D.R. Perry's Blog, page 5

Super Saturday: Krys Maiorca

Today, we have photographer and visual designer, Krys Maiorca! She takes author photos, and has done cover design in the past. Here's a bit about her in her own words.

​My name is Kristian Maiorca and I was a reader before I was a photographer.  I started writing in middle school and have been writing on and off since then. I actually used to get in trouble during high school for staying up too late writing.  When I graduated high school I turned my interests into other things, like graphic design and photography.  It was very natural for me to turn my interests for reading, writing, and NaNo into wanting to help others, be it my fellow classmates for my degree, or authors.  Korca Designs has been a while in the making, just getting its name in December.  A photo by Krys. D.R.- Coffee or tea?
K.M.- Definitely both.  I’m such a coffee person though, my day job is at a college cafeteria where I mostly run food or coffee.

D.R.- What is your favorite color?
K.M.- Serious answer is purple.  The joke answer, also known as the real answer, is middle gray because that’s what the light meter for a camera reads.  

D.R.- Why do you love winter?
K.M.- I love winter.  I love snow, I don’t mind the cold as long as it’s not 5:30 am and I’m walking to work.  There’s just something about the snow that makes me happy.  I started dreaming about snow in July.  And when I woke up on my birthday, in august, I was very disappointed to find no snow.  So, yes, I love snow.

D.R.- Where’d you get the idea for your business?
K.M.- This has been about 4 years in the making, it originally started as just book covers since at the time I was a graphic designer and I thought I just wanted to design book covers for the rest of my life.  Then I switched over to photography and got really busy and had to stop with the book covers.  The idea of doing this was always in the back of my mind though.  So, when I started my portfolio class I had the genius idea of starting up a design author stop business again.  I’ve expanded it to be character shoots (those are my favorite), to book shoots, to marketing materials, and book covers.  

D.R.- What genres do you feel comfortable supporting?
K.M.- I feel comfortable supporting any genre.  There are some subject matters that I would not be keen on taking on but there’s nothing that I would not flat out not support.  For me personally, if I wasn’t willing to support all genres then it wouldn’t feel right to me. What do you have to offer authors? I have a large variety of services to offer since my goal is to be able to support them art wise whatever way that they need.  Whether that be with a character shoot or product shoot for their book, marketing materials, a personal logo, etc, I hope to be able to provide.  I have a background in design and photography and I love combining the two, and I hope to really be able to offer that combination.

D.R.- Do you have any services that might benefit readers or other artists? 
K.M.- Not yet, but one of the things that I really hope to be able to do with Korca Designs is to offer some classes for things like a crash course in design basics to help you better talk with designers, how to take a decent product shoot with natural light, and other things like that.  I also hope to be able to really start delving into the stock area of photography and offering my photography services for book cover art.  Finding the right stocks, especially if they’re models, is one of the crucial steps to getting a good cover, and if I can take the photography for it and find the models than that would take out a lot of the stress of getting the cover right and not breaking copyright.

D.R.- Where can we find your services on the internet?
K.M.- My photography business will be at K Maiorca Photography. The design business already lives here at Korka.  Any design or author related photography can be found at Korca.

D.R.- Do you do live events?
K.M.- At this moment, no.  If this takes off than I may consider it.  I do also have to think about time considerations because I want to also work as an automotive photographer, so I may not be able to do live events because of that.  We’re really going to just have to play this by ear and see what happens.  I’m not opposed to doing live events and I think that could be really cool.

D.R.- Tell us about your assistant.
K.M.- ​I have three assistants actually, the main one is my black and white cat Bella who likes to help my set up my lights.  She also loves helping people put on makeup.  I also have my best friend who has made appearances in my photography before.  She’s been my bestfriend since high school and is one of the reasons I got into photography actually.  She helps me out from time to time.  And the last assistant is my boyfriend, who has also made appearances in my photography.  We’ve been together 4 years and he encourages me every day to grow and learn. 

Take a look through the slideshow to see more examples of Krys's photography and some book covers. 

Winter Writers: Katrina LaFond

It's the first snow here in Rhode Island and also the first in the series of Winter Writers here on my blog! I'm starting the cozy season off with Katrina LaFond, whose books are definitely something to warm you up on cold nights or days. And, they are also available on Nook and iBooks! Here's a bit about her in her own words.

Over the years, my characters and stories have matured with me. At first, the only characters I met were vampires, but eventually, other characters came to me, and I discovered I had a thing for tall, dark and handsome aliens as well. I spend so much time with my characters that they become real to me, and all my friends and family have gotten used to me talking about them that way. Thankfully, if they think I’m crazy, they keep it to themselves. I’ve also been very lucky in love. For 20 years, I’ve been with the same wonderful man who is very tolerant of the fact that I fall in love with the leading men in my books. Yes, definitely bringing the heat here! Click for Nook link. D.R.- What's your favorite song for writing?
K.L.- I don’t have just one song, but the genre I usually prefer to write to is metal – I wrote a lot of The Lockwood Chronicles Episode 1 while listening to the soundtrack of Queen of the Damned. I also love Evanescence and Within Temptation.

D.R.- What's your favorite song for editing?
K.L.- I pretty much listen to the same stuff I listen to when I’m writing.

D.R.- Which genres do you write and what's your favorite one?
K.L.- I write romance, usually of the paranormal or fantasy subgenre. I just like the whole departure from reality and getting away from the problems I’m dealing with in my life. I find that writing is kind of like therapy in that sense.

D.R.- Tell me about the biggest surprise your own character, story, or setting has given you.
K.L.- The biggest surprise was Lucian Davignon in the Lockwood Chronicles – he was supposed to just be a one time character, brought in to fix a problem, but he just wouldn’t go away. And then he became one of the main characters of the series.

D.R.- Do you have a writing routine?
K.L.- I just make sure I’m as comfortable as possible, get a big glass of water ready, and start writing. I wear headphones so that I don’t hear stuff that’s going on around me, and just try to lose myself in the story.

D.R.- Dancing or singing?
K.L.- Both – when I’m alone (lol)

D.R.- Beach or woods?
K.L.- Beach – but I prefer it on a cooler day, slightly overcast. I don’t do well with heat – plus, on days like that, there aren’t as many people around.

D.R.- Coffee or tea or something else?
K.L.- Probably coffee – with chocolate in it.

D.R.- Share a guilty pleasure with us.
K.L.- I don’t think of anything as a guilty pleasure – if I enjoy something, I’m not ashamed of it.

D.R.- Cake or pie?
K.L.- Cake – I’ve never been a big fan of pie crust, but I love frosting.

D.R.- Tell us about your plans or ideas for a new-to-you genre in the future.
K.L.- I’ve considered trying to write a mystery novel, which would be a big departure for me, because a story like that needs planning ahead of time. I generally don’t do much planning beyond having a general idea of where my books are going. Still – I’ll bet it’d end up being a paranormal mystery with a generous dose of romance – I can’t leave it all behind
The Amazon links are in the slideshow, so here are links for Katrina's books at other retailers:
​Caress of Magic on iBooks
​​Caress of Magic on Nook

The Lockwood Chronicles Volume 1 on iBooks
The Lockwood Chronicles Volume 1 on Nook

The Lockwood Chronicles Volume 2 on iBooks
The Lockwood Chronicles Volume 2 on Nook

The Lockwood Chronicles Episode 8 on iBooks
The Lockwood Chronicles Episode 8 on Nook

Kiss of the Dhampir on iBooks
Kiss of the Dhampir on Nook

​And, if Amazon is totally your thing, here is Katrina's Author Central Page.

Events Of Certain Fun!

Hello everyone! I'll be at the RI Author Expo being exposed. Oh! Well, that didn't come out the way I thought it'd sound... Hmm. Anyway, I'll have copies of all my books with me and a pen for signing. Books make great gifts. You can even chat about geekness, or ask me questions about characters and stories. 

If you're not anywhere near Rhode Island, or just want to stay at home in your pajamas all day, you're in luck because I'm making a Facebook appearance as well. Writer's Colony Press, the folks who format and publish all those awesome charity anthologies, have me on at 9PM EST. Other authors will be there, too. If you click the link below, there's a whole list. 

The Expo has a raffle and the WCP event has prizes. I have swag for both events, too. Hope to see you either in person or on the web! And, if you can't make to either of those but still want great books, check out the sales below. You'll find paperbacks with free ebooks through Amazon Matchbook, ebooks that are just plain free this weekend, and ebooks at sale prices from three great groups of authors by following the links.  This one's Alesha Escobar's book list.

Autumn Author: Debbie Manber Kupfer

Today, here's an author I've been lucky to work with on the Stardust, Always anthology. It's Debbie Manber Kupfer! 

​Debbie grew up in the UK in the East London suburb of Barking. She has lived in Israel, New York and North Carolina and somehow ended up in St. Louis, where she works as a writer and a freelance puzzle constructor of word puzzles and logic problems. She lives with her husband, two children and a very opinionated feline. Her first novel, P.A.W.S., was published originally in June 2013 and her second book in the series, Argentum, was released in October 2014. In addition she has stories in several anthologies including Fauxpocalypse, Shades of Fear, Winter Wishes, Sins of The Past, Sins of the Future, and Stardust, Always. In February 2015 she published a book of logic puzzles, Paws 4 Logic, with her son Joey. She believes that with enough tea and dark chocolate you can achieve anything!   The elusive opinionated feline, Miri Billie Joe, in her natural habitat. D.R.- Do you have a writing routine?
D.M.K.- Only during NaNoWriMo months. In November (and April and July if I’m doing CampNaNo) I set myself a daily target of 2K words and don’t let myself go on the internet until I’ve finished my daily quota. It works well for me. Both my two published works started as NaNo novels. The rest of the year I try to do something creative each day, whether it’s writing a little, editing or creating one of my puzzles. 

D.R.- Dancing or singing? 
D.M.K.- Both – much to the chagrin of my daughter! I get very enthusiastic when we go to concerts.

D.R.- Coffee or tea or something else? 
D.M.K.- Tea – gallons and gallons of hot tea with milk each day.

D.R.- Breakfast, brunch, or lunch? 
D.M.K.- Breakfast – I love breakfast foods. At home I’m most likely to have a bowl of Weetabix, but out and about I adore pancakes, waffles and anything eggy. Plus I enjoy most breakfasts when I travel. In England they have these amazing veggie breakfast platters with eggs, beans, veggie sausage, toast and of course tea. And in Israel I love Israeli breakfasts which are a whole cornucopia of cheeses, salads, fruits, eggs, breads and practically anything you can think of!

D.R.- What's the scariest thing your villain of choice has done?
D.M.K.- That would be my own villain – Alistair – who is a very scary werewolf dude. In his own words: 
“I ate my own father once and it was the best meal I ever had!” 

D.R.- What's the funniest book you've read and why?
D.M.K.- The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams. Adore this book (and pretty much all Adams’ books). I have read it a gazillion times and have encouraged many of my friends over the years to read the books, just so that they get all my weird references. 
What book do you recommend the most?
Apart from the Hitchhiker’s Guide, I think everyone should read The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak. 
There are also a bunch of indie authors that more folk need to know about, Michelle Proulx, M.A. Ray, Misha Burnett and George Sirois to name a few. I always get excited when I discover a new author.

D.R.- How do you get ideas for stories?
D.M.K.- From the “go for a walk fairy” and the “take a shower fairy”. Any time in fact when I don’t have a paper and pencil to write them down. I adore people watching and listening in to snippets of conversation and often times those odd snippets make it into my stories. 
Which genres do you write and what's your favorite one?
My main series is Fantasy – and that’s my favorite to write. I love magic and being able to delve deep into my imagination. I also experiment in other genres in my short stories including so far, horror, humor, sci-fi and contemporary. I like using short stories to explore other genres. 

D.R.- What's the best advice you've gotten about writing? 
D.M.K.- Just get the story down. Editing comes later. Also sometimes it’s good to take a short break between writing drafts so that you can look at them with fresh eyes. Often times when I’m writing I believe everything I write is bad, but when I put it away for a few days and read it back I usually discover that’s it not so awful after all.

D.R.- Tell me about the biggest surprise your own character, story, or setting has given you.
D.M.K.- A couple of things: When writing P.A.W.S. my villain, Alistair, wasn’t even in my original idea for the story. But a few chapters in he emerged and made the story all about him!
Also I’m currently working on book 3 of my series and have discovered a whole shadow world, Umbrae, hidden beneath the surface of our own. Who knew? 
​
D.R.- Tell us about your plans or ideas for a new-to-you genre in the future.
D.M.K.- I’m currently working with a local artist to produce a children’s picture book, Cecilia’s Tale – a little kitty story dedicated to my cat, Cecilia, who found me while I was living in Israel. It’s wonderful watching her story come to life. And I look forward to having a picture book I can share in school 

Friendly Neighborhood Friday: Theodore Ashford

Today, we have a designer, Theodore Ashford! Theodore is a visual artist whose work helps authors promote their books in a number of ways. He's an award-winning author himself, so he knows what an author needs. 

Theodore Ashford is a writer and designer who is obsessed with the art of words. That love has led him into a path of typography and design, where he has a blast doing cover design and book photoshoots for other authors. The nice thing about book photoshoots is that books don’t get uncomfortable posing for a camera for long hours and don’t need a buffet. Theo has also worked as an editor for the literary magazine Alchemy, and has stared at computers contemplating font spacing for longer than even a robot could stand.​

Aside from writing and design, you’ll usually find Theo playing with his cats, drinking tea, or (if he’s feeling ambitious) failing at something he saw that one time on Pinterest. He lives with his spouse in Portland, Oregon. A wintry cover design. A musical cover design. A twilit cover design. D.R.- Coffee or tea?
T.A.- Okay, this is maybe a little bit sacrilege considering I live in the pacific northwest, but I’m going to have to say tea. Almost everyone here is into coffee, (and I grant that it’s some of the best coffee around) but my spouse is really into tea. I learned about all the health benefits of tea, so I really can’t argue with it now.

D.R.- Dogs or cats?
T.A.- I grew up a dog person, but then I fell in love with my little black kitty. Now I’m a cat person. The fact that I don’t have to wake up at two in the morning to take them on a walk is a huge benefit for me.

D.R.- Who or what is your biggest inspiration?
T.A.- When I was a teenager, I was pretty much obsessed with this anime/manga called Fullmetal Alchemist. It was because of FMA that I’ve grown into the kind and compassionate person I am today, mostly because I’m always striving to be more like my favorite characters.

D.R.- What's your Patronus?
T.A.- I would probably be one of those people who has a patronus influenced by the person I love. Probably a tiger, since that’s usually the way I think of my spouse. They’re my big protective floof.

D.R.- Why do you love winter?
T.A.- I love the prettiness of winter. Christmas is one of my favorite times of year with magical lights in the trees and quiet snowfalls. I love winter despite the cold. It’s a magical time of year.

D.R.- Where'd you get the idea for your business/goods/services?
T.A.- It mostly just started out with a love for books and words. I had a librarian for a grandmother, so I was raised around shelves and shelves of books everywhere. I grew up loving not just the way the words on the pages looked, but also the covers. As I got older, I kept experimenting with making my own covers, and eventually took classes at school on design and photography. I didn’t really think much about the skill I had cultivated until someone offered to pay me to make promotional materials for their books, and said they would promote me to all their friends if I gave them a link.

D.R.- What genres do you feel comfortable supporting?
T.A.- I’m most comfortable with Young Adult books, especially ones with a magical twist. I’m also a fan of anything with heavy typography, since that’s a big interest of mine. I honestly just enjoy challenging myself as often as I can manage.

D.R.- What do you have to offer authors?
T.A.- I do custom and pre-made covers for books, as well as design for marketing materials, logo design and book photography—that is, taking promotional pictures of books.

D.R.- Do you have any goods/services that might benefit readers or other artists?
T.A.- Yes! I’m also working on co-authoring a coloring book with my spouse that we’re hoping to have out later this year.

D.R.- Where can we find your goods/services on the Internet?
T.A.- The most information is currently on my website, though I also post lots of pictures to my Facebook page, Ashwords Design. 

I'm Going To ComiCon!

This is how I feel, for serious! Comicon! In Rhode Island! I will be there! So, I guess I'd better show you all what I'll have and how to find me. I'll have all the books in the gallery below, plus handy links for you to get ebooks, other volumes, or anything I run out of. There will be some PPC swag as well as the Island of Misprint Books at a discount.   I should also mention that I'm going in costume. I won't say much more about that because some Rivers shouldn't be crossed. 

I'll be there with other Rhode Island authors. Check them out, because they're a great bunch of writers. 

Worried about how to find me? Worry no more! Simply check out the handy map and graphic below to see our table numbers and location inside the Convention Center. 

You can also stay updated and see my pictures from ComiCon on my Instagram, Twitter, and Author Facebook page. 

Autumn Authors: Kelly Blanchard

Today, I'm interviewing the lady who interviews other authors and even their characters. This isn't madness. This. Is. Kelly Blanchard!

​Known as The Muse within her writing circle, Kelly Blanchard first became serious about writing at age twelve and worked hard to learn and fully comprehend the numerous elements of writing. She tutored and assisted teaching in college while she studied for her degree in English. After graduation she continued tutoring children and even taught several classes. Now she’s established an online community to assist fellow writers in understanding their craft.

Outside of writing, Kelly enjoys baking her world famous chocolate chip cookies, and she takes great pleasure in the company of her two cats and her Doberman Pinscher. From a family of five sisters and four brothers, she uses her experience with the family dynamic in her writing. She also practices Martial Arts, fencing, and archery—all important knowledge to have in order to write more accurately.

Writing and stories are important to Kelly. Stories are a reflection of reality, and she tries to capture that reflection in a way that sparks the imagination even if it means bending a few rules and blending several genres. D.R.- Who is your favorite TV or movie character and why?
K.B.- I’d have to say John Reese from Person of Interest because he’s a soft-spoken individual but still has this dry sense of humor. I hope to write a character like him one day.

D.R.- What's the food or drink you always tell other people to try?
K.B.- Food: my homemade chocolate chip cookies! Drink? Promise Land chocolate milk. Honestly, they’re the best.

D.R.- Who is one person you'd like to meet from any point in history and why?
K.B.- I’d like to meet King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem. He was the Leper King during the Crusades and became king when he was just thirteen. He inherited a kingdom at war. Although his leprosy spread throughout his body, he still went out and faced Saladin in the battlefield. He faced odds other men would run from. He knew his reign would be short and that he would suffer greatly due to his illness, but still he did everything in his power to rule well and provide a future for the kingdom. It would be interesting to have a chat with him.

D.R.- How do you get ideas for stories?
K.B.- I get my ideas from Anywhere and everywhere. Sometimes it’s a song. Other times it’s a line someone said. Sometimes merely paying attention to what is happening in the world around us, questions arise, and I ask ‘what if?’.

D.R.- Which genres do you write and what's your favorite one?
K.B.- I’ve written historical fiction, but my favorite genres to write are fantasy and science fiction.

D.R.- What do you do if you see your idea has already been done?
K.B.- It depends on how much I like the story. If it’s already done, sometimes I dismiss the idea and move on to another one. Otherwise, if I REALLY love the idea and think I can do something different, I twist it to make it unique.

D.R.- What's your best writer's block buster?
K.B.- Have a buddy to brainstorm with, so you can talk out all the different possibilities and get encouraged to either press on through it or alter it a bit.

D.R.- What's the best advice you've gotten about writing?
K.B.- You can always go back and fix the mistakes...even after you’ve published the book. That’s reassuring because once you publish a book, if you or a reader finds an error, you might feel like, “It’s going to be stuck that way FOREVER!” but that’s not the case, and it’s a huge relief.

D.R.- Tell me about the biggest surprise your own character, story, or setting has given you.
K.B.- See, I can’t tell you because that would be major spoilers for my series...but let’s just say, my reaction was definitely eyes widening, then a smile crept across my face, and then I started laughing because the idea was just awesome and unexpected.

D.R.- Tell us about your plans or ideas for a new-to-you genre in the future.
K.B.- My plans for writing is to try to publish four books a year—two of my own series and two from series I’ve co-written. At the same time, I plan to keep writing to stay ahead of myself, and I would love to teach some workshops about writing and self-publishing, but that opportunity hasn’t come up yet. We’ll see if that ever happens, but for now, I plan to write, write, write, and publish! 

Adventures In Book-getting, Glitch Edition

 I got 0 words written on any project yesterday, but it was for a good reason. Preparing for Rhode Island ComiCon. I unpacked all my books, got my cards into them, took inventory, tested swag setup. But then, I hit a hiccup. Every single copy of Better Off Undead looks like MissingNo Pokemon. Gotta catch em all some time, I guess.

Apparently, the file got corrupted going from the CreateSpace website to the printer, and green for that last third didn't get printed. I called them and the tech team is quadruple checking the file in order to make sure the 15 replacement copies they send print correctly. Will they get here in time for ComiCon on Friday? I've got no idea. They're awesome for replacing these, though! 

Looks like I have 15 new souls for the Island of Discounted Misprint Books. Poor Lane. It's just his luck for something like this to happen with the book he stars in.

Autumn Authors: Madeline Dyer

Happy Halloween! Today, I'm interviewing Madeline Dyer, which is appropriate because she loves everything spooky. Here's a bit about her.
​
Madeline Dyer lives in the southwest of England, and holds a BA honours degree in English from the University of Exeter. She has a strong love for anything dystopian, ghostly, or paranormal, and can frequently be found exploring wild places. At least one notebook is known to follow her wherever she goes. Her debut novel, Untamed (Prizm Books, May 2015), examines a world in which anyone who has negative emotions is hunted down, and a culture where addiction is encouraged. Madeline's second novel, Fragmented, released in September 2016, and she has a fantasy short story forthcoming in a charity anthology in April 2017, raising money for Lift 4 Autism.  D.R.- Who is your favorite character of all time and why?
M.D.- I think I’ll have to say Jane from Jane Eyre, mainly because I love Victorian gothic/sensation novels, and Jane is such a great protagonist. She’s strong, and knows what she wants. 

D.R.- What book do you recommend the most?
M.D.- Hmm, this is tricky! And it also depends on which books I’ve recently read. When I was at University, I was constantly recommending Villette (Charlotte Bronte) and Mary Barton (Elizabeth Gaskell) to everyone. But I also really love The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (Stieg Larsson) and I recommend that one a lot now (it was actually on my University reading too, but during my very last term). And I recently read Girl In Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow and that’s always top of my lists for book recs! 
I’m not sure which of those titles pops up more in my recommendations! 

D.R.- How do you get ideas for stories?
M.D.- From all around me! 
The idea for Untamed (the manuscript that became my debut novel) was sparked by a scene from the music video for “La La La” by Naughty Boy ft. Sam Smith. It was the scene where what appears to be a human heart is being sold at a market, and I just thought: what if the things a human heart symbolizes—love, lust, etc.—could also be bought at a market, as easily as food and clothing? Shortly after that, the idea of chemical emotions (the augmenters in Untamed) evolved, as did my main characters, and the plot. 

D.R.- Which genres do you write and what's your favorite one?
M.D.- I mainly write in the fantasy, science fiction, and dystopian genres—I just love speculative fiction—but I also dabble a bit in thrillers. My favorite genre varies a lot, and it also depends on what I’m currently writing. At the moment, I’m in the dystopian zone, so that one comes out on top. 

D.R.- What do you do if you see your idea has already been done?
M.D.- Well, many people say there’s no such thing as a completely original idea. I read somewhere that all plotlines fit into seven different concepts—that essentially there are only seven different ideas, seven stories. And you do see ideas being done over and over again (you know, the same tropes that come up many, many times—but are also so popular with readers). 
The thing is that each writer approaches his or her idea differently, even if it is the same—or similar—idea to someone else. You could ask five different writers all to write a forbidden romance with aliens, and you’d end up with five completely different novels. The main characters would be different, and they’d have different goals, motivations, and backstories. The subplots would be different, and so would the worldbuilding. Each book would be an individual story, even if it has the same, very basic premise. 
So, I don’t think seeing that your idea has already been done is a problem, because you’ll do it differently. It hasn’t already been written like how you would write it. One of my writer friends even found a book that appeared to be really similar (going by the back cover copy) to a manuscript she was working on. Yet, once she read it she found it was completely different and hers was going in a vastly different direction. 
And look at how popular (and different) fairy tale retellings can be! Yet, they’re all derived from the same idea. For me, the excitement is in the execution of the idea. It’s about how you tell an idea and where you take it, rather than just the idea itself. And anyway, you can always combine multiple ideas and surprise yourself (and readers) with unexpected plot twists. Or take an idea or trope that’s traditionally found in one genre and throw it into another. Or both. 

D.R.- What's the most unexpected thing that's ever inspired you?
M.D.- Hmm. This is a tricky one, because I get inspired all the time by pretty mundane things. Just seeing the way the light catches a saucepan can make me think about a new detail I could put in a manuscript, and then that in turn can put me in the writing zone and inspire me to write a couple of thousand words once I’m there. 
I also get inspired a lot by conversations that go on around me. Particularly in supermarkets…

D.R.- What's your best writer's block buster?
M.D.- I’m one of those people that doesn’t really believe in writer’s block. Sure, I have days where I don’t feel inspired, or don’t want to work. But writing is my job and my calling. And once I’ve sat down with my manuscript for twenty minutes or so, I’m usually able to get into the zone and write, regardless of how I initially felt. 

D.R.- What's the best advice you've gotten about writing?
M.D.- To write the story that you want to write. You have to feel it. It has to be important to you. 
If you write the story someone else wants you to write, you might not feel it. And if you don’t, how can you expect readers to?

D.R.- Tell me about the biggest surprise your own character, story, or setting has given you.
M.D.- I think the biggest surprise one of my characters has given me actually happened rather recently. I’ve been drafting the third book in my Untamed Series, and a huge thing happened. But I can’t really say much, because of spoilers. Sorry! But it had me on the edge of my seat, tingling, and wanting to discuss it with someone. 

D.R.- Tell us about your plans or ideas for a new-to-you genre in the future.
M.D.- Well, at the moment, I’m working on my third draft of a thriller manuscript, so I hope to have this completed soon, and be querying it. 
But I’ve always wanted to write a YA contemporary too, so maybe that’s in the future too. 

New Release: A Change In Crime

Click for the link. It's live! You can find A Change In Crime on Amazon in both paperback and ebook. 

In November of 1929, the last autumn leaves started a domino effect in Fall River. At a time when most give thanks, others lurk at society’s fringes, waiting for a shot at revenge. Power. Redemption. 

A Mafia hit leaves Leo Riley homeless and at the mercy of Oguina, a powerful monster under an ancient curse. A hunter with skin in this game stalks the streets, playing cat-and-mouse with the creatures he’s sworn to eliminate. The capo di tutti capi with a secret gazes into a moral abyss, threatening to take his men with him if he falls. All struggle to hold on to humanity. 

Unlikely allies join forces, fighting for their rights to Fall River’s streets and their very survival. Some will fall, some will rise, but can there ever be a winner when crime and change come to call?