INTERVIEW

Lisa Kopel on her debut novel ‘Tango’s Tales’

INTERVIEW

Lisa Kopel is a really fun person to chat with and every conversation with her is a delight.

“For as long as I can remember, I have had a very busy mind. I think way too much; I just can’t seem to turn it off. Luckily, I found running at an early age. Running has saved my life on more than one occasion. It helps quiet my mind. Clears the deck of bad juju and opens the door to creativity. Ideas for stories come to me when I run,” Lisa told me when I asked her to describe herself.

A few months ago Lisa Kopel celebrated the release of her book ‘Tango’s Tales’.

“With Tango’s Tales, I have come up with a rather unconventional “anti” heroine. She screws up. She is often unsure and doesn’t always learn from her mistakes. But she is also fearless, passionate, fun loving, optimistic and fiercely independent,” says Lisa.

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  • How did you decide to pursue a writing career?

“It wasn’t a conscious decision.  I’ve been writing for years – mostly poetry but a bunch of prose as well.  Just bits of random musings I’d jot down and stuff in a shoebox.  After a couple of years, the shoebox was full.  That’s when I thought that maybe I had a book.”

  • Are your characters based on people you know?

“Absolutely! But all names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent.”

  • What genre is your book?

“Sexy humor. My editor wanted to market Tango’s Tales as Erotica, so we did. However, I never thought of my book that way. Yes, there’s a lot of sex…but the main character isn’t a typical Erotica heroine. You know, with the flowing mane of hair and perfect body who is seduced by an equally beautiful, filthy rich man. And the sex isn’t mind-blowingly transformative. Tango is a real woman with normal looks and neuroses and flaws, as are her suitors.”

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  • Do you have a specific writing routine?

“99% of my ideas come to me when I’m out for a run, listening to the Beatles on my iPod. The minute I get home, I hand write the ideas on the back of an envelope, or on an old take-out menu, which I then throw in a box.  With Tango’s Tales, when the box was full, I dumped out all those bits of paper and played with them, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. It took awhile, but finally I had a book.”

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  • What are your current projects?

“I’m training for a Thanksgiving Day 5k and also putting together my second book, Cake for Dessert, which is a compilation of sexy poetry.”

  • What’s next for you?

“As always, trying my best to maintain my sanity. If I’m able to accomplish that, everything else, I’m sure, will fall into place. Fingers and toes crossed.”

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TANGO’S TALES

I definitely run on a different frequency than most. I don’t hide behind small talk, and I’ll usually go wherever my mind takes me. Tango-La can be fun, but it can also be in your face and very, very real. To make the journey one must be willing to embrace the seemingly unbelievable, and yes. . .sometimes. . .even the absurd.

Meet Tango, a middle-aged woman who is holding up extremely well. Petite and slender with red hair and green eyes, she is a voracious consumer of life’s more decadent experiences. After a four-year drought, Tango knows exactly what she wants: sex. And she is not about to apologize for getting what she wants, when she wants and with whom she wants.

On the hunt for some purely sexual connections in a world where “nice girls” should want the fairy tale (instead of just some tail), Tango is not afraid to push the boundaries and live her life to the fullest, most satisfying and pulse pounding limits.
Told in short stories, brief narratives, blog entries and advice columns, Tango’s Tales is a wild voyeuristic journey into the experiences of a promiscuous free spirit and her randy, raunchy and rebellious alter ego. Now proudly dedicated to the exploration of her rapidly emerging sexuality, Tango is a force of nature. Her insight into her selection of suitors is both funny and revealing. Tango’s Tales is an erotic trip with a lady feeding her hunger for that special feeling.

BUY LINKS

http://www.amazon.com/Tangos-Tales-Lisa-Kopel-ebook/dp/B0129SPPKA

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26008522-tango-s-tales?ac=1

http://bookstore.iuniverse.com/Products/SKU-001002197/Tangos-Tales.aspx

KEEP IN CONTACT WITH LISA KOPEL

https://www.facebook.com/tangos.tales

tangostales.weebly.com

https://twitter.com/KopelLisa

https://authorcentral.amazon.com/gp/profile

Casey Fry on ‘De Facto Dead’, the next story in the ‘Roger Lamb Case Files’

INTERVIEW

Casey Fry is an author of fantasy, supernatural, and mystery. She has always held a deep fascination with the mythological and fantastical, and it shows in her writing.

Casey Fry is getting to celebrate the release of her new book ‘De Facto Dead’ and that gave me the chance to have a little chat with her about her books and her experiences in self-publishing.

That’s how Casey describes herself:

“I am an avid lover of the paranormal and the fantastical. I spend my free time studying mythology and psychology, and I love incorporating it into my writing. When I’m not working on my next book, I enjoy watching horror movies, buying more books than I can read, and painting.”

  • How did you decide to pursue a writing career?

“I was ten when I decided I was going to be an author. My mom and I had gone to see ‘Little Women’ in theatres and I wanted to be just like Jo. I started writing on the way back from the theatre and I haven’t stopped since.”

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  • Was getting published hard?

“When I finished my first book, I tried to get in with traditional publishers, but I found it very difficult. I turned to self-publishing when I was introduced to someone who assisted authors in getting their works published. I’ve continued self-publishing my books and I enjoy the experience I get through the process and learning to market my own work.”

  • Are your characters based on people you know?

“As with any writing, the characters I create have bits and pieces from myself and people that I know, but I don’t often go in basing my characters off specific people. There are some exceptions – in ‘Dragon Circle’, Marissa’s involvement in wrestling and personality is loosely based upon my brother. I also have some future books planned in which some very good friends of mine make an appearance, or play a villain, but any more and I’d be telling.”

  • What genre are your books?

“My books are primarily fantasy, often dark fantasy, paranormal thriller, and mystery. They touch upon other genres, as well, including horror, science fiction, and romance.”

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  • Which of your books is your most favorite?

“Now that’s a tough question. I love all of my books, but if I had to pick a favorite, it would probably be ‘Hunt’, the first book in the ‘DeathSpeaker Trilogy’. ‘Hunt’ was my debut novel and holds a special place in my heart. After ‘De Facto Dead’ is released, I’ll be back to working on Hunt’s sequel, ‘The God Stone’.”

  • Do you have a specific writing routine?

“My writing routine seems to be ‘grab whatever spare moment to scribble something down’. At the moment, I am only able to write part-time. I’m hoping to change this in the future, but I often write on weekends, after work, and on lunch breaks, and I always have a notebook and pen with me.”

  • What are your current projects?

“Currently, I am finishing up ‘De Facto Dead’, the next story in the ‘Roger Lamb Case Files’. The series follows private detective Roger Lamb as he deals with the knowledge that the “mythological” is actually real, while working alongside Officer Alexis Berkley in the fictional city of Spectre, New York. ‘De Facto Dead’ is due out November 2, 2015.”

  • What’s next for you?

“After ‘De Facto Dead’ is released at the beginning of November, I’ll be back to working on ‘The God Stone’, the second book in the ‘DeathSpeaker Trilogy’ and the sequel to my debut novel, ‘Hunt’.”

BUY LINKS

Hunt http://www.amazon.com/Hunt-DeathSpeaker-Trilogy-Book-1-ebook/dp/B016GIRK8O

Dragon Circle http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Circle-Casey-Fry-ebook/dp/B00DNPHZ0C

Beyond Doorways http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Doorways-Casey-Fry-ebook/dp/B00B3K7EKA/

Heroes & Villains http://www.amazon.com/Writers-Anarchy-III-Heroes-Villains-ebook/dp/B00NEECLLK/

AUTHOR BIO

Casey Fry grew up in Hughesville, Pennsylvania, where she attended high school. She wasted no time in going to college, starting her higher education at Pennsylvania College of Technology, where she had been taking some classes already during her senior year of high school.

After a few years working toward a Library Science degree, Casey changed her major to Secondary Education and transferred to Bloomsburg University. It was a few years later that she realized that, while teaching literature was a wonderful field, it was not one that suited her. She changed her major again, this time to Creative Writing, and later graduated with her Bachelor’s Degree in her chosen field.

Casey has been writing since she was very young, but her desire to become a full-time novelist was only put into words when she was ten years old. She will always attribute her introduction to the idea of being a writer to Louisa May Alcott’s masterpiece, Little Women, and the character Jo, whom Casey found to be a deep inspiration.

In 2000, the James V. Brown Library sponsored a writing contest open to students who were still in high school or below. Casey entered her first book into this contest, a 73-page novel entitled The Beginning of The Wolf, about a young girl who was sent to another world and forced to find her own way home. The book was written when she was twelve and Casey took the advice “write what you know” to extremes, basing the main character almost entirely off herself. She won the contest, however, and the book was published for a year in the James V. Brown Library. A copy still remains in her hometown library, thanks to the librarians there who knew Casey and wished to keep a copy present for people to enjoy.

In the years following, Casey wrote many things, mostly consisting of horror short stories and various poems, some of which were published in the local newspaper or online magazines. Her passion has always been for books, and even while she continues to write short stories and think up poems from time to time, it is in the many pages of a novel that her stories truly flourish.

Casey lives in a small town in central Pennsylvania. Her frequent writing companions are Snickers and Tootsie, her indoor cats, who enjoy lying under the desk lamp while she’s working.

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH CASEY

Website: www.caseyfry.weebly.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaseyFryAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaseyFryAuthor

Curator of curiosities and Krampus aficionado Mike Drake on his new book ‘Contemporary Krampus’

INTERVIEW

Mike Drake calls himself “a Monster kid who grew up in a small town in New Jersey and then moved to the big city”. He’s a collector of many things and a lover of the unusual.

Mike Drake is the author of six books on such diverse topics as haiku and Halloween In New York. His artwork has been displayed in numerous exhibits worldwide including MOMA’s PS1 in New York. He has been immortalized in the Ripley’s Believe It Or Not daily comic strip and has appeared on numerous television programs including Oddities. Time Out New York magazine once called him a “Curator Of Curiosities” and The Huffington Post has referred to his collection as “shocking”.

Mike’s sixth book ‘Contemporary Krampus’ displays Krampus themed art of 70 artists from around the world. It’s a must-have book for Krampus fans. ‘Contemporary Krampus’ is in bookstores on October 21st, 2015.

Mike Drake will be a featured guest at Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Halloween Event.

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  • Mike, how did you decide to pursue a writing career?

“Writing has long been a passion of mine, ever since I was a child. I sold my first piece professionally to Playboy before I was old enough to legally read the magazine!”

  • What genre are your books?

“‘Contemporary Krampus’ is my 6th book. So far my genres have been poetry, photography, legends/ myths, art, and adult bedtime stories. I have a few novels in me but it’s been tough to pull them out.”

 

 

  • Which of your books is your most favorite?

“My latest is always my favorite.”

  • What are your current projects?

“I am always working on a few things at the same time. Right now I’m working on a FeeJee Mermaid themed project, but in reality that may not be the next thing published.”

  • What’s next for you?

Immediately next is the continued promotion of my book ‘Contemporary Krampus’. My honey and I just bought a new place and I need to unpack 239 boxes. I should be done by February, then I’ll rest for a few months and back to the mermaids.”

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Contemporary Krampus

For the 1st time ever, Contemporary Krampus gathers more than 68 diverse artists from around the globe to create new images of Krampus. From renowned artists like Angus Oblong to up and comers like Peter Skullkid, each image has been hand selected by curator of curiosities and Krampus aficionado Mike Drake.

Gather your gingerbread, sharpen a candy cane, secure the windows, bolt the door, Boil the cocoa, summon all your courage, and let the artists of Contemporary Krampus show you what lurks in the shadows on cold winter nights.

Contemporary Krampus is in bookstores on October 21st, 2015.

This 8.5 x 11 inch tome is printed using luxuriant hi-gloss stock and contains a hefty 124 pages. The perfect gift for both those on the naught and nice lists, and an indispensable addition to any library.

It is also available for pre-order on Amazon at http://amzn.to/1KD99lY

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Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Halloween Party

Drake, who’s artwork is featured in the new Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Eye Popping Oddities book, will be a featured guest at the Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Times Square location for their exclusive Halloween Party. This adults only event will feature not only Drake signing copies of Contemporary Krampus, but also giving away a life-size Krampus to one lucky attendee. Additionally, over 45 “special” exhibits will be pulled from the Ripley vaults and displayed exclusively to those brave enough to attend. The event will also feature

A twisted game show

Psychic readings

Hypnotism shows with audience participation

Close-up magic

Day of the Dead candy celebration (at midnight)

To purchase tickets for this exclusive event, fans of the macabre should visit http://www.ripleysnewyork.com/buy-tickets/

For addition information on Contemporary Krampus visit

www.ContemporaryKrampus.com

Award nominated songwriter and composer M.Lachi on her new book ‘The Ivory Staff’

INTERVIEW

She is a published author and an award nominated songwriter and composer.

Her resume includes features on Oprah Radio, CBS Radio, The CW, Oxygen, and the E! and Style Networks among others. She lives in New York City with her life partner and enjoys reading, composing and catching live performances. Her first book The Ivory Staff was released a few days ago.

She’s known as M.Lachi but she also goes by Lachi.

So, I can’t help but asking her… What’s your name?

“Hey there!! Thanks for taking out the time to interview me!! What is my name? Very interestingly put question. Apart from my writing, I’ve also dabbled pretty heavily in songwriting, composition and performance. In the music realm I go by Lachi, a strong-willed, empowering performer proclaiming uplifting messages of endurance and overcoming despite short-comings and obstacles. Within the writing realm I go by M. Lachi. Presently, the M stands for ‘meta,’ as M. Lachi writes empowering novels containing protagonists who seek to endure and overcome despite their many short-comings and obstacles.”

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  • How did you decide to pursue a writing career?

“Since a very young age I’d been an eager writer. My grasp on and love for writing came before my passion for music matured. Grabbing printer paper, stapling them together and handwriting comics and picture books amid the pages flood my childhood memories. A bit of a social outcast, I took heavily to fiction writing and song composition instead of playing outside. I wrote shorts, plays, poems, songs. One day I sat at a computer in my high school library and randomly started typing a story. I continued this almost every day during lunch for a year, and lo and behold, I wrote my first novella.”

  • Was getting published hard?

“The real hard part is writing the book. Writing a query letter is so subjective, one couldn’t really call it hard. Querying agents and publishers is more busy-work than hard work. I sent out dozens of queries to agents with varying degrees of success. However, once I switched gears and sent letters directly to publishers, I received much greater interest, to the point where I was able to choose from a couple of publishers! Everyone will have different experiences; nonetheless.”

  • Are your characters based on people you know?

“Yes and no! Though the characters are not based on any particular people I’ve encountered, according to Descartes Meditations, one can only imagine things based on what he or she has previously perceived. Therefore, my characters are a resultant amalgamation of the many people I’ve encountered and grew close to during my trips to Africa and Europe, the fictional characters I’ve grown close to in the books and movies I’ve imbibed, and most importantly a meta-twinkle of myself.”

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  • What genre is your book?

“The Ivory Staff is listed under Fantasy. It’s a Low Fantasy harboring princes, kings, queens, ritual power, and throne battles. However, I like to call it a Dark Fairy Tale, as it juxtaposes juvenile innocence with a brewing darkness.”

  • What’s next for you?

“I am currently working on three other novels and a book of shorts all with a whimsied-tinge of thought-experiment and modern-day soul-magic. As someone who spends a good deal of time in my own head, world-balding and character-creating, I’m excited to share these experiments and concepts with others, readers, thinkers, experiencers. To me, a novel is a way of saying, “Hey you, random Goodreads user in Milwaukee! Let me know what you think about this random though exercise I’ve been puzzling through. Here is wrapped in a madlibbed setting (who’s blanks are filled with characters and plot twists), printed onto pages and bound in a book.”

THE IVORY STAFF
A Dark Fairy Tale Of Kings And War

How was young Samiyah to know that her simple grace, wit, and beauty exceptional traits given her peasant class would land her in the middle of a chessboard of high-level political turmoil or that the love that blinds politics, the hate that blinds brotherhood, and the lust that blinds love would flip that chessboard on its side? Rife with passionate dialog, edgy suspense, and epic conflict, this Dark Fairy Tale follows our heroine as she journeys to heal a nation broken by the internal prejudices of class warfare, armed with nothing but stark determination.

BUY LINK

http://www.amazon.com/Ivory-Staff-Dark-Fairy-Kings-ebook/dp/B0157GPFGA/

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH M. LACHI

Website

www.mlachi.com

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/mlachiauthor

Twitter

http://www.twitter.com/mlachiauthor

Janeil Harricharan on his upcoming Visual Novels, Games and Projects

INTERVIEW

Janeil Harricharan is a young aspiring professional, working to share several stories through written work and game development.

A 9-5 office worker doing book layouts, he creates and pursues his desire to share his tales when not at his job. He is currently directing development of two visual novels and four publishing projects. Most notable of these is his sci-fi visual novel The Dawnstar Chronicles, and his young adult fantasy novel Michiko Bates.

“I’m an entrepreneur mainly focusing on small business enterprises. However my ‘passion’ is focused on digital publishing projects, such as eBooks and game development,” he told me when I asked him to describe himself.

– How did you decide to pursue a writing career?

“I’ve been writing since I was 13, mainly for enjoyment and personal development. I’d partake in NaNoWriMo a few times. All that time I knew it was a huge hurdle to get something in print form, so I didn’t pursue it. It’s only after I had graduated and the advent of eBooks that I saw the ease of digital publishing. That is when I decided to actively pursue publishing written work.”

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– Was getting published hard?

“I’m still in the process of getting published. From what I’m learning along the way, actually doing the work and putting a digital book out there is quite easy. It’s more difficult to devote yourself to produce quality content, or have discipline to produce something on time. The hardest aspect I see is gaining attention to your work!”

– Are your characters based on people you know?

“Typically they’re not. Sometimes I see people and get inspired for a character, but they are usually quite different in their composition, likes and characteristics.

The Dawnstar Chronicles and my horror novella The Haunting of Rotherwood are the only exceptions. Those two projects do have characters based on people I know.”

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– What genre are your books?

“Typically most of my projects fall in the fiction category, either fantasy or science fiction. A few deal with the horror genre. I do have plans for a few non-fiction books, namely in the self-help/advice category.”

-Which of your books is your most favorite?

“I would say my current project of Michiko Bates, and a new project I recently started up by the rough name of ‘Endless Sky’. Both projects mean a lot to me and I’m excited the most about, primarily as I’ve had the concept for them for years, finally getting a chance to bring them to light and share!

– Do you have a specific writing routine?

“My typical routine follows two patterns; writing at Starbucks on a weekend or putting in some words at midnight when I’m about to hit the sack. I typically try to pursue the former as it gives me greater freedom and less distraction from being in the family home. However, this is easier said than done due to where I live. Writing is something I have to endeavor towards, intentionally pushing life needs aside and sitting down to write what’s in my head.

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– What are your current projects?

“I’m currently working on four projects at varying paces. I have more planned, but I need to finish a few otherwise they’d all remain in limbo!

Michiko Bates is my main novel project. I collaborate with another writer by the name of Tanya Rodgers. Between the two of us, we drum up ideas and put pieces together for a final piece. I’m really excited about this because after two long years of work, we’re finally close to publishing! We’ve just finished editing and are wrapping up some illustrations. Once they get done it’ll be ready to hit the market.

The story follows a somewhat nerdy Japanese-American teenager, who finds a mysterious pendant and the newfound ability to magically travel to several different worlds. After making herself an Alice-esque getup, the plunges in and inadvertently gets wrapped up in a perilous events in one of these worlds.

Dawnstar is my biggest production to date. Despite it being a game project, it follows in the steps as a visual novel, which is essentially an interactive storybook. A lot of work has been done to bring it this far, and I certainly enjoy the writing challenge. I also am currently working on novel adaptations, which is in a project of itself.

This project includes contributions from a few people, most notably musician Kenny Chow (a.ka Kenny Chou, CC Catch). This is a special treat in itself, as he’s the musician for some famous old DOS games back in the 90’s by Epic Games, including Zone 66 & One Must Fall: 2097.

This storyline follows the path of Raju, a privateer captain of the starship frigate Dawnstar. His companions and crew are an interesting assortment of women. Together they traverse the galaxy in search of adventure and one of his companion’s father, who’s been searching for ancient alien tech to his own ends.

Haunting of Rotherwood is a small novella that I did just before NaNo of 2014. Birthed out of my recent fascination of urban hauntings, the story follows three college students getting lost on a ghost walk, ending up at a prominent haunted house. The story is based on some lore and local East Tennessee legend, drawing from these elements to create an environment for the characters to explore. This is my most complete story to date, currently going through minor revisions and editing. I’m hoping for a release in time for Halloween.

Endless Sky is my most recent project and my biggest group project to date. Collaborating with the talents of four illustrators and artists, Endless Sky is a reworked fantasy story I had written in my younger days. Following the characters of a young foreign boy and his foster mother, the two dare to set out across the foreboding expanse of clouds in search of answers of the boy’s origin. However one wrong move means an endless plummet to the hell below.

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-What’s next for you?

“I’m currently attempting to start a small business that would provide me income and freedom, which goes in hand to settle near a populated city (after all, it’s hard to get to a Starbucks when the nearest one is 50 miles away!). With those two things in place, I’d like to continue my writing and creative pursuits to publish more content and share more stories!

On the sidelines I’m starting up a blog at my personal site, janeilh.com. It’s mainly a hub to inform people about my projects, but have a passion for blogging and sharing stories that don’t quite fit in a written work. Aside from my primary “next steps”, this is a next goal for me.”

MORE ABOUT JANEIL HARRICHARAN

Janeil Harricharan graduated with his Bachelor’s in Digital Media from ETSU in 2013. Janeil currently resides in his rural hometown of Parrottsville, TN, helping his parents with their business as a second job. He lives a transient lifestyle and travels frequently, on the hunt for a city to call home and a special someone to share in his adventures.

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH JANEIL HARRICHARAN

http://janeilh.com

https://www.facebook.com/michikobates

A.C. Greenlee talks about ‘What’s Done in the Dark’ and ‘Guardian of the Hellmouth’

INTERVIEW

A.C. Greenlee is a paranormal romance and fantasy author who mostly lives off coffee, chocolate and gummy bears.

“The rest of me just barely survives in a tangled up web of bossy characters, elaborate plotlines, half-truths and the insane need to write about the Vampire that’s lived in my closet since I was a little girl,” she told me in a fun chat we recently had.

A.C. Greenlee is an award-winning creator of paranormal romance, high fantasy and adventure novels. In 2012, Greenlee’s debut novel, Guardian of the Hellmouth, was released via Lillium Publishing House LLC and quickly became a fan favorite. With short stories and novellas like Her General Knows Best, Put the Gun Down and Werewolves are Diabolical published under the same house, she most recently dedicates her time to the completion of her manuscript, Genesis and its sequel Arise.

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  • But who exactly is A.C. Greenlee?

“A.C. Greenlee is my name, but there’s an entire world of madness, romance and at times even horror just waiting to be uncovered.”

  • How did you decide to pursue a writing career?

“Pursuing writing as a career wasn’t all that hard for me, honestly. As a child I was often punished for ‘lying’ to my mother about fantastical things that couldn’t possibly be true, or things that sounded so realistic my parents didn’t know whether or not to believe me. It was my grandmother who first realized that I wasn’t exactly lying, but was creating and telling them stories. I had more than an overactive imagination, she said, I lived in a fantasy world that would one day evolve into the novels I write today. Storytelling is one thing, getting the Mailman arrested for supposedly stuffing a kid into the back of his truck is on an entirely different level. I still don’t think poor Mr. Harris forgave me for that one.”

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  • Was getting published hard?

“I think there’s a degree of difficulty for everyone when it comes to publishing. I was lucky enough to stumble upon an agent who knew all the right things to say and all the best places to look. When my work was submitted to Lillium Publishing in 2012 I was nervous enough to hack up a lung, but when I got the congratulatory email welcoming me as a new author amongst their ranks, I shed tears of joy.”

  • Are your characters based on people you know?

“There’s a little piece of everyone I know, myself included, in my characters. But, decidedly, I don’t directly base my characters on the people in my life. If I have, they must have done something extremely terrible to me to suffer such a fate. I wouldn’t wish the lives of my characters on anyone.”

  • What genre are your books?

“I write a pretty wide range of genre fiction. My favorite, at the moment as this frequently changes, are romance, fantasy and adventure. I love spiraling tales of dashing, sexy as all get out heroes and feisty heroines who aren’t afraid to drop the F-bomb or smack someone over the head with a spiked bat. And I absolutely adore putting a new spin on paranormal characters like Vampires who are less brooding and sparkly and more ‘bad boy cop with a chip on his shoulder and a profound love of Italian coffee and expensive cars’.”

  • Which of your books is your favorite?

“My current work in progress, Genesis, has to be my favorite currently. This epic, urban fantasy novel takes Grim Reapers, Demons and a diabolical force hell bent on the destruction of the universe and charges a tiny, four foot eleven college student with stopping them. It’s a hell of a ride.”

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  • Do you have a specific writing routine?

“You mean besides drinking copious amounts of coffee that most mortals would overdose on? My main writing routine is to get up and write, despite the million or so distractions that crop up to throw me off track.”

  • What are your current projects?

“With What’s Done in the Dark finished and up for pre-order, I plan on finishing up the editing on Genesis and starting on the next book in that series entitled Arise.”

  • What’s next for you?

“More interviews I would hope. This has been a pleasant experience to say the least.”

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MORE ABOUT AUTHOR A.C. GREENLEE

With a B.F.A in Creative Writing and an M.F.A nearing it’s completion, A.C. is extremely enthusiastic about embarking on the quest of university level graphic design and just hopes she has enough poultices to see her through.

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH A.C. GREENLEE

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/booksbyacgreenlee

Personal Website: http://www.acgreenlee.com

Publishers Website: http://www.lilliumpublishing.tk

BUY LINK

What’s Done in the Dark Pre-Order: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015RTA9Q8

Former Pretzel King Stephan Bosshard offers ’Swiss Recipe To Happiness’

INTERVIEW

swissrecipetohappinesscover

Although Stephan Bosshard was born raised in Switzerland, it wouldn’t be quite appropriate to call him the typical Swiss.

Due to his not exactly carefree childhood, he took his life into his own hands quite early and began to dream of true happiness.

He found it – not where one might expect, in his success and wealth, but in the subtleties of daily life. He learned from experience that true happiness consists of love, leisure time and good health.

On the zenith of his career – around the turn of the Millennium – he decided to let go. He sold his life’s work, the “Pretzel King” business, at a profit. For the time being, that spelled a Happy End to his earlier chase after happiness.

Today, Bosshard lives a happy, contented life – with his wife and their dog Gigi – away from any common daily routine, in Switzerland and on his yacht in Florida. He is convinced that on the way he has found his RECIPE TO HAPPINESS.

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  • So, how did you decide to pursue a writing career?

“I wrote ’Swiss Recipe To Happiness’ on my yacht while visiting Miami, Florida for 6 months. I’d gone on many crazy adventures, traveled around the world, and met many interesting people. I decided to write a book about it. It’s funny, it’s inspiring, there are pictures from my journey, it tells of my loves, ups and downs, and how I met my wife. I want to encourage people regardless of how much money or material things they have, to find a way to find their own personal happiness.”

  • Was getting published hard?

“No. I self-published the book so there were not a lot of challenges.”

  • Are your characters based on people you know?

“Yes.”

  • What genre is your book?
    “It’s an autobiography.”

 

  • Which of your books is your most favorite?
    “’Swiss Recipe To Happiness’ is my first book and it is my favorite.”
  • Do you have a specific writing routine?
    “I write early in the morning on my yacht when I am in South Florida.”
  • What are your current projects?
    “Helping people find their own personal happiness regardless of their income or material things is what I am passionate about, therefore I want my book and its message to reach as many people as possible.”
  • What’s next for you?
    “Enjoy life, spend time with my wife and dog GiGi and continue to live a life full of happiness.”

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’Swiss Recipe To Happiness’

Genre: Autobiography

Available on Amazon.com and in quality bookstores internationally

Website: http://www.swissrecipetohappiness.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/swissrecipetohappiness?ref=hl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/stephbosshard

Connie Kerbs a.k.a. The Fostering Mom on ‘Pebbled Lane Books series’ and many more

INTERVIEW

Connie Kerbs is, and always has, been a writer. An early and ardent student of Language Arts, she is a prolific writer and intense lover of great poetry, which she describes as a life-saving, game-changer. Along with the poetry, Connie a.k.a. The Fostering Mom, also writes fiction, non-fiction, inspirational tales, memoirs, children’s stories, and everything in between! She has been published in Foster Focus, Love Alters and 88+ Ways Music Can Change Your Life. She currently has a variety of publishing projects in the works, including the Pebbled Lane Books series.

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“When not writing and mothering her large family, Connie serves on the Board of Directors (President, Past) of the Spokane Youth Symphony. She is also the Vice President of the Foster Parent Association of Washington State, (FPAWS),” Connie told me in a little chat we recently had.

I asked Connie to describe her journey into the literary world and that’s what she told me:

“I have been writing since I could hold a pencil! I wrote my first novel in the second grade (thank you to Mrs. West, for all the encouragement!) I’ve never stopped writing. I am an avid journalist, & writing poetry is cathartic for someone whose life work (foster parenting high needs kiddos for 23 years) is the ultimate reward – and sometimes the ultimate stress.

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“I was created to write. Then life stretched me, honed me, and turned me inside out. Then it stewed and brewed me in a potpourri of passions, places, and people. Turns out, that was just all for tenderizing and seasoning, so I could have hearty, worthwhile things to write about. Life also had a few other little plans for me along the way. Sixteen of them, for starters.

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“A lifetime ago I embarked with my childhood friend, and high school sweetheart of a husband on an epic journey of foster-adopt parenting. This life-altering decision took us down a winding road of multiple adoptions, (13 for the curious), and eventually compelled us into robust advocacy for child-welfare and family issues.​

“It is a monumental, and a yet, highly IM-perfected task, (even with so much practice), of raising all these complicated and wonderful people who call me mom. My diverse brood also includes three miraculous birth children we thought would never come, and several differently-abled children, and (now) adults, who bless us with a unique kind of life every day we are privileged to remain in their presence.”

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More about Connie Kerbs

Connie Kerbs, aka the Fostering Mom writes poetry, fiction, non-fiction, children’s books, Inspirational, and a little of everything in between.

It’s the stuff of this thing called life pieced together into a body of work that I hope is inspiring, nurturing and enjoyable. I pray it will ripple out positively…and be a little spot of light, hope, faith, and love wherever it goes…

Connie’s Pebbled Lane Books series is a project which serves as a means to help others – either by acting as an outlet for serious writers to publish their stories, or by supporting worthy causes directly through the proceeds. Her passion for this project is as evident as the love for her husband and her children, who fuel her inspiration and her desire for success.

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH CONNIE KERBS

Pebbled Lane Books Series

http://www.pebbledlanebooks.com/home.html

Connie Kerbs’ Website

http://www.conniekerbs.com/about-1.html

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/ConnieRaeKerbs.Writer

Twitter

https://twitter.com/conniekerbs

 

 

 

Kit Miller: the 16-year-old author of ‘Sailor Uncovered’

INTERVIEW

Kit Miller has been an avid writer since her days in elementary school. What began as a weekend hobby quickly escalated into an everyday activity. Her love of writing led her to join her high school’s nationally acclaimed journalism program; VISTAj. She is currently the editor of VISTAj’s website and literary magazine – Periphas. She also works for the commentary website Psycho Drive-In.

“But who exactly is Kit Miller?” I asked Kit in a little chat we had recently.

“I am a 16-year-old girl who loves to learn and tell stories,” she replied.

A few weeks ago Kit celebrated the release of her debut novel called ‘Sailor Uncovered’. This twisting story begins with the murder of a man who victimizes women. The heroine, Sailor, is a survivor but her sister Catherine is not. Sailor tries to prove her innocence for that man’s murder though a maelstrom of chaos caused by his brother, Michael.

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– So why did you decide to pursue a writing career?

“When I was in 4th grade I read ‘Hatchet’ by Gary Paulsen. I had always loved reading, but Hatchet was the first book I ever truly got lost in. I wanted to tell meaningful stories like that and inspire others as ‘Hatchet’ inspired me.”

– Was getting published hard?

“Absolutely! With the publishing industry changing and more and more people writing books it’s really hard to get your foot in the door. Taking on new writers is risky, and taking on really young writers with no previous credentials is especially dangerous. My book was rejected 39 times before my current publisher picked it up. I’m thankful for each rejection though; taking the easy way has never been my style.”

– What genre is your book?

“My book is a crime fiction/mystery novel.”

– Do you have a specific writing routine?

“I wouldn’t call it a routine, but I always have to have my journal on hand. Ideas pop into my head throughout the whole day so I have to be prepared to write them down.”

– What are your current projects?

“Right now I’m just trying to juggle high school and my budding career!”

– What’s next for you?

“Hopefully more published books in the near future. I refuse to be a one-hit wonder!”

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MORE ABOUT KIT MILLER

Kit spends her free time reading, writing, taking Instagram-worthy photographs, and watching sports and documentaries on TV – particularly football, baseball, and anything about nature, respectively.

Her taste in books ranges from rugged westerns to inspirational memoirs to out-of-this-world fantasy, and everything in between. Among her favorite authors are: J.K. Rowling, Gary Paulsen, David Eddings, Mark Twain, William Shakespeare, Erin Hunter, and John Flanagan.

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH KIT MILLER

Facebook: www.facebook.com/KitMillerAuthor

Twitter: www.twitter.com/MooDeere

BUY LINK

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sailor-Uncovered-Kit-Miller/dp/1910530948/

Jendela Tryst on the ‘Fallen Immortals Saga’, Greek Myth and Love

INTERVIEW

Jendela Tryst is a closet romantic. She’s smart, clever, has a great sense of humor, but she hides an extremely sensitive and compassionate nature that is afraid to show itself for fear that she’ll be ridiculed.

Jendela is the author of the ‘Fallen Immortals Saga’, a Greek mythology inspired book series that includes two installments (‘Struck: The Myth of Eros and Psyche’, ‘Scorched: Origin of Love Book 2’) with a third (‘Rupture’) coming soon.

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Recently I had a little chat with Jendela Tryst and, firstly, I asked her to describe herself.

“‘Jendela’ comes from an Indonesian word for ‘window’. ‘Tryst’ has Latin roots, meaning ‘sorrow’. The French translation for ‘secret affair’ is also very relevant,” she explained. “All are sides of Jendela Tryst, sensuous, empathetic, a die-hard romantic who loves love despite living in a world that rewards cynicism and pragmatism. Jendela Tryst is the most authentic, human side of me,” she added.

  • How did you decide to pursue a writing career?

“There was no escaping it. The day I realized the hidden treasures behind ‘books with no pictures’ was the day my fate was decided. Finally, there was a use for an overly vivid imagination and the stories that kept popping in my head! I tried to pursue other careers because writing wasn’t worthy in my parent’s eyes and I tried to be the ‘dutiful daughter’. But I wanted to write, even while I studied practical degrees like Economics, and then nursing. Instead of studying for finals, I was writing short stories, poems, narrations, and quick summaries for potential novels. No matter what, my mind always wandered to plots that needed to be organized and characters that needed to speak. It was torture not giving them the time they deserved.”

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  • Was getting published hard?

“I am an indie author, so it was hard in trying to learn various aspects of publication that had nothing to do with writing itself. I am actually very grateful for my business background because I think it prepared me for some of the more formidable aspects of self-publishing like finance and marketing. Still, the hardest part was dealing with self-doubt. As an independent author, everything is on you and that’s a lot of pressure, especially when dealing with that loud and very obnoxious inner critic. For some of us, that voice can be especially vicious.”

  • Are your characters based on people you know?

“Yes. That is, several aspects of my characters are based on people I know, but not completely. Those closest to me will make claims that they recognize a certain conversation, or certain traits but I try to stay diplomatic about it. I’d hate to offend anyone, especially the ones I love. However, some of the most colorful characters in my life give me endless material so it would be a shame to waste any of it.”

  • What genre are your books?

“I hate labels. It’s one of my things and it’s one of the reasons I wanted to self-publish. I never attempted to send my books to any publishing companies because I was afraid they would force my book into a genre. If I had to simplify, I suppose you could call it a romance. But there is also a lot of adventure in it, and since it’s based on a Greek Myth, it has some philosophy as well. You can’t write about Greek Mythology without sneaking in philosophy, it’s just not possible!”

  • Which of your books is your most favorite?

“I feel like the series ‘Origin of Love’ is really a single book in three books. I loved that I divided them into three books because I think, in many ways, the characters and their love for each other, changed over time. I think of relationships as living, breathing things. It goes through its own different phases and each phase is beautiful in its own way. Struck is about first love. New love. That amazing sensation of being completely surprised and enamored by the person you’re with. Scorched is a more established love, when the person you’re with becomes your best friend and you start understanding and establishing trust and experiencing the highs and lows of life together. Finally, Rupture is what I consider eternal love. The kind that many speak of, but few have ever really seen. It can survive anything. Time, space, betrayal, death, it is everlasting. All of these forms of love matter, and are beautiful in their own way. That’s why I can’t pick a single book; it’s like trying to pick out your favorite color in a rainbow.”

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  • Do you have a specific writing routine?

“No. I wish I did. I really do. Maybe it’s because I’m just starting out, but really, the only consistent thing I do every day is make myself coffee. After that, it’s up in the air. Sometimes, I just mull around, fiddle on my piano, write a song on the guitar, worry a lot, and if I’m lucky, I’ll reread a few chapters. Then one day, usually when I have the least amount of time or I’m in the middle of a busy highway, driving a long distance, sentences or dialogue will pop up in my head. I have pull over and start dictating to my phone like a crazy person. Or writing on a receipt or napkin, whatever is around.”

  • What are your current projects?

“I am currently working on a retelling of the myth of Hades and Persephone. It’s a sort of prequel to Origin of Love Trilogy. I’ve always been somewhat drawn to the macabre, and Hades, god of the Underworld, is such a different hero from Eros, god of love. Historically, most renditions of Hades has not been very flattering, so I took a lot of liberties and turned him into more of a diabolical, brooding demon lover. He is definitely sexier and less petrifying, yet still the quintessential, misunderstood “bad boy”. What’s there not to love?”

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  • What’s next for you?

“You know as much as I do. My day job is always waiting for me. Writing will never leave me, that much I’ve accepted, but how quickly I can write and how much time I have to spare to write will be determined mainly by my readers. If they like what I have produced, they’ll buy my work and keep me and my family fed. If they don’t, then, writing will have to be placed in the back burner for a bit. But that’s ok, because I know it will never leave me. In a way, it’s as Democratic as you can get. Everyone votes with his or her dollar. What’s great is that my first two books, Struck and Scorched, will be available for free with Amazon Prime, so really, no one has to spend a dime! My third book, Rupture, will be out in September as well.

What I’m really looking for are others who are as passionate about love stories as I am. I want to find other die-hard romantics so we can continue to inspire each other. Because really, what’s there not to love about love?

I just hope people will give a relatively unknown author with a lot of great stories to tell a chance to keep doing just that.”

We hope that too!

BUY LINKS

Amazon URL:

Struck: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KJKGBV8

Scorched: http://www.amazon.com/Scorched-Origin-Love-Fallen-Immortals-ebook/dp/B00U9PGN2U/

Rupture: Coming Sept 2015

STAY IN TOUCH WITH JENDELA TRYST

Website: www.jendelatryst.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jendela.tryst

Twitter: @JendelaTryst