed some two hundred autopsies, twenty of which were forensic.
 
Upon retiring from the Army, Harper earned an Associate's Degree in Creative Writing from Full Sail University. He has been published in The Strand Magazine, Flash Fiction Magazine, The Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine and a short story he wrote involving Professor Moriarty in the Holmes tale of The Red Headed League (entitled The Red Herring League) won Honorable Mention in an international short fiction contest. A member of the Mystery Writers of America, Authors Guild, and Sisters in Crime, Harper is a regular contributor to the Sisters in Crime bi-monthly newsletter.
 
Harper’s first novel, A Knife in the Fog, involves a young Arthur Conan Doyle joining in the hunt for Jack the Ripper, and has been nominated for an 2019 Edgar Award by the Mystery Writers of America for Best First Novel by an American Author.
 
Something unusual/unique not in your regular bio: “When I was stationed in Heidelberg, my office was directly beneath the room where General Patton died. On the fiftieth anniversary of his death I was the acting commander of the army hospital, so I presided over a brief ceremony with local military and German mayors from the surrounding area. Patton was, and still is, greatly admired by the Germans to this day.”
 
ONLINE:
website: http://www.bharperauthor.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/bharperauthor
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bharperauthor
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/bharperauthor
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/bharperauthor
Mysteries of the Past podcast: http://bharperauthor.podbean.com INTERVIEW:
 
Ally: I understand this is your debut novel. What inspired you to write it?
 
BH:  I'm a life-long fan of Sherlock Holmes. One day I read that there was a four-year gap between Doyle writing the first Holmes story, A Study in Scarlet (1886), and the second, The Sign of Four (1890), with the Ripper murders in 1888, right in the middle. Doyle only got twenty-five pounds for Scarlet, which was about what he'd get for a short story, while Scarlet was a novella. Additionally, he had to surrender full copyright and was so embittered by the experience he vowed to never write another "crime story" for as long as he lived. The Ripper murdered five women at least, but stopped as suddenly as he began, never knowingly being caught. I envisioned a story involving Doyle in the Ripper murders that would explain why Doyle eventually returned to Holmes, and why the Ripper stopped his rampage in Whitechapel. The idea just caught hold, so I went for it.
 
Ally:  How did you get it published?
 
BH:  Being too dumb to quit. I was rejected by seventy-nine agents before number eighty said "maybe." After a couple of revisions that she suggested, we signed a contract, and now I'm a finalist for the Edgar for Best First Novel by an American. I rewrote or revised my novel thirty times, so I believe that persistence beats raw talent in almost every human endeavor.
 
Ally: Do you write with a theme or message in mind?
 
BH: I do. The plot is what drives the action, but it is a backdrop to the protagonist's inner struggle. If your character doesn't derive some life lesson or insight into the story, it can become as meaningless as rush hour traffic. I begin with the idea clearly in my mind as to what the story is really "about," and that makes the writing go very quickly.
 
Ally: Talk about your main characters. Are they likable? Do they have off-putting flaws or beliefs?
 
BH: In my first book I really have three main characters. First there's Conan Doyle, who is the narrator of my tale. Doyle is a very neat, rather fussy individual who abides by the rules. Then there is Professor Bell. Bell was Doyle's professor of surgery in medical school in Edinburgh, and was the inspiration for Sherlock Holmes, and in real-life he did do some forensic investigation. My third character is Miss Margaret Harkness, also a historical figure. Margaret was a suffragette and socialist who was both an author and labor organizer. She was living in Whitechapel at the time of the Ripper murders so that she could experience the daily struggles of the working poor she portrayed in her novels. Margaret thinks what she says as soon as she thinks it, and refuses to be bound by the conventions of the time.
After I'd finished my novel I realized that the three portrayed the three aspects of human personality. Doyle is Ego, a rule-follower. Bell is Super-Ego. He understands the reason the rules exist, but also knows when they should be bent. Margaret is pure Id. She acts on her emotions, rules be damned. The interplay of the three created something that was far beyond the sum of their parts, and I grew very fond of all three of them.
 
Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
 
BH: My next book is in final edits now. Called Queen's Gambit, Margaret is my protagonist this time, though Bell is involved early on. In this story Margaret stands between an anarchist assassin and Queen Victoria during her Diamond Jubilee ceremony. The expected release date is October 8.
 
Ally: Which of the quick answer questions did you select?
 
BH:a. favorite book:  The Seven Percent Solution by Nicolas Meyer. The finest Holmes book ever written by anyone other than Doyle himself.b. book you're currently reading:  Wired for Story by Lisa Crom. She gets into the neurophysiology of the brain and how stories affect us such that we really do in a sense live the struggle the protagonist experiences.c. an item on your bucket list:  Three weeks in Lyon, France. Two weeks to study French (I speak some now), then one week to research the world's first forensic laboratory established there in the early twentieth century by Edmond Locard. The principles of forensics he established are still used today.d. favorite movie:  It's a three-way tie between Blade Runner, Young Frankenstein (which I first saw in a Vietnamese detainee camp I was deployed to as a young Army Officer before I went to med school), and The Princess Bride.e. something unique in your closet:  I have a Gurkha fighting knife I bought while I lived in Puerto Rico. It's great with coconuts.  Ally: It was a pleasure meeting you. Good luck with your books. Before you leave us today, please tell us more about A Knife in the Fog. 
​A Knife in the Fog by Bradley Harper
Seventh Street Books, 2018
Genre: historical fiction/mystery/suspense
 
September 1888. A twenty-nine-year-old Arthur Conan Doyle practices medicine by day and writes at night. His first Sherlock Holmes story, A Study in Scarlet, although gaining critical and popular success, has only netted him twenty-five pounds. Embittered by the experience, he vows never to write another "crime story." Then a messenger arrives with a mysterious summons from former Prime Minister William Gladstone, asking him to come to London immediately.
 
Once there, he is offered one month's employment to assist the Metropolitan Police as a "consultant" in their hunt for the serial killer soon to be known as Jack the Ripper. Doyle agrees on the stipulation his old professor of surgery, Professor Joseph Bell--Doyle's inspiration for Sherlock Holmes--agrees to work with him. Bell agrees, and soon the two are joined by Miss Margaret Harkness, an author residing in the East End who knows how to use a Derringer and serves as their guide and companion.
 
Pursuing leads through the dank alleys and courtyards of Whitechapel, they come upon the body of a savagely murdered fifth victim. Soon it becomes clear that the hunters have become the hunted when a knife-wielding figure approaches.
 
Buy links:Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Knife-Fog-Featuring-Margaret-Harkness/dp/1633884864Indiebound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781633884861Indigo: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/a-knife-in-the-fog/9781633884861-item.htmlAudible: https://www.audible.com/pd/A-Knife-in-the-Fog-Audiobook/B07HKJH1W5

Favorite Cross-Genre Beach Reads by Mystery Author Mary Feliz

​
Good Morning, Booklovers!

Settle in with your favorite drinks and enjoy a post from this week's guest author, mystery writer Mary Feliz.
Welcome, Mary! Without more ado, the blog is yours... Favorite Cross-Genre Beach Reads
​by Mystery Author Mary Feliz​ A page-turning thriller? An escapist historical? Or an atmospheric fantasy in a frozen landscape to distract you from the heat and humidity? Defining the perfect beach read is a highly personal endeavor. Here are some of my all-time favorites that include shore locations from a variety of genres:
 
Adrift by Micki Browning, Thriller
This is the award-winning first-in-series volume in the Mer Cavallo mysteries featuring marine biologist–turned-divemaster Meredith Cavallo. Mer thought adjusting to a laid-back life in the Florida Keys would be a breeze. But when she rescues a floundering diver who claims to have seen a ghost, she’s caught in a storm of intrigue. News of the encounter explodes on social media, attracting a team of ghost hunters who want to capture proof that a greenish ghoul haunts Key Largo’s famed USS Spiegel Grove shipwreck.
 
A terrific setting, thrilling suspense, and an investigation confidently revealed by FBI-trained former law-enforcement officer Micki Browning.
  
Dance upon the Air by Nora Roberts. Paranormal Romance
The first book in the Three Sisters Island trilogy by blockbuster author Nora Roberts takes place on off the Massachusetts coast. Nell Channing, on the run from her abusive husband, takes a job as cook at the local bookstore café and takes an interest in the handsome local sheriff. Adjusting to her dramatic shift in circumstances is more than enough to keep Nell busy, but she soon uncovers an ancient island curse that only she, with the help of two others, can hope to break.
 
Pacific Coast by Kim Stanley Robinson. Science Fiction
Better known for his Mars Trilogy, Kim Stanley Robinson earlier wrote his Three California trilogy about a near-future Golden State. Published in 1995, Pacific Coast concludes the three-volume story with an ecotopian vision of a pastoral community at peace, but under pressure from outside influences to evolve toward a darker future.
 
High Tide at Noon by Elisabeth Ogilvie. Mainstream Fiction
First published in 1944, this book is an old favorite, read and re-read. It’s the first of dozens of books unveiling the unique challenges and delights of island families in Maine. Joanna Bennett yearns to follow family tradition and become a lobsterman and captains her own boat. But there’s one problem. She’s a girl. Each of Ogilvie’s novels allows readers to explore the rugged island and meet more of the family and its neighbors. While today it might be described as women’s fiction or a cozy mystery, it offers the same depth of setting and characterization as the popular Louise Penny novels.​ ​Cliff Hanger by Mary Feliz. Mystery (and this week's FEATURED BOOK)
Released: July 2019

​Professional Organizer Maggie McDonald has her work cut out for her helping Renée Alvarez organize her property management office. Though the condominium complex boasts a prime location on the shores of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, aging buildings and the high-maintenance tenants have Renée run ragged. But Maggie’s efforts are complicated when her sons attempt to rescue a badly injured man who crashed his ultra-light on the coastal cliffs. Despite their efforts to save him, the man dies. Maggie's family members become the prime suspects in a murder investigation and the target of a lawsuit.

This is the fifth volume in the Maggie McDonald Mystery series the first of which, Address to Die For, was named a Best Book of 2017 by Kirkus Reviews.

Find it here: 
https://www.amazon.com/Cliff-Hanger-Maggie-McDonald-Mystery/dp/1516105303


About the Author:

Mary Feliz writes the Maggie McDonald Series of cozy mysteries featuring a professional organizer turned amateur detective and her sidekick golden retriever in California's San Francisco Bay Area. 
Cliff Hanger, the fifth book in the series, released July 16 from Kensington Publishing. Address to Die For, the first title in the six-book series, was named a Best Book of 2017 by Kirkus Reviews.
A resident of Northern California for decades, Mary now lives on Monterey Bay, enjoying the area's myriad natural treasures. She attends organizing conferences in her character's stead, but Maggie's skills leave her in the dust. To learn more about Mary and her books, visit her website at https://www.maryfeliz.com

Other Author Contacts:
https://www.facebook.com/MaryFelizBooks/
https://twitter.com/maryfelizauthor
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14904553.Mary_Feliz
https://www.instagram.com/mary_feliz_books/

Author Sarah Dunster Just LOVES Fantasy!

It’s Coffee time! Are you ready to talk books?
 
This week’s guest is fantasy writer Sarah Dunster with her featured book, The Rising Scythe Dumenon Chronicles #1).
 
Welcome, Sarah. What may I get you to drink?
 
SGD:  I drink Dr. Pepper, and I drink it dirty (with cream, lime, and vanilla).
 
Ally: I confess I haven't had a dirty Dr. Pepper, so I’ll bring all the ingredients and let you mix it yourself! :) While I get those, please introduce yourself to readers. Bio:
 
Sarah Dunster is the mother of nine children, an outdoors enthusiast, a voracious reader, a rabid gardener, and an award-winning poet and a novelist.

Most recently her poetry has won honorable mentions in both the Clinton F. Larsen poetry contest and Segullah’s 2019 contest, and is a finalist in the 2019 Mormon Lit Blitz. Her debut novel Lightning Tree (historical fiction) was released by Cedar fort in April of 2012 and won the 2011 Segullah short fiction prize. Her second novel, Mile 21 , (Chick Lit) was released in 2014, and won the prestigious Whitney Award in the category of General Fiction.
​
Currently, Sarah is publishing two series independently. The Caldera Series; Urban Fantasy/Psych Thriller, and the Dumenon Chronicles; Dark Renaissance Fantasy.
 
Ally:  Tell me something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio. “My family and I love broadway musicals and we try out for every production our town offers. This year, my husband and I are playing the lead roles of Sky Masterson and Sarah Brown in our town’s summer production of Guys and Dolls. I have a ton of hobbies. I have a greenhouse attached to my house that my husband and I built together, and I grow veggies and herbs for my family in it. I also love to cross country ski, and I am helping to start a stray cat program in my town.”
 
Author Contacts:
 
For more information, visit SGDunster.com or follow on Instagram @thedunsters, or on facebook /sgdunster.
 
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/author/sdunster INTERVIEW:
 
Ally:  What made you choose to write your featured book?
 
SD:  I have loved the idea of this story and these characters for more than 20 years, and it has changed a lot over time. I also adore historical fantasy stories, or alternate history stories. I love magic and worldbuilding. I just. Love. Fantasy.
  
Ally:  How did you get that first book or story published?
 
SD:  That would be Lightning Tree. It was the fourth novel I’d ever finished, and some really great advice from an editor who rejected it gave me a frame in which I could perfect my plot. I used to be really bad at plot hooks and development. After I got my plot straightened out, people wanted it!
 
Ally:  Why did you start writing? Why fiction? What keeps you writing?
 
SD:  I love books. I started writing as soon as I started reading. I love fiction because I think, like parables, stories that are sort of sequestered from real life provide a platform where the mind can sometimes more easily (or less painfully) explore and understand important things.
 
Ally:  What supernatural power or ability would you like to have?
 
SD:  I’d love to have the ability to calm people and give them peace in tough moments. Like Aunt Beast in A Wrinkle in Time.
  
Ally:  What's the best writing/marketing advice you’ve been given?
 
SD:  “Write to market.” I don’t. I should, but I don’t.
 
Ally:  Tell us about your reading habits. Favorite genres. Favorites books.
 
SD:  I love just about everything. Fantasy (Adult, YA, middle grade) is a big one. I also love serial mysteries (J.D. Robb is a favorite) cozy mysteries (Bailey Cates) and the series of my childhood are still ones I revisit a lot: Anne of Green Gables. the Little House Series. My favorite (and this is lame because it’s EVERYONE’S favorite) is most definitely the Harry Potter series.
 
Ally:  Do you enjoy research? Does your genre require it?
 
SD:  Yes, I do. It’s one of the reasons I write; I am an info-holic. Especially history. I love history. Especially ancient, middle ages, or renaissance history. After that things feel kinda boring to me. The Dumenon Chronicles definitely requires historical research; it is set in a real place at a real time, though the story includes a great deal of fantasy.
 
Ally:   Who is your favorite fantasy writer? Favorite supernatural being?
 
SD:  J. K. Rowling. I’d love to ask her how she overcomes those ‘looking over the cliff’ moments just before putting those first few words on the page every day. I think that is every writer’s biggest hurdle.
Favorite supernatural being? Hm. Good question. Maybe Fawkes (the phoenix in Harry Potter)?
 
Ally:   Which of your books is your personal favorite?
 
SD:  The Rising Scythe, because it is my heart-novel. The one I’ve been writing and rewriting forever, and it’s the genre I love the very most: historical fantasy.
 
Ally:  What three books in your genre would you recommend to fans (after they’ve read your books, of course!).
 
SD:  Joan Aiken’s Wolves series, Robin Mckinley’s The Blue Sword, Tamora Pierce’s Song of the Lioness or Wild Magic quartets.
 
Ally:  What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
 
SD:  I’m working on the Dumenon Chronicles and my other Fantasy Series, The Caldera Series, for quite a while. I plan to release four books per year, two in each series, for the next few years.
 
Ally: Tell us which quick answer questions you chose to answer.
 
SD: an author (living or dead) you'd love to take to lunch:  Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels/Barbara Mertz (they’re the same person.) I. Love. Her. I think she’d be a lot like my grandmother was in personality, from what I’ve glimpsed between the pages of her different series.color of nail polish you have on: holo, gold, and irridescent pink with a tiny heart on one thumb.c: What comes to your first - character or plot? Character and setting, I’d say. Plot winds through all that for me.something unique in your handbag: a squooshy strawberry that smells like strawberry.Your pets: Two dogs: Mango, a black curly cockapoo who is everyone’s best friend, and Ruger, a pug-beagle mix who is basically a furry slug. Three cats: Fred, our fierce heroic mouser, Diana, our sly, quiet diva, and Rosie, our wild, playful cuddle friend.If you couldn't write anymore, what would you want to do?  I’d be so sad :( Ally: You’ve been a terrific guest, Sarah. Thank you for coming. Before you go, please show us your featured book, The Rising Scythe.

​The Rising Scythe (Dumenon Chronicles Book 1)
Genre: Historical Fantasy/Dark Fantasy.
Heat rating: PG
 
For the first twenty years of her life, Shem has been moved from place to place by her father, who wants luxury and safety for his daughter. But everywhere she goes, the magicks of her heritage claim her. They follow her from dark chapels to gilded courts, to the wave-tossed shores of far-off Goa, and it's time for her to choose. Will she be a wytch of magicks loose or magicks bound? How can she choose between breath and blood, flesh and fire? But it is time to choose, because with such forces running through her veins, nobody, not even her father, will be able to stop her from becoming whatever she wants to be.
 
Buy Link (Available in Kindle Unlimited):
https://www.amazon.com/Rising-Scythe-Dumenon-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B07QD9YP2H/

​Find her other books here
http://www.amazon.com/author/sdunster

Interview: D G Driver Goes from Peter Pan to Fantasy Author

​It’s Coffee Chat time!
 
Our guest for coffee and book talk this week is D. G. Driver, an author of YA and MG fantasy novels.
Welcome, Donna! How do you take your coffee?
 
DGD: With hazelnut creamer and a packet of Splenda every morning.
 
Ally: While I get our mugs ready, please introduce yourself to readers. BIO:
 
D. G. Driver is an award-winning author of books for teen and tween readers. Contemporary fantasy is her favorite genre, but she has also written fairy tales, romance, and horror in her short fiction. Along with writing, she is a teacher at an inclusive early childhood education center and is often found either directing or performing in a theatrical production somewhere around Nashville.
 
Ally: Tell me something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio. “I played Peter Pan in the spring musical my senior year of high school. I stopped wearing makeup for the months that we rehearsed and performed the show. I have never worn makeup on a regular basis since.”
 
Author Contacts:
 
www.facebook.com/donnagdriver
www.twitter.com/DGDriverAuthor
www.instagram.com/d_g_driver#
https://www.amazon.com/D-G-Driver/e/B...
www.goodreads.com/author/show/7867013.D_G_Driver
www.bookbub.com/profile/d-g-driver INTERVIEW:
 
Ally:  I see you’re featuring two YA ghost stories today. Why did you choose to write about ghosts?  
 
DGD:  I am fascinated with ghosts and the idea of guardian angels. In my life I feel confident I’ve encountered spirits a handful of times. I’m really drawn to shows and movies where the ghosts are either there to be helpful to the living or vice versa. These are the kinds of ghosts I’ve included in my two novels.
 
I originally wrote Lost on the Water to be about a girl getting lost on a lake in an old rowboat and having an adventure. However, as I wrote it, the idea of a local ghost legend haunting the lake helped me to fill out the plot and give the story more depth, excitement, and mystery.
 
All the Love You Write began as a short novella about a ghost teaching a teen boy how to write love letters. When the reader finds out who this ghost is and why he’s helping, it’s a sweet and tearful moment. That story is still the beginning of this novel. I decided to expand this story into a full-length novel by really diving into the back story of the ghosts, so the reader gets to know their true hearts and why they are interfering with Bethany and Mark’s relationship.
 
Ally:  Where do you get so many story ideas?
 
DGD:  A lot of the time I get story ideas from tidbits in the news. The very beginning concept for of All the Love You Write came from a news story about how cursive was being taken out of elementary school curriculum. I thought it would be a shame if the art of writing pretty love letters by hand disappeared.
 
Lost on the Water began as a brainstorm. A publisher was looking for children’s novels that were set on water, and this was one of the ideas that came to me. That deal never came to fruition, but after several revisions the book was finally picked up by Fire and Ice YA Books and published last year.
 
Ally:  Do you use a professional editor? If not, what do you do to ensure a quality book?
 
DGD:  Both Lost on the Water and All the Love Your Write are published with small press Fire and Ice YA Books, an imprint of Melange Books. They are professionally edited and proofread. I am given multiple rounds of proofreading copies before the books go to print.
 
Ally:  Do your characters come to you fully formed with names and backgrounds?
 
DGD:  No. I’m usually a plot person. I come up with the story idea first and then figure out as I’m outlining who the characters will be and how that will affect the storyline. Lost on the Water was particularly interesting because my original draft of the book had my main character as a 12-year-old boy. After many rewrites, Dannie is now a 14-year-old androgynous girl masquerading as a boy, giving the book much more interesting twists and turns.
 
As mentioned above the first part of All the Love You Write was already a novella centered around Mark, so I had him pretty figured out before I started adding on to the story. I had to come up with more details about the ghosts, and the final third of the book is all about Bethany. She had to be a lot more than “the girl Mark loves” for this book to come alive.
 
Ally:  Do you write with a theme or message in mind?
 
DGD:  I usually start with a vague theme, but as I go through rewrites the themes become more vivid to me and I am able to highlight them a little more. Lost on the Water is most definitely about secrets and lies. All the Love You Write is a lot about trusting the heart.
 
Ally:  Do fans influence your writing? If so, in what way?
 
DGD:  In the case of All the Love You Write, absolutely! My novella about Mark and his ghostly tutor was published in 2015. Many of my readers asked me to turn the story into a full-length novel because they wanted to know what happened next. It took me a while to figure it out, but I did initially start the full-length version because of these requests.
 
Ally:  How did you choose the titles of your featured books?
 
DGD:  Lost on the Water – A Ghost Story got its finished title from the daughter of a friend of mine on Facebook. I put out my title ideas, and several friends voted or made suggestions. I liked this one the best. The book was almost called The Secret of Center Hill Lake (which sounded a bit like a Nancy Drew novel). The title All the Love You Write comes from an old song Elvis used to sing called “Love Letters”. The novel is centered around love letters, so it seemed perfect to me.
 
Ally: Sooo, which speed questions did you choose? a. book you're currently reading – making my way through The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo. Just finished book two.b. an item on your bucket list – I really really really want to visit Italy, especially Venice.c. hiking or sunbathing – My days of tanning are over. That said, I love sitting under a big umbrella at the beach reading a good book.d. last book that made you cry – The Good Goodbye by Carla Buckleye.  If you couldn't write anymore, what would you want to do? I’d do more theater directing and try to figure out a way to travel more.Ally: I’d love the time to travel more too! It was a pleasure chatting with you, Donna. Only one last thing to do...show us these “ghostly” books!
Lost on the Water – A Ghost Story
Genre: YA contemporary fantasy
​Published: 2018
Rating: PG
 
One girl’s daring adventure turns into a long frightful night lost on the water.
 
Forced to leave the California beach behind to spend the summer with her grandma in rural Tennessee, Dannie is certain this will be the most boring summer of her life. Things start looking up when a group of local kids, mistaking her short hair and boyish figure, invite her on their ‘no girls allowed’ overnight kayaking trip. Obviously, her grandma refuses to let her go. But Dannie suspects the real reason is that the woman is afraid of the lake, only she won't tell Dannie why.

Longing for freedom and adventure, Dannie finds an old rowboat hidden behind the shed and sneaks off on her own to catch up to her new friends. It seems like a simple solution … until everything goes wrong.

Dannie soon discovers this lake is more than just vast. It’s full of danger, family secrets, and ghosts.

​Buy Links:
 
www.dgdriver.com/lost-on-the-water.html
https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Water-D-G-Driver-ebook/dp/B07F983SKT
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lost-on-the-water-d-g-driver/1129039626?ean=2940162058595
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/lost-on-the-water
https://books.apple.com/us/book/lost-on-the-water/id1409276778
And through July 31st, it’s half off at Smashwords – only $2.50! https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/874656
​ All the Love You Write
Genre: YA contemporary fantasy
Published: Coming August 2019
​Rating: PG-13

A story about young love, first love, true love, timeless love, and the power of love letters.
 
Mark and Bethany are two mismatched high school seniors in a new relationship.
 
It’s doomed to fail.
 
Mark has adored Bethany since middle school, and she’s finally giving him a chance. Only, he’s clumsy at romance and knows he’ll lose her because of it. Bethany thinks Mark is sweet. Only, she’s afraid to commit her whole heart to him because he’s going into the army and she’s headed off to college.
 
Fifty years earlier, a boy and a girl from the same high school shared an amazing love story. They have now returned as ghosts and are interfering in Mark and Bethany’s relationship. Who are they? Why do they care what happens to Mark and Bethany?
 
Buy Links: 
​
This book will be released in August, 2019. Pre-sale information will be available soon. More information at www.dgdriver.com/all-the-love-you-write.html or follow D. G. Driver on her social media to keep up with the release. Hope to see you all next week!

Author Sheryl Steines Writes What She Loves

​Welcome to this week's Coffee Chat!

​Join me on Wednesdays to meet both new  and established authors who love to talk about books, reading, and writing. This week’s guest is Sheryl Steines with her featured urban fantasy novel, Wizard War.
It’s nice to have you on the blog, Sheryl. What may I get you to drink?
 
SS:  I love the smell of coffee but not the taste. Give me a good strong tea with a bit of sugar and I’m in my happy place.
 
Ally: Coming right up! While I pour my coffee and brew your tea, please introduce yourself to readers. Bio:

As a self-proclaimed television junkie and an avid reader, Sheryl Steines writes what she loves. From the character/relationship story from one of her writing inspirations (Judy Blume), to the fantastical world of magic and mayhem in another inspiration (J.K. Rowling), to the strong female character of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Sheryl uses the world of magic and mystery, mashed with a bit of detective work, to weave a story of women who face challenges, overcoming them with dignity and honesty, using her own challenges as inspiration. The Wizard Hall Chronicle series introduces the reader to young women battling demons of the supernatural kind and the personal kind, each fighting to find their way.
 
Sheryl has been writing since she was seven years old, since she picked up her first Nancy Drew novel and hasn't stopped. When she's not reading or writing, she can be found tooling around in her convertible, supporting causes and raising her kids, dealing with extra ordinary challenges.
 
Allly:  Tell me something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio: “I love to travel because it’s a great way to learn new things and meet new people. You get a great understanding of people and as an introvert, people watching is like a sport.”
 
Author Contacts:
 
www.sherylsteines.com
@SherylSteines
FB – Sheryl Steines Author
Insta - SherylSAuthor INTERVIEW:
 
Ally:  Where do you get your story ideas?
 
SS:  I read a lot, but I also watch a lot of documentary, informative television shows. There is a wide assortment of myths from across the world. I find the stories interesting especially how they relate to the world history. I enjoy the retelling of these stories in a different way and mix them into the cannon of my urban fantasy world.
 
Ally:  What do you find most rewarding about a writing career? Most negative or frustrating?
 
SS:  I am a creative person by nature whether it was trying my hand at photography or interior design and painting. But I’ve always been a writer and have written creatively since I was seven years old. I enjoy pulling a story together, seeing how it starts at one point and winds itself into a totally different direction. I like exploring the ups and downs of my characters and watch them succeed in their endeavors. I get excited when I’ve met the challenge and complete a book.
What I don’t enjoy is the marketing. It’s frustrating when something works once but not a second time or when I try something new and it doesn’t work at all. The writing itself, keeps me moving forward through the book series.
 
Ally:  Talk about your main characters. Are they likable? Do they have off-putting flaws or beliefs? Is it important for them to be real or relatable?
 
SS:  My main characters, Annie Pearce and her best friend/boyfriend Cham Chamsky are likeable characters. They’re good people who work as Wizard Guards (magical police officers) who do what they need to do to keep the magical world safe from magic. I wanted them to be real and relatable so the reader would want to continue reading about them and join them on their adventures. Since the books are really about Annie’s life I will say, one of the things that drive readers crazy (including my editor), the men she works with as well as the vampire she’s hunting, call her ‘girl.’ While they respect her as a wizard guard, they’ve known her since she was a child and it just became habit. This does play a role in book four as Annie reacts and changes because of uncontrollable events in her life. It was a choice I made when I began the series and yes, it’s supposed to upset the reader.
 
Ally:   What’s the most meaningful thing a fan has said about your books?
 
SS:  I had a fan tell me that my books were relatable because as a 21-year-old woman, there weren’t any books with relatable women that they could look up to and that’s why she enjoyed the first book and began reading the series. I was extremely proud that I could give the readers an enjoyable, meaningful book.
 
Ally:  What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
 
SS:  I’m currently working on book four of The Wizard Hall Chronicles called Prophecy. The anticipated release date is November 1, 2019.
 
Ally: Which of the quick answer questions did you pick? an item on my bucket list:  Visit Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris, France.hiking or sunbathing:  Hikingfavorite quote:  “She believed she could so she did.” – RS GrayA guilty pleasure:  Watching American Ninja WarriorIf you couldn't write anymore, what would you want to do? Interior Designer Ally: It’s been a pleasure visiting with you, Sheryl. Before you take off on your busy schedule, please show us your featured book.

Wizard War (The Wizard Hall Chronicles #3)
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Murder Mystery
PG-13
 
When an unexpected foe returns, Annie is rocked to the core.
 
The newly raised vampire must be stopped, because if the world finds out the truth about the demon, Annie could lose everything. 
 
The journey to catch and kill the vampire isn’t as easy as Annie hoped it would be. The wily vampire slips by Annie and the bodies continue to pile up. With pressure from the other wizards, Annie wallows in self-doubt, threatening the case.   
 
When Annie learns a new truth about the vampire, it puts her and the magical world in danger. She must stop the vampire and catch a killer before a wizard war begins.
 
Buy Link for series (and available through KindleUnlimited):
 
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074CDY5CQ/  

​PREVIEW:  Amazon

​ Thank you for joining today's Coffee Chat.
​May we see you again next week?

Interview with Urban Fantasy Author R.L. King

Happy Wednesday, Booklovers!
 
Ready to meet a new author and share a little book talk? This week’s guest is urban fantasy author R.L. King, bringing us her featured book, House of Stone  (Alastair Stone #18).
Welcome, RL. How do you take your coffee?
 
RLK: I take my coffee in ice cream! As much as I want to like coffee, I haven’t managed it yet.
 
Ally: Since it’s never the wrong time for ice cream, I’ll run to the freezer while you introduce yourself to readers. Bio:
 
R. L. King is the author of the Alastair Stone Chronicles urban fantasy series, as well as the Shadowrun RPG novel Borrowed Time. A full-time indie author since 2017, she lives in the Silicon Valley with a supportive and understanding spouse, four cats, and a crested gecko named Lofwyr. When not writing, she enjoys gaming (video, tabletop RPG, and board), attending conventions, and watching TV. She does not, to be completely honest, enjoy exercising, but she tries to do that occasionally too.
 
Something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio: “My mother was a genuine psychic—she not only did card readings, but also worked with the local police and located missing people and things. I’m usually fairly skeptical about that kind of thing, to be honest, but I saw her do it enough times that I’m convinced she had some talent in that area.”
 
Contact links:
 
Email: rat@magespacepress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlastairStoneChronicles
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/R.-L.-King/e/B0084QBKYC
Web: http://www.alastairstonechronicles.com
Twitter: @dragonwriter11 (but I rarely use Twitter these days) INTERVIEW:
 
Ally: Where do you get your story ideas?
 
RLK:  I get them everywhere. I’m always on the lookout when I’m watching TV or movies, reading, looking at the news, listening to people talk—I’ve gotten ideas from some of the weirdest places. Usually they’re not fully-formed ideas, because I don’t like using ideas I find in other works. Generally a single line or concept will trigger something in my mind. I keep a file of 3x5 cards with idea snippets on them, and when I’m ready to write the next book I go through the file to see if there’s anything I can use to supplement whatever the main plot is. Sometimes one of these snippets will even give me an idea for a main plotline!
 
Ally:  What do you find most rewarding about a writing career? Most negative or frustrating?
 
RLK:  Most positive thing is a tie: I love being “captain of my own destiny,” having full control over story, release date, cover, and so forth. I also love telling stories, bringing my characters’ adventures to life to entertain readers. Like many authors I’m an introvert, but the idea that there are fans out there who enjoy my work and actually wait for the next book to come out is pretty nifty.
 
Most negative thing is that if you want to succeed as an indie author, there’s a certain amount of “what have you done for me lately?” attitude. You have to keep swimming, putting out books on a fairly regular schedule, or you sink beneath the tide of books coming out every day. So far I’ve been able to keep up with it, and I’ve got enough ideas that it shouldn’t be a problem for the foreseeable future, but it’s always scary having it hang over my head. I’m also not the best promoter—it’s getting easier for me to put myself out there, but it’s still not easy.
 
Ally: Talk about the main character of your featured book. Is he likable? Does he have off-putting flaws or beliefs?
 
RLK:  My main character is Dr. Alastair Stone. He’s a British expatriate teaching Occult Studies at Stanford University, and also a powerful mage. He’s attractive and can be very charming and likable when he wants to be, but he can also be quite sarcastic and nasty when he doesn’t like or respect someone.  He “doesn’t suffer fools gladly,” and hates bullies, stupid people, and willful incompetence. He never thought of himself as a hero, and at the beginning of the series he tended to avoid problems rather than facing them head-on. As the series progresses, though, he’s become quite the man of action! He’s also getting a lot better about asking for help instead of trying to handle his problems completely on his own.
 
Ally:  How did you choose the title of your featured book?

RLK:  Originally, I’d planned to use the same title for Book 1 (which eventually became Stone and a Hard Place). My editor didn’t like it for that book, though, and told me he thought I could come up with something better. I’m glad he did, because this title (House of Stone) works much better for this book. Stone’s ancestral home, a spooky old manor house in Surrey, England, has a major role in the story.
 
Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
 
RLK: I’m working on Book 1 of a spinoff series set in the Stone universe, and a novella featuring one of the secondary characters. I’m also in the middle of Book 19 of the main Stone series. The anticipated release date for that one is September 2019.
 
Ally: Now it’s quick answer time. Which questions did you choose?
 
RLK:a.  favorite tv show:  It’s a tie between Doctor Who and Lucifer. (Ally note: I love Lucifer!)b.  favorite quote: Another tie: “The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far.” – H. P. Lovecraft and “To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.” – Albus Dumbledore (J. K. Rowling).c.  What comes to you first - character or plot?  Character, absolutely. For me, plot comes from character.d.  Your pets:  I currently have four cats: a purebred Russian Blue girl named Sonata (or “Fred” as we call her), and three rescue tabbies, Clarice, Nabby, and Tessa (“Bug”).e.  A guilty pleasure – I like smart cartoons for kids. My current favorites are Milo Murphy’s Law, Phineas and Ferb, and The Loud House.  Ally: I’m still smiling over your last answer. I have a friend who says she watches cartoons just to be with the grandkids. The rest of us know better. Lol. But I digress. It’s been a pleasure meeting you. Best of luck with your books. Before I let you get away, tell us more about your featured novel. House of Stone:
Alastair Stone Chronicles Book 18

Genre: Urban Fantasy/Supernatural Thriller/Action
Rating: PG-13
 
Alastair Stone isn't proud of the dark deeds of his family's past, but he thought they were just that—past.
 
But when a routine renovation of his ancestral home releases a horde of angry spirits bent on vengeance against anyone of his blood, he soon learns that his family's horrific acts were even worse than he ever could have imagined.
 
Driven from his home, Stone must rally his most trusted friends and allies to discover the truth and find a way to exorcise the relentless spirits.
 
But the spirits aren't the only threats unearthed. A powerful enemy from the  past—one with forbidden and unspeakable powers—also has a vendetta against the Stone family.
 
And that doesn't even count the mysterious fiend in the sealed room...
 
Stone has bested many monstrous enemies in his magical career—but is he strong enough to fight his own past?
 
BUY Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ST8WR49/
The full series is available to purchase or read via KindleUnlimited
If you're a fan of the Dresden Files, this might be the series for you.

Celebrate the 4th of July!

What's a 4th of July celebration without music to go with the fireworks?
​The IndyStar website has made a Spotify  playlist  that has something for everyone, and ScoutSongs.com has a traditional list here  (clickable to lyrics). And you can find videos on Youtube.com that provide hours of patriotic listening.
​
But below are my two picks for 2019, lest we forget: America: youtu.be/RrgCxSSwBto
American Soldier: youtu.be/DWrMeBR8W-c

Happy 4th of July!

Vince Veselosky Writes Fantasy with a Hard Edge

Welcome to the Coffee Chat!
 
If you’re in the US, you’re probably busy with setting up fireworks or party planning for the 4th of July—but wherever you are, take a break and meet fantasy author Vince Veselosky. His urban fantasy/paranormal detective story, Cursing Fate, might be the perfect “next read.”
Good morning, Vince. How do you take your coffee?
 
VV:  Cream, no sugar, please.
 
Ally:  A quick and easy request. Just enough time to introduce yourself to readers while I’m filling our coffee mugs.  About the Author:

Vince Veselosky writes fantasy fiction with a hard edge and a wry sense of humor. He has reinvented himself throughout his career, having been at some stage a telemarketer, technical support representative, warehouse clerk, software developer, computer systems architect, US Marine, and novelist (not necessarily in that order, and none of which he necessarily recommends as a good career move for others). Vince lives in the Internet, but his avatar in the physical world can often be found haunting coffee shops in the Atlanta area.
 
Something unusual that isn’t in your regular bio: “A couple of years ago I undertook a project to do a complete DIY remodel of my house. It’s still in progress. (The next time I get a bright idea like that, someone convince me to write another book instead, please!)” 

Contacts:

Web: https://vince.veselosky.me
Twitter: @veselosky
Other services: If you can spell my last name, you will find me! INTERVIEW:
 
Ally:  Do your characters come to you fully formed with names and backgrounds?
 
VV:  I wish! Characterization is one of the most difficult tasks for me as an author. I have to do a lot of work to define who each character is, their backgrounds, their attitudes. Are they careless or meticulous? Serious or fun? Academic or practical? What is their political and religious background? How do they behave when they get angry, or drunk, or offended? Not all of that makes it onto the page, but without that work, I just can’t find the character’s voice. Nobody wants to read a book where every character sounds like a clone of me! (Ally note: If you're interested in his creative process, he has an interesting blog article here.)
 
Ally:  Talk about your main characters. Are they likable? Do they have off-putting flaws or beliefs? Are they “good” people? Is it important for them to be real or relatable? 

VV:  The logline for Cursing Fate described the characters like this: “A grouchy, alcoholic sorcerer who just wants to be left alone gets pulled into mortal danger by a sexy private eye with a hidden agenda.”
 
Mack is a guy who has been beaten down by the world and is ready to give up. He has convinced himself that he doesn’t care about anything anymore. He’s irritable, sarcastic, and yes, off-putting, but that’s the mask he wears. When it comes to the important stuff, he’s going to do the right thing. That’s a lesson he needs to learn about himself.
 
Recca, on the other hand, wears an air of mystery. She’s private, secretive, and untrusting, but everything she does, she does well.
 
Is it important for them to be real? Absolutely! I like to say “plot” is what happens, but story is how characters deal with what happens. Cardboard characters make for a weak story. But I don’t believe characters have to be likable in order to be interesting. In fact, the most interesting characters are probably not the kind of people you want to have over to family dinner!
 
Ally:  Do the people in your real life show up in your writing? 

VV:  Yes and no. I don’t ever try to put an individual directly on the page. I’m not in other people’s heads, and that could get offensive! But I watch the people in my real life for those distinctive characteristics that make them stand out, and I lend those characteristics to my characters to give them verisimilitude. Lilly’s craving for novelty, Miss Wanda’s contagious energy, Recca’s meticulous use of language to ensure that she never lies but still keeps her secrets. These things are hard to just make up. They come from real people with real personalities. And they are the aspects of my characters that readers tend to remember.
 
Ally:  Do you enjoy research? Does your genre require it? 

VV:  I enjoy research to the point of distraction! Before Cursing Fate, I was working on a medieval fantasy project, but I had to put that one on the shelf because I spent all my time researching and not enough time writing!
 
You wouldn’t expect urban fantasy to be a genre that requires a lot of research, right? After all, magic can be whatever you make it, and “urban” is pretty much everyday life, which we all know already. But during the writing of this series, I researched everything from the history of the Stanley Cup to why you find little chicken bones in random parking lots around Atlanta. I’ll start out with a simple question like “what’s the shortest route from Atlanta to New York?” and an hour later I realize I’m reading a Wikipedia page about yak shaving! All in the name of “research”.
 
Okay, maybe I have a problem….
 
Ally:  What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date? 

VV:  After completing The Piero Codex trilogy I needed a breather, but now the writing itch is becoming irresistible! My next project will be a medieval, secondary world fantasy series set against a truly epic historical backdrop. Think Game of Thrones meets Mists of Avalon! The world is tentatively called The Age of Queens, and the first installment in the series will be available in 2020.
 
Ally: Let’s see how you handle The Speed Round: 5 Short Answer Questions 
VV:Book you’re currently reading: The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph CampbellAn author (living or dead) you’d love to take to lunch: Anne Rice. The Vampire Lestat is still one of my favorite vampire novels!An item on your bucket list: To visit the fjords of Norway to see where and how the Vikings lived.Hiking or sunbathing? Hiking! Though I haven’t been in a while. I need to get out more!Do you believe in love at first sight? Sure! It happens to me almost every day. Never seems to last long, though. Ally: You’ve been a great guest, Vince. Best of luck with your books! And thank you for your service in the Marine Corps. Before you go, please share your featured book, Cursing Fate: The Piero Codex #1.
Cursing Fate: The Piero Codex (trilogy) Book One
Genre: Urban Fantasy/paranormal detective story
Rating: PG-13 (R - language caution)
 
Just because you can see the future coming, doesn't mean it won't run you over.
 
Mack is a sorcerer, a Fate-bender, who has spent his entire adult life dodging the Seers Guild authorities. Keeping tabs on their Fates helps him choose the best places to hide. Lately, he's been hiding at the bottom of a bottle of bourbon. He's content to stay there. Then one day another mysterious sorcerer casts a big, noisy, illegal curse into Mack's neighborhood. Suddenly the Seers Guild has thrown a dragnet over the city to nab the rogue sorcerer, and Mack is about to get caught in it.
 
Enter Recca Mann, a sexy private eye with razor-sharp eyes and a hidden agenda. She wants to enlist a freelance Fate-bender to help her catch the rogue first, and Mack fits the bill. Mack would rather hide in his bottle than risk his skin for a stranger's profit, but the Tapestry of Destiny says his best chance of a Fate outside a Guild dungeon is to take the job. The trick is, doing it without Recca finding out that Mack is on the Guild's most-wanted list.
With Guild tracers closing in fast, can Mack find the rogue before the Guild finds him? And if he does, can he trust Recca not to sell him out to the Guild for an extra buck?
 
Read it today!
 
https://books2read.com/vv-cursing-fate

Author Alledria Hurt Talks about Books, Reading, and More

Good Morning, Booklovers!
 
Welcome to this week’s Coffee Chat. My guest is Alledria Hurt, featuring her YA supernatural/paranormal, Wearing His Ring (She Becomes Death Book #1).
It's nice to meet you Alledria. How do you take your coffee?
 
AH:  Coffee is perhaps my favorite drink in the whole world. Depending on what’s available, or what kind, I might very well drink it black. When I fix it at home, I generally have coffee with a little bit of Sweet Cream creamer and no sugar. Just as an aside, I don’t think there is a bad time for coffee. I’ve literally had a cup, climbed into bed, and slept like a baby.
 
Ally: I envy you. If I drink coffee past three o’clock in the afternoon, I’m up all night. Or maybe the problem is the quantity I drink before three. Hmm. Anyway, I’ll have that coffee ready in a moment. While I pour, please tell readers a little of your background.
Bio:
 
Alledria Hurt is a Northern transplant. Born in Pennsylvania, she currently resides in haunted Savannah, GA with her husband and two cats. She genre hops like a frog on a hot rock, though she most often returns to the adventures of Melina Camp (She Becomes Death).
 
Something Unique/Unusual not in my regular bio: “I’ve tried working in sales on a number of different occasions. Perhaps the strangest time was when I worked as a door to door salesperson of vacuum cleaners.”
 
Find her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Email:
 
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ourladyofashes
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/alledriahurt
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/alledriaehurt
Email: alledria@alledriahurt.com INTERVIEW:
 
Ally:  What is your favorite social media? Why?
 
AH:  Twitter, hands down. I love being able to put a thought out there and see it go around the world. I mostly use Facebook for keeping up with people I actually know whereas my Twitter is an open free-for-all of people I’ve been in contact with for every reason under the sun. Plus, I’m still learning Instagram. It’s mostly so I can show off pictures of my cats.
 
Ally:  If you met Stephen King, what would you talk about?
 
AH:  I’d probably gush inappropriately for several minutes about how I’ve been reading him since my wee formative years and how much I adore the breadth of his work before asking why the Dark Tower series feels like a very, very long discussion on obsession.
 
Ally:  Do fans influence your writing? If so, in what way?
 
AH:  You’re gonna laugh. My first novel length work was Chains of Fate, which I wrote as a standalone. When my mother, who is a busy teacher, finally got around to reading it a year after it came out, she came to me and said, “Well, where’s the rest?” I blinked a moment. “That’s it. Story over.” She refused to take that as an answer, so she badgered me into writing book two, Blades of Fate. Then I realized I wasn’t finished yet and wrote book three, Ruins of Fate.  So the reason the Fate Circle Saga trilogy exists is because my first and biggest fan threw a mini-tantrum.
 
Ally:  Have you written or considered writing in other genres or other forms, such as short stories or screenplays? Why or why not. Would they be easier, harder, or just different?
 
AH:  Oddly enough, I have written short stories, screenplays, and just regular old theater plays. I like timed challenges such as Nanowrimo, which is what helped me write my very first novel length work which will never before God see the light of day. Yes, it’s that bad. However, it showed me it was possible. I have since participated in a self-run 30 stories in 30 days, 24 Hour Playfest, and 48 Film Project. Each of these challenges has taught me something a little different. However, what they have all taught me is: I can. If I want to, I can.
 
Ally:  What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
 
AH:  My work process is me writing one thing while editing another. I’m currently editing Rescue at Parmlir: Flights of Near Two for release in about two weeks, end of June. However, I’m writing Sisters which is a book about two sisters and their struggle against one another in a fantasy setting. There are demons and monsters and witches, but there is also a lot of intra-family angst.
 
Ally: I’m curious to see which of the short answer questions you chose to answer.
 
AH:a. Favorite Book: Cell by Stephen King. I come back to this book about once a year. I have a funny story about the first time I read it. I was sitting in a Best Buy. I had just bought the book because I wanted to read it and I had time to kill because Geek Squad was working on my car stereo. I open the book and get sucked in. Just as I get to the part where everything goes apeshit, my little red Nokia starts ringing. I think my heart stopped out of fright. (Cell is about a group of survivors dealing with the world after an electronic pulse carried through cellphones causes most of the world to go batty and homicidal.) I declined that call so fast.b. My Pets: Two cats. Black and white, Uhura, and orange tabby, Tegami.c. Author I’d like to take to lunch: Edgar Allen Poe.d. High heels or sneakers: I wear sneakers more often, but I’m a sucker for a chunky heel.e. Favorite Quote: A writer isn’t a person. They are a lot of people trying to be a person. Or something like that.(Google says the author was F. Scott Fitzgerald —“Writers aren't people exactly. Or, if they're any good, they're a whole lot of people trying so hard to be one person.”) Ally: Thanks for spending time with us, Alledria, but before you go, please tell us more about Wearing His Ring.
Wearing His Ring (She Becomes Death Book #1)
Genre: YA Supernatural/Paranormal adventure
 
Melina Camp’s life is far from enviable.
 
She’s the foundling daughter of a powerful magical family for whom only one person cares. Yet when the entire family is cursed to stone, it is up to her to free them within 28 days or watch them all die.
 
Faced with such a choice, she turns to her truest friend, the Immortal Death, for help, but Death has his own problems. As things deepen, it becomes clear someone wants to destroy Death and the Camp family, but who?
 
Buy Links:
 
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Wearing-Ring-Becomes-Death-Book-ebook/dp/B019HPF3O6/
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/wearing-his-ring/id1084836211
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/601308
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wearing-his-ring-alledria-hurt/1123150633?ean=9780692643914
 
Other books in the She Becomes Death series on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KBD7WX4?ref_=dbs_r_series&storeType=ebooks

Author Jessica James Writes about Honor, Duty, and True Love

Welcome to this week’s Coffee Chat!
 
Our guest author is Jessica James, a multi-genre writer of suspense, historical fiction, Christian fiction, women’s fiction, and military fiction.
So nice to meet you, Jessica. How do you take your coffee?
 
JJ:  I like it strong (like Black Rifle Coffee-strong) and with just a little cream.
 
Ally:  While I pour, please tell readers a little of your background.
Bio:
 
Jessica James believes in honor, duty, and true love—and that’s what she writes about in her award-winning novels that span the ages from the Revolutionary War to modern day.
She is a three-time winner of the John Esten Cooke Award for Southern Fiction, and has won more than a dozen other literary awards. Her novels have been used in schools and are available in hundreds of libraries including Harvard and the U.S. Naval Academy.
To combat the sedentary career of writing, Jessica works as a part-time stagehand at the Majestic Theater in Gettysburg, Pa., the “grandest small town theater in the nation.”
 
Something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio:
“I have a degree in veterinary technology and worked at a state-of-the-art surgical horse hospital in Virginia before writing my first book Shades of Gray. Coincidentally, the main character in that book was based on a real-life Civil War soldier whose center of operation was in the part of Virginia where the hospital was located.”
 
Contact Links:
 
Website: https://www.jessicajamesbooks.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001IYTXOG
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/586216.Jessica_James
BookBub : https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jessi...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RomanticHist...
​Twitter:  @jessicajames INTERVIEW:
 
Ally: Writing in so many genres must make it hard to decide which avenue to choose next. Why did you write your featured book, Lacewood?
 
JJ:  This is kind of a long story, but I wrote this book because I started to notice sycamore trees everywhere. (They are the trees with snowy white limbs in winter). Most people would ignore this sudden fascination, but I knew it was my writing angel trying to tell me something. After doing some research, I found out it was once called lacewood—and so the book was born. It actually combines all of my favorite things: history, mystery, old houses, small towns, and ghosts!
 
Ally:   Do your characters come to you fully formed with names and backgrounds?
 
JJ:  No…I wish! I’ve learned not to push (it does no good). They reveal themselves to me little by little.
 
Ally:   Why did you start writing? Why fiction?
 
JJ:  I started my writing career as a journalist and never thought I’d be able to make the switch over to writing fiction. It’s a completely different part of the brain and very different skill set. But just like anything else, the brain responds with practice.
 
Ally:  What’s the most meaningful thing a fan could say about your book?
 
JJ:  I get lots of emails (sometimes a little angry) that they stayed up all night reading because they couldn’t put the book down. I love hearing that! (Sorry for the loss of sleep, though).
 
Ally:  What is your next writing project?
 
JJ:  I’m still mulling over my next project. My readers have been clamoring for another Phantom Force Tactical series book, so I’m leaning toward that. Coincidentally, I just received notice that Front Line (Book 3) was a finalist in the Indie Excellence Awards contest.
  
Ally:  It's time to reveal which quick answer questions you chose to answer.
 
JJ: a. an author (living or dead) you'd love to take to lunch: Vince Flynn, creator of Mitch Rapp. (Ally note: One of my very favorites too.) b. favorite movie: The Wizard of Ozc. favorite accessory: Flip-flopsd. favorite book boyfriend: Mitch Rappe. Do you believe in love at first sight? I didn’t until I wrote a book that featured it in the plot. (Meant To Be). Now I’m a believer.  Ally: It was a pleasure chatting with you, Jessica. Before you go, please tell us about your featured book/new release, Lacewood. I understand it has a ghostly element...
​Lacewood
Genre: small town romantic women’s fiction/part ghost story/part historical fiction
​Release date: June 18, 2019
Rating: PG-13
 
Sometimes love is just too powerful for one lifetime…
​
MOVING TO A SMALL TOWN in Virginia is a big change for New York socialite Katie McCain. But when she stumbles across an abandoned 200-year-old mansion, she’s enthralled by the enduring beauty of the neglected estate—and captivated by the haunting portrait of a woman in mourning.
 
Purchasing the property on a whim, Katie attempts to fit in with the colorful characters in the town of New Hope, while trying to unravel the mystery of the “widow of Lacewood.” As she pieces together the previous owner’s heartrending story, Katie uncovers secrets the house has held for centuries, and discovers the key to coming to terms with her own sense of loss.
 
The past and present converge when hometown hero Will Durham returns and begins his own healing process by helping the “city girl” restore the place that holds so many memories. As the mystic web of destiny is woven, a love story that might have been lost forever is exposed, and a destiny that has been waiting in the shadows for centuries is fulfilled.
 
A powerful and poignant tale that vividly conveys the heartache of war, the tragedy of loss, and the fulfillment of destiny…even when souls are separated by centuries. Lacewood takes readers on a journey that connects the past with the present—and the present with eternity.
 
Rich in emotion and poignant in its telling, Lacewood is an unforgettable story about love and loss, roots and belonging…and spirits of the past that refuse to be quieted.
 
BUY LINKS: ***Release price is $3.99. Will be $8.99
 
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PW8BQJ4
Apple Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1447749646
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/mYoj2P
  
SHORT EXCERPT:

Turning in a circle, Katie studied the room again. Faded wallpaper curled and peeled above the dusty wainscoting, but the walls themselves appeared sturdy. On the far side of the entryway, and dominating the wall, stood a mammoth fireplace with an ornately carved hearth. Her attention was immediately drawn to a painting of a woman in nineteenth century dress that hung prominently over the mantel.

“Who is she?”

The sheriff turned to the dusty, sun-bleached portrait in the heavy carved guilt frame. “One of the previous owners, they say.” He shrugged. “The family history kind of got lost with the house. Everyone around here calls her the Widow of Lacewood.”

Katie stood spellbound. The woman was clothed completely in black, but the magnificence of the gown gave the impression of sophistication and class. Her chin was slightly elevated as if to project strength, yet there was more than a hint of sorrow and pain in her eyes.

“She looks so sad.” Katie spoke without removing her gaze. “And so young. How could she be a widow?”

The sheriff had already started to walk away, but he turned back and glanced at the painting. “Not sure, but they say she never remarried.”
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Katie’s heart suddenly struggled to beat. The anguish in the woman’s eyes kept her riveted. She could see the pain. Feel a heart ripped apart. Something was missing that could never be replaced. Katie had felt such loss before. In a way that’s why she was here. Thanks for stopping by the blog today. See you next week!
​ I'll put the coffee on...