Aaron Speca - Me and My Others: May 2013

Friday, May 31, 2013

Finding Fiction Friday - Jas T. Ward

This is Week 11 of Finding Fiction Friday, and today I'm very happy to bring Jas T. Ward to the blog. Ward's first work was recently published, a prequel of sorts to the upcoming Shadow-Keepers series. Please join me in extending a warm welcome!

Jas T. Ward has a fan following in the thousands in various social medias. It’s the fans that pushed Ward to finally publishing a work. Previous writings were done for newspapers as well as other published authors.
Lives in Texas, has part of the heart in Kentucky with family there and in the New Orleans area.

When asked: What do you want people to know about you? Simple: They don’t need to know anything about me. Just love my characters. I’m in there somewhere.

Jas, how did you get started writing?

Well, it was an escape. I am the product of a less than happy childhood and in order to deal I wrote. I probably wrote my first short story (about a child who got lost in books and never wanted to escape) when I was seven-years old. I never stopped. I had notebook after notebook of stories and drawings I’ve done. The worse the time in my life? The more I wrote. It still provides that escape.

You are still an avid role player and have been for some time, taking characters that have been started and giving them a depth and personality beyond what we’ve seen from them before. What from that experience are you able to translate into writing for publication?

That part is tricky. You really have to distance yourself from the ‘RP Style’ writing to actual writing for publication. Whereas in RP, you are the voice of a character, for writing you are that character as seen from your reader’s eyes. RP- the foundation is implied. The setting is less important than the action and the dialogue. With writing it’s about ALL of it. Making every small detail important. The voice, the setting, the scene, the character; the image that you want to play through their heads. And if they don’t believe the image you create for them? Then you lost the battle to draw them in. You won’t be able to get them back.

I love RP. I admit, without it? I would never have published. Not only was it the huge amount of encouragement and support from the fans for my RP writings? But it got rid of a huge writing block that had been in place for years after a personal tragedy in my life. I owe it so much. And I will never forget all that it and the fans have done for me.

You have also been involved on the “other” side of the business, having been involved from the ground up with Dead Bound Publishing. What has that experience been like?

(Laughs) Expensive? But all and all it’s been amazing. We got lucky. The two partners that run DBP are very encouraging. DBP was founded to showcase what was seen as talent on my part. It was also created to give creativity a chance beyond the traditional publishing world. When a single dream or vision is crushed by an agent with a single rejection letter. I’ll be honest- I’ve had those same rejection letters. But the one thing that really drove DBP to be created was when I was told one of my works would be a great deal if I changed it. If I made it more “marketable” or “reader friendly”. That should never be the focus of a book. An author writes from the soul and the heart. Their characters speak to them. To tell an author to butcher and slaughter a work to make it not even close to the vision is a shame. We’re not talking editing and proofing. We are talking not giving the reader any credit to handle very real tragic topics (in my case suicide) and assuming a reader will read fluff and not be able to handle a meatier topic to make sales. That is just not what a creative vision should be about.

What about being published and the book industry in general has most surprised you?

How much real talent is out there. And how fans really will embrace something different and unique. And how doing it our way, will probably never make us rich (smile).

I guess the best way to explain it, is this.

We allowed pre-sales on my first book for autographed copies. I assumed we’d get one maybe two. No, in that first night we made enough money to be in the black with Bits and Pieces. The fans wanted it that much. Those funds covered the copyright, the printing, the distribution- all in a single night. That was the most amazing feeling. That little book? Who would have thought.

It’s also been a very big learning experience. We learned about so many avenues and steps it takes to get a book out there. But we haven’t regretted anything about the process. And we love each sale. Each little comment. And we are getting more authors on board as well.

So you’ve got your first publication, the compilation “Bits and Pieces” which came out just a couple of months ago. Tell us about how this book came to be and what it’s like becoming published for the first time.

I love writing short-stories. And a certain flow of my creativity comes out in poetic sense. I honestly write shorts daily. I have tons of them. Some suitable to be read, some will never see the light of day. DBP was first starting and the fans wanted me to put some of my writings together so they could buy it. So we decided what better way to get seed money for the company. The partners were amazing in their support. We had no idea it would become as popular as it has. It’s a little book of little stories and poems along with a novella. But it’s been amazing. Yeah, I admit. I’ve hugged my one-of-a-kind proof more than I can count. Still do. I can’t believe I hold it in my hands. Flip through the pages.

What it feels like? Well, like the fans posting their pictures of getting their copy and being so excited. It’s a feeling I can’t even explain. And that’s from both a publisher and author aspect. Then to have it picked up by stores such as Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million? A real got-to-sit-down feeling wearing a huge smile.
I think I will always have to stop. Let myself soak it in and say- I did that. That’s mine.

Some of the stories in “Bits and Pieces” are touted as prequels to your upcoming “Shadowkeepers” series. What’s this series about and what are your plans for it?

The Shadow-Keepers series was started in RP. I’ll be honest. I wrote an original character named Reno Sundown. He was never meant to last. I had plans of killing him off and actually did. The fans went crazy. They sent me tons of hate mail and even created a Facebook page called “Save Candyman”. I was shocked. So I kicked my creative gear (Fondly named- Twiz, for my creative ‘demon’ side) into high gear. So I sat back and listened to the voice of a character I had come to love. And the Shadow-Keepers series was born.

The Shadow-Keepers series is about immortal dead who are kept animated and functioning by all the dark powers of mankind. As long as they ‘keep’ their powers fed the powers stay contained and they continue to serve their function and have a life, so to speak. We call it their purpose and they are purpose beings. Keepers have no heartbeat or mortal tie. All that was given up when they were slaughtered as humans and their powers took over. Each one has a unique power to keep. You have Madness, Lust, Envy, Murder and many more. They are neither evil nor good. Nor are they dark or light. They walk the shadow between both. Making sure good is kept balanced by keeping bad equal.

But love can give them one thing their power can not. A heartbeat and feeling alive.
The first book in the series- Madness (Which is Reno’s book that picks up right after the novella you get in Bits and Pieces) comes out in the Winter of 2013.

Do you have any other upcoming works or even just ideas bouncing around in your head?

(Laugh) Oh. What a question. I come up with ideas in my sleep. I keep a notebook by my bed to jot down a dozen or so a week, sometimes a night. I honestly never stop creating. But I’m also human and have a life that makes demands. That pesky life thing.

Other works already slated for publication beyond Shadow-Keepers:

Soul Bound: Book One- Warrior – Next Summer
Light and Dark: Book One- Light – Next Winter
Blood Rosary Guild- 2015

What does your family think of your writing career so far?

Having the childhood I had? I don’t have much blood family I am close to. But I have a wonderful family of the heart that has been unbelievable. They believe in me and that still amazes me to the core. But it’s also something I’m not used to. (Smile) They are kind of forcing it on me. I’m adapting.

To close the interview, I have ten questions for you, plus one. Here they go!

1. What is your favorite word?
Pieces

2. What is your least favorite word?
Whatever

3. What turns you on?
The back of the neck. Just touching or having it touched lightly. And laughing in bed.

4. What turns you off?
Faking…anything

5. What sound or noise do you love?
Laughter or a sigh

6. What sound or noise do you hate?
Whispers I can’t make out.

7. What is your favorite curse word?
Damn

8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
If I could, and would like to- I’d love to be rich enough or at least inventive enough to open a homeless shelter for families.

9. What profession would you not like to do?
I watch that Dirty Jobs show. Almost all those jobs. I don’t know how Mike does it.

10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?
That I tried. And it matters. It was enough.

11. What question have you never been asked, that you wish someone would ask you?
The many uses for saw-horses. Those things are cool. Don’t laugh. I’ve given it tons of thought.

Jas, thanks so much for spending time with us. Can you let us know where to follow you, and where we can go to purchase your work?

No thank you. I really do appreciate it. And the ways to find me are:
Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJasTWard
My blog:
http://authorjastward.blogspot.com/
And for Dead Bound Publishing links:
www.DeadBoundPublishing.com

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Patricia and I can also be followed here: Facebook Twitter

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Rudy and Trish are the main characters in our two published short stories in the "Evernight: Romance in a World of Darkness" anthologies. You can get to know them as well as get 23 other great stories! Here's where you can find them:

Evernight Volume 1: Amazon XoXo ARe

Evernight Volume 2: Amazon XoXo ARe

Friday, May 24, 2013

Finding (Non)fiction Friday - Cynthia MacGregor

This week on a very special 10th edition of Finding Fiction Friday, I'm very excited to depart from the norm and talk a little nonfiction. Cynthia MacGregor is a prolific writer, with many books ranging from self-help to parenting to cookbooks and even the occasional novel. Not only that, but she's really a just plain nice person too, and boy does she keep busy. Please join me in welcoming Cynthia ... and first a little biographical info ...

Full-time freelance writer/editor Cynthia MacGregor has over 100 published books to her credit, 54 of them conventionally pubbed and the remainder e-books. She loves to write—she even writes for a hobby as well as for a living. Notable in “for-fun” writing are the dozen or so plays she’s written, all but the most recent of which have been produced in at least one venue, although they have not been money-makers for her. Besides writing books, she hires out her writing and editing services and has written everything from web copy to promotional video scripts to speeches to poems to ghostwritten books and blogs to advertisements to…well “everything except grant proposals,” she says. Her editing has encompassed books, magazines, business materials, and more. For nearly two years she produced and hosted a TV show, SOLO PARENTING, on WHDT, a South Florida station, and is hoping that in the future the station will reinstate that show and/or another she has proposed to them. She lives in South Florida with her Significant Other, enjoys cooking, and says, “There is no one in the world I’d want to trade lives with.”

Cynthia, how did you get started writing?

I’ve been writing since I first learned to spell C-A-T. By the time I was nine I’d co-opted my mother’s typewriter and kept it as a permanent fixture in my room. That same year I wrote my first play, which was produced in camp that summer, and I still remember the thrill after the final curtain when some counsellors in the audience called, “Author! Author!”, I came out on stage, and they threw a bouquet of wildflowers up onto the stage to me. At 15 I was doing what today would be called interning—it wasn’t called that then—at the local weekly paper in the community where I grew up (on New York’s Long Island), and I don’t even remember what the first paid article was that I sold.

So let’s get started by talking about your books. You have written over 100 books in many different areas. But I’d like to know first about your first book, and what it was like when you learned that book was going to be published. What was it about and what was that experience like?

In 1992 I was editing a panoply of magazines for one publisher, working from home as a freelance editor (independent contractor), and my then-best friend was computer-typesetting the magazines, working with me in my home office. One day she bemoaned the fact that Xmas vacation was approaching and she would be required to keep her two then-young children entertained for two weeks while school was out. This put a thought in my mind—why didn’t the publisher for whom I was editing put out a one-shot magazine filled with activities moms could use to keep their kids occupied? It was too late to get it out in time for Xmas vacation, but we could aim at Easter. I would edit it, of course. I proposed it to the publisher, but ultimately he nixed the idea. I was so taken with it, however, that I determined to write it as a book if I couldn’t edit it as a magazine.

This was before the plethora of activities books that are available nowadays.

I wrote MOMMY, THERE’S NOTHING TO DO and sent it off to three publishers, including Berkley, one of the big houses in NY. Subsequently I got a call one day, “Is this Cynthia MacGregor? This is Hillary Cige at Berkley Publishing. Is your book MOMMY, THERE’S NOTHING TO DO still available? If it is, we’d like to make an offer on it.”

I sprang up from my chair in my home office and began leaping up and down in the air while trying to keep my voice level and asked what her terms were, what the advance was, what the royalty percent was, what pub date they envisioned—all while trying to keep her from discerning that I was literally jumping for joy.

It pubbed in 1993 and was followed by two more activity books for Berkley, three for Citadel, then three serious children’s books that tackle explaining tough topics (WHY DO WE NEED ANOTHER BABY? WHY DO WE HAVE TO MOVE? WHY DO PEOPLE DIE?) for little kids, then my six-book Abduction Prevention Library for young kids, and then LOTS more books for adults (and a few more for kids).

We call this “Finding Fiction Friday” and you have written a few fictional books, but it seems you are very drawn to nonfiction. How do you go about choosing what you are going to write about next?

I look to see what topic might either fill a need or be particularly interesting to readers.

Is there a big difference between writing fiction and nonfiction, from your experience?

Well, yeah! Fiction requires more imagination; nonfiction requires more organization. Also unless you know your subject pretty well nonfiction is going to require some research, whereas I try to keep my fiction within bounds of what I know without having to research arcane facts. If I were writing novels set in a different time period or country I might have to do research, so as much as possible I stick to familiar settings that I can write right out of my head without needing to look stuff up. But the main difference is that I love writing nonfiction MUCH more than fiction. Which shouldn’t come as a surprise since I love READING nonfiction almost exclusively too. I rarely read novels.

Do you have any other upcoming works or even just ideas bouncing around in your head?

I am gathering information from individuals for another of my books that I don’t so much write as collate people’s stories for and then edit them. I don’t want to say now what it’s about. It’s the same kind of book as my MOM—IS THAT YOU? and LOST LOVES REUNITED where people share their stories on a particular theme—the first one I mentioned is reunions of adoptees with their biological families and the title of the second one is self-explanatory. This book is another case of my soliciting stories from real people on a specific topic, but I do not want to divulge the topic yet.

What does your family think of your writing career?

My family? Well, my daughter has never said one way or the other. I’ve never discussed it with my grandkids except for the oldest one, Justin, who has written a book himself and keeps calling me for advice. My Significant Other is glad I’m following my bliss but thinks I undercharge for the writing I do for clients—not talking about books, now, but the other writing. My late mother was my biggest fan—proud as could be. And that’s my whole family. (My dad died when I was just 14.)

You also have other non-writing efforts that you are or have been active in. Tell us a bit about those.

Well, there’s editing, there’s the TV show, and I think you’re probably thinking of one or both of those, so that’s what I’ll answer about, although I’m also an ordained minister. I don’t have a church but do lead services for the residents of an assisted living facility on Sundays. And of course I perform the occasional wedding, funeral, house blessing, and such.

The editing? Well, back in the ’70s I was tapped to be theatre editor of a biweekly entertainment publication in NYC, and eventually I was made full editor. Then in ’79 a magazine publisher I was writing for asked me to edit a magazine for her. LOVE GUIDE was a sexual how-to, not porny but helpful, instructive. LOVE GUIDE failed, but the publisher kept me on as a copyeditor for some of her other mags till a rival publisher hired me away to edit a mag for him, and that led to my editing a slew of mags. All this was freelance work done from home—I was telecommuting before that practice even had a name. I haven’t been a salaried employee of anyone since the early ’60s. Although that’s about to change—a new company that I think is gonna be the Next Big Thing hired me over a year ago to edit and do some supervisory work for them when they launch, which hasn’t happened yet—it’s been a long and laborious birth—but when the company launches I’ll be working for them as a salaried worker although they will allow me to work from home. My whole life is going to change when the company—Funn Networks—launches.

As for the TV thing, that started, just like my first book did, with an idea for a magazine, which I pitched to that same publisher. I thought SOLO PARENTING was a great idea—there are so many single parents—mostly divorced but also widowed and never-married—and I wanted to be the founding editor of the mag and have the company I was editing for publish it. I came up with a proposal for it and everything, but to do it right would require a serious investment, and the publisher’s brother, who was his partner at the time, shot the idea down as too risky. Well, I couldn’t take it to just any publisher—they’d swipe the idea and give it to another editor to edit—but I did try two other publishers where I had “ins,” but to no avail. So instead I started a website (now defunct), TheSoloParent, I wrote a book, and ultimately I decided to try to turn the concept into a TV show. I tried what I thought were all the local stations and a number of networks to no avail, and then I learned of a local station I hadn’t even known existed, WHDT, so I pitched the idea to them, and wonder of wonders they said yes. So for nearly two years I produced and hosted SOLO PARENTING, which was broadcast in South Florida, till the station ran into money issues and canceled me. Meanwhile I had ANOTHER idea for ANOTHER TV show, YOUNGER EVERY DAY, which they liked, but they had various not only financial but technical issues. There is STILL a chance that they will move ahead with one or the other or both shows some time in the future, but at the moment I’m off the air.

To close the interview, I have ten questions for you, plus one. Here they go!

What is your favorite word? Don’t have one.
What is your least favorite word? Don’t have one.
What turns you on? A guy’s voice and personality.
What turns you off? Body odor, bad breath, a guy who’s overbearing. But why are you asking me about my sex life?
What sound or noise do you love? Music. Rain falling.
What sound or noise do you hate? Someone talking angrily.
What is your favorite curse word? Rats! Frick it!
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Video editor. Audio editor.
What profession would you not like to do? Never really thought about it.
If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? I do believe in God but don’t believe God is a person, a humanlike entity. If there is a heaven, I do not expect to be welcomed by a bearded million-years-old man. God is a spirit, a life force. God is in each of us and we are all in God. God just might be another name for the living universe. Whoever and whatever God is, He is not a little old bearded guy on a throne.
What question have you never been asked, that you wish someone would ask you? “How would you like me to give you a million dollars?” Oh wait—those Nigerian scammers have already asked me that.

Cynthia, thanks so much for spending time with us. Can you let us know where to follow you, and where we can go to purchase your work?

My website is www.cynthiamacgregor.com. You can subscribe to my ezine, EZine Does It, by writing to EZineDoesIt@cynthiamacgregor.com and putting SUBSCRIBE in the subject field. It’s FREE, weekly, eclectic in content, but the “Note from the Publisher” at the beginning of each issue has news of new releases and such. Go to Amazon.com to buy my work (I am NOT the Cynthia MacGregor who wrote the Irish joke book!). Many of my books were published by XoXoPublishing and you can try going to www.xoxopublishing.com but the site’s been down and under repair for a month or so already.

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Patricia and I can also be followed here: Facebook Twitter

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Evernight Volume 1: Amazon XoXo ARe

Evernight Volume 2: Amazon XoXo ARe

Friday, May 17, 2013

Finding Fiction Friday - Laura Hawks

Today I am very excited to have Laura Hawks visiting the blog! Laura is someone I met online before either of us were published, so this is a special treat. First, a brief bio from Laura herself...

I have always been interested in writing in some form or other. A few years back, I was involved with and then ran a Star Trek Interactive Writing Group which was successful for a number of years. Yes, I am a trekker and proud of it.

I have directed tours around the country and continue to do so to pay the bills. Maybe one day, I can travel for fun and let the books I write pay the bills instead. I can only hope.

Then a few years back, I got my Master's Degree in Ancient Civilizations, Native American History and United States History.

It was at this time I got involved in role playing on FaceBook, which gave me ample opportunities to grow and hone my writing ability.

Taking the leap forward, I decided to try my hand at writing a novel. That novel came out on October 13, 2012 published by Midnight Hour Publishing Company.

Laura, how did you get started writing?

Outside of what I already mentioned above, I actually went back to school to get some education on Native Americans. I had this idea of telling the Native American History with books. One day, I was doing a tour to Agawa Canyon. It was rainy that day, so most of the people stayed on the train. I walked the trails and had such an overwhelming peacefulness settle on me and I wondered if I could write a piece of fiction that would be paranormal as well as relate some real historical events. I sat down on that train and started writing. I finished that book in three months, but I admit it needs major fixing and editing. I will be working on that as soon as some real life issues settle down and I can concentrate on that.

Being an avid Trekker myself, I’ve got to ask how it was writing your own adventures in the Star Trek universe.

It was a lot of fun. Now you have to understand, we started this pre-facebook and stuff. We had to do it by snail mail once a month before the story could continue and we did not have or were not able to have extreme outlines for anything major other than the general idea, but it was a wonderful writing experience and a great group of friends who were very innovative during a time when it was not quite so easy to be as such.

You are still an avid role player and have been for some time, taking characters that have been started and giving them a depth and personality beyond what we’ve seen from them before. What from that experience are you able to translate into writing for publication?

Role playing has given me a chance to develop different personalities with the characters. I hope that it has allowed me to improve upon the background depth of those characters in my book, allowing the reader to understand a bit of their thought processes and actions.

What about being published and the book industry in general has most surprised you?

All the hidden things you just don’t think of or don’t know about. Just as printing costs, editing costs, artists costs, marketing. It seems each time I think I know something, I find out I am like a babe in the woods... totally lost and need to learn more.

So you’ve got your first publication, the novel “Demon’s Kiss” which came out in October of last year. Tell us about how this book came to be and what it’s like becoming published for the first time.

The book came from role play. A bit of background I kind of played with for my character for a bit. Then I was asked to write a short story. I used that bit of background as the basis. When the short story was refused, I showed it to another publisher who asked if it could be made into a novel. Since I had a much broader idea for the short story, it seemed easy enough to do. Being told that it was going to be published is uber-exciting and cannot be described in any words. To HOLD the book in my hands, something that I created, is just a bit of nirvana.

You also have a short story published, “Snow White and the Seven Cannibals”, in the anthology “Fairly Freaky Fairytales”. How did this effort come to be?

I was asked by a friend in the publishing company to contribute a short story for the anthology. When I heard what it was about, I just went through fairy tales. The idea just went from there. A side note, the hero, Donnigan, is based off a friend who I am proud to say is joining the Marines and will be a real life hero.

Do you have any other upcoming works or even just ideas bouncing around in your head?

I have a few ideas, I also have a couple of other works in general. The publishing company that published Demon’s Kiss, has accepted the manuscript for the sequel.. Demon’s Dream. I am really excited about what developed with that book. I also have a book I wrote about four years ago, and have had sitting in a drawer. I would like to see that finished and hopefully published. If it does, it will be a series. I have a couple of other ideas, both for the series, as well as an anthology or couple of novellas of stories bouncing around in my head.

What does your family think of your writing career so far?

They are very proud of me. Mostly, my mom, which means the world to me. Although I was nervous about her reading the sexual parts, she admits it was well written and that means the world to me, just as she does in general.

You also have another career in the Travel industry. Can you tell us a little about that?

I take groups of people out on their vacations around North America. I love it for several reasons. One.. it exposes me to several cultures and peoples. I enjoy broadening my horizons. Two.. it gives me a chance to really get to know people. There is so much living history in people’s lives and what they have experienced.. no two can or will ever be the same. Three.... I am afraid I have a bit of gypsy in my soul, I like to be out and about, and traveling allows me to do that. I am not inside looking at four walls, each day is a challenge and fun and something to look forward to. Finally, I get to enjoy places I would never be able to have seen or visited or even experienced if not for this industry.

To close the interview, I have ten questions for you, plus one. Here they go!

What is your favorite word? Dark Chocolate. How can that not make someone smile. :D
What is your least favorite word? any word that is racially derogative.
What turns you on? Being pushed up against a wall and ravished with kisses.
What turns you off? Hurtful, inconsiderate people.
What sound or noise do you love? The sound of horses hooves.
What sound or noise do you hate? Scraping of metal against teeth and Screaming/screeching children. Why do they have to scream about nothing?
What is your favorite curse word? Shit
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Chef. I love to cook and the smiles, oohs and aahs from others as they enjoy my cooking.
What profession would you not like to do? Medical.. Don’t want to deal with blood and guts.
If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? Welcome.
What question have you never been asked, that you wish someone would ask you? This is a tough one...

Laura, thanks so much for spending time with us. Can you let us know where to follow you, and where we can go to purchase your work?

Purchase at:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Demons-Kiss-Volume-Laura-Hawks/dp/1480085065/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354992832&sr=8-1&keywords=1480085065

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/demons-kiss-laura-hawks/1113316051?ean=2940015567366

Smashwords.com: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/243778

Kobobooks.com: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Demons-Kiss/book-TIaQnIqpKEGuo1OhVITpJg/page1.html?s=pgUgTNtr506tG4MEh3pgyA&r=1

Follow at:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Laura-Hawks/249262585192270?fref=ts

http://laurahawks.webs.com/

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Patricia and I can also be followed here: Facebook Twitter

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Evernight Volume 1: Amazon XoXo ARe

Evernight Volume 2: Amazon XoXo ARe

Friday, May 10, 2013

Finding Fiction Friday - Cora Misra

Every so often here on Finding Fiction Friday, we hope we might be able to snag someone before they become "someone", before even being discovered and published. This is one of those times. I've known this writer for almost two years now, and her energy and creativity is something to see when she gets going. She's completed her first compilation and is looking to get it published now. Cora Misra is here for you to discover for the first time! So please let's give her a warm welcome. First, her own intro ...

Well, hello to everyone and thanks for being here. I am Cora Misra and I am not very good at writing bios. So, bear with me and I only hope you can enjoy the ride. After graduating high school, I decided that I was better off on my own and flew 800 miles away from my life to move in with a man I’d never met before. I was lucky enough to come back home with nothing more than a broken heart. I decided then that it was time for a change. I spent the next year living with friends and family before settling down and finishing my first novel. Now, here we are, two years later.

Cora, how did you get started writing, and what made you decide to take a shot at getting a story published?

I started writing back in high school but was never able to finish a story. I had an issue with being able to end my stories. I didn’t want to put the story in a position to where a sequel was required but I wanted to allow for one. My highly indecisiveness always thwarted my writing attempts. However, after settling into a stable life, I decided to start up a short story compilation that I had been thinking of for several years.

As for publishing, I have wanted to be a writer for a long time; ever since I read my first romance novel. However, I am not very good at writing romances because I end up very distracted by my characters and they wind up getting odd tics. Tics that don’t fit well in romance novels…anyhow, I look up to the authors that first drew me into reading adamantly; E.A. Poe, Jude Devereaux, Suzanne Barclay and Deborah Simmons and so many more. I wanted my writing to be known and loved the way I knew and loved their books.

What’s your favorite writing environment? At a desk, on the couch with your feet up, music or not, etc.?

Ha! That is a trick question! I can write almost anywhere but I guess, if I had a choice, it would be on my back porch with a glass of cool iced tea, spiked with a little coconut rum. No shoes and Pandora playing in the background.

We know what your bio says. Tell us one thing about yourself that you think might surprise us.

I spent my high school days known as Kitty. I wore cat ears to school and even had a pair of leopard print pants that made an occasional appearance within the halls of my high school.

So tell us about the book you’ve written. What’s it about?

The book I have written is called Mythology: The Unknown Compilation and it focuses on several gods, goddesses and other being from mythology that many people don’t know much about. I have taken the stories and legends about these beings and written up my own version of how things “went down”, so to speak.

Which of these obscure gods or goddesses did you find the most interesting to write about? If you can even pick.

It is indeed hard to choose but I think my personal favorite is the story of a Greek dream goddess turned evil and then back again. Her name is Nadyah and she is actually a role play character given to me by a close friend. Nadyah’s back story had yet to be conceived when I got a hold of her and the story that I gave her was too good to pass up.

Nadyah is the daughter of the goddess Mnemosyne, who was the Titan of Memory, and Phobetor, the God of Nightmares. Their only daughter, she lived her life as an Oneroi, a dream god who can feel no emotion except for pain. Until one fateful night, she was caught in the web of sexual desire. Heady and addicting, desire drove her to become an erastis skoti; that is a sex demon that absorbs the emotions of their victims whom they attack within their dreams.

Do you have any other works in progress or even just ideas bouncing around in your head?

I am also working on a compilation of short stories about dragons and the many legends that surround them.

I know this might be a tough thing for you to talk about, but I understand you recently had a negative experience with a supposed publisher. Can you talk a little bit about what happened to you as a hopeful author, and maybe even provide some advice to others who might be in your situation?

I was almost tricked into submitting my work to a publisher that was not real. They were a website based company that talked a good talk but was unable to walk the walk. The number one sign I had was them asking me for money up front. As soon as I read that, I was out and once I looked further into them, they disappeared.

My advice to anyone out there looking to get published, is to do your research and make sure to copyright your work before you submit it to anyone.

To close the interview, I have ten questions for you, plus one. (I loved watching “Inside the Actor’s Studio”.) Here they go!

What is your favorite word? Sphygmomanometer
What is your least favorite word? Sassafras
What turns you on? Men with confidence and pizzazz
What turns you off? Dullness
What sound or noise do you love? Growling during sex
What sound or noise do you hate? Hands rubbing over plastic…finger nails on chalkboard…that stuff….ick…*shudders just thinking about it*
What is your favorite curse word? Shit Fuck Damn
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Vet’s Assistant
What profession would you not like to do? Accounting
If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? “We have zero calorie pie.”
What question have you never been asked, that you wish someone would ask you? Hmm…oddly enough, “Will you marry me?”

Cora, thanks so much for spending time with us. We will really be looking for your first book when it gets published and future work from you!

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Patricia and I can also be followed here: Facebook Twitter

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Evernight Volume 1: Amazon XoXo ARe

Evernight Volume 2: Amazon XoXo ARe

Monday, May 6, 2013

Now That's Caliente!

What is caliente?

According to Merriam Webster, caliente’s simplest English translation is “hot”. But hot in romance writing could mean anything, from a one-night romp in the hay to a slow burning relationship.

Caliente to me is more than the physical, the sexual. It goes into the emotion, the mind, the feelings behind it. The true sensuality. The complete giving of the soul to another person.

That’s caliente.

I’ve written many characters, but they all have something in common. It took time for them to build a relationship with their partner. They felt the instant attraction of course, but it swelled emotionally, mentally, internally, until they were ready to explode if they could not have the other and have them forever.

That’s caliente.

He assaulted her senses with the blistering caress of his lips over her chest. Her leg draped across his back and flexed with every throaty moan his teasing brought forth. She grasped the back of his head desperately as her head fell back and she arched into his body. ~Mine~ she thought ...

That’s caliente.

It’s our job as writers of this genre to make you feel that passion in yourselves, if even for a brief moment of escape from the mundane. Or as a familiar feeling that you may have for your partner. To invoke a fire within you. To make you gasp.

Caliente. It’s more than hot.

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Excerpt from Aaron Speca and Patricia Laffoon’s work in progress, The Realmwalker Prophecy: Heart of the Mermaid …

She looked down at their intertwined fingers. Hers had slid into his as if they were meant to be that way. Her heart felt like it was going to flip right out of her chest and that was when she decided. She might not have him forever, but she had him right now and that was all that counted. She gave up the pretense that this male didn’t matter, that he hadn’t stolen her heart the first time she saw him, and in that moment she knew her life would never be the same. “What happens now? We wait and you heal.” She sat on the bed and then leaned down into his embrace and a soft sigh escaped her lips.

He tensed up, surprised at first, but then quickly relaxed as she settled in. Her hair trailed across his chest, tickling it. His body responded, stiffening. The trials of the last few days fled from his mind and only one thing mattered now. He wanted her, desperately. He tipped her chin up so their eyes met. Then he leaned forward to capture her lips with his, taking in the honey sweet taste of her. Their tentative explorations quickly deepened as he grasped her shoulders, pulling her closer.

Trish responded, her body taking over as her mind went blank. Their kiss onboard the Ursuline had been a hasty one, but this – this one had her toes curling. She sunk into him, and with her palm on his chest, she could feel his heart pounding as rapidly as hers. This was what she had dreamed of all her young life and he wasn’t disappointing. His tongue slowly traced the seam of her lips, prying them open with a gentle urging. Then it was like he was consuming her, barely letting her breathe, leaving her wanton in her desire for him. She was all but lost, a soft moan leaving her lips. She broke the seal and pulled back, gasping. Her azure eyes were wide as she searched his face.

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We are giving away one copy of Evernight Volume 1 or 2 (winner's choice!), a great way to meet lots of new authors and their stories, including ours! All you have to do is leave a comment with your name and e-mail, and the name of YOUR favorite mermaid. Any other comments you have are of course welcome! You can also enter below for the blog hop grand prize ...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Patricia and I can also be followed here: Facebook Twitter

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Evernight Volume 1: Amazon XoXo ARe

Evernight Volume 2: Amazon XoXo ARe

Friday, May 3, 2013

Finding Fiction Friday - Johanna Rae

This Friday, I am very pleased to introduce another of our co-authors in the "Evernight" anthology, the esteemed Johanna Rae. Johanna hails from halfway around the world ... here's a little bio before we get to the interview!

A shy girl from a small town in New Zealand that never quite seemed to fit in, Johanna had more imagination than she knew what to do with, and learned to immerse herself in a good book at a very young age. Not good at sports, and an only child for the first eight years of her life, Johanna started concocting stories and dreaming up whole new worlds to while away the hours. After a few years in the fashion industry Johanna got married and had three children. It was then she also began her journey as a published author.

First, let’s get to know you a little better, Johanna. How did you get started writing, and what made you decide to take a shot at getting a story published in “Evernight Volume 1”?

I’ve always been a writer at heart. I’ve been telling stories my entire life be it by jotting them down in notebooks, sketching comics or through poetry and song. It was always my dream/goal to publish, I just needed to believe in myself enough to make it happen. I had great respect for Allison Cassatta who put together the Evernight collection and when she urged me to submit something for it I took a long hard look at myself. If she thought I could do it, maybe just maybe it was worth taking that risk. I’m still a fairly new author in the scheme of things but I have never looked back since then.

What was your reaction when you heard you were going to be published for the first time?

At first it didn’t seem real, I just couldn’t believe something I’d dreamed about for so long might actually happen. It wasn’t long before I had a whole string of new ideas for future publications.

We know what your bio says. Tell us one thing about yourself that you think might surprise us.

I’m an eccentric. I have many, many quirks. *Laughs* I like to think that in the writing industry being unique is an advantage… at least that’s what I hope. *Laughs again*

What about being published and the book industry in general has most surprised you?

Just getting published was such a big deal for me from small town New Zealand. I’ve come so much further than I ever dreamed I could. I think the awesome feedback from readers. I’ve had some people come to me with such passion for my characters and story that it has become an incredible journey for me. I love the fan interaction on my author page on Facebook.

New Cover!!

Ok, well we really want to talk about your book, “The Mercenary”. This is a big book! Tell us a little about the relationship among the three main characters, without giving TOO much away!

Their lives are irreversibly connected even before the beginning of the story, they just don’t know it yet. It’s one of those situations where for many reasons both Jodie’s brother and her potential love interest have kept the skeletons in their closets firmly locked away. She has the somewhat difficult job of trying to untangle the complicated web, having no idea just how caught up in it all she is about to become. In some ways Danny is what grounds her and balances her through all her struggles with what her brother Luke is going through. On the other hand, she begins to learn that there is still so much she doesn’t know about Danny either, with more and more surprises coming to light as the story progresses. The true test will be whether the bond developing between Jodie and Danny will be strong enough to survive the rocky path ahead.

If you had to pick one character that you’d most like the readers to get to know, who would it be and why?

After “The Mercenary” I wanted to share more of Rufus’ story with the readers and allow them to get to know him better. He has a much bigger role in book two “The Fury” but even that was not enough to satisfy this character’s voice. Book three will actually be Rufus’ own book.

Coming soon!!

Will the follow up feature the same characters or different ones, and how far do you see the series going?

I have the ideas for six to eight books already and there is the potential for ten or twelve if the story is still unfinished by then. Jodie will always be the biggest focus and Danny too will always have a voice. They were how the series began and they are the constant. However in future books there are additional voices. In the Fury, there are five voices, Jodie, Danny, Luke, Rufus and Summer. There will be five in book three too – Jodie, Danny and three others.

Do you have any other upcoming works or even just ideas bouncing around in your head?

I’m a busy mother of three and I do volunteer work at the school helping out with writing groups and kids that need extra help with their reading. Much of the time this means that I have more stories bouncing around in my head than I have time to put to page. I have at least four strong ideas that are desperate to get out of my head and into print but there are only so many hours in the day.

To close the interview, I have ten questions for you, plus one. Here they go!

What is your favorite word? Coffee
What is your least favorite word? Swag
What turns you on? Sexy accents and a sense of humor
What turns you off? Stubble is okay, but ZZ-Top beards are not my thing
What sound or noise do you love? The sound of my children laughing always gives me the warm fuzzies
What sound or noise do you hate? Fingernails on a blackboard or something similar. Also pen clicking.
What is your favorite curse word? When I need to swear but I'm trying really hard not to offend, I always seem to come out with - crappity crap crap! It makes my children giggle.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? I've often thought graphic design looked pretty interesting.
What profession would you not like to do? I don't think I'd be any good at anything medical (due to the fact I can't stand to see serious injuries and cover my eyes during the icky parts of surgical shows).
If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? I'd like to know that my efforts to be all that I could be with whatever life threw at me had been successful, that who I am as a person is acceptable.
What question have you never been asked, that you wish someone would ask you? Gosh, I just can't think of anything.