D.R. Perry's Blog, page 6

Friendly Neighborhood Friday: James Osiris Baldwin

"Wow" is what authors want people to say about their books. But we have to fix them first, because first drafts, and even second ones, tend to be more "ow" than "wow." And that's where James Osiris Baldwin and his book come in handy. What book, you ask? Fix Your Damn Book, of course! James is also an editor for hire. Here's a bit more about him.

Dragon Award-nominated author James Osiris Baldwin is a transgender man from Australia who writes gritty LGBT-inclusive, dark fantasy and science fiction. He was the former Contributing Editor for the Australian Journal of Dementia Care and has also worked as an editor and website manager for Alzheimer's Australia.

He currently lives in Seattle with his lovely wife, a precocious cat, and far too many rats. His obsession with the Occult is matched only by his preoccupation with motorcycles. Kitty! And James, too. On to the interview about James, his editing services, and how Fix Your Damn Book can help you (even if you're not an author, it has great advice on polishing any written work).

D.R.- Coffee or tea?
J.O.B.- Coffee. Emphatically.

D.R.- Dogs or cats?
J.O.B.- Cats. Emphatically.
 
D.R.- What is your favorite color?
J.O.B.- Blue, which is why I picked blue for the cover of Fix Your Damn Book. Also, because the whole ‘red pen’ thing is kind of harsh as a concept – sky blue offsets the red.

D.R.- Who or what is your biggest inspiration?
J.O.B.- I count Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, and Dick Francis as my primary literary inspirations. In regards to editing… editing isn’t really something you get ‘inspired’ to do. It’s the necessary blue-collar part of the writing business, and some people are more into it than others. I think editing is great fun and am happy to edit for a living.

D.R.- What's your Patronus?
J.O.B.- An angry Velociraptor with a Wacom stylus. It figured out how to use tools, Alan!

D.R.- Why do you love/hate winter?
J.O.B.- It’s cold and dark, like my flinty, grammatically-correct but blackened heart.

D.R.- Where'd you get the idea for your services?
J.O.B.- Again, editing isn’t an inspired profession in the way that fiction writing is. I’ve been a freelance writer since 2006, which led to a full-time editing position for a magazine where I trained in editing under two senior editors, one in England and one in Australia. They came from different backgrounds (British lady was a veteran book editor and has worked in publishing for 20 years or so; Australian lady has worked in newspaper editing and layout), and so I was trained comprehensively. Editing is one of those jobs that you get into via apprenticeship, even if you study it at college. Theoretical knowledge is not as useful as practical application.

D.R.- What genres do you feel comfortable supporting?
J.O.B.- I believe that one of the features of editorial training is a good understanding of register, which is a word that refers to the ‘voice’, ‘style’ or formality of a piece of writing. Magazine articles have a register, essays have a register, every genre of fiction has a register. Any editor worth their salt must understand what the genre or subject demands of the author in terms of register, and then edit their work to bring it in line with the requirements of that genre or level of formality or whatever without obliterating their individual voice.

As an editor, I’ll work on anything except looney-bin religious or conspiracy literature, or anything containing hate speech of any kind.

D.R.- What do you have to offer authors? Where can we find your services on the Internet?
J.O.B.- The frontline offering for authors is Fix Your Damn Book!, which is a summary of everything I learned about editing applied to fiction, and which is intended for use as a self-editing guide for people on extremely small budgets. I also take on editing projects at any stage of editing (developmental, line editing, copyediting and proofing) at middle of the market rates. Full novel projects generally cost between $400 – 650. I am happy to do a free sample edit of the first chapter of a client’s novel and a follow-up Skype consultation.

I usually take on jobs via word of mouth or direct contact via email, which is james@healtheditor.org. My blog also has a ‘Writerchat’ category where I publish my craft of writing and editing posts. 

D.R.- Do you do live events? Where and when?
J.O.B.- I occasionally emerge from my lair to run video presentations and seminars about my fiction, non-fiction and editing, which are put up on Youtube. The next one will be on the 29th, where I’ll be talking about the Russian Mafia and the occult background of my novel Blood Hound. I’ll be blogging and vlogging about editing and the craft of writing all the way through NaNoWriMo.

Autumn Authors: Allison Barnard

Today, I've got an interview with Allison Barnard! She wrote what just happens to be one of my favorite dystopian books, Unforeseen. Here's a bit about Allison in her own words!
​
Wife, mother to two toddlers, book blogger, and equestrian. Now I'm an author? What? 
I've always loved books. My mom would actually take my books from me instead of sending me to my room when I was in trouble (it was terrible!). I've dabbled in writing for years, had some poetry published in high-school, but it wasn't until after I had my first child that I started writing. Unforeseen is the first book that's fit to be read by the public, but there are a few other stories I've finished that I'm working on.
​
I read everything I can get my hands on but I love sci-fi with dystopian elements, steampunk, fantasy, urban fantasy, mysteries, and some romances and I love to discuss books with other readers!
Allison definitely thinks books are a girl's best friend! D.R.- Do you have a writing routine?
A.B.- When the characters are talking to me, I'll stay up all hours to write, even if it means typing out short scenes on my phone at work. (Shh!) Usually my days off are when I get to write. I do most of my writing in the morning, when the house is quiet and my daughter is at preschool. I can crank out 1-3k before I have to pick her up. 

D.R.- Share a guilty pleasure with us. 
A.B.- I love nothing more than to buy books. If it's an author I know, I buy straight from the source, but thriftbooks has really expanded my bookshelves. I also have this odd habit of waiting days or weeks to read a physical copy of a book. There's something special about opening a book for the first time I like to prolong.

D.R.- Who is your favorite TV or movie character and why?
A.B.- Dean Winchester. Not only is he pretty, strong, smart and loyal, he's always dropping nerdy pop culture references.

D.R.- What's the funniest book you've read and why?
A.B.- This Is All I Ask by Lynn Kurland. In one scene, the character is delusional with fever and thinks what's keeping her warm is a grumbly blanket with arms when it's really her husband. The scene always makes me laugh and I've ready the book over twenty times.

D.R.- What's the food or drink you always tell other people to try?
A.B.- Pierogies fried in butter and onion. Pierogies are a polish dumpling stuffed withmashed potatoes, onion, cheese, or a combination thereof. 
What book do you recommend the most?
This Is All I Ask by Lynn Kurland. Historical romances are a favorite genre of mine.

D.R.- Which genres do you write and what's your favorite one?
A.B.- I write fantasy, urban fantasy, and science fiction. And those are my favorite to read as well. I've always wanted to try a historical romance along the lines of Outlander but I always get bogged down in the research. One day!

D.R.- What's the most unexpected thing that's ever inspired you?
A.B.- The introduction to Dumbo actually inspired my sci-fi dystopian, Unforeseen.

D.R.- What's the best advice you've gotten about writing?
A.B.- I found a quote by Conner McGregor that always inspires me. It says, "There is no talent here, this is hard work. This is an obsession. Talent does not exist, we are all equals as human beings. You could be anyone if you put in the time. You will reach the top, and that's that. I am not talented, I am obsessed."

D.R.- Tell us about your plans or ideas for a new-to-you genre in the future.
A.B.- I definitely plan on continuing my Finding Paradise series. Right now I have two more novels to write, as well as two novellas to complete the series, but that's always prone to change. 

I also started and plotted the first three novels in my new UF series I'm penning under the name Amber Renard. Here's an excerpt for the first book in that series, titled Blood Moon A Case File from The Supernatural Specialist. 

Vet student Kaelen O'Cur has two secrets that could cost her her biggest dream, owning her own veterinary clinic.One, she's running an illegal clinic for supernaturals and their pets from a storage units, and two- let's just day there's more to Kel than her smart mouth and girl-next-door good looks.Business is slow until a werewolf shows up, carrying a wounded packmate full of silver buckshot. In a heated moment, the wolf, Heir to the local pack, vows a blood debt -a life for a life- should his wounded packmate not survive.That one rash vow and a string of shootings entangles Kel deeper into pack politics than she ever wanted to be, forcing her to reveal big secrets and forge new alliances in order to stop the shooters before they hit closer to home.All without flunking out of vet school.

Friendly Neighborhood Friday: Grace Snoke

Hello! For Friendly Neighborhood Friday, we have Grace Snoke. She does something that helps authors and all kinds of people. Web design and SEO optimization. Grace is also an author, so she understands what we need in that department. Here's a bit about her in her own words.

​I’m a 34-year-old corporate journalist who enjoys the past times of gaming, reading, writing and jewelry making. My day job involves handling internal communication, maintaining websites  and writing a couple of quarterly newsletters for the same Fortune 500 company, and handling a plethora of tech issues as well as some of the company’s (who I am employed by) website and social media.
Mal thinks you should write and let Grace handle your web stuff, mmmkay? Anyway, now that we're no longer distracted by an assertive browncoat, on to the interview!

D.R.- Marvel or DC?
G.S.- Marvel. I have a love affair with DC, but I had a discussion with my husband regarding DC and with the exception of a few characters, DC characters are often too disconnected which makes them make bad decisions that they regret later. Same is true for Marvel, but there’s more Marvel characters that are everyday joes and far less billionaire heroes. 

D.R.- Castiel or Crowley?
G.S.- Crowley! He’s an interesting Neutral Evil character. I know some would argue that he’s chaotic evil, but I’m pretty sure he’s Neutral Evil. And a well portrayed one.

D.R.- Dogs or cats?
G.S.- Cats - I have two. The oldest, Marie, is turning 14 years old in November. The youngest, Felicity, is 9 and is my lucky kitty. She was the runt of the litter born on 07/07/07.

D.R.- Cake or pie?
G.S.- Cake.  Especially Death by Chocolate Cake.  I haven’t had that in forever, now I want that. If there’s a Death by Chocolate Pie, I’d prolly say pie.

D.R.- What is your quest?
G.S.- I seek the holy grail. 
>.> 
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I quest to become a well-known author and reporter. I’m sort of on my way there, just have to get the rest of the way there.

D.R.- Who or what is your biggest inspiration?
G.S.- Anne Rice. She is the author I am, one day, aspiring to become. She lives her life to the fullest and is completely open about why she writes, how she writes, how the characters talk to her, etc. She’s lived her life quite publicly as an author and that’s really quite impressive in this day and age.

D.R.- Where'd you get the idea for your services?
G.S.- I’ve been designing and maintaining websites since I was 16 years old - so 20 some odd years. I’ve done website maintenance professionally as one of my day job responsibilities for the past 10 years and I’ve done freelance work as such for even longer. Many authors want a website, but don’t necessarily know where to begin or how to design templates for the CMS they are using or even if they should use CMS or should they use something else. I like being able to help people with their sites - whether it be designing a custom theme, customizing an already designed theme, doing copy writing for them or doing Search Engine Optimization.
Search Engine Optimization has become more important as the years go on. Being able to be found is really important and some people can easily grasp what they need to do to be found, but for others it’s more difficult. I try to help wade through the alphabet soup of SEO and get results that help them be found easier. I also provide advice on ways to improve search engine listings which includes work they have to do on their own as well.
I’ve been doing press releases for entities in the video game industry for many years. I know how to write and do releases and would be glad to work with authors on press releases to get their books out there.
Social media planning is often time consuming for authors and sometimes they’re not sure what to do. I can provide guidance on this and a plan to help them get going. I can also recommend individuals for hire to handle author social media in addition to myself

D.R.- What do you have to offer authors? 
G.S.- Custom website design for WordPress as well as straight HTML site design. 
Website maintenance. One of the largest problems many people, including authors, face is keeping the website plugins and program updated. When they aren’t up to date, they put the site at risked for being hacked.
Search Engine Optimization
Press releases
Social media planning
I feel like I’m forgetting something here….oh well.

D.R.- Where can we find your goods/services on the Internet?
G.S.- I am currently revamping my website, but it can be found here. 

What Happened Wednesday!?

I'll tell you what happened while you admire these delicious waffles. Friendly Neighborhood Friday went to a convention right along with my interviewee. I'm talking about Jeffery Cook, one of the authors of Working The Table, which is a book about bringing your books to conventions. I can haz ironywaffles and they are tasty! Irony. Waffles. Gah, yeah you see what I did there. Anyway, here's something about Jeff, whose convention experience can be measured in loads (literally, as in dragging loads of books with him plus working loads of shows).
​
Jeffrey Cook is an award-winning science fiction and fantasy author, primarily affiliated with Clockwork Dragon Books and the Writerpunk Press charity project. In addition to ten novels, four novellae, and numerous short stories, Jeffrey has published a work of non-fiction for independent authors, Working the Table: An Indie Author's Guide to Conventions, co-written with his convention partner, author Lee French. This guy seriously knows conventions! D.R.- Dogs or cats?
J.C.- Among my work are charity anthologies, for which I am both a writer and an organizer, to benefit a local animal rescue and wildlife sanctuary. Specifically, we pay for a large dog kennel at the rescue in honor of my dearly departed, four-legged writing sidekick.
I love animals in general -- but I'm particularly a lifelong dog person.

D.R.- Darts or billiards?
J.C.- During high school, the more competitive pool players declared me the perfect opponent: just good enough to practice on without much fear of them actually losing, unless they made a major mistake (hence worth practicing with), and perfectly cool with losing a lot.
I figured it got me a lot of free games.

D.R.- Cake or pie?
J.C.- Both can be wonderful, but having to choose -- pie.

D.R.- Why do you love/hate winter?
J.C.- I moved around a lot while growing up. The one commonality between nearly everywhere I lived, though, was lots and lots of snow. Even places that aren't particularly noted for brutal winters hit record snowfall years while I was there, by pure chance.
Due to that, and experiences such as shoveling a quarter-mile long driveway multiple times over a North Idaho winter, I really do not like snow.
Otherwise, I'm perfectly comfortable with winter time. I like the cold -- as long as it doesn't actually snow. (Which is one of the features that I like about the Seattle area: typically, the snowfall per year is pretty limited.)

D.R.- Tell us about your partner.
J.C.- I have two people who are absolutely crucial to the general process.
Lee French is another science fiction and fantasy author. She has 13 books out, covering genres as diverse as epic fantasy, sci-fi superheroes, cyberpunk, and YA urban fantasy. She's also critical to success on the convention circuit, as she's a master of set-up and tear down, very good at observing trends and what's working for others, and integrating new ideas into our table.
Katherine Perkins is my editor and some-time co-author. She had some critical observations on this book, and, in general, I couldn't operate without her.

D.R.- Where'd you get the idea for your book, Working the Table: An Indie Author's Guide to Conventions?
J.C.- Lee and I have worked close to 50 conventions together now. After the first dozen or so, we started having people who watched us set up, work together to sell books, etc. suggest that we should write a book about it. For quite some time, we laughed at the suggestions.
Eventually, another author insisted she was very serious, and we should do it, or she might try her hand at it. We laughed it off again that time -- but it got my brain going. That night, staying on a hostess's floor at her apartment, I couldn't sleep. Eventually, I stayed up until 3:30 writing down outline ideas.
I didn't know it, but Lee had a similar situation, but in her case, it led to her waking up at 4:30.
We compared notes on the drive home from Portland, and finally decided that, yes, we had to do this.
Ultimately, it does come from having a lot of experience -- and a lot of learning experiences to share -- and other authors telling us that those would be valuable things to share.

D.R.- What genres do you feel comfortable supporting?
J.C.- I think Working the Table is potentially valuable for pretty much anyone intending to take their books to live events (and probably other sorts of vendors as well.) We've had positive feedback from romance writers, non-fiction authors, literary fiction authors, etc., along with people in our usual sci-fi/fantasy circles.

D.R.- What do you have to offer authors?
J.C.- Working the Table is, we hope, a valuable guide to anyone who has one or more books published, and either is thinking about venturing out into the world of doing signings, fairs, conventions, and other events where they'll be interacting with, and selling to the public, or who is already doing so, but uncomfortable with the experience. There's help for what to bring to set up a table, what to be prepared for, what book pitches you need to devise, sales approaches, and more.

D.R.- Do you do live events? Where and when?
J.C.- That's part of the point, of course. Lee and I maintain an active, and mostly successful convention schedule. We primarily attend shows in the Pacific Northwest, in the Seattle-to-Portland corridor, but conduct a couple of road trips each year.
This year, between us, we covered 32 events. Next year, we're scaling back to about 18 or so. We'll definitely hit a lot of the major conventions around Seattle and Portland and will also be at Gencon for certain, and a few other events outside our area, specifics to be determined.

D.R.- Where can we find your goods/services on the Internet?
J.C.- Working the Table can be found on Amazon. 
Our convention schedule of live events can be found at Clockwork Dragon.  Here is my personal web site. 

Autumn Authors: Nan Sampson

Hello! Today I'm here to introduce you to Nan Sampson. She loves doggies and crayons, which is awesome! Here's a bit about her in her own words:
​
​Nan Sampson has been writing stories since she was old enough to hold a crayon. She writes primarily mysteries, fantasy and space opera – sometimes all at once. She also gardens (and indeed, some of the plants actually grow!), foists herbal concoctions off on friends and co-workers, reads voraciously, and dreams of one day living on a space station, where she will use her education in Anthropology, Linguistics and Psychology to build trust with the alien life forms mankind will one day encounter – and hopefully prevent them from annihilating us!.

In the meantime, she makes her home northwest of Chicago with her husband, teenage daughter and Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson (aka, the very pushy poodle). Here's the pushy poodle himself! Aww. Aren't doggies so cute! I love their beady little eyes and muzzles and little noses, floppy ears, doggie feet... Anyway, it's on to the interview questions! 

D.R.- Beach or woods?  
N.S.- Beach.  There is something magical about the water.  I’m crazy about the ocean – there’s an energy there that totally feeds me.  Sadly, at the moment, I live near Chicago.  And as much as the locals try to tell me Lake Michigan is like the ocean, it just doesn’t cut it for me.  (No offense out there to all the Lake lovers!)
 
D.R.- Coffee or tea or something else?  
N.S.- My doctor would like me to say herbal tea.  In reality, I like a little coffee with my sugar and cream.  I like my coffee VERY Boston.
 
D.R.- Share a guilty pleasure with us.  
N.S.- Oh, that’s a fun one.  My guilty pleasure are bad TV shows from the 70s and 80s.  Think:  When Things Were Rotten, Quark, Planet of the Apes, Wizards… basically, if it only had one season, chances are I watched it and loved it.
 
D.R.- What book do you recommend the most?  
N.S.- Anything by Roger Zelazny, but most often Roadmarks or Doorways in the Sand.  Zelazny was not only an amazing story teller, but he played with structure in ways I’ve never seen anyone else do successfully.  He knew enough to break the rules successfully.  Doorways in the Sand is my absolute favorite and my “go to” book when I need comfort or I’m away from home and needs something to read.
 
D.R.- Where is the one place you think everyone should go?  
N.S.- Anywhere that is different from home, anywhere that gets people out of their comfort zone.  Doesn’t even have to be that far away, just far enough that it’s different from where you live (for instance, for me, New York City might as well be another country!).  The world is such a diverse and amazing place.  And wherever you go, talk to people!  Cab drivers, store clerks, people in restaurants, anyone other than other tourists.  Get to know the real people who live wherever you travel.  You’ll learn amazing things, build amazing bridges.  And don’t forget the local cuisine!  Don’t just eat familiar foods, grab a burger from Mickey D’s.  Eat what the locals eat.  Food is love and is embedded in the local history and culture.  It’s a great way to connect with the locale.
 
D.R.- Who is one person you'd like to meet from any point in history and why?  
N.S.- That’s a toughie.  I’m fascinated by history and read about it voraciously.  Narrowing it down to one is nearly impossible.  But Two come to mind immediately:  Amelia Earhardt (who was one of my heroes growing up) and Alexander the Great.  Amelia, because she was so driven, so focused on achieving her goals.  Alexander because he was clearly both brilliant and bipolar – I wonder what drove him, what his vision was, and what happened to him while he was in Egypt.  I also keep wondering if Hephaestion had lived, what more might he have accomplished.
 
D.R.- How do you get ideas for stories?  
N.S.- Ideas come from all kinds of places.  Dreams, a snippet of something I hear on TV (I watch a lot of documentaries), some conversation I overhear.  But the most prevalent source is usually music.  I listen to a lot of soundtracks and other instrumental artists.  Sometimes I’ll hear a track and a scene will just appear in my mind.  I wrote an entire paranormal romance about time travel listening to a Peter Buffet album – I was driving through the foothills of Tucson, on the way toa friend’s house and as I drove, the whole thing just played out in my mind as I listened.  So for me, music is instrumental to my writing process.  (haha, instrumental, get it? J)
 
D.R.- What do you do if you see your idea has already been done?  
N.S.- This is a really important question.  I can’t remember which pundit said that there are only 6 plots in the world, but bottom line, with as many books out there as there are and more coming all the time, truly unique ideas have to be as rare as hen’s teeth.  It is also true that as a writer, as a human being, I am unique.  I bring a unique history, world view, personality to every story.  So if I have an idea I think has been done before, my job as a writer is to be true to the story I want to tell, and do my best to write the best story I can.  My individuality, my unique perspective on life, will infuse the story, and I hope, give the story individuality.  You have to write the story you are driven to tell.  Don’t let others turn you away from it, if it is the story that you really want to write.  There is only one YOU.  Tell that story will every fiber of YOU and give it your best.
 
D.R.- What's the best advice you've gotten about writing?  
N.S.- I met P.N. Elrod at GenCon one year.  We had a drink together and she was just so amazing.  She related to me what she had heard from (I believe) Heinlein.  She said there are three rules for writing.  First, Write Everyday.  Second, Write Everyday.  And third, and most importantly, Write Everyday.  At the time, I took it in, but didn’t act on it.  It wasn’t until I actually started paying attention and following that advice that I began to achieve real success.  After all, writers WRITE.
 
D.R.- Tell us about your plans or ideas for a new-to-you genre in the future.  
N.S.- While most of my novels to date have been in the paranormal mystery genre, I am currently work on a Steampunk novel and will be releasing the first book in a space opera in early spring.  I also have a fantasy series in the planning stages that I’m very excited about.  So while I love cozy mystery, and have another series in the offing for the end of 2017, I’m not locked into mystery as a genre.
 
Thanks so much for this!  It’s been a blast!

Autumn Authors: Scarlet Rose Bonnett

Hello! It's Monday and that means it's time to meet a new author. Here's Scarlet Rose Bonnett, author of Call Me Ana. Here's a bit about her:
Scarlet spends her time writing, chasing feral children (her own, mostly), and caring for her chickens, dog, cats, mice, and guinea pig. 
Scarlet writes romance and has some lovely quotes over at her Twitter page. I also found out that Scarlet has some flash-fiction writing prompts on her blog. Fun city! She likes to post some of her own there, as well. 
She's got a novel coming out on October 12th, just two days from now. Here's a picture of the cover! You can click it to pre-order. D.R.- Do you have a writing routine? 
S.R.B.- I write whenever I can. I’m trying to get my butt out of bed in the morning since that is the one time I know I will consistently be left alone, but it’s really hard for me to wake up early. I tend to write during my son’s nap time since my daughter is old enough to entertain herself for brief periods, and when the kids are in bed.

D.R.- Beach or woods? 
S.R.B.- Both. I was sixteen when I first saw the beach. Now, I live about an hour away from Galveston, Texas, so I go to the beach every chance I get. I love taking my kids there and catching anything that isn’t fast enough to get away from us – crabs, fish, snakes. It almost makes up for the fact that my kids won’t get to partake in sledding every winter like I used to. As for the woods, I grew up surrounded by them and spent many hours of my free time there. My best friend and I had favorite places that we had names for – the waterfall, the cliff, the vine. The vine was great – we found it growing from the tippy top of a tree all the way down to the ground. My best friend’s dad cut it for us so we could swing on it. It happened to be in an area that was naturally clear of trees, but it was right in the middle of the woods. Someone had also dumped a bunch of huge tires there, so we stacked them up to give us more of a jump. It was awesome. We caught salamanders, we hiked up the waterfall (a creek that ran downhill in a series of small waterfalls), we made forts out of logs and moss. Many of my favorite memories happened out in the woods. 

D.R.- Share a guilty pleasure with us. 
S.R.B.- I write and read romance novels. I write in other genres as well, but I still have a hard time telling people I write romance. Many of my friends and old coworkers are in the science world, so that’s probably why.

D.R.- Who is your favorite TV or movie character and why? 
S.R.B.- It’s hard to pin down a favorite, so I’ll just say that right now, the one who comes to mind is Jessica Jones. It’s nice to have a female lead in a comic series who gets shit done.
 
D.R.- Who is your favorite character of all time and why? 
S.R.B.- How can I possibly answer this?  I will say, if there was a character I could trade places with, for at least part of a story, it’d be Arthur in Once and Future King. Only in the beginning of the story though, when he gets to turn into a bunch of different animals to learn life lessons. 

D.R.- What's the food or drink you always tell other people to try? 
S.R.B.- Crawfish. It’s so good, especially with a light beer. Not light as in low calorie, but flavor/body wise. There is a scene in the movie A Time to Kill when Matthew McConaughey and Sandra Bullock are eating crawfish and doing tequila shots. It makes me want crawfish every single time I see that movie. So good. I’m pretty sure I’m part Cajun. Love Cajun food. I’m originally from New York and whenever I get a friend to come down to Texas to see me, I take them for crawfish if it’s in season. 

D.R.- What book do you recommend the most?
S.R.B.- Lamb by Christopher Moore. It is a delightful read. Despite the fact that it is a wildly inappropriate account of the first 33 years of Jesus’s life (the bible doesn’t talk about this period except for the part where he runs away from his parents around the age of 12 to spend time in the temple), it is actually taught in seminary school in some places. It’s my favorite book.

D.R.- Where is the one place you think everyone should go? 
S.R.B.- Ithaca, New York. Home of Purity Ice Cream (bittersweet is the best flavor) and a bunch of beautiful waterfalls to hike around. One of the loveliest places in the US for sure.

D.R.- How do you get ideas for stories? 
S.R.B.- I get ideas from the strangest places. Usually it’s from people watching. I tend to be character driven and people are interesting to me. Sometimes I have a weird dream that sparks an idea. A lot of my sci fi projects are from dreams, and the book I’m releasing in October – Call Me Ana (a coming of age/romance) started off as a dream. 

D.R.- What do you do if you see your idea has already been done? 
S.R.B.- Cry. J/k. But it’s always very sad. I do remember reading that if something has been done before with success then it’s worth doing again, but I think you can only take that philosophy so far.

Friendly Neighborhood Friday: Lemons to Lemonade Editing Services

It's Friendly Neighborhood Friday again and I'm here with Rachel Lemons. She's an editor, something NaNoWriMo participants will need in the next few months. Here's a bit about Rachel's business.

Lemons to Lemonade Editing Services is run by Rachel Lemons, who is a novelist as well as a proofreader. If you are a writer looking to self-publish your work and are in need of an editor, Lemons to Lemonade Editing Services is for you! Now I want a tall, cold glass of lemonade, even though it's autumn. Without further ado or a don't, here's the interview!

D.R.- Coffee or tea? 
R.L.- Coffee is life.

D.R.- Dogs or cats? 
R.L.- I have fifteen cats, so I had better say cats if I value my life. They are staring at me as I answer this, after all!

D.R.- Cake or pie? 
R.L.- Cake. Especially any variety of chocolate cake.

D.R.- What is your favorite color? 
R.L.- I love all shades of pink and purple, but my all time favorite color is lilac.

D.R.- What's your Patronus? 
R.L.- According the official Pottermore quiz, it’s a wild cat.

D.R.- Where'd you get the idea for your business/goods/services? 
R.L.- I got the idea when talking to a fellow writer. She asked me if I could proofread her book for her, as her previous editor had missed many grammatical errors. I said yes, she liked my work, and I began Lemons to Lemonade Editing.

D.R.- What genres do you feel comfortable supporting? 
R.L.- I am most comfortable with fantasy (high fantasy in particular) as that is the genre I write myself. I enjoy others as well, however, and am perfectly happy to edit dystopias, romances (but not erotica), young adult books, and pretty much anything in between.

D.R.- What do you have to offer authors? 
R.L.- I offer proofreading services. I hunt down spelling and grammatical errors and make note of awkward sentences and phrasing, then suggest changes.

D.R.- Do you have any services that might benefit readers or other artists? 
R.L.- My services as a proofreader are very valuable to both readers and writers, as reading books full of spelling and grammar mistakes often takes away from the story. No one wants to read something that is so error ridden that it makes no sense. I ensure that books have as few mistakes as possible.

D.R.- Where can we find your services on the Internet? 
R.L.- You can contact me and learn more about my proofreading services on my Facebook page.

Friendly Neighborhood Friday: Sarah Anderson

What a gorgeous picture! Today, we have Sarah Anderson! She's an awesome designer, reviewer, and skyentist. Here's a bit about her in her own words.

​Hi! I'm Sarah, and I'm studying Astrophysics in the South of France. Graphic design has always been a passion of mine, and I'm using this to fund my way through university.
 
I first started designing book covers as a hobby, and it took off from there. I love helping people take their ideas and make them real, taking manuscripts and making them really feel like books. Authors will often ask me for bookmarks, banners, and other designs, and I'm always happy to oblige! 
 
I learn a lot from every author I work with, picking up new skills along the way. No challenge is too much for me to take on! My prices are adaptable to any budget, and can work on short deadlines. 
 
I'm not limited to book merch - don't hesitate to ask me about other design requests.  The bluenette herself in her natural habitat. D.R.- Coffee or tea?
S.A.- Tea for pleasure, coffee to drug.

D.R.- Castiel or Crowley?
S.A.- Crowley. King of hell, sassy as can be, fun at a party. 

D.R.- What is your quest?
To travel to space one day! 

D.R.- What is your favorite color?
S.A.- Blue!

D.R.- What's your Patronus?
S.A.- An otter, like Hermione.

D.R.- Where'd you get the idea for your business/goods/services?
S.A.- It was an accident, really. I always loved making my own covers to commemorate the end of Nano. Then one day, I was talking with Ronnie and suggested making him a cover, since his book was so awesome. And now… Now I have a business!

D.R.- What genres do you feel comfortable supporting?
S.A.- Science fiction and fantasy are my comfort zone. But I’ve been dying to do some 'High Lit' at some point! I’m excited to try anything.

D.R.- What do you have to offer authors?
S.A.- Not only do I give you design work, I’ll share with you everything I’ve learned about marketing over the years. I’ll help you with promo in any way I can. And I’m not afraid to tell you when an idea seems like it’s going to backfire.

D.R.- Do you have any goods/services that might benefit readers or other artists?
S.A.- I also do book photography for my Instagram. Pitch me a book, and if it fits the blog, I’d love to promo it! Check me out as @Readcommendations on Instagram and Tumblr.

D.R.- Where can we find your goods and services on the Internet?
S.A.- Check out my website, here. I also run a book blog: Find me on twitter @Readcommends, Tumblr & instagram @readcommendations, and finally readcommendations.com for your everyday book reviews. I love doing promo for self published authors, so let me know if you're interested in being featured.
​

Autumn Authors: Kyleen Valleaux

Today, I'm interviewing an author who has quite a bit in common with me. She's got a wicked awesome sense of humor, loves doggies, can't live without music, and her muse moves on liquid fuel. Give it up for Kyleen Valleaux! Here's a bit about her. 

​Kyleen is a Michigan native and telecommunications veteran. She has been writing since the age of twelve, often forgoing homework for either reading the latest Anne McCaffery novel or penning her original stories. (Said stories are locked in a trunk in her bedroom, never to see the light of day.) She was highly active in the early online Elfquest Community and helped found two round robin writing Holts. Because writing was never enough to pay the bills, she’s worked in Graphic Design, as an IT Professional, and is deep into her third career as a Site Acquisition Specialist having worked for most of the large wireless carriers in building and upgrading their networks. She writes an average of two and a half books a year and is working diligently to publish with an insanely ambitious schedule. She lives in Michigan, works full-time in the mundane world, and is responsible for the care and feeding of three German Shepherds, one cat, and a Millennial.

Hold on to your seats, because Kyleen has some cool videos and fun pictures to share with us today! D.R.- What's your favorite song for writing?
K.V.- I write to mostly soundtracks and instrumentals. My newest find is “Two Steps From Hell” - you can find them free on Amazon Prime music. They also have a bunch of youtube videos out. I also love the Murray Gold “Doctor Who” soundtracks. And then, I’m pretty sure I own nearly everything that John Williams has composed. D.R.- What's your favorite song for editing?
K.V.- Silence. Editing is hard and I need to keep my head “out” of the story and focus on the words and grammar. Because of that, I try to minimize distractions.

D.R.- Do you have a writing routine?
K.V.- I don’t. I should, but I don't. I’ll often write either first thing in the morning before I have to start my day, or before I go to sleep on my laptop in bed. Weekends, because I have a challenging job (which is a nice way to put it), are mine for writing and editing (and laundry, grocery shopping… and all the other things that go along with masquerading as functioning adult).

D.R.- ​Beach or woods?
K.V.- Both. Being a Michigan girl, the two are tied together. This past summer I rented a campsite in the Manistee National Forest for five weeks. I didn’t get to stay up there during the week, and the deal was for “come and go camping.” I did, however, get to live my little trailer (aka “the Party Can”) there and plugged in and ready. Where I was situated was about 30 minutes east of Lake Michigan. I got a lot of reading, writing, and just enjoying the peace of nature done.



D.R.- Coffee or tea or something else?
K.V.- Tequila.  

But I do drink Coffee daily, that’s usually my go to drug in the morning. But with the cold nights of winter coming, I’ll have a nice cup of green tea before bed.

D.R.- ​Who is your favorite animated character and why?
K.V.- Sailor Moon! I love both the manga and the anime. I think the appeal is that a 14-year-old screw-up can save the world with the power of love. Even though I give my characters a lot of road blocks to their happy ending, I am a HUGE believer in it. I think the harder they have to struggle for it, the sweeter it is. ​ D.R.- What's the food or drink you always tell other people to try?
K.V.- Sushi and Miso Soup. I think a lot of people are ick’ed out by it because of the raw fish, but really, it’s not gross at all. It’s really good - you just have to get by the cultural bias of eating meat raw.

D.R.- How do you get ideas for stories?
K.V.- I get them everyday - they just come to me. I’ve got a whole notebook devoted to story ideas. Just living and observing the world is enough to inspire anyone, I think. My problem is that I have too many ideas to ever write them all. This frustrates me. 

D.R.- What's your best writer's block buster?
K.V.- A shot of tequila, leash up big dog, and go for a three to four mile walk on the river trail. It quiets my mind and lets me focus on where the story really needs to go next. 

D.R.- What's the best advice you've gotten about writing?
K.V.- Never stop. Writing, that is.  If you get stuck, you may have to put that story aside and work on something else. Also, write for yourself first. If you fall in love with your own story, other people will too. If you’re only “meh" about it, expect the same from your audience. 

D.R.- ​Tell us about your plans or ideas for a new-to-you genre in the future.
K.V.- I have published the first Chronicles of the Garlon T’zen book - there are about eleven of them already written, but they need to be broken up into novels and edited. My first ambition was to publish two a year, but I’ll do two this first year, and then probably one a year after that. (Real life got in the way with a new job that is far more demanding than my last one.)

I am also nearly ready to release my second novel, in a different 'world." Right now I just call it Dragon and am working on a proper title for it. The first book is one of two that tell the overall story. The first book ends on a bit of a cliffy, but I've been assured that it works. Book 2’s events take place five years after the events in Book 1. My plan is to have Book 1 out by the end of November 2016 and Book 2 by June of 2017.

And then I have a stack of “one off” novels that are just fun. I plan to release one of those a year. The first one is a Super Smutty Romantic Comedy about a Romance Writer (who is a man but writes under a female name) who is over a year behind on his deadline. His long-suffering editor decides that he needs a Nanny and hires him one. It was a ton of fun to write, so I’m pretty others will like it too!

Here are some of my links where you can find me!
Facebook, Goodreads, Amazon, my website. 

Special Saturday: Have a Good Read and Help Alzheimers Research in the Process!

“An estimated 5.4 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer's disease in 2016. Of the 5.4 million Americans with Alzheimer's, an estimated 5.2 million people are age 65and older, and approximately 200,000 individuals are under age 65 (younger-onset Alzheimer's).”
www.alz.org/facts/

On March 12th, 2015, the writing world lost one of its greatest contemporary heroes - Sir Terrence "Terry" Pratchett. To honor his life, a group of writers published an anthology of stories that showcased his influence on their writing, and which also helped bring awareness of the disease that contributed to his end, Alzheimer's Disease. That anthology was The Longest Night Watch, volume 1.

It was a success, and the group--now known as "The Longest Night Watch" Volume 1--went on to enter a writing competition, coming in second by fractions of a point. The submissions from that writing competition are in this volume, along with original short stories and poems from many of the contributors to the first volume, and a slew of new authors. Contributors to this volume are: Amanda Parker Adams, Andrew Barber, AR Harlow, Becca Bachlott, Brittany Tucker, Carol Gyzander, Cayleigh Stickler, D.R. Perry, Debbie Manber Kupfer, Fiona Teh, Georgette Frey, Janet Gershen-Siegel, Jennifer Stibbards, Joshua L. Cejka, Kate Post, Katelyn Scarlett, L. Anne Wooley, Michael J. Medeiros, Michael Walton, R.R. Virdi, Ryn Richmond, Skye Hegyes, Thomas E. Harper, Trine Jensegg, Virginia Carraway Stark and the team of The Longest Night Watch.

The statistics are frightening. 5.4 million Americans have Alzheimers. Worldwide, nearly 44 million people have Alzheimer's or a related dementia. (Alzheimer's Disease International) Only 1-in-4 people with Alzheimer's disease have been diagnosed.

Chances are pretty much everyone knows of someone, perhaps a relative, who has it or has died from it. The stories in this anthology range from humorous Terry Pratchett-eqsue tales, to intimate looks into the lives of Alzheimer’s patients and their families.
Announcing Volume 2 of The Longest Night Watch. 50% more aliens, 700% more heart!

Preorder the ebook here, or click the cover image above. A paperback version will go live in October.