Heidi Ruby Miller's Blog, page 53

HEIDI'S PICK SIX: Bruce Brown

HEIDI'S PICK SIX





Bruce Brown



1. Which of your characters is your favorite?

Of all my characters, Howard Lovecraft and Spot are my favorites. They are adventurous, brave, sarcastic and funny. I love the dynamic between them. In many ways they fight like an old married couple.



2. Tell me about your travels.



3. Coffee, tea, or milk?

I am a diehard coffee drinker. I usually drink several double espressos a day.



4. What else can you do besides write?

I am a student of Shinkendo which is the martial arts study of Samurai sword fighting. There is something about the discipline of it that draws me to it. Besides, how cool is it to swing a sword around and sword fight!



5. Who are you reading right now?

6. Pop culture or academia?

7. What is the toughest scene you ever wrote?

8. Where do you find your inspirations to write?



9. Food you could eat everyday.

I honestly could eat sushi or sashimi every day. I love it. I am a total creature of habit with foods. I once ate hot dogs everyday for a month. Granted, not healthy, but I was younger then. I actually try to eat really healthy now, but I still eat in patterns.



10. Are you into sports or other physical activities?

11. What kind of music speaks to you?



12. Do you outline your stories or do they just take you along for the ride?

Honestly, you have to map out the story to fit it into the right amount of pages and panels in comics; that is an unavoidable part of comic writing. But, I will say that when the story just takes on a life of itself, it is the greatest feeling! When I wrote Howard Lovecraft & The Frozen Kingdom, it just flowed out of me and seemed so natural.



13. Celebrity crush.

14. Who are the biggest influences on your work?



15. Do you still watch cartoons?

Absolutely! I am a huge fan of the show Phineas and Ferb. I honestly think it is the smartest all-ages show that has come out in a long time. I know many adults who watch it regularly. Plus as an all-ages creator/writer I think it is important to stay in touch with that "little kid" inside you.



Bruce Brown is a comic book writer from the land of Lincoln, Springfield, Illinois. His work has been featured in the Chicago Tribune and Rue Morgue magazine as well as countless other comic sites. He is the creator/writer of Howard Lovecraft & The Frozen Kingdom and his other works include Mwumba, Jack & The Zombie Box, Clay County, Howard Lovecraft & The Undersea Kingdom , Interagents and M-theory.





SYNOPSIS OF Howard Lovecraft & The Undersea Kingdom



An all-ages H.P. Lovecraft story!



Howard Lovecraft's family has been imprisoned on a far-flung alien planet. Spot has been captured and is slowly becoming a mindless Fishman. Howard, accompanied by his insane father, a pistol-packing constable, and his hungry cat, must face the all-powerful ruler of the Outer Gods, a revengeful old enemy, an army of deadly monsters, and a lethal world called Yuggoth, to save the day.



All Howard has to do is surrender his father's Book. But that would mean certain doom for all of mankind!

Meme: The Lucky 7 Meme for Writers

MEMES



I just got tagged in The Lucky7 Meme by T.W. Fendley . Perfect, since it's about writing, and St. Paddy's Day is coming up!



THE RULES:

1. Go to page 77 of your current ms.

2. Go to sentence 7.

3. Copy and post the next 7 sentences as they're written. No cheating.

4. Tag 7 other victims, er, authors.





Here's an excerpt from ATOMIC ZION, the thriller I'm revising:





"Yes, that's right," Nick said, poking a little fun at Detsoi's favorite phrase.



Together they wrenched the bed free of the stall, making as little noise as possible, and wheeled it over to the wall. Nick hoped no one had an odd shift change at this time of night or decided they needed a shower for lunch. He hoisted himself onto the collapsed bed while Evie pushed her hip into it to steady the casters.



Facing the horizontal window bank, he searched for handles. Small flip locks were at either side of the pane, meant for easy manipulation by a window hook from the floor. He pushed the locks up with his thumbs. The seal around the casement window popped open; street noise and night air rushed in.



TAGGING:

Jason Jack Miller

John Edward Lawson

T. K. Toppin

Deanna Lepsch

JC Cassels

Irene L. Pynn

Barbara Mountjoy

HEIDI'S PICK SIX: Tate Hallaway

HEIDI'S PICK SIX





Tate Hallaway



1. Which of your characters is your favorite?

2. Tell me about your travels.



3. Coffee, tea, or milk?

Does anyone actually answer milk? For me, it's coffee all the way, ever since I was a tween. I used to get up early, before anyone else in the house, and start the coffee. I'd listen to music, read, take a walk, or daydream before getting ready to go to school.



4. What else can you do besides write?

I can draw. In fact, when I was in college no one believed I WASN'T a Fine Arts major. I dropped drawing for a long time because I hit a plateau. I can draw something I can see respectably well, which means that, for me, who loves to draw superheroes and Anime characters, I can draw from someone else's drawing. I haven't been able to break past that point very well… so I stopped. I picked the pencil up again recently.



5. Who are you reading right now?

6. Pop culture or academia?



7. What is the toughest scene you ever wrote?

Every sex scene… I still sometimes have to close my eyes and look away from embarrassment.



8. Where do you find your inspirations to write?

9. Food you could eat everyday.



10. Are you into sports or other physical activities?

Martial arts. I currently hold a yellow belt (2nd level) in a mixed Korean Martial Art called Kuk Sool Wan. My son and I participate together and we have a lot of fun. I like the yelling, mostly, and the games. I'm also taking a hula hooping class right now…which is actually kind of tough. Hula hooping is HARD.



11. What kind of music speaks to you?

12. Do you outline your stories or do they just take you along for the ride?

13. Celebrity crush.

14. Who are the biggest influences on your work?



15. Do you still watch cartoons?

Do you count Anime? If so, yes, definitely, and I'm not even embarrassed by it. I'm currently watching BLEACH, which causes a lot of people roll their eyes when they hear I'm into it. It's a show very much targeted to teenage boys. There's a lot of crude humor (farts and boobs) and over-the-top antics/broad physical humor, but, what I really like about it is the awesome swordplay and the themes of honor and justice. These are two really powerful concepts, and I find myself captivated by how they're dealt with here and in FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, another Anime I've been watching. Both BLEACH and FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST deal a lot with death/the afterlife and consequences of messing with either. Surprisingly heady stuff.



Tate Hallaway leads a double-life. By day, she's a mild-mannered, award winning science fiction author, Lyda Morehouse. At night, she dons a skin-tight cat suit and prowls the night as Tate Hallaway, best selling romance author. Tate's books include the adult paranormal Garnet Lacey series, the YA Vampire Princess of St. Paul series, and a new adult series that begins with Precinct 13 (forthcoming in August 2012). You can read about Lyda (and check out her art) at http://lyda222.livejournal.com . Tate blogs at http://www.tatehallaway.blogspot.com and both contribute to the Wyrdsmith's group blog http://wyrdsmiths.blogspot.com . Tate lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Lyda's whereabouts are currently unknown….





DESCRIPTION OF Almost Everything

The Lambright family's eldest daughter, Abby, runs her own sewing shop. There, she mends the town's clothes and their torn relationships. But the town maidel has sworn off any suitors of her own because of her unrequited love for James Graber, who is about to marry her younger sister, Zanna...



On the wedding day, Zanna is nowhere to be found, breaking James' heart. Zanna has brought shame to her family, but there's more in store for them when they discover how far she has fallen. Long-buried secrets come to light, and they test the bonds of the Cedar Creek community. Abby is at the center of it all, trying to maintain everyone's happiness. But will she ever find her own?

HEIDI'S PICK SIX: Kim Messinger

HEIDI'S PICK SIX





Kim Messinger (middle) with co-authors Janine Boyer and Shirley Brosius



1. Which of your characters is your favorite?



2. Tell me about your travels.

My husband and I love to travel. We have cruised to popular sites like Bermuda, the Caribbean, St. Thomas, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. Mission work and family have taken us to Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Africa and Japan.



3. Coffee, tea, or milk?

Coffee with Truvia and Almond Joy creamer. Every morning at 4:55. It is the only reason I get out of bed!



4. What else can you do besides write?

5. Who are you reading right now?

6. Pop culture or academia?

7. What is the toughest scene you ever wrote?



8. Where do you find your inspirations to write?

My family, friends and my classroom! I could and should have written all my adventures with six year olds over the years!



9. Food you could eat everyday.

Avacados



10. Are you into sports or other physical activities?

Training for a 5K right now. I hit the gym every morning at 5:30!



11. What kind of music speaks to you?

12. Do you outline your stories or do they just take you along for the ride?

13. Celebrity crush.

14. Who are the biggest influences on your work?

15. Do you still watch cartoons?



Kim Messinger , married to Matthew, is the mother of two active boys, Micah, a college freshman, and Caleb, a high school senior. She holds degrees from Lancaster Bible College and Millersville University and has earned a master's degree in special education at Nova Southeastern University. A first grade teacher, Kim has served in a variety of ministries and positions including singing groups, Christian education director, youth director and worship leader. Her hobbies include caring for her Newfoundland dog, Indy, herb gardening and cheering on her sons at sporting events. Kim hopes to use the events of her life to encourage women to pursue a more personal relationship with Jesus Christ.



Kim Messinger, Janine Boyer and Shirley Brosius had a common bond of Christian service when Christ drew them together for their first small group meeting in January, 1998. Since then they have drawn closer through life's joys and struggles and found God to be sufficient for their every need. As a speaking team, they call themselves "Friends of the Heart" because their passion is to help women open their hearts and find joy in Christ. Kim and Janine supported Shirley in writing Sisterhood of Faith: 365 Life-Changing Stories About Women Who Made a Difference. More recently the three women worked together to write another devotional book, Turning Guilt Trips into Joy Rides. They have spoken at women's retreats and events in five states. All three women live in Millersburg, Pennsylvania.



Find Janine, Kim, and Shirley at www.friendsoftheheart.us .

HEIDI'S PICK SIX: Gary Cummings

HEIDI'S PICK SIX





Gary Cummings



1. Which of your characters is your favorite?

My favorite character is Kyle Roach, the protagonist of my book Breaking In. I have to say that because if I don't, he may not say or do anything interesting in the sequel. Knowing Kyle only reads the first couple of sentences, and the last sentence of a paragraph, I can confidently say my favorite character is Kyle's ex-wife, Molly. Molly is the smartest and most creative person in the book. When she drops back into Kyle's life after years of being gone, things happen. And that is why Kyle is my favorite character.



2. Tell me about your travels.

My wife and I absolutely love Glacier National Park. It's a three day drive or a convoluted, multi-connection flight from our home in the Midwest, so we can't visit as often as we would like. We go after Labor Day and, many times, seemingly have the huge park to ourselves.



3. Coffee, tea, or milk?

4. What else can you do besides write?



5. Who are you reading right now?

I try to keep two books going when I read for pleasure: one novel in a genre close to what I write, and one non-fiction so as to keep up with my history-loving protagonist. Currently I'm reading Knight's Ransom, an action-adventure novel by Gordon Kessler and Lindbergh by A. Scott Berg, a biography of Charles Lindbergh.



6. Pop culture or academia?



7. What is the toughest scene you ever wrote?

The action scenes in general are tough to write. My novel is peppered with humor so as I dial up the threat level, I have to tamp down my protagonist's tendency to comment or internalize on each difficulty he faces. When a deadly confrontation occurs I allow him a brief comment near the beginning of the struggle and maybe an ironic thought in the middle. When he survives, he's allowed to vent. He's earned it. By the way, every time I write a scene fraught with danger I end up with a headache!



8. Where do you find your inspirations to write?

9. Food you could eat everyday.

10. Are you into sports or other physical activities?

11. What kind of music speaks to you?



12. Do you outline your stories or do they just take you along for the ride?

I've learned to allow my characters to go their own way-within the arena I've set for them. I believe a writer's inner Muse is like a child and the writer's inner Editor is like the child's guardian. My Editor wants Kyle to go to a safe part of the playground and bounce a ball against a wall while thinking clever thoughts, in complete sentences. My Muse allows Kyle to rush to the monkey bars and hang upside down by his knees, do a flip to the ground and run behind the school and pick a fight with the playground bully. I decide on the playground for the characters, the Muse allows the characters to get bloodied and their clothes torn and the Editor patches them up and makes things right with the other parents.



13. Celebrity crush.

I would love to talk about my celebrity crush, but there's that darn restraining order.



14. Who are the biggest influences on your work?

15. Do you still watch cartoons?



Gary Cummings retired from his job as a machinist in 2008 to full begin his dream life as a writer. His wife and he joined with a small group of writers who love to write and enjoy helping each other write well. Breaking In is his first novel. He's entered contests and has won awards in the short story, humor, poetry and screenplay categories. You can contact Gary at GaryLCummings.com .



DESCRIPTION OF Breaking In

As private detective Kyle Roach flees the scene of a house explosion, his tattered shirt resembling Miss Kentucky's sash, he suspects his beautiful client has been less than truthful. During the next four days, Kyle will use a licorice rope to drive off a would-be assassin, crash his beloved pickup into a motel room and steal four vehicles. His unorthodox tactics prompt his rich, spoiled client, Stella, to fire him. In turn, Kyle kidnaps her "for her own good". And this is Kyle's first case.



It's not as if Kyle's life needs turmoil. His week ended with the employer at his day job announcing Kyle's pension had become a victim of cost cutting. He struggles daily with the loneliness of being divorced. The memory of his late father's suicide lingers, and he wrestles with his own fleeting suicidal thoughts. Kyle fights on, surrounding himself with friends and immersing himself in sports, alcohol and a study of great thinkers from the past.



Stella and Kyle settle into an uneasy alliance as they hurtle across the Midwest, running from hired killers as well as the police. The clash of wealthy versus middle class, East Coast versus Middle America and cool sex appeal versus wanton wanting punctuate their flight. Stella's demands and arrogance drive Kyle to the point of abandoning her but his conscience demands that he fulfill his obligation to protect his high maintenance client.



Buy Breaking In





- http://www.amazon.com/Breaking-In-ebook/dp/B00748NT1S

SFFS: Snippet from Ambasadora #3

AMBASADORA: BOOK ONE IN THE AMBASADORA SERIES



DESCRIPTION: If everyone told you love wasn't real, would you still be willing to die for it?



Sara Mendoza is captured, tortured, and falsely accused of treason by the Embassy, but she is given a chance to win back her freedom. She only needs to charm information from one of the fragger leaders, then kill him. But by the time she figures out the Embassy's intel is flawed and that Sean Cryer is her true mark, she's already in love with him.



Sean knows why Sara is on his ship from the start, but as a lonely, anti-social doser, he doesn't value his life, only his ideology within the fragger organization. Against his better judgment, he becomes her protector, each day caring more about a future he was always afraid to hope for.



SNIPPET #1

SNIPPET #2



--



SNIPPET #3:

Here Sara, David, and the others are trying to escape from Palomin during a battle. Sara is succumbing to her pain...



"This is faster acting." Yadira handed David an injector. He held it against Sara's neck. Its air-forced needle jabbed into her skin, delivering the entire dose at once. David helped her onto Yadira's board. Sara wrapped her arms around the tiny woman's waist. The boards moved out, and though the pace was excruciatingly slow due to their overload of cargo, Sara still had to close her eyes from time to time to quell her sickness.



Blasts of music alternated with the gunfire until they became part of the same composition. Exploding rockets echoed off the canyon walls and the hulls of burning ships. It was a cacophony of death, but also the birth scream of a new system, conceived in discontent and born naturally into the raw, naked glory of war.



--



Find more snippets from other wonderful authors at Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday .

HEIDI'S PICK SIX: Greta van der Rol

HEIDI'S PICK SIX





Greta van der Rol



1. Which of your characters is your favorite?

I have three strong characters in my new novel, Starheart. I like them all, as a matter of fact. Admiral Hudson is a strong, very attractive man who can have a tender side. Santh Dekstra, gay first officer of the Saintly Maid, is a really nice guy, a girl's best friend but with problems of his own. But if I have to pick, it will be Jess. She's a widow with a slightly shady past, trying to make a place for herself and those she loves in the galaxy. She's smart, tough, a bit inclined to go off without thinking too hard, intensely loyal and basically honest.



2. Tell me about your travels.

I've been a few places. Last trip was a jaunt around the world (literally) on trains and boats and planes. We flew to Europe, spent some time in Holland then went on a Baltic cruise taking in Copenhagen, Warnemunde, Tallinn, St Petersburg, Helsinki and Stockholm. Then we flew over to America, where we spent a few days in New York, then caught a train to Washington for a few more days there. From there we flew to San Francisco, and then on home via Brisbane. We were away about a month.



3. Coffee, tea, or milk?



4. What else can you do besides write?

I'm a strictly amateur photographer, although a few of my wildlife pictures have been accepted for sale on Dreamstime. I snap the world around me – birds, whales, bees, flowers and nice landscapes of the beach. And my husband tells me I'm not a bad cook.



5. Who are you reading right now?

I'm re-reading a few Jack McDevitt novels. They're hard science fiction mixed with mystery. I love his stuff because he manages to combine science with history in an utterly plausible way.



6. Pop culture or academia?



7. What is the toughest scene you ever wrote?

Actually, there are quite a few scenes in my historical novel, To Die a Dry Death, which might qualify – the book is based on true events, where the survivors of a shipwreck off the coast of Australia in 1629 came under the sway of a psychopath. He and his henchmen (there are always henchmen) murdered as many as one hundred people. In contrast, only around seventy died when the ship sank. Men, women and children were murdered, some were forced to murder others to save their own hides. But the hardest one to write was when a man and his eldest daughter were invited to dine with the psychopath. While they were at dinner, the man's wife and his six other children and their maid were killed. The man and the eldest daughter must have heard what was happening. It took me a while to get that down on paper.



8. Where do you find your inspirations to write?

9. Food you could eat everyday.

10. Are you into sports or other physical activities?



11. What kind of music speaks to you?

In a word, Baroque. I love the complexity of the music. I lie down and let it wash over me, particularly Bach's organ music. Pachelbel's 'Canon', Vivaldi and all those composers you'll find on a Baroque sampler. I also love Beethoven. When I'm walking I listen to pop, bopping along with songs from a variety of popular artists.



12. Do you outline your stories or do they just take you along for the ride?

13. Celebrity crush.

14. Who are the biggest influences on your work?

15. Do you still watch cartoons?





Greta van der Rol loves writing science fiction with a large dollop of good old, healthy romance. She lives not far from the coast in Queensland, Australia and enjoys photography and cooking when she isn't bent over the computer. She has a degree in history and a background in building information systems, both of which go a long way toward helping her in her writing endeavours.



You can find out more about Greta's latest release, Starheart on Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Starheart-ebook/dp/B007B1W37O



GIVEAWAY!!

To celebrate the release of Starheart she'll be giving a $25 Amazon gift voucher to one person who leaves a comment on any of the blogs she visits until 10th March. So leave a comment here and you'll be in the draw.



Find Greta online at these links:



WEBSITE - http://gretavanderrol.net





- http://www.facebook.com/Author.Greta.vanderRol







- @GretavdR - http://twitter.com/GretavdR

HEIDI'S PICK SIX: Janine Boyer

HEIDI'S PICK SIX





Janine Boyer with co-authors Kim Messinger and Shirley Brosius



1. Which of your characters is your favorite?

2. Tell me about your travels.



3. Coffee, tea, or milk?

Coffee



4. What else can you do besides write?



5. Who are you reading right now?

Radical by David Platt



6. Pop culture or academia?

7. What is the toughest scene you ever wrote?

8. Where do you find your inspirations to write?



9. Food you could eat everyday.

If I could...Oreos, chips and ice cream



10. Are you into sports or other physical activities?

I enjoy all kinds of sports, my favorite being basketball. I also enjoy physical activities such as running and trying new things like sky diving, jet skiing, parasailing, zip lines and roller coasters. There are lots more things I'd like to try.



11. What kind of music speaks to you?

I am so moved by Christian worship music. It helps to make me more aware of God in my day to day living and draws me closer to Him.



12. Do you outline your stories or do they just take you along for the ride?

13. Celebrity crush.

14. Who are the biggest influences on your work?



15. Do you still watch cartoons?

I don't watch much TV but if I see Scooby Doo on, I will take a break and watch for a while!



Janine Boyer shares life with husband Dave and college students Ryan and Megan. Janine holds a degree from Millersville University and works in a family business. She keeps busy with her children's sports and school/community activities. She developed a Pioneer Club program for her church and has volunteered in children, youth and adult ministries. In her spare time Janine enjoys sports (playing and watching), reading and spending time with her family. While serving in women's ministry, she has developed a desire to help people find peace and contentment in their identity in Christ as they develop a close friendship with Him.





Kim Messinger, Janine Boyer and Shirley Brosius had a common bond of Christian service when Christ drew them together for their first small group meeting in January, 1998. Since then they have drawn closer through life's joys and struggles and found God to be sufficient for their every need. As a speaking team, they call themselves "Friends of the Heart" because their passion is to help women open their hearts and find joy in Christ. Kim and Janine supported Shirley in writing Sisterhood of Faith: 365 Life-Changing Stories About Women Who Made a Difference. More recently the three women worked together to write another devotional book, Turning Guilt Trips into Joy Rides. They have spoken at women's retreats and events in five states. All three women live in Millersburg, Pennsylvania.



Find Janine, Kim, and Shirley at www.friendsoftheheart.us .

HEIDI'S PICK SIX: Heather Massey

HEIDI'S PICK SIX





Heather Massey



1. Which of your characters is your favorite?

2. Tell me about your travels.

3. Coffee, tea, or milk?



4. What else can you do besides write?

I can blink both of my eyes at the same time!



5. Who are you reading right now?

6. Pop culture or academia?

7. What is the toughest scene you ever wrote?

8. Where do you find your inspirations to write?



9. Food you could eat everyday.

Indian food is to die for. I love samosas, vegetable pakoras, palak paneer, basmati rice, tandoori chicken—heck, I adore it all. Hmm, now I know what I'm having for dinner tonight!



10. Are you into sports or other physical activities?

Like I mentioned earlier, I can blink both of my eyes at the same time (but now I only do it on Thursdays).



11. What kind of music speaks to you?



12. Do you outline your stories or do they just take you along for the ride?

I do an outline, a flow chart, a PowerPoint presentation, a pie graph, index cards, a Schrödinger equation, and a histogram. Believe it…or not.



13. Celebrity crush.

Peter Dinklage. He's a perfect fit as Tyrion Lannister on HBO's Game of Thrones, but the film of his that got me seriously crushing is The Station Agent. He had the sexiest scowl in that.



14. Who are the biggest influences on your work?



15. Do you still watch cartoons?

Oh, yes, yes, yes! Some of them are shows I watch with my daughter, like Miss Spider or Clifford the Big Red Dog, but others are adult fare I watch with my husband, like Frisky Dingo. I've been an anime fan since childhood (hello, Uchū Senkan Yamato!). The most recent animated film I watched was Satoshi Kon's Paprika (2006).



Heather Massey is a lifelong fan of science fiction romance. She searches for science fiction romance adventures aboard her blog, The Galaxy Express .



When she's not reading, she's watching cult films and enjoying time with her husband and daughter.



Visit Heather online at these links (and please bring her some Indian food):



WEBSITE - heathermassey.com





- The Galaxy Express - thegalaxyexpress.net







- Heather Massey – Science Fiction Romance Author





- @thgalaxyexpress - http://twitter.com/thgalaxyexpress





Pssst…check out her new erotic clockpunk romance, The Watchmaker's Lady (Clockpunk Trilogy #1) . There's like, a Victorian sex doll in it. Seriously. And her watchmaker lover. And a super secret twist. In fact, the only thing missing from this story is Indian food. But that's okay.



SUMMARY FOR The Watchmaker's Lady

Matthew Goddard is a lonely watchmaker in 1840 New England. One fateful day, he discovers the lover of his dreams in a dusty corner of the local general store—Isabel, a bisque porcelain mannequin head with mesmerizing, smoky blue eyes. When Matthew invites her to come live with him, she eagerly "accepts."



The couple embarks on a lust-filled affair, one fueled by Matthew's wild imagination. In order to provide Isabel with a brass body and pretty clothes, he begins a secret side business selling clockwork sex toys to his wealthy female customers.



Danger, however, threatens their idyllic romance when a disgruntled customer exposes Matthew's forbidden business to the townspeople. Despite the growing menace, Matthew will stop at nothing in order to save his soul mate—and protect their love.



--



Want to know more? Visit Red Sage Publishing .



Buy Heather's other books at these links:





- Once Upon a Time in Space - http://www.amazon.com/Once-Upon-Time-Space-ebook/dp/B004QOAVF0





- Queenie's Brigade - http://www.amazon.com/Queenies-Brigade-ebook/dp/B005RR1ZVY

HEIDI'S PICK SIX: Amy Lignor

HEIDI'S PICK SIX







Amy Lignor



1. Which of your characters is your favorite?

When it comes to Until Next Time I really love Matt, the warrior. Whereas Emily is a bit on the serious side because she has to be, Matt has the ability to see the world, have fun and still keep the faith all at the same time. He questions situations and does get caught up in the 'dark' side of life and the human emotions like jealousy, envy, romance and anger - but his loyalty to his job and his partner never wavers. He has that 'hope' - I suppose you could call it - that keeps him running even when he feels destroyed; and he has that pure and utter strength that will keep him standing by the side of the one he loves without walking away from things when they get tough. Most of all he can keep his sense of humor which, to me, is THE most difficult thing for any human to do.



2. Tell me about your travels.

I grew up in the smallest town imaginable in Connecticut. I swear it felt like I was living in a closet most of the time. It was a beautiful landscape, but cars rusting and leaves falling were about the most exciting things you could come across. New York City was close, so I was able to travel there in my youth and fell head over heels for it. When I raced through Patience and Fortitude and climbed those stairs to the NYPL, I was home. In fact, I'm working on an adventure series titled, Tallent & Lowery, based on a woman who works there, because she's the one I always wanted to be.



Leaving home, I was one of those 'road warriors.' I wanted to meet new people, see new places, and gather stories that I knew I would use someday. This country is so varied that it was absolutely exciting to head to Orlando, then Dallas, then Denver, then Roswell, New Mexico, and everywhere in between. I traveled every highway and back road, and one of the greatest times I had was walking into an American Legion hall. I know that sounds strange but I have to tell you, our elders fascinate me, and the stories they tell about how life "used to be" are so interesting. Even in Roswell there are those who were here during the big 'alien landing,' and they have the greatest stories about what it was like. Not to mention, the old cowboys I met decades ago who talked about having dinner with people like Belle Starr…so cool.



3. Coffee, tea, or milk?



4. What else can you do besides write?

Sounds boring, but I read constantly. Having my own editorial business with The Write Companion, I get to work with a lot of debut authors which is very exciting, watching them begin their 'flight into the unknown,' so to speak. I also review for a great deal of publishing companies, magazines, websites, etc., so I'm reading all genres all the time. On top of that, the other series I spoke about involves a great deal of historical research, so I get a thrill out of finding locations, events, etc., and 'fitting' them together to create those books. I spend time with my daughter, who is now headed off to college and is seriously brilliant! And I spend time with my mom who is a career librarian so…we end up talking a lot about books LOL.



5. Who are you reading right now?

6. Pop culture or academia?



7. What is the toughest scene you ever wrote?

I get very close to my characters because, as far as I'm concerned, they're alive…in my brain, at least. One of them that I had 'known' for a good, long time had to exit a storyline in order to make the 'puzzle' and 'plot' fit the path that I chose for the series. I knew it was coming, but when I got there it was almost as if I sat back for four or five days struggling to find another way for the character to exit. When I realized that I couldn't, the writing of that scene was highly emotional. The scene also called for the character to 'question' things, get angry, and demand answers (that I wanted, too), but instead of receiving the answers, he received death.



8. Where do you find your inspirations to write?

9. Food you could eat everyday.

10. Are you into sports or other physical activities?



11. What kind of music speaks to you?

This is a fun question because I am a fan of two styles of music that could NOT be farther apart on the spectrum. The first is 80's rock-and-roll. I don't want to call it 'heavy metal,' because I like the bands that you could actually understand what they were saying, like Bon Jovi, the Crue, people like that. The drums, the energy, the songs are almost rejuvenating; when you feel tired, they wake you right back up! The other is classical. I love all kinds, and I even think that Phantom of the Opera speaks to me on many levels. I love "Music of the Night." When I'm writing a romance, that's the song I listen to. The deep feelings mixed with the obsession and passion of the characters is unmatched to this day.



12. Do you outline your stories or do they just take you along for the ride?



13. Celebrity crush.

Keifer Sutherland. I've loved him since The Lost Boys (no offense, but it's still the BEST vampire movie ever made); and Jack Bauer was perfection. I mean, the man could do anything and save us all in twenty-four hours. It's too bad that character isn't real :) And the raspy voice? To die for!



14. Who are the biggest influences on your work?

15. Do you still watch cartoons?



Amy Lignor began her career at Grey House Publishing in northwest Connecticut where she was the Editor-in-Chief of numerous educational and business directories.



Now she is a published author of several works of fiction. The Billy the Kid historical The Heart of a Legend; the thriller, Mind Made; and the adventure novel, Tallent & Lowery 13.



She is also the owner of The Write Companion, a company that offers help and support to writers through a full range of editorial services from proofreading and copyediting to ghostwriting and research. As the daughter of a research librarian, she is also an active book reviewer.



Currently, she lives with her daughter, mother and a rambunctious German Shepherd named Reuben, in the beautiful state of New Mexico.



Find Amy online at these links:



WEBSITE - http://www.thewritecompanion.com



WEBSITE - The Angel Chronicles - http://www.the-angel-chronicles.com



WEBSITE - Tribute Books - http://www.tribute-books.com





- http://www.facebook.com/alignor





- The Angel Chronicles - http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Angel-Chronicles/168932393209654





- Tribute Books - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Archbald-PA/Tribute-Books/171628704176







- Tribute Books Blog Tours - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-Books-Blog-Tours/242431245775186





- http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5222068





- Until Next Time - http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13319888-until-next-time





- http://twitter.com/HelloWritersAmy





- Tribute Books - http://www.twitter.com/TributeBooks





- http://hellowriters.wordpress.com







SUMMARY FOR Until Next Time: The Angel Chronicles, Book 1

How does a girl choose between the one who steals her heart and the one who owns her soul?



Matt and Emily were created for a specific job. Raised and trained as the ultimate angel/warrior team, they are sent down to save, defend, judge and forgive, depending on the 'life' they've been assigned. What they don't realize is that the power of human emotions, such as love, anger, passion and fear can take over even the best of souls, causing them to make mistakes and follow paths that lead to confusion and heartache.



When the reason for their training is finally revealed, the angel/warrior team find themselves thrust into a world they know nothing about. Matt takes over the life of Daniel, a young man with a great deal of baggage. Emily becomes Liz, a girl living in a remote village who relies on nothing more than her own strength to survive. A violent storm erupts one night, and framed in the window of Liz's establishment is a frightening face. Let in by the soul of a Good Samaritan, the two visitors bring with them a past full of secrets that could literally change an angel's path and a warrior's plans.



From murder to redemption, this angel/warrior team must find a way to keep the faith they have in each other in a world that's ripping them apart.



eBook

ISBN: 9780983741855

ISBN: 9781465992697

Pages: 295

Release: February 1, 2012



Buy Until Next Time at these links:





- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0071LLL2M/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=tributebooks-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0071LLL2M





- http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=dcSBhG3Rj8w&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Funtil-next-time-amy-lignor%252F1108191925%253Fean%253D2940014052627%2526itm%253D1%2526usri%253Duntil%252Bnext%252Btime%252Bthe%252Bangel%252Bchronicles





- http://www.smashwords.com/book/view/126226?ref=tributebooks







PDF - http://www.payloadz.com/go/sip?id=1554857