Interview with Scott Craven + DEAD JED Trailer + Giveaway! @chapterxchapter @Month9Books @Scott_Craven2

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving weekend. Now let's rock into December, starting with an interview with an awesome author. And I've met him in person, so I can tell you that legitimately! Let's welcome Scott Craven, who's here to talk about his hysterical MG zombie novel, DEAD JED. Be sure to check out the trailer at the end of the post, and don't forget to enter the Rafflecopter for your chance to win the giveaway!

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

Hi Dorothy. I’m a journalist who for 35 years (or so) has been telling other people’s stories. I was born in California, moved to Arizona, and now can’t get Steve Martin’s “King Tut” out of my head. Wait. OK, there it goes. I’m a featured reporter for The Arizona Republic in Phoenix, and a single father to 18-year-old Bryson. Being a dad now is more about course correction than holding his hand and picking out his clothes. In fact, I wish he’d pick out my clothes. I’m also a big fan of zombie movies and have always believed the undead have gotten no respect. I bet they’d agree to stop eating brains if we stopped shooting them in the head.

How long have you been writing?

My first short story, as far as I know (thanks for saving it mom), involved Thanksgiving and its invention by the Pilgrims. The first-grade assignment was more about handwriting than writing, and I sucked at both. I’ve gotten way better at writing, and I still suck at handwriting. I immersed myself in writing during a journalism class in my sophomore year in high school. From then on I knew what I wanted to do. How lucky is that?

I can't wait to read DEAD JED. Can you tell readers what the story is about?

Jed Rivers is a pretty average 13-year-old, if you don’t count detachable limbs and an unbeating heart. Unfortunately, those who make a career of picking on others notice Jed isn’t what they would consider normal, not with his gray pallor and a talent for holding his breath for, well, ever. In a grade where kids are punished for being smart or overweight or wearing cheap clothes, Robbie (Pine Hollow’s Grade A bully) takes exception to someone who dares to be undead. But when Jed embraces his zombieness, he finds a way to get back at his tormentor.

Now I'm even more excited! How did the idea of the story come to you?

There I was, enjoying a nice long shower (one of life’s great pleasures), and my mind wandered to zombies. And what a bad rap they got. What if a nice guy just happened to be a zombie? How would he be treated? And how tough would it be to fit in when you are of an age when fitting in is all that matters? I knew right then I could write a book on it, in part thanks to the two very miserable years I spent in middle school.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Pantser, absolutely. Plotting is way too much work, and I am inherently lazy. I admire those who sit down and figure everything out, using outlines and graphs and pie charts. When I finished a chapter, my goal was to leave off sorta knowing where I might go next. I wasn’t always successful. At those times, I’d put my head down and write just to get something on the computer. It worked, even if it involved way more rewriting than I like.  

What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

My dog Sandy on the couch, a diet soda to my right, and iTunes playing a mix of 1970s and 80s R&B. Let’s do this.

I can totally dig that! What are you reading right now?

Richard Russo’s memoir “Elsewhere,” recommended by a friend (one of life’s many treasures are friends with similar literary tastes). I’m enjoying it immensely, especially when the author and his mother move to Arizona and are overcome by Phoenix’s bleak, car-dependent sprawl (that was more than 40 years ago, and it’s still true).

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

A super power that could grant me any super power. Is that cheating? Too bad.

OMG Why have I never thought of that? That's perfect! I want that too! What's the weirdest thing you've googled?

I just googled that question and got some great weird-google ideas, most involving mature themes. People, please, get your minds out of the gutter.

LOL. You're asking the impossible. ;) Finish this sentence: If I'm not writing, I'm probably ...

… thinking of ways to put off writing. Hey, look at all these weird things people google. What’s this one? No idea, but let’s find out where it leads …  

Ahahaha! *follows you* And finally, where can people find you and your books online?

You may find “Dead Jed: Adventures of a Middle School Zombie” at all of the finest retail sites, including Amazon.com. bn.com and Walmart.com. You’ll also find it if you google my name and zombie, but you’ll also find some other strange stuff. Wait, where are you going? Don’t say I didn’t warn you …

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18158040-dead-jed Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | KOBO | Indiebound

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview with Cinthia Ritchie

It's March 20th. Which means, it's SPRING! But, who was counting? If only Ol' Man Winter knew this fact. He is throwing a mighty fit outside my house, right now. Seriously. It sounds like the house is about to lift off, Wizard of Oz style, and it's scaring my animals. Not me, though. I'm one tough cookie (eep!).

As long the roof stays over my head, I'd like to welcome Cinthia Ritchie to We Do Write.

Cinthia Ritchie is a former journalist and Pushcart Prize nominee who lives and runs mountains in Alaska.

She’s a recipient of two Rasmuson Individual Artist Awards, a Connie Boocheever Fellowship, residencies at Hedgebrook, Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts and Hidden River Arts, the Brenda Ueland Prose Award, Memoir Prose Award, Sport Literate Essay Award, Northwest PEN Women Creative Nonfiction Award, Drexel Magazine Creative Nonfiction Award and Once Written Grand Prize Award.

Her work can be found in New York Times Magazine, Sport Literate, Water-Stone Review, Memoir, Under the Sun, Literary Mama, Slow Trains Literary Journal, Sugar Mule, Breadcrumbs and Scabs, Third Wednesday, Writer’s Digest, Foliate Oak Literary Magazine, Cactus Heart Press and over 30 other literary magazines and small presses.

Her debut novel, Dolls Behaving Badly, released Feb. 5 from Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Book Group. 

Welcome to We Do Write, Cinthia. You have an impressive list of accomplishments. How long have you been writing?

Oh wow, I've been writing since I was about five years old. I used to write stories for my stuffed animals. I still remember jumping from my sister’s bed to my bed, the floor beneath us littered with scraps of my stories, which for some reason we pretended were crocodiles.

Yikes! I've heard those paper crocs are FAR worse than the real ones. Glad you and your sister survived.

Tell us about DOLLS BEHAVING BADLY. I have to admit, I am in love with your cover. So, what is the story about? 

It’s a quirky Alaska story with oddball characters, the ghost of a Polish grandmother, a couple of ornery moose and a recipe for communion wafers. Here’s the official blurb:

Carla Richards is many things: an Alaska waitress who secretly makes erotic dolls for extra income; a divorcee who can't quite detach from her ex-husband; and a single mom trying to support her gifted eight-year-old son, her pregnant sister and her babysitter-turned-resident-teenager.

She's one overdue bill away from completely losing control--when inspiration strikes in the form of a TV personality. Now she's scribbling away in a diary, flirting with an anthropologist, and baking up desserts with the ghost of her Polish grandmother.

Still, getting her life and dreams back on track is difficult. Is perfection really within reach? Or will she wind up with something even better?

Sounds like a really fun read. How did the idea of the story come to you? 

I was a single mother working two jobs at the time and late at night I’d sit in the bathroom and read (the bathroom was the only place where I could get away from the cats). One night it hit me: There were very few books with single mother heroines. I decided to change that.

A few nights later while I was reading in the bathtub, I saw or imagined I saw, the ghost of my Polish grandmother. Ach, Pudel, she said, and just like that the story came to me.

As a single mother working two jobs myself, I LOVE the idea of a single mother heroine. We just don't get enough props, do we? With time stretched so thin, do you have a critique group/partner or beta readers to help you out, or do you self-edit? 

I belong to a writing group and trust their opinions more than my own, yet mostly I self-edit. The process inevitably opens up untapped parts of my writing, and myself, and while this is sometimes painful, it’s always necessary.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? 

I totally write by the seat of my pants. I don’t plan or outline. I sit down each night not knowing what will happen next, where my characters will take me. It’s what I love most about writing, the mystery and the revelations.

Amen, sister. What’s the hardest part of writing for you? 

Sitting down each night and writing. I stall. I fold laundry, wash the dishes, brush the dog, floss my teeth (and I hate to floss my teeth). Writing is scary. It demands so much emotional energy, so much discipline and dedication. Mostly, it demands hope, and that’s not always an easy thing to muster.

And Amen to that, too! Getting started is such a challenge sometimes. What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing? 

Fizzy water. I don’t drink alcoholic or sugary beverages so I keep tall glasses of carbonated water at my desk. The bubbles perk me up.

Hmmm... I should try that instead of the gallons of coffee I consume. If you could have any super power, what would it be? 

I don’t know. Probably it sounds corny but I’m pretty happy with myself and my life at this point. Though it would be cool to fly.

Not corny at all. But, if you have an interest in flying, you should head on over to my house. I think it's about to be ripped from it's foundation and carried away. What's the weirdest thing you've googled?

Last summer I goggled “moose infatuation,” because when running, I had a young male moose trot after me. He wouldn’t leave me alone and, face it, he was quite a bit larger than me. His ears were all perked up and he looked so happy, almost as if he knew me. I veered off in the woods and hid in a grove of trees, and each time I peeked out, his ears perked up again, almost as if we were playing hide and seek. It was the oddest thing. The google search brought up recipes for moose stew and moose burgers—too funny!

Okay. Quick writing test! Use the following words in a sentence: behavior, havoc, and vacuuming. I’d love to except, um, what is a vacuum again? 

Vacuum? Hmm...I'm sorry. I can't help you with that one (but my dust bunnies are grateful for that, at least). 

Finish this sentence: If I'm not writing, I'm probably ... 

Running. I’m a long distance runner and I LOVE running. In the summers I’m always up on the mountain trails, dodging moose and bear scat. There’s nothing like running in the vast silence of wilderness. I can’t get enough of it.

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

There are so many and I’m sure I’ll forget more than I remember: My partner, Mike. My sister, Candace. My mother, who is 78 and drove 30 miles into the city three times, anxiously waiting for my books to arrive. My friends, running buds and writing groupers: Ela, Susie, Sarana, Louise, David and Jonnie, Scooter and Roy, Deb, Lucian, Kris, Karen, Don, Holly, and the “other” Deb. And strangely, my dog, who is always there for me and doesn’t mind when I hug her smelly head and sob, when I’m stuck in the throes of writing agony.

Thanks for joining us today, Cinthia! It was a pleasure having you.

Cinthia Ritchie and her novel, DOLLS BEHAVING BADLY, can be found: 

Amazon

Barnes& Noble

IndieBound

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Interview with Pamela DuMond

Today we're chatting with a wonderful lady and excellent author. Her book CUPCAKES, LIES, AND DEAD GUYS is available now! Let's get to know her.

Welcome, Pamela. Tell us a bit about yourself.

I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. As a kid I loved going to the pool in the summer, rolling in the leaves in the fall, (yes I was a dork,) and building snow forts in the winter. I did not enjoy eating liver that was cooked hard enough to be used as a weapon, or trying to figure out if the fruit-like thingies embedded in the jello du jour were edible.


One day when I was in college my Dad declared I had to stop dallying around with Spanish, Psychology, cute boys and pick a profession. Dad was old school, first person in his family to put himself through college and start his own business. Therefore, I wasn’t allowed to pick something namby-pamby like Artist, Musician, or Secret Spy as a career. My choices were limited to doctor, lawyer, or Indian Chief. I hated blood and guts, had never been on the debate team and certainly wasn’t cool enough to be an Indian Chief. So that left chiropractic.

How long have you been writing?

As a kid I stuttered badly, so I did a lot more reading and writing than talking. Any kid who is considered a little ‘different’ knows: the bullies zone in on you. By the time I could actually talk without stuttering, I was beyond shy and didn’t. When I turned 22 I started yakking. My brother commented that I haven’t shut up, since. Since it’s relatively boring talking to oneself all day long, I started writing a lot more then, as well.

Tell us about this fabulously-titled book Cupcakes, Lies, and Dead Guys.

Annie is a baker with a pinch of psychic ability. Her married life is perfect until a famous self-help author, Dr. Fuller, ruins everything. When Fuller ends up poisoned with one of Annie's cupcakes, she's a murder suspect. When Fuller doesn't pass to the After-Life, he recruits/haunts Annie to find his killer. Now Annie's stuck with the world's most irritating ghost while investigating the wackos who wanted him dead. Can she solve the crime before she is whacked by the real killer?

Sounds absolutely awesome. How did the idea of the story come to you?

I was working on scripts that were going nowhere. Three authors inspired me to try writing novels: Jacqueline Carey, Lisa Lutz, and Toni McGee Causey. Their characters are rich and their worlds are intriguing.


I’ve had enough experiences that convinced me it is possible to communicate with people who have passed on. I wrote several non-fiction articles about those moments that were published in Soul Moments: Marvelous Stories of Synchronicity – Meaningful Coincidences from a Seemingly Random World, edited by Phil Cousineau. I’ve always loved mysteries, as well as comedies. I started to think about the comedic possibilities of being stuck with the ghost of the person you hated most in the entire world. That situation seemed pretty funny.

Sounds hysterical. I can't wait to read it. What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

When I’m in the middle of writing a story, I’m hoping that there is a pony at the bottom of the heap, and praying that I can dig my way through to her. Then, I hope that my readers will love that pony as much as I do.

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

A notepad, a pen, a highlighter, research materials, my super-duper abdominal belt that exercises my abs while I write, (weird, I know,) and sometimes a cat on my chair.

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

I already have the super-duper abdominal belt. Okay. My super power would be the ability to get to the pony more quickly.

Quick writing test! Use the following words in a sentence: jujitsu, summer house, and ambidextrous.

I discovered the only survivors of the summer house were ambidextrous middle aged women with jujitsu skills: just like me.

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

Krill Press, Ramona DeFelice Long, my family, my friends, my furballs, writers, readers, bloggers like yourself, Dorothy. The list is endless. I am blessed.

And finally, where can people find you online?

Facebook at Cupcakes, Lies, and Dead Guys.


My website should be up this week: www.Pamela.DuMond.com

Thank you so much for chatting with us, Pamela. I just know your book will be a big hit.

Thank you Dorothy!