Interview with Travis McDougald

I hope everyone had a great Easter. We Do Write is back to spotlight another aspiring author for your reading pleasure. Today we're talking to Travis McDougald.

Welcome, Travis. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am 40 and I am your Galactic Emperor, I mean you no harm. Sorry couldn’t resist. I am a retired DJ after 15 years, actually I retired 3 years ago when I decided to help my mother raise horses. You will find a lot of musical references in my stories because of that. For my “Day Job” it is absolutely amazing. I get to raise and train such beautiful creatures and spring is here so it is time for new foals (babies).

I love horses. And foals, how sweet! So, what is the name and genre of your manuscript?

Science Fiction (wait…there are other genre’s?) Formally it was published and called “Eternity’s End?” now it is re-titled as “4012-The Eternity Razor”

Here’s the part where you pitch it. What’s your story about?

In the year 4012 peace has reigned and science has grown to become that of a god,casting off unnecessary fictions such as religion and love to pursue the purity of scientific knowledge. while children are created in test tubes to be free of all defects. It has been years since the revolutionary scientist Darren Kathudrin disappeared into space after committing the forbidden act of illegal cyberization to revive his son. Now, strange ships have appeared in deep space and Earth is under attack. Only a star ship being decommissioned and a 100 years old stands to defend Earth beginning a chain of events heralding the destruction of not only Earth, but the entire universe.


Salvation lies in the most unlikely place: a reclusive warrior with solid gold hair. Exiled because she was born and out casted because she was born to be perfect with the power of gods. Born with solid gold hair and a living metallic skeleton the genetic structure known as Michelle was forced to live alone and be raised by robots and computers never seeing another human. The lessons of an android instructor that taught her nothing but war and death, the ways of the warriors of Earth’s ancient past. Unknown to her that she is destined to fight the perfect war and fight for her very existence as well as the existence of everything and everyone in our universe. Her path to discovery will lead her down a road of peril, misfortune, love, and a battle she has been fated for since before she was born. However, with so many hidden forces arrayed against her, will she live long enough to discover the truth of her past?

How did the idea of the story come to you?

A dream I had when I was 6 years old, about a girl with golden hair, and then when I saw Star-Wars in 1977 I knew It was meant to be a story and have actually been working on it that long.

That's a long time indeed! Is your manuscript complete or still a work in progress?

A WiP at the moment because I am changing several key elements throughout the book.

Sci-Fi novels are usually lengthy due to world building. Tell us about your word count.

The Original word count was 102,526 for “Eternity’s End?” and I am projecting 115,000 for the Razor because I am adding a new scenario into it. The refinished plot is done and the first chapter is almost done, since I type 65 wpm I am expecting to have it re-written and ready to submit by the end of April.

That's soon. What is your next step?

Self-Publishing is not my goal, I prefer traditional just like all of my heroes were published. I would really like to find an agent but if not many traditional publisher now take unsolicited manuscripts, lots of folks will tell you that they don’t but Penguin has it on their website that they will now. Agents get kind of big headed about the fact that they are an agent so it makes me leery of them.

I think that depends on the agent, so good luck in your search for the right one. Do you have a critique group/partner or beta readers, or do you self-edit?

I don’t have a critique group but I do have a twitter friend that is reading for me.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

Clearing my head and sitting down to write, after that the stories flow. Just getting to that point first.

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

Actually a lot but the main thing I would suggest is research, obviously if people can read this then they are connected to the greatest information resource in the world, it’s amazing how much stuff there is on writing. So research and research and then have coffee and research some more.

Who are your inspirations?

Author C. Clark, Douglass Adams, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, Homer. That is just a small list and I have read all of the works by them, it’s because I have a low IQ that I am not a better writer after having read so many by the masters.

Let’s get to know you on a deeper level. Tell us three things about yourself.

1. First of all I have messed with computers since 1984 (my first was a Texas Instruments TI994A) and all my computer names begin with NEA. I was around when the internet came on-line.
2. I love Science Fiction which is why I write it. Really it was all Darth Vader’s fault. I remember coming home and being excited about Vader after I saw Star Wars for the very first time.
3. I love animation, older stuff like Thundarr the Barbarin, Herculiods and Space Ghost. I love some Anime, again older stuff like Super Sonic Soldier’s :Borgman and Dangio (Inter Galactic Black Market is just too cool.)

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

First of all would have to be the editor that was assigned to “Eternity’s End?” Angela Sasser http://angelicshades.com for her patients and understanding as well as her ability to suggest things. I have a spot on my blog that talks about her editing skills.


Second to my friends and family who have always supported my writing and especially to my mother Janice N. Chapman who inspires me with her poetry. http://janicenchapman.com

And finally, where can people find you online?

My personal website is http://keivamp.com (pronounced “kay-vamp”)

My writing blog is http://eternityauthor.blogspot.com/

Tweet me here: http://twitter.com/EternitysAuthor

Thank you so much for chatting with us, Travis, and good luck on the road to publication.

Happy Easter

As you may have guessed, I've been busy with family because of Easter break. I've got more interviews lined up, but they'll be posted after the holidays, so check back then. In the meantime, I wish you all a wonderful Easter weekend!

Interview with Melissa Murphy

Spring has sprung! This is my favorite time of the year. I get such a feeling of hope and optimism and simply enjoy the warmth and blossoming nature. Ahhhh.

On this fine spring day, we're chatting with promising aspiring writer Melissa Murphy. Welcome, Melissa. Tell us a little about yourself.

Hi, Dorothy! Thank you for inviting me. I am a married mother of four busy boys, and we also have numerous pets living with us as well. My love of writing and reading started way back in elementary school. At twelve I entered and won a writing contest which resulted in my short story being published in a children’s magazine that is dedicated to encouraging young writers under the age of thirteen, Stone Soup. I was hooked after that, but as it often does, life got in the way and I only just picked writing back up a little over a year ago.

The main thing is you got back into it. That's great! What is the name and genre of your manuscript?

My latest manuscript is called Secrets of the Gentleman Thief. It is a paranormal romance set in the mid-1800’s.

I like the title! I'm interested already. Here’s the part where you pitch it. What’s your story about?

Secrets of the Gentleman Thief is set in a fictional land, the Dark Forest. The forest’s great ancient trees conceal the existence of tiny magical creatures, guardians of the precious secret of all life.

Haunted by a traumatic event in her childhood that is locked away in the deepest recesses of her mind, Alisa Fenton embarks on a quest to find answers to the questions about her irrational fear of the Dark Forest that lies near her home. She begins by seeking out and interviewing those who are known to believe in the fairies of the Dark Forest. During one of her interviews, a psychic warns her about a dark stranger who is searching for her and could be her salvation or her ruin. Alisa’s brother, William, comes up missing forcing her to alter her plans. She then searches for answers to new questions. Unbeknownst to Alisa, the two situations are connected.


Her dark stranger, Daniel Emerson, an undercover agent for the Crown, is also looking for Alisa’s brother, though for very different reasons. William Fenton holds important information that Daniel’s superiors fear may fall into the wrong hands. Daniel fabricates a story of William owing him a large sum of money in order to protect the secret government organization. He suspects that Alisa knows more about her brother’s disappearance than she has divulged.


Despite their mutual distrust the two are compelled to travel and work together. Even the startling physical attraction that they both feel doesn’t allay their suspicious minds. Silencing anyone connected to the missing brother, a murderer closes in forcing them to flee and go into hiding. Passion erupts in seclusion reawakening the trauma lurking in Alisa’s subconscious and stirring Daniel’s guilt in the death of a woman he once loved.


Each driven by their own agendas, Alisa and Daniel follow a series of magical maps to the core of the Dark Forest, indeed into the very belly of the earth. The answers they find there only lead to more questions and uncertainty about the small amount of trust they have built. In the end, Daniel and Alisa must believe and trust in the magic of the fairies of the Dark Forest and in each other as well, to save all.

I'd definitely read this story! How did the idea come to you?

It’s kind of funny really. I was babysitting the three year old daughter of a friend of mine one day. She crawled up in my lap and asked me to tell her a story. Five to ten minutes later when it was done, I thought, that wasn’t half bad! I decided to write it down and then that led to the idea of turning it into a novel. In the beginning it was to be a YA novel, but it grew, changed and took on a life of its own, becoming so much more.

What stage is the novel at now?

It is complete. Well, complete until the next time I take a notion to do more revisions. lol I can’t seem to ever stop tweaking. I have been querying agents for this project and just last Friday got a letter from one who seemed interested. So, keep your fingers crossed for me, OK?

I'll definitely do that! So do you have a critique group/partner or beta readers?

Yes. For the first few manuscripts I wrote, I had only my two sisters and a couple of friends. Recently, I joined Romance Writers of America and found a great critique partner through them. I have also asked a couple of wonderful ladies who I met on twitter to help with a chapter that the interested agent asked me to revise. It never hurts to get another’s opinion.

I agree. What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

For me, the hardest part of writing is trying to do it with constant distractions. Between the children, pets and twitter, it is sometimes hard to get my head into the story. I have found that I do my best writing late at night when the house is quiet and dark. Of course, I can’t do too much of this, for I do still need sleep.

Ah, this mysterious "sleep" I keep hearing about. Maybe one day I'll find out what it is. LOL Any tips you’ve learned about writing you’d like to share?

Never give up! A friend reminded me recently that a lot of really great manuscripts get turned down before the authors find the right home for them. The trick is to persevere until you find that agent/editor who likes your style of writing and loves your story as much as you do. It will happen!

Great advice. Hold on to your dreams, people! So do you have an idea of your book’s cover art?

I love the covers of Mary Balogh’s books where the heroine is shown only from about her lips down. It allows the reader to use their imagination to put on her the face that they want.

Draw them in with mystery. Good plan. Who are your inspirations?

Of course, I have already just mentioned on of my favorite authors, Mary Balogh. Another one that I love to read is Karen Hawkins.

Let’s get to know you on a deeper level. What are your most favorite and least favorite words?

I guess I don’t really have a favorite word. It is how you string them together and create a new and interesting world that I adore. Words that I don’t care to hear or use are any kind of curse words, or words used to put others down.

Is there something that you absolutely need to have nearby when you write?

I don’t have a thing, but I do have a place. The little office that I share with my husband has huge windows along one wall that over look the valley and next ridge. It is an awesome view. It proves to be another distraction at times, though. *grin*

Sounds great! Color me jealous—all I see out my window is the neighbor's house, lol. Here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you. Who would you like to give a shout out to?

Certainly I could not do this without the support of my husband and family, but I must also include my betas, my lovely sisters and friends. There are so many who have helped, I could not possibly name them all.

And finally, where can people find you online?

For now there is only twitter – @melissamurphy2. I know I need to branch out more, but for the time being I think I have enough distractions already. lol

Yes, distractions are a curse on the world! Oh, sorry, got carried away. Thank you so much for chatting with us, Melissa. I'm crossing my fingers for you to hear good news soon!

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!

Interview with Jordan Tohline

Happy Monday, everyone! Today we're talking with a very interesting aspiring writer by the name of Jordan.

Welcome, Jordan. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Ah, let's see. My name is JM (or Jordan, if you prefer), and my last name is Tohline (Tuh-lean). I've been writing for ten years. That's pretty much what I do. I write a lot. I read a lot.


It's funny, that very first time you pick up a pen or sit down at a computer and decide you're "going to write something," you don't realize how far that one decision will take you. Kind of exhilarating, no? Uh...yeah, of course, you also don't realize how rocky the road really is. You reach some scenic overlooks from time to time - places where you can stop and enjoy the view and appreciate your journey before kicking back into gear - but mostly it's a lot of work, a lot of effort, a lot of moving forward. I think part of becoming a "successful writer" is learning to appreciate all the steps necessary to get to where you want to be.


Maybe that's what I'll start telling people when they ask about me: "I'm learning to appreciate all the necessary steps." That might not make sense in most contexts, huh? Well...Oh well.

Sounds good. It makes sense to us fellow writers. What is the name and genre of your manuscript?

My current manuscript is called The Great Lenore. One would categorize it as mainstream literary fiction, but some would also categorize it as pure and utter awesomeness.


Of course, others would categorize it as a pure and utter waste of time. This is a good thing.


My goal right now (as I'm having to make some final adjustments to the manuscript) is to eliminate the middle ground who would read this manuscript and feel entirely lukewarm. I feel like, right now, there's probably 20% of readers who would love this story, 20% who would hate it, and a middle 60% who would finish reading the book and would simply move on with their life. The goal is to get that "lukewarm middle" down to about 20%, with 40% on either side feeling passionately one way or the other.

Reasonable goals. Here’s the part where you pitch it. What’s your story about?

The Great Lenore is the story of Lenore Montana, whose plane from London to Boston crashed into the Atlantic, killing every person on board.


Lenore's husband and family gathered on Nantucket Island off the coast of Massachusetts to collect the pieces of their broken lives and to mourn Lenore. A couple days later, Lenore arrived on Nantucket Island also. Very much alive.


She had left her flight just before it took off, and now she was dead on paper. And she had a chance to start over.


Before she began her new life, however, she wanted to attend her funeral. She needed to see how her two-timing husband reacted to having lost her. She needed to see how the family reacted. She needed to see how the world...

Wow, sounds intriguing. I'm sure many people have thought about spying on their own funerals. How did the idea of the story come to you?

Who knows how ideas come. Right?


For ten years, I have "wanted to be a writer." And so, for ten years, I've been constantly stumbling across story ideas.


It was funny, though - I was about halfway through the first draft of this manuscript when my dad told me about an article he had seen: A husband and wife, who had been presumed dead, were found living their dream life down in South America. My dad said, "There's a story in there somewhere, don't you think?" Uh, yeah, I told him - in fact, that's pretty much the story I'm working on right now.


It's cool, though - it's a cool concept - because it's something most people would love to explore. Attend your own funeral; start a new life; make your new life absolutely whatever you want it to be.

I understand you're between agents. Is this a difficult transition to make?

Yeah, last summer I landed a really great agent who was entirely enthusiastic about my work. She and I tweaked the manuscript a bit, and then she subbed a couple editors at major publishing houses.


Both editors had some really good things to say, but ultimately they both passed. Okay, no big deal. My agent and I made a couple more changes, and we were ready to go out to editors again. And then. She sort of. Disappeared.


After several months of disjointed correspondence, she finally apologized and let me know she was having to pull back on much of her agenting work due to some personal issues. And thus: I became an agent orphan.


About a month ago I started querying agents again, and since then I've had 15 agents request the partial or the full. But one thing you learn through this process is: This business, truly and honestly, is entirely subjective. It's also a lot of waiting. The only thing you can do in the meantime is: Keep writing. Keep writing.

You're so write ... I mean right. ; ) Do you have a critique group/partner or beta readers, or do you self-edit?

One thing that scares me is: Groupthink. Groupthink always puts one in danger of doing the same thing that everyone else is doing - and since I believe that doing something *unique* and *different* should be a writer's ultimate goal, I've always avoided writer's groups and the like.


Of course (or rather, "Of course #1"), every writer is different. I know a brilliant writer up in New York who joined the MFA program at Goddard College, and it was the best thing he had ever done for his writing career - being around other writers, getting their input, feeding off their passion. And he is one of the most unique writers I know. I think there is a balance, and everyone needs to find it.


Of course and also ("Of Course #2"), no writer is infallible. Every writer needs something/someone(s) to read their early drafts and be brutally honest with them. Someone who takes no prisoners, and who (optimally) revels in hurting your feelings.

Very good points. So, what’s the hardest part of writing for you?

The hardest part of writing, for me, is remembering that a first draft is only a first draft. I'm a perfectionist, so it's sometimes difficult for me to say, "Hey, this is the first draft. Get this story down, and stop obsessing over imperfections. Just fly! Just write. You can adjust it all later."

I struggle with that too. I think I'm getting better at it though. Any tips you’ve learned about writing you’d like to share?

Tips for writers:


Write. A lot.


Read. A lot.

Can't get any clearer than that. Tell us who your inspirations are.

On the wall beside my writing desk, I have pictures of these people: Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Steinbeck, Vonnegut, Plath, Salinger, Joyce, Kerouac, and Thompson. These are the writers whose lives and works inspire me the most (although, are not necessarily the writers who have influenced me the most).

Let’s get to know you on a deeper level. Tell us something special about yourself.

I have a cat whose name is The Old Man And The Sea. I call her Tomats for short. A couple years ago, my housemate and I were taking care of a pregnant stray, and she had her babies (Tomats among them) about 15 minutes after I finished writing the last sentence of the first draft of The Great Lenore. Ever since then, Tomats has helped me write (usually by sitting on my notebook or by playing with my pen while I write - not really much help at all, actually, but it's nice that she tries).

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

To everyone who writes, and to everyone who reads, I love you. Without you there's no me, and without me there's no you. It's nice how that works.

Aw, how very yin-yang! And finally, where can people find you online?

I'm on Twitter @JMTohline
I also have an internet home here: www.JMTohline.com - on here, you can download and sample the first four pages of The Great Lenore.
I also write a Very Short Story every weekday right here: www.JMTohline.tumblr.com

You're a busy person! Thank you so much, Jordan, for chatting with us. It's been fun.

Dorothy, thank you for this - what a great page you have here!

Thank you! And please keep us informed of your publication progress.

Lastly, Dear Reader, thank you for this - what a great face you have(?). Thanks for sharing your time with us. Hopefully I'll see you around.

Interview with Ashelynn Sanford

I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone for stopping in and reading my blog. I'm glad others find it interesting to hear about other aspiring writers. I like the fact that it seems more like a community when we can be here for each other and cheer each other on!

Today we're talking with Ashelynn Sanford.

Welcome, Ashelynn. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m a young aspiring author who lives in Northern Wyoming. I teach a group of five nine-year-old girls dance every Wednesday, and I spend two days of the week learning the routines that I teach from my boss. I go by the name Ashelynn D. Sanford, or Ashy.


You lead a very artistic life. What is the name and genre of your manuscript?

"The Year the World Ended" is the novel I’m focusing on now, and it’s a action/adventure. A genre I don’t normally write in.

And what is this action/adventure story about?

The Boudoirs are a French couple who know one secret, and if that secret lands in the enemy’s hands, North America’s empire is going to expand from just one continent.


Elijah Anson and West Anderson have been assigned the mission of getting the information from Pierre Boudoir. Eli’s only issue with the assignment is his burning desire for Chance Boudoir, Pierre’s wife.


When Pierre becomes sick with a plague, Eli reacts irrationally and takes Chance Boudoir with him to Florida, where the last space shuttle to the moon is launching. West is tracking them down, determined to get the information from Chance who pretends she doesn’t know the secret…


It’s a race against time, enemies, and trust. How can Chance trust the one person who captured and saved her?

The description's got my blood pumping already. How did the idea of the story come to you?


I believe it came when I was sitting my history class, watching a movie about World War II and the great depression. Over the past couple of months, I’ve been rethinking the plot, trying to further it along, and those ideas came to me when I’m in the shower…like always…

Is your manuscript complete or still a work in progress?

A work in progress.

Do you have a word count goal, and how far along are you at this point?

I don’t at the moment, but I’d like if it was over 75K. I’m still in the beginning stages, but hope to be much, much further, at least 1/3rd of the 75K goal by the end of March, early April.

What will be your next step when you're done?

Querying for an agent. I think everybody should try to get an agent before going to self-publishing; a lot of bestselling authors received a ton of rejection letters before somebody decided to take them on. Self-publishing isn’t something I’m looking into, and I hope I don’t have to.

I agree with you on trying for an agent. Good advice. So do you have a critique group or beta readers, or do you self-edit?

When I get to the editing phase, I’ll send it my close friends—Mireyah being one of them. I think being in a critique group helps writers and even friends whose advice you trust.

Yes, a fresh set of eyes helps a lot. What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

Finding time to write. You’d think for a nineteen-year-old not going to college would have a lot of time to write, right? My mother seems to think that I’m her housemaid, so I’m usually away from the computer nine hours in the day, and then when I am able to get on the computer, I either get distracted by the shiny things (Oo, internet…) or my mom has decided the fridge needs to be cleaned.

I'm sure most of us are often distracted by the internet. Can't be helped. Any tips you’ve learned about writing you’d like to share?

Manage your time very well; if you have a few hours to kill, open up your MS and start writing. Whenever you can write, write. It will help you in the long run, even if it’s just baby steps. A lot of people say you need to write every day, but I don’t. As long as you’re thinking about it, I think that’s good enough. Some days you don’t have time to write at all without sacrificing something, and writing shouldn’t be your top priority. Family, job, relationships, etc. should be your top priority.

That's a healthy perspective. So who are your inspirations?

Kate Chopin because she wrote scenes that weren’t safe to write about in her time, and she was a woman and not a lot of women wrote “unsafe” scenes in the 1800s. I have a lot more other inspirations, but I’m just going to leave it at Kate Chopin because I could go on.

She sounds awesome! Let’s get to know you on a deeper level. Can you name three things about yourself people may not know (or maybe they do know but they are special traits/hobbies/quirks)?

1. I love perfume and body spray. I can six bottles on my desk right now, and that’s not including all the bottles I have in my bathroom! Since I have decision-making issues, I have somebody else pick what perfume I’m going to wear that day. My Stepsis really likes this job.
2. I can’t read one book at a time. I usually read two-three books at the same time, but right now I’m reading seven (yes SEVEN) published books and TWO manuscripts from two very talented young writers.
3. I don’t want to write a bestseller; sure, it’d be cool, but it’s not something I’m aiming for when I become published. I’d rather have my book become banned than a bestseller. Not because banned books make a lot of money or anything, I’m not doing this for the money, but because I could say, “Yeah, my novel so-and-so is banned. Pretty cool, eh?”

Aha, I see. Well, that's one way to stand apart from the crowd. Okay, here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you. Who would you like to give a shout out to?

My best girls: Dawn, Amy, Mireyah, and H. C. They’re always there for me, and even though there are a lot more people who support and are always there for me, these four are *always* there and not afraid to kick my butt into gear if I’m stalling with writing!

And finally, where can people find you online?

My blog: http://ashelynnsanford.wordpress.com
My twitter: @AshelynnS

Thank you so much for chatting with us, Ashelynn. Good luck with your book, and be sure to let us know when you've reached the next step of your writing journey!

Interview with Charolette Heil

You’ve stopped in just in time for another exciting interview! Today we’re chatting with aspiring writer Charolette Heil.

Charolette is a 28 year old aspiring writer from Minnesota. When not writing, she is usually working as an RN, attending classes for massage therapy, or spending time with friends and family. She has been reading since the age of 3 and started writing stories while still in elementary school. Her writing has improved somewhat since that time.

What is the name and genre of your manuscript?

The title is Lycanthrope Moon, and I guess it would be considered Urban Fantasy.

Love the title! Let’s hear your pitch.

For Grace Larkin, there is a definite line between reality and delusion. There has to be, when one works with the mentally ill. Her world is painted in bold strips of black and white. Anything logic cannot explain is a delusion; a fictitious creation of a disturbed mind. Then comes the day Connor Marshall is admitted. He believes he is a werewolf, an impossibility in Grace’s view. But as the days pass and the world grows stranger, the question of if he is indeed delusional keeps reappearing to bother her.


The day he escapes from her hospital, she believes she has seen the last of him. Before the day’s end, however, she finds herself at his mercy with no visible escape. As he shows her possibilities she never would have believed could exist, Grace soon discovers that nothing is as her training and education have led her to understand. Like it or not, she is drawn into a new and strange world populated by beings that are never quite what they seem. Friends appear from the most unlikely places, and enemies seem to be lurking in every shadow. She is astounded to learn that a war has been raging within the city - a war that no one even knew of. Her heart calls her to follow this new path, but that way lies madness and death.


The only question in her mind now is not whether werewolves are real, but if she – and those she has come to care so much for - will survive.

Very exciting! I'm all for werewolf stories. I can imagine it as a book to read while huddled in bed into the late hours of the night. How did the idea of the story come to you?

It was inspired by a number of sources. For one thing, I am an RN working with people with severe and persistent mental illness. Some of the people I work with have very entrenched delusional systems that they firmly believe in, and some of their delusions actually sound like something out of a science fiction or fantasy novel. I haven't yet encountered someone who believes they are a werewolf, but the concept I started with was, what if a person believes something that society states could not possibly be true, but happens to actually be true? How could that person prove that they aren't delusional to someone whose job dictates that they believe they are?


My other major source of inspiration was the movie Underworld, although the plot and characters weren't the fascinating part for me. I loved the idea that there wasn't just one werewolf, but a whole community of them, and that some of them were able to control their transformation. With so many werewolf stories, it's just one monster terrorizing a community. If you think about it, that really doesn't make sense, because both wolves and humans are social animals, so why would a cross between them be a solitary beast? I started with the idea of a werewolf community, and then fleshed it out and gave them a culture and a history as well.

You’ve put a lot of thought into the story, that’s great! What point are you at in the writing process?

The story is basically done, though I keep finding things to revise. Right now, I am researching agents and working on query letters.

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

I do a lot of self-editing, but I've also had a few people read through and give me feedback on things that don't make sense or need tweaking. I don't really have a formal beta reader, though.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

I write chronologically, from the beginning of the book to the end. I know sometimes writers will jump around and write the scenes they already have in their head that they want to have happen, but I don't like to do that. For one thing, when I write chronologically, often by the time I get to that scene it's changed a bit because of what happened earlier. Sometimes the hardest part of writing for me is getting from one scene I really wanted to write and connecting it to the next one. I'm not always sure how I'm going to get there, even if I already know where I want it to go.


Aside from that, right now the hardest part of writing is finding the time. I'm currently kind of in between projects. I finished Lycanthrope Moon, and I'm researching the next one I want to write, but I'm not yet in the throes of plot and character construction like I get when I'm in the middle of writing something. Also, I am currently going to school full time and working full time, so that doesn't leave a lot of extra time for writing if I also want to do those other bothersome things like eat and sleep. I'll be done with school in December, though, so I'm hoping to have a lot more time for writing after that.

Sleep? What’s that? LOL. Any tips you’ve learned about writing you’d like to share?

I think the best tip for any aspiring writer is just to write. Write, write, write as much as you can. Let the story that's in your head come out. Don't worry about how it's coming out at first. As Maureen Johnson said, give yourself permission to suck. Everyone does at first. That's what revising is for. Just get words onto paper however you can, and learn as you go. It also helps to be a voracious reader, I think.

I totally agree on both counts. So, do you have an idea of your book’s cover art?

I do, actually. I haven't done any mockups of it, but I have a pretty good picture in my head. The basic idea is the face of a wolf with brilliant green eyes superimposed over the image of a full moon. The title would be at the bottom, and my name at the top, in (much) smaller print.

Who are your inspirations?

My main inspiration in life is my mother. She doesn't write, but her passion in life is horses, and she has been living her dream of having her own riding stable for the past couple decades. She's the one who showed me that it is possible to live your dreams, and in fact, there is no other way to live your life.


As far as favorite authors, though, I grew up reading Robert Heinlein, Marion Zimmer Bradley and Anne McCaffrey. Later, I discovered Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan series, and I would have to say that they are still my favorite book series. I also really enjoyed the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, and am looking forward to Mockingjay when it comes out in August.

I'm looking forward to that too! Let’s get to know you on a deeper level. Tell us three things about yourself.

1. I'm a night owl. I usually hit my second wind around 10pm, and so if I'm not sleeping by then, I have a hard time falling asleep until 2 or 3am. It's not a problem if I don't have anything to do in the morning, but when I work the early shift at work, I have to be there by 7am!
2. I grew up on a farm and have been riding horses since I was about two years old. It's my mom's passion, not mine, but the knowledge about that kind of thing comes in handy when I'm writing about anything horse-related.
3. I have a blended family, and am the oldest of six children, including a full brother, three half-sisters and a stepsister.

Big family! And I love horses. You’re so lucky! Here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you. Who would you like to give a shout out to?

My family has always been wonderfully supportive, especially my mom and my brother, and I would be remiss if I didn't thank the writing friends I have met online who have helped me grow, both as a writer and in many other ways. And, of course, you too, Dorothy.

Aw, you’re sweet. I’m glad we found each other. Let’s let everyone know where to find you online.

I am on Facebook, and also on Twitter @wordweaver81. I recently started a blog as well, at  http://enthusiasticallyme.blogspot.com. I intend to talk about writing, philosophy, massage, movies, books, and a lot of other things that I tend to be quite enthusiastic about. Some samples of my writing should also be up shortly.... or at least as soon as I get around to it.

Fantastic! Thank you so much for chatting with us, Charolette. Good luck with your novel, and please keep us informed of your progress in publishing!