Beth Winokur's Blog, page 4

Random Thoughts: 5 ★★★★★ review of Sunshine in Darkness by Beth Win...

Random Thoughts: 5 ★★★★★ review of Sunshine in Darkness by Beth Win...: Rose Sunshine Pilgrim is a seventeen-year-old who’s never spoken to a human whose body has been infested from birth by an Intruder, a wraith...

Interview with Sharon Bayliss and Review of The Charge

How-do!
This week I was lucky enough to interview author Sharon Bayliss and review her debut novel The Charge. 
The Charge’s blurb:
When King of the Texas Empire kidnaps Warren's brother, Warren embarks into a still       Wild West to save him. On his journey, he makes a discovery that changes his life forever—he and his brother are long-lost members of the Texas royal family and the King wants them both dead. 
 He gets help from an activist Texan named Lena, who's itching to take on the King and happens to be a beautiful firecracker Warren can't stay away from. Convincing her he's not one of the bad guys becomes harder when a mysterious energy stirs in his body, turning his brain into a hive of emotions and memories—not all his own.
 A legacy of violence is not all he inherited from the brutal Kings of Texas. The myth that the royal family possesses supernatural powers may not be myth at all.
 Gone are the days when choosing a major was a big deal. Now Warren must save his brother and choose whether or not to be King, follow a King, or die before he can retire his fake ID. 
 
***
The Review
 I would first like to say that I am partial to any story that is layered with politics, especially one that pits democracy against monarchy (I majored in Political Science and love fictional politics – real stuff not so much). So after reading the blurb I was excited to read Sharon’s book.  Not only does she know how to write a compelling blurb (ha ha ha – what a great figure of speech!), she writes a damn fine book!  Great job, Sharon!
The characters were well developed; I really rooted for Warren and Lena and even found myself occasionally cheering for the bad guys.
I enjoy the way Sharon constructed the story.  Her use of third-person narrative while occasionally changing the focal character gives the story an immediacy and helps to keep things fresh and interesting.
There were times when I was reading where, had the character and I been talking, we would have said the same thing at the same time.  I would have been owed lots of Cokes…if you don’t know what that means, then I’m sorry, you had no childhood—maybe you’re a robot or a Caebellum (you’ll have to read the book to find out what a Caebellum is).
Additionally, I really liked the alternate history aspect of The Charge.  “The Texas Empire” …who doesn’t feel giddy whenever those words are next to each other?  It sounds like it should have some Ben-Hur timpani along with it.
Sharon also left room for a sequel (thank you – I’ll definitely be reading it!) while still managing to tie up enough loose ends to give a satisfying end.
There’s also some romantic tension for all you lovers of the mushy stuff too: not enough to overwhelm or detract from the story, but enough to sweeten things up and which I would have missed were it not there.
I can easily see The Charge as a bestseller. I have already recommended it to my seventeen-year-old son.  I don’t think I even need to say it, but this book gets 6 stars out of 5 (my version of 11, as in “it’s one louder”).
***
Quotes
 
“Lean had always believed in the soul. But only on faith, until that moment.  She felt hers now. He touched it. She pictured the soul as a point of light near the heart, but it ran like electricity through her entire body and mingled with the energy outside her skin. It felt he gently tugged on parts of her soul. She didn’t feel pain, but she could hardly bear the intimacy.”


“The next pulse of pain might take out his heart. Wetness slid down his neck he guessed blood at first, but no, he was weeping. He knew the tears meant he wanted to live. He wanted it more than he had ever wanted anything.”
 
“You’ve been brainwashed by the U.S. anti-Texas propaganda if you believe Texans aren’t up to fighting for their nation. They are a nation of ready-made soldiers who love their country like they love their wives.”
 
***
 
The Interview
 
Tell us about your most recent work.
When the King of the Texas Empire kidnaps Warren's genius brother, Warren embarks into a still-wild West to save him. On his journey, he makes a discovery that changes his life forever—he and his brother are long-lost members of the Texas royal family and the King wants them both dead.
Who inspired/helped you the most?  (they can be dead or alive)
I give credit to my husband. Fortunately, he's too kind and stable to inspire a book character, but definitely falls into the "helpful" category. He's supported me the whole way, even though it hasn't always been easy.
What are your five favorite books and why?
-Harry Potter (all of them) – Just a wonderfully entertaining story.
-1984, The Handmaid's Tale, & Oryx & Crake – Inspired my love of dystopia.
-Warm Bodies – The last a book I read. A great example of an unique spin on usual tropes.
 
What are you working on right now?
Oh, trying to manage all my responsibilities without going crazy. Did you mean in writing? J Currently, I'm working on a short story that I wish to submit to an anthology with other authors form Curiosity Quills Press.
What were some of the obstacles you encountered while writing your book and how did you overcome them?
Where to begin? J Lastly, if you had to give a one-hour lecture to a hundred 13 year-olds….what would be the topic of your lecture? Why?
That is a creative question! If I'm allowed a little flexibility, I don't think an hour-long lecture would be appropriate for 13 year olds. I put together an active activity. Maybe a scavenger hunt or a kickball tournament. If I was forced to do a lecture, at the risk of upsetting their parents, I might instruct them on sex education and healthy relationships. I did one of my social work internships at a middle school and it was my job to teach 8th grade girls about healthy relationships. A tough task, but an important topic for that age. 
 

Sharon's Links
Blog/Website: www.sharonbayliss.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorsharonbayliss
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sharonbayliss
Google +:  https://plus.google.com/u/0/103722620541134203282
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17239442-the-charge
*Sharon is also hosting a free giveaway from now until the end of the month (3/31)

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/MmMyNDE3OTA0MzA4OTcxNjdmM2UzZjZjZTQ0YjhjOjEx/
 Y’all come back now, y’hear?

A Nod to the Prince

Feasgar Math (Scots Gaelic for “Good Afternoon/Evening”),
This week I had the double-pleasure of interviewing author Mike Robinson and reviewing his most recent book, The Prince of Earth.  This book falls under the horror and psychological thriller category and delivered both. The prose flowed as if it were a literary fiction novel, and I found myself feeling both frightened and uplifted—which is a strange feeling, it’s how I think a Jim Jones conference would feel like (“pass the Kool-Aid”).J
First the Interview:
+++
Tell us about your most recent work.
As with many books, I both intentionally and unwittingly skirt genre categorization (mostly unwittingly), but my latest, The Prince of Earth, can be tentatively slotted on the Horror shelf. What kind of “horror” it is, though, can vary: there are elements strongly psychological, surreal, and monstrous. The story follows a young woman named Quincy Redding, a fantasy geek and adventurer, who in 1988 is capping off a solo European backpacking trip by climbing the infamously haunted peak Ben MacDui, in the Cairngorms of Scotland. Simultaneously, we follow her also in 2008, twenty years later, when as a mother and businesswoman she begins experiencing mounting anomalies that may be related to a mysterious encounter in 1988, atop MacDui. The eras become entwined. You question her, you question yourself.
Who inspired/helped you the most?  (they can be dead or alive)
For The Prince of Earth specifically, I called on the still-living spirits of Cormac McCarthy and Haruki Murakami. McCarthy because I wanted to paint a rich atmosphere, a landscape as much a character as was the wild, battle-ravaged Southwest in his opus, Blood Meridian. Murakami because I love his surreal enigmas, how with every page his characters stumble on yet another colorful crack in the world, and how constantly he leaves you transfixed, wondering, What is happening? How is this happening? It feels almost personal, as if it’s your own world unraveling its weirdness. Finally, I should acknowledge Lovecraft, the grandaddy of unfathomable, malicious grandeur. I love things beyond explanation, and I suppose that’s the binding theme here -- Blood Meridian’s antagonist Judge Holden, Murakami’s nether-worlds and Lovecraft’s creatures all transcend proper definition.
What are your five favorite books and why?
That’s a difficult pick. I love so many books, and their positions on any list is selfsame, as in, they’ll always be on the list, but their status may depend on certain moods, days, or phases of my life. Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury is up there, for its remarkable ability to make the ordinary feel fantastical (Steinbeck does this, too, though I prefer Bradbury’s hand). There’s a tie between Vonnegut’s Galapagos and his Breakfast of Champions, both of which, operating on Vonnegut’s characteristic zaniness, deliver biting, ageless and much-needed satire. My favorite non-fiction is still Conversations with God, a straight-forward, beautifully written book that, to its high credit, finds authentic middle-ground between traditional religion and empiricism. The aforementioned Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy makes the list, for its extraordinary craft, and equally extraordinary villain, the judge. And last I’d say Cervantes’ Don Quixote, for its hilarious experiments in meta-narrative, the wonderful exchange between Don and Sancho, and how organic it feels: half a millennium later, you still get the sense it’s being written as you read it. It’s also infectious -- more than once I felt compelled to strike out on my own wayward journey. Runner-up favorites are West’s Miss Lonelyhearts, Sinclair’s Main Street, Joyce’s Ulysses, Stephen King’s It, Doris Lessing’s A Briefing for a Descent Into Hell, Hermann Hesse’s Demian, Mark Danielweski’s House of Leaves, anything by Mark Twain and way too many others.
What are you working on right now?
Right now I’m buried in editorial projects, for myself and for others (I’m a freelance editor, and also work for my publisher, Curiosity Quills Press). Writing-wise, I’m beginning a collaboration with indie bestseller Aiden James, on the third installment of his series, Talisman Chronicles. My next novel, Negative Space, a quirky thriller / art satire / road journey / metaphysical work (remember, Genres, I’m none too loyal) will release August 17th this year.
What were some of the obstacles you encountered while writing your book and how did you overcome them?
Lately, in beginning projects, as a word or two squeaks out, as everything sounds wooden or banal, I get hung up in neurotic analysis of, How the hell did I ever do this before? But I know it’s me getting better, becoming less indiscriminate about what I initially throw at the page. I certainly experienced this in starting The Prince of Earth. I don’t outline, so I let the world, and especially Quincy, take me where I needed to go. It was slow, but gradually picked up steam. Editorially, the challenge came in pruning way back on the marshland of verbiage in that 1st draft, and realizing maybe I wasn’t so discriminate after all. But in all honesty, this book came a little more full-formed than others, and for that I’m always thankful.
Lastly, if you had to give a one-hour lecture to a hundred 13 year-olds….what would be the topic of your lecture? Why?
Hmm. Dinosaurs? Or they’d be “too old” for that, maybe (as for some reason gigantic prehistoric creatures with gnashing teeth, who devoured and impaled each other, are a child’s thing). Maybe I’d try to smuggle in a history lesson by discussing the “ancient astronaut” theory, the idea that extraterrestrials have influenced, even guided, our civilization. I’d also try to implore them to later on get into the sciences or the arts, as this world has had its fill of those running amok in finance, business and law. It’s hard, because I’m trying to go off of what would have interested me at that time, which I know differed starkly from many other peers. Oh, those kids today (and then).
+++

Prince of Earth Blurb:
It had come back.
            It had come back and it was stronger.
            It’s been twenty years. Not again. Not now.
            Not anytime.

            In 1988, young American traveler Quincy Redding is trekking across the misty terrain of the Scottish Highlands. She is destined for the infamous peak Ben MacDui, the summit of        which soon finds her inexplicably debilitated and at the mercy of a malevolent entity.

            The book spans twenty years, alternately following Quincy in her 1988 ordeal in Scotland             as well as Quincy in 2008, when, as an adult, she begins experiencing abnormalities that        threaten her family and her life – phenomena that may be related to what happened all            those years ago.

            As both older and younger Quincy learn more of their situation, and as their worlds           further entwine, she becomes increasingly uncertain of the perceived temporality or reality of each period.
+++
My Review of The Prince of Earth:
            1. This book had great use of language, great story, ripe little nuggets of wisdom (did I mention this book has substance), and lots of creepy!! I give it five out of five stars.
2.  I really enjoyed this book.  Once, while having a bout of insomnia, I sat on my couch; it was about three am (prime time to read horror).  I remember thinking: that’s creepy, poor Quincy, wow that’s messed up… and then all of a sudden the book took me somewhere even darker than I’d expected. I became paralyzed on my couch, thinking: if I get up the Prince will find me. That was also the exact moment my enormous German Shepherd decided to bark at an empty corner (which gave me a nice little panic attack).
What the hell, Mike Robinson?  A little, “this book is going to mess you up,” warning would have been nice.
3. This book hooked me from the beginning. I repeated the phrase, “I’m reading,” so often that after a while I think the person or persons who disturbed me heard another phrase, one that sounded a lot like “piss-off” or something to that effect.  Good job, Mike!
 Quotes
+++
“She meditated, aligning the three blocks of her being, as best she could. Her body raced. Her mind raced. Her soul was oddly quiet.”
“You thought of the Shoe Tree, which you’d only seen once—a group of junior high and high school kids had decorated a remote tree by the waterfall with dozens and dozens of old shoes.  They hung like dirty old earrings, their laces like encrusted moss. What was the significance of that anyway? Art? A place to do drugs? You didn’t know. You couldn’t remember.”
“People,” said the prince, “do not have so much memories but fantasies of the past, and these fantasies are often influenced by those of the present, or dreams of the future.  Nostalgia is a symptom of this.  I find inspiration in people’s creations. I devour them as they are the bulk of my material.”
+++
Well that’s the blog for this week.  I am off this week to listen to bluegrass, and jazz and I think a harpist. I love music…a bonus is the bluegrass group, The Rivertucky Ramblers, is playing a song called Mi Calida Forno (I wrote the lyrics and my husband wrote the music). It’s a love song to the San Andreas Fault and the American Southwest.JI’ll try to get a recording and post it next week.
Latha Math (that’s “bye bye” in Scots Gaelic)

Dr. Seuss and Aliens

Hello alien friends,
This week’s blog is, unfortunately, on the anemic side.  I don’t have a new book to review …not because haven’t sunk my teeth into something good (actually, I’m something of a book whore – more on that next week).  It’s because life has been busy…my daughter’s baseball season is up and running, and I’ve been writing more than I’ve been reading.
I’ve also attended some writing meetings and a lecture at the Ontario Library—(what’s up San Bernardino Library?  I have to travel some 35 miles to be involved in the SoCal-writing world).  I listened to a lecture by literary agent and lawyer Paul Levine on Wednesday night.  The lecture was eye-opening; filled with lots of information – some quite bitter going down.  However, as Dr. Seuss says,
                                    There are so many things you can learn about, but
                                    You’ll miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut.
 So I’m glad I learned.
At yet another writer’s meeting (again, thanks to the city of Ontario) we were prompted to write about how we identify ourselves – not the suit we put on every day before we exit our front doors – but how we view ourselves.  Then we were asked to write about who influenced or nurtured our identity.  Since I don’t have much to discuss this week, I thought I would share it.
***
Kurt Vonnegut does not accept bad behavior (harming others) because he believes, much as I do, that humans are capable of, for lack of a better word, more.  He finds humor in everything, whether it is his belief that we are all here to fart around, or that we should never use a semicolon because of its hermaphroditic nature.  He believes in staying honest and striving to be a better person…which is why when asked how I identify myself, I say: I’m an alien striving to become human.
 
Good thing no one believes in aliens. J
Well that’s all folks.
Next week I’ll review, The Prince of the Earth by Mike Robinson. 
As always, feel free to leave a comment.

Review of UnEnchanted

Greetings fellow humans,

This week has flown by; my hope is that it slows down this weekend.

Today I’m reviewing a young-adult novel:

UnEnchanted (an Unfortunate Fairy Tale Book 1) by Chanda Hahn.

Here’s the blurb:

Mina Grime is unlucky, unpopular and uncoordinated, that is until she saves her crushes life on a field trip, changing her High School status from loser to hero overnight. But with her new found fame brings misfortune in the form of an old family curse come to light. For Mina is descended from the Brothers Grimm and has inherited all of their unfinished fairy tale business. Which includes trying to outwit a powerful Story from making her it's next fairytale victim.
To break the fairy tale curse on her family and make these deadly occurrences stop, Mina must finish the tales until the very Grimm end.

You can see why I picked the book, actually, there were two reasons: One, it sounded like fun (which it was) and two, it was free…and still is. The characters were believable, the story maintained a steady momentum and it didn’t have the dreaded mid-story sag. I give this story 5 out of 5 stars. I will definitely read the second book.

If you haven’t already checked out my book Sunshine in Darkness. It’s on sale right now on Amazon for $0.99. It has received very good reviews. I have been singing the “I love reviewers” song this week. I think it goes G, Am, E, F. Maybe I’ll make a recording of it for you all next week. J



So, that’s it for this week. I’ll leave you with the same questions posed last week:

1. What are the goals of the current project you’re working on?

2. What inspires you?

3. If you could live in a painting or as a character in a movie or a book for a day, who or what would it be or what would it be and why?


One final note * Look to your left, do you see the Amazon search tool to the side? I have put that there for you, and for this blog. If you purchase things (anything) on Amazon regularly, click on this search button and Amazon will give me a small percentage that will go toward giveaways for this blog.J It doesn’t affect your purchase price or anything like that, it only makes it so I’m able to afford giveaways for you – maybe I should write an “I love Amazon” song too.

Review of UnEnchanted

Greetings fellow humans,
This week has flown by; my hope is that it slows down this weekend.
Today I’m reviewing a young-adult novel:
UnEnchanted (an Unfortunate Fairy Tale Book 1) by Chanda Hahn.
                               Here’s the blurb:
Mina Grime is unlucky, unpopular and uncoordinated, that is until she saves her crushes life on a field trip, changing her High School status from loser to hero overnight. But with her new found fame brings misfortune in the form of an old family curse come to light. For Mina is descended from the Brothers Grimm and has inherited all of their unfinished fairy tale business. Which includes trying to outwit a powerful Story from making her it's next fairytale victim.
To break the fairy tale curse on her family and make these deadly occurrences stop, Mina must finish the tales until the very Grimm end.
You can see why I picked the book, actually, there were two reasons: One, it sounded like fun (which it was) and two, it was free…and still is. The characters were believable, the story maintained a steady momentum and it didn’t have the dreaded mid-story sag. I give this story 5 out of 5 stars.  I will definitely read the second book.
If you haven’t already checked out my book Sunshine in Darkness.  It’s on sale right now on Amazon for $0.99.  It has received very good reviews.  I have been singing the “I love reviewers” song this week.  I think it goes G, Am, E, F. Maybe I’ll make a recording of it for you all next week. J
So, that’s it for this week. I’ll leave you with the same questions posed last week:
1. What are the goals of the current project you’re working on?
2. What inspires you?
3. If you could live in a painting or as a character in a movie or a book for a day, who or    what would it be or what would it be and why?

One final note * Look to your left, do you see the Amazon search tool to the side?  I have put that there for you, and for this blog.  If you purchase things (anything) on Amazon regularly, click on this search button and Amazon will give me a small percentage that will go toward giveaways for this blog.J  It doesn’t affect your purchase price or anything like that, it only makes it so I’m able to afford giveaways for you – maybe I should write an “I love Amazon” song too.

Three new 5 Star Reviews!

Sunshine in Darkness has recieved three more five star reviews. Happy dance time! Thank you to awesome people who take the time out of thier busy days to review. :)

Sunshine in Darknesss Free today!!

Sunshine in Darkness eBook is free today at Amazon.

Grab it. Read it. Enjoy it!

That is all!

*Well that, and if you find the time please review it :) Reviews are much appreciated. So far they have caused me to perform happy dances while playing my ukulele.

Paranoia & Forgetfulness

Review for:
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: In search for the American Dream, by Hunter S. Thompson.
After finishing this book, I am utterly exhausted and desperately in need of a drink.  Who would have know that they actually found the American dream…Yep it’s a place. I think, if I understand it correctly; it’s inside Circus Circus (at least it was in 1971). 
++++++
Quotes
“Jesus! Did I say that? Or just think it? Was I talking? Did they hear me? I glanced over at my attorney, but he seemed oblivious—watching the road, driving our Great Red Shark along at a hundred and ten or so.”
“In a scene where nobody with any ambition is really what he appears to be, there’s not much risk in acting like a king-hell freak.  The overseers will nod wisely at each other and mutter about “these godddamn no-class put-ons.”
“The only thing that really worried me was the ether.  There is nothing in the world more helpless and irresponsible and depraved than a man in the depths of an ether binge.  And I knew we’d get into that rotten stuff pretty soon. Probably at the next gas station.”                    ++++++

This book had me biting my nails and grinding my teeth… I definitely needed some extra vitamin B to get rid of the paranoid episodes that Thompson dragged me through.  On the bright side, after reading this, I’m completely confident that I can talk my way out of (or at least amuse myself) any situation—it’s easy; just follow the logic and lead of the Doctor and Attorney.  I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.  And will not be reading another one of Hunter S. Thompson’s books until I have fully detoxed and recovered from this one.  Now to watch the movie – after that drink of courseJ
What to read next?  Any suggestions?
Moving on:  This week I participated in the Three-Minute Fictionround 10 competition on All things Considered via NPR. The prompt was to write a three-minute voice-mail message consisting of 600 words or less.  I thought I’d share my mine with you. It was my only contribution to yesterday’s fuzzy Valentine ’s Day festivities —well that, and giving away a bunch of chocolate to some thirty or forty sugar-addicted monsters…I mean children.
JEnjoy.
I Can’t Remember the Title. No Really, I Can’t:    
I guess you’re still busy. I’ve called you a few times but that’s cool, you must have a lot going on. I was hoping that you could come over. I seem to have forgotten who I am.  I woke up on the couch, and I don’t know how I got here…or where here even is. Your number was written on my hand.  I hope I dialed the right number, because the nine looks a lot like a four…it’s a little smudged.  Anyways, only thing I can remember is you. I really wish the voice-mail robot said your name instead of your number.
My phone says it’s February 15—I hope we had a nice Valentine’s day. Maybe I got lucky yesterday and this is your fault – ha ha. I wish I could remember.
I drank some water and paced the apartment waiting for my memory to come back.  I even tried staring at myself in the mirror for about ten minutes, but the guy in the mirror doesn’t even seem remotely familiar. The picture on the mantle is of you and me. I wish I could remember when and where we took it. Is that Hawaii? Wherever that picture was taken, we look happy and you look beautiful. 
I thought some fresh air might do me some good and help me remember. But I can’t find the keys to lock up and I don’t even know what kind of neighborhood this is, so I didn’t want to risk leaving the door unlocked, or worse, get locked out. Then where would I be…a homeless amnesiac.
It took me a while to find the phone. I heard it chime from under the couch cushions–it was a text message from the phone company—apparently, my bill is due in five days.  Well okay then, I guess call me back.  It’s getting dark, and I’m a little worried that I might not remember you if I fall asleep again, or worse—you might not remember me – ha ha?
 
This week’s 3 questions: last week 3 are still blank so I’m going to stick with those.  J
1. What are the goals of the current project you’re working on?
2. What inspires you?
3. If you could live in a painting or as a character in a movie, or a book for a day, who would it be or what painting would it be? Why?
 
Lastly, I can’t blog without a promotional primal scream, I’ll keep it simple: Buy Sunshine in Darkness…other people like it, and statistics show that 10 out of 10 people who know other people like something, find they like it too—It’s like gonorrhea at an old folks home.

Sunshine in Darkness now available

Greetings and Salutations!
This week, I am happy to report the release of my debut novel Sunshine in Darkness.  It is a young adult/teen paranormal story. This story is told from the perspective of Sunshine Pilgrim, a seventeen-year old girl who has lived outside her body since birth. 
Here is the blurb: A dark, demon-like creature has possessed Sunshine’s body since the day she was born. Now, seventeen years later, she is done watching from the outside while the Intruder wrecks her life. When the opportunity arises to reclaim her body, she takes it.
Finally back in her body, Sunshine is arrested and, with her mother’s approval, sent to a mental institution where Intruders abound. Sunshine must learn who she is, take charge of her life, fight the Intruders, and look sane while doing it. 
Sunshine in Darkness is in essence a metaphorical coming of age story.  Check it out!
This week: I have been busy promoting my debut novel, finishing the last edits on The Adventure’s of Abby and Sofia: The Crocodile Pool –the children’s chapter book series I’m writing. I have also finished three more chapters of the second book in The Adventure’s of Abby and Sofia series.
 Between promotions (social media is a swirling, sucking, all-consuming vortex from which there is no escape…it is so in my face that I can only complain about social media on a social media site. Mostly because I am too busy to see my friends and family because I’m blogging, Facebooking and Twittering etc...help! help! help!), my children’s book, and the little bit of time traveling I’ve done—mostly to 1835 (research for another story I have been cradling) I have done little reading this week.  I hang my head in shame ;(  But I might just get time for my much needed escapism this weekend: it is both cold and rainy…my favorite!  So, with any hope, I’ll steer clear of omniscient social media and read read read!
Also, I have this idea for a different type of interview/blog tour.  I want to hear from other writers, painters, musicians, dancers…artists etc.  I think it would be good to create a community of artists and art lovers who are willing to discuss and question what we do and why we do it—and not just promote out work (yes, of course you can still mention your most recent release, I value that too and see its necessity).  I just think sometimes, there are so many voices screaming simultaneously that there is no way to hear what any one person is saying.  I believe it is our connections that matter.  I want to quiet the room for a moment and listen to what you are doing and why you’re doing it. After all, we are all artist/people of our time I want to know how others see it.
Okay, I’ll stop (really…I didn’t intend on writing a manifesto!) So, here is my idea: it’s called Three Questions.  I’m going to post three questions, if you are an artist or a lover of the arts (of any type) answer them. 
 This week’s Three Questions:  
1.. What project are you currently working on?

2. What inspired you to start that project?
3. If you could live in a painting or as a character in a movie, or a book for a day, who would it be or what painting would it be? Why?
*feel free to leave a link to your blog, or work.J
As always feel free to leave a comment…have a good book suggestion? Or is there an event coming up that you would like to share?