Aaron Speca - Me and My Others: December 2013

Friday, December 27, 2013

Finding Fiction Friday - Krystal Shannan

It's the final Finding Fiction Friday of 2013! And today I'm very excited to have paranormal and contemporary romance author Krystal Shannan here with us ...

Romance author, Krystal Shannan, lives in Texas and is married to the love-of-her-life. They have a spunky young daughter who believes in fairies and keeps them both on their toes. Krystal professes to loving shoes, but avoids wearing them at all costs. She enjoys reading romance in all genres, but especially paranormal. Her favorite book is ACHERON by Sherrilyn Kenyon. But really, if it has a ‘Happily Ever After’, she’s on board!

Krystal, please tell us about your journey in writing. What made you decide to try to be published?

Thank you so much for having me on your blog today! My journey in writing began as a child. I have always been a storyteller and till this day I have notebooks of stories I wrote as an elementary student all the way through middle and high school. I finished my first full length novel while I was in college, but decided it was just for practice and locked it away in a vault for my eyes only, lol. After I graduated, I got married and writing took a short hiatus as I adjusted to being a responsible adult with a full-time job. In 2012 the writing bug (which never really stopped biting) came forth again and I sold my first novella to a small e-press. A twist of fate gave me my rights back before it could be published and I self published it instead of trying to sell again. That was my ‘Ah Ha’ moment. I haven’t looked back since and now have 8 books in my catalog. Two sold to small press, and 6 self-published.

Tell us one thing about yourself that you think might surprise us.

I was homeschooled J Never set a foot in a public school or any type of classroom until I started college. Then I go and become an elementary public school teacher… Go figure. LOL.

I want to touch on all of your books and series if I can. Your first release was “Open House”, the first novella in the “Pool of Souls” series. Tell us a bit about that series, and what it was like for you when you first hit that virtual “publish” button.

The series is based around two Greek gods, Aphrodite and Ares. Aphrodite is the ultimate matchmaker, connected on a physical level with each and every human soul. Her very existence is to match the immortal souls of humans to their soul mates, no matter how many reincarnations it takes.

Hitting that publish button was nerve wracking for sure. I knew the concept was pretty good. I’d sold it once already. So I was pretty confident that I had a good idea and my writing was up to par. Interestingly enough, though both Pool of Souls books get fabulous reviews, they sell very few copies per month. I think the ‘gods and goddesses’ readers market is tough to break into. I’ve seen a slight rise in sales from adding other books to my catalog, but nothing truly significant.

“Finding Hope”, the second book of the series, was not only your first full-length novel, but also your first paperback publication. How was that experience different for you?

The biggest difference for me was being able to hold the book in my hand. It was ‘real’ on a different level than just the ebook. I have copies on my shelf next to my desk and it’s tangible proof of my effort.

In between, you hooked up with Decadent Publishing for “A Very Russian Christmas” and later with “Just Right”, a pair of more contemporary, non-paranormal stories. Was there a big difference for you, first, in writing without the paranormal aspect, and second, in working with a publisher versus self-publishing?

It was very different. I struggle to write stories where characters don’t pop up with supernatural capabilities. Those two stories were just sort of happened…I’m not sure where they came from. I loved both AVRC and JR, and absolutely enjoyed working with Decadent’s editors and staff. They were friendly and helpful and I learned a TON, which helped me on my next self-published projects. I would definitely write for them again, but I would

not want to limit myself to publishing with small presses. I like the freedom and control I have with self-publishing more.

The “Vegas Mates” series came next. This is your shifter series. What drew you to write about shifters?

I read shifter books constantly and love that paranormal world. The animalistic instincts mixed with magick. It was a natural world for my mind to create and thrive in.

Your most recent release, earlier this month, was “Trevor”, another more contemporary romance novella and by all appearances the first of a new series. Tell us a bit about this story.

Trevor is one of four siblings. Caiden, Harvey, and Lizzy will all be getting their story soon. Like most of my stories, the character, Trevor, just popped into my head one day and started stomping around until I agreed to write it all down. As a reader, I like reading about an entire family, so it was natural for me to build a series feel for the four siblings. Caiden told me his story last week and his book will be next. Harvey and Lizzy are still holding out on me, but they will come soon. Caiden will make sure of it J

It was a stretch for me to create outside a paranormal world, but I truly believe in stretching my boundaries as an artist. Also from a business standpoint, I don’t want my readers to be surprised when I hop genres. I do believe that 70% of my writing will continue to be paranormal, but I like having the option of switching it up and I want my fans to expect that from me.

What do you have coming up next? Contemporary, paranormal, or a little bit of both?

Like I said above, I will finish the MacLaughlin novellas quickly. The next Vegas Mates book is on the docket and the start of new paranormal series set in a small town in Texas. I’m super excited about it. There will be dragons, vampires, and a slew of other paranormal creatures that you might have never even heard about! Me and mythology are besties.

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

How friendly authors and bloggers are. It’s a world I’d never ventured into before and I LOVE it. I wish I’d gotten into blogging years ago, maybe I would have published sooner, too.

Now, somehow, you find time to write despite also being a school teacher. How do you keep that balance?

I don’t sleep much…no, seriously. I probably get on average about 5 hours of sleep a night. I drink copious amounts of caffeine and keep on truck’n. My husband is a rock star and entertains our munchkin on the weekends for several multi hour sessions so I can work in the quiet of my office without the ‘momma look at this, momma I need, momma, momma, momma!’ LOL. I get a lot of writing on the weekends and I’m lucky to be a music teacher and I have NO take home work. So no grading papers for hours like my poor friends when they get home. So I get a lot of work done in the evenings after my daughter is in bed. I try never to disappear into the office on weeknights until the little one is safely snoring and won’t miss me.

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

What is your favorite word? Seriously!
What is your least favorite word? Why…
What turns you on? A beautifully sculpted male torso J
What turns you off? Hairy bodies. I’m a smooth skin kinda gal.
What sound or noise do you love? My daughter laughing.
What sound or noise do you hate? Snoring!
What is your favorite curse word? Shit.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Counselor.
What profession would you not like to do? Anything pertaining to the medical field.
If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? “It’s so good to have you here!”
What question have you never been asked, that you wish someone would ask you? Can’t think of one…

Krystal, 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?

Thank you so much for having me!!!

Krystal Shannan

Putting Magick in Romance one Soul Mate at a Time.

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www.krystalshannan.com

www.theromancetroupe.com

www.satinsheetsromance.blogspot.com

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Patricia, Dawn, and I can also be followed here: Facebook Twitter

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Rudy and Trish are the main characters in Patricia and my 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

Finding Fiction Friday will be going on a bit of a hiatus as my writing partners and I need to focus on getting on our novels edited and submitted. But, we plan to be back this Spring with more new writers and artists for you to get to know. In the meantime, stay tuned here for news as our own dream nears fruition. Cheers, and Happy New Year!!!!!

Friday, December 20, 2013

Finding Fiction Friday - A. J. Brown

It's the penultimate Finding Fiction Friday of 2013, and today we bring you a new writer to the scene! A. J. Brown is putting the finishing touches on her first novel, but she has taken time out of her schedule to be here with us and tell us about it. First a bit about her, from her ...

Hi. My name is AJ Brown and I’m a new writer. I started writing when I was a little kid but it wasn’t till I had kids of my own I took it seriously. Unspoken Dream is my debut book and although it is not out yet I believe it has potential. As far as my bio there’s not much to tell yet. I am a stay at home mother of five wonderful children and I share a five acre lot with my husband where we take care of our horses and dogs. If I’m not writing I’m working around our ranch or riding my paint mare Peanut.

AJ, please tell us about your journey in writing. What made you decide to try to be published?

I would have to say the person who inspired me to get Unspoken Dream published was my daughter. She has been reading over my shoulder since I started to write Unspoken Dream and I figured if she liked it maybe other people would too.

Tell us one thing about yourself that you think might surprise us.

When I was little I thought I was going to be a singer…LOL..good thing that didn’t happen.

Do you remember what it was like, the feeling you had when you learned your book “Unspoken Dream” was out there in the world? Tell us about that book and the experience.

Although it’s back in editing when it first got out there I felt a feeling of accomplishment. At first it felt surreal, like I was the one with the “Unspoken Dream” coming true. Because in all honesty it has always been a dream of mine to be a writer. And not just any writer but a published writer.

What do you have coming up next?

I’m writing a Saga. It’s going to be called “The McGregor Saga”. It’s about an old fashioned family that runs a horse ranch. The story line is based on the four brother’s: Jason, Jesse, James, and Jude and how they find their true loves.

If there is one character you’ve written or are writing that you would really like people to meet, who would it be and why?

Samantha Sharp. The main character of “Unspoken Dream”. The reason why I would want people to meet her is because she’s a fighter. She has to be, with the challenges she faces everyday with her son who has Asperger’s. She shows parents that having a child with special needs isn’t a bad thing. But a blessing because they have their own way of thinking.

How did you approach writing a character with Asperger's?

My son Rhett has that type of autism. My character Jaime came from inspiration from him.

It sounds to me like there is a bit of you in Samantha's character as well.

I actually wrote Samantha's feelings about raising a son with Autism from experience. It's a ride I'd never trade in the world. Although the love story is completely fictional the bond and love between mother and son is very real.

What other ideas do you have bouncing around in your head?

Well although I am only on book one of “The McGregor Saga”, ideas come to mind for all the stories. Like Jesse and who he finds to love and his choice to either follow his heart or do what his friends tell him to do. But right now I’m trying to focus on Jason and Haley’s story. In “A Cowboy’s Duty”. Where a cowboy has to figure what is more important love or duty.

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

The whole experience and how sweet everyone is. Authors, Editors, Publishers…It’s like we are big family that help each other out. It’s really a nice feeling to know that if I get a block in my head I could go to a fellow author and they’d help me out.

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

What is your favorite word? Love
What is your least favorite word? dumb
What turns you on? Seeing people being nice to a stranger
What turns you off? Seeing some kid making fun of another kid just because they are different.
What sound or noise do you love? The sound of wind chimes and the birds in the spring.
What sound or noise do you hate? Nails scraping on a black board.
What is your favorite curse word? I really don’t have one.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? An activist for kids with autism.
What profession would you not like to do? I don’t know, never really thought about it.
If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? I’m proud of what you did down there.
What question have you never been asked, that you wish someone would ask you? How did you turn a diagnosis of your son’s autism into a positive thing?

AJ, thanks so much for spending time with us. Can you let us know where to follow you, so when it is ready we can purchase your work?

Facebook

Blogspot

Wix

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Patricia, Dawn, 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, December 13, 2013

Finding Fiction Friday - Hunter Jones

My goodness, the holidays are fast approaching!! Thank you for taking time out of this busy season to come visit with this week's guest, author Hunter Jones. Hunter is in the midst of a collaborative romance series - but I'll let her tell you all about that. First, a brief self-introduction ...

The art form I create when writing is much more interesting than anything you will ever know or learn about me. However, since you ask, I have lived in Tennessee and Georgia my entire life, except for one “lost summer” spent in Los Angeles. I was always a complex kid. My first published stories were for a local underground rock publication in Nashville. Since then, I have published articles on music, fashion, art, travel and history.

Hunter, please tell us about your journey in writing. What made you decide to try to be published?

Oh, I’ve always written something, as far back as I can remember. Most of my published works have been articles on bands or music events, an occasional travel or art column for a newspaper or magazine—that type of writing. Then, a year and a half ago, I ruptured my Achilles tendon. In a split second my entire life changed. The injury led to two painful surgeries. I was bedridden until six months ago. During that process, I decided to try self-publishing. The writing gave me a creative outlet, it still does. The title of my blog, Exile on Peachtree Street, came from a conversation with a friend who asked me what it was like to be a recluse in Midtown Atlanta.

I was fortunate enough to meet Dean Walker of ExpatsPost.com via social media networking. He and MZ, the organizers of Expats Post, have given me a music/entertainment blog which has enabled me to meet, virtually, some of the top rising stars of music and theatre.

My debut novella was written during this phase. It was going to be a short story, became a 40,000 word novel, which I slashed to a 16,000 word novella two days before it was published. So, there you have it. I became a self-published indie writer to keep from being bored and depressed.

Tell us one thing about yourself that you think might surprise us.

I can read upside down.

Do you remember what it was like, the feeling you had when you learned your first book “Fables of the Reconstruction” was out there in the world? Tell us about that book and the experience.

Well, Fables was not what I expected my first book to be, that’s for sure! It was initially written as a short story for an anthology. My concept was rejected, which was okay because The Story wanted to be told at that point. So the research began for the rest of the book.

I love the entire book process—how the characters “find” you, the creative aspect is my favorite. I hate edits, but they have to be done, don’t they? Choosing a cover is also great fun. That’s my visual guide for the entire story—whatever book it is. When Fables launched, I had no idea what to expect. It was all very surreal. When people bought it, I was absolutely amazed that in such a golden age of publishing, people actually wanted to read something I created. I’m so thankful for that—as thankful then as I am now.

Your latest release is “September Ends”, can you tell us a bit about it?

October 2013 sees the launch of a novel collaboration, SEPTEMBER ENDS, a contemporary romance with erotic and supernatural elements bound by poetry. This novel is written in collaboration with an anonymous English poet. It reveals the intricate web of passion and desire which entangles Liz Snow, Pete Hendrix and Jack O. Savage. The story is told through Liz Snow’s diary, Jack O. Savage’s poetry, and from letters sent across the Atlantic. Traveling throughout the lushness of a summertime in Tennessee and Georgia, September Ends journeys into the elegance of London’s West End and is finally settled in the countryside of Cornwall, England, a decade later. September Ends is a story of sin, redemption and salvation through love because love happens when we least expect it.

“September Ends” is your first foray into publishing a book for print. How was that experience?

Thank you for asking. The paperback journey is much more detailed than I ever expected.

What do you have coming up next?

In January or February, the anonymous poet and I will reconnect to start working on the next September Story, Book 2 in the September Ends saga. In the meantime, I am attempting to write a Happily Ever After short story, which is a real stretch for me. Maybe I’ll publish something bizarre and Fablesque.

If there is one character you’ve written or are writing that you would really like people to meet, who would it be and why?

Pierre von Minzle is just crazy and I love him! Jack O. Savage is such a beautiful character, too. The Fairy Godmother in my Happily Ever After is really unexpected, so stay tuned.

What other ideas do you have bouncing around in your head?

Are you sure you want me to answer this?

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

The one thing you cannot overlook is the outpouring of support from other writers, authors, cover designers, editors, and bloggers. It is the most amazing part of this journey.

It’s obvious from your blog that you are a huge music fan. Do you have some favorites to listen to while you are writing?

Great question Aaron. All the wires get crossed when I listen to music when writing. The listening has to come before or after the writing process.

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

What is your favorite word? Love
What is your least favorite word? Hate
What turns you on? Music, good food, great red wine, Spain. Tall men with dark hair.
What turns you off? Negativity
What sound or noise do you love? Chimes, running water, Tennessee rain, acoustic guitar.
What sound or noise do you hate? The sound of a Life Force helicopter.
What is your favorite curse word? Hmmm. I’m not really into colorful language so generally a well-emphasized damn or hell gets the needed reaction.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? One that makes money!
What profession would you not like to do? I could never be a nurse. They have to have a special place in Heaven.
If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? The party has already started...
What question have you never been asked, that you wish someone would ask you? Will you take $5 million for the screen rights?

Hunter, 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?

September Ends:

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Patricia, Dawn, 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, December 6, 2013

Finding Fiction Friday - Rachel M Sparks

Today, I am very pleased to have author Rachel Sparks on the blog for Finding Fiction Friday! Rachel has written several romance books and her latest book "Love Makes You Whole" is due out this month. First, a little about Rachel ...

Rachel Sparks grew up in South Carolina. With a degree in Early Childhood education and one in social work, she brings those skills to the table to write stories involving strong female characters, current social issues, a sprinkling of romance and powerful storylines. She has 8 published novels.

On the 2007 Preditors and Editors Readers Poll "Factor Of Love" ranked 14 out of 201 romance novels.

Rachel has appeared on WGGS-TV 16 Dove Broadcasting in November of 2006, February 2009 and March 2010.

Also, in March 2008, Rachel appeared on Your Carolina WSPA-TV 7.

Tell us one thing about yourself that you think might surprise us.

I have a tattoo of Ben Cartwright on my right leg

Do you remember what it was like, the feeling you had when you learned your first book was out there in the world? What was it and what was it about?

My first book was "Innocent Hearts Of Courage". It was so thrilling when it came in the mail. But then every book I publish I get nervous and excited about it.

Innocent Hearts Of Courage: While investigating a homicide two detectives stumble across a drug ring. But when they discover who the supplier is and who they are using as dealers and runners...they must take on a huge corporation...a corporation that supposed to help but is killing instead. Along the way they must deal with the past and hurts in order to find peace and love...will they heal and find love or will they be destroyed like the system...

Tell us a bit about your latest book? What’s it about, and what inspired it?

"Love Heals The Broken" was published last year.

What would it take to break a man ... Benjamin Durham is proud of his three sons, Aaron, Ethan, and Tim; his daughter-in-law Ruby, and his twin grandsons Charles and Christopher. Things are going great on his 250,000 acre ranch and his family. Then tragedy strikes one after another. Can Ben’s faith and trust in God see him through? Or will the fires of hell be too much for one man.

What inspired me was that a friend and a relative was going through some tough situation so I decided to take it, twist and make a fiction novel out of it. I hoped it would help people.

What do you have coming up next?

The sequel to "Love Heals The Broken" called "Love Makes You Whole".

If there is one character you’ve written or are writing that you would really like people to meet, who would it be and why?

Ben Durham because it shows that no matter how tough or even financially well off you are that the fires of Hell can still bring you down but if put your faith and trust in God and family you can come through

What other ideas do you have bouncing around in your head?

I have sketches and ideas for 4 more books…

According to your bio, you’ve appeared on a television show or two? How was that experience?

Every time I appear, I am nervous just as the first time. But once it starts and I’m talking about my books, I’m fine.

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

What is your favorite word? Faith
What is your least favorite word? failure
What turns you on? Nice people and true friends
What turns you off? People that take advantage of you in order to get what they want.
What sound or noise do you love? Snow falling and birds chirping
What sound or noise do you hate? People arguing
What is your favorite curse word? I don’t cuss
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Can’t think of one…
What profession would you not like to do? ????
If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? Well done good and faithful servant
What question have you never been asked, that you wish someone would ask you? Can’t think of one…