Interview with JK Dark

Today we're chatting with author JK Dark who's got a new book coming out next month.

Welcome to We Do Write. Tell us a bit about yourself.

Well, I’m your typical middle aged balding white man. I was born and raised in St Louis, Missouri, and have had the good fortune to live on both the east & west coast of this beautiful country, before coming home in 1998. I have worked in the plant & soil science field all my adult life, which is an embellished way to say I know a lot about Fertilizer!

How long have you been writing?

I have been writing my entire life. I decided after prompting from family and friends, to really persue it seriously about 5 years ago. It beats writing copy for trade and industry publications, which is what I found myself spending a great deal of time doing career wise.

Let's hear about your new book. What's it called and what's it about?

Dark Thoughts and Dark Forces is the title, it is a collection of fictional short stories in the horror/ mystery/suspense genre. To summarize it, I suppose it examines and questions the mind of man and the mystery of killing human beings. There are a few supernatural twists in the stories and a glimpse of New Orleans voodoo sprinkled in for good measure. It is a departure from my normal genre, and one I enjoyed writing, As I found fiction removes the need for logical endings to a story.

How did the idea of the story come to you?

Gosh, these stories are a collection of experiences, cultures, and the search for understanding or order in a senseless mystery, which I find killing of man to be.

Do you have a critique group/partner or beta readers, ordo you self-edit?

I use my blog as a raw unedited sharing of my stories. I find the readers that visit regularly provide great feedback and are not hesitant to express like and dislikes to opinions or a subject. From that I have determined both by feedback and raw number of hits, what my audience not only likes, but as important reads and wants more of from me.

Are you a planner or a pantser?

I am very much a planner. I’m already planning two books ahead. Next is a full length novel of the same genre. I find most of my writer friends to be the same way, planning and crafting of a book is very much a planning function.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

Easily the hardest part has been editing, as you have discovered by now. Finding a professional editor to work with has been the best thing I have ever done. And learning to come to grips with the fact that perhaps what I believe to be my best paragraph or writing may need to be discarded in order to better the story or chapter. That can be a hard pill to swallow for a writer.

Let’s get to know you on a deeper level. What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

Dorothy, if you find black coffee and cigarettes deep, then my CD collection must make me Hemmingway like!

LOL.

I don’t know how deep that probes or speaks to my writing habits, but I find all three to be both prominent and a necessity when writing. I hope to drop the cigarettes from the mix soon though.

Good idea. If you could have any super power, what would it be?

Easy, it would be Super hearing. Imagine the story possibilities!

What's the weirdest thing you've googled?

Oh Lord! I would be afraid to even look at my google history!
I guess on the exciting side, an erotic thesaurus, searching for the right words for a story. On the boring side, a data table on the fishing industry in Plaquemines Parrish Louisiana, while doing research for another story.

Quick writing test! Use the following words in a sentence: plastic wrap, dinosaur, and arguable.


The man’s body went in the plastic wrap in an arguable fashion, as he was still alive, but he would soon become as extinct as a dinosaur when the air escaped his lungs.

Here’s the part where you thank the people who aresupporting you. Let's hear your shout outs.

I will undoubtedly fail to mention someone; however I am blessed with many good friends who lend me encouragement and support. Among them, many writers who are arguably (do I get bonus points for the use in two sentences?) (Yes, you do!) are the most selfless people when it comes to helping or providing feedback to another writer. And of course my family, I promise I gave proper credit in the acknowledgement section of the new book.

And finally, where can people find you and your books online?

Both my first book: Anecdotes, Short Stories & Mind Clutter, as well as Dark Thoughts & Dark Forces, are available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, As well as the many great Independent bookstores. They can also be found on my blog which is www.onthedarksidewordpress.com

I am also a contributor to The Good Men project www.goodmenproject.com which is an e-magazine.

Dark Thoughts and Dark Forces will be available April 1st in ebook format and April 15th in paperback.

Thanks so much for chatting with us today. I wish you continued success with your books.

Thanks!

Author Update: K S Collier

Back in December of 2010, I interviewed writer Kathy Collier. I'm happy to announce her new book, THE VEIL, is now available.

Here's a little about the book:

Tommie and William Lanier are twins destined for Hawaii with a group of friends to celebrate their right of passage into adulthood after graduation.


Once on the island of Maui, Tommie discovers another world of ancient myths alive and thriving.  She uncovers secrets that have been hidden for centuries.  These secrets send her spiraling down a path of misfortune where her choices affect her family, her friends, and even her life.  


Will she live to tell her story?  Only The Veil will reveal the secret.


Congrats, Kathy! I wish you tons of success with the book.

Interview with Jolene Perry

I'm excited to be a part of Jolene Perry's blog tour for her young adult contemporary romance NIGHT SKY, a new release from Tribute Books. She's clever and funny and I know you'll just love her.

Welcome, Jolene. Tell us a bit about yourself.

I'm pretty much just like Wonder Woman, so picture her and you'll be good . . . KIDDING. I grew up in Alaska, and then HAD to get out, which led to all sorts of adventures in Washington, Utah, and then in Las Vegas. I taught myself to play the guitar, built two houses (one of which I live in) and am back in Alaska with my husband, two kids, cat, and the moose who wander into my yard. I go sail-boating whenever I can, and snow-machine as close to the sound-barrier as I can get.

How long have you been writing?

I've been writing in some form or another since I could write. In the fall of 2009 I wrote down a scene, just for fun, just because I was bored. I loved it. I wrote a few more random scenes, in a few different story lines, and one grabbed me. A few months later, I had over 100 pages, and more story left to tell. The second time I sat down to write, in the spring of 2010, I knew I was going to write a whole book, it took a lot less time, and was published in 2011 - The Next Door Boys.

Let's hear about NIGHT SKY. What’s the story about?

Night Sky is about my beloved Jameson. He's been in love with his best friend for three years, and never told her. At the beginning of the book, she's found someone else to be with, and he's destroyed. Fortunately he meets Sky soon after, and she provides him with a lot more than distraction. In Night Sky, I want to be as sexy as Sky, and I love how Jameson fumbles around desperately trying to keep up with this very seemingly self-assured Native American girl.

How did the idea of the story come to you?

I actually REMEMBER this one!
Mike (husband) and I were waiting in line at the Taco Bell drive-through a few days after Valentine's Day in 2011, and we were talking 80's movies. (A little before our time, but so much that we don't appreciate them) and I still think that Duckie should have gotten the girl in Pretty in Pink. So I wanted to write a story about the jilted friend of the girl who's moved on - only the girl might change her mind . . .
Giving Sky Native American roots came later, but is a part of the story that I just love.

I totally agree. Duckie should have gotten the girl. Are you a planner or a pantser?

Pantser. Also - I can almost never even write one SCENE in order. I skip around in my MS all the time. I do have to have a general idea, but the story doesn't unfold itself until I really start writing. And the smaller threads usually get woven through last. My favorite is when I know how a scene will turn out, and something unexpected is said or done in the scene that gives the whole story a new twist.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?


Narrowing ideas and possibilities as I write. I don't get writer's block - I get writer's indecision. When I can see that more than one path will get my characters to where they want to be, I have a hard time deciding which way to go. This is when I plug myself into music and go for a run. It usually sorts itself out then.

Let’s get to know you on a deeper level. What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?


All I HAVE to have is my laptop. I canNOT write fast enough longhand. What I LOVE to have around is Pellegrino from that really cold spot in the back of the fridge, and dark chocolate almonds . . . or a salty dog chocolate bar. They're the best.

If you could have any super power, what would it be?


Either the ability to go without sleep - can you imagine how much I could get done?? OR the ability to eat whatever I want without gaining any weight. That would be awesome.

What's the weirdest thing you've googled?


Parts for a 75 Corvette. College hockey schedules. Myself . . .

Hehehe, okay, I'll admit it. I've googled myself too. Quick writing test! Use the following words in a sentence: damp, consult, and borderline.


I can consult the guidelines, but the damp feeling from the milk on my oreos is borderline delicious
;-D This didn't have to be a serious sentence, right?

Of course not, it was perfect! Here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you. Let's hear your shout outs.

My daughter was really bent out of shape when her name wasn't in the acknowledgements of my first book. So, thanks to my kids - Emma Rose and Jack.
Also - my friend and fellow author, Kelley Vitollo, and her love of guy POV books, which definitely pushed me to write this one.

And finally, where can people find you and your book online?

The easiest place is the website for Night Sky that the publisher set up. You can find it HERE

Thanks so much for chatting with us, Jolene. Your book sounds great and I wish you lots of success with it.

Thanks a ton for having me!!!!

Author Update: Dorothy Dreyer

Yes, you read that correctly. It's about me!

I'm very happy to announce that I've signed a two-book publishing contract with Month9Books! My young adult urban fantasy novel, MY SISTER'S REAPER, will debut May 29, 2013. The sequel will be released May 28, 2014.

I'm so very excited about this, I can't even tell you. The news has even been announced in Publishers Marketplace. What!? OMG, that makes it real!

*thud*

Author Update: Margaret Callow

Back in January, I interviewed author Margaret Callow. I'm pleased to announce that Margaret's novel, A REBELLIOUS OAK, is releasing next week. Running Hare Press has the book up on their site for pre-order.

"Thom and Martha Barwick find their land, which their family had farmed for generations,  was being fenced in by local landowner Flowerdew, Thom attends a meeting of local peasants, and decide to ask Robert kett to lead them on a peaceful march to Norwich to present their case to the Mayor and Aldermen.

So was set in train a series of events culminating in 15000 protesters laying siege to Norwich and the vengeance of the landed, is swift and dreadful."

Congrats, Margaret, on your book release and launch. We wish you lots of success!

Interview with Chris Stevenson

Today we're talking with multi-published author Chris Stevenson about his latest release, PLANET JANITOR: CUSTODIAN OF THE STARS.

Welcome, Chris. Tell us a bit about yourself.

I'm California born and raised, and have just moved to Alabama, which is quite a culture shock for me. I've been a mechanic most of my life (35 years), having served in all areas of auto repair, products, management and sales. I served as a federal police officer for three years, responsible for patrol and post duties for the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park and Palo Alto, California. The law enforcement gig was the most exciting and interesting. I received a commendation for bravery from the government, for putting out a building lab fire and evacuating the area.

How long have you been writing?

I've been writing for about 36 years, but only began submitting material to agents and publishers 23 years ago. I read my first short story in Twilight Zone magazine and got the notion that I could write just as well as the author did, and proceeded to do so. It took me a year and about 90 rejections to sell about 18 short stories, three of which were prestigious enough to land me in the Science Fiction Writers of America. I've written about 18 novels and non-fiction books, seven of which have sold and are published.

PLANET JANITOR: CUSTODIAN OF THE STARS is certainly an interesting title. What’s the story about?

Captain Zachary Crowe and the crew of Planet Janitor Corporation are adept at handling environmental clean-ups and close system jumps to collect precious ores and space trash. The problem is they have yet to complete an assignment without a mishap to add to their not so stellar record. Scraping the bottom of the barrel, Orion Industries contracts Planet Janitor for a clandestine operation that no one else wants, offering them more money than they could spend in three lifetimes. The mission entails a 12 light-year trip to a newly found habitable planet in the Tau Ceti system. The crew will lose 26 years on Earth due to the cryo jump, but that is the least of their problems. What they find on Tau Ceti will rattle their wits, test their courage, and threaten their very survival.

How did the idea of the story come to you?

I really wanted something different about Planet Janitor to stand out. The original idea did not spring from my forehead all at once, but came in stages. I had a friend who wanted to start a water ionization business called Planet Janitor, 15 years ago. He never started the company but I never forgot the company title – it had an environmentalist quality about it. Fast forward 14 years; I thought what would happen to a crew who landed on a planet that was knee-deep in skeletons from horizon to horizon? That idea simmered. A few weeks later, I read an article about space junk, reclamation, retrieving and recycling precious metals, like titanium, gold, silver, magnesium and aluminum. This gave me the idea for a crew who were adept at capturing space trash. Suddenly I knew I had the entire plot structure and outline for a book. I had a planet besieged by a genocide and a naive crew of environmentalists. Land the crew on the planet, to accomplish a routine mission, but confront them with the planetary killers responsible for the genocide. That’s when I knew I had a Starship Troopers meets Robinson Crusoe on Mars.

What are you working on next?

I'm putting the final editing touches on a YA distopian tale. It takes place in the near future, when the economy has tanked, over-population and housing is stressed, and we've had yet another stock market crash. A system is devised by which heads of households can pawn off family members to a corporation called Family Trade and Loan, so they can pay bills and avoid prison terms. So dad gets it in his head to pawn off his only daughter to cover gambling bills and back-taxes. My MC is an 18 year-old female, who is ranked 8.5 on the talent and desirability scale, sent off to the Tranquility Harbor Moon base, which houses a huge mining facility. My gal ends up as an exotic dancer, forced to entertain the grubby, disgusting (but filthy rich) miners, who are called Prairie Dogs. Of course, her father defaults on the loan and she becomes temporary property of FTAL. She then has to devise a way to escape this brutal and possessive company.

Besides your agent, do you have a critique group/partner or beta readers, or do you self-edit?

My beta readers are mostly women who help me put essential character touches on my female leads. I need help with female emotion, sensitivity and motivation more than anything else in my writing. I wrote a book that was a cleverly disguised female "Iron Man" which everyone is chomping at the bit to read. Alas, my paraplegic female lead needs that critical emotional essence before the presentation is perfect. I've got to take some of the Terminator edge off of her before she is believable and simpatico with the reader. Otherwise, I'm a lone wolf editor, praying for the best. My agent does give me some help, but not in a detailed copy-edit venue.

Are you a planner or a pantser?

I definitely fly solo without an outline. I find that if I outline my plot, I most often deviate from it because I feel trapped or confined. The characters most often run away from my plots, doing things that I least expected – changing the storyline, creating new sub-plots, acting out of character, and just plain being unpredictable. I’m too safe when I outline. I take great risks when I fly by the seat of my pants. Great stories demand risk, with a certain breeziness and non-conformity. I'm usually two chapters ahead in my plotting, and that's the way it's always been for me. While I'm writing one, I'm thinking how it will spill into or dovetail into the next. I believe in really prominent chapter hooks, ala Dan Brown.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

I love to write; it's no chore. Editing is a necessary bother. I'm totally in love with submitting to agents and editors, and that's where I differ from the normal writing crowd. But promotion and marketing are the most time and labor-draining aspects of this entire business for me. Marketing online is an art form that requires finesse, maturity and persistence. Social networking is so important for an author’s book launch, that without it, sales and reviews can suffer in direct relation to its neglect. Conference attendance, radio and TV interviews, book signings, answering fan mail – all of it is so important for effective promotion and marketing, yet it is so devastatingly, so emotionally and so physically draining for me that sometimes there is not enough time in the day to craft one sentence, let alone fill a word quota.

What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

Must haves: fresh coffee, a line-ruled notebook and a pen that won't skip, and Roget's thesaurus. I also have my time-out set for five minutes, so if I'm blocked or stuck on a passage, my screen goes to my default picture, which has the lovely Judy from Lost in Space, smiling at me and telling me to get back to work and stop mind-wandering.

Best cures for writer's block?

Sit down with an entirely different attitude when you're blocked. Writer's block is nothing more than work avoidance. And there lies the problem--don't look at writing as work. Consider it an escape, guilty, sneaky pleasure. Fun. Before you begin your first sentence, repeat after me, "I don't even have to do this, so I'll just mess around for now." Give yourself that slack to play with it. Writing is play time, writing is play time. Try and impress yourself with a stunning first paragraph, if you're the more serious, disciplined-type writer. Then tell yourself you can do that again. It won't be long before you convince yourself that the ink you've just splashed is a keeper.

If you could have any super power, what would it be?

I'd like to be Flash so I could write a hundred books a year. And out of that hundred I would hope that one was good enough for New York. Even if it took me five years. Oh, and I could speed-read too, catching up on ALL the latest bestsellers, allowing me to study and learn from them.

Can I have those powers too? LOL. What's the weirdest thing you've googled?

"Green Boots." Green Boots is the story of a mountain climber who to attempted to scale Mt. Everest, but froze to death during a storm. Nobody could get this poor man down into the safety zone to save his life. They had to pass right by him from both directions, knowing that he would soon die. Green Boots did die, and he still is up on the mountain, along with 202 other individuals, all frozen in some horrific death poses. So sad.

That's awful, wow. Switching gears—Quick writing test! Use the following words in a sentence: monsoon, escalating, and exclamatory.

The escalating monsoon prompted the captain to give out an exclamatory order. "Slacken the main, pull in the mizzen and hoist the storm jib, mateys. We're if for real blow!"

Great sentence! Here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you. Let's hear your shout outs.

I want to thank everybody that has bought and reviewed Planet Janitor Custodian of the Stars. It has recently rose in sales beyond my expectations, until readers began to take notice, and this has been just recently. Thanks for pushing me in the top 100 lists. Thank you for the word of mouth praises. Thank you for your ideas and support.

SPECIAL THANKS TO DOROTHY FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPLASH INK HERE!

You're welcome!

I feel I'm not worthy of these holy pages, so I have to thank God I'm here.

And finally, where can people find you online?

I've spammed myself to the world, so there's several places:
My blog, Guerrilla Warfare For Writers:
http://guerrillawarfareforwriters.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2012-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2013-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=13


My cheap, no nothing website:
http://www.freewebs.com/uncle1/


My Planet Janitor Website, which has some astonishing artwork:
http://planetjanitor.com/Home.html


I'm a senior member of the AbsoluteWrite forum. My handle is Triceretops (yep it's spelled wrong).

It was great having you on the blog today, Chris. I wish you lots of success with all your books!

Interview with Lisa Lilly

Today is "Rosenmontag" - or Rose Monday - in German speaking countries. It's followed by Violet Tuesday, also known as Mardi Gras. In the spirit of the flowery names, I've brought you an interview with a Lilly. Author Lisa Lilly, that is. Let's get to know her.

Welcome to We Do Write, Lisa. Tell us a bit about yourself.

I’m an attorney and a writer. I’ve practiced law for over eleven years, and three and a half years ago I started my own firm. I love being my own boss. I've had short stories, poems and articles published, and recently I published my novel THE AWAKENING independently. Being on my own for my law practice worked well, so I decided to try to translate what I’ve learned about running a business into my fiction writing career as well.

How long have you been writing?

I started when I was 6 or 7 after visiting relatives in Pennsylvania. My cousin LaVonne, a teenager, kept a notebook where she wrote poetry and journal entries. I thought everything she did was cool, so I bought a spiral notebook at the local drugstore as soon as I got home. I had no idea how to write poems, except that they should rhyme. My first one included lines about a cow that kneeled in a field. (Hopefully, I’ve improved since then.) After that, I didn’t stop. One of my grade school friends and I used to write novels and trade them back and forth, sometimes inspired by current books we were reading, sometimes based on original ideas. At least, to us they seemed original.

Let's hear about THE AWAKENING. What's the story about?

It’s about a young woman, Tara Spencer, whose mysterious pregnancy turns her life upside down, starting with sidetracking her plans for medical school. I strove to be realistic as to how the people around her would react in real life, as opposed to in a book or a movie. Her fiancé severs all ties with her, assuming she must have slept with someone else, and her parents question her mental health when she insists she’s never had sex. The only person who believes she’s still a virgin is a stranger, Cyril Woods. He belongs to a religious order  that is investigating whether Tara’s child could be the next messiah, fulfilling signs from the Book of Revelation. But when Tara reveals her child will be a girl, the order turns against her, seeing her as the potential mother of the anti-Christ who must be destroyed before she can trigger the Apocalypse. Tara must fight for her life as she seeks answers to whether she and her child are meant to save the world or destroy it.

Wow, interesting! Is this a series?

Yes, I’m planning a four-book series. The second book is well underway.

How did the idea of the story come to you?

Since I was a teenager, I’ve been troubled by how religious establishments view and treat women and how our culture reflects that. A few years back, I read a lot of books about women and spirituality, and the goddess cultures versus the three major religions today, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, which are male-centered. At the same time, The DaVinci Code was very popular, and I was struck by how no one talked much about what I found so interesting about the book, which was the idea of a female heir to Jesus Christ. I started thinking about what life would be like for a young woman today if she became pregnant as a virgin, particularly if she wasn’t religious at all, and she just wanted to be left alone to figure out what was going on with her body. What would that do to her life? Would anyone believe her? And if they did, how would that change when she discovered her child would be a girl? And, finally, what might she and her child mean for the world?

Do you have a critique group/partner or beta readers, or do you self-edit?

All of the above. When I started The Awakening, I submitted my outline and first three chapters to a thriller writers’ retreat and was accepted. My teacher was author Gary Braver (an amazing writer – my favorite of his is Elixir), and he and the aspiring writers in the group provided detailed critiques. I later joined an on-going critique group. I also spend two or three revisions toward the end of the writing process focused solely on line editing – sentence structure, grammar, flow, proofing. Finally, I have a friend, also a lawyer, who is a wonderful editor and who can read the same manuscript ten times and still catch typos and continuity errors. Lucky for me he is willing to do this free, as I could never afford the hourly rate he gets for doing that in his law practice. :)

Are you a planner or a pantser?

Very much a planner. For my first serious attempt at a novel, I didn’t outline and ended up tossing out half the manuscript when I realized the story really started right about at what I’d thought was the middle. For a while I created extremely detailed outlines, but I found that too restrictive. Now I outline major plot turns, then write from one to the next.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

Turning off my internal editor. It’s the voice in my head, which sounds a lot like my mother, that picks apart every word I write so that I’m tempted to spend hours rewriting the first paragraph instead of moving forward. It kicks in when I’m writing the first draft of a legal brief, too. The good thing is that for my legal work, I’m always writing on a deadline. I’ve learned to tell that voice that it doesn’t matter if I write something bad, I’ve got to get something on paper, and I can fix it later. The reality is, usually what I write is much better than it feels like it is at the time, and I have lots to work with.

What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

A cup of tea. Often it’s cold by the third sip, which is a good thing, because it means I’ve gotten really absorbed in my writing and forgotten it.

If you could have any super power, what would it be?

The power to heal people, both physically and emotionally. Life is wonderful in so many ways and also can be very hard. I’d like to offer healing and peace to everyone.

What's the weirdest thing you've googled?

Probably the lifespan of genetically-altered worms.

LOL, yeah that qualifies as weird. Quick writing test! Use the following words in a sentence: river boat, mountain goat, and promote.

This could easily come out a lot like my first poem!

“The artist sat on the river boat deck, sketch pad in hand, hoping the scenic trip would inspire her to draw an eye-catching mountain goat for the advertising contest, and wishing she didn’t need to go to such lengths to promote her art.”

Here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you. Let's hear your shout outs.

Thriller writer Gary Braver, who I mentioned. He’s provided so much useful advice, and, just as important, encouragement, and I love his books. Also the writers and volunteers at the WoMen’s Literary Café, especially author Melissa Foster. They provide a wonderful support network for writers and also many ways for readers and writers to connect. And my friend Steve, editor and attorney extraordinaire. Most important, everyone who has read The Awakening and my short story collection. Thank you for buying the books and for investing your time in reading them. I do my best to make it worth your while.

And finally, where can people find you and your books online?

The Awakening is available on Amazon for the Kindle and Barnes and Noble for the Nook:


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005CDXXY0


http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-awakening-lisa-lilly/1104252756?ean=2940012849618


The Tower Formerly Known as Sears and Two Other Tales of Urban Horror is available on Amazon:


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005PTWKJ0


My author website, where you can also find links to my blogs: www.lisalilly.com


Look for me on Twitter: @lisamlilly

Lisa, thank you so much for chatting with us. Your book sounds so intriguing, I'm already dying to know what happens! I wish you lots of success.

Thanks so much for interviewing me! It was great to talk with you!