No Vacation for Writers?

So tomorrow's my last day of work before I go on vacation for two weeks. YES! I seriously need a break.

But as writers, do we really get a break? I'm waiting on the first round of edits from my editor which should be landing in my inbox any day now, a fact that makes me extremely nervous. I'm also waiting on bits of news from my publisher I can't stop thinking about. I also have to write the sequel to my not-even-released-yet debut novel. Okay, I've outlined it, at least. So that's a start. But knowing I'll have a time crunch eventually, I feel like I need to dive into writing it. How do I do that when I'm on vacation visiting family? Even if I bring a laptop, will I get the time?

Tell me how you do it. Do you leave all writerly things behind when on vacation, or do you sneak in as much writing as you can while you're away?

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!