Interview with Dana Mason

Today we're chatting with author Dana Mason about her book DANGEROUS EMBRACE.

Welcome, Dana. Tell us a bit about yourself.

Hi Dorothy, and thank you for inviting me to your blog. As a new author, the idea of doing interviews is a little intimidating, but I’ll do my best to keep it interesting. My personal tag line is “Mother-Writer-Person in training.” I guess you could say, expert at nothing, experienced at everything.
Let’s start with the mother side of me. I have two beautiful daughters and a beautiful little boy who isn’t so little anymore. They keep me grounded and remind me regularly that there is more to life than work.

Writer: I’m a debut author who still has a lot to learn, but I learn something new every day. Today I learned that it’s harder to talk about yourself than you might think.


Person: Like I said, I’m an expert at nothing but experienced at . . . well I’ve done a lot and seen a lot, yet life still manages to surprise me regularly. I’m a planner who tends to toss the plan out of the window and fly by the seat of my pants.

I spend my days at a large University managing a small continuing education department. I spend my nights between laughing at the dinner table with my family and at my laptop, running wild with my favorite fictional people. I’m also on the board for the local Art’s Council. That’s been an interesting experience, talk about a variety of different people. Maybe I’ll write a book about it one day.

You lead a busy life. How long have you been writing?

I started writing seriously about three years ago. I’ve always been an avid reader but never really put pen to paper until the two main characters for my novel popped into my head. I spent the next few months mulling over the two of them until the story idea eventually came to me in a morning news story.

Tell us about DANGEROUS EMBRACE. What's the story about?

Dangerous Embrace is about second chances and not taking life or people for granted. The story begins with Sarah getting attacked when leaving work one evening. She escapes the attacker and runs away . . . directly into Mark. Needless to say, Mark is happy she got away, but a little disappointed he didn’t get to nab the guy that attacked her.

Here’s a synopsis:

Sarah Jennings wants nothing more than a quiet life—alone.

Raised by an eccentric mother, their life on the road only taught her how to run away from hard times. But when she finds herself in an abusive relationship, this lesson serves her well.  

Now, back in her hometown, she's found a place she loves. She’s a first grade teacher, and with few friends and less family around, she has what she wants, a quiet life under the radar where she can be free of her past and live quietly. Finally comfortable in her own skin, she’s settled, and less fearful than she’s ever been in her life.

But it only took one night and one act of violence for everything to change. Injured and afraid, Sarah wants to run again, but Mark Summors refuses to let her go.

Just when Sarah thinks she can have Mark and the life he promises, her past comes back to haunt her.

***

Mark Summors was born and raised in Santa Rosa. He married his high school sweetheart and never questioned his life, until he found his wife with another man.

Now divorced, he wants something more. He’s passionate about his job, he wants to protect people, and he devotes his life to it.

This time he’s protecting more than just another client, he’s protecting his future; at least, Sarah Jennings will be his future, when he convinces her she loves him.

How did the idea of the story come to you?

I already had character outlines, I just needed a hook and little help with the plot. I was drinking my coffee, watching the morning news and there is was, ‘woman fights off attacker after being thrown into the bushes and assaulted’. Aha! I immediately grabbed my notebook and started taking notes. What’s better than a woman fighting off an attacker and ultimately getting the best of him? It was the perfect story to fit my characters. I loved it right away. Sarah is strong and she’s a fighter, refusing to let a man take from her again. She needed to save herself. Of course I let Mark do a little saving in the story too, but I wanted Sarah to be a strong woman, yet vulnerable enough to need Mark’s help. The plot blossomed from there.

Are you a planner or a pantser?

A little of both. When it comes to characters, I’m a planner. I spend weeks working on characters, getting everything right, from the way they look to their favorite catch phrases. When it comes to plot, I’m a pantser. I just need a vague idea and I can go from there. As long as I have a solid character to work with, I can write for days without ever looking up from the laptop. They take over the story, and if I try to harness that or control it, my creativity is smothered. I’ve tried to outline and I’ve tried to make lists, charts, you name it and I’ve tried it. They don’t work for me.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

Time. There isn’t enough hours in the day. I have a full time day job with an 80 mile roundtrip commute and three kids. Writing time is limited. Fortunately I have a very considerate family and a very helpful husband. He does all the laundry. ☺ Yes, I’m bragging. My teenage girls also do a lot of the house work. It’s difficult to juggle writing and family, but I love both so I manage.

I hear ya. What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing? 

Music. I must have music to concentrate. I know it’s odd, but true. Not loud music, I keep the volume down, but I need to have it on. A dictionary is always within reach as well as a book called ‘100 Words for Lovers’ by American Heritage Dictionaries. I also have a little alabaster owl that sits on my desk, I’ve named him Piccolo. He makes me smile.

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

Super human strength. One of my pet peeves in not being able to open a jar or lift a box. If I have to ask my husband to open a jar, it’s usually after I’ve tried for 10 minutes and I’m near tears. Which makes him laugh and makes me angrier, but I have to ask the question, what if he wasn’t here. I don’t like asking for help, my own weakness bothers me. I wouldn’t mind being able to fly either, since I’m short and always need him to reach things for me.


What's the weirdest thing you've googled?

Ahh, hum . . . good question. Let’s just say, I’m surprised the FBI hasn’t shown up on my doorstep yet. Okay, serious answer. This week I googled ‘how to fire your hair stylist’. I’ve googled a lot about missing kids, kidnapping, rape, and abandoned babies. Also current laws regarding rape convictions and punishments. All for my current novel or other works in progress.

Quick writing test! Use the following words in a sentence: depository, dishwasher, and embargo.

I put an embargo on the depository of dirty dishes because this dishwasher is on vacation.

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


Oh where to start…?
Amy and Katie at Sapphire Star Publishing have made my dreams come true. They really are the greatest. I hate to gush, and I know that all the Sapphire Star authors praise them a lot too, but it’s all true. They’re patient, caring, thoughtful, and they’re always available. Most important, they listen.

I’d also like to thank my family for sharing me with my characters. They are more understanding than they have to be, and I love them for it. My extended family have been very supportive too, Facebooking and Tweeting news about my book. It’s been heartwarming to see them all come together for me and my romance novel.

I’d like the thank you, Dorothy, for inviting me to be here today. Also the writing community in general, writers are truly generous. It’s been a great surprise to see everyone so supportive and helpful. 

You're very welcome. And finally, where can people find you and your book online?

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danamasonromance?ref=hl
Twitter: @danamason06
Website: http://danamasonromance.com/
Sapphire Star Publishing Author page: http://www.sapphirestarpublishing.com/danamason/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6440793.Dana_Mason 

Dangerous Embrace will be release October 4, 2012. You can find it on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Interview with Susan Schreyer

Hopefully you're all in good spirits, despite the hustle and bustle of the season. In keeping with being jolly, let's get to know magnificent writer Susan Schreyer.

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

I live in the great state of Washington and love the fact that wherever I look (when it's not cloudy) I can see mountains. I'm married -- twenty-one years now! -- have two almost-grown children, a rabbit with an attitude and a horse with an enormous number of fans from all corners of the planet. I love to laugh and wish I didn't have to watch my weight. Oh -- and my favorite color is green.

I think you've covered all the bases with that answer! How long have you been writing?

I started seriously writing mystery novels about 6 years ago, although like pretty much every other writer I've had the inclination all my life.

Tell us about the Thea Campbell mystery series. What are the stories about?

Death By A Dark Horse is the first of the Thea Campbell Mysteries. They take place in the real life town of Snohomish, Washington -- the antiques capital of the northwest -- and are "cozy-esque." I use that term because all the stories take place, at least in part, in a small town setting and involve people who know each other. However, the stories have been described not only as mysteries, but as suspense and romantic thrillers. Are they totally serious? Heck, no! Thea, the protagonist, as well as her friends and family, often show us the humor in life.

How did the idea of the stories come to you?

The major plot line for Death By A Dark Horse kept me up nights. Seriously. I wanted to write a mystery and all the advice I read said, "write what you know." My life is decidedly unmysterious, and I have no experience with solving murders. However, I do know horse people -- having been born that way -- so my thinking ran along the lines of what kind of situation would be so compelling to a horse owner that they simply had to become involved? Once I began writing the first story the characters took over. They weren't done with me. Story ideas won't leave me alone any more.

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

Yes! To everyone of those! I have several trusted critique partners who are accomplished writers in their own right, but I have a rather thorough self-editing process I go through before I hand my work over to them.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

All writing takes effort -- time, patience, willingness to learn craft and learn from others who have gone before. You learn quite a lot about yourself from the processed of discovering your own best method for working, and that self-discovery is not easy. The most difficult thing for me to learn to do was to be openly honest about emotions. Not only does it take an effort to admit to some of them, but you have to experience them as you write as well. If you don't, if you make a "best guess," or skirt an issue, your readers will know. So you have to feel the love, the fear, the anger -- all of it -- if your readers' emotions are going to be touched, too.

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

Silence. Or at least something that resembles silence. Music distracts me, as does conversation, and shiny objects :)

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

I would be super organized. That would make my life so much easier. On the other hand, flying would be great fun.

Quick writing test! Use the following words in a sentence: cave, umbrella, and irresistible.

Exploring the cave held an irresistible appeal for me from the moment I saw the bats, although the actual act of venturing inside caused me to wish I'd equipped myself with an umbrella and worn hip boots.

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

First, my family -- my husband and kids, my parents and sister and the whole lot of you. Then there are my writing friends, MK Windham, Lisa Stowe, Mary Buckham, Anne Christensen, Lisa Harris, the whole Sister in Crime Puget Sound Chapter, The Guppies Chapter of SinC, and last but never never least all the wonderful readers who have enjoyed my books and taken the time to tell me, their friends or both. Love you all!

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

Death By A Dark Horse, Levels Of Deception and An Error In Judgment can be found in trade paperback on Amazon.com, and in digital format pretty much everywhere you can hope to find an ebook. Here's some popular sites;


Here's the link to Amazon for print and ebook: http://www.amazon.com/Susan-Schreyer/e/B004CLPMUG/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1


And the link to Smashwords for ebook: http://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=susan+schreyer


Barnes & Noble Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/susan-schreyer?keyword=susan+schreyer&store=ebook


Apple, Kobo and Sony have them as well.


Susan, thank you so much for stopping by and chatting with us. It was a pleasure getting to know more about you and your books.

Interview with Annabelle R Charbit

Happy Friday, everyone. Let's start the weekend early by indulging in an interview with a fun author. Let's welcome Annabelle R Charbit.

Hi, Annabelle.Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a research scientist and a writer. I got my PhD in Neuroscience from University College London, then moved to San Francisco to work at UCSF, and now I live in New York.

How long have you been writing?

Since 2006, when my comedy play, Sound Advice, was performed by CP Theatre Productions in London, UK.

How cool! Tell us about A LIFE LIVED RIDICULOUSLY. What's the story about?

In a nutshell, this is a comedy thriller about a girl with obsessive compulsive disorder, and what happens when she falls in love with a sociopath.

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

I have a little OCD myself and when I was growing up it was such a dirty secret. So writing about it makes it less embarrassing. Plus I hope that by putting it out there, it will make people laugh and also feel less embarrassed and isolated about their OCD. Why she falls for a sociopath? Well I’ve always been fascinated by this concept of people with no conscience, and am certain that we all have a few such characters in our lives.

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

I hired an amazing editor, Susan Malone of Malone Editorial Services. http://www.maloneeditorial.com/
She is exceptionally talented and diligent. Her editing has been worth every penny.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

Not getting fat! Every time I get stuck, I reach for the chocolate. I have put on nearly twenty pounds from start to finish of A Life Lived Ridiculously.

Ouch, yeah, I tend to reach for food as well. Maybe I better watch it. Let’s get to know you on a deeper level. What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

Three glasses of water and some British chocolate (Cadbury’s Dairy Milk mainly).

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

Intelligence. Like the people in the movie Limitless.

I love that movie! Quick writing test. Use the following words in a sentence: upload, coconut, and suspicious.

The woman was suspicious when the man at the Apple Store offered to upload her app in exchange for a peek at her coconuts.

Everyone around me just gave me a look because I busted out laughing. That was great! Here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you.

My editor Susan Malone for believing in the story, and my publisher Diane Dorcé for taking a chance on me. My cover designer, Duncan Long for his amazing book cover design. My best friend and better judgment, Letitia Bow for always finding everything funny and showing me that life is better when laughed at. My family for supporting all my crazy ideas throughout life. My husband for believing in me and never allowing me to stop believing in myself. My daughter, who makes each day worth living.

Let's hear your shout outs.

Susan Malone, Diane Dorcé, Duncan Long, Letitia Bow, Jason Bergenfeld, Cadbury Dairy Milk, Nutella on warm toast.

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

A Life Lived Ridiculously will be on sale in April 2012, and will be available in print and ebook version on Amazon, among others.

Right now you can read the first three chapters on the website at http://www.ridiculouslife.net/

Thanks so much for chatting with us, Annabelle. And I wish you much success with your book!

Interview with Kristen Howe

Today with talking to aspiring writer Kristen Howe.

Welcome, Kristen! Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Kristen Howe. I'm 33, almost 34, a former Jersey Girl who lives in Northern Ohio for the past 10 years, currently 5 years in the Cleveland area. I'm unemployed and currently work as a substitute secretary for my local school system. I also volunteer at my local hospital once a week too.

I understand you've got a lot on your plate. What are the names and genres of your manuscripts?

I'm currently working on five Nano/Julnowrimo mss at the moment. One of them I hope to pitch to agents this spring. Venom, Specimen and Double Exposure are my three eco-thrillers. The 24-Hour Chain Reaction is part psychological thriller/police procedural. Web of Deceit is romantic suspense.

That's a lot of writing! What are your stories about?

The 24-Hour Chain Reaction is about Detective Sierra Bledsoe, a SVU Detective from Dayton PD, who chases a speeder all across Southern Ohio, she finds out who the speeder is, and the ensuing events happen all in one day.


Venom is about a twisted poacher, who targets zoologists at a symposium in Key West, he is looking for a new kind of anti-venom; and it's up to Dr. Kylie Marx, a zoologist/herpetologist, to stop him in his tracks, which leads back to her past.


Double Exposure is about Dr. Alexa Phelps, a marine biologist and freelance photographer, who discovers a political scandal on the shores of Catalina Island, when it hits close to home dealing with potential politicians and eco-terrorists, with their regional outbreaks as ocean life dies.


Specimen is about Dr. Ursula Slater, a conchologist/zoologist, who learns that poachers are after a rare shell specimen on New Shoreham, Block Island, Rhode Island, and has to go scuba diving to beat them to the punch.


Web of Deceit is about Officer Melinda Herron from the Riverhead PD in Long Island, New York, who uncovers the truth on why someone wants her dead. She's also emotionally blackmailed and recruited by Internal Affairs to go undercover and ends up both in a love triangle and a world of hurt.

How did the ideas of the stories come to you?

Before I decided to go to Nano, I had dreamt of the ideas first. Recurring dreams. If it worked for Stephanie Meyer, why not me? Nonetheless, I never got stuck with Writer's Block. All of my ideas came from my dreams. The 24-Hour Chain Reaction stemmed from "24", the failed Fox TV show "Drive", and real life police chases you see in the news--high octane power in one powerful day. It reminded me of Sandra Brown's "Chill Factor", with the same timeline.


I've got the idea to do eco-thrillers, from a Writer's Digest Magazine article about eco-thrillers making a comeback. Other than Nicholas Evans books, there haven't been many out there. Plus, all of my eco-thrillers are set in island locations, which is "outside the box" to set a storyline. Not many stories have been set there. For Key West, there's Stella Cameron's Key West. That's it. For Catalina, there's "Swimming to Catalina" by Stuart Woods. You might see a brief mention or have a brief scene, if any books set in California, but not the entire book. You won't see books in Block Island. But you might see some in Hawaii. You get the picture, right?


As for Web of Deceit, this happened last spring, around this time to try a new genre. I've read a bunch of romantic suspense books over the past two years from Lisa Gardner to Karen Rose to set how it's set up.

Are any of your manuscripts complete or still works in progress?

All of them are still works in progress.

What are your word count goals, and how far along are you at this point?

The 24-Hour Chain Reaction is still undergoing its final editing round. Venom is almost completed, and will be done in a few weeks--just have to finish finalizing my chapters, write 1-2 new final chapters, and rework/tweak the rest. Specimen is at its 2nd editing round. Double Exposure is at its second to last. Web of Deceit is at its first, since I've just started it for Nanoedmo. Yes, I do have a word count goal for all of them to be around 90-110 K. I need to cut 5K for Specimen. 20 K for Web of Deceit, since it's partially done, 22 K (than 42 K) for The 24-Hour Chain Reaction, 50 K for Venom, 93 K for Double Exposure. That's what happens when you overwrite, during Nano.

What's your next step – are you self publishing, querying for an agent, etc.?


I hope to pitch Venom this spring. That's my next step to query agents. The others won't be for awhile.

That's understandable. Do you have a critique group/partner or beta readers, or do you self-edit?

It's a bit of both. I have a beta reader for Venom and just gained crit partners for Web of Deceit. I mainly do self-editing on my own. I've been a member of a few crit groups/forums for a few years. They're free and online.

Your poems have been published. Can you tell us a little bit about that?

Sure. I am taking a break from poetry for awhile, I've been writing poetry for a few years. I write various poetry forms and topics, real or fictionalized. I've been published in some markets online and some in print. Other than copies, I've been paid a few dollars for my published poems. It's harder to get into those paying markets.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

Editing. I tend to overwrite and have problems with show vs tell, tenses, tightening the flow. That's when crit partners/beta readers come in handy.

Any tips you’ve learned about writing you’d like to share?

Don't give up. Read out loud. Have a fresh pair of eyes.

Sound advice. Do you have an idea of your book’s cover art?

Yep. I don't have any pictures, but I have ideas that I've discussed with fellow Twitter friend and writer, Shannon Delany, last year.

For 24-Hour Chain Reaction, I have a tilting hourglass, with the small car from the chase slammed into the base. The title would fill white space above the hourglass and down along the right side of it. Words horizontal but stacked or a stopwatch being attached to the car's bumper as its squealing away. We'll see part of the car like viewer's overhead and disappear off to the right (either top or bottom corner--let your bloggers decide.


For Venom, there would be a photo of the swamp in the Everglades and at the bottom the title dropped into it, with one or two snakes slither out of the swamp, through the letters and towards the reader.


For Double Exposure, a photo of Catalina with a photograph of two spills with the "E" electric and in a different color than the rest of the title.


For Web of Deceit, it'll be simple with a spider web, a spider and a NYPD badge (perhaps RPD) in the middle of the web. The title would be in black and silver.


For Specimen, I've thought of a scuba diver in the Atlantic Ocean with shells forming the word, and a spear through blue-green letters.

Who are your inspirations?

Hmm. I would have to say, for the thriller angle, it would have to be Iris Johansen and Erica Spinder. Mary Higgins Clark got me hooked onto mysteries, and then onto cozies, suspense/thrillers. For romantic suspense, Karen Rose and Lisa Jackson. I've been recently hooked on them for a few years, before I decided to write my own.

Here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you. Who would you like to give a shout out to?

Special thanks goes out to my mom for believing in me and helping me fix my errors. I would also like to thank all of my Twitter friends. They all support me. And to my crit partners/beta readers, thanks for going for the ride.

And finally, where can people find you online?

I have two blogs: www.Kristensbookjungle.blogspot.com
and www.kristenswritingendeavors.wordpress.com.
I'm also at Twitter as @Kristen_Howe.

Thank you so much for taking time to talk with us, Kristen, and I wish you lots of luck in your publishing journey!