Heidi Ruby Miller's Blog, page 61

Event: Western Maryland Small Press Festival

Events



This Saturday, October 15, 2011, contributors to Many Genres, One Craft ( Michael A. Arnzen , Heidi Ruby Miller , and Jason Jack Miller ) will be guests at the Western Maryland Small Press Festival , sponsored by Frostburg University .




Here are our schedules:

Publishing Basics - 11:30 AM

Michael A. Arnzen, Donna Long, and Heidi Ruby Miller



Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror - 12:30 PM to 1:15 PM

Michael A. Arnzen, Eric Beebe, Jessica McHugh, and Jason Jack Miller



Self Promotion 101 - 12:30 PM to 1:15 PM

Heidi Ruby Miller and John Edward Lawson



DIY & Self Publishing - 2:00 PM to 2:45 PM

Heidi Ruby Miller, Bill Olver, and Alan C Reese



Writing Local - 3:00 PM to 3:45 PM

Jeff Grieneisen and Jason Jack Miller

ASK THE REVIEWER: Live to Read

Live to Read



This is the sixth in a series I'm hosting where I talk with reviewers who have reviewed my books. Today I welcome Krystal Larson from Live to Read ! She was kind enough to take time out of her reading and blogging schedule to answer some fun questions about herself, her blog, and about my novel Ambasadora .



To read Krystal's full review of Ambasadora visit: http://livetoread-krystal.blogspot.com/2011/08/ambasadora-by-heidi-ruby-miller.html



ABOUT THE REVIEWER



1. What types of books do you review most often?

I tend to review Young Adult or romance the most.



2. Are there any types of books you won't review?

I wouldn't say won't, but I prefer not to review LGBT, self-help books, some nonfiction-I have to do enough in school!-, middle grade books, poetry.



3. Do you review more books you've come to on your own or those from authors/publishers?

I definitely tend to review the latter much more, I get approximately 4-20 in the mail daily.



4. How long does it usually take you to get to a book once it makes it into your TBR pile?

Only a day or two-I have a four to five hour commute from school that allows me to read to my heart's content.



5. What do you do if you can't finish a book?

This has never happened, I guess I might skim the rest.



6. What is your favorite book ever?

Divergent by Veronica Roth for now, it's captivating.



7. Do you like ice cream better than potato chips?

Heck. Yes. Give me chocolate any day.



ABOUT AMBASADORA



1. Who was your favorite character?

Sara!



2. Who did you picture as the characters?

Not entirely sure, I based them off of the authors' descriptions.



3. What is your favorite setting within the Ambasadora-verse?

There really wasn't one I preferred over the others, they were all inventive.



4. Would you rather have a character or a place named after you?

I suppose a character.



5. What would you have changed about AMBASADORA if you could?

Nothing.



6. What would you like to see in future books within the Ambasadora-verse?

It's up to the author, I liked what she wrote for the first one!



7. Would you ever want to travel to the V-side?

Sure, I think I would give it a try.





Want to know more about Krystal ? Leave your question in a comment below and check out these links:





- http://livetoread-krystal.blogspot.com





- http://www.facebook.com/people/Lindsay-Ann/100000547840483





- http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5012749-claire





- http://twitter.com/Icecream1891





If you would like to read Claire's full review of Ambasadora follow this link: http://livetoread-krystal.blogspot.com/2011/08/ambasadora-by-heidi-ruby-miller.html



If you would like to review Ambasadora , email me at heidirubymiller@gmail.com.

HEIDI'S PICK SIX: Gary Starta

HEIDI'S PICK SIX








Gary Starta


1. Which of your characters is your favorite?

Caitlin Diggs, my paranormally-tweaked FBI agent, would be my favorite. She is currently responsible for four novels and has brief cameos in another series I started. Since becoming affected by a mysterious crystal, Caitlin is experiencing supernatural abilities. But she doesn't quite have a handle on them or the reason why she received them. Answers will be coming in two forthcoming novels, one set for June 2012, called Demon Inhibitions. Eventually, Caitlin may come to find the universe is a lot more connected than she once believed.



2. Tell me about your travels.



3. Coffee, tea, or milk?

Tea – mostly green. It's a healthy antioxidant. I have to get my characters to drink more of it. It helps beat oxidative stress which seems to be prevalent in both the fictional and non-fictional world.



4. What else can you do besides write?



5. Who are you reading right now?

David Wilcox's book, The Source Field Investigations. It is kind of rare for me to read non-fiction. This book has taken an immediate grip on me. I love science, especially science not yet quite proven, or fringe science. It really influences my stories. Wilcox posits that everything in the universe is listening to one another. So you may say we are part of a tapestry. It's just that we don't know how to perceive it because our senses may have stagnated. But if we could envision that everything is connected - from plants to stars we cannot see - we will find we do have a modicum of control over our lives. Wilcox cites one experiment where plants are proven to behave emotionally from stress. It means they have a consciousness. I think it means we can all tap into this consciousness. Finding the way to that mind state will make for some great science fiction stories I imagine.



6. Pop culture or academia?

I would lean to academia as it is a good basis for my stories. But it isn't really any fun unless you can put pop culture into the mix, I have to admit. I try to keep my stories blended, sometimes mixing sci fi, romance and mystery. I feel a good story should entertain as well as educate.



7. What is the toughest scene you ever wrote?



8. Where do you find your inspirations to write?

Each story I read or film/TV show I watch brings constant inspiration. If that isn't enough, there is always real life.



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 write the most illegible outlines imaginable. I look forward as a writer to be taken on a ride. It's nearly always a mix, maybe 50/50 between writing something planned and finding inspiration in the moment of writing it.



13. Celebrity crush.

14. Who are the biggest influences on your work?

15. Do you still watch cartoons?






Gary Starta is a former journalist whose love for science fiction compelled him to begin writing novels. His last novel Gods of the Machines was voted a finalist in the Preditors and Editors Readers Poll for 2010. He plans to continue writing novels which incorporate moral dilemma with suspense.

Versatile Blogger Award

Thank you Ellie Great at Path to Happiness for the Versatile Blogger Award!



You can check out Ellie's book Unforgettable Night , only $2.99 on Amazon .

Publication: Heidi Ruby Miller in Twisted Tales in 66 Words

PUBLICATIONS






Twisted Tales in 66 Words



My flash fiction story "Page Thirty Three" (originally titled "Page Three Thirty") is part of a new collection by editor Kimberly Raiser.



You can buy the e-book for $.99 at Amazon or a paperback for $5.95 at Lulu .



To read another flash piece of mine "The Surrender" which was picked for the collection The Best of Every Day Fiction 2008 , visit Every Day Fiction . If you like it, please don't forget to rate it!

Workshop: Prepping for NaNo with Susan Meier at Pennwriters Online

Workshops





Pennwriters Inc. brings you...



PREPPING FOR NaNo with SUSAN MEIER: Online Course



INSTRUCTOR: Susan Meier



DATE: October 1 – October 31, 2011



REGISTER: http://tinyurl.com/PennwritersCourse201110
(LIMITED CLASS SIZE. Enroll now.)



COURSE DESCRIPTION: Everybody believes NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, which runs every November at http://www.nanowrimo.org ) is a race against the clock, a fight with procrastination and inertia. In some ways it is. But once you're in the thick of things, you'll discover NaNo is really all about ideas. Writers don't stall because they're lazy. Writers stall because they don't know what to write next.



The month BEFORE NaNo, get proven tips from Susan Meier—the author of almost 50 books for Harlequin and Silhouette—and let her take you through several different ways to examine the story you want to write, to capture the natural scene possibilities within your idea, to generate new ideas, and to push yourself through the most grueling, but fun, month you will spend this year! Lessons include:



* The List of 20 (How to generate ideas quickly so you have little downtime when your natural ideas run out)

* Turning a "Want" into "Need" (How does knowing why you're writing this book provide you with both energy to write and ideas for your story?)

* The One-Paragraph Story Summary (Say it succinctly…3 kinds of one-paragraph story summaries: back cover blurb, core story question, and growth paragraph)

* Could, Might, Must and Should List (How to capture ideas that spring up naturally)

* Storyboard Versus Synopsis (Breaking your idea down into manageable bites)

* The Psychology of Pushing through the Hard Times (What to do when you get stuck)

* The Psychology of a Draft (Push, push, push!)

* What Are You Doing in December? (Editing tips)



Discover how to get the most out of NaNo and write a publishable novel. LIMITED CLASS SIZE. Enroll now.



REGISTER: http://tinyurl.com/PennwritersCourse201110



ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: Susan Meier is the author of over 45 books for Harlequin and Silhouette and one of Guideposts' Grace Chapel Inn series books, THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS. Her books have been finalists for Reviewers Choice Awards, National Reader's Choice Awards and Cataromance.com Reviewer's Choice Awards and nominated for Romantic Times awards. Her book, HER BABY'S FIRST CHRISTMAS won the traditional category in the 2009 More Than Magic contest. HER PREGNANCY SURPRISE, her first release for the Harlequin Romance line, made both Walden's Bestseller List for Series Romance and Bookscan. MAID FOR THE MILLIONAIRE, MAID FOR THE SINGLE DAD, and COUNTRY TWIN CHRISTMAS are her
2010 releases. Susan loves to teach as much as she loves to write and is a popular speaker at RWA chapter conferences. Can This Manuscript Be Saved? and Journey Steps, Taking the Train to Somewhere! are her most requested workshops. Her article "How to Write a Category Romance" appeared in 2003 Writer's Digest Novel and Short Story Markets. Susan also gives online workshops for various groups and her articles regularly appear in RWA chapter newsletters. For more information about Susan Meier, visit http://www.susanmeier.com .



* Subscribe to our announcement list for email on our latest online courses: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PennwritersOnlineCourses

ASK THE REVIEWER: Claire's Book Corner

Claire's Book Corner



This is the fifth in a series I'm hosting where I talk with reviewers who have reviewed my books. Today I welcome Claire Smith from Claire's Book Corner ! She was kind enough to take time out of her reading and blogging schedule to answer some fun questions about herself, her blog, and about my novel Ambasadora .



To read Claire's full review of Ambasadora visit: http://clairesbookcorner.blogspot.com/2011/09/ambasadora.html



ABOUT THE REVIEWER



1. What types of books do you review most often?

For the past few years I have been mostly reading Urban Fantasy so they are the books that get reviewed.



2. Are there any types of books you won't review?

Yes, I never read YA so I wouldn't review those books. No offense to the people who do read them but they just aren't for me. I hated being a teenager when I was one so I certainly don't want to read about teen angst now.



3. Do you review more books you've come to on your own or those from authors/publishers?

I'm very new to the whole business of reviewing so the books that I have reviewed have been my own. I did manage to get two ARC books by one author who was pleased with a review I had previously done of one of their books.



4. How long does it usually take you to get to a book once it makes it into your TBR pile?

Oh goodness, my actual TBR pile is massive. I haven't counted but I must have over 200 books on that pile and I still can't stop myself from buying more books. I read whatever takes my fancy at the time of choosing a book. Sometimes I haven't been able to decide and so I have got my cat to choose for me. Oh no, that makes me look like a crazy cat lady--I'm not, I promise. If someone asked me to do a review though, that would go to the top of the pile.



5. What do you do if you can't finish a book?

There have only been a few times when I can't actually finish a book. I hate not seeing a book through to the end. I'm always so hopeful that the next page the story will get better. If I don't finish a book I will still write a review for the part I did read, what I don't like someone else will.



6. What is your favorite book ever?

That is so difficult to answer and my answer changes daily. So today I am going with the Allie Beckstrom series by Devon Monk. I could do with a beer, a laugh and a hug with one of the characters called Shamus O'Flynn right now.



7. Do you like ice cream better than potato chips?

No way ice cream--it's potato chips every time for me.



ABOUT AMBASADORA



1. Who was your favorite character?

Sara is my favourite character. I really liked seeing her grow from a pretty socialite with no cares but that of getting an amour and having children to being a fighter in battles.



2. Who did you picture as the characters?

I pictured Megan Fox as Sara, Gabriel Aubry as Sean and a British actor called Richard Armitage as Rainer.



3. What is your favorite setting within the Ambasadora-verse?

I liked it when Sara and Sean escaped to the Underground in Latulip.



4. Would you rather have a character or a place named after you?

I would love to have a character named after me and be totally opposite to what I am like.



5. What would you have changed about AMBASADORA if you could?

I wouldn't have changed anything. If I did then we wouldn't have the excellent book that we do have now.



6. What would you like to see in future books within the Ambasadora-verse?

I would like to see Sara and Sean meet with Rainer. I think there would be an almighty fight between Sean and Rainer.



7. Would you ever want to travel to the V-side?

Of course I'm always up for an adventure.





Want to know more about Claire ? Leave your question in a comment below and check out these links:





- http://clairesbookcorner.blogspot.com





- http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5012749-claire





- http://twitter.com/clairesbooks





If you would like to read Claire's full review of Ambasadora follow this link: http://clairesbookcorner.blogspot.com/2011/09/ambasadora.html



If you would like to review Ambasadora , email me at heidirubymiller@gmail.com.

PATHS TO PUBLICATION: G. Paul Grondin

Never Regret Tomorrow by G. Paul Grondin



I'm self-published. I have tried to get an agent since 1977 and no one in the publishing industry thinks my writing is worth a hill of beans. So finally I said, "screw'em all."



Actually, I counted 1,400+ rejection letters over the years before I gave up counting. This does not count screenplay rejections. SO my path to publishing has been one rejection after another. The only summation that I have is that I must have needed to get beat up verbally or in writing...kicked and punched emotionally...causing me to never give up one of my dearest loves in this lifetime--writing.



When JK Rowling finished Harry Potter not one agent in the UK took her seriously. They all turned her down. Then a very small publishing house said they'd publish it because it's an interesting story but "don't expect to make any money off Harry Potter." Later, I saw JK Rowling in a TV special. They asked a few agents and publishers why they had turned her down and they all claimed they had never heard of her prior to her fame.



I'm not saying I'm a great writer or even a good writer, but I'm against the "gate keepers" in and around the publishing industry who do not have an ounce of creativity flowing in their blood and yet, they will tell the reading public what is sent to a publisher and what gets filed under "G" for garbage.



Lucas could not sell anyone on the idea of Star Wars. Then a studio agreed to make the movie only if George would waive all his fees for writing and directing the movie, etc. He'd only be paid if and when Star Wars made a profit, which of course eventually made him a billion dollars.



William Goldman, who was a famous pulp fiction writer from the '60s and 70's, (I used to read his books back in those days) could not sell the screenplay Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid to anyone. After over 6 months of pedaling it in Hollywood, a few studies finally bid on it because Newman and Redford were now interested.



Getting published or selling a screenplay to the "establishment" can be no more than the luck of the draw, but yes, there's serious talent out there. Unfortunately, a lot of hidden talent is destroyed by rejection and the injection of defeat and despair. Writing is not for the faint of heart.



A secondary note: The key to writing is not just a good story or an idea. The power of the written word is in the editing. I spend as much time in the editing process as I do in the writing. For me, writing is easy. It's the editing that's so damn difficult. Now the difficulty will be trying to find readers who will take my writing seriously. Then again, the "READER is KING," not the publishing houses or the agents.



However, if the readers of the world do not want to read my work, or if they want to ignore it, I'll accept that judgment from them...fair is fair. What is the important thing here? At the end of this lifetime, I want to look back and say, "I tried to do the best I could. No regrets!" If I fail in this lifetime, then by God's grace, I'll get it right in the next lifetime. I am grateful life is cyclical."



--G. Paul Grondin

September 2011



Never Regret Tomorrow



After Dr. Sydney Caldwell discovers a powerful new energy, associates team up with terrorists to steal her discoveries so they can dominate the world. Now she must stop them before they misuse this energy and destroy the planet. But, she is not alone. Her friend, Jonathan, and intergalactic friends arrive with otherworldly technology to assist her. This action-packed, high-adrenalin Sci-Fi adventure will propel you across Russia, the U.S.A., Canada, the Bahamas and England.

HEIDI'S PICK SIX: Rod Kierkegaard

HEIDI'S PICK SIX







Rod Kierkegaard



1. Which of your characters is your favorite?

Donho Likkanen of "Mirrorland", the Finnish Casanova.



2. Tell me about your travels.

I grew up in Louisiana, London, and Stockholm, have lived in New York, Key West, and Paris, and now live in Washington DC. I actually hate to travel.



3. Coffee, tea, or milk?

Silk.



4. What else can you do besides write?

I can drive a car.



5. Who are you reading right now?

6. Pop culture or academia?



7. What is the toughest scene you ever wrote?

My very first sex scene. My gall bladder had just become infected and was perforating.



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?

13. Celebrity crush.



14. Who are the biggest influences on your work?

Iris Murdoch, Philip K. Dick, Machado de Assis, Flann O'Brien, Adam Hall, and both Amises. Which is why I'm totally unpublishable.



15. Do you still watch cartoons?



Rod Kierkegaard, Jr is a writer and cartoonist best known in the US for his comic strip, "Rock Opera", which ran as a regular feature in Heavy Metal Magazine during the 1980s. From the Lambiek.net website:



"The controversial Rod Kierkegaard Jr. is the artist of works like 'The X-Generation', 'Shooting Stars', 'Rock Opera' and most recently 'Joysuit', a comic series entirely made on the computer. Kierkegaard had his comic work published in magazine Heavy Metal, and also works in the cinematographic field, as well as the field of computer designing."



He is the author of two French graphic novel collections, "Stars Massacre", (released in the US as "Shooting Stars") and "Rock Monstres", both published by Editions Albin Michel, Paris. His first novel, Obama Jones & The Logic Bomb , is published by Dogma Press.



Since then, he's written six more.





Visit him online here:



- http://rodkierkegaard.blogspot.com





- http://www.facebook.com/Rod Kierkegaard



Or email him at rodkierkegaard@gmail.com.

ASK THE REVIEWER: Yasmeen

Yasmeen



This is the fourth in a series I'm hosting where I talk with reviewers who have reviewed my books. Today I welcome Yasmeen from Yaz's Shelf on Down and Dirty, Lusty and Flirty ! She was kind enough to take time out of her reading and blogging schedule to answer some fun questions about herself, her blog, and about my novel Ambasadora .



To read Yasmeen's full review of Ambasadora visit: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/202413851



ABOUT THE REVIEWER



1. What types of books do you review most often?

1. I review mainly urban fantasy books, some pnr and whatever else I've read and enjoyed that I want to share with everyone.



2. Are there any types of books you won't review?

I tend to stick with authors or series' I'm familiar with or books recommended by friends, but I mainly review books I've enjoyed. If I don't like something I don't review it.


3. Do you review more books you've come to on your own or those from authors/publishers?

The books I review are all my own that I've begged borrowed or bought. I have zero self control,lol.



4. How long does it usually take you to get to a book once it makes it into your TBR pile?

If it's been recommended to me then I try to read that first or if the book is one I've been dying to read.



5. What do you do if you can't finish a book?

Fortunately, that doesn't happen very often - if I start something, I stick with it until I finish.



6. What is your favorite book ever?

That's a really tough question, but the one that sticks out for me is Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, I think probably because it's my worst nightmare - a world without books, madness!



7. Do you like ice cream better than potato chips?

In the UK we call them crisps, sadly they're my weakness. But then again, I also love Ben and Jerry's.





ABOUT AMBASADORA



1. Who was your favorite character?

Sara has got to be my favourite character, I like how she only becomes stronger with everything she endures.



2. Who did you picture as the characters?

The characters have a life of their own, how you imagine them in your head is influenced by their personalities as well as the description in the book. The only one I would say is David, I see him as a younger George Clooney.



3. What is your favorite setting within the Ambasadora-verse?

It's got to be the Aqua Biome, it's amazing. I would love to eat there.



4. Would you rather have a character or a place named after you?

I would love to have a character named after me, but I'm sure no one would believe me if I told them.



5. What would you have changed about AMBASADORA if you could?

Honestly, I can't think of anything. Ambasadora is perfect as it is.



6. What would you like to see in future books within the Ambasadora-verse?

I'm completely invested in the characters and would love to see them all in their own stories.



7. Would you ever want to travel to the V-side?

I like to think the V-side already exists somewhere on earth. We just have to find it.





Want to know more about Yasmeen ? Leave your question in a comment below and check out these links:





- http://downanddirtylustyandflirty.blogspot.com





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





- http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2034791-yasmeen





- http://twitter.com/yaslovesbooks





If you would like to read Yasmeen's full review of Ambasadora follow this link: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/202413851



If you would like to review Ambasadora, email me at heidirubymiller@gmail.com.