An Author a Day, part 7

CAREY LEWIS

Bio: Carey Lewis traded a mundane job in Toronto, Canada, in favor of a backpacker life of nomadic travel. He can be spotted with his beautiful fiance somewhere in Southeast Asia, drinking coffee and scribbling furiously into a notepad while cursing his credit card debt and writing about bad guys that are cooler than he'll ever be.

Novel Link:

Warriors: https://www.amazon.com/Warriors-Carey-Lewis-ebook/dp/B01N3QVFZO/ 

Generation Z: https://www.amazon.com/Generation-Z-Books-One-Two-ebook/dp/B01M05QIKR 

The Split: https://www.amazon.com/Split-Gutter-Dogs-Book-ebook/dp/B01M0HFWR7 

Genre you write: Mystery/ Suspense/ Thriller as well as dystopian/ apocalyptic

Questions:

What’s the one piece of advice you’d give someone wanting to write? (Jenny) This is probably going to go contrary to most advice a writer will get, but my advice to anyone just starting out is to find an author you dig, and copy their style. Now hear me out…

Listen to the other advice which will be read everything you can and write always. That should be a given. What you don’t hear is that one of the most important aspects of writing is the author’s voice, and in most advice or how-to’s about writing, this is ignored. They’ll tell you about grammar, formatting, story structure and blah blah blah. It can be useful I suppose but I don’t think it’s as important as it’s led you to believe. 

Kurt Vonnegut, Ernest Hemingway, Neil Gaiman, Elmore Leonard, Agatha Christie, Margaret Atwood, Stephen King, Ed McBain, Dennis Lehane, Harlan Coben. They all have their own voice, their own sound that you recognize right away. That’s why you love those authors. You love the way they tell you a story.

Copy the style of those you love to start with. Of course, to find out what you love, you have to read a lot. Through osmosis, those voices will go through you and because it’s you, you’ll put your own voice in there. From that point, you have started to develop your own sound and style and you’ll start telling stories in your own voice.

Also, try not to write the parts readers tend to skip.

How do you approach your stories; do you plan everything out before starting, or are you more a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of a person? (Steve) I’m a ‘pantser,’ so I make it up as I go along. I have ideas before I start, some characters, a little of what they’re doing, and then I let them do their thing. I had one character that wasn’t talking, so they got killed. There was another character I didn’t think would do anything, but I couldn’t shut him up! He ended up being one of my favorite characters in Warriors. To me, writing this way, it comes as much a surprise to me as it does the reader.

Of all your characters, do you have a favorite? (Luke)

How long did it take you to write your most recent book(s)? (Joy) It takes me about a month, and that includes research and two rounds of edits on the manuscript. Then I’ll put it away for a couple of weeks and give it another couple of edits with fresh eyes. 

I tend to research while I go. I don’t know how writers wrote anything before Google! Even though I’m of the age where I used to have to go to the library and thumb through pages myself, I can’t imagine doing that now whenever I needed to know what a street looked like or what the laws are regarding a thing in a certain country or state. Can you imagine? 

The last book I outlined was Generation Z, which deals with the current race relation problems we’re facing using Zombies as the metaphor. That took a little more research as I had to look up science stuff to make my diseases believable (because Science!). I ended up using the Ebola outbreak for the catalyst of my plague.

I researched the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luthor King, Malcolm X, Jim Crow Laws, the Black Panthers etc. I also researched the other side of those things, such as the perception to them, the cause and effect and such. I enjoy that kind of research, but it took awhile as I wanted it to be right. It was worth it because it became the plot of the entire book. The fact that Generation Z is a modern story that’s very relevant today but taken from events that happened 50+ years ago is something to think about.

That was a lot more research and it took a week or two, so that book, which turned into two, took about a month and a half to two months to write.

What motivated you to write your novel? (Ami) Got to do something with your day right? hahaha

I’m always asking myself a question that will drive you insane in real life but seems to serve writing well. That question is ‘what if?’ You’ll go insane asking yourself that question about your life – what if I paid more attention to the girl that left, what if I waited five minutes, what if I said or did this… it goes on and on and there aren’t any answers. But in writing it’s an incredibly useful tool.

I’m currently writing a story about a couple that host a reality TV show about haunted houses. It started with, ‘what if they staged the houses to be haunted?’ then went to ‘what if they staged the houses so they could buy them cheap and flip them?’ then it went to, ‘what if they were divorced and still had to host the show and got caught up in the world of marijuana trafficking?’ you know, because that’s a natural progression ;)

Name three favorite authors and why they impress you. (Kay) 

Would you rather set your story in a place and time you are familiar with, or would you rather research a totally different setting? (Ruth)

Do you have any little writing rituals or quirks? E.g. an object you have to have on your 

How do you own experiences influence what you write? (Bill)

Your experiences make you who you are and shape how you see the world. From my experiences, I tend to find the humor in most situations. Laughter is amazing. I’ve developed a sharp tongue and sarcastic wit, so those things tend to find its way into the work. 

In the mystery/suspense/thriller genres, everyone is so damn serious all the time. They’re some of the most focused people you’ll ever come across. Those aren’t people want to hang out with! I don’t think that’s reflective of life, so my characters tend to have a sense of humor and sarcastic wit to them. That’s not to say what I write is light hearted, but there are moments of humor.

Don’t take life so serious or you’ll never get out alive.

If you were a ninja with a vendetta to whom would it be? OR If you had to throw something into mount Doom to save the world, what would it be? OR If you had a group of celebrities to plan the perfect heist who would they be and what would you be after? (Aaron) (Sorry, I left all three of Aaron’s in because they were hard! Pick one or all.)

How do you deal with writer's block? (Marissa) 

The idea of writer’s block has taken on its own mythos, hasn’t it? It’s at the point where it means something different to everyone. 

I write. It’s normally a case of just getting that ball rolling from a standstill. Once that first line is down, that ball is rolling, and once there’s momentum it moves on its own. 

Oftentimes, it’s not writer’s block, it’s just a matter of figuring out what the characters are going to do, and what they’re going to do NEXT. That’s the part that trips people up I think. It’s going from A to C and figuring out what B is all about. While I’m figuring that out, I’ll read, or watch a movie. Sometimes you got to take a step back to see the forest for the trees or however that saying goes.

A new practice I’ve recently adopted is to reread the chapter I wrote previously before I start my writing session. It helps get the ball rolling.

What is your favorite part of the writing process? (i.e. first draft, editing, etc...) (Greg) My favorite part of writing would be the first draft stage. I’m a ‘pantser’ which means I make up most of it as I go along. This way I get to feel how the reader does while they’re reading, because we’re both discovering the book for the first time. There’s been more than a few times when I swore at my laptop because I couldn’t believe what just happened. There’s no better feeling in the world when something is being created, and you’re in that zone, and everything is just clicking. Then you look back at the scene you wrote and everything just works. It’s a high.

If you were stranded on a deserted island with only one book, what would it be? (Ominbuses,  complete works, and how to books are forbidden!) (Laura)

I’m going to steal Dwight Shrute’s answer from The Office – “Physician's Desk Reference... hollowed out, inside-waterproof matches, iodine tablets, beet seeds, protein bars, NASA blanket and, in case I get bored, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. No, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Question, did my shoes come off in the plane crash? 

An Author a Day, part 6

BILL HIATT

Bio: As far back as he can remember, Bill Hiatt had a love for reading so intense that he eventually ended up owning over eight thousand books--not counting e-books! He has also loved to write for almost that long. As an English teacher, he had little time to write, though he always felt there were stories within him that longed to get out, and he did manage to publish a few books near the end of his teaching career. Now that he is retired from teaching, the stories are even more anxious to get out into the world, and they will not be denied!

Novel Links: (I hope these are the same three I filled in on Laura's form; if I've made a mistake, please let me know. Also, I've used Booklinker links because I know some of us are in the US and some in the UK. If that's a problem, I'll send the Amazon links.) Living with Your Past Selves: http://viewbook.at/B00987M4CI  Different Lee: http://viewbook.at/differentlee  I think the third was either The Devil Hath the Power: http://viewbook.at/devilhathpower or We Walk in Darkness: http://viewbook.at/wewalk.

Genre: The genres on all are urban fantasy/paranormal. If it matters, all titles are young adult, with the exception of Different Lee, which is new adult.

Questions:

What’s the one piece of advice you’d give someone wanting to write? (Jenny)
Be persistent. Getting the recognition you deserve will be difficult at best. Success comes to those who are willing to “hang in” no matter what. Occasionally someone’s first novel will take the world by storm, but most of the time success in this field, as in most creative fields, comes from painstaking ongoing content creation, accompanied by brand-building efforts. 

How do you approach your stories; do you plan everything out before starting, or are you more a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of a person? (Steve)
I’m both. I have a general idea of where I want to go and how I want to get there, but nothing is set in stone. I try to let the nature of the characters and the situations drive the plot. Sometimes I’ll be in the middle of something and say, “No, it wouldn’t happen this way.” I’d like to think my novels look meticulously planned, but in fact what readers see is a combination of planning and spontaneity.

Of all your characters, do you have a favorite? (Luke)
I feel an attachment to all of them, but I suppose my favorite is Taliesin Weaver, my first main character. In some ways, he’s the one who got me started. I had him in mind initially for a completely different project, which I scrapped. However, I became so interested in him that I ended up building my first novel around his problems. If not for him, I might never have ended up being a writer.

How long did it take you to write your most recent book(s)? (Joy)
Full-length novels typically take three to six months, depending on their length and complexity, as well as upon how many other demands on my time there are while I’m writing.

What motivated you to write your novel? (Ami)
As long as I can remember, I’ve had an interest in writing, but for most of my career as an English teacher, I couldn’t find the time. The breakthrough occurred when I was trying to write a grammar test, which I normally hated doing. On a whim, I decided to take a more narrative approach and asked students if I could use them as characters. I sat down to write a grammar test in the form of a mild horror story (it was Halloween week) with the students as characters. I ended up staying up almost all night writing it, at which point I realized I had not really given up on writing. After that I tried to make a little time for writing, and when I retired, I devoted much more time to it. (The students in that class not only loved the narrative grammar test but demanded more. They scored better on the grammar final exam than any class I’ve ever had.)

Name three favorite authors and why they impress you. (Kay)
That’s a hard question, considering how many authors I love. I’d say Italo Calvino, Tim Powers, and John M. Ford, all three for the compelling richness of their imaginations. Calvino, if not for his untimely death, might have won a Nobel Prize. The other two are less well-known, and Ford is out of print, but they are all well worth reading.

Would you rather set your story in a place and time you are familiar with, or would you rather research a totally different setting? (Ruth)
I’m somewhere in the middle. As a fantasy writer, my works are often a combination of the familiar with the imaginary. For instance, my first was set partly in Santa Barbara and partly in Annwn, the Welsh Otherworld. I have also researched real-world settings with which I was not familiar.

Do you have any little writing rituals or quirks? E.g. an object you have to have on your desk, a particular drink or snack. (Liz)
I don’t really have a particular writing ritual, but I do have a ritual for when I’m too tired but must go on. I play seventies music and keep telling myself I’m sixteen. Amazingly, that boosts my energy—for awhile.

How do you own experiences influence what you write? (Bill)

If you were a ninja with a vendetta to whom would it be? OR If you had to throw something into mount Doom to save the world, what would it be?
What would I not throw into Mount Doom to save the world? After all, it’s the world, and therefore less replaceable than anything I might throw in. That said, I couldn’t bring myself to throw another person in. Aside from that, anything would be fair game. OR If you had a group of celebrities to plan the perfect heist who would they be and what would you be after? (Aaron) (Sorry, I left all three of Aaron’s in because they were hard! Pick one or all.)

How do you deal with writer's block? (Marissa)
I find that doing something less and letting my subconscious roll the problem around usually does the trick. I’ve never really stayed blocked for that long.

What is your favorite part of the writing process? (i.e. first draft, editing, etc...) (Greg)
The initial creative process, though I like polishing the material too. That said, does anyone actually like that last, tedious edit.

If you were stranded on a deserted island with only one book, what would it be? (Ominbuses,  complete works, and how to books are forbidden!) (Laura)
Being a fantasy writer, I’d have to say Merlin’s grimoire r something similar, so I could learn how to open a gateway into another world and escape from the island.

An author a Day, part 5

LIZ HEDGECOCK

Bio: Liz Hedgecock grew up in London, England, did an English degree, and then took forever to start writing. After several years working in the National Health Service, a corporate writing course rekindled the flame, and various short stories followed. Some even won prizes. Then the stories began to grow longer... Liz now lives in Cheshire with her husband and two sons, and when she’s not writing or child-wrangling you can usually find her reading, running, or sneaking into a museum.

Novel Links: A House of Mirrors: myBook.to/Mirrors, The Secret Notebook of Sherlock Holmes: myBook.to/NotebookSH, A Jar of Thursday: myBook.to/Thursday, The Case of the Snow-White Lady: myBook.to/SnowWhiteLady 

Genre: mystery/crime for all. Additionally, humour for Secret Notebook: adventure, steampunk, SF for Thursday: supernatural for Snow-White Lady

Blurb for A House Of Mirrors:

‘What is your profession, Mr Holmes?’

When Nell Villiers’ policeman husband vanishes on a routine case, her life is wrecked. Placed under protection by Inspector Lestrade, Nell is ripped from her old life and her own secret police work. Instead she must live as a widow, Mrs Hudson, in a safe house: 221B Baker Street. 

Two years on, with the case still unsolved, Nell vows to defy Lestrade and use her skills to discover the truth. She takes a lodger to cover her tracks; a young man called Sherlock Holmes. How could she know what would happen?

‘It’s always been fun before - but now the police are the enemy…’

Questions:

What’s the one piece of advice you’d give someone wanting to write? (Jenny) Start! Write, and keep writing. The only way to improve a blank page is to get some words on it.

How do you approach your stories; do you plan everything out before starting, or are you more a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of a person? (Steve) I’m halfway between - a sort of plantser! Before I begin, I’ll know what my main characters are like, and the big plot points, and roughly where I think they’ll be. The rest unfolds as the characters take the plot and run with it.

Of all your characters, do you have a favorite? (Luke) I’d probably pick Nell, the protagonist of A House Of Mirrors. She’s a young Victorian woman with a reckless, mischievous streak. I’m planning the sequel to A House Of Mirrors right now and looking forward to seeing what she gets up to next!

How long did it take you to write your most recent book(s)? (Joy) I write the first draft quite quickly, but I’m pretty thorough in the edit. I wrote the draft of A House Of Mirrors in 6 weeks, then put it away for 6 months, and took a month to edit it.

What motivated you to write your novel? (Ami) I was reading a Sherlock Holmes story and it struck me how little we know of Mrs Hudson. She runs 221B Baker Street, removing all domestic cares from Holmes and Watson, but we barely see her. I began to wonder about her viewpoint, and how she would tell a Holmes story. Then I wondered where Mr Hudson was. And the story unfolded...

Name three favorite authors and why they impress you. (Kay) Joanne Harris. Not just for her wonderful books, but also for writing different books after the success of Chocolat. Also because she speaks her mind on Twitter.

Terry Pratchett, for the amazing multilayered Discworld.

Barbara Pym. The world she depicts is small, but packed with minutely-observed details which reveal her characters’ inner lives.

Would you rather set your story in a place and time you are familiar with, or would you rather research a totally different setting? (Ruth) I like to have something to hang on to. Four of my books are set in Victorian London; I grew up in south London (not in Victorian times, though!), and I did a master’s degree in Victorian Literature. I still do research though, which is great fun.

Do you have any little writing rituals or quirks? E.g. an object you have to have on your desk, a particular drink or snack. (Liz) If I don’t have a cup of tea on the desk, I feel a bit peculiar. I also have a little wooden ‘writing rhino’ who sits behind my keyboard. Sometimes I rub his bottom for inspiration.

How do you own experiences influence what you write? (Bill) I try not to pinch too much stuff from real life, although some of my kids’ best lines have made it to the page! Being a woman and a parent definitely influences my writing, though. A House Of Mirrors came from imagining what it would be like to be the person who cleans up after Sherlock Holmes and puts his dinner on the table, since the domestics at 221B Baker Street are largely invisible. And the book I’ve just drafted has a heavily pregnant protagonist who solves a crime in the spare moments between dealing with her toddler. 

If you had a group of celebrities to plan the perfect heist who would they be and what would you be after? (Aaron) This is hard! OK, in my criminal gang I’d have Stephen Fry, because he knows everything and we might need some completely random information; Derren Brown, to perform mind tricks on the guards and convince them we weren’t there; and Amanda Abbington, who plays Mary Watson in Sherlock, for ruthlessness. What would we be stealing? The formula for a perfect novel!

How do you deal with writer's block? (Marissa) I haven’t suffered from writer’s block yet - not a proper big ‘can’t write a thing’ block, anyway. If I feel stuck while writing, I get a notepad (I write on the computer) and scribble down how I feel and what I think the problem might be. Getting it down on paper helps me unstick myself.

What is your favorite part of the writing process? (i.e. first draft, editing, etc...) (Greg) First draft, because I get to tell myself an exciting story and meet loads of new people at the same time.

If you were stranded on a deserted island with only one book, what would it be? (Ominbuses,  complete works, and how to books are forbidden!) (Laura) It’s probably a cliche, but I’d pick Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. Or maybe Our Mutual Friend…choosing is so hard!

An Author a Day, part 4

LAURA GREENWOOD

Bio: I like to write whichever weird and wonderful tale comes into my head, which makes identifying the genre difficult even for me! My first series, Alventia, are novellas centred around Keira, aka Sleeping Beauty, and her Prince Philip, along with their allies Hansel and Gretel. It's a tale that very much told itself as I started to write it!

While I'm not writing, I work in Catering and am also an Assistant Brownie Guide Leader in the Midlands (UK). I like to bake and I love to read, and like with my writing, I read an eclectic mix of genres, and love every minute of it!

You can keep up to date with any of my writing progress by signing up to my Newsletter here: https://goo.gl/A3tI1s

Author Links: 

http://www.authorlauragreenwood.co.uk

http://facebook.com/authorlauragreenwood/

http://twitter.com/lauramg_tdir

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7788024.Laura_Greenwood

Book link is here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N778J7W/ and genre...let's go romance & fantasy just to be safe! 

Questions:

What’s the one piece of advice you’d give someone wanting to write? (Jenny) Just go for it! Write whatever crazy story comes into your head, because chances are that if you want to write it, someone somewhere will want to read it! Besides, if you don't get  the story out of your head, the voices will just get stronger!

How do you approach your stories; do you plan everything out before starting, or are you more a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of a person? (Steve) I am most definitely a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of person! My first novella, Awakening, started off with the intention of the Sleeping Beauty character (Keira) basically becoming a bloodthirsty vampire (it was based on a couple of short stories I'd written to that effect). Did that happen when I wrote it? Of course not! With its sequel, Cloaked, I wrote the final chapter first and it is hands down one of the hardest things I've ever had to write because I had to get it to that point. However, I am now attempting a planned approached so we'll see how that goes!

Of all your characters, do you have a favorite? (Luke) I think I have two (am I allowed to say that? I'm not sure!) The first is Annabelle from What Lies Beneath the Mask. Not many people would be able to tell, but there was a lot of me that went in to her. Including some of the bad parts. Writing her was kind of therapeutic. But also, the book had a lot of my best friend in too (she encouraged me to write it and broach the subject of abusive relationships in the first place), and that will always make that book, and it's narrator, special to me.

The other is Gretel from my Alventia Series. I only really saw her from the main characters POV in the first book, and that was coloured by jealousy, but the second book gave Gretel her own POV and I really grew to like her. I think she's the best character in that series!

How long did it take you to write your most recent book(s)? (Joy) My most recent published is What Lies Beneath the Mask, which I started in late January and published on the 1st December. It took me about 2 1/2 months to write the first draft, around my day job and other commitments.

However, the last novel I wrote, Siren's Storm, took just under a month (I had a slow start to NaNo!) So that's pretty much the benchmark now!

What motivated you to write your novel? (Ami) What Lies Beneath the Mask sprung to life because I love Phantom of the Opera and was listening to the soundtrack in the car (yes I'm just that cool!) It was originally going to be a retelling, but, while it does retain some parts of that, it morphed and changed due to the influence of my best friend, Anna. It was that that moved me away from the love triangle element (because at heart I am most definitely a Raoul advocate) and moved more towards a dark past for Annabelle. But, if I'm honest with myself, the main motivator I had in writing the book was the realisation that I wanted what I was giving my character; a reason to get past a bad relationship.

Name three favorite authors and why they impress you. (Kay) 

JK Rowling! She just can't be missed from my list! I'm from the Harry Potter generation and can remember the excitement of waiting for the next book to come out (and I recently learned that my Mum was the same, and she'd wait until I was asleep so that she could nick the book and read it too!) But also, because JKR does so much good. She genuinely seems to want to make the world a better place.

Brandon Sanderson. His Mistborn trilogy is the reason I got back into reading big time. Each book I pick up has such a unique world, with so many different nuances that I can't help but be drawn in. And as a wannabe Fantasy author, such unique magic systems have to be admired!

JA Huss. Because there does need to be an Indie on the list! But also her books are so on the edge of your seat, and really twisted. I've read a book of hers that I wasn't sure I'd like because of the subject matter; I ended up giving it 5 stars.

Would you rather set your story in a place and time you are familiar with, or would you rather research a totally different setting? (Ruth) I'll be honest, I love the idea of historical fiction but I don't have the patience, or the time, to do the research for it. So I either make up a setting (for Fantasy),  or I stick to somewhere I know but don't actually say where it is. For example, in my head, What Lies Beneath the Mask is set in York, a city in Northern England, but I never once said that. There are clues that the book is set in the UK (mainly because I'd do that without realising it!) but I don't want to impose a setting on readers who want it to look different!

Do you have any little writing rituals or quirks? E.g. an object you have to have on your desk, a particular drink or snack. (Liz) I actually do! I like to watch murder programs (like Snapped and Fatal Attraction) while I write. My Mum's a big fan of them and I think it's rubbed off!

How do you own experiences influence what you write? (Bill) Most of the time, not that much. Other than places I've been inspiring me in some way (like visiting the Red Light district in Amsterdam, that was the main influence behind a dystopia I'm writing, though maybe not in the obvious way). 

But with What Lies Beneath the Mask, there's much more of my life experience in it. There's a couple of in - jokes for my best friend in there (masquerading as in jokes between Hayley and Annabelle! And one of the stage hands, Susan). Also some of the issues that Annabelle has trusting Jack and moving forward in their relationship have roots in my own experiences (though I put Annabelle through far worse than I experienced).

If you were a ninja with a vendetta to whom would it be? OR If you had to throw something into mount Doom to save the world, what would it be? OR If you had a group of celebrities to plan the perfect heist who would they be and what would you be after? (Aaron) (Sorry, I left all three of Aaron’s in because they were hard! Pick one or all.) Vendetta question! The man who literally just dented my car! Well no, probably not! My vendetta would probably be against the optician clerk that once made me cry (I was 13, maybe 14 at the time) who accused me of sitting on my glasses (they'd broken during a maths lesson) despite the fact that I need them in order to see mere centremetres in front of me. He then wanted to charge me £150 to fix it. FYI I did get a free replacement pair after the waterworks, but it was still a traumatic experience! 

How do you deal with writer's block? (Marissa) I'll be honest, I don't. I'll literally just sit there staring at the page. Eventually it goes away (sometimes after a few days!) Or, I'll plot out something for a different project and then get annoyed with myself that I can't write that straight away!

What is your favorite part of the writing process? (i.e. first draft, editing, etc...) (Greg) My favourite part is when everything slots together.  The "oh yeah" moment where you realise the perfect ending or scene for later. I've learnt my lesson not to write that scene or ending until it's chronologically time though! My most recent moment involved a dragon, that wasn't going to appear in the book originally but just popped in and now it makes perfect sense it being there! 

An Author a Day, part 3

LUKE CHRISTODOULOU

Bio: Luke Christodoulou is an author, a poet and an English teacher (MA Applied Linguistics - University of Birmingham). He is, also, a coffee-movie-book-Nutella lover. His books have been widely translated and are available in five languages. His first book, THE OLYMPUS KILLER (#1 Bestseller - Thrillers), was released in April, 2014. The book was voted Book Of The Month for May on Goodreads (Psychological Thrillers). The book continued to be a fan favorite on Goodreads and was voted BOTM for June in the group Nothing Better Than Reading. In October, it was BOTM in the group Ebook Miner, proving it was one of the most talked-about thrillers of 2014.The second stand-alone thriller from the series, THE CHURCH MURDERS, was released April, 2015 to widespread critical and fan acclaim. DEATH OF A BRIDE was the third Greek Island Mystery to be released. Released in April, 2016 it followed in the footsteps of its successful predecessors. From its first week in release it hit the number one spot for books set in Greece.MURDER ON DISPLAY came out in 2017 and enriched the series. He is currently working on the fifth book of his planned Greek Island Mysteries book series. He resides in Limassol, Cyprus with his loving wife, his chatty daughter and his crazy newborn son.Hobbies include travelling the Greek Islands discovering new food and possible murder sites for his stories. He, also, enjoys telling people that he ‘kills people for a living’.

Novel Link:

THE OLYMPUS KILLER: https://www.amazon.com/Olympus-Killer-stand-alone-RE-EDITED-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B00JMTRPTE 

THE CHURCH MURDERS: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00V5Z123I/ref=series_rw_dp_sw  

DEATH OF A BRIDE: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AS1658Q/ref=series_rw_dp_sw 

Genre you write: Murder/Mysteries

Questions: MY ANSWERS / DID NOT ANSWER ALL ☺

What’s the one piece of advice you’d give someone wanting to write? (Jenny) Just go for it. Doubt is a killer. Dive in and keep going until you have a finished novel staring back at you!

How do you approach your stories; do you plan everything out before starting, or are you more a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of a person? (Steve) I normally get an idea creep out of the corners of my mind and it sticks around until it drives me crazy. As a mystery author I always plan the ending (twist, killer) as to be able to plant clues along the way.

Of all your characters, do you have a favorite? (Luke) My strong female lead, named after my daughter. The Cretan, food-loving, foul-mouth Ioli Cara.

How long did it take you to write your most recent book(s)? (Joy) I give myself a year for each book. I finish earlier than that though, giving plenty of time for the book to go to my editor and for my proofreaders to provide feedback.

What motivated you to write your novel? (Ami)

Name three favorite authors and why they impress you. (Kay)

Would you rather set your story in a place and time you are familiar with, or would you rather research a totally different setting? (Ruth) My books are always set upon the Greek Isles (thus the title of the series, GREEK ISLAND MYSTERIES). I prefer to write about islands that I have visited, though I have researched and googled locations I haven’t been to before.

Do you have any little writing rituals or quirks? E.g. an object you have to have on your desk, a particular drink or snack. (Liz) Always at my desk, always deadly quiet and always with a coffee. Hot during the few winter months and Greek frappe during the nine month summer!

How do you own experiences influence what you write? (Bill)

If you were a ninja with a vendetta to whom would it be? OR If you had to throw something into mount Doom to save the world, what would it be? OR If you had a group of celebrities to plan the perfect heist who would they be and what would you be after? (Aaron) (Sorry, I left all three of Aaron’s in because they were hard! Pick one or all.)

How do you deal with writer's block? (Marissa)

What is your favorite part of the writing process? (i.e. first draft, editing, etc...) (Greg)

If you were stranded on a deserted island with only one book, what would it be? (Ominbuses,  complete works, and how to books are forbidden!) (Laura) And then there were none. The mother of my genre, an absolute delight!

An Author a Day, part 2

JP CAWOOD

Bio: Originally from Milwaukee, WI, JP Cawood studied storytelling at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. She has developed television series & pilots for Syfy Network, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Destination America, History Channel, Lifetime Movie Network, and Pivot/Participant. Now telling stories through books, JP writes science fiction/fantasy because the future is now and imagination is the key that unlocks all great mysteries. As a lifelong student of the mystical unknowns, JP has traveled the world in search of truth, beauty, and goodness. JP has lived in France, Britain, India, and many cities across America. She now resides in Los Angeles.

Novel Link: Sam & The Secrets of the Universe https://www.amazon.com/Sam-Secrets-Universe-Book-Monad/dp/0998378623/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Love from Mars https://www.amazon.com/Love-Mars-JP-Cawood/dp/0998378615/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/author/jpcawood

Website: www.jpcawood.com

Genre you write: Science Fiction and fantasy. Love from Mars is a romance with a science fiction backdrop and Sam & The Secrets of the Universe is a science fiction fantasy for young adults. 

Love from Mars blurb: Six people have been chosen to colonize Mars, including the charismatic and noble Ryan Clarke. Emma, a headstrong reporter, meets Ryan at the Martian Six press conference. Despite the fact that he has a one-way ticket to another planet, they can’t resist their undeniable connection. Their whirlwind romance is rocked by one shocking revelation after another as the mission prepares to launch. Can their love transcend space and time? Let the countdown begin...

Questions:

What’s the one piece of advice you’d give someone wanting to write? Don’t be afraid of what other people will think of your writing. Don’t let other people’s imagined opinions be your stumbling block. 

How do you approach your stories; do you plan everything out before starting, or are you more a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of a person? I love to outline and collect the entire story before digging in.  

Of all your characters, do you have a favorite? I love Ananda, the female lead in Sam & The Secrets of the Universe. The inspiration for her came from my cat!

How long did it take you to write your most recent book(s)? I wrote my first two books in a year and a half. Six months of that were full-time and the rest was while juggling a job.

What motivated you to write your novel? The story for the Secrets of the Universe came to me in a flash. I had the entire outline written in one hour. I like to call it divine inspiration.  

Name three favorite authors and why they impress you. I really like Tom Robbins because he has a really unique style. I also like the imagination of Neal Shusterman. Jean Houston writes non-fiction, but her ideas and experience make her books full of  inspiration and exciting, new ideas.

Would you rather set your story in a place and time you are familiar with, or would you rather research a totally different setting? I like to explore different settings because I can make my own rules. 

Do you have any little writing rituals or quirks? E.g. an object you have to have on your desk, a particular drink or snack. I like to take breaks to walk outside and clear my head. I often come back with new ideas or whole scenes of dialogue figured out. 

How do you own experiences influence what you write? I like to think I am a vehicle or channel for the story, but by being that channel, it’s impossible not to add my own ideals, perspectives, and experiences into the narrative. 

If you were a ninja with a vendetta to whom would it be? OR If you had to throw something into mount Doom to save the world, what would it be? OR If you had a group of celebrities to plan the perfect heist who would they be and what would you be after? I’d have to throw myself into Mount Doom because those moments of sacrifice are so juicy. I imagine I’d come out the other side with a new super power as a reward. 

How do you deal with writer's block? If I am truly blocked, I won’t write that day. I’ll do whatever else makes me feel good and then get back to it the next day. If it’s a minor block, I’ll take a walk, work out, talk to a friend, or read another book. 

What is your favorite part of the writing process? I love the first draft because it can be a natural flow of thoughts and ideas. I truly hate the formatting. That’s the word part for me.

if you were stranded on a dessert island wth only one book, what would it be? The Alchemist because it would inspire me to become the sun, the wind, and the sea. 

An Author a Day, part 1

M. BLACK (AMI BLACKWELDER)

Bio: M.Black is the pen name of Ami Blackwelder, paranormal author. She graduated from UCF with her BA in English and teaching and has spent ten years traveling the world. She has lived in Thailand, China, and even Korea. All her experiences shape her story telling and give her a deep appreciation for cultures and our world. Find her at http://AmiBlackwelder.blogspot.com and MBlackDystopianThrillers.blogspot.com

Novel Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N0QLPHH

Genre: YA SyFy Dystopians

Questions:

What’s the one piece of advice you’d give someone wanting to write? I’d tell them to think of anything else they wold rather be doing, something else they love more and do that. If they are still here, then write. Write. Write. Get something on the page, tweak it. You get better with time and don’t be too hard on yourself. Oh, and have a day job;)

How do you approach your stories; do you plan everything out before starting, or are you more a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of a person? I have a general idea of a story I want to tell. Usually the beginning and ending, but the middle is up for grabs and often characters don’t do what you think they will;) 

Of all your characters, do you have a favorite? Good one. My favorite character must be MACI from Exotiqa. She is a robot and I loved getting inside of her head. This book won’t be out until spring on 2017, but will hit Kindle Scout first;)

How long did it take you to write your most recent book(s)? Simulation is most recent finished book. I just finished Quantum State, but it hasn’t been edited and reedited, and beta-read yet. It took about 3 months as most of my books take. 

What motivated you to write your novel? The idea of the future and how scary it could be if we don’t change our ways.

Name three favorite authors and why they impress you. Gosh, George Lucs, Jane Austen, and Veronica Roth. They all did something amazing. 

Would you rather set your story in a place and time you are familiar with, or would you rather research a totally different setting? I love future settings. 

Do you have any little writing rituals or quirks?  Tea, but that’s not a quirk. Maybe I’m boring? LOL. 

How do you own experiences influence what you write? I think all of my travels and expanded knowledge of cultures can’t help but change my perspective as an author, making me more unique or different from many other authors out there. 

If you had a group of celebrities to plan the perfect heist with who would they be and what would you be after?   Gosh, something really valuable like a grand painting. Maybe Gustaov Klimt’s masterpiece from the perfume giant Estee Lauder. The celebrities would have to a mix of brawn, brains and beauty for distraction. The Rock, Ned the Science Guy, and Claudia Schiffer. 

How do you deal with writer's block? I usually have many ideas and have to settle on one that sticks with me and ferments for a period of time. But if a block does happen, usually watching television or a movie sparks it again.

What is your favorite part of the writing process? I love writing the last sentence of my novel. That is my favorite part. But I also love when the book has been finalized with edits and beta-readers and I’ve perfected to where I want it to be. That’s always a good feeling.