Diane Bator's Blog, page 34
January 21, 2022
Round Robin Blog Fest January 2022
Happy New Year to all of the Round Robin Bloggers and those who follow us!
If you're not familiar with the Blog Fest, each month we go around the world - literally! - and answer the same great writing question put forth by our fearless leader Robin. This month's question is:
How are you dealing with the COVID pandemic in your contemporary novels/short stories? Not as a political statement or polarizing pro/con mask stance, but the way the COVD virus effects the day-to-day lives of your characters and appears within the story’s plot line?
So far the pandemic has not permeated any of my novels. I've chosen to keep them in quarantine where the virus can't touch them. There has been so much negativity and conflict as a result of all of these protocols that I didn't want to add to it.
I did, however, write a short story over the holidays that I based in a mall at Christmas. While I didn't go into great detail about protocols and the like, I did mention things like everyone wearing masks and trying to remain socially distant.The story begins in a gift-wrapping kiosk which is surrounded by Plexiglas and refered to by the two main characters, Drew and Harley, as a snow globe. When an agitated customer brings them a package to wrap that sets off alarm bells for them both, Drew sets off to find out where the man is going and what he's up to.
Funny enough, the whole desk idea was inspired by my desk at work. Where I used to work behind an oak desk in a historic building, during Covid my workspace was renovated and now very much resembles an Ikea desk-based fish bowl. (Long story!) To the point I'm planning to color some paper fish to decorate it with. When I told my boss about my plan, he nearly fell off his chair laughing!
This is not my boss!My current work-in-progress (book #13!) will not have anything to do with Covid but I can't speak to future series. With any luck this will all become a distant memory and lockdowns will become a thing of the past. For now I'll focus on "normal" and hopefully continue to entertain and distract readers from the new protocols we'd rather not thing about on a moment to moment basis.
And now I pass the blog torch along to my fellow bloggers to see how they feel about writing the pandemic into their stories...
Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/
Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea
Anne Stenhouse http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com
Marci Baun http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/
Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-2wY
Judith Copek http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/
Helena Fairfax https://helenafairfax.com/blog/Robin Courtright http://rhobincourtright.com
January 20, 2022
Declan Finn releases White Ops, the first book in his White Ops series.
White Ops
A stunning new novel by Dragon Award Nominee, Declan Finn
Released and published by Tuscany Bay Books
The book is available worldwide in e-format
The Pharmakoi rampaged across dozens of star systems, taking on the toughest races in the Galaxy in their campaign of conquest. But they are only the beginning.
Sean Patrick Ryan sees that another race is behind the Pharmakoi expansion; a race that wants to test our galaxy for weakness, and who needs to be eliminated from within. To fight the enemy in the shadows, Sean will put together a strike team to light up the darkness— with nukes if necessary.
They will get the job done at any cost.
Amazon.com Link: White Ops eBook : Finn, Declan: Amazon.ca: Kindle Store
Amazon.ca: White Ops eBook : Finn, Declan: Amazon.ca: Kindle Store
More Books upcoming in the series:
Politics Kills, White Ops Book #2 COMING FEBRUARY 15, 2022
Main Street D.O.A, White Ops #3 COMING MARCH 15, 2022
About Declan:
Finn is known for being annoyingly Catholic, his action sequences, and writing faster than most readers can keep up with. In less than a decade, he has written 30 novels, and is waiting for all of them to be published. He's been part of multiple anthologies, and will write for anyone.
To request additional review copies or an interview with Declan, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925.
We look forward to the coverage!
January 18, 2022
The Big Power of Tiny Connections by Executive Coach and Corporate Trainer, Jen Nash
The Big Power of Tiny Connections
How Small Interactions Spark Awesome Outcomes
The stunning debut book from Executive Coach and Corporate Trainer, Jen Nash
Published by Big Shift Press and available in Hardcover, Paperback and e-book format
This book is a Must-Read for anyone who wants a Bigger Life
Using amazing true-life stories and scientific research on how we listen, talk, and crave connection, this book demonstrates that making time to connect is the most productive thing we can do to thrive at home or at work. Jen Nash underscores how powerfully connection supports your happiness, health, and well-being, while also sharing practical ways you can find and make connections on a daily basis—almost anywhere.
In this zippy read, Nash explains how the opportunity to connect is everywhere and how we can get more than we ever dreamed of out of life if we make the effort to lean in and say hello.
Whether you want to go to more parties, get a better job, make more money, or get laid more—reading this book can give you practical strategies for doing it all. A happier, more successful, and more fulfilling life is within your reach and The Big Power of Tiny Connections will show you the way.
"This book explains how even the smallest connections have the power to change your life forever. It’s not only a must-read — it’s a fun read.”—Allison Graham, Keynote Speaker & Author of Take Back Your Weekends
“I’ve seen Jen Nash in action and she is a master at building relationships for herself and others. In this book, she’s sharing her golden playbook and making it crystal clear why our breadth of connections is linked to our personal success.”—Bill Carmody, Head of Coaching for Positive Intelligence
About Jen:
As a Connector in Chief, she helps people and companies add more meaning to their lives through connection. She is a master story-telling facilitator, a connection-focused keynote speaker, a sought-after executive coach, and the author of the book: The Big Power of Tiny Connections— How Small Interactions Spark Awesome Outcomes. With two decades of dedicated learning and professional experience working as a senior consultant for Fortune 100 Pharma, Health, Tech, and Finance giants—Jen integrates human behavioral theory with real-world practicalities. Jen understands that you can be critically successful and yet still wonder if there isn’t meant to be more for you? To that end Jen has coached and trained hundreds of individuals on stepping into their potential, mastering connective speaking, and being the best leaders, they can be. Jen has completed training as a Coach For Life and is a member of the ICF. She is regularly interviewed on a wide range of podcasts talking about coaching and her book The Big Power of Tiny Connections. Born in Canada and raised around the world in such countries as Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Australia, Jennifer confuses people by speaking French with a French accent and trying her hands at over 40 other languages. She studied Communication Design at Parsons & The New School for Social Research in New York City. When not traveling the globe learning new ways to say ‘thank you’ and finding bright souls with whom to foster lifelong friendships; Jen Nash can be seen biking around New York City, Los Angeles or striding around el Centro in San Miguel Allende, Mexico.
More information about Jen can be found at: About — Jen Nash
To request additional review copies or an interview with Jen Nash, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com/ 403.464.6925.
We look forward to the coverage!
January 15, 2022
Mark Leslie releases Fright Nights, Big City, the fourth book in the Canadian Werewolf series.
From Small Town to Big City – The Big Nickel to the Big Apple
How a self-confessed book nerd has taken a life-long inspiration from Spider-Man
Mark Leslie Lefebvre has a lot in common with Michael Andrews, the main character of his latest novel, Fright Nights, Big City. And Andrews has a lot in common with Peter Parker, the alter-ego of Spider-Man.
Lefebvre, who writes under the name Mark Leslie, grew up in a small town with a population of approximately 2,000 people. To him, a “big city,” even with its 1980s era population was a little over 90,000. Michael Andrews, the hero of his Canadian Werewolf series that started with the 2016 release of A Canadian Werewolf in New York, also grew up in a small Ontario town, but found himself re-located to a much larger city.
The series, which the author describes as humorous thrillers, follows the adventures of a man cursed with lycanthropy. On the nights of a full moon, he turns into a grey wolf with no human consciousness or memory of his time roaming about on all fours. And, when in human form, he possesses additional senses and supernatural strength that he uses to help others.
Andrews, like Lefebvre himself, is a bit out of place in a big city, and some of the humor is derived from that ‘fish out of water’ scenario as well as the human being a bit of a nerd and geeky pushover. Lefebvre marveled at reading science-fiction and fantasy novels, as well as the extensive selection of comic books available at both locations. Inspired by the nerd-turned hero Peter Parker, Lefebvre loved the superhero’s creed that ‘with great power comes great responsibility.’ “Michael Andrews, who, in the novels, reveals his love of the world-famous wall-crawler, was, like me, inspired by Peter Parker. He also realizes that his curse came with side-effects that could be applied to helping others.”
In Fright Nights, Big City, the fourth book in the Canadian Werewolfseries, Andrews teams up with two other supernatural humans and an occult expert to take on an infiltration of neo-Nazi bad guys seeking to create an army of super-powered cult members hoping to spread their message of hatred, ill-will, and fear.
The novel, which can be read as a stand-alone, takes place immediately following the events of Lefebvre’s previous book in that series, Fear and Longing in Los Angeles. In that book, Andrews first encounters the horrific cult, and falls in love with a woman with her own powerful supernatural abilities.
“Yes, the titles are cheeky nods to other movies and books,” Lefebvre says in response to a comment that his books bear striking resemblances to familiar other titles, such as the movies An American Werewolf in London, Bright Lights, Big City, and the movie and book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. “That classic werewolf movie by John Landis was a humor/horror film. I wanted potential readers to know that, though it was about a werewolf, humor was an important element of it, and the other books.”
The chapter titles within the books follow a similar pattern of informing the reader of the subtle humor embedded throughout the urban fantasy action and adventure series. Chapter titles from this latest novel include: When You Swiftly Get Caught Between the Moon and New York City; Where Wolf? There, There Wolf! Aware Wolf!; Fright Night’s Not Alright for Fightin’;and Urine for Another Delay.
Andrews, who is an alpha wolf by night, is a beta human by day, and much of the humor comes from his narratorial observations about the world and circumstances around him, as well as his penchant for cracking jokes in the face of danger. “It’s sort of a ‘whistling past the graveyard’ type of thing for Michael,” Lefebvre says. “He is terrified when in the throes of a fight with these bad guys, so his jokes are the result of the nervous tension he feels. Like me, Michael is more at home with his nose in a book or his fingers on a keyboard than in any physical arena.”
When asked if he has more tales planned for the series, Lefebvre reveals that he is already at work on a novella length back-story in the same universe. Lover’s Moon will be a combination adventure/romance book co-authored with Julie Strauss. Lefebvre says he is writing it in response to fans who want to know more about the back-story of Michael and his best-friend Gail, who, prior to the events in the first novel, were revealed to have once been lovers.
“It’s important to give the readers what they want,” he grins. “I’m just lucky that I’m having such a good time at the work involved in meeting those needs.”
And if what readers want is an action adventure sprinkled with tension, fear, some Canadian sensibilities, and a dramatic comic-book-like fight between good and evil, that’s exactly what they’ll get in Fright Nights, Big City.
Mark Leslie’s books, including the Canadian Werewolf titles, are available online in most formats. If they are not in stock at your favorite local store, they can be ordered. You can also request them via your local library.
MORE INFORMATION
A CANADIAN WEREWOLF IN NEW YORK
https://books2read.com/b/acanadianwerewolfinnewyork
STOWE AWAY (Novella)
http://books2read.com/b/fearandlonginginlosangeles
FEAR AND LONGING IN LOS ANGELES
https://books2read.com/b/stoweaway
FRIGHT NIGHTS, BIG CITY
https://books2read.com/b/frightnightsbigcity
Other books
https://books2read.com/markleslie
To request additional review copies or an interview with Mark Leslie, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com/ 403.464.6925.
We look forward to the coverage!
January 13, 2022
Joan Soggie talks about her historical fiction and non-fiction books.
Welcome to fellow BWL Publishing author and writer of eco-historical fiction and non-fiction books Joan Soggie!
Website and social media links:
On Facebook: Looking for Aiktow/Joan Soggiewrites
On LinkedIn: http://ca.linkedin.com>joan-soggie
On bookswelove.com http://bwlpublishing.ca JoanSoggie
On GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com.soggie
On Amazon: http://amazon.ca>joan-soggie
On Instagram: http://www.instagram.com>saskjoan
What genre do you write?
I write mainly eco-historical fiction and nonfiction that is rooted in my own experience of living in the prairies. This is the land and the people I know best. How prairie people interact with and are shaped by the land is, to me, an endlessly fascinating story. My first published writing was non-fiction and delved into the What, When and Where of our regional history. Prairie Grass, my first historical novel, expands on that theme by exploring the Who and Why of our history. Rikka, my latest novel, is both more personal and more specific. Rikka’s life spans not only different times (mid 1800s to 1920s) but geographically different places (islands in the Norwegian Sea to prairie homestead) and vastly different cultures.
Do your reading choices reflect your writing choices?
I try to write the kind of books I like to read - although my reading choices are much wider than my range of writing! Poetry by Saskatchewan author Carol Rose GoldenEagle, a Jane Austen novel, and an essay by Malcolm Gladwell might all share space on my reading table. Long time favourites are the Narnia Chronicles by C. S. Lewis and Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, but during these years of covid I have escaped into the historical novels of Ken Follett.
Which type of characters are your favorite to write?
I enjoy drawing characters who reflect qualities I recognize and appreciate in my own friends, family, and acquaintances: integrity, creativity, courage, with a generous dose of idealism often concealed beneath a stoic and impassive demeanor. My favourite characters live close to the land and derive some of their qualities from it. I like characters who do not give up easily or become soured by circumstances. Trying to understand, and to reveal, the how and why of a character’s development is to me the most challenging and most rewarding aspect of writing fiction.
Do pictures, real life or plain imagination create the character you want readers to love?
All three! In Prairie Grass, before ever conceiving of a book, I scrounged through archives and second-hand bookstore for references to an indigenous 19thcentury Peacemaker whose personality shone through the few dry historical sources I had found. Other characters came about the same way, partly modelled after real people but coming alive in my imagination as I tried to see them through their own or their contemporaries’ eyes. In Rikka, I had a few old photographs showing her at two or three different periods of her life and was struck by the change in her face and bearing. There was little to go on to gain an understanding of her personality, other than the bare facts of her life and a few family stories. Pictures and real life had to be fleshed out with imagination. As she grew along with the story, I became very fond of her. I hope I have portrayed her in a way my readers will love, too.
Do your characters come before or after your plot?
The characters come first. The plot grows out of their lives, their relationships with each other, and their circumstances, constrained and directed by historical facts. I suppose most writers would say the same thing – I come away from a few hours of writing feeling that I have not “made-up” a scene but have simply recorded what inevitably unfolded before my mind’s eye.
How do you choose a villain and how do you make them human?
In my writing, the role of villain is not a person. Instead, the struggle is with external circumstances or with an aspect of a person’s character. The people of my writing are neither consistently villainous nor always heroic. Relationships change; a friend might unexpectedly become a stranger, almost an enemy. I try to portray life as I see it, sometimes messy, often challenging. In Rikka, the “villain” might be a combination of dire events and personality traits rooted in that individual’s environment.
“Rikka remembered her teacher’s words. Spirit needs muscle.
Not only muscle of flesh and bone, she thought, but the muscle of a spirit inured to hardship and suffering. Surely, we have had enough of that to make us strong!”
From a close-knit community on the wave-scoured islands of northern Norway to a wind-swept prairie homestead, Rikka traverses love and loss, joy and sorrow, with passion and determination.
Rikka’s journey takes her across an ocean, a continent, and a lifetime. She plumbs the depths of her own heart and discovers the beauty of life beyond grit and endurance.
This novel is based on the true story of one of Western Canada’s female immigrant pioneers.
On Books2Read: http://books2read.com/Rikka
PRAIRIE GRASS
Gabby Mackenzie knows little and cares less about prairie people or their history. She sees her assignment to interview a hundred-year-old settler as nothing more than a bump in her hazy career path.
But as she gets to know old Mr. Tollerud and the land that has been his home, she finds herself drawn into the interwoven stories of the settlers, the Metis, and the First Nations who came before them. And her own life changes.
On Books2Read: http://books2read.com/Prairie-Grass
LOOKING FOR AIKTOW
“First came the land. Then came the people. Elbow’s history grows out of its location.” Just as the water of the Aiktow still flows unseen through the lake, a current from events long past moves through life here today.
From the earliest people who flaked their spear points and fashioned their cooking pots from the clay along the banks of the South Saskatchewan River more than 4,000 years ago, to the people who last launched their kayaks into the waters of Lake Diefenbaker in 2013, this book traces the history and the impact of the people who traveled through and sometimes settled in this increasingly popular area. The look is both personal and up-close, inviting the reader to come along and “see” what others saw before them.
January 11, 2022
Caroline Giammanco releases a collection of paranormal and science fiction stories called Into the Night.
Into The Night
An imaginative debut collection by author and educator, Caroline Giammanco
Released and published by Tuscany Bay Books
The collection is available in book is available worldwide in print and e-format
People who aren’t exactly as they seem. Familiar places transformed into sinister voids of darkness and despair. Stories of the paranormal and science fiction, both macabre and mystifying, that will have you hesitate in fear and awe before you step out… Into the Night.
“ Giammanco puts forth a strong debut collection – as varied as it is imaginative – that will intrigue, mystify, surprise, and frighten her readers. Once you crack open the pages, there is no escape.” – Shawn Burgess, author of the bestselling book, The Tear Collector.
Amazon.com Link: Into The Night eBook : Giammanco, Caroline: Amazon.ca: Kindle Store
Amazon.ca: Into The Night: Giammanco, Caroline: 9781312020122: Books - Amazon.ca
About Caroline:
Caroline Giammanco is an author and high school English teacher. She grew up in Douglas County, Missouri and moved to Arizona to attend the University of Arizona where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with an English minor. She lives on her sixty-acre farm in southern Missouri. Caroline is married to the love of her life, Keith Giammanco.
Caroline’s previous published works are nonfiction and deal with the criminal justice system: Bank Notes: The True Story of the Boonie Hat Bandit; Guilty Hearts: The World of Prison Romances; and Inside the Death Fences: Memoir of a Whistleblower.
To request additional review copies or an interview with Caroline, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925.
We look forward to the coverage!
January 8, 2022
Ileana Muñoz-Renfroe launches book 2 in the Rosa the Cuban Psychic series!
Welcome back to one of my favorite authors, Ileana Munoz-Renfroe!
For the longest time, Ileana Muñoz-Renfroe wanted to be an author. Almost twenty years later, and after raising two children and owning numerous businesses, she decided to take the plunge.
About a year ago, as she sat in a Café in Paris, the idea of Rosa popped into her head, and the stories and characters became real. Since two of her passions are the paranormal and high-end fashion, she found a way to combine them and created Rosa the Cuban Psychic Mysteries. This series brings together her Cuban and American culture to make for a fun cozy mystery story.
She is hard at work on writing a spin-off to Rosa the Cuban Psychic Mysteries and a brand-new series involving the character Candeedo Brewdinkle.
When she is not writing, she enjoys traveling, reading, entertaining, and listening to music.
What would you write if you knew you couldn’t fail?
If I knew I could never fail I would write romance novels. Who knows maybe someday I will try writing a romantic comedy.
How do you know when your story is finished?
I know my story is finished when my characters tell me. I listen to them as they are always talking to me and directing me where to go next.
Do you write part-time or full-time?
I now write full-time.
How long on average does it take you to write a book?
On average I would think it would take me a few months. However, because of health issues, I needed to stop writing after I launched A Fashionable Fate. I am happy to say that I am back to writing and hope to write at least 5 books this year.
What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
The most difficult part of my artistic process is making the story flow. I have ideas constantly floating in my head. The problem is articulating them in such a way that makes the story fun to read.
What is your next project?
Wow, my next project. I have so many right now. Let's see... I am finishing up book 2 of Rosa The Cuban Psychic Mysteries - A Parisian Bait will be due out in April of this year.
I have a new series - book 1 of Candeedo Brewdinkle Mysteries that should be ready for the editor soon. Candeedo a retired spy is living quietly in a quaint small town with his companion Bartholomew (a sphynx). In book 1 they arrive at the local bookstore to find the owner missing and a dead body with the book Candeedo is supposed to have picked up. The missing piece is the bookmark which had a Cesear Cipher Code and one he needed in order to complete his task. You see he really is not retired...
I am also working on another new series A Tarot and Caravan Mysteries. In book 1 Abuela Nana from Rosa The Cuban Psychic Mysteries has decided she needs a break from La Misteriosa Cafe on Colten Island. After a difficult year of being poisoned and almost dying she decides to buy a vintage caravan and join her Cuban friends on a year-long expedition. What Abuela Nana does not realize at first is that the vintage caravan she just purchased comes with an unexpected guest. Matilda, a gypsy who used to read crystal balls.
Then, I'm also working on book 2 of Gizmo Adventures. In this new addition Gizmo and the family go on their first trip to the beach. (By the way, I decided to dabble into children's books because I'm going to be an Abuela and thought what a great gift to my son and wife. Since the baby is not due until March and they don't know if it's a girl or boy I cannot name a baby in these books yet.) So, for now, I am not sure if it will be a boy accompanying Gizmo or a girl. This book will be out by April.
A FASHIONABLE FATE, Rosa The Cuban Psychic, Book 1
This is not what Boutique owner, Rosa de los Reyes hoped for when she organized the Colten Island Fashion Show.
To save the gala and stop the killer from striking again, Rosa must use her psychic abilities, sift through the gossip at La Misteriosa Café and navigate increasing danger all while racing against the clock.
Will Rosa, her familiar Raul, and Las Cubanitas find the truth before the murderer kills again?
Recipes included.
A PARISIAN BAIT, Rosa the Cuban Psychic, Book 2
Rosa de Los Reyes and her spirit guide Raul have just arrived in the city of love, Paris.
She is excited to start her one-year fashion internship at The House of Mather. But before she even has a chance to meet her new classmates she is thrust into a murder mystery.
Will Cuban Rosa and Raul be able to solve this misleading smoke-screen?
Recipes included!
GIZMO WELCOMES A NEW BABY
Join Gizmo, the family Shiba Inu, and the stork and new baby as they make their way to their new home. Along the way, they will be greeted by several animals all helping them reach their final destination.
Illustration book for newborn to 2 years old.
January 6, 2022
Jamie Tremain shares their new book Death on the Alder and more!
Welcome to fellow Canadian/Ontario writers Liz Lindsay and Pam Blance aka Jamie Tremain!
Enjoy this double feature interview!
Jamie Tremain was “born” in the summer of 2007. A collaborative effort brought about by two fledgling authors Liz Lindsay and Pam Blance. Pam and Liz met at their place of work and once a mutual interest in reading (and writing!) was discovered, there was no stopping them! To date Jamie Tremain has published the Dorothy Dennehy Mystery Series and has now released the first book in a new Grant’s Crossing Series – Death on the Alder
Even before their first book, The Silk Shroud, was published, they had been actively building their brand. One of their fortes was, and still is, interviews on their blog with other authors – and readers. Networking within the supportive writing community continues to be a priority. A recent “Author Survival Network” private group was established on Facebook, to offer fellow authors a place to meet via Zoom, share experiences and offer encouragement to each other.
Jamie Tremain belongs to Crime Writers of Canada, International Thriller Writers, and are proud to be part of the Genre5 Writers group in Guelph, Ontario.
Links:
Web: www.jamietremain.ca
Blog: https://jamietremain.blogspot.com
Email: jamietremainJT@yahoo.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamietremainwrites
Twitter: @PamLizWrites
Instagram: Liz and Pam (@jamietremain_mysteryauthor) • Instagram photos and videos
HOW MANY HOURS A DAY DO YOU WRITE?
Liz: Pam has answered this well! Per week, we probably average four to six hours a day each but have a schedule as Pam notes.
Pam: We have a schedule of writing three days a week and two for bookkeeping, and paperwork, marketing, researching etc. We never keep to it! We are very flexible as family and life sometimes get in the way. Liz is an early riser, so she works well in the mornings. I rise later and often have ideas in the evening. Yes, we are here on the weekend as well. That's the beauty of collaborating. One of us is always writing.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHILDHOOD BOOK?
Liz: It was any book in the Nancy Drew series. Family always knew for Christmas or birthday, there’d best be another Nancy Drew (or Trixie Belden or Hardy Boys!).
Pam: Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. Loved the book, although not so fond of horses now.
WHAT IS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF YOUR ARTISTIC PROCESS?
Liz: Fighting distraction! And by distraction, I mean the internet. It starts out innocently enough – the need to verify details on a weapon, or geographical location, for example. Next thing you know, a couple of hours have disappeared and not a single written word has been added to the manuscript!
Pam: Giving in to the many distractions of the day. Also, staying with POV.
FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF AS A WRITER?
Liz: Good question! I’d like to see Jamie Tremain well established with at least six books in each of our two current series. Personally, I’d like to see some of my short stories published – perhaps as my own collection.
Pam: That is a loaded question! In five years, Liz, and I, as Jamie Tremain will still be writing and doing what we love best. If our readers wish to put us on the best sellers list, we will accept.
HOW MANY UNPUBLISHED AND HALF-FINISHED BOOKS DO YOU HAVE?
Liz: Jamie Tremain has one full-length novel we wrote more than ten years ago, sitting on a shelf, waiting for us to come back. It was our first completed work and because we have learned so much over the years, we’d like to re-visit this work, applying what we have now gained in experience. We are hoping to publish the next Grant’s Crossing story – Resort to Murder – early in 2022. Pam and I are also writing a book with another author, Gloria Ferris, and we’re more than halfway through the first draft.
Pam: As Jamie Tremain, we only have one. It’s waiting to be revised and changed as we have learned so much along the way. Someday, we will get back to work on “Madelaine”.
WAS THERE A PERSON WHO ENCOURAGED YOU TO WRITE?
Liz: Until Pam and I met and decided to partner-up as writers, I really had no specific source of encouragement, although the urge to write has been with me since childhood. On the other hand, no one ever actually discouraged me from writing either.
Pam: When starting on this journey, I attended workshops and writing classes. I was at a book festival and met Louise Penny. I so admired her style of writing and we corresponded for a while. Her encouragement was invaluable going forward.
Beholden to None
Third in the Dorothy Dennehy Mystery Series
P.I. Dorothy Dennehy takes on her first major case since the death of her fiancé, and partner, Paul Webster. The case takes her to Detroit and involves on of her own team. There are life threatening implications for all. Corruption at City Hall and a prestigious law firm lead to murder.
Can she save her top investigator from an unrepentant criminal’s thirst for revenge?
On Amazon: Beholden to None: A Dorothy Dennehy Mystery : Tremain, Jamie: Amazon.ca: Books
UBL: Jamie Tremain (books2read.com)
Google Play: Beholdento None: A Dorothy Dennehy Mystery - Jamie Tremain - Google Books
GRANT’S CROSSING – DEATH ON THE ALDER
This is the first in Jamie Tremain’s Grant’s Crossing series.
Imagine you’re 28 years old - carefree, career undecided, and your last surviving family member has bequeathed you a renovated farmhouse, which is now home to 8 senior citizens. You no sooner arrive, when a suspicious death throws a heavy shadow over two of the residents. It’s your decision – turn down the inheritance or stay. What would you do?
This is Alysha Grant’s dilemma when she inherits Leven Lodge – and its residents!
On Amazon: Grant'sCrossing: Death on the Alder eBook : Tremain, Jamie: Amazon.ca: Books
UBL: Jamie Tremain (books2read.com)
Google Play: Deathon the Alder: Grant's Crossing - Jamie Tremain - Google Books
January 4, 2022
W.D. Kilpack III talks about Demon Seed, Pale Face, and writing
Welcome to author, W.D. Kilpack! Thank you for joining me today!
W.D. Kilpack III is an award-winning and critically acclaimed internationally published writer, with works appearing in print, online, radio and television, starting with his first publication credit at the age of nine, when he wrote an award-winning poem. As an adult, he received special recognition from L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Contest. He has been editor and/or publisher of nineteen news and literary publications, both online and in print, with circulations as high as 770,000. He is an accomplished cook and has two claims he thinks few can match: cooking nearly every type of food on a grill; and nearly being knocked flat when his grill exploded.
He received both his bachelor's and master's degrees from Westminster College of Salt Lake City. As an undergrad, he double-majored in communication and philosophy, while completing the Honors Program. As a graduate student, he earned a master of professional communication with a writing emphasis. He was also a high-performing athlete, qualifying for international competition in Greco-Roman wrestling.
He is a communication professor and a nationally recognized wrestling coach. He is happily married to his high-school sweetheart and is father to five children, as well as helping to raise five step-children. He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he continues to live, coach and teach.
Honors and Awards
· 2021 Winner Firebird Book Award
· Author of the Month: Sinister Soup Podcast, April 2021
· 2020 Sci-Fi/Fantasy Book of the Year Runner-Up: OnlineBookClub.org
· Honorable Mention: L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future
· Editor's Choice x5: North American Open Poetry Competition, National Library of Poetry
· 3rd Place: North American Open Poetry Competition, National Library of Poetry
Website and social media pages:
Official Web Site: www.kilpack.net
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/W.D.-Kilpack-III/e/B07TT3RQYT
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19339956.W__Kilpack_III
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/w-d-kilpack-iii
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wdkilpackiii/
What is are your favorite genres to read and write?
I love science fiction and fantasy. I love to read it, write it, watch it in movies, TV. I just love it!
What are you working on now?
I just had two novels published in December, Demon Seed, the third book in the New Blood Saga, and an unrelated sci-fi novel called Pale Face. So I’m putting in time marketing those, while I am making another pass on book book for, Rilari, and cover art for it.
Was there a person who encouraged you to write?
I’ve been very lucky to be surrounded by people who have been supportive and contributed to me developing my skills. My first publication credit came when I was 9 years old, when my teacher, Ms. Adams, submitted a poem I wrote to a contest. I didn’t even know she did it. Then the poem won first place and was published.
In sixth grade, Mrs. Ferrin, who taught my Language Arts and Gifted & Talented classes, let me write a new chapter of a novel for every writing assignment in those two classes over the year, regardless of the actual assignment. As a result, by the end of the year, I wrote my first novel. From that moment on, my career goal changed to novelist. In eighth grade, Mrs. Demond, who was my Computer Science teacher, read my handwritten manuscripts for a sci-fi trilogy I had written, and pulled strings for me to be her student aide, but my time was to be spent typing up my books, since I didn’t have a computer at home. In ninth grade, my Honors English teacher, Mrs. McKinnon, was extremely supportive, reading my stories to the class and persuaded the school to laminate a bunch of maps I had been drawing when creating the setting for that first novel I wrote when I was 12. In tenth grade, Mrs. Sawaya, who taught my Journalism class and was the newspaper and literary-magazine advisor, really pushed me to write. She read my work, got me to take part in newspaper staff as a writer and cartoonist, until I was editor-in-chief my senior year. For literary magazine, she selected a lot of my writing and art, and I eventually served as editor for two terms.
In college, Dr. Fogo, who taught most of my communication classes and was the newspaper advisor, really helped me raise my level of writing to a higher level. That mentorship continued when I was getting my masters with Dr. Hodgson.
My creativity has been encouraged throughout my life, dating back to when I wasn’t even school age. I used to go to my mom and ask her to feel my head because I was pretty sure that I was growing horns. She felt my head with both hands and said, “Yep, I can feel them!” When I went back again, she said she was sure they were bigger than the last time, and so on.
What would you say are your strengths as an author?
Productivity. I am the most prolific writer I know. I can sit and write for an entire day and often do. To give it a bit more context, I once worked at a company as the technical writer, and the marketing manager heard that I had a journalism background, so he asked me if I could help him meet a deadline for a press release. He told me what he needed, I left, then came back about 15 minutes later. He looked up and asked, “Do you have more questions?” I said, “No,” and handed him the press release. He was in awe. Then he asked me if I could help with other projects. By the time I left that company, I was writing about 95% of everything that was produced, regardless of the department or the audience.
How often do you write, and do you write using a strict routine?
I do not outline my books. I know there are some out there who would say that I’m not a real writer because of that, but it doesn’t mean that I don’t have an idea of where the stories are going. There are times when I have to sit and write; I really don’t have any choice. So I write at least a paragraph to nail down the idea, although that usually goes from one paragraph to two, then three, then often into twenty pages.
Another reason why I don’t outline my books is this: when I’m putting in concentrated work into a novel, when I surprise myself, then I know it will surprise others. So, if I sit back and say, “Whoa, didn’t see that coming …!” I’m positive others will have the same response, and that’s my goal. I want people to be surprised, to have an emotional response.
I don’t have a set number of drafts before a book is “ready.” I always try to knock out a first draft while things are flowing. However, on Crown Prince, I decided to try something new. Each time I sat down to write, I would go back about 10 pages and revise them, then go right into writing fresh copy from there. It made for a much cleaner “first” draft. With Crown Prince, I also started reading my books to my wife at night; she called them her “bedtime” stories. That allowed me to get a wave of editing in by reading them out loud. Incidentally, I think reading your work out loud is the most effective way to edit your own work.
All that being said, with the New Blood Saga, because it was flowing so well, I planned on future waves of edits while writing the first wave. I knew that something would need more fleshing out, so I would give it a quick, not-as-specific pass, then I might further develop that same concept in, say, book four, and come back to flesh it out. So, in essence, I was (and still am) writing and revising all eight books concurrently.
I am also still tweaking here and there. For example, with Crown Prince, I needed to make an edit because I just learned that, in Medieval times, they didn’t say that hair was “braided.” They said it was “plaited.” So I went back and tweaked that.
Five years from now, where do you see yourself as a writer?
Hopefully, doing well enough off the New Blood Saga, Pale Face, and the other novels I have waiting in the bullpen, that I can delegate some of the business-type jobs to others, leaving me to the creative process. That's the real joy in this: creation.
DEMON SEED
Despite growing power of the forces of chaos, there is a glimmer of hope as Natharr realizes that there are also forces of order in play. It is made plain when he and his comrades escape the faceless realm and Natharr’s Sight is released. It reveals just how strongly the world needs the Guardian of Maarihk and the return of the legendary Knights of Ril to the land where Mankind was created. Racing for home unwittingly leads to unearthing an ancient force created by the Olde Gods, believed lost aeons past.
Meanwhile, Darshelle and the crown prince struggle to make the most of their lives without Natharr’s protection. Forced to make their own way, the fruit of Quiet One’s efforts comes fully to bear, as Nathan and his summoned companion reawaken the animus of the ancient wood. The ramifications are horrible and far-reaching, changing their world forever.
To Buy: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09NRG4WD3
PALE FACE
Hector Whitehorse did not belong — not here, not anywhere.
Born on a New Mexico reservation, but educated in the white-man’s school, Hector was part of two worlds, but at home in neither. It only got worse when his entrapment went from a feeling to a reality: trapped between Earth and someplace else.
Hector’s close encounter nearly cost him his life. The repercussions could make him wish that he had not been so lucky.
To Buy: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09NRD8F5V
January 1, 2022
Happy New Year 2022!
If the past two years have taught us anything it is that life is short and we shouldn’t take anything for granted.
We’ve all lost loved ones, had our jobs change in ways we could never have imagined, and learned more about ourselves and those close to us than ever.
Personally, I've accomplished a few things in 2021:
took a playwrighting workshop with Norm Foster.published All That Shines.published Dead without Remorse.continued my relationship with BWL Publishing.became a book coach!returned to the office in July - albeit not my usual office.took a trip in September with my honey to see my family.was finally able to get back into my usual office in November.worked with a few amazing authors to edit their books and help them get one step closer to publishing.volunteering to work on a writers' conference with WCYR.writing with WCYR group once or twice a week.moved in with my honey, two cats, and a dog!dealt with some very serious family issues that we've come through with amazing strength.finally got a car I don't have to share.continuing my Escape with a Writer blog and working with Creative Edge Publicity to add even more great authors.made some great new friends.becoming a board member for the Crime Writers of Canada!I may have forgotten a few. It was one of those years where the days ran into each other.The worst part of the whole year was how hard I was on myself despite the many accomplishments! Imagine publishing two books and working with a publicity agency to promote other authors...I felt the pressure that it still wasn't enough.
I wasn't enough.
Which brings us into 2022.
I've given up on making those resolutions about losing weight and achieving my dreams. To be honest, I've already achieved far more than I'd ever expected. This year has been a challenge both mentally and physically, yet I'm still hard on myself. As if I expect I should be one of those authors who publish a book a month or become a best seller.
My goal for 2022 is to be kinder and more gentle with myself. To cut myself slack every time I think "I should be doing more."
Already on my calendar are a few things that I'm looking forward to:publishing The Conned Lady in April.publishing Dead Man's Doll in September.continuing Escape with a Writer and my liaison with Creative Edge Publishing.hosting a monthly Coffee Talk for Author Accelerator and talking writing.continuing to write with WCYR.settling into my new role as a board member with Crime Writers of Canada.writing a couple short stories for anthologies.and so many more!AND doing something just for me. Getting back into yoga and walking.Things to ease the mental burden that the past few years have taken on me.Things that will help me to cut myself some slack by looking after ME.
If you'd like a little something fun to pass the time, check out the puzzle I created with my book covers! https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=3cbdd2e385dd
Let me know what your New Year's goals are! Leave a comment below...
All the best to you and yours in the coming year,
Diane
