Claudette Melanson's Blog, page 2

Scared in San Diego: The Downside to my California Trip

I’ve said it before; I strive to be a nice person. Maybe that’s why I’m so flabbergasted when I encounter another person with such a complete lack of human decency. I’m not completely naïve—I do watch Criminal Minds. I know there are bad people out there. All in all, everyone I met in California, when I travelled to attend the InD’Scribe Conference, was so very nice. I even met a couple at Six Flags Magic Mountain who accompanied me on more than one ride, so that I wouldn’t have to spend the day alone—thank you Ben and Jennifer! But, on my last day, I found a little bit of human indecency right before flying back home to Ontario. This is the unfortunate story of what happened to me—a situation which left a grown woman feeling like a helpless, terrified child.
I won’t go through the long story which brought me to Extreme Pizza on Clairemont Drive in San Diego, but will just say due to my craptastic hotel failing to have neither wifi nor phone available, I ended up here, being unable to call for delivery. I was so tired from all the super-long conference days, a 103 degree day at the amusement park and a two-hour drive back to the city of my return flight the next morning. And I felt hungry enough to gnaw off my own arm. My exhaustion and frustration turned to delight when I learned Extreme could provide me with a gluten-free pepperoni and extra cheese pizza! I wouldn’t have to resort to self-cannibalism after all.
There was a man standing at the counter with me. I’d been so focused on ordering food that I hadn’t really noticed him before. He was probably in his late fifties—old enough to know better—short, but stocky and muscular with a shaved head. He’d heard me say to the owner of the restaurant that I was from Canada and proceeded to tell me he had relatives in one of the provinces, and told me a story about one of his visits. I’d met so many nice people, so I merely assumed he was being friendly, like my companions from the park. He was drinking a draft and asked me if I wanted to drink with him. I answered no, citing I had to drive back to my hotel. He asked me where I was staying, but I was smart enough to keep that to myself.
“Do you need someone to drive you back?” he asked. Ummmm, no…definitely not.
“No, thanks. I need to let my husband know I’m okay and made it from the park.” At this point he was a little too insistent for me, and I just wanted to distance myself. I looked on my phone for a wifi connection, and lucked up—unlike at my questionable hotel, which was really more like a camp for displaced humanity. I connected and proceeded to text Ron, letting him know I’d made the drive without running off any hillsides and explaining I had no wifi to allow for communicating at the hotel. The few times I’d had to turn my cellular on out of necessity had resulted in $200 in roaming charges (which Telus waived $150 of…thank you, Telus. I’m eternally grateful!).
The man had asked when I sat down to wait, dead on my swollen arthritic ankles, if he could sit and talk with me while I waited. It’s very hard for me to be rude, so I mistakenly said it was okay, though hesitation weighed heavy in the tone I used. He’d talked to me about how he was originally from Poland and asked me a couple of other things, but I was starting to get uncomfortable. He kept asking me if I wanted a beer, and I insisted I wouldn’t be consuming alcohol of any kind…although his insistence and overbearing nature really made me want to.
He, quite suddenly, became aggressive when I told him I needed to talk to my husband. He said, “You’re a cutie,” reaching out like he was going to touch my face.
“Don’t touch me,” I growled in warning. I could see the anger and frustration become more prominent in the set of his mouth and the flare of his beady, grey eyes.
He stood and held his mostly-finished beer out to me. I was getting angry myself, but I knew I was alone in an unfamiliar city with no one to back me up. “No, I said I don’t want any,” I told him firmly.
He stood up and moved around so that he was standing over my right shoulder…so he could read what I was texting!
“Can I help you with something?” I asked, absolutely incensed.
“I want you to drink with me,” he insisted again. “I can drive you back.” That was when I noticed he was very drunk. He stumbled and almost missed when he put his glass down on the counter.
“I told you I really need to get in touch with my husband.” I looked down at my phone, determined not to look back up.
This is when the scary stuff came out. There aren’t many humans more frightening than those who have a complete disregard for how they make other people feel and refuse to respect the fact they’ve been told no. This guy was determined to pull a reaction from me, with no regard for my feelings. He sat back down and started making loud noises, nearly shouting gibberish, making me jump and then smiling about it. He’d say something like, “Hey!” shouting loudly so I would look up, startled. He said something else, and I said, “What?” He just grinned back at me in a very evil way.
I started to shake a little. It disturbed me that he couldn’t respect me and leave me to my texting, resorting to scare tactics to get my attention. He was so insistent on getting his way that he’d resorted to harassing me. I started to wonder if he was insistent enough to try to follow me back to my hotel. Home suddenly seemed even farther away. I made up my mind to keep my head down. He stood back up when he couldn’t get a rise out of me. He walked around to my right side again, placing himself between me and the open door, and fairly screamed in my ear. I must have given quite the look, because he said, “Why you look at me like you wanna kill me?”
I said back, “I think you know why.”
He moved closer and rubbed the back of his hand across the backside of my bare arm. It made me nauseous, and I felt even more helpless at his determination to put his hands on me when I’d expressly asked him not to.
I was enraged, but also terrified. The store owner could hear him. He was being too loud not to be heard. Yet, he did nothing to aid me. If this guy took things further—we were the only three people in the shop—would he even do anything? It made me think about that quote which comments on the evil in doing nothing when you see something bad going down. I longed for the protection of the notorious Popcorn Man…or my bunbaby Pepper’s razor sharp teeth.
I’d stood up at this point, utilizing what I hoped was my formidable height, and said to the man behind the counter, “I really hope that’s ready to go.”
Luckily it was, and I made it out of the pizza place and back to my hotel with no other incident. But I was shaken and couldn’t help wondering what I might have done if I’d been attacked or followed.
It’s a sad statement that a woman can’t go on a business trip, even try to have a little fun, without being harassed and made to feel frightened. I’d felt completely confident and happy the entire time, before this incident. Wherever you are, Mr. Drunk Loser, shame on you for the way you made me feel. Shame on the business owner for not saying anything—Drunk Loser had mentioned at one point they knew each other. I didn’t realize until the next day, when I was Face Timing with Ron in Starbucks, how much it had shaken me up until I started crying when I told him about it. “I just want to come home,” I told him. And I did. To the safety of my writing couch, surrounded by the bunnies who love and always respect me. I won’t let this keep me from traveling in the future, but now I really hope I don’t have to do it alone—and I really shouldn’t have to feel that way.

Stick a Pin in It! Two Crucial Strategies to Build Your Twitter Platform

Whether you’re an author, a blogger, an Etsy seller or maybe a reader who loves to shout your favorite authors’ praises from the four corners, Twitter is an excellent place to get the word out. I have grown my Twitter following from 250 followers, when I first published in February 2014, to over 43,000 by studying Twitter etiquette—what works and what doesn’t—and though I still have so much to learn, there are two key tips I want to share with you on this blog today. If you employ these two simple strategies, they will help to give you a definite boost with your Twitter engagement, as it has with mine.

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Rule #1 – Pin that Tweet!!! – Have you ever visited a Twitter page and seen a tweet crowning the all others in an individual’s feed on their profile? Perhaps you’ve seen the words, “Pinned Tweet,” at the top of the box? There is a very good reason for this. A pinned tweet is one you can glue to the top of your Twitter profile. Typically, a pinned tweet is one that contains a message you urgently want to share with followers or visitors to your profile. For the authoring world, most of our tweets will be our pretty book promos, or perhaps we are featuring a giveaway about which we’d like to spread the word. Authors – PIN YOUR BOOK PROMOS. When I go to the page of someone who has retweeted one of my promos, this is the first thing I look for. What do you most want me to share with my followers? Don’t know how to pin a tweet? Check out the picture below. Follow the red-encircled instructions for any tweet:

 Rule #2 – OMG do NOT just Tweet Your own Stuff! – Twitter thrives on retweets. That is really what it’s all about. Now, you tell me, which would you rather: go to a page that has a mix of really interesting stuff from ALL OVER Twitter or go to one where a Twitter user tweets only their own stuff repeatedly. Humans thrive on diversity and variety, and your Twitter profile is no different in this respect. I can tell you that when I go to another author’s page and see nothing but his/her own tweets, I can’t help but immediately think, “Hmmm, not much chance of a reciprocal relationship here.” If I know he/she will probably never retweet me, they don’t have much chance of ending up on my list for reciprocal tweeting. Think about it. If you retweet the promo of twenty other authors, they are highly likely to retweet you in return, so you not only get the eyes of your followers but those of all the other twenty other authors, as well. Go look at my Twitter profile: https://twitter.com/Bella623 You will see my PINNED tweet and under that a whole lot of “Claudette Melanson retweeted.” I LOVE helping other authors and other types of Twitter users. I get back so much more in return. My retweeters and supporters are INVALUABLE to me. I love them. I would shout their praises from the highest rooftops (and I’m deathly afraid of heights!). Look at the picture below, and then look at your own Twitter profile. You need to be seeing this, not a whole whack of your own tweets…trust me!

Not Nice… Tone & Social Media

Hey, I think I’m a nice person. I try to be as much as I can. Whenever other authors ask me for prize donations for an event, I never turn them down. I retweet and share as much as I possibly can across multiple platforms. I know I don’t get everyone, but I try with all the energy and time I’m allowed. I love animals and am a huge advocate for their rights, donate to the causes that ask for help with their vet bills. I know my schedule makes me cranky at times, but I really, honestly try to be nice to everyone.
Imagine my shock at getting a DM on Twitter from another writer, telling me in no uncertain terms I was, and I quote, “not nice.” She didn’t know me. We’d never interacted. I certainly hadn’t called her a bad name or thrown rotting produce at her…
So what had she taken issue with that drove her to message a complete stranger, someone she knew very little about, and tell said stranger they were a not-so-nice person?
Ultimately, it was the unintended tone of my Twitter bio. I am a writer. I need adequate space and character count to communicate my thoughts with any real authenticity. Twitter only allows a user 160 characters to tell the world who you are—barely more than a tweet! Desperately trying to convey all the information I wanted to get across, I tried to make a few points.
Twitter is a very reciprocal social media site. If someone retweets you, you want to retweet them back. Let me first say that I know I miss retweeting some people, simply from the sheer volume, and I retweet plenty of people who never connect with me at all. I try to help other authors and present the best in book and book blog news…along with a few other interesting tidbits. So, one of my short points I tried to get across in the confines of the limited space was “RT 4 RT.” Hey, you retweet me, why shouldn’t I reciprocate (unless it’s porn or hate speech)? It’s only polite to return a favor. That was my meaning.
I also included, “Will unfollow if no follow back.” I had no idea anyone would take issue with that. Why should I follow anyone who doesn’t return the favor? There are very few celebrities I follow and that’s because I don’t think anyone else on Twitter is ‘better’ than me or vice versa. If someone can’t take the time to follow me back, there is no good reason for me to continue to follow. It implies they have no interest in me or my tweets, so, naturally, there is no incentive to follow back. I mean it in no other way than this. This is my standard procedure on Twitter, so I was merely being upfront about it.
Due to my forced brevity, I supposed my message may have come across as snotty or callous, but I certainly didn’t mean it that way. I was shocked to find a message in my inbox saying said person might have followed me if I hadn’t said I unfollow (and I always give a week’s time to be fair) for not following in return. Then, she flat-out called me, “Not nice.” I have to admit I became quite enraged. As I said previously, she didn’t know me and knew nothing of my interactions with others, so I proceeded to tell her this. She still came back, arguing that what I’d said made me undesirable to her as a social media pal. I tried further to explain that Twitter is a very reciprocal community, and I was merely behaving within the unspoken rules that seem to drive the Twitter machine.
She still thought I was being a pompous ass (my words, not hers…but that was her general assessment). I promptly blocked her...I remove negativity from my life. I have enough stressful things to deal with, and refuse to invite anything further. Afterward, though, being a progressive thinker, I revisited my bio. I didn’t want anyone else to take me the wrong way, so I did make a change. It now reads: “RT in return, followback <3 same courtesy .” Despite being attacked in a way I considered most unjust, I didn’t want anyone to be put off by my words, so I did make the change and promised myself I would be more careful with my social tone. We’re already at a disadvantage what with no vocal inflection.
By the way, this little incident did have a happy ending. Although I’d blocked my attacker to avoid any further conflict, she did have one of her friends message me so that she could apologize via the friend. I told her friend to tell her I bore no hard feelings and even ended up helping her friend with a few questions she had about social media. Even though I would have preferred not to go through it in the first place, I’m happy it ended well and gave me some insight into considering the words I put together on social media profiles and posts.
Do any of you have a similar story to tell? I’d love to hear your stories about how social media might have earned you a verbal ‘ruler to the hand.’ Please share them with us below!

Behind Every Great Writer Should Be Four Insanely Cute Bunnies: Meet the Furry Melansons

Tegan –


Age: 5 years
Birthday: February 16
Color: Grey & White
Breed: English Spot Unknown Mix
Favorite Food: Banana
Favorite Activity: Getting Dad pets on the bed in the morning
Dislike: Doing Teggie Airlines (being carried), The baby crawling all over me, Getting my nails clipped
Favorite Toy: Stuffed Hippo
Nicknames: Teggie Feet, Teggie of Great North, Tee-gan, Buddy, Suckater
Signature Move: Shark Mouth (rolling over on my blankie in front of the fireplace and sticking out my chin—looks like a shark’s mouth)

Teggie’s Story in his own words:

I can’t remember my first home, because it was too traumatic! I just remember the day my mom came to get me at the shelter. I crawled all over her because I was desperate for her to take me home. I had a torn ear and when my dad would talk, I’d run into the corner and cower and shake. I was afraid for a long while. I did get to meet Cuddles and we loved each other at first sight…well, probably I was more in love than she. Over the months I learned that jumping on the bed earned me treats and pets and now it’s my favorite place to be. I’m the most affectionate of my foursome. I’ll take pets whenever I can get them and love to be brushed by Mom. I’m now very social and prefer Dad’s pets to Mom’s, and whenever we go to Bunfest every year, I like to jump out of the stroller onto the tables and see everyone. I’m very mellow and love relaxing in front of the fireplace or under my pine tree when in the backyard. I’m a sensitive guy and will run into our house and pout if someone hurts my feelings

Shark Mouth

Dad Pets on the couch

Teggie Feets

Pepper –



Age: 4 years (estimated)
Birthday: March 2
Color: Brown & White
Breed: English Spot Unknown Mix
Favorite Food: Banana
Favorite Activity: Getting into trouble, chasing the two smaller bunnies
Dislike: Mom kisses, staying in one spot for too long when full of vinegar
Favorite Toy: The wicker, basket playhouse I decimated—which is sadly discontinued
Nicknames: Peppa-Noni, Noner, Pepsi, Trouble
Signature Move: The big hop—jumping up onto anything wide enough to stand on

Pepper’s Story in her own words:
My story was very nearly one of tragedy. Two years ago in December, I was dumped outside by whatever cruel owners I had at the time. I’m a frisky, adventurous girl who loves to test limits and get into trouble. This probably signed my death warrant for them. I very nearly froze/starved to death, but luckily, Rabbit Rescue in Canada found me in time. My mom still says how thankful she is I didn’t die out there with no food or shelter from the very cold winter. I was in a foster home when my new family came to see me. They had just lost their little girl of seven years and Teggie was depressed. Mom knew she had to do something to cheer him up. We all got along when we were introduced, but once I arrived at my new home, I got very stressed out. I cried and thumped as I ran around in confusion wondering where I had ended up now. Tegan didn’t like this and jumped away from Dad and attacked me. We fought bitterly for the next couple of weeks during bonding sessions, even drawing blood! But you wouldn’t know it now. We became the best of friends, and I learned that humans mean love, pets, good food and cozy shelter—complete with warm blankies and all the toys I can chew! Before I realized I had a forever home, I used to try to eat all the food at once, eating like I would never have food again. My mom thinks this is because I nearly starved to death. I have an explosive personality and like to chase my two smaller siblings, but I finally have a family who understands my need to just be an energetic bunny…and I’m very happy in my forever home.

Sticking Feets thru











Relaxin



Waiting for pets on the bun bed
















Butters –





Age: 3 years
Birthday: January 11
Color: Brown, Black & White
Breed: Holland Lop
Favorite Food: Banana
Favorite Activity: Rooting through the new hay to find the best pieces
Dislike: Being told no, being brushed, not getting to do what I want
Favorite Toy: Plastic Stackie Cups
Nicknames: Bean, Beenie-Weenie, Butter Bean, Navy Bean, Buttery Butt, Peanut
Signature Move: Sideways Binky down the hallway

Butters’ Story in his own words:
Both me and my sister, Beckett, were very lucky. We never knew much human cruelty. My mom doesn’t like getting rabbits from a breeder, but she saw my picture online when searching for unwanted rabbits on Kijiji, and came to check it out. Believe me…we were both rescued from that place. Mom wanted a female, hoping it would be a good grooming companion for Cuddles, who was getting older. She also thought another baby might ease the pain of Cuddles’ inevitable passing. The breeder was trying to get rid of me, because I was 3 months old and less likely to be adopted than the new babies he had. When he took me out and handed me to Mom and Dad, I cuddled in as close as I could. Dad fell in love with me immediately and Mom agreed I should go home with them, even though I was a boy. Turned out Cuddles wasn’t happy anyway, and I spent our bonding time crying from bites to my bum and running to Dad so I could hide in his lap. Eventually, I was accepted—by Tegan it was immediate—and grew into the stubborn little guy I am today. I’m quieter than the rest and love my alone time, although I do have my cuddly moments too. I get very excited over new hay in the litterbox and when we get sunflower seeds. Just this year, I started enjoying human hugs more and though stoic, love to throw my stackie cups and binky (jumping and twisting in joy) around the house to show my parents I love my life—away from the cold breeder shed with its cruel wire-bottom cage.

In the witterbox

Hugs










Snugglin















Beckett –





Age: 1 year
Birthday: November 11
Color: Brown, Black & White
Breed: Holland Lop & Lionhead Mix
Favorite Food: Banana
Favorite Activity: Being Teggie’s sidekick
Dislike: Being handled, being chased by Pepper
Favorite Toy: Froggy Pillow
Nicknames: Beckster, Beckakeet, Beckstolian, Baby Girl, Tweak
Signature Move: Chinning everything & spazzing out and running from anyone who gets too close (except Tegan)

Beckett’s Story in her own words:
Me and brother, Butters, actually have the same mom. Mom was concerned that Butters wasn’t spending much time with the two bigger bunnies and would go lie by himself a lot. She thought if she got him a little friend his own size, he might be more social. Mom & Dad actually came to get me on Butters’ birthday, so I was an extra present for him. He and I got along great at first, but then he followed Pepper’s lead and started bullying me. I ended up being a little shadow for Teggie. Mom & Dad got to me just in time. The breeder didn’t feed us any hay, which is essential for a rabbit’s digestive system—Mom educated him about that—and so when he took me out of the cage, I had runny poo and urine all over my legs. My fur is longer in places what with my Lionhead genes, so I had scald on my legs which had been neglected to be cleaned from my tummy troubles. Mom knew she had to get me home. In my new home I was amazed! It was warm and clean and Mom cuddled with me all night long, for weeks, in a blankie on the couch. I found there was wondrous hay to eat and it cleared up my tummy immediately. Mom trimmed my fur and kept me clean and I was all better in no time. Unfortunately, my bonding with Pepper was rough. Mom intervened and I never got more than a chomp on the bum, but Pepper continues to bully, and so I became a very skittish rabbit. If Mom is very still, I’ll come over and give her kisses and every once in a while I get held, but Mom hopes I’ll grow out of that. I am a very sweet, loving and intelligent bunny. Teggie became my best friend and I follow him everywhere. When we get treats, if he doesn’t want to get up, I’ll bring treats to him. I am the nursemaid of the group and clean everyone’s eyes and groom them with my little tongue. Even though Pepper likes to chase me at times, I love my new home and my friends and am glad my mom and dad saved me.

Feets on froggy pillow


First pic ever













Tube-in

Getting to Know Rachel Montreuil - Undertow's Cover Creator

Meet Rachel Montreuil - Cover Designer Extroidinaire!



















Interview Questions Rachel Montreuil






1. What would you like to do when you ‘grow up?’

There are many artistic positions that interest me (3d, texture, animation, illustration, concept art, comic book art...). My current "actual" job is in 3d art, which I enjoy a lot, so I just hope to keep going this route, potentially specializing in character modeling.


2. What was your inspiration for the cover of Undertow?

I had some nice reference pictures sent to me by the author so it was easy to grasp what kind of scene Claudette was looking for. I can't think of any thing that was particularly inspirational... I just tried my best to convey a dark, emotional mood through light and color.


3. What do you like best about the Undertow cover?

Even though people say "don't judge a book by its cover", a cover is almost always the a potential reader sees, so it must be designed to attract and pique its target audience's curiosity. I like to think that I have successfully painted a cover image that is readable and interesting to look at, so that people will choose to go in and experience the book and all the work that was put into its pages!
On a side note, for the image itself, I think the "best part" is the highlight on the neck and chin (lol).


4. Have you always had an interest in art and when did you start creating your own?

Yes, I've been drawing pretty much ever since I was able to hold a pencil/crayon in my hand. As a kid, I would design my own characters and draw short comics. I also got very into digital art at a young age (going from MS Paint to oekaki and then to Photoshop).


5. What are your biggest sources of inspiration?

Inspiration can seriously come from anywhere, from any media or from everyday life. It's generally good to keep an eye out for interesting images online, be it pictures, drawings, paintings, etc. since it's so easy to save a bunch of them and browse through them when needed.


6. What kind of projects do you hope to be working on in the future?

The more variety the better. I definitely want to keep working on games, and also illustration-related side projects like this one. I want to become a better, more versatile artist, and touching all sorts of types of projects is simply the best thing!


7. Would you like to design other book covers? If so, what would be some of your favorite genres to work in?

Yes, I love all illustration work. I love painting scenes and characters. I guess I have a preference for dark fantasy or modern settings, but I don't dislike sci-fi, western, nor cartoon.


8. Who is your favorite artist and why?

It's very tough to choose just one. There are tons of great character designers, painters, directors, and I don't think I have just one favorite... As a manga fan, Yana Toboso (author of Kuroshitsuji) comes to mind, with her art style filled with highly detailed clothing and gorgeous characters. I also adore Shinbou Akiyuki's work as a director on his various anime projects at Shaft Studio (very artsy and experimental). Lastly, I must say I very much enjoy Tim Burton's gothic yet cartoonish style he uses in most of his movies.


9. Who is your favorite author and what kind of books do you enjoy reading?

I tend to read a whole lot of manga and Japanese light novels, from horror psychological thrillers to shoujo manga. Some of my favorites include Ono Fuyumi's Shiki, Julietta Suzuki's Kamisama Hajimemashita, Obata/Ohba's Death Note (of course) and NisiOisin's Monogatari series. I also like classic English and French literature, but I don't read them regularly.


10. Give us a top ten list of your very favorite things

1. Drawing/painting
2. Anime & manga
3. Animals (My top 5: cats, jellyfish, crabs, goats, pigeons)
4. Gothic Lolita and cyber goth fashion
5. Visual Kei/J-Rock music ( and are my favorite bands!)
6. 3d art/video game art
7. Pirates
8. Green tea & jasmine tea
9. Foreign languages/cultures
10. Swimming


11. Tell us a bit about your background.

After high school, I got into a general arts program (mostly centered on traditional drawing and painting). I learned a lot of very useful things there, but my passion lies closer to entertainment art, like video games, TV shows, movies, books, etc. I switched programs after a year and tried my hand at 3d animation instead, which turned out to be a very fun - and challenging - medium to work with. Since graduation, I've had the pleasure of working for TV as well as games companies, and do some freelance both as a 3d artist and as an illustrator.


12. What is your professional statement, or philosophy, about the projects you work on?

I want to be fair and honest about work-related projects. I hope to always deliver quality work and respect the pre-established deadlines.


13. Where can others find you to commission you for projects like book covers or other artistic projects?

People can browse some of my work on my blog http://rachelmontreuil.blogspot.ca/ and simply email me for freelance/commissions at rachel.montreuil01@gmail.com

Merry Christmas to All!

I wish all my readers, fellow authors...everyone who has supported me & my 2 novels this year. Merry Christmas ❤

Take some time to relax and enjoy with family!

Marie, Barb & the Buffalo: My Most Random Book Sell Ever

Marie, Barb & the Buffalo: My Most Random Book Sell Ever

Almost two months ago, my husband drove me down to Buffalo, New York for a book signing at a popular café. I’m kind of new at all this, given Rising Tide is my first novel and all, so I’m learning a lot about the world of publishing…and marketing. It turned out we were at the café during a very slow time for business. The book signing wasn’t a huge success—and I do count every, single sell as a success—but I was still happy we got to go on a road trip, listening to the blog of the phenomenal author Lindsay Buroker on the way and soaking up some awesome promo tips. We ate a really nice lunch out, which is something we don’t do a lot. I had a Huevos Rancheros brunchy-style dish that was simply to-die-for. And yes, of course I skipped the flour tortilla ;)!

Plus, we were in New York…and that meant a visit to Trader Joe’s! I love that place! So many healthy items to pick up, including two of my favorites, cashew flour and canned coconut cream! How I wish we had this chain in Canada. We have organic butter here, but not the Kerrygold grass-fed, and when you give grains to a cow it changes not only the meat, but the dairy, as well…but I digress!

Ron and I always take a picture with the huge buffalo that stands at the front of the store when you walk in. The last time we’d been there was at Christmas, and Mr. Buffalo had been decked out in full Santa attire—suit and all! Since the weather was warming considerably, he looked much more ready for a visit to Hawaii or The Bahamas, this time. Ron posed beside Tropical Buffalo (see picture), smiling at his straw hat, mammoth sunglasses and flowered-shirt—where does one find a buffalo-sized flowered-shirt anyway?

Behind us were some of the sweetest people I ever met in my life. They were visiting Buffalo like us, but from Michigan. Marie, a real darling with a mischievous sparkle to her eye, asked if I would take a picture of her and her sister with the buffalo. Ron and I grabbed a camera from each of them and snapped away, happy to oblige. We talked with Marie and sister, Barb, a little more, and the rest of the family with them—I believe it was Marie’s daughter, husband and kids. Whenever I meet someone with whom I have a real connection, I like to just let them know Rising Tide is out there. I try to never be pushy, so simply handed them my card and asked them to check out my author site online if they had a spare moment.

After the shopping was done, we were standing in line and Marie came up to me. I have a description of the book on the back of my card and she said, “Your book sounds so interesting! Where can I get a copy?”

I told her about Amazon, Smashwords and the usual online book stores, but she looked at me, disappointed and asked, “Oh. I can’t get a print copy in a store?”

I informed her I had some in my trunk, and she and Barb said they both wanted a signed copy. I was ecstatic! “You do?!!” I exclaimed. I still find it incredible that readers want to purchase my work, so every sale is so special to me. But this was just so unexpected and completely random—like fate. It was one of my most favorite sales to date, for sure! (But I feel that way every time, even every single day when I look at my sales online).

I got each of them a book and put well wishes into the dedications. Marie says to me, “Oh this is a trilogy? Well, you’d better hurry up and write the next one because I’m seventy!” She was quite the young seventy, I have to say! And Nee Cee…you know who you are…she seemed to share your impatience for the sequel (thank you both!).

I told her my grandmother lived to ninety-six, so she had lots of time. We talked a bit more, laughed and posed by the buffalo so Ron could snap pictures of us together. I’m still shell-shocked and massively humbled that people not only want my autograph, but pictures of lil old me with them. I only regret that Ron didn’t get a picture with our camera. I’d asked Marie & Barb to send me one for this blog, but I wanted to get it written up before too much time went by. If you gals read this, please send me a copy!

Wherever you two are, thank you so much for making this author’s day that Saturday at the end of May. I’ll remember you for all of forever, and if I ever did achieve Meyer fame, you’ll always be one of those moments that stands out from the beginning of my writing , living in my memory for all my days.

Illustrator Interview–20 Questions with Daniel Chon

Tell us a bit about yourself and your family
My family and I live in Monterey, California. I have a super charged five year old daughter named Olivia and an amazingly supportive wife named Annie. As for myself, I work as a freelance art director and illustrator with an overly active imagination and need for challenge.

Did you always want to be an artist?
Ever since my cousin taught me how to draw a swan out of a number two, I’ve always loved to draw. I can’t say that I’ve always wanted to be an artist. I wanted to be a superhero when I was a kid, but always settled for telling stories through pictures. I owe the discovery of being an artist to my high school art teacher, Mrs. Weigel. She encouraged me to focus my passion for drawing into making it a career.

What inspires you?
Music and seeing how other artists and movie directors think. There’s something about watching how creativity inspires others that can be contagious. Listening to music (mostly without lyrics) can transport you through your imagination to all sorts of cool and interesting destinations if you just let the tempo carry you like a current.

What are your favorite things to draw?
I’ve always played at drawing my own comic some day. Drawing my own characters, plotting out scenes on scraps of paper. It’s always been a pet project of mine that I’ve had on my bucket list of things to accomplish. Who knows, maybe someday?

What inspired your cover for Rising Tide: Dark Innocence?
I knew that I wanted it to look intriguing. I wanted it to fit the novel. Playing off the heroine’s innocence and the darkness that surrounds her. But most of all I wanted her to feel like an apparition that you could not easily dismiss once you looked at her.

How long did it take you to create the book’s cover?
That cover… oh boy. It went through a lot of rounds of play. I can’t remember how long to be honest, but I can tell you it was a really fun puzzle to figure out.

What projects are you working on right now?
Right now, I’m working on a freelance gig, doing commissions and also working out stray ideas for my own “pet” projects. It’s a lot but it keeps me out of trouble.

Will you be designing more covers for other authors?
Good question. Do you know any authors who are looking for an illustrator?

Do you have any ideas for the cover of Claudette Melanson’s next book, Undertow?
I’ve got a few ideas that I’m keeping close to the chest. We’ll both have to see the next book to see how it turns out. Haha!

What’s your favorite aspect of the cover you designed for Rising Tide?
Wow. That’s actually a tough question because there are elements I like for different reasons. Honestly, I think if I were truthful with myself…I would have to say that the visuals are not overly complicated. I think it says all that it needs to hopefully coax a reader into asking questions about what the book is about.

Do you have any advice for aspiring artists reading this?
I’d say that for everyone (me most of all)…humility and a healthy fear are the two greatest tools any artist can have. Humility in that we’ve always got to a lot to learn. And a healthy fear, that if we’re not pushing our abilities enough, we won’t grow to be better. Talent only takes us part of the way. It’s the effort and willingness to put ourselves out there (win or lose) that officially tells us…you’ve started the journey.

What are some of your favorite things to do when you’re not creating art?
I really enjoy watching speed drawing videos on YouTube (art nerd I know), watching movies and playing with my daughter. But truthfully, you’ll have a pretty hard time getting me without a pencil or stylus in my hand.

What’s your favorite drawing you’ve ever created?
I would have to say, a quick pencil sketch of my daughter Olivia. It might not mean that much to someone else. But it means the world to me.

How do you know Claudette?
Claudette and I have been friends for quite a while. We met over a website forum a few years ago and have been pen pals ever since.

What are some things you hope to accomplish from this novel’s cover design?
I think my intent was pretty basic. I hoped to demonstrate through visuals that the novel doesn’t mess around. That by treating the content with respect and attention to detail it represents the author’s heart and soul in this story.

How do you come up with the ideas for your artwork?
Drawing. Sketching. Note taking. Repeat.

Would you like to design more book covers for other authors in the future and if so, what kind of covers do you hope to illustrate?
If I had an opportunity presented again, absolutely. I’m a big fan of science fiction, so maybe having a go at that genre would be fun. I’ve received some really great feedback from people who’ve seen the “Rising Tide” cover and appreciated it. I can’t express how thankful I am to them for that. It’s definitely one of my top ten feelings.

What would your dream job be?
Ever since I was in high school I’ve always thought it would be cool to be a comic book illustrator but I’m also holding out for being a superhero too.

Do you read? If so, what are your favorite kinds of books?
I do! I read a lot of books on art, but I also really like super natural thrillers and science fiction.

What are you most passionate about?
Not to take a motto away from the army but being the best artist, dad and husband I can be.

Would you like to commission Daniel for your own project? You can find him here!

What a wonderful experience to work with Daniel! He's timely, creates beautiful work, listens to the ideas of those he works with and his one-of-a-kind designs are affordable with competitive pricing. I would recommend this talented illustrator to anyone! - Claudette Melanson, Author of Rising Tide

Rising Tide's Tormentors

Bullies. Haven’t we all dealt with at least one, at some point in our lives? Bullies are the worst kind of people. They find someone they consider different and torment them, for no good reason other than to make themselves feel more important. Maura encounters a group of these heinous tyrants in my novel, Rising Tide.

When I started writing this book, I had no idea the bullies would pop up—and they did in the first chapter. I wanted to write a story about a particular type of character and the paranormal change she was going through, but as I was writing, Katie Parker insinuated herself into my sentences, almost as if of her own accord.

My writing kind of flows like words on tickertape and the story just comes out—without my knowing what is going to happen next! I know the basic outline of my story, the elements of my characters and where the plot is headed, but sometimes idea work their way in, and I haven’t seen them coming.

This happened with the whole first part of the book for me. Not to give too much away, but I was kind of shocked when I saw what this group of bullies was going to do to my poor Maura, as it came forth from my imagination onto the pages of my book. It was obviously there, in my sub consciousness, waiting with baited breath to make its way out into the world.

I remember being a very quiet kid. I was a bookworm and that in itself drew a lot of negative attention my way. During my birth, one of my legs was twisted, affecting my hips and causing me to walk with my feet turned in, until special shoes finally took care of my little problem. I remember the name calling and how much it hurt. Luckily, this didn’t persist much past the first grade.

There have been other times in my life when I’ve had to endure what the bullies are dishing out, even during my adult life in the workplace and with a few people in my personal life. Luckily, as adults we can usually find a way to remove the bullies from our lives—but not without losing something ourselves, whether it be feeling forced to find another job, carrying with us that awfulness the bully placed in our heart or even having physical manifestations like nightmares or illness from the stress and anxiety.

As far as my stance on bullying goes and the way things worked out for Maura, I say this: The person being bullied is the ultimate winner. That person is not the one dishing out destructive behavior and hurting another human being. The tormented may suffer, but they can at least live with knowing they are a better person than the bully. When a bully is acting out, they are putting on display to the rest of the world the most hateful, mean, immature and selfish tendencies human beings possess. They think that by putting someone else down, they somehow make themselves look more strong or capable. All the people observing them are really thinking is about how debase the actions of that bully are, and probably what a waste of space their existence is in our world. One can never build up his or her character by putting another down. All they do is bring a negative cast to their own reputation and invite Karma to claim justice for the malicious act.

Maura does the best thing she can do in her case. She wants to forget about it and put what happened behind her. That takes power away from the cruelty the others inflicted upon her—it doesn’t even matter enough to be remembered. Maura moves on to better things that she wants to hold onto in her memories. She wants to concentrate on the boy she’s falling in love with, the mother who treasures her and the genuine friends she is making—not the mean-spirited people who wanted to hurt and alienate her just because they saw her as different. What kind of a person does that anyway?

And I did mention Karma…well, Maxwell has returned and he is death walking when he wants to be. Maura may be the forgive-and-forget type, but in book two Maxwell will show us that he is not quite as forgiving as his daughter.

Are you bullying someone, even unintentionally or sub consciously?
Bullying.org defines bullying as:
“Persistent, offensive, abusive, intimidating or insulting behaviour, abuse of power, or unfair punishment which upsets, threatens and/or humiliates the recipient(s), undermining their self-confidence, reputation and ability to perform.”

Why do people bully?
Bullying.org gives some reasons behind this that may bring some small comfort to the object of the bully’s abuse:
“The purpose of bullying is to hide inadequacy. It has nothing to do with managing: Management is managing; bullying is not managing. Anyone who chooses to bully implicitly admits their inadequacy.
Some people project their inadequacy onto others:
• to avoid facing up to and doing something about it;
• to avoid accepting responsibility for their behaviour and the effect it has; and
• to dilute their fear of being seen as weak, inadequate and possibly incompetent; and
• to divert attention away from the same: In badly run workplaces, bullying is the way that inadequate, incompetent and aggressive employees keep their jobs and obtain promotion.”

What is the cost of bullying?
From Bullying.org:
“Bullying destroys teams, causing disenchantment, demoralisation, demotivation, disaffection, and alienation. Bullies run dysfunctional and inefficient organisations; staff turnover and sickness absence are high whilst morale, productivity and profitability are low. Any perceived efficiency gains from bullying are a short term illusion: Long term prospects are always at serious risk.”

Check out more at bullying.org to see more on the topic. They offer valuable information, which includes a list to check against to see if you are being bullied and they even offer very helpful suggestions as to what you can do about it. One section talks about the ill health effects that can pop up in someone who is being bullied, and that is one of the most important considerations. Nothing is more important than one’s health. Bullying is a major topic of concern we should all take more seriously, so we can work toward its eradication. I’m proud to give it presence in my book, so that my readers can hold it up for moral consideration.

The Writing Method

I’m sure every author, everywhere, has their own method to madness. Just like everyone has a preference for the way they clean their house or the food they eat, authors have a predilection for the elements of their own writing process.

I am no different, and I’ve found that the conditions must be exactly right for me to be my most productive.

Sleep is a big one. Like many other writers, I don’t have the luxury of staying home and writing full time. I work 40 hours, plus 4 of mandatory overtime, out in the real world. This makes for a very long day, and with the other necessary evils, such as preparing food, shopping and doing the minimal chores necessary for clean clothes, bunny cages and dishes, there is very little time left for writing. I’m usually dead tired during the week—like a vampire forced to live during the day time—and admittedly don’t get much writing done Monday - Friday. But, making sure I can squeeze in at least 7 hours sleep makes turning out maybe a half chapter…sometimes more… on a weekday evening a greater possibility.

Weekends are, most of the time, a much more productive time to write. Sleeping in refreshes the brain and usually the first thought on my mind when I open my eyes Saturday morning is grabbing my laptop and working on that next book. Lately, with the publication of my first novel, though, I find it very easy to get distracted. Since I decided to go the self-publishing route, I’m also my own publicist. Not only do I have books to write, but I have one I need to sell too—so that hopefully, one day soon I can make writing my full-time occupation.

I’m very particular about my space too. I am bunmom to four bunbabies and I need them around me when I write. Each of my rabbits is so gentle and full of love, it puts my mind in in the right place for optimal writing. Just to clarify, Bunnies = Zen.

Coffee. Now this is a big one! There’s just something about a warm, inviting cup of coffee that just makes me feel like a writer. We’re ketogenic eaters, so I add a tablespoon of MCT oil and grass-fed butter to mine, along with a raw egg yolk from pastured hens, found on a farm in our little Ontario town. Of course you have to make this concoction with a Magic Bullet, or other small blender, for the consistency to be right, just FYI. I find this drink really energizes and comforts, setting the stage for some quality writing!

Lastly—noise. I don’t know what it is about me, but I cannot stand quiet. I know that most other people crave quiet to be able to concentrate, but I’ve always been the opposite. In college, I could never study without the TV or radio on. While reading a book, even, there must be some background noise. I’m not sure exactly why this is, but I can’t even go to sleep in a quiet room, much less be able to write in one. Most of the time, I prefer music. All of my novels have a playlist, usually a song to match the tone of each chapter—I’ve discovered a lot of great, new music this way. But, I love having a good vampire or zombie movie on in the background while writing, too!

What’s your method to madness? What helps you create? I’d love to hear from other writers, artists and readers about your favorite creative atmosphere :)