Author Interview with Allison Whitmore #Giveaway

_________

Book & Author Details:

Forget Me Not by Allison Whitmore

Publication date: September 14th 2015

Genres: Historical, Romance, Young Adult

Synopsis:

Theodora “Teddi” Donovan and Calvin Wynne have always hated each other. They didn’t have a choice after Teddi’s bootlegger father killed Calvin’s and left them both orphaned. The scandal has fueled gossip in quiet, quaint Brookhurst, New York, for over a decade. 

When a friendship develops between them as teenagers, they are ridiculed and shunned by the strict society that dictates life in their town. As they grow older, friendship turns into love, and Teddi and Calvin have to choose between their future and the scepter of their past. 

Spanning continents and decades, Forget Me Not is a coming-of-age story about truth, self-reliance, and the freeing power of love.

 

Hi, Allison! Welcome to We Do Write. 

Tell our readers a bit about FORGET ME NOT. What’s the story about?

It’s essentially a star-crossed lovers’ story set in the 1930s and 1940s. It is about the main characters journey into adulthood as well as the secrets of their families’ pasts they unearth. In the end, the secrets lead them to understand a great deal about the world and each other.

How did the idea of the story come to you?

I wanted to write a story about a hypocritical town and two people caught in the middle of that.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I am a plotter who turns into a pantser as soon as I start writing. The story just goes its own way. I do plot because I will write myself into a wall. However, I end up just letting the story flow, and feel it’s good to have some direction to reign myself in. I definitely started out as a pantser only when I first started writing.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

When I am not writing as much as I’d like to on a scheduled day. It gets frustrating. Once, I am writing, then it’s great.

What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

Other than the internet open for research and YouTube playing (seventy-five percent of the time), I like to have books around me. Notes, not as much. I usually write them and only pull them out when I’m trying to get going or revising.

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

It used to be teleporting, but now I’m going to say super speed. It would be great to be able to get a lot of stuff done very fast.

What's the weirdest thing you've googled?

I don’t know. Maybe a cat fashion show when I was laughing at that scene in Anchorman and wondering if people really did those. They do. LOL!

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

writing or fangirling about Arrow...

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

Thank you to my family, Erin Virginia and Grace Arden (writing partners and friends), Kenya Cooper (publicist), Rachel Miller (editor), and Amalia Chitulescu (cover designer)

Thanks so much for stopping by the blog!

AUTHOR BIO:

Allison Whitmore started her first novel, Forget Me Not, one icy morning in her dorm room in Southampton, NY. After many years of teaching high school English, she came back to the novel to rewrite it. Allison comes from a family who loves history and enjoyed immersing herself in the research that brought Teddi and Calvin’s world to life. She lives in her hometown, Los Angeles, California. You can find her on Twitter @alli_whitmore and her website: allisonwhitmore.com.

    

 

Giveaway:

Tour-wide giveaway (INTL)

• $40 Amazon Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the rest of the tour here:

Book Blitz: BROKEN FATE by Jennifer Derrick

Broken Fate
Jennifer Derrick
Published by: Clean Teen Publishing
Publication date: April 18th 2016
Genres: Mythology, Romance, Young Adult

Zeus gave her one simple job: Kill every human. Atropos—daughter of Zeus and the third goddess of Fate from Greek mythology —spends her eternal life snipping human lifelines when their mortal lives are over. As if being a killer doesn’t make life miserable enough, she and her Fate-wielding sisters must live amongst the humans on Earth thanks to a long-running feud between their mother and Zeus. Living on Earth means they must mingle with the mortals, attend the local high school, and attempt to fit in—or at least not stand out too much.
Killing and mingling don’t mix, which is why Atropos’ number-one rule is to avoid all relationships with the humans. Caring for the people she has to kill is a fast track to insanity. However, when Alex Morgan walks into her first-period English class, she knows she’s in for trouble. He’s the worst kind of human for her to like—one with a rapidly approaching expiration date. And he makes Atropos want to break all the rules.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iTunes

EXCERPT:

I turn off my desk lamp and computer, starting to get up, but then sit back down. My curiosity about Alex has been building all day. I’ve tried to tamp it down, to forget him, but I can’t. Even Chloe’s chatter couldn’t take him out of my thoughts. I boot the computer back up and give in to temptation.

I search for Alex’s record in our database. What I’m doing isn’t forbidden, but I rarely bother to check on the humans once I assign their manner of death. I forget them until I see them again on their date of death. However, tonight, I want to see what kind of fate Lacey devised for him and refresh my memory about how and when he’ll die.
I find his file but just as I’m about to double click and open it, I pull back. Do I really want to know what Lacey has planned for him? He’s already faced grief and loss. What if his fate gets worse than that? Do I want that knowledge?
I think for a few moments and decide it doesn’t really matter either way. He and I aren’t going to become friends. I enjoyed our afternoon together, but that has to be the end of it. If his fate is bad, I can live with it. He is, after all, just another human. Easy come, easy go.
I double click on the file. His entire past and future lies before me. I scroll down to the end of the document, looking for the relevant part, the date of death. I don’t have to scroll far.
May fifteenth of this year.
I read the page again. The date doesn’t change. May fifteenth is a little less than two months from now. I quickly scroll back up, looking for the details on how he will die. I’m furious when I find them.

GUEST POST

Funerals, Book Ideas, and Other Odd Behavior

Whenever people ask me where I get my ideas, I say, “Anywhere and everywhere.” Almost anything can be the seed of an idea for a story. Yet for all that I mine for ideas in every aspect of my life, even I never expected to get an idea at a funeral. But that’s exactly where Broken Fate first appeared in my head.

It was the funeral of a relative who died way too young. Like any sane person, I hate funerals, even more so because I tend to be a snotty crier. Once the tears start, it gets embarrassing. I do everything I can to keep myself together until I can cry in private. So there I was, trying to distract myself from thoughts of death, when I found myself thinking of, well, death. Specifically, what kind of nonsensical, cold, cruel system would claim someone so young?

I remembered the unit on Greek mythology from my freshman English class. That was where I first heard the myth of the three Fates: The first spins human lifelines, the second assigns them their destinies, and the third kills the humans by cutting the lifelines.

[IMAGE 4]

My brain locked on the third Fate. How bad would that job stink, I thought. All you do is kill people, day after day. And you’re immortal, so it never ends. You’re just a cog in the business of life and death. After a while, you wouldn’t even care any more. Your days would just be snip, snip, snip. It’d be like working on a never-ending assembly line.

Beyond the fatigue, you couldn’t possibly have any relationships with humans because loving people you have to kill is insane. “Hey, let me love you so I can kill you and then be sad.” Um, no. But what would happen if one day you did fall in love with a human, and that human had a very short shelf life?

There it was: The idea for Broken Fate. I spent the rest of the service working it out in my head, thus averting the snotty crying crisis.

I wanted to write it down, but that’s not cool in the middle of a funeral. After the service, I reached for my phone, but since we’d carpooled to the service it was still in the car back at the house. I dug around in my purse for a pen but I didn’t have one.

I kept chanting, “Fate, Fate, Fate,” in my head until I caught up to my cousin at the reception.

“I need to use your phone to send myself an email.” I said.

She looked at me strangely, but fortunately my family is great at overlooking weird behavior. She handed over her phone and I sent myself the following:

“Fate, business, crappy job, how could you love someone if you had to kill everyone, person with rapidly approaching expiration date.”

So a novel about death was born at a funeral. Since I can’t separate the funeral from the book, Broken Fate has become a weird, bittersweet, and humorous last memory of my relative. That’s strangely comforting.

AUTHOR BIO

Jennifer is a freelance writer and novelist. As a freelancer, she writes everything from technical manuals to articles on personal finance and European-style board games. Her interest in storytelling began when she was six and her parents gave her a typewriter for Christmas and agreed to pay her $.01 per page for any stories she churned out. Such a loose payment system naturally led to a lot of story padding. Broken Fate, her first novel, earned her $2.80 from her parents.
Jennifer lives in North Carolina and, when not writing, can often be found reading, trawling the shelves at the library, playing board games, watching sports, camping, running marathons, and playing with her dog. You can visit her at her official website:www.JenniferDerrick.com.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by:

ALL THAT JAZZ by Natasha Boyd Book Blitz with @XpressoTours

All that Jazz
Natasha Boyd
(A Butler Cove Novel)
Publication date: March 22nd 2016
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

There’s something totally inconvenient about falling for your best friend’s brother. Especially when he’s turned into a pompous, arrogant, albeit annoyingly sexy a-hole that you’d like to punch or kiss to death at any given moment.
The summer she turned eighteen, Jazz Frazer accidentally lost her heart to Joey Butler, after a favor that blurred the lines from friends to lovers.
For three years they’ve pretended there’s nothing between them anymore. Jazz is finally ready to move on with the rest of her life. She’s looking forward to the end of college and fulfilling her dream of travelling the world. She’s determined that experiences and relationships will be fun, casual and easy. After all, she learned the hard way that men just don’t stick around anyway. But when her best friend gets herself into a relationship with a celebrity, Jazz has to do the one thing she never thought she’d do, call Joey and ask for help.
Repeatedly thrown together, Jazz tries everything she can to protect her heart and not fall back in love with Joey. But when Joey finally admits that Jazz is the one he’s always wanted, all bets are off.
Contemporary, friends to lovers, second chance romance. 17+ for strong language and sexual situations.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iTunes

EXCERPT:

The Summer I turned 18
“And you won’t fall in love with any of them and want to get married?”
“Nope.” I shrugged. “That would impede my career plans.”
Joey snorted, then wheezed. “Right.”
I wanted to shove the dishtowel he was holding down his damn throat.
“Right, what?” I snapped.
“Right, I believe you,” he added with barely concealed sarcasm. His eyebrows raised.
“It’s true. I don’t see what the big emotional deal is with sex anyway.”
“Because you’ve had so much of it?”
I glanced away. That was way more information than he needed.
“So the almost eighteen year old virgin is going to try and tell me she understands what sex without emotion is like?”
“Not for much longer,” I said with a haughty tone, irritated he just assumed I was a virgin, and clasped my hands in front of me on the table. “I plan on getting rid of that status as soon as possible.”
Joey yanked his chair back out and sat down opposite me, his glare intense, the blue of his eyes darkened to grey.
I pulled back at his abrupt move and his hand reached out and snared mine, pinning it to the table. “What?” I managed after a few beats of uncomfortable silence where my hand was burned alive.
Conflicting thoughts seemed to flit over his face for what seemed like long minutes instead of the few seconds it probably was. Then he let out a long breath.
“You’re playing a very dangerous game, putting so little importance on sex.”
I scowled. “What does that even mean?”
“It means …” He swallowed. “You should respect yourself enough not to give it away to just anybody.”
My face throbbed with heat as my temper rose. “I respect myself just fine. Big brother,” I hissed.
“Good,” he growled. “Because if you don’t, nobody else will.”
I yanked my hand from his. “I don’t understand you. So you’re allowed to have meaningless sex, but I’m not? Again with your double standards, Joseph. It’s unbecoming, you should watch that.”
He shrugged. “You said it. You’re like a little sister to me. I care that you don’t get hurt. And for God’s sake don’t be roping Keri Ann into your stupid quest. I’m just warning you to be careful.”
“Of what exactly?” I said through my clenched teeth. Because seriously, I was completely angry and humiliated by this stupid argument.
“You don’t even know yourself, do you?” He laughed, his strong jaw tilting back to reveal his tanned throat. “You, Jazzy Bear,” he rested his blue eyes back on me, “will fall madly in love with the first boy you sleep with.”
“I will not. And for the love of cheese grits, please don’t call me Jazzy Bear again.”
“You will. It’s written all over you. And,” he sobered as he looked at me unflinchingly, “he will break your heart. I’m sorry. In advance.”

Author Bio:
Natasha Boyd is an internationally bestselling and award-winning author of contemporary romantic southern fiction. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, and has a background in marketing and public relations. Eversea, her debut novel, was a finalist for Contemporary Romance in the 2013 Winter Rose Contest, won the 2014 Digital Book Award for Adult Fiction and is a LIBRARY JOURNAL self-e selection 2015. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Georgia Romance Writers and Island Writer's Network in coastal South Carolina where she has been a featured speaker on book marketing. She lives with her husband, two sons and the cast of characters in her head.
Natasha grew up in South Africa, Belgium and England. She now lives and writes full-time in the USA.
Her work is available in English, Italian, Turkish, German, and Indonesian.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by:

Cover Reveal: Losing Logan by Sherry D. Ficklin

Oh boy, do I love contributing to this blog! Especially when I get to do gorgeous cover reveals of books that sound as good as this one. Although, I must admit, I have a bit of a soft spot for YA paranormal romances revolving around a murder mystery. ;-)

Check this out!

Losing Logan by Sherry D. Ficklin
Publication Date: May 6th 2014
Genres: YA, Romance, Suspense, Paranormal

What if the one thing you never meant to hold on to, is the one thing you can’t let go of?

Normally finding a hot guy in her bedroom wouldn’t irritate Zoe so badly, but finding her childhood friend Logan there is a big problem. Mostly because he’s dead.

As the only person he can make contact with, he convinces Zoe to help him put together the pieces surrounding his mysterious death so he can move on. Thrust into his world of ultra popular rich kids, Zoe is out of her element and caught in the cross-hairs of Logan’s suspicious ex-girlfriend and the friends he left behind, each of whom had a reason to want him dead. The deeper they dig to find the truth, the closer Zoe gets to a killer who would do anything to protect his secrets. And that’s just the start of her problems because Zoe is falling for a dead guy.

And without further ado, the cover!

I love this so cover much! You can learn more about the book at the links below:

Goodreads
Facebook
http://www.sherryficklin.com


About the Author:

Sherry D. Ficklin is a full time writer from Colorado where she lives with her husband, four kids, two dogs,
and a fluctuating number of chickens and house guests. A former military brat, she loves to travel and meet new people. She can often be found browsing her local bookstore with a large white hot chocolate in one hand and a towering stack of books in the other. That is, unless she’s on deadline at which time she, like the Loch Ness monster, is only seen in blurry photographs.
She is the author of The Gods of Fate Trilogy now available from Dragonfly Publishing. Her previously self-published novel After Burn: Military Brats has been acquired by Harlequin and will be released in 2015 with a second book in that series to follow. Her newest YA steampunk novel, EXTRACTED: The Lost Imperials book 1, co-written with Tyler H. Jolley is now available everywhere books are sold and her newest YA novel, Losing Logan, is due for release in 2014 from Clean Teen Publishing.

Review: The Girl with the Iron Touch, by Kady Cross

Kady Cross' much awaited sequel to The Girl in the Clockwork Collar, The Girl with the Iron Touch brings the unapologeticly steampunk feel to a London adventure that spans from Mayfair to Whitechapel, and unearths new secrets in the London Underground. As a woman with a soft spot for the London Underground (have you seen the National Geographic article?), this book certainly touched on some of my favorite themes: Aether, SCOUSes, that's Sea Creatures of Unusual Size, in case you were wondering, Automotons, and philosophy.

The Girl with the Iron Touch revisits all of the story's past dealings in one way or another, Finley even remarks on parallels between the dilemma they are faced with and one she overcame on her own in The Strange Case of Finley Jane, which remains my favorite of the tales from Cross' The Steampunk Chronicles. That said, with the character of Endeavor 312, The Gril with the Iron Touch examines one of my favorite questions in speculative fiction: what does it mean to be human?

Enjoyable, as expected by any novel coming from the pen of Kady Cross, my one reservation is that Finley, Griff, Emily and Sam seem to be spending a little too much time letting their hormones get in the way of their better judgment, and the plot. Yes, the fact that this is a Harlequin TEEN novel means that I shouldn't be surprised, but I missed the slow build of the awkward tension which typified The Girl in the Steel Corset and The Girl in the Clockwork Collar.

Now, I'm going to go find a copy of The Dark Discovery of Jack Dandy, because somehow I didn't know this existed until a moment ago, and my logic engine tells me it is imperative that I read it.

Interview with Leigh Ann Kopans

Two years ago, I was lucky enough to beta-read a fantastic YA Sci-fi/Superhero novel, ONE by Leigh Ann Kopans. I was intrigued by the unique concept, and swept away by the main characters and swoon-worthy romance. And now, ONE is available for all to read! Today, I am delighted to have Leigh Ann Kopans here for an interview.

Raised on comic books and classic novels, Leigh Ann developed an early love of science fiction and literature. As an adult, she rediscovered her love for not only reading, but also writing the types of fiction that enchanted her as a teen. Her debut novel, ONE, is about a girl with only half a superpower, the boy who makes her fly, and her struggle to make herself whole.

Leigh Ann, her husband, and four children live in Columbus, Ohio. When she’s not immersed in the world of fiction, you can find her obsessing over the latest superhero movie or using her kids as an excuse to go out for ice cream (again.)

Welcome to We Do Write, Leigh Ann.

Hi Elizabeth! Thanks so much for inviting me to We Do Write today!

Thanks for joining us! Tell us about a little about ONE. What’s the story about?

One is about a girl with only half a superpower – she can float, but she can’t move through the air, so no flying. That sucks, because almost everyone else has enough powers to do something cool, or none. When she meets a boy with only half a superpower, and they realize what they can do together, the story really starts. 

Great goodness! What a beautiful cover! I love the idea of only having half a power. How did you come up with the idea?

I’ve been obsessed with superheroes as far back as I can remember. I grew up watching X-men on Saturday mornings, and I loved the mix of kick-butt powers and drama on that show. I thought about superpowers long and hard, and realized that they almost all had more than one component. I wondered what would happen if someone had only one of those components. 

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

I have an ARMY of critique partners and beta readers. ONE went through three big edits, then two more light edits before it went off to the copyeditor. So far, TWO, the sequel, has been through two big edits, and is waiting for a lighter one before going to beta readers, and then it will go to the copyeditor. I can’t speak for TWO yet, but ONE had just over two dozen early readers before going to the final copyedit.

That's a lot of beta-readers. I'm happy to add myself into that two-dozen. Are you a plotter or a pantser?

ONE was pantsed, but that was the last book I’ll ever write like that. I have a day job and four kids, and for me, pantsing just takes way too long. Now, I outline with the help of a beat sheet, and it cuts the time it takes me to write a first draft down about 75%. 

Hmmm... you present a convincing argument. I may have to rethink my pantsing tendencies.  What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

I would say making sure every element of the plot makes sense, because that’s what it seems like to me…but if I look at my editor’s comments, the hardest part for me is ACTUALLY getting a consistent and likeable character voice and arc. 

What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

Unfortunately, munchies. I’ve mostly transitioned to low fat popcorn and carrot sticks, but let’s just say writing as much as I do isn’t that awesome for my waistline. Can’t win ‘em all, I guess.

Wouldn't it be great if typing burned as many calories as running? We should look into that.

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

To never sleep. Think of all the books I could write! And read!

What's the weirdest thing you've googled?

I can’t think of a weirdest thing, but the saddest thing I’ve googled recently is “Good excuses for my suicide scars.” But that’s for a different book.

Quick writing test! Use the following words in a sentence: graffiti, cloud, trolley.

The graffiti scrawled on the side of the trolley blurred into a cloud of color as it sped by.

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

Who would you like to thank for supporting you?

Jamie Grey has been by my side literally from the moment I decided to self-publish this book, and I honestly think I would have quit at twenty different times if she hadn’t been there to pull me along. Trisha Leigh has been my publishing mentor and inspiration, and I’d be lost without her. And every member of my production and street team, #TeamONE, has gone above and beyond to make this book a success – and that’s over 100 people. 

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

Thank you so much for asking!
I blog at www.leighannkopans.blogspot.com
My official site is at www.leighannkopans.com

And here are the buy links for ONE!
Amazon Kindle
Paperback (from Amazon)
Special Edition Paperback with comics (from Amazon)
Barnes and Noble Nook
iBookstore
Signed (from my site)
Createspace

Thank you so much for inviting me over! It’s been a pleasure. 

Congratulations on your release, Leigh Ann! Thanks for stopping by!

**Friday, July 5th, We Do Write will have an exciting announcement! Come check it out!**

Interview #2 with O. M. Grey

For those of you who don’t remember, We Do Write interviewed O. M. Grey when her book, AVALON REVISITED, was first released, back in 2010. Then, we celebrated when AVALON REVISITED was re-released in January of this year. And today, we are lucky to have Ms. Grey back for another interview!

Welcome back to We Do Write! Tell us about the re-release of AVALON REVISITED. How did this all come about?

Imagine my surprise when my agent, Louise Fury, called one day late last year and told me Riverdale Ave Books wanted to re-release Avalon Revisited! Louise has worked with Lori Perkins for several years, and they both adored the novel. We were all disappointed when several NY publishers said they loved it but ultimately couldn't publish it because of the unconventional male POV in a romance novel. Lori has breathed new life into Avalon Revisited, and I couldn't be more pleased. 

I've had the most fabulous time working with the lovely folks at Riverdale Ave Books. Plus, they love my work. Since the re-release of Avalon Revisited, they've also released my short story "A Kiss in the Rain" on the Kindle and opened their WE LOVE NY anthology with my short story "For the Love of a Book." 

"A Kiss in the Rain" is a Gothic Erotica Ghost Story from another era. Eliot, a professor and inventor, suffers unbearable grief over the loss of his dead wife. Though an expert in the new invention of electricity, it seems that even modern science cannot bring her back, but maybe there is a force even more powerful? My publisher, Lori Perkins, calls me the female Edgar Allen Poe, and I don't think there could be a higher compliment for someone who writes Gothic Horror.

That is quite a compliment! Your writing must really impress her. Remind us all what AVALON REVISITED is about.

Arthur Tudor has made his existence as a vampire bearable for over three hundred years by immersing himself in blood and debauchery. Aboard an airship gala, he meets Avalon, an aspiring vampire slayer who sparks fire into Arthur’s shriveled heart. Together they try to solve the mystery of several horrendous murders on the dark streets of London. Cultures clash and pressures rise in this sexy Steampunk Romance.

Sounds intriguing. I mean, who can resist a steampunk vampire/vampire-hunter romance? Very hot! And what an awesome cover! 

What's your favorite thing about writing steampunk?

My favorite thing about writing Steampunk is, on one hand, anything goes! If you can imagine it, you can build it. From fantasy to romance to horror, the gadgetry and technology of Steampunk can create wondrous worlds. At the same time, the way I write Steampunk, you can choose to keep some historical parameters, giving your world a structure in reality. For me, it makes it all more believable. My characters are sometimes real historical figures, like Madame Jeffries, and the technology used within my novels actually existed 150 years ago. 

In steampunk, it is ALL about those details. They really make the world of the story into a world you wish you could walk around in for a day.

Now that AVALON REVISITED has been out for a few months, what are you working on?

I've just finished the final draft of Avalon Revamped, a sequel, of sorts. I always throw the "of sorts" into the mix because although it takes place in the same world with many of the same characters, it is an altogether different book. Not the dark, cheeky romance of Avalon Revisited, Avalon Revamped is horror through and through. This is what happens AFTER the "happily ever after," when Prince Charming turns out to be a narcissist sociopath who not only fooled the princess, but also has complete control over her and her body. While Arthur as the anti-hero again, emphasis on ANTI, I introduce Constance, a succubus who punishes those who abuse and destroy women, as the anti-antagonist. A supernatural female Dexter in Steampunk London, as it were. The book is ruthless, and so is Constance. Any false character growth from the first book is washed away as Arthur reveals his true self: a sociopathic vampire who cares for nothing or no one besides his own selfish desires, forever looking for that fairy tale perfect love. A narcissist, bored with his existence and his relatively new lover. So horrified by the darkness within himself, he's always looking for the next distraction, the next warm body to fill. It will take the strength, love, and empathy of Avalon to save him from a most horrific fate at the hands of Constance, but after the way he treats Avalon, will she want him to be saved?

Very cool premise! I can’t wait to get my hands on it, and on AVALON REVISITED.

Thanks for joining us!

Thank you so much for having me today. May you all find peace.

You can find O. M. Grey's books online: 

Avalon Revisited: http://t.co/96ECerwM

The Zombies of Mesmer: http://t.co/2EQG5UQy

Caught in the Cogs: http://amzn.to/frd5hv

We Love NY anthology: http://goo.gl/bkTWk

"A Kiss in the Rain": http://goo.gl/1wGqw

Look for all my titles on my Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/eqd7MQ

Interview with Sasha Summers

As part of the Hollywood Holiday blog tour, I'm interviewing author Sasha Summers.

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

I’m a mom to 4 amazing kids, a wife, a terrible housekeeper, and a lover of stories – books and film.

How long have you been writing? 

Since I was little. I won’t tell you how long ago exactly – but my first completed play was for Girl Scouts.

Tell us about HOLLYWOOD HOLIDAY. What’s the story about? 

A Hollywood actress hoping to save her career. A scarred Marine hoping to find peace. He hates Hollywood, she knows a relationship will make things that much more complicated for her – so of course they have to fall for each other ;)!

How did the idea of the story come to you? 

Jen was a character in Book 1 (Hollywood Ever After) that had a few scenes of hers cut. But her story wouldn’t let me go so I gave her her very own story.

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

Yes, yes, and yes.

Are you a planner or a pantser? 

Pantser – but I do find I go back and plot to help bridge sometimes.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you? 

If my characters aren’t fully realized, I hit a wall. It can take time to figure them out sometimes.

What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing? 

My computer. Music is nice, too.

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

Write faster. I’ve actually thought about looking into one of those voice transcription software packages because I can’t type fast enough to keep up with my train of thought. Okay, that’s a selfish super power… Hmmm, the ability to make food and water grow anywhere so that people never went without.

What's the weirdest thing you've googled? 

No comment.

Haha. Quick writing test! Use the following words in a sentence: pilfer, repugnant, and purified.

You drank the last of the purified water, so I had to pilfer the only non-repugnant beverage left – margarita!

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

reading or watching TV/movie – or pretty much anything to avoid laundry…

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

I love my publisher – seriously. They are AWESOME.
And my family is fantastic. And my crit group and my beta readers – Allison!!!
And there are a few fans/friends that have done so much to help ‘me’ get out there: Shannon Shuey, Dana Grissom, Viviana Izzo, Rhonda Wellborne, and more… Gosh, I know I’m leaving people out… 

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

My books are on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, KOBO… pretty much wherever books are sold.  You can find more about me on my website: www.sashasummers.com

Thank you so much for sharing Hollywood Holiday with the world! Have a great day!

Interview with Ia Uaro

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who celebrates it. I hope your day is filled with yummy morsels and delightful people.

Speaking of delightful people, we're chatting with author Ia Uaro today about her novel, SYDNEY'S SONG.

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

I am Ia Uaro, a former teenaged writer, petroleum seismologist, and volunteer translator, now a mum who does several kinds of volunteer work, assesses manuscripts, reviews books and writes real-life socio fiction.

How long have you been writing?

My first book was traditionally published over 30 years ago. On fiction, I wrote on and off over the next ten years. On nonfiction, I wrote sporadically all along the years. This comeback to writing is two years ago.

Tell us about SYDNEY'S SONG. What’s the story about?

A fictionalized true story, Sydney’s Song is a romantic fiction, real-life socio fiction, humorous fiction, family drama, coming-of-age, travel/Australia, self-help/empowerment. It’s many things, but on the main, an Aussie-American love story. Very romantic, but PG-rated.

It starts in the Australian summer of 1999. Sydney of Sydney is 17 and newly graduated from high school. Her parents announce their divorce [it’s now a trend for Aussie women to divorce their husbands as soon as their kids finish high school] and leave her alone. Shaken Sydney starts a holiday job in the beehive that is the Olympics' public-transport call centre, while waiting for university to start in three months’ time.
Everything about her job is horrible. The sheltered Aussie is plagued by abusive callers, obnoxious government agencies, constrictive office rules, and liberated friends. She is trying to negotiate these challenges as her own personal Olympics when Pete finds her. Pete, Boston's former child prodigy whose soothing voice floats across her workstation, sees through Sydney's tough outer shell. Pete knows what it takes to present a dignified front when all you want to do is howl at the moon. Treating their friendship like an art, he invests time and creative effort to pull Sydney out of her despair.
Tragedy strikes when an accident leaves Pete with a major brain injury in a Boston hospital. Their families think Sydney is too young to cope with all the complications, but she doesn't agree. After all that he has done for her, Sydney refuses to leave Pete with people who view him only as an endless chore. Deferring her university studies, alone in a foreign land facing new trials, Sydney stays at his side—even when he doesn't recognise her.

Set in Sydney and Boston where heartbreaks are juxtaposed humour, SYDNEY'S SONG is a young girl's courageous journey to adulthood and a love story. A work of fiction based on real events, this novel with an Australian accent also shows the world that living with disabilities does not prevent a person from attaining happiness.

How did the idea of the story come to you?

In June 2010 I met a friend I used to work with. She said the old office was closing down, and we reminisced about our experiences there. When I arrived home, my then 13-year-old daughter was crying because she couldn’t finish the novel she had been working on—so I thought to show her by example, that if she kept on writing she was bound to arrive at the finish line. When I opened my computer, a uni friend had just posted an ancient pic. In it, we (if you read this book, look out for “the band”) were all singing by a lake. Also in the picture was my Beecroft friend, who was visiting me, so distraught by her parents’ recent divorce. I mixed all of these in the opening chapters. After that, I continued with my husband’s true life stories.

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

My longtime friend and my sister in law were my primary beta readers. But now I have so many friends from the writing world, including professional editors.

Are you a planner or a pantser?

Both. A colleague objected on my original storyline of SYDNEY’S SONG, “Don’t you dare torture her anymore!” That’s why I moved it to hubby’s story.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

Telling the truth. Always makes me bleed all over again.

What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

On the original draft—nothing. I can write through hail and water. But I need silence when editing—no noise except quiet music and/or the soothing sound of water.

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

Ah-ha! I have this question in my book! I quote:

“Hey Pete, if you were king of the world, and you could do anything you want, what would you like to turn yourself into?”
“A bird,” he promptly replied. “So I can have a bird’s-eye view. See things better. Easier to comprehend them. And you?”
“An eagle! Not just any bird, but the most majestic of them all.”

What's the weirdest thing you've googled?

My first book, which was written in a different language long before the internet era. I found:
- Some people treasure it as a rare, precious book in Goodreads
- Some people advertised asking where to buy the book
- Some book clubs still discuss it, after three decades have past
- It even has a Facebook page!

Quick writing test! Use the following words in a sentence: harmonize, reluctant, and enterprise.

Although reluctant, I have now started a business enterprise to harmonize my marketing effort with my distributor’s demand.

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

spending time with my family, working my day job, volunteering for the community, and assessing my friends’ manuscripts.

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

There are friends who pretend to be friends. But I have been so blessed by many friends who believe in me, work so hard and sacrifice to support me and my work, endlessly tweet and retweet for me, tirelessly spend all their free time translating SYDNEY’S SONG to other languages for me (btw, the Spanish version may come as soon as December!). You know who you are. You have my deepest gratitude. No one will honour me, except the honorable.

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

Come visit my website http://sydneyssong.net/ to interact with me on my blog and guestbook. It also has links to my Twitter, Facebook, and book outlets.

Interview with Nicky Wells

Today we're chatting with author Nicky Wells about her new book, SOPHIE'S TURN, published by Sapphire Star Publishing.

Welcome, Nicky! Tell us a bit about yourself.

(Nicky laughs uncertainly: where to start?) I’m a writer, as well as a mother and wife. I love rock music, as you probably guessed, and have been known, in a previous life, to carry a torch for the odd rock singer or three. Luckily, none of these crushes ever came to anything or I wouldn’t have met my lovely husband! That said, he does sing and he does play the guitar… so the music theme is there. People say I am funny with a wicked sense of humour. I wouldn’t know about that, of course. I’m German by birth and not supposed to have a sense of humour, wicked or otherwise.

How long have you been writing?

That’s not an easy question to answer. In some capacity, I have been writing all my life. Yes, I know, everybody says that, but it’s true! I wrote Sophie’s Turn when I was pregnant with my first child almost eight years ago. That was my first serious incident of novel writing, and it took about four months. Then, baby boy came along and turned my world upside down, so writing took a backseat (to put it mildly). I picked the thread up again last year after I decided to launch Sophie’s Turn upon the world and realised that the story was far from over.

Tell us about SOPHIE'S TURN. What's the story about?

Sophie’s Turn is the story of one young woman’s inadvertent entanglement with a rock star. Sophie’s dream of marrying lead singer Dan could be within reach… if she could just figure out what to do about her engagement to boyfriend Tim. Glamorous, funny, charming and honest, this contemporary fairy tale traces how Sophie gets into her predicament and how she turns it around.

How did the idea of the story come to you?

I blame my husband. He knows I have this weak spot for rock stars, and he can never resist a little dig. One night, when we were watching telly, a clip came on featuring either a rock star or one of my favourite movie stars, I can’t recall now who. It doesn’t matter, anyway; what matters is that I said something along the lines of, “wow, how could a girl ever resist if he proposed?” And my husband replied drily, “well, good job you’re already married to me.” We both laughed but that night, when I couldn’t sleep (remember, I was quite highly pregnant), the idea ricocheted round my head: what if…? I started planning the very next day!

Are you a planner or a pantser?

A planner, definitely. My first ever secret and deeply embarrassing attempt at writing was an off-the-cuff, barely planned, rushed and frantic affair produced over ten days. It was… alright, but it made me cringe when I read it again. The plot was inconsistent, full of holes, and occasionally even contradicted itself. I buried that attempt in the attic (I might have burned it since… the manuscript, not the attic) and learnt my lesson. Now, I plan.

I plan in several stages. First comes the concept or main idea. I develop a flowchart of key events around that, the kind of ‘red thread.’ From there, I develop outlines for scenes and character profiles. The last stage of planning for me is producing a one-page outline of each chapter or major part of the plot, and it’s from those ‘crib’ sheets (usually about 20) that I eventually write.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

Now, the hardest part is remembering to use American spellings!! Ok, seriously, the hardest part of writing is the editing and polishing. It’s fun, but it’s stretching. When you’ve read and dissected your manuscript for the 15th time, you eventually reach the point when words lose their meaning, sentences don’t make sense, and the whole story seems to disintegrate in front of you. Incidentally, that’s usually the point at which you’ve done enough!

What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

A cup of tea. And chocolate!

Oh yes, amen to the chocolate! If you could have any super power, what would it be?

If I could have any super power, I would get by without any sleep. My goodness, my life would be transformed. Think of all the novels I could write in the dead of night while everyone else was sleeping?

What's the weirdest thing you've googled?

The weirdest thing I’ve googled… well, let me tell you about the thing with the weirdest and most unexpected results. It flagged me up on the company firewall, no doubt (I was working for a research consultancy at that point) and it made me cringe.

You see, my then manager was leaving the company to go to law school. I was in charge of finding a jokey leaving present to lighten the mood at her official departure ceremony. I thought it would be a great idea to give her a huge, inflatable plastic gavel. So I googled… large, inflatable plastic gavel.

I leave it to your imagination what kind of results I got. I’d had no idea I’d stumbled into kinky-land!

LOL, that's hysterical! Okay, quick writing test! Use the following words in a sentence: envelope, tree tops, and marmalade.

A confused and disconcerted Tarzan sitting high amongst the tree tops turned the brown enveloped marked ‘final demand’ over and over in his hands, his sticky marmalade fingers making a pretty pattern on the recycled paper.

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

YAY! A huge big Thank You shout out goes to the following people:
~My husband, of course, for his unfaltering belief and unwavering support. Thank you for cooking dinner yet again while I work!
~everyone at Sapphire Star Publishing, especially Amy and Katie: you guys rock
~Linn B. Halton, for all her support and advice
~All the amazing authors and associate readers over at Loveahappyending.com: you are my writing family, and your good humour and never ending cheer keep me going!
~Shaz Goodwin, for showing me the ropes on the blogging front
~Sue Fortin for being the best writing buddy one could ever imagine

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

You can find me on my blog where I post articles, interviews, radio interviews and, of course, an ongoing update on my work in progress, the second and third parts of the Rock Star Romance Trilogy. You can also follow me on Twitter and find me on Facebook. I’m a featured author with the innovative reader/author project, loveahappyending.com and have joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association. Oh, and I have author pages with Sapphire Star Publishing and on Goodreads, of course! ☺

Sophie’s Turn is available in Kindle edition from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk and many other Amazon sites. The paperback edition is also available from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. In addition, you can obtainSophie’s Turn from Barnes & Noble.

Author Update: Derek Haines

Today we're catching up with author Derek Haines, whom I interviewed back in August 2010. Derek's been busy writing, and he's here to talk about his new book.

Welcome back, Derek. Congratulations on your new book. Tell us all about ONE LAST LOVE.

Life has the habit of delivering its perverse twists at the most unexpected times.

For Bonnie his life had been lived, and the bitter sweet memories of his wife, along with the never ending sorrow of losing his son so young remain with him, but were now ebbing slowly with the passing of the years. His days of love, warmth and tenderness well past and all that was left were his last few quiet years to grow old. Alone, yet content.

What he had done, he had done and what had happened, had. All that remained was to live out the rest of his life in a new place, far away from his checkered past. His days passing with the regularity that an old man desires and deserves. Until the dark day arrives that signals an impending end to his new found life, and with it, all sense of hope. 

In facing mortality, Bonnie resorts to using his crusty exterior and bravado to hide the frailty and fear he feels within himself, until he is presented with stark realities beyond his understanding and is forced to come face to face with his own prejudices and beliefs. In meeting Danny and Angeline, Bonnie begins to reshape his thoughts about his acceptance of those he had habitually admonished, and of the bigoted life he has lived. While Charlie and his daughter Beatrice realign his set concepts of how he has habitually rushed to judge people too quickly. 

However, it is only when Bonnie meets Madeleine that the most unexpected eventuality turns his hard held beliefs, and his very set views about life, people and love, on their head.

How did the idea of the story come to you?

One Last Love came from a couple of obtuse ideas but somehow gelled together. The first coming from noticing how elderly people expressed theirs feelings for each other. Much more tender and based on discreet yet unmistakeable expressions of love and devotion. Far removed from the hot and passionate notions usually found in mainstream romance novels. The other idea came from a personal viewpoint. Having lost my father, and a few very close friends who had spent their last days in a hospice, and the fact that there was a a long standing family rumor about an attachment my father had for many years, the two ideas played on my mind. In the end the main character, Bonnie, became a mélange of my father and my friends.

Are you a planner or a pantser?

Both probably. I usually write my first draft of a story based on a bunch of connected and sometimes disconnected notes and a basic one or two sentence story line. I like to write away then, and in the process get to know my characters intimately. When the first draft is finished, I feel a connection with them, and can then start on my second draft knowing them very well. During the second draft, I decide which characters need more or less expansion and where the story needs trimming or more likely, where it needs more detail. In the case of One Last Love, one seemingly incidental character in my first draft had so much more to say, so she received a lot more attention in my second draft. Then my third draft of a story is usually a tidy up exercise.

What's the weirdest thing you've googled?

This I have to say, happened today. I was wondering if there was a town or village anywhere in the world that was called something similar to No Mans Land as I needed it for the current book I'm writing. As luck would have it, there is. So thanks to Google and Google Maps, I have a great little place in England to set a part of my story.

Time for my infamous writing test ! Use the following words in a sentence: obligatory, kimono, and sand paper.

I had never been to Japan before and was eerily expectant having read Shogun by James Clavell far too many times. Of course I did all the Sushi and Karaoke bars in an attempt to discover what daily Japanese life entailed. However, it was only when a friend suggested I accompany him to a Geisha House did I start on my real Japanese adventure tour. When we arrived, I was of course nervous as what to expect. But once I had removed my shoes, which is of course obligatory before entering, and I had been so warmly welcomed, I started to relax. Just a little. Dressed in a beautiful, and one could almost say ornate kimono, Kayoko guided us through a series of delicate paper sliding doors to our tea room. So polite, so refined and so steeped in tradition, I felt I hadn't dressed at all formally enough for such an occasion. I'd only managed to run a blunt razor across my face that morning. I felt I had made such little effort, and had the thought that I should have used sandpaper on my five o'clock shadow and presented myself in a state fitting for such an overwhelmingly formal occasion. Kayoko didn't seem to mind though and entertained us delightfully for a full two hours. Afterwards I reflected on how accurate James Clavell had been in his observations of Japan.

Okay, that was more than a sentence, but still very clever. And finally, where can people find ONE LAST LOVE online?

One Last Love is only available through Amazon in both ebook and paperback.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007L5C424



Thanks so much for chatting with us, Derek. It was great having you with us. Best of luck with your new book!