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Thursday, January 31, 2013

Author Interview – Andy Gavin

What are your goals as a writer? I want to tell commercial and fun tales that have some depth to them. This means balancing character and traditional drama (not melodrama) with cool scenarios and rapid pacing. Fundamentally, I want to entertain.

Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)? I do travel a lot, and I incorporate bits and pieces of this into my books. For example, I went to school in Philadelphia and go back there every year. I’ve been to the tea house in Shanghai where Charlie’s dad is hanging out. I’ve spent time in London and France. But I don’t always pick particular locations from my life. All sorts of factors lead me to them. For example, Ben Franklin’s print shop was in St. Barts church in the 1723-25 time frame, so that’s where I put it. I will always use real facts if I can. Newport Prison was pretty much as described back then. Worse really.

What books have most influenced your life? A Game of Thrones, Hyperion, Carrion Comfort, Dune, The Anubis Gates, A Fire Upon the Deep, Consider Phlebas, The City and the Stars, Time Enough for Love, Great Sky River, Wizard and Glass, To Your Scattered Bodies Go, Wyvern, Assassin’s Apprentice, A Horse and His Boy, The Silmarillion, and many more.

Who is your favorite author and why? A have a lot. But Tim Powers is a favorite for his ability to bring to life the fey in a grounded yet truly otherworldly way. Stephen King is another (not all his books but many) for his uncannily ability to characterize people in just a sentence or two and his unerring ear for dialogue. Dan Simmons for the massive scope of his world building and command of pathos. George R. R. Martin for his mastery at making his gigantic cast of characters feel developed and above all, human.

Can we expect any more books from you in the future? Yep. Right now, I’m writing two more and adapting Untimed into a screenplay.

Are there any new authors that have sparked your interest and why? Wool, by High Howey was a totally unknown (to me) book that I recently read and really really enjoyed. if you like Science Fiction, post apocalyptic worlds, or just plain old good novels. Read this. In some ways it’s a throwback, in some ways very modern, Woolis a contained (in both the literary and literal way) post apocalyptic tale in the mould of Larry Niven or A Canticle for Leibowitz. Technically this is an ARC story, about an isolated world built to survive a destroyed environment. It’s very emotionally driven and tense.

What are some of the best tools available today for writers, especially those just starting out? There are tons of good books on writing. Ones by Stephen King and Sol Stein are at the top of my list. As to a literal tool, I can’t recommend more highly Scrivener, the writer’s word processor. It won’t do any actual writing for you, but it sure will save you a lot of struggle and frustration when you do get those creative juices flowing.

Do you have any advice for writers? The simplest and the most time consuming advice is to read. Read everything you can. In your genre, in other genres, non-fiction. Everything. Of course if you’re one of those people who just never reads but somehow has the burning desire to be a writer… perhaps you should think again. Next, take your craft seriously. Read books on writing and editing, on plot and structure. Editing, and I mean professional editing, is really very important. A surprising number of published books aren’t even well edited. They’re overwritten and redundant, like this sentence. Patience. It takes a long time to improve and you’ll end up doing a lot of waiting on both yourself and others.

What do you do to unwind and relax? I’m a ridiculous foodie and wine guy (I blog about it here), to the level of being a certified sommelier and attending 27 course truffle diners. Yet, I also have a secret weakness for “comfort” food (particularly candies) like Skittles and Spicettes.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – YA / Time Travel & Romance

Rating – PG

More details about the book

Connect with Andy Gavin on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://all-things-andy-gavin.com/

Silver-White by Shawn Underhill

 
Silver-White by Shawn Underhill

“The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep.”
~ Robert Frost

*Evie’s family has been holding out on her …

Big time.

On an unexpected visit to her grandparents’ house in New Hampshire’s secluded North Woods, the sixteen-year-old literally runs into the truth of the long-hidden family secrets, and finds herself thrust without warning into the clandestine world of the Great North Pack—a wild and exhilarating world of rugged beauty, heart-pounding adventures, and long nights running under a sea of stars … but as she’s set to discover, a world also fraught with potential dangers lurking in the shadows.


Praise
"Simply put, this book was amazing. I've read more fantasy novels than than I can count, but this one is certainly one of the best. The heroine isn't some wishy-washy pansy that screams at everything, and the focus of the story isn't on some unbelievably beautiful teenage girl who suddenly becomes the biggest, baddest member of her species falling in love with some big, bad, sexy member of her newfound species. It's about a girl becoming something she never knew existed, finding her place within the pack family she values more than ever before, and an age-old feud that threatens everything she loves." ~Morgan


Purchase ~ just .99 cents



Author Shawn Underhill

Shawn is a part-time writer from New Hampshire, where he spends his free time hiking in the mountains, camping, racing dirt bikes, or anything else that keeps him outdoors. Dogs are his very favorite people. He is also the author of the novel All Things Different.










BookBlast $100 Giveaway
$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 2/13/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Untimed by Andy Gavin

UntimedUntimed by Andy Gavin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If you were to talk with the author, what would you want to know? If he wrote other books about time traveling. Why he chose to make boys jump into the future and the girls, can only go back in time?

If you could rewrite the ending, would you? No, I wouldn't rewrite the book. It ended well.

Consider the ending. Did you expect it or were you surprised? My book club and I were definitely surprised. In some ways, the ending was predictable but the author did include a few elements of surprise.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.

View all my reviews

#OBBigBang Orangeberry Big Bang - Wicked Whispering by Calinda B

 

 

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Updated on 28th December 2012

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Kai Williams thinks he’s a mutant. He’s got crazy-strange eyes that are a mash up of colors from green to blue to gold; crazy-strange red, brown and blonde hair and this Twilight Zone ability to know way more than he cares to know when he gazes into someone’s eyes. Not only that but all these voices whisper inside his head, rattling around like ball bearings in a metal pie pan, making him feel full-on schizo.

When he’s in the natural world, he can sense an animal’s electro-magnetic “vibrate, hum and buzz” soul essence long before he ever sees it. When he’s in or on the sea, he goes ga-ga over Thunder Pumpers – those great beasts we call whales – and not just the kind of “Oh, I’m in love with whales” nuts that tourists on the Whale Watch Boat experience. He gets loony-bin psycho when he’s around them.

His solution to this madness? Stop looking. Don’t feel. Keep to yourself. He stays contained, keeping his secrets locked inside, exploring the underwater world as a scuba diver. That’s the only time he’s at peace – at least when whales are nowhere to be found.

But when he meets Cassandra, his world starts to fracture. Fissures form in his heart and mind. His body starts to sizzle and fizz like overloaded household copper wiring with the circuit breaker reset nowhere to be found. A mighty war ensues between his desire to connect and his unwillingness to face his destiny. If he thought he was strange before, he becomes convinced that he’s a real nut-case, certain to be destined for the lock-down lunatic ward. Unable to stop all the changes that occur, he reaches out to a friend for assistance. Only thing is, this friend has a star dreamling inside his chest and a girlfriend who waltzes through the galaxy. That’s when the real fantasy-funfest begins.

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Genre – Paranormal Romance (R)

Connect with Calinda B on Facebook or Twitter

Website - http://www.calindab.com/

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Never Give In To Fear by Marti MacGibbon

Never Give in to Fear: Laughing All the Way Up From Rock BottomNever Give in to Fear: Laughing All the Way Up From Rock Bottom by Marti MacGibbon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Favourite character(s) … Marti – she pulled herself from the bottom, not just the bottom of her life, but the bottom ianyone’s world. She never allowed herself to give in to the fear surrounding her and keep going no matter what.

Favourite location / setting ... I enjoyed reading the authors description about LA. On my next visit I will be looking at this city thru new eyes.

Favourite scene …. I could not stop laughing when I read where Marti needed a head light. She told her boyfriend Evan, minutes later he returns with a stolen headlight.

Favourite quote … “Oooooh a single red rose…very cloak and dagger” I grinned. The sarcasm was lost on Diana. I enjoyed this quote but looking back I wonder if Marti should have known something just was not right.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.

View all my reviews

#OBBigBang Orangeberry Big Bang - Wanting Rita by Elyse Douglas

 

 

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Updated on 28th December 2012

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When his high school sweetheart experiences a devastating tragedy, Dr. Alan Lincoln reluctantly returns to his Pennsylvania hometown to see her. It’s been 15 years. Rita was a small town beauty queen—his first love whom he has never forgotten. He was a nerd from a wealthy family. Her family was poor. They formed a strong connection during their senior year, but Rita married someone else, and the marriage ended tragically.

Alan’s marriage of three years is disintegrating, and he sees in Rita the chance to begin again with the true love of his life. Rita has been mentally and emotionally shattered, but she reaches out to Alan and fights to build a new life with him. During a passionate summer, however, the past and present converge and threaten their rekindled love, as Alan and Rita must struggle with old ghosts and new secrets.

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Genre – Contemporary Fiction (PG)

Connect with Elyse Douglas on Facebook or Twitter

Website - http://www.elysedouglas.com/

#OBBigBang Orangeberry Big Bang - Frizzy, Dizzy & The Brute by ME Langlands

 

Updated on 28th December 2012

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For children from 7-12 years of age with colour pictures.

In the garden the vast dog roars. He leaps into the misty air. He pulls hard on his chain, pushing nose first into the stable. He sniffs frantically, ferociously, tearing the straw from under him.

Secretly, Sid the cat and Windy the horse hide the animals from the moody Brute and his dog. Join the animal family on their adventures to escape from the moody Brute!

Leap into the sky with Rip the rabbit and visit the Bit Bobbers. Be pampered with Mauritia mole in the underground spa. Dare to peep into the scary workshop. Help Mr and Mrs Magpie save their fledglings.

Do the hiding animals escape?  How do they help each other? Can they all learn to live  together with Clare’s help?

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Genre – Fantasy (G)

Connect with M.E. Langlands  Facebook or Twitter

Orangeberry Book Tours – Never Give in to Fear by Marti MacGibbon

Never Give in to Fear: Laughing All the Way Up from Rock Bottom, the enhanced edition of this darkly funny, dramatic memoir, describes an emerging standup comic’s drug-fueled descent into the underworld, escape from human traffickers, homelessness, and ultimate redemption. With brutal honesty, humor, and clarity, the author vividly describes her experiences as she rides her downward spiral: a near-miss with a notorious serial killer, a series of tragically hilarious misadventures in the California drug world, and a terrifying account of imprisonment at the hands of Japanese organized crime, to name a few.

This revised and re-edited version contains three additional chapters that introduce readers to quirky characters, insights into standup comedy, resilience and recovery, and deliver an inspiring message about healing, hope, and courage to change.

What readers are saying …

“Marti MacGibbon shows readers just how rough the road to redemption is in her gritty memoir of addiction… Her raw, honest, casual, funny voice permeates every page… A dark yet inspiring look at conquering addiction and regaining hope.” –Kirkus Reviews

“Marti’s natural humor and storytelling help balance out the book into a symmetrical tale of both hurt and healing. Never Give in to Fear is a book everyone needs to read. This is not only a book about the danger of drugs, but about the power of the human spirit.” –San Francisco Book Review

“Her narration is funny—she can laugh at her old self, even as she shows the reader the terror and loss she felt in the past… Honest to a fault… captivating from the very first sentence. A memoir that offers hope, even in the worst of times, Never Give in to Fear is a terrific read.” –Claire Foster, Foreword Clarion Reviews

“It’s amazing that Marti MacGibbon survived her harrowing life and had the guts to recount it… not too preachy, the author’s candor and sense of humor keep the pages turning.” –Suzanne Daly, the bohemian.com

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Biographies & Memoirs

Rating – R

Connect with Marti MacGibbon on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://martimacgibbon.com/

Monday, January 28, 2013

#OBBigBang Orangeberry Big Bang - A Wicked Beginning by Calinda B

 

 

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Updated on 28th December 2012

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Cam Tyson’s just an ordinary guy, living an ordinary life, pursuing the things that he loves – rock climbing, his ex-girlfriend, kayaking, his ex-girlfriend, river surfing, his ex-girlfriend…oh, and did I say his ex-girlfriend? The guy’s lovesick with his ex, even though she, well, she glimmers like a set of Christmas lights when she gets turned on and she’s out dancing in the cosmos somewhere. That’s a real mind bender for Cam because he only believes in the here and now and Planet Earth, baby. Leave the paranormal to the freaks and weirdoes.

So, while he’s tracking his “Wish She was Still My Girlfriend Ex” like a prowling alley cat, what the heck kind of creature is tracking him? He’d really like to know. Was it the same creature that made the radio-active, green-glowing gash down his thigh and leers at him from secret places? His best bud Mano says it’s a star dreamling. Now that’s weird!

And what about these freakish, red-eyed bat swirling nightmares he keeps having? Until recently, his dreams were always considered the kind of stuff you pitched when you took out the trash. Did the psycho-bitch he dated a while back forget to take her meds? She’s stalking him with Zombie like intensity in his dreams and scaring the Bejeezus out of him. And quite frankly, as a result of all these crazy encounters with phenomena he doesn’t believe in, he’s starting to become un-hinged.

When Cam decides to face this supernatural freak-fest, the Tilt-a-Whirl reality begins. His life takes on the white-knuckle intensity that only an adrenaline junkie can appreciate. And while his heart may say he’s on the right path, his mind keeps telling him to stop believing in the paranormal…because it just doesn’t exist. Right….

Buy at Amazon

Genre – Paranormal Romance (R)

Connect with Calinda B on Facebook or Twitter

Website - http://www.calindab.com/

Sunday, January 27, 2013

#OBBigBang Orangeberry Big Bang - Arrogant Wealth by Thomas Thompson

OBBIGBANG

 

Updated on 28th December 2012

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The year is 2031 and United States economy is on a roll as the President rules with an iron fist. Joey Sans’ romantic adventure uncovers government secrets from the past leading to present day events and finds out more about the ghost of his father.

Jobs are plentiful, roads and bridges are being revamped and new travel technology has been invented. The Federal Bureau of Collections has pumped billions upon billions of dollars towards the cause through aggressively collecting a controversial new tax assessed on the ultra-rich. Crime and drug activity are under control, but organized crime has infiltrated private industry and controls important aspects of major construction of new technology projects. And Joey Sans is re-introduced to a face from the past.

The Solar industry is the key to the future as the new travel technology will significantly reduce costs for commerce and millions of Americans. The world is taking notice and attempting to follow the United States lead in collecting the new controversial “Wealth Tax”. The action goes international as the solar company expansion into China and the rest of Asia has confused the issue.

The stability of the nation depends on the continued success of “The Program” and certain men will do anything to ensure success. The future is bright, but the bumps in the road could lead the country back into darker times.

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Genre – Action, Adventure (PG13)

Connect with Thomas A Thompson on Facebook & Twitter

Blog - http://arrogantwealth.com/

#OBBigBang Orangeberry Big Bang - Protector by Vanna Smythe

OBBIGBANG

Updated on 28th December 2012

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What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life? At this point I am most proud of having written and published two books, Protector and Decision Maker, Book One and Book Two of my fantasy series Anniversary of the Veil. I’ve always dreamed about being a writer when I grew up and now I guess I am ;)

How has your upbringing influenced your writing? I moved around a lot as a child, which has given me a wide perspective on the world and the different cultures living in it.  I think this has greatly enhanced my own writing and made the characters I create feel more alive.

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated? Not exactly. Even before I could write I was fascinated by books, and I loved when my grandparents and parents read to me.  According to my grandfather, I had all the stories he would read to me (Disney’s Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty,…) memorized after the first couple of times he read then, so he could never skip ahead in the story without me knowing ;)

When and why did you begin writing? I began writing in Middle School and got a little more serious about it in High School. But I didn’t start writing with an aim to be published until after college. As for why, I just don’t know, it made me happy to write.

What inspires you to write and why? Lots of thinks ignite my imagination, a bit of a conversation, a random idea, the way the light glistens off a lake.  I’ll see or hear such things, then imagine a character being the one hearing and seeing them, and a story will be born.  I also like to listen to music while I write; classical music is great, as are those sounds of nature recordings. They really help me get into the story.

What genre are you most comfortable writing? I like to write fantasy the most, though I am also quite comfortable writing literary fiction

What is your greatest strength as a writer? That would have to be creating realistic, life-like characters. I am also very good at writing realistic dialogue.

Have you ever had writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it? I did, in the past, and I find the best thing is to just write through it.

How did you come up with the title? I usually title things after I finish writing.  The title is always there in the end of a story, but it is not always there in the beginning of one.

Can you tell us about your main character? My main character is Protector Kea. He is a strong, kind of arrogant soldier who suddenly finds himself with very powerful magical abilities. His whole world is thrown upside down as a result off it and he must make sense of it all and rediscover himself in the process.

How did you develop your plot and characters? I think of a direction I want a story to go it, what it will be about, and who the main characters will be, and the rest just kind of falls into place as a result of it. For example, in Protector, I started with a Princess who was facing an arranged marriage she didn’t want, and the rest just grew out of that. Even Protector Kae, who ended up my main character, even though I originally intended for him to only be one of the supporting cast, so to speak.

Who designed the cover? I did ;)   I initially paid a cover artist, but I wasn’t satisfied with the result and ended up designing my own.  I must say I really enjoy the process.

What was the hardest part about writing this book? Definitely the revision. I literally didn’t touch the book for a year after I first wrote it, because I didn’t know how to revise it. I ended up taking a course on revision, which helped a lot. I no longer fear revision, and I think I’m even getting pretty good at it.

Can you see yourself in any of your characters? I think there’s a part of me in everyone of my characters.  Though some are more like me than the others.

How do you promote this book? I promote through my social media accounts on Twitter and Facebook. I also have a blog, and occasionally do interviews and guest posts.

Will you write others in this same genre? Yes, definitely. I love fantasy and am soon going to start on Book 3 of my Anniversary of the Veil series. This book will conclude the series, and then I will start a new one. I’ve had the idea for it in my head for the longest time, and I’m eager to start writing.

What is your favorite color? Black.

What is your favorite food? Pizza.

What’s the best advice anyone has ever given you? To thine own self be true.

What’s your favorite season? Spring. I love watching nature wake up after the long winter slumber.

Buy now @ Amazon

Genre – Fantasy (PG13)

Connect with Vanna Smythe on Facebook & Twitter

Website - http://vannasmythe.com/

Orangeberry Book of the Day by Rachel Thompson

PRAISE FOR BROKEN PIECES:

‘So ridiculously amazing, I can’t take it’ ~ Gabe Berman, Author ‘Live LIke A Fruit Fly

‘Engrossed. It is a grippingly brilliant work’ ~ Frank Feather, author and blogger

‘Any woman who has had a former lover (or two or three) will be able to relate to this. Her writing is very poetic.’ ~ LS Hullinger, reader, writer

‘A brilliant and intense must read’ ~ Jeffery Rowan, reader

Out less than three weeks, Broken Pieces already hit the Paid Top 10 list on Women’s Studies!

Welcome to bestselling author Rachel Thompson’s newest nonfiction work! Vastly different in tone from her previous essay collections A Walk In The Snark and The Mancode: Exposed, BROKEN PIECES is a collection of pieces inspired by one woman’s life: love, loss, abuse, trust, grief, and ultimately, love again.

This is NOT a humor book! It IS a book about relationships, a study of women, a book with heart.

Want to see why people love it? Why they call it ‘riveting, powerful, insightful?’

Read it and see why Broken Pieces is tearing up the lists for Nonfiction, Women’s Studies, and books for women!

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – NonFiction

Rating – PG13

More details about the author

Connect with Rachel Thompson on Twitter & Facebook

Saturday, January 26, 2013

#OBBigBang Orangeberry Big Bang - Much Ado About Mavericks by Jacquie Rogers

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Updated on 28th December 2012

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Tell us a bit about your family. I live in Seattle with my husband and cat—not sure which will be trained first. Might be a lost cause. Currently, my daughter and her four little boys live here, too, so lots of noise and hopping going on. We made monster cookies this afternoon and the kitchen will never be the same. This is not conducive to either page production or fitting into cute jeans. LOL. But they’re fun.

What is your favorite food? I always say strawberry shortcake but I’m originally from Idaho, so the real truth is I love potatoes just about any way you can think of. Yes, I make killer hashbrowns.

How has your upbringing influenced your writing? I come from storytellers on both my mother’s and father’s side, so it’s only natural that I’d be one, too. Also, I grew up on a farm in Owyhee County, Idaho, where my Hearts of Owyhee series is set. That area was perfect for someone who dreamed a hundred or so years in the past, especially since the culture hadn’t changed much. People ask me all the time about researching, and the truth is, I have to research far less than some of my sister WHR authors, so I was lucky to grow up there. The vernacular, the mindset, the manners, and just how daily life was lived are all part of my childhood. Lucky me!

When and why did you begin writing? I started writing after a bout of pneumonia laid me up for a month. The only books left to read were Romances and I refused to read one. But my daughter finally convinced me and I was so hooked, I started writing my own for fun. That book is well hidden from the public, but it was a grand adventure.

When did you first know you could be a writer? Probably when the first review came in. I thought she was just being nice but then I found out this particular reviewer rarely ever gives five stars and never gives pity reviews. So I felt like I earned my badge, and I’ve been working hard to better my craft since then.

What inspires you to write and why? I don’t know for sure. Great books inspire me. Poor books don’t. I’ve never had the “I can write a better book than that” moment that I’d call inspiring. But give me a book that pulls me in so much that I become the heroine, and I can hardly wait to get back to writing my own book.

What genre are you most comfortable writing? Two genres—fantasy romance and western historical romance. Fantasy is so fun because you can make a whimsical story world and do whatever you want as long as you follow your own rules. I love faeries, dragons, unicorns, sorcerers, and the works. Western historical romance is easiest for me to write because I come from the West and it’s who I am. Plus, I have a jillion story ideas that I’m just dying to write. And more keep coming!

Who or what influenced your writing over the years? I’m in a great critique group. In the beginning, we held classes, figuring that if we had to learn something well enough to teach it, we’d get a much more solid understanding of each craft element. It’s the best thing we ever did. There have been numerous authors who have been very supportive and taught me a lot outside our group as well. Romance writers are a lot of fun and wonderfully helpful.

What made you want to be a writer? I never did want to be a writer. My first heart’s desire was to be a television baseball announcer, but I gave up that notion by the time I was about ten. My mother wanted me to be a writer so obviously that’s the last thing I wanted to do. But sometimes professions choose you, not the other way around, and that’s what happened to me.

What do you consider the most challenging about writing a novel, or about writing in general? Actually doing the writing. I love creating characters and getting to know them. I adore plotting and plunking these people in ludicrous, dangerous, or exasperating situations. And of course, typing The End is the ultimate high. But the 90,000 words in between are a lot of hard work. You have to turn the crank every day.

Can you share a little of your current work with us? I’m currently writing the fourth book in the Hearts of Owyhee series, Much Ado About Miners. The heroine in this book is the sister of the heroine in the first book, Much Ado About Marshals. In fact, she shot the hero in that book, so you know she’s going to shoot from the hip in this book, too.

Can you tell us about your main character? In Much Ado About Mavericks, the hero is Benjamin Lawrence, a highly successful Boston attorney who has to return to Owyhee County in the Idaho Territory to settle his father’s estate. He’s hoping a week will give him enough time to take care of everything, pack up his mother and sister, go back to Boston, and marry the boss’s daughter. The last thing he wants is to lose his heart to his father’s foreman, a beautiful redhead called Jake (Janelle Kathryn, shortened to J.K., aka Jake).

Jake O’Keefe has been on her own since she was twelve years old and is regarded as the best foreman in Idaho Territory. Her goal is to build her own horse ranch and to do it, she has to get clear title to the Circle J, which she can’t do if Ben sells off his ranch and hightails it back East. There’s no room in her plans for any greenhorn lawyer, that’s for sure.

How did you develop your plot and characters? First a situation and one character happens. I don’t know how, it just does. Then I ask who would antagonize both the character and the situation the most, and that’s how I get the love interest. Once I settle on the two main characters, I start filling out forms that I designed through the years, borrowing questions from just about every writer that ever gave me advice. After that, the characters marinate for a while, and then I channel them and write an autobiography. Here’s an example from the first book in the Hearts of Owyhee series, Much Ado About Marshals: http://www.jacquierogers.com/maam_cole.html.

When the characters are solid and I know them as well as I know myself, then the plotting starts. I use a form to plot out the bones. Not one word gets written until I know my characters through and through, and I have a destination. The actual story rarely ever follows my plot, but that’s okay. The destination is what’s important.

Why did you choose to write this particular book? Much Ado About Mavericks came about because I was daydreaming about the fun my sister and I used to have playing cowboys when we were kids. We had horses and thought ourselves quite accomplished riders. Truth is, I always wanted to be better—better at roping, for sure (never did get the hang of it), and much better looking. I was a good rider and an excellent shot, but of course you can always improve. Jake O’Keefe is what my ten-year-old self wanted to be like and I thought it would be fun to bring her to life.

Will you write others in this same genre? Besides the Hearts of Owyhee series, I have a Soiled Dove mini-series planned (a spin-off of Much Ado About Madams) and another book started, set in 1883 on the railways of Colorado, which could be the beginning of a new series. So yes, I plan to continue to write western historical romance. But I also intend to write both fantasy romance and traditional westerns as well, and I even have a YA fantasy started.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? No, other than an optimistic outlook. I write to give readers a little vacation from their daily stress. I want them to have fun right along with me, and be able to rest their brains. Yes, braincandy. I love that word. I love to read it and I love to write it. Enough people are dealing with serious issues that I feel absolutely no compulsion at all to add to the pile.

How much of the book is realistic? Much Ado About Mavericks, and all the Hearts of Owyhee books, are very realistic in terms of setting, social values, jargon, and life style. I grew up in Idaho with little outside communication—the Old West lives and breathes in Owyhee County to this day. Also, the women in Owyhee County weren’t shrinking violets. You can read more about the two strong women, Kitty Wilkins and Joe Monaghan, who influenced Jake’s character development. http://tinyurl.com/cvn654z

Have you included a lot of your life experiences, even friends, in the plot? Oh yes. Bwahahaha. Some of my friends haven’t found out yet, either. I’ve used my childhood neighbors who played music for the Grange dances in most of the books, and my sister is in Much Ado About Mavericks. She owns the general store. My publisher and his wife are in Mavericks, too. (That was especially fun!) My heroes are all based on various aspects of the men in my life—my husband, my brother, and my dad. I have a notion of what a real hero should be like because I’ve always had good men around, and some not-so-good ones for comparison.

How important do you think villains are in a story? The villain makes or breaks a story, in my opinion. A hero can’t show any more strength than what it requires to overcome the villain, so in a way, the villain is the very most important character. I spend just as much time developing villains as I do the hero and heroine. Sometimes more, because it’s a lot harder for me. The villain I’m most proud of is Hannibal Hank Turell in Much Ado About Madams, but the villain in Much Ado About Mavericks was very challenging just because of the circumstances, and I was happy how he shaped up.

Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)? I no longer live in Owyhee County, Idaho, so I have traveled back several times to research and to smell the sagebrush. The alkali dirt and the hot desert air always inspire more stories. I’ve also gone to Colorado to ride on the steam train from Durango to Silverton in preparation for a manuscript in progress that I set there. But no, not much travel, unfortunately. I love to go museum-hopping in small towns but there’s not enough time to do everything I want to do, that’s for sure.

Who is your favorite author and why? I’ve never read by author, probably because I’m name-challenged and have a hard time remembering anyone I haven’t met. In fact, when I joined the writers’ world, I was shocked that others had autobuy authors. It’s something I’d never heard of. But if I had to pick an author, let’s go back to my college days and visit my Comparative Mythology class. We read Mary Renault’s A King Must Die and that book fascinated me so much that I read all of her other books except the last one. Mary Renault passed on and now I just can’t bring myself to read the last one because I know there won’t be any more.

What are your current writing projects now? Current projects are:

Much Ado About Miners (Hearts of Owyhee #4), April 2013
An untitled (and unsold) western romance set in 1883 Colorado
Faery Hot Dragon, a fantasy romance novella
A YA fantasy
A traditional western short story for a Wolf Creek anthology
A mini-series, Soiled Doves, a spin-off of Much Ado About Madams
And a western fantasy romance serial—yes, faeries in the Old West

Are you reading any interesting books at the moment? I’m reading The Last Honest Seamstress by Gina Robinson. Great book. Before that, I read a biography of Louis L’Amour, and before that, The Handsomest Man in the Country by Nancy Radke, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Are there any new authors that have sparked your interest and why? I’m excited that some excellent authors are now published. I’ve been reading their works for years and scratching my head, wondering why no one had picked them up yet. Some outstanding authors are Eilis Flynn, Gerri Russell, Ann Charles, Nancy Radke, Heather Hiestand, Joleen James, Judith Laik—all who have titles available now. Wendy Delaney will be published by next summer so if you like mystery, give her book a try. Some western authors whose books I enjoyed and are new to me are Troy D. Smith and Matthew Pizzolato.

What are some of the best tools available today for writers, especially those just starting out? Get an ergonomic keyboard and make sure your workstation promotes good posture. Every author I know either has Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or is gonna get it unless they take measures to prevent it.

Read voraciously in several genres. Learn point of view, not only the easy stuff—the advanced techniques. Reading is by far the best learning tool there is. Just about every article on writing emphasizes it and for good reason. I’ve read and re-read books—the good ones to see how they did it, and the bad ones to see what didn’t work. It’s important to read work that is poorly written as well, because you learn as you go. Contest judging is an enlightening experience for a relatively new writer. If you’ve finished and polished one manuscript, give judging a try.

What do you do to unwind and relax? I like to watch movies with my husband (if I get to pick them), go to baseball games, the rodeo, or drive on the ferry and go island hopping. I also love to travel to small towns and visit the local museums—the very best information is at places like that. At home, I like to bake and I like to watch other people do yard work.

Final thoughts:
Thanks to the blog host and Orangeberry Tours for interviewing me today. I appreciate the time and effort a good blog requires. I’d also like to thank all those who took a chance on the Hearts of Owyhee series, and I hope you enjoy the next book as well.

For readers: if you post your sincere opinion in a review, send me the URL and I’ll send you the first chapter of Much Ado About Miners (unedited). You can contact me at jacquierogers@gmail.com. I love hearing your opinions and always strive to make my stories better. My hope is that I’ve given you a few hours of respite from the daily grind. There’s nothing like a smile to lift a person’s spirits. 

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Genre – Western Historical Romance

(PG17 – one love scene, not graphic but onscreen)

Connect with Jacquie Rogers on  Facebook  & Twitter

#OBBigBang Orangeberry Big Bang - The Fisher's Paradise by Rachael Preston

 

OBBIGBANG

 

Updated on 28th December 2012

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What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life? Turning people onto or back onto reading. I taught creative writing for years and had a book review a part of every course outline. Often people thanked me at the end of the course for renewing their passion for reading. Yesterday I received an email from a reader who had just finished The Fishers of Paradise. Since a car accident last winter that almost claimed her life, she has been unable to sit long enough to concentrate to read.Fishers was the first book she’d read since the accident, and she was so moved by it she now has a list of others.

How has your upbringing influenced your writing? I tend to write about marginalized people, people who are somehow displaced, or about to be displaced, probably because once you emigrate to another country, even from one English-speaking country to another, as I did, you are forever stuck between the two places and never fully reconciled to one. You are displaced. A sense of belonging (or not) is a common theme in my work.

When and why did you begin writing? I wrote my first story when I was 11. There were a lot of gypsies living near us. They had ponies that to my child’s eye weren’t treated well. I wrote “Three Steps to Victory” about a girl who rescues a pony from gypsies, nurses it back to health and then wins a ribbon in a jumping competition at a local gymkhana. I read the nursing of the sick horse section to my brother and looked up to find him crying.

What inspires you to write and why? Reading. I’m moved by other books and the places they take me to.

What inspired you to write your first book? The inspiration for my first published novel, Tent of Blue, came from a situation where we living in an apartment in a converted house and in the apartment across the tiny hall lived a daughter and her mother, who was in a wheelchair. Emotionally, they were both trapped, the old lady was physically trapped too, as the house had no ramp. I listened to the woman scream at her mother day and night and tried to devise a plan to rescue her. In the end I could only do it in fiction. I made her a grumpy former WWI pilot and her rescuer a young naive boy with a clubfoot.

Who or what influenced your writing over the years? Reading. Always reading. Other writers and other books, well-written, moving and gripping books are my key influences.

What do you consider the most challenging about writing a novel, or about writing in general? The plot. Definitely the plot. I wrote my first novel knowing where I was going but with no idea how to get there. However, I wrote The Wind Seller and The Fishers of Paradise without any outline and found I had to undo a lot of plotting and throw away a considerable numbers of chapters in order to get the story to line up. Pulling elements from real life and transposing them straight to the page doesn’t always work, either. What is believable in real life isn’t necessarily believable in fiction. It has to work on the page.

Do you intend to make writing a career? It’s the only career I’ve ever wanted.

Have you developed a specific writing style? My dad used to say that he could easily pick my writing from a pile of papers. I never felt conscious of developing a style, but I do write my sentences based on euphony. I choose their length and rhythm based on how they sound to me, and to achieve this I read all my work aloud.

What is your greatest strength as a writer? I’ve been told it’s my ability to convey drama in description.

Have you ever had writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it? Writer’s block is debilitating.  I employ many tricks. I write around the subject, write a letter from one of the characters to another character, rewrite a scene from a different point of view. Give myself permission to write garbage. Free write. Read a good book. Read a novel on a similar subject or set in the same era. Set small achievable goals–a paragraph a day, say. Big word counts can be overwhelming and I set myself up for constant failure when I can’t achieve them. I tell myself that it will pass.

Who designed the cover? Mark Timmings, an award-winning designer of art books and catalogues for art galleries and museums. He happens to live on the small island where I live (population 325), and graciously agreed to work on the cover for me.

Why did you choose to write this particular book? I was walking around the recently completed waterfront trail in Hamilton when I came upon an information plaque that featured a photograph of a group of carefree young boys standing on the decks of a straggle of boathouses in Cootes Paradise, ready to jump in the water. It seemed an idyllic childhood. When I learned that the city tried to drive the community out in the middle of the Great Depression I felt compelled to write about the area and the people whose lives were disrupted.

What was the hardest part about writing this book? Trying to let go of the facts and let the fictional characters and their lives shape the story. I felt strangled at several stages by the timeline of real events and trying to tie it to the lives of my fictional characters. Also I was too hung up on the facts behind certain events and the real reasons behind such as the city’s expropriations.

Will you write others in this same genre? Yes. That is I’ll set other books in the same time period. I keep thinking I’ll write a book set in present day, but then another idea presents itself and invariably it takes place sometime in the first half of the twentieth century. I’m drawn to the era, to the wars, the depression, the change, the struggle, the loss, the upheaval in people’s lives. But I would like to reach beyond the family drama this next time and write on a larger canvas.

How much of the book is realistic? The boathouse colony was real. Probably sometime around WWI the community sprang up on the shores of Cootes Paradise at the head of Lake Ontario, and families lived there until the late 1930s when the city managed to throw all but a few stalwarts from the property. I conflated two real fires in the community, one in which two children died, into one fictional fire. A fireman did live in the community. I changed his name. Thomas B. McQuesten, or Mr. McQuestion as he was known to the area locals, was a civic-minded politician who was obsessed with making Hamilton a part of the City Beautiful Movement. The King of the rum-runners body was dragged from the lake. The Model and Normal Schools, Dundurn Castle and Leo the Lion, the market and McNab Prebyterian church are, or were,  all real. The last of the boathouses was torn down in the mid 1940s.

Have you included a lot of your life experiences, even friends, in the plot? I wrote closer to the bone in Fishers than I have in my other books. The experiences are transmuted, but they are based on circumstances and events in my life. My father was a gambler; he left suddenly when I was a kid. In dire straits we had to live with my grandparents.

How important do you think villains are in a story? Villains are good as foils for the protagonists to show off their better qualities. And villains often make for more interesting reading. There is nothing more boring that a story where everyone is good and decent. That said, there is a real danger in making villains two-dimensional and predictable. The challenge is to make the reader care about them too.

Are you reading any interesting books at the moment? A fascinating novel by Robert Hough called The Final Confession of Mable Stark, a fictional biography of a diminutive female tiger trainer from Kentucky, who was a centre-ring attraction for the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus in the 1910s and 1920s.

What contributes to making a writer successful? The ability to tell a good story and tell it well; the sensibility to choose the right story to tell. And luck. Buckets and buckets of luck.

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Genre – Historical Fiction (PG13)

Connect with Rachael Preston on her website

http://www.rachaelpreston.com/

Blog http://www.rachaelpreston.com/blog/

Friday, January 25, 2013

#OBBigBang Orangeberry Big Bang – Hot & Enchanting by P. T. Macias

 

OBBIGBANG

 

Updated on 28th December 2012

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A hot-blooded saga of the De La Cruz familia and their fortunes is centered on romantic relationships of the explosively passionate nature. Hot & Spicy, the bachelor wars the Mexican cartel to protect his amor, familia, and fortune. Hot & Forbidden, star-crossed lovers break taboos and fight the chains.

Hot & Enchanting, Ricardo Emmanuel De La Cruz is the sexy alpha playboy of la familia and is an attorney. He’s enjoys all the chicas that chase him. They have been chasing him his entire life.

Ricky literally runs into Jacqueline Cortez in the hallway. She’s a bella, shy, and quiet certified public accountant that works for la familia. Jacki turns his world upside down.

Jacqueline Cortez has been in love with Ricardo her entire life. She never dreamed that running into him will unleash the amor that she locked up a long time ago. Will she be able to outrun Ricardo and avoid being his next conquest? How long can Jacki resist Ricky’s attention? Is she doomed to fall under his enchantment and into his waiting arms?

Why is she pushing me away? Do I repulse her? I have never had a chica react like this. What’s wrong, thinks Ricky.

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Genre – Romance Thriller (PG13)

Connect with PT Macias on Twitter

Blog http://ptmacias.blogspot.com/

Website http://ptmacias.com/

#OBBigBang Orangeberry Big Bang - A Wicked Awakening by Calinda B

 

 

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Updated on 28th December 2012

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What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why? “I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.”

When I was in the 7th grade we were asked to create a poster with a meaningful quote. This quote, credited to Jack London, moved my little adolescent soul. I was a shy, awkward, gawky young thing at the time of this art project. Little did I know that the quote would actually resonate with my life journey – I have lived, and continue to live, a remarkable life.

What inspires you to write and why? You know, if I knew the answer to this, I could bottle it and make a fortune! All my friends ask me the same thing, adding, “My, you have a creative way of looking at things!” or, “It’s sure busy in the brain of yours!” I find inspiration everywhere. My current WIP was born on the Sea of Cortez in La Paz on a recent scuba diving adventure.

What genre are you most comfortable writing? I loves me the paranormal, like to write a saucy, sexy story. The weirder the better; the hotter the more fun.

Did writing this book teach you anything and what was it? I always learn from writing. Writing helps me integrate struggles I might be facing, issues I might be having. It helps me see the world differently as I craft each character. I often develop characters that I am least likely to give a second glance to in real life. Writing about them, I get to know them in a different way. I also tend to focus on one or more animals in my books. For instance, in Wicked Whispering: Book III in the Wicked Series, I met a humpback whale researcher and learned a lot about these fascinating creatures (the main character became a whale whisperer). Each book is a journey.

What is your greatest strength as a writer? Hmm, I’d have to say both my quirky mind, as well as the ability to take constructive feedback to heart (when given by trusted advisors). I am a sponge when it comes to learning and growing.

Can you share a little of your current work with us? Sure. This is the one mentioned above, born on the Sea of Cortez. Tentatively entitled “The Beckoning of Beautiful Things,” it’s about a young woman, born to an opera singer and a conductor. Her parents are killed when she’s 12 years old and she becomes a recluse of sorts. At age 28, she drifts from job to job and has a total tool of a boyfriend – the guy’s a real loser. She meets a most intriguing man and from there her journey begins. He tells her that she’s a powerful bruja (sorcerer) and that she must learn how to develop her skills, lest she fall prey to one of the most powerful brujos in the world – the demented sorcerer El Demonio de la Muerte – The Demon of Death. I’m having a great deal of fun writing it.

How did you come up with the title? It just came to me. It plays nicely into the book.

Can you tell us about your main character? Marissa Engles, age 28, has two older sisters. She works as a graphic artist in West Seattle and thinks of herself as an ordinary woman (don’t we all!). She’s not sure whether or not she even likes her boyfriend, a slacker, surfer dude named Jason Harmonia Brown she met at a Tantra workshop, but he’s good in bed (A friend goaded her into attending the workshop and she wants nothing to do with the practice). Jason likes to exploit her abilities as an intuitive – she’s a gifted seer, something she thinks is no big deal. It’s just something passed on from female to female on her mother’s side. She has a dog – a big Doberman Pinscher named Sober Dober. Sober will play a key role in her growth as a bruja. She’ll travel through time to shape her skills as well as wreak mischief on her current life.

Why did you choose to write this particular book? The idea just came to me in La Paz. It is a departure from my highly erotic series, The Wicked Series.

Will you write others in this same genre? Yup, I have a whole series planned for the Beckoning. I also have A Wicked Ending: book IV in the Wicked Series underway.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? I always want to remind my readers that they’re so much more than they might think.  A beloved teacher of mine told me once: “Your dreams are inside of you for a reason – you are to manifest them.” At the time she told me this I thought she was crazy. Now I know she was right!

Have you included a lot of your life experiences, even friends, in the plot? Oh, sure, my crazy life experiences leak out all over the place in my books. And, I admit it, I often use people I have loved and loathed as characters in my stories. It’s just something writer’s do. ;-)

How important do you think villains are in a story? My villains are some of my favorite characters! Angela Myers and Jill Primcott are the mental, crazies in the Wicked Series. El Demonio de la Muerte will be my Villain in the Beckoning Series. They add tension and depth to a story.

Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)? We travel a lot to scuba dive. Each new place inspires something in the books.

Have you ever considered anyone as a mentor? AJ Nuest and Arial Burnz of Mystical Press Services are rock solid mentors! Both of them editors at publishing houses. They also have their own business (mysticalpressservices.com) designed to help you get your work published. Tell them you know Calinda B and make them smile!

Can we expect any more books from you in the future? Absolutely!

What contributes to making a writer successful? First off, being a good writer. I think it’s important to keep honing your skills. Don’t get complacent and think you know all there is to know – keep learning. After that, you need to be persistent and courageous in getting your book out there, whether you’re going for a traditional publisher or want to go indie. Don’t take bad reviews seriously – unless that’s all you get! If that’s the case, you might want to try something different! ;-) Networking with other authors helps me – we celebrate one another’s successes and support one another when needed.

What do you do to unwind and relax? I write! Seriously, it’s very relaxing to be in my creative mind space. Other than that, I scuba dive, kayak and occasionally bike ride.

What dreams have been realized as a result of your writing? Writing books is not something I ever wanted to do – I just started it on impulse a couple years ago. Having done it, I find that I have learned so much about myself, I’m amazed! I’ve networked with all kinds of cool people, my self-confidence has soared, I’ve discovered new things about myself – it’s a very personal journey that has taken me to places I never expected to go.

If you could leave your readers with one bit of wisdom, what would you want it to be? Have fun. Loosen up. Laugh a lot. Do something that scares you. Before you know it, this party’s over – you may as well enjoy the ride.

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Genre – Paranormal Romance (R)

Connect with Calinda B on Facebook or Twitter

Website - http://www.calindab.com/

Thursday, January 24, 2013

#OBBigBang Orangeberry Big Bang - Gastien – Part 1: The Cost of a Dream by Caddy Rowland

 

 

OBBIGBANG

 

Updated on 28th December 2012

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What is your favorite quality about yourself? My imagination. I can imagine anything. I think it comes from being almost an only child (my brother was 13 years older) and having no one to play with much of the time.

What is your least favorite quality about yourself? I can get the feeling that I’m not doing what I should be doing. When writing, I feel a pull to paint. When painting, I feel I should be writing. When doing either, I should be giving my parrots attention.  When relaxing, I should be exercising, etc. I tend to beat myself up that way.

What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why? “Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.” –Eleanor Roosevelt. Why? Well, I really like to talk about who we are, where we came from, and where we are going; all of the possibilities of that. I really LOVE a good, deep discussion of ideas with open-minded people?

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life? I’m proud that I am still married (after 39 ½ years) to my high school sweetheart, and that we’re still in love. We got engaged my senior year of high school! We married 2 weeks after graduation. We were too young, from two economic backgrounds, had four different religions between the two sets of parents, and decided not to have children. No one thought it would last, but here we are; and happy besides!

How has your upbringing influenced your writing? I can’t say that my upbringing has much influence on it, but childhood and life experiences have. For instance, I was made fun of daily in 5th and 6th grade. It was relentless. I had a stomach ache most of the time, but was too afraid to tell my parents why. I reasoned that if they found out, they would see me as a loser, too, and they wouldn’t want me around anymore. I had a wild imagination and that made kids more “grown up” than me see me as odd. That came out in book 3 of The Gastien Series. The main character in that book gets teased a lot, making him feel alienated. I could write about that alienation. The situation was much different but I had legitimate experience with those feelings. I was also quite a rebel. That helped me write about Gastien, a bohemian artist who breaks all conventions and does things his way, after growing up under the abuse of his father back on the farm.

What inspires you to write and why? I wish money did. If it did, I would be writing to please whatever current trends happen. I don’t write paranormal or erotica. I do write graphic sex, but I want something other than sex to be the main thrust (pardon the pun) or my novels. I guess humanity with all of its glory and ugliness inspires me. I write drama, family saga, historical fiction. I never set out to write historical fiction, in fact, it sounded boring, but once the book was done I realized that it had a lot of historical details in it regarding the whole nineteenth century bohemian artist era in Paris. What a decadent time in history! I like to show the bad in good people and vice versa. A series gives me time to do that. To sum it up, my novels showcase the sublime joy and bitter tragedy of being human.

Did writing this book teach you anything and what was it? Yes, it taught me that I could actually finish a long novel. It also taught me that historical fiction can be extremely exciting, graphic, and emotionally charged. Lastly, it taught me that some people actually think you indulge in all of the activities you write about. Ha! I would be long gone if I had.

Do you intend to make writing a career? I am trying right now. We may lose every material thing we have in the process, but I have to try to achieve my dream. I know painting is even tougher than writing to be successful at, so I write a whole lot more than I paint. It takes time to build a readership, but it is happening slowly. I am getting good reviews and people email me to tell me how much the books moved them.

Have you developed a particular writing style? I just write. Funny, I have had reviewers and readers say that at first they found my writing a little strange, but after a few chapters they were totally immersed.  They call it Caddy Omniscient. I suppose some love it and some stop reading. Those who stop I don’t hear from! But then, that’s true of any writer. Not everyone’s going to love you.

What is your greatest strength as a writer? I will tell it how it needs to be told, even if it gets real ugly. I’m not afraid to stretch boundaries, possibly repel someone. If it’s a brutal scene, it needs to be brutal. That’s what drama is. I don’t shy away from giving main characters traits that people will hate them for at times. I want people to both love and hate my characters. All of us are part decent and part, well, assholian. Some just have greater degrees of one or the other. Even those with bigger “warts” make interesting characters. I want to make people think, feel, and react. Many people refuse to think, but I can make them feel and react. Writing that way makes people feel deeply about your work. Most times it has been positive, but whenever an author writes emotional stories, some people are going to have a negative reaction. That’s good. That means my work isn’t bland.

Can you share a little of your current work with us? I am writing the rough draft, so I won’t share it literally, but I can tell you about it. Gastien Part 1: The Cost of the Dream is the first book of The Gastien Series. There will be five books in the series, and four of them are currently available. I am working on the fifth book right now. The series is generational, a family saga. The fourth book just released recently. I am about 25% done with the first draft of this last Gastien book.

Can you tell us about your main character? Gastien was brought up on a farm in France, the eldest of eleven children. Although they were more successful than most farmers, they were definitely peasants. His father was a tyrant, who beat and verbally abused Gastien for eighteen years. Gastien was supposed to take over the farm, which had been in the family for generations, but he wanted to become an artist. To his father, that was an insult and not becoming to a man. He has a confrontation with his father when he is almost eighteen and leaves home on foot. The story is about his determination so achieve both the dream of having his own studio and to become a great lover, in spite of the horrific struggles he faces on the streets of Paris. He learns a lot about sex, power, class struggle, betrayal, and friendship in less than two years. He has no idea what will be asked of him in order to make his dream come true. The tagline is this: “Sometimes the “impossible” is possible – but the cost can be extremely high”.

How much of the book is realistic? Much of it is. I made sure that items the characters used, wore, etc were appropriate for the times. Different historical information is brought into play. The research took longer than the writing. I want to make sure I didn’t mess up. For instance, when Gastien got introduced to sex, if I had him unzipping his pants people would be jarred right out of the scene. Zippers were not invented yet, and pants were called trousers. Still, Gastien is a rebel and an artist. This was the time of Impressionism and other cutting edge forms of art. Those bohemians were not formal, so the dialog is earthier and less formal to show how they stood apart. Their world was eons ahead of the rest of society in many ways. Dialog was one way to show that. Plus, Gastien was eighteen! There’s no way young men wouldn’t be talking trash to each other. Please!

How important do you think villains are to a story? Without villains, there would be no conflict. Although I will say sometimes “villains” aren’t actual people. Some of the worst villains live in our minds, as Gastien eventually finds out.  But villains give readers a reason to root for your character, to hope that he overcomes them and achieves his goal. If a writer can’t get readers pulling for their main character, the story will fail. Readers can hate the main character’s decisions or actions at different points, but they must care about him, too. Without conflict, the reader has no reason to become emotionally involved with the character.

Did you learn anything from writing this book and what was it? I learned a lot of history, although some of it I knew because I am an artist. Because of that I have always been interested in that period in Paris. I think the main thing I learned is that writing male POV comes very naturally for me. I actually prefer it over female POV. Only one book in the series is female POV and that is the fourth book. I enjoyed writing it, but male is easier for me.

What do you do to unwind and relax? As mentioned earlier, I paint. I also enjoy playing with our two parrots. We like to hike and walk in the woods, play Texas Hold ‘Em and other card games. We enjoy movies, especially independent films. I read. We do yoga. Kicking back with a few good friends is great, too.

Do you have any advice for writers? I will pass on the same advice I read somewhere on the internet. What had kept me from writing a novel for so many years was fear. The thought of storyboards and working over every sentence paralyzed me. Then I read someone who said, just write. Set aside a specific amount of time for a specific number of days each week and don’t break that promise, no matter what. I picked one hour a day, five days a week. The next advice he gave was to just keep writing every day, instead of going back and reading what you had written previously. Just keep going until you reach the end.  Don’t edit during this time. Why? Because until you have a completed book, there is nothing to edit. He was right. That did it for me. All of those words later, you better believe I was going to make sure it was polished up and published.

Who is your publisher? I am. I don’t have the time or patience to wait a couple of years for acceptance and then being put off for months until the book hits the market. I have always been independent about my careers. I like to control my own destiny and was self employed for years. As an artist, I see indie publishers as the excitement of the industry, just like in music and film. They aren’t bound by what others expect of them and are free to write what they want to. Yes, there are some poorly edited and proofed indie books. Read the description. Read the free sample. Read the reviews. That gives you an idea of if the work is professional. Take a chance on paying for indie books, instead of just downloading free or .99 books. Many times you do get what you pay for. I mean, seriously, what do you pay for a good beer or a movie ticket? Isn’t hours immersed in a novel worth at least that?

Can we expect any more books from you in the future? Oh, yes, indeed! I have a couple of series dancing in my head and some other ideas as well. I may even switch genre, who knows? Fasten your seatbelts!

Do you have any last thoughts that you want to share with your readers? As readers, you have no idea how much it means to an author, especially an indie, when they get an email from you. It sounds like a prepared speech, but truly, you are the reason I write. It means the world to me every time someone lets me know that they loved my work.

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Genre – Drama, Historical Fiction (R)

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Blog - www.caddyrowlandblog.blogspot.com