Interview with Kim Baccellia, author of “Crossed Out”
About Kim Baccellia
Kim Baccellia has always been a sucker for the paranormal. She blames it on her families’ love for such things such as having picnics at cemeteries, visiting psychics, and reading her mother’s copies of the daily horoscope. She even had her own horoscope column in middle school, which was a big hit! Kim’s other works include the poem, “My Father”, which appears in the anthology Mind Mutations, published by The Sun Rising Press. Her essay about the adoption of her son, Finally, Our Turn, appeared in Adoptive Families magazine. Her YA multicultural fantasy, Earrings of Ixtumea, is published by Virtual Tales and available now at Amazon. A member of SCBWI, Kim is currently writing the sequel to Crossed Out, her latest paranormal young adult fiction novel. She’s also putting the finishing touches on an upper MG fantasy No Goddesses Allowed. She lives in Southern California with her husband and son.
You can visit her website at www.kim-baccellia.com.
Could you please tell us a little about your book?
Stephanie Stewart has a unique extracurricular activity: she helps murdered girls go to the other side by decorating crosses with something that represents them. This has worked for the past three years. Then one day her first rescue reappears and warns of danger. Stephanie is confused but she knows one thing—somehow the rules have changed.
Did something specific happen to prompt you to write this book?
One was an experience I had right after the murder of my own sister Collette. Afterwards, I wondered if people who die tragically could be confused and not know they were in fact dead.
Another one was a ‘what if’ premise. Husband asked what if it might be the responsibility of someone to make all those crosses you see on the side of the roads. This person had to make the crosses to ‘guide’ those to find the Other side.
Who or what is the inspiration behind this book?
My husband idea while at Maui had me grab the Hilton notepad and start sketching out the story paradigm for what now is known as CROSSED OUT. I liked how unique the idea is—a girl who has the responsibility to help the dead by making crosses. I added her spunk and personality along with her questioning everything.
I’d say my biggest inspiration had to be my high school English teacher’s belief in my talent and that I could in fact write that novel. Yes, it took a while, but I did do it!
Who is your biggest supporter?
My family but especially my mother who always encouraged my love to write.
Your biggest critic?
Myself. I totally have an A personality. It’s kind of similar to a comment Madonna made once. Most people might rave about your work but it’s that one negative comment you dwell most on.
What cause are you most passionate about and why?
I’ve always been passionate about causes I believe in. As a matter of fact I took classes at Sacramento City College, hoping to go to law school.
Right now I’m passionate about the whole Gulf oil disaster. It breaks my heart to see all those animals dying because of the greed of a major company. Also hearing those fishermen whose whole way of life was taken away.
I refuse to buy gasoline at any BP owned station. I also try to help in other ways.
In the last year have you learned or improved on any skills?
Not being in a big hurry to get picked up by an agent. Instead, I’ve been going over my third story NO GODDESSES ALLOWED and listening more to feedback from my critique buddies and the fab Joyce Sweeney.
Do you have any rituals you follow when finishing a piece of work?
I celebrate by treating myself to dinner or indulging in a decadent dessert.
Who has influenced you throughout your career as a writer?
So many influences! When I was a teen, Judy Blume, for being honest and upfront about issues without being preachy.
Isabel Allende. Love her passion and lyrical writing.
What is the most important thing in your life right now?
Right now? Finishing my revision and then going back to another project.
What are you currently working on?
I’m finishing up my latest revision of NO GODDESSES ALLOWED.
Do you have any advice for writers or readers?
Be persistent. If this is your dream, go for it. Don’t let the rejections get you down.
Is there an author that inspired you to write?
Probably Orson Scot Card. I was introduced to his writing while attending BYU. I loved his fantasy worlds.
About Crossed Out
Following the light can’t be that hard, right? So why don’t the dead just do it and leave Stephanie Steward alone? However nothing is ever as simple as it should be as Stephanie learns when her hidden ‘gift’ becomes more than a nuisance, quickly turning into a liability. If she can’t learn to trust someone with her secret, the world as she knows it will go to hell. Literally. But if she doesn’t choose wisely, she might just end up learning firsthand how hard it is to follow that light. Because she’s next on the list to be crossed out.
Interview with Kathryn Shay, author of “The Perfect Family”
About Kathryn Shay
Kathryn Shay is a lifelong writer. At fifteen, she penned her first ‘romance,’ a short story about a female newspaper reporter in New York City and her fight to make a name for herself in a world of male journalists – and with one hardheaded editor in particular. Looking back, Kathryn says she should have known then that writing was in her future. But as so often happens, fate sent her detouring down another path.
Fully intending to pursue her dream of big city lights and success in the literary world, Kathryn took every creative writing class available at the small private women’s college she attended in upstate New York. Instead, other dreams took precedence. She met and subsequently married a wonderful guy who’d attended a neighboring school, then completed her practice teaching, a requirement for the education degree she never intended to use. But says Kathryn, “I fell in love with teaching the first day I was up in front of a class, and knew I was meant to do that.”
Kathryn went on to build a successful career in the New York state school system, thoroughly enjoying her work with adolescents. But by the early 1990s, she’d again made room in her life for writing. It was then that she submitted her first manuscript to publishers and agents. Despite enduring two years of rejections, she persevered. And on a snowy December afternoon in 1994, Kathryn Shay sold her first book to Harlequin Superromance.
Since that first sale, Kathryn has written twenty-five books for Harlequin, nine mainstream contemporary romances for the Berkley Publishing Group, and two online novellas, which Berkley then published in traditional print format. Her first mainstream fiction book will be out from Bold Strokes Books in September, 2010
Kathryn has become known for her powerful characterizations – readers say they feel they know the people in her books – and her heart-wrenching, emotional writing (her favorite comments are that fans cried while reading her books or stayed up late to finish them). In testament to her skill, the author has won five RT BookClub Magazine Reviewers Choice Awards, three Holt Medallions, two Desert Quill Awards, the Golden Leaf Award, and several online accolades.
Even in light of her writing success, that initial love of teaching never wavered for Kathryn. She finished out her teaching career in 2004, retiring from the same school where her career began. These days, she lives in upstate New York with her husband and two children. “My life is very full,” she reports, “but very happy. I consider myself fortunate to have been able to pursue and achieve my dreams.”
You can visit Kathryn’s website at www.kathrynshay.com.
Could you please tell us a little about your book?
The book follows the story of the Davidsons: they’re an average American family with a good life and they consider themselves lucky to have each other. Then their seventeen year old son tells them he’s gay and their world shifts. They have no idea what they will go through after Jamie’s disclosure: Jamie’s father Mike can’t reconcile his religious beliefs with his son’s sexuality. His brother Brian is harassed by his jock buddies and angry at Jamie for complicating all their lives. Maggie, his mother, fears being able to protect her son while struggling to save her crumbling marriage. And Jamie feels guilty for the unhappiness his disclosure has caused. The book is full of both struggle and love, ending on a redeeming note.
Did something specific happen to prompt you to write this book?
When my own son came out gay, I decided I wanted to tell this kind of story. The book is fiction, but touches on some of the things my own family went through. I wished then I’d had a book like this to help me understand the family’s struggle when a teen comes out is okay, but he deserves love and support from them, too.
Who or what is the inspiration behind this book?
See above
Who is your biggest supporter?
Definitely my own personal hero, my husband of decades. He’s been there since I sold my first book in 1994 right through to my latest. He reads all my books and gives me advice on career decisions.
Your biggest critic?
Definitely myself. I tend to analyze everything I write to make sure it’s good enough and work hard until it is. I examine each career move carefully, and if I regret one, I feel bad.
What cause are you most passionate about and why?
I’m most passionate about my volunteer work. I volunteer at a soup kitchen for a few hours every Monday, a battered women’s shelter for an afternoon on Tuesdays, a camp for kids with cancer every summer and I’m head of the outreach committee at my church. We plan activities to help other people all year long, not just at Christmas, such as: a yearly breast cancer walk, a yearly blood drive, collections of goods for various organizations and once we fostered a refugee family.
In the last year have you learned or improved on any skills?
I think each of my books (37 now!) is better than its predecessor craft-wise. I improve my skills each time—things like filtering in background, more subtle description, less repetition.
Do you have any rituals you follow when finishing a piece of work?
No, but I used to buy a nice piece of jewelry after each book. But then I had too much of it so I stopped. We will celebrate THE PERFECT FAMILY, though, because it’s truly the book of my heart.
Who has influenced you throughout your career as a writer?
I love the work of Judith Guest who wrote ORDINARY PEOPLE. I hope this doesn’t sound immodest but I think THE PERFECT FAMILY is reminiscent of the tone of that book. My introduction to romance was the novels of Judith McNaught.
What is the most important thing in your life right now?
My husband and kids and best friend. Oh, and of course my little Yorkie, Hattie.
What are you currently working on?
Mostly promotion for THE PERFECT FAMILY (like this interview). I have to stop writing a book during my Virtual Book Tour because of the volume of blogs and interviews. I did just finish a book about a high school teacher which has another very tough, controversial plot like THE PERFECT FAMILY. I’m shopping it around now.
Do you have any advice for writers or readers?
If you want to be a published writer, you have to be persistent and thick skinned. Rejection is part of the game.
Is there an author that inspired you to write?
See above.
Can I also say here that if readers are interested in my backlist, I’m making plans to put them up on Kindle and Smashwords by the time THE PERFECT FAMILY is released.
And thanks to Personovelty for having me on. I’ll come back to see if there are any questions or comments.
About The Perfect Family
In THE PERFECT FAMILY, seventeen-year old Jamie Davidson doesn’t think being gay should be such a big deal…until he comes out to his parents and friends. Even as Jamie celebrates no longer needing to hide his true self and looks forward to the excitement of openly dating another boy, the entire Davidson family is thrown into turmoil.
Jamie’s father Mike can’t reconcile his religious beliefs with his son’s sexuality. His brother Brian is harassed by his jock buddies and angry at Jamie for complicating all their lives. Maggie, his mother, fears being able to protect her son while struggling to save her crumbling marriage. And Jamie feels guilty for the unhappiness his disclosure has caused.
What happens in their small town community, in the high school, in two churches–one supportive and one not—as well as among friends and relatives is vividly portrayed. Finally, every member of their “perfect family” must search their hearts and souls to reconnect with each other in this honest, heartwarming, and hopeful look at the redemptive power of love and family.
‘Savannah Style’ by Paula Deen Book Spotlight
Join Paula Deen, author of the home and garden decorating book, Paula Deen’s Savannah Style (Simon & Schuster), as she virtually tours the blogosphere in August ‘10 on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book!
About Paula Deen
She is the quintessential American success story, a best-selling author and a television show host, a tastemaker to the stars and to the everyday housewife and family. She is Paula Deen, a down-home, strong willed mom who overcame personal tragedy, long odds, financial and physical challenges to carve one of the most effective and wide ranging entertainment brands that exists today. A brand that is idyllic, inspiring, fun and very much American.
For all her success, the Albany, Georgia native has remained very grounded, in part due to her down home Southern upbringing. She married her high school sweetheart, became a young mom to two sons, and appeared to be living the life she desired, before a series of tragedies, from the death of her parents and the failure of her marriage to a prolonged battle with agoraphobia changed the course of her life forever.
However out of those changes came the success that laid the foundation for the Paula Deen of today, someone who inspires millions through her regular appearances on Oprah, cooks for world leaders, is a best-selling author, and is seen concurrently on three shows running on The Food Network.
The one constant in Deen’s life has always been cooking. It was a staple of her young upbringing, and when times became difficult it was what she knew and could turn back to. In June of 1989, with a $200 budget and the help of sons Jamie and Bobby, she became “The Bag Lady,” creating a home-based meal delivery service in Savannah, Georgia that started the rise. From there, Deen moved to preparing meals at a Savannah Best Western, and followed that five years later by opening her first restaurant, The Lady and Sons, in Savannah.
The popularity of the restaurant led Deen into publishing. Her 1997 cookbook, The Lady and Sons Savannah Country Cookbook, gave her growing fan base the opportunity to try Deen’s recipes at home for the first time, and led to her first appearance on QVC, which took the brand from regional to national and began a stretch of consecutive New York Times best selling cookbooks. The growth continued unabated, and in 1999 USA Today food critic Jerry Shriver named The Lady and Sons International Meal of the year.
Deen’s success in publishing, where she has sold over eight million books, then translated into the magazine world, and Cooking with Paula Deen, her bi-monthly title, launched shortly thereafter, growing to a circulation of over one million.
Not to be outdone with print and restaurant success, the Deen brand then moved to television. “Paula’s Home Cooking” premiered on The Food Network in November of 2002, to huge audience success, and spawned her second show, “Paula’s Party” in 2006. Today Deen has four shows running concurrently on the Food Network, including the latest, “Paula’s Best Dishes“, which launched in 2008.
The next evolution of the brand took place in March of 2008, when Meyer Corp launched the line of Paula Deen signature cookware, bakeware, kitchen tools and accessories both online and at retail, continuing the immersion experience for the brand with consumers.
In 2009, the Deen brand underwent further expansion with an added group of quality strategic partners. Wal-mart launched a new, exclusive line of affordable baked goods, while Smithfield, Kaleen, Nitches, Meyer, Universal, B. Lloyd’s, GOBO, Harrah’s, Quality foods, International Greeting and Cooking.com also began new or expanded partnerships in a host of categories. A compete digital relaunch, the expansion of special edition publications featuring both herself and her brand partners also came into play, making sure the Paula Deen name stayed fresh, relevant, and timely with a growing and more diverse consumer.
Even with the continued expansion, and more planned on a global level in 2010, Paula Deen has remained true to her fans, viewers and readers that look to her name for style, taste and inspiration in the kitchen and the home, all reflective of a climate where quality does not have to be sacrificed due to a challenging economy.
Her latest book is Paula Deen’s Savannah Style.
Visit her website at www.pauladeen.com.
About Paula Deen’s Savannah Style
With its lush gardens, stately town houses, and sprawling plantations, Savannah is the epitome of old Southern style, and who better to give you the grand tour than Paula Deen, the city’s most famous resident and anointed Queen of Southern Cuisine?
In this gorgeous, richly illustrated book, Paula Deen shares a full year of Southern living. Whether it’s time to put out your best china and make a real fuss, or you’re just gathering for some sweet tea on the porch at dusk, Savannah style is about making folks feel welcome in your home. With the help of decorator and stylist Brandon Branch, you’ll learn how to bring a bit of Southern charm into homes from Minnesota to Mississippi. For each season, there are tips on decorating and entertaining. In the spring, you’ll learn how to make the most of your outdoor spaces, spruce up your porch, and make your garden inviting. In the summer, things get more casual with a dock party. Sleeping spaces, including, of course, the sleeping porch, are the focal point of this chapter. In the fall, cooler weather brings a return to more formal entertaining in the dining room, and in the winter, attention returns to the hearth, as Paula and her neighbors put out their best silver and show you how they celebrate the holidays.
Paula loves getting a peek at her neighbors’ parlors, so she’s included photographs of some of Savannah’s grandest homes. From the vast grounds of Lebanon Plantation to the whimsically restored cottages on Tybee Island, you’ll see the unique blend of old-world elegance and laid-back hospitality that charmed Paula the moment she arrived from Albany, Georgia, with nothing but two hundred dollars and a pair of mouths to feed. And she isn’t shy about giving you a window into her own world, either. From her farmhouse kitchen to her luxurious powder room, you’ll see how Paula lives when she’s not in front of the camera.
Packed with advice and nostalgia, Paula Deen’s Savannah Style makes it easy to bring gracious Southern living to homes north and south of the Mason-Dixon Line.
Interview with Kerri Nelson, author of “Cross Check My Heart”
About Kerri Nelson
Kerri Nelson has always been passionate about reading books but when she wrote her first poem in the second grade, she discovered her love of writing. At the age of sixteen, she became a columnist for her local newspaper as the high school correspondent for the weekly “Panther Tales” column. She won the Outstanding Young Journalist of the Year Award for her efforts.
After an education and career in the legal field, Kerri began to pen romantic suspense novels with a legal or law enforcement theme. She is a true southern belle and comes complete with her dashing southern gentleman husband and three adorable children. When she’s not reading or writing, you’ll find her baking homemade goodies for her family, feeding her addiction to blogging online or designing custom made book video advertisements (novel trailers).
Kerri is an active member of Romance Writers of America as well as numerous Chapters including Hearts Through History Romance Writers, Futuristic Fantasy & Paranormal, and Celtic Hearts Romance Writers.
Kerri is a multi-published author of romance in every genre from romantic suspense and paranormal to young adult and inspirational novels. In 2009, Kerri wrote and sold twelve books to multiple publishers using her Book Factory method. Her next paranormal romantic suspense Courting Demons will be released from Dorchester Publishing in 2011.
Kerri’s present book is Cross Check My Heart.
Read more about Kerri’s books at her website: www.kerrinelson.com
Come out and chat with Kerri at her blog: www.kerribookwriter.blogspot.com
Want to promote your work? Play, learn and compete with other authors in the biz? Visit Kerri’s industry blog here: www.thebookboost.blogspot.com
For the latest news and updates from Kerri, follow her on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/kerribookwriter
Could you please tell us a little about your book?
Cross Check My Heart is a sports themed romantic suspense set in Woodbridge, Illinois (the home of the U.S. Olympic Hockey Team training camp). It features New York born, professional hockey player, Danny Cipriani who is on a quest for making the Olympic team but harbors a health secret that might prevent his dreams from becoming a reality. When he meets sports therapist Jana Dean, he can’t hide his secret from her healing hands but he’s more than surprised to learn that she harbors a secret much bigger than his!
Did something specific happen to prompt you to write this book?
Really just my love of the sport of hockey, hot sports hunks, romantic suspense, and the Winter Olympics. It simply seemed like the perfect thing to write at the time.
Who or what is the inspiration behind this book?
I was just inspired by the need for more sports themed romances. As a fan of such authors as Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Deirdre Martin, who pen amazing sports romance books, I wanted to get in on the game (pun intended).
Who is your biggest supporter?
Without a doubt, it is my husband. In fact, he’s very helpful when it comes to sports related questions. Plus, you simply cannot beat a husband like mine who is always available to proofread my manuscripts and offer suggestions, cook dinner for me and the kids so that I can write just a little longer, and cheer me on from the sidelines as I build my writing career each day!
Your biggest critic?
Without a doubt, my biggest critic is myself. I go through down times just like anyone else. Sometimes I worry that I’ll never be able to write a great book again. I begin to doubt my abilities. A few days here and there—I consider quitting the entire writing game. But then a new idea will pop into my head that has to be written or I’ll get a message from a fan that will encourage and motivate me to keep going. That’s when I know that if my books can reach just one person—I’ve done my job right.
What cause are you most passionate about and why?
My oldest daughter, Brooke will turn 10 years old this year. At age 2, she was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. It is an autoimmune disorder that makes your own body kill off the good insulin producing cells that we need in order to live. She’s now a veteran of this disease and almost 8 years later, she is thriving on an insulin pump. Her amazing attitude and bravery are an inspiration to many.
As a result, I’m most passionate about efforts to find a cure for this dreadful disease. In January, Eternal Press will release my new book entitled Making the Ghost of It which features a diabetes theme and all of my personal proceeds from this book will go to juvenile diabetes research. Stay tuned to my website for more details in the months to come.
In the last year have you learned or improved on any skills?
Absolutely, in fact, I’m teaching a lot of online workshops these days (one on the pitch process for selling your book and one on the legal/law enforcement field). I learn a lot from my students on a daily basis. Working with them, helps me work through issues of my own. It is really an amazing process.
Other than that, I also still take workshops from fellow authors and industry professionals whenever I can. I’m attending RWA Nationals this year and plan to benefit from such instruction whenever I can work it into my schedule. We never get so good that we cannot learn new things about our craft.
Do you have any rituals you follow when finishing a piece of work?
I really don’t. Well, I mean other than cheering for myself and sending a copy to my husband for his editing and suggestions. I do have a couple of rituals for writing a book. One of them is that I eat Sweet Tarts candy while writing. I don’t know why it helps me…but it does. I try not to eat too many but I always keep a box on hand for motivation.
Who has influenced you throughout your career as a writer?
Other writers. Many of my best friends are writers and their journeys encourage and inspire me on a daily basis. I enjoy watching them enjoy their victories and I’m always there to commiserate with them on their rejections.
Gathering a group of likeminded individuals to be in your corner is crucial. I recommend it to all aspiring authors.
What is the most important thing in your life right now?
Besides my incredible family (without whom—none of my success would be possible), I’m working on my first big New York publishing release which will be available in May 2011 from Dorchester Publishing. It has been about 15 years in the making—so it is about time!
What are you currently working on?
I always have multiple projects ongoing at any one time. Currently on my desktop is an erotic novella set in England and Egypt and I’ve written it from the young, male POV. Very interesting adventure for me as a writer! I’ve already had a request for the manuscript and I’m cleaning it up for submission right now. Wish me luck!
Do you have any advice for writers or readers?
For readers: Try a new author once in a while. You might be surprised with a fresh voice, new perspective, and you may find that you’ve discovered the next “big thing” out there!
For writers: Never give up on your dreams. If your goal is to be published: keep honing your craft; gather a support system for the good time as well as the bad times; and write write write!
Is there an author that inspired you to write?
There are really so many—to many to name—but I’ll say that in suspense/mystery (Karin Slaughter), in paranormal romance (Karen Marie Moning) and in thrillers (Jonathon Kellerman).
About Cross Check My Heart
She’s on the run from something ominous in her past and escapes to a new town and a new job as the physical therapist for the U.S. Hockey Team who is preparing for the Olympics.
He’s a veteran hockey player with a secret of his own that threatens his chances at making the final cut for the team.
When she discovers his secret, will she attempt to stand in the way of his childhood dreams? Or will he unwittingly become the new target when her past ultimately catches up with her?
As their attraction for one another grows, danger looms nearby. Jana and Danny must decide what they will risk for the ultimate game of love…
Interview with Maya Jax, author of “Escapades of Romantically Challenged Me”
About Maya Jax
Loving spy and mystery novels, Maya Jax entertained the idea of being a secret agent and started working at an embassy overseas while doing her master’s in international relations. During this time, she finished her first screenplay, an action/thriller about spies and nuclear weapons. She pitched it to a friend in Hollywood, who told her she had talent, but to never – ever – show anyone the script again. Realizing her love for writing was stronger than her desire to spy and fight crime, she attempted a second screenplay focusing on what she knew best — trying to make it as a writer. The screenplay turned into a manuscript and the result was chick lit novel Escapades of Romantically Challenged Me. You can read more about Maya at www.mayajax.com.
Could you please tell us a little about your book?
Escapades of Romantically Challenge Me stars Lelaina Zane, a romantically challenged twenty-something who graduated from law school three years ago and went straight to LA to become a screenwriter. So far, she’s only gained three years waitressing experience and a ton of rejection letters. She finally thinks she’s on the verge of her big break, when a family emergency brings her home and her responsibilities there jeopardize her Hollywood future. It’s a fast and funny read about balancing life, hopes and expectations.
Did something specific happen to prompt you to write this book?
I’d always wanted to be an author, but didn’t really know what to write. Then I had what seemed like a divinely inspired incident at a bookstore where this employee practically forced a copy of The Devil Wears Prada on me. Even though it had already been out for a year, she was very adamant about me reading it, so I bought it and read it all that night. It was the first chick lit that I ever read and I was so amazed by the genre. It sounded like the voice in my head! I started writing Escapades soon after.
Who or what is the inspiration behind this book?
My own struggle to be a writer is the inspiration, as is my ability to get into ridiculous situations. A few of Lelaina’s misadventures were mine first.
Who is your biggest supporter?
My friends and family are incredible. I don’t think I could choose only one as my biggest supporter. And lucky for me, my parents are nothing like Lelaina’s. They’ve (almost!) always supported me in everything I do.
Your biggest critic?
Definitely me.
What cause are you most passionate about and why?
I adopted a village in Kenya through SOS Children’s Villages last year. They raise orphans in loving environments and provide them with vocational training, so that the kids can support themselves when they are ready to move out on their own. I think every child deserves to be loved by a supportive family, and SOS does that for thousands of children all over the world. They are an amazing organization. I hope to visit the village sometime next year.
In the last year have you learned or improved on any skills?
The skill I wanted to learn this year was kung fu. I took one class and then right after slipped in snow while crossing the street. The fall was so bad that I had to drop the class, but I want to try again in September.
Do you have any rituals you follow when finishing a piece of work?
Flee the scene. When I finished Escapades, I flew to a friend’s house in Victoria, Canada and spent the week out there.
Who has influenced you throughout your career as a writer?
My grandparents – all four are/were forces of nature. Both my grandfathers were authors and they told me I could be anything I wanted to be. I wish I could have bottled their reassurance.
What is the most important thing in your life right now?
Without question, my friends and family.
What are you currently working on?
Another screenplay.
Do you have any advice for writers or readers?
For writers, don’t quit! Part of the process is being knocked down and getting back up. For readers, read what you love. If you want the book to make you laugh, cry, cringe, whatever, it’s your time, make sure you love what it’s doing for you.
Is there an author that inspired you to write?
Aside from my incident with The Devil Wears Prada, I guess Janet Evanovich would be an influence. Her Stephanie Plum series was the first time I laughed out loud while reading. It was love at first sentence, and it showed me how readers can continue wanting more of one character.
Loving spy and mystery novels, Maya Jax entertained the idea of being a secret agent and started working at an embassy overseas while doing her master’s in international relations. During this time, she finished her first screenplay, an action/thriller about spies and nuclear weapons. She pitched it to a friend in Hollywood, who told her she had talent, but to never – ever – show anyone the script again. Realizing her love for writing was stronger than her desire to spy and fight crime, she attempted a second screenplay focusing on what she knew best — trying to make it as a writer. The screenplay turned into a manuscript and the result was chick lit novel Escapades of Romantically Challenged Me.
Website: www.mayajax.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/MayaJax
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Maya-Jax/137505986269231?ref=sgm
About Escapades of Romantically Challenged Me
The Scene: Aspiring screenwriter Lelaina Zane finally lands a Hollywood break, but it’s cut short when her dad has a heart attack and she has to return to her hometown. Now that she’s back, her parents want her to stay, show some responsibility and join the family law firm.
Her Ex: Her first love, first kiss, first… you know, and first guy she caught with another woman. Full of apologies and a proposition, he wants her to stay and be with him.
Her Dilemma: With one embarrassing disaster after another, a devastating blow from Hollywood and four weeks until the Bar Exam, Lainey has to decide if she’ll stay and have it all — career, love, money — or return to LA to pursue her impossible dream.
Interview with Gary Fong, Author of “The Accidental Millionaire”
About Gary Fong
Gary Fong is a world-renowned photographer, inventor and entrepreneur who has made multiple fortunes in business and real estate. From his inauspicious beginnings in a tiny, hairspray-saturated apartment that doubled as his parents’ wig studio, he went on to become, at a very young age, one of the world’s most successful wedding photographers. After making millions by revolutionizing an industry traditionally reserved for small businessmen, he “stumbled” upon serial successes in photo printing, software, real estate and camera accessories by making unconventional decisions based on his own quirky impulses. Gary has photographed celebrities such as Sylvester Stallone, Paul McCartney and Ronald Reagan, invented and marketed the Lightsphere, and co-founded Pictage, which became the largest dedicated online digital/web solution in the United States and sold for $29 million.
His latest book is The Accidental Millionaire: How to Succeed in Life Without Really Trying.
You can visit his website at www.garyfongaccidentalmillionaire.com.
The Interview
Could you please tell us a little about your book?
This book is a humorous memoir that describes what it’s like to be a Chinese boy of first-generation American parents, and the pressures the bouts of poverty that we went through, that go with having to be the typical dream of the immigrant family: a doctor with lots of children. Rebelling against such pressure from the folks, I discarded the idea of going to medical school to become of all things, a wedding photographer.
Starting out as the cheapest wedding photographer anywhere to be found, I eventually become one of the biggest figures in the industry, having had the goal to distance myself from poverty as much as possible. Though I did well, every goal that I had set for myself was a failure. Going through a big divorce, everything that I had built vanished suddenly and distraught with grief over my collapsed expectations by nearly rear end a car that has a bumper sticker that says, “since I gave up hope, I feel much better”. It was at that moment my life takes a drastic change.
I suddenly abandon trying to accomplish anything. And one unlikely accident after another, with the most bizarre path, leads me to a self built fortune. And I discover that it was giving up on goal setting that gave me the freedom to truly achieve much greater things than I ever would’ve imagined.
Did something specific happen to prompt you to write this book?
At the time I was reading a lot of memoirs from female authors. I really enjoy reading memoirs from women because they tend to be a lot more self-effacing and colorful in their detail. I read Jeanette Walls, “The Glass Castle”, and it was this book and her gripping portrayal of growing up in poverty that made me want to record in as much detail as possible what it was like to grow up in a similar situation, with the contrasting perspective of now being wealthy.
As I began to get into this habit of writing, I then recounted all of the hilarious stories from having shot over thousand weddings. I could’ve written a humor memoir that had nothing but crazy stories from weddings. After all, weddings put you smack in the middle of so much family drama that disasters are more common and more bizarre than you would ever guess.
While this book was forming all of the random stories didn’t appear to have a cohesive thread until about three quarters of the way through the editing process. We started to realize that my life never really worked out whenever I had set a goal or an expectation of myself. It was only in the times that I got so frustrated, so angry, that I threw up my hands and gave up, did the success come in massive but unexpected ways.
Who or what is the inspiration behind this book?
The inspiration behind this book is the magic of discarding unrealistically high expectations of anything. Relationships, career choices, business success, all could be a lot happier and more successful if people would just not have such high expectations. It is impossible to be disappointed if you expect nothing. And so this book has, as its anthem, “since I gave up hope, I feel much better”. It is the anti-motivation book motivation book.
Who is your biggest supporter?
My dad is really cute regarding this book. Whenever he is at a bookstore anywhere, he will grab my books and move them to the “featured” section. He will then hang around and watch as the books get purchased. There are many stories in there that now that I think about it makes me cringe having my father see them, but he really is a fan of the book.
But without a doubt my wife is my biggest fan. When she says she’s proud of me, it makes me perfectly happy.
Your biggest critic?
My biggest critic on the book for sure would have to be my publisher. I have had great luck of having Glenn Yeffeth as my publisher. The publisher is your partner in the success of your book, and so with his guidance the book became a much better product simply because he was really real with me in terms of what works, and what I shouldn’t attempt.
What cause are you most passionate about and why?
The truth. It really annoys me when there are self-help books that completely turned people into control freaks, and type a personalities who then wind up sabotaging their own success because you’re so focused on hitting some landmark by some deadline. The universe doesn’t work like that. And also, any book that professes to tell people that they will “get rich” using a certain technique, that really bugs me. My book is a story of how I did it, and why giving up on having lofty expectations became a powerful tool for my success.
In the last year have you learned or improved on any skills?
Having a great publicist has been an awesome lesson for me. I’ve never had a publicist before and I was lucky enough to get Charlie Barrett who basically is one of the top publicists anyone could ever wish for. He is placed me in so many media outlets in such a short amount of time, and gotten me very relaxed with this idea of doing live radio and television interviews. Having to explain your book lives in a concise manner isn’t the easiest thing to do right off the bat. And it’s certainly not something you can wing. A good publicist helps tremendously in the school of getting the word out about your book.
Do you have any rituals you follow when finishing a piece of work?
I now have this annoying habit of going to any bookstore in any mall around the country or in different parts of the world and finding my book on the bookshelf so I can take a picture of it as a souvenir. My book is usually found in the biography section between Jane Fonda and Michael J. Fox. That to me is not only bizarre, it’s surreal.
Who has influenced you throughout your career as a writer?
My career in writing is relatively short since this is the first thing I’ve ever written and it got published. Having said that, learning speed reading would’ve been the greatest influence for me as a writer because it allowed me to digest a huge number of books in a short amount of time, which gave me a deep flavor of what it is that appeals to me and doesn’t appeal to me in terms of writers voice and style.
What is the most important thing in your life right now?
My relationship with my wife. The more I get to know her, the more I admire her and respect her. I’m really lucky that she chose to marry me.
What are you currently working on?
I’m working on a new book called, “Huff And Bluff-A Story of Greed and Failure.” It is kind of a sequel to this book, in which my ex-wife spends over $1 million to attempt to get millions of dollars for my corporation. In the end, the judge awarded her just a few thousand dollars and denied her permanent spousal support, which she and her predatory attorney were looking for. As odd as this might sound, the book is a humor memoir. It’s a black comedy, completely true, in which I simply narrate over published court documents. I think this new book is going to be a really fun read.
Do you have any advice for writers or readers?
If you are an author, I learned a lot about how to get published. The first thing that a publisher does is try to figure out what category your book will belong under. Is it a how-to? Is it a biography? What we had to do was figure out what I had, and then in the editing process clarify what category this book belongs in.
This is something I did not know before. And honestly, it really does help to have the editor and publisher actively involved during the formation of your finished book. That way, they can give you their advice on how to categorize your book which I realized is one of the most important things that you can do.
If you are an author, I learned a lot about how to get published. The first thing that a publisher does is try to figure out what category your book will belong under. Is it a how-to? Is it a biography? What we had to do was figure out what I had, and then in the editing process clarify what category this book belongs in.
This is something I did not know before. And honestly, it really does help to have the editor and publisher actively involved during the formation of your finished book. That way, they can give you their advice on how to categorize your book which I realized is one of the most important things that you can do.
Is there an author that inspired you to write?
Jeanette Wall’s “The Glass Castle”. I just loved that book.
About The Accidental Millionaire: How to Succeed in Life Without Even Trying
The Accidental Millionaire is the memoir of Gary Fong, would-be slacker who revolutionized wedding photography, inventor of popular photography aids, entrepreneur, contrarian, bon vivant and a man who really, really didn’t want to become a doctor. A first-generation Chinese-American, Gary was raised in one of Los Angeles’ least-desirable neighborhoods and was forced to deal—in his own quirky and often very funny way—with the burdens of poverty, crime and his parents’ relentless aspirations. These issues almost overwhelmed him until he had a dramatic epiphany. Spotting a bumper sticker that read “Since I gave up hope, I feel much better,” Gary promptly did just that.
He stopped trying and started succeeding. At turns hilarious, insightful and instructive, The Accidental Millionaire is Horatio Alger-meets-David Sedaris. Turning the traditional self-help principles upside down, The Accidental Millionaire disdains the goal-oriented approaches of traditional self-help philosophies. Sometimes not knowing where you are going is the best possible way to get there.
Interview with Soren Paul Petrek, author of “Cold Lonely Courage”
About Soren Paul Petrek
Soren Petrek is a practicing trial attorney with a passion for studying World War Two. He lived in England and France listening to people’s stories of struggle and sacrifice during the darkest periods of the war. Soren’s debut novel, Cold Lonely Courage was inspired by the true story of a young Belgian woman who helped countless Jewish children escape from the terrors of the Nazi regime. Soren lives with his wife, Renee and sons, Max and Riley, in central Minnesota.
You can visit Soren’s blog at http://coldlonelycourage.blogspot.com.
The Interview
Could you please tell us a little about your book?
The action begins during the German Blitzkrieg attack on France in the opening days of World War II. The heroine, Madeleine Toche races to the front to find her brother dying after his unit is destroyed as the Germans advance. Crushed, Madeleine returns his body to her parents.
In the months that follow, Madeleine is raped by a Nazi officer. Seeking revenge she kills him and flees to England to volunteer for duty with Britain’s shadowy Special Operations Executive. Trained as an assassin she clandestinely returns to France with Captain Jack Teach a veteran of the SOE ‘Dirty Tricks Department’. They find themselves in love but are torn apart by duty and the insurmountable odds of survival. Madeleine fights on terrorizing the murderous Nazi elite always only one step ahead of capture and torture.
Madeleine’s story is raw and driven. There are no detours. I engage the base emotions of my readers. I want them to live the characters the way I did when I wrote them. This is not an ordinary World War II novel. Cold Lonely Courage tells the brutal truth about the violence people are capable of when called upon to defend themselves and their families. The courage of women in war is marginalized and given subordinate consideration in popular fiction. Many women don’t read novels about war because of it. Cold Lonely Courage changes that.
Did something specific happen to prompt you to write this book?
I turned 40 and decided to get going and get a book finished. I wrote and completed my first book, The Patience County War. I spent more than a year and sent out 200+ query letters trying to get an agent. I decided that I need to write a book that was a bit more mainstream, and wrote, Cold Lonely Courage.
Who or what is the inspiration behind this book?
My inspiration was the true story of Madeleine Behren, who as a young woman in her late teens and early 20’s put her life in danger for years protecting Jewish children from the Nazis. She and so many other women did incredible things in the various resistance movements against the Nazis and their allies, most often with little or no training, counting on nothing but sheer guts and a steadfast knowledge that their faith and moral convictions demanded their actions.
Many of the French Resistance regional groups were led by women, keep in mind that prior to the war French women could not vote. They moved guns, they blew up trains, they killed the enemy face to face, they gathered intelligence, you name it! The women of the Resistance were fierce.
Who is your biggest supporter?
My parents have always supported me as well as my wife and children. If I had to single one out, it would be my mother. She loves my characters, style and passion.
Your biggest critic?
Myself. If I know something is good, it’s good. The same with cutting out what I know is clumsy or poorly written.
What cause are you most passionate about and why?
Peace. Although I’ve written books about conflict, the heroes only want peace and the normalcy of every day life. There are few individuals who’ve been in combat that would ever want to go through the experience again.
In the last year have you learned or improved on any skills?
Following the edits of my books, I much more cognisant of setting and point of view.
Do you have any rituals you follow when finishing a piece of work?
No. I know there’s more work coming.
Who has influenced you throughout your career as a writer?
My career is quite young, but I look to many writers for inspiration. Hemingway to Elmore Leonard to name a few.
What is the most important thing in your life right now?
My family.
What are you currently working on?
The rewrite of my recently edited first novel, The Patience County War.
Do you have any advice for writers or readers?
Keep reading and writing. Most readers want to write as well and for them I say, never give up, ever.
Is there an author that inspired you to write?
Carl Hiaasen. I love his ability to mix the credible with aspects of ‘over-the-top’ entertainment. He’s great fun to read, and I both read and write for pleasure. My goal is to keep writing entertaining novels.
Cold Lonely Courage is Soren’s debut novel.
About Cold Lonely Courage
An assassin born of death and violation is the most dangerous of all. Cold Lonely Courage tells her story. The action begins during the German Blitzkrieg attack on France in the opening days of World War II. The heroine, Madeleine Toche races to the front to find her brother dying after his unit is destroyed as the Germans advance. Crushed, Madeleine returns his body to her parents. In the months that follow, Madeleine is raped by a Nazi officer. Seeking revenge she kills him and flees to England to volunteer for duty with Britain’s shadowy Special Operations Executive. Trained as an assassin she clandestinely returns to France with Captain Jack Teach a veteran of the SOE ‘Dirty Tricks Department’. They find themselves in love but are torn apart by duty and the insurmountable odds of survival. Madeleine fights on terrorizing the murderous Nazi elite always only one step ahead of capture and torture.
Interview with author Renee Wiggins
About Renee Wiggins
Renee Wiggins has mentored, trained and changed lives in the health and wellness industry for more than 20 years. A strong believer and encourager in living an authentic, healthy lifestyle, Renee specializes in designing customized lifestyle programs that are tailored to the clients needs, goals and habits. Renee Wiggins is a registered dietitian, and a certified massage therapist. She is the author of several books, “Can I Exercise Sitting Down?” and “ Stress Down and Lift Up”.
You can visit Renees’ website atwww.resultsbyrenee.com.
The Interview
Could you please tell us a little about your book?
Transformations: Give Up The Struggle is a collection of affirmations I wrote to help inspire, encourage and motivate the reader to change their negative thoughts to positive thoughts and to embrace change as a way to live a better, healthier life.
Did something specific happen to prompt you to write this book?
I was prompted to write the book because of my own personal experiences, as well as from witnessing my clients’ life experiences. I wanted readers to see how words can change thoughts and how thoughts can ultimately change behavior.
Who or what is the inspiration behind this book?
My own experiences are the inspiration behind the book.
Who is your biggest supporter?
My sister is my biggest supporter. She is always available to help and has brought several of my books to give to her friends who were going through changes in their lives.
Your biggest critic?
My friends are my biggest critics because they want the very best of me to shine.
What cause are you most passionate about and why?
My cause is helping women to achieve a healthy lifestyle by empowering them to change their eating and exercise habits as well as building positive relationships, with themselves, and with others, and with God.
In the past year have you learned or improved on any skills?
Yes, I have. I’ve joined several online writing groups and have benefitted from information shared and relationships I’ve formed within these groups. I’ve also learned a lot about social media and self-publishing during the past year.
Do you have any rituals you follow when finishing a piece of work?
No, I don’t have a ritual.
Who has influenced you throughout your career as a writer?
My clients have influenced and encouraged me to write my books.
What is the most important thing in your life right now?
I’m taking care of my mother and that’s the most important thing happening in my life right now.
What are you currently working on?
I am working on the second part of Transformation: Give Up The Struggle. This sequel will be a collection of stories on how people transformed through their struggles.
Do you have any advice for writers or readers?
The advice I have is keep writing, take classes and attend seminars. I’d also advise writers to connect with other writers.
Is there an author that inspired you to write?
I like the way Max Lucado and Joyce Meyers write. I appreciate their ability to present ordinary situations and then describe the role God plays in them.
About Transformations: Give Up the Struggle
We all have had our ups and downs in our lives, some more than others. But, how we end up in the end, determines how we actually see the storms. .In fact, these storms makes us stronger, better and a wiser person.
Resisting change can make the obstacles, the hindrances and the storms become even more unbearable. However, if we choose to view them in a different light, change can moves us into a more rewarding position.
Renee shows how our life should follow our words. These words/affirmations presented in this book can be a turning point in your life. These affirmations helps us to break the chains of negative thinking and help us to release the past and move forward.
Interview with Author G.F. Skipworth
About G.F. Skipworth
G.F. Skipworth has toured much of the world as a concert pianist, symphony/opera conductor, composer, vocalist and opera coach. Along the way, however, he also worked as a speechwriter, in comedy and as an academic author. His formal education includes Whitman College, Johns Hopkins, Harvard and UCLA. As he describes it, one day he sat down to write a fourth symphony, but a four-volume fantasy series came out instead, which he affectionately refers to as a “shoot ‘em up clang clang.” Following the “Fables of the Carpailtin Campfire,” he wrote a fantasy based upon the twenty four poems of Franz Schubert’s great song-cycle, “Winterreise (Winter Journey.) Moving on to historical fiction, he released “Stormfield – Tales from the Hereafter,” based on Mark Twain’s final incomplete work. Dr. Skipworth often refers to “The Simpering, North Dakota Literary Society” as his personal favorite, although writing dialogue for a cameo appearance by the razor-sharp Dorothy Parker was maddening, even worse than for Mark Twain (at least he paused to light a cigar now and then.) Currently, he resides in Portland, Oregon with his wife Barbara, where he serves on the faculty of Lewis & Clark College. Upcoming works include “The World-Weary String Quartet of Alliance, Nebraska” and “The Madonna of Dunkirk.” Please visit G.F. Skipworth’s site at rosslarebooks.com.
The Interview
The Simpering, North Dakota Literary Society is set in the American Midwest during the height of the suffrage movement of 1919. Card shark and ex-nun Farika Zingarella wins the town of Simpering in the greatest card game ever played at the Huffy Hussy Billiard & Poker Parlor. Gathering five female geniuses to her side, she establishes a prairie empire that can hold off the world – and does. Simpering is not just another “underdog women make good” book. Everyone faces their foibles, and life gets everybody. The story is an improbable island of humor within a particularly grim year.
Although the character of Annie Oakley figures in the prequel, which is nearing completion, running across her biography in conjunction with Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West was startling. No hillbilly at all, she wrote beautifully, was extremely philanthropic, was an early leader of the women’s movement and America’s first female superstar. Incidentally, she was that good a shot as well. That channeled all of my attention into the American Midwest, characters where one doesn’t need to wade through facades to find authenticity.
We ran across the movie “Iron-Jawed Angels,” which I found to be a captivating story on the women’s suffrage movement. Many of us incorrectly believe that it was an issue wending its way through Congress, and eventually winning – but people came to great harm. Some did not survive. Ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment was put over the top by one vote – in Tennessee. So, don’t ever think your vote doesn’t count.
My wife Barbara. I don’t need to prove my case for writing, just enjoy it. As a performing artist, she knows the drill, and we are not afraid of being surprised.
In addition to being a professional concert singer, Barbara is also a professional editor with a long list of fiction/non-fiction and academic textbooks to her credit. She has a talent for demanding clarity without attacking an author’s personal writing style. A typical conversation goes like this:
B: What do you mean here?
G: That’s the coolest phrase in the whole book!
B: But I don’t understand what you’re saying.
G: If I change that, it won’t be cool anymore
B: If I buy the book, I deserve to know what you mean here!
When I was younger, individual causes would come and go. Today, I feel a general resentment upon seeing anyone denied an opportunity based on anything other than ability. Peripheral or irrelevant criteria make me see red.
At present, I have a particular interest in Native American living conditions, and the nature of tribal constitutions on European models that have been written in the last two decades.
I grew up in a warm, humorous but linguistically formal family (Trust me, you don’t want to be a first-grader who says ‘shan’t’ or ‘daren’t.’) Since much of my writing deals with the upper crust trying to figure out the larger world, there is a twinge of “Smart Aleck” dialect, but it is much harder for me to write for the plain-speaking next door neighbor. Through time, that is becoming easier.
I often drive to the Oregon coast and read it again in a more serene place.
Mark Twain and James Thurber, without question. Writers and artists of side fields have influenced me as well. The comic strip, Tumbleweeds, for example, typifies my sense of humor. The Simpering, North Dakota Literary Society takes after screenplays such as Cheyenne Social Club and Big Hand for the Little Lady. However, considering the dialects with which I grew up, great British novelists with lofty language have been both helpful and a drawback trying to live in this century.
I am writing at a prolific rate, for me. At the same time, I am playing and conducting concerts at great distances. Fortunately, they’re working beautifully together. Reducing the stress of daily office work is a priority, because the solitude and serenity to write at will is the most important non-human consideration right now. Of course, family sits above everything else.
The prequel to The Simpering, North Dakota Literary Society, entitled “The Sharpshooters of Simpering, North Dakota” is nearing completion, and centers on the youth of Simpering’s main character. Annie Oakley makes a significant entrance as well. The historical backdrop includes the Transcontinental Railroad and the Spanish-American War.
Writers – Don’t even pause in your writing over rejection. The weekend critics who get a rush out of cruelty are meaningless – there is no honor or talent there. Seek authentic criticism. The “gooshers” can be used, but don’t buy into it too much. Your imagination is exempt from right and wrong. It’s just trying to match up with like-minded readers, the same way we make friends. Putting your work out there means that you are the brave one – no apologies to anyone…ever.
James Thurber, Clifford Simak
About The Simpering, North Dakota Literary Society
Card shark and ex-nun Farika Zingarella won the town of Simpering, North Dakota in the greatest card game ever played at The Huffy Hussy Casino & Billiards Parlor. Gathering five female geniuses to her side, she assembled a sisterhood so powerful that even the United States government had to watch its step. There wasn’t much to laugh about in 1919 – World War I had ended, fascism was already rising in Italy and American women took up the suffrage question. Then along came The Literary Society. You’ve never lived in a town like this!
Interview with L.G. Bradshaw, author of ‘Dot to Dot’
About L.G. Bradshaw
L.G. Bradshaw lives in Minnesota. He served in the United States Army and worked as a Minneapolis police officer for 14 years, witnessing a seemingly endless stream of human depravity, some of which has found a home in his writing. ‘Dot to Dot’ is his first of many novels, and defies convention. Dot to Dot can’t be pigeonholed into any one genre. It’s got a little bit of everything: drama, comedy, horror. Even a necropheliac serial killer thrown in for good measure.”
Bradshaw has finished two other novles and is currently working on a fourth. For more information on the author, visit his website: www.lgbradshaw.com.
The Interview
Could you please tell us a little about your book?
‘Dot to Dot’ has a little bit of everything: drama, horror, suspense, comedy, romance. Some of the characters are normal, everyday people, others are a bit over the top. I think it’s got something for everyone. Even a cannibalistic, necrophiliac serial killer thrown in the mix for good measure.
Did something specific happen to prompt you to write this book?
Not really. I started writing one thing, and ‘Dot to Dot’ evolved from this. Honestly, I have no idea how I even started writing it. It just happened.
Who or what is the inspiration behind this book?
I wanted to write in my own style, not something that was a cookie cutter type novel. So many of those out there right now. Originality in writing these days seems to be in short supply. Fuck it, that’s not me. I write what I want. If you like it, cool. If not, that’s cool, too. Frankly, I don’t write for anyone but me.
Who is your biggest supporter?
Me! All kidding aside, so many people have encouraged me along the way. Too many to name here.
Your biggest critic?
Once again, me! I’m quite schizophrenic when it comes to my writing.
What cause are you most passionate about and why?
I’m not passionate about any causes. I’m too lazy for that shit. What I am passionate about are relationships. Family, friends, my sons. Relationships with those people are what really matter to me, not some made up cause. If that’s your thing, that’s cool. Just not my bag, baby.
In the last year have you learned or improved on any skills?
I’ve gotten better at dealing with rejection!
Do you have any rituals you follow when finishing a piece of work?
I sacrifice a virgin. Kidding, of course! No rituals. I write until the story is done, and then I go on to the next project.
Who has influenced you throughout your career as a writer?
No one. I’m a lone wolf when it comes to my writing.
What is the most important thing in your life right now?
My sons! Love them more than anything. They have taught me the meaning of unconditional love. Outside of that relationship, unconditional love doesn’t exist. At least in my opinion.
What are you currently working on?
Finished two other novels, and currently writing a fourth. All are great! I think each one gets successively better.
Do you have any advice for writers or readers?
Write what you want. Write the way you want. Fuck what the critics say. Who the hell are they anyway?
Is there an author that inspired you to write?
None. I enjoy reading from time to time, but no one inspired me, so to speak. My sons inspire me. That’s about it.
About Dot to Dot
Dot to Dot is a literary relay race revolving around one central theme: we are all connected. These connections may be seemingly insignificant – bumping into an old friend on the street or passing a stranger in a hospital corridor – but they have the potential to alter the course of our lives, some slightly, others in more profound and lasting ways.
The race begins with an embattled United States senator and moves from character to character like wildfire: the senator’s disgraced wife who decides to leave the public eye following the outing of her husband; the motley crew of movers tasked with transporting the senator’s wife and kids back home to New Mexico; a boy who takes matters into his own hands to save himself and his mother from her murderous boyfriend; a private detective who discovers that his past has come back to haunt him; a police chief who spends his own money to help a Mexican family; the Mexican family themselves who are desperate to get their kidnapped daughter back; a country music singer who stumbles on fame after heartbreak; and, finally, a serial killer who has the tables turned on him by a very unlikely avenging angel.
Simply put, ‘Dot to Dot’ is a story about people, some extraordinary, some not, but all memorable and flawed in their own unique ways.