Category: Author Interviews

9 in ’09 with Linda Palmer/Melinda Wells with book giveaway!

23 Comments

 Linda Palmer has stopped by to answer a few questions and give away a copy of her book, Killer Mousse, which I reviewed yesterday and raved about.  Review here.  I hope you’ll check out her two websites to learn more about her two mystery series.  http://www.lindapalmermysteries.com/ and http://www.dellacooks.com/.  Enter to win after reading Linda’s interview. 

1. You have held a wide range of jobs, from VP at TriStar, to wildlife photographer, to screen writer, and finally author.  What made you start writing books?

I always wanted to be a writer, from the time I was 9. Some years ago — when I was young and didn’t know much about the craft of writing — I wrote two novels. Miraculously, they were published.  They didn’t sell many copies, but I have one of each on my book shelf. The first was RUNAWAY!, by Linda Weintraub (which was my married name at the time.) The second was STARSTRUCK, by Linda Palmer. With all of my heart, I wish I had had an editor to guide me, or that I knew more back then.  By the time I began to write novels again, in 2002, I’d studied the craft on my own, and then with a wonderful instructor at UCLA. (I was teaching screen writing there at the time, so one night a week I was an instructor, and another night during the same week I was a student.)

2. You teach screenwriting at UCLA Extension.  What is the most important thing you try yo teach these aspiring writers?

I taught screen writing for about 12 years, but then I began writing novels full time, so the head of the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program switched me to teaching novel-writing. Whichever of those two disciplines, I told the people enrolled in my classes two things: 1. Don’t think of yourself as “student” or as “aspiring” — you are writers.  A writer is defined by dedication to writing, not by whether or not one has yet sold anything. And, 2: “The most important thing that a writer needs — after talent and the willingness to study the craft — is the absolute refusal to face facts.”  I say that with humor, but I mean it. People tell writers (mostly they hear this from friends and family) that there are so many people writing that they don’t have a chance. Ridiculous, I say. Don’t pay attention to that. Keep writing.

3. Do you have any routines or rituals when you write?

Not really. I must have a big mug of coffee, and I must feed the pets and give them fresh water. I like to write early in the morning, when the world is quiet. I get up every morning at 5:15 AM. I’ll write until about noon. During the last month of finishing a book, when it feels like demonic possession, I get up at 4:15. Sometimes then I’ll write at night, too, if I can’t let go of the story.  When I type “the end” I collapse for a few days and just vegetate. Then I’ll read for pleasure, have lunches or dinners with friends. Normal living. Until it’s time to start writing a new book.

4. Who are your favorite writers, both books and screenplays?

My favorite authors are Jane Austen, Vladimir Nobakov, Anthony Trollope, James Hilton, Talbot Mundy, Sinclair Lewis, Balzac, Harper Lee, Carson McCullers, William Faulkner. (I must sound very scattered because there’s no theme here, except for exquisite writing.) As for novels of suspense and thrillers, my favorite authors are Joe Wambaugh, Robert Crais (except I hate his protagonist’s taste in women), Lee Child, Michael Connelly, Donald E. Westlake, John LeCarre, Rex Stout, John D. MacDonald, Ross MacDonald, Ed McBain. I can’t think of any favorite screen writers, but I there are playwrights whose work I adore: George Bernard Shaw, Alan Ackybourn, Richard Wilbur (his — and only his) translations of Moliere, early Tennessee Williams, and, of course, Shakespeare. I’m sure I’ve forgotten some authors and playwrights, and will kick myself when I remember names in the middle of the night.

5. Who or what inspires you?

I’m inspired by people who fight big challenges. For example, while I don’t put her work on my list of favorites, I have great admiration for the late Jacqueline Susann as a person because while she was promoting her books so vigorously she was also secretly undergoing exhausting treatment for cancer. Later, when I was on book tours, and began to feel tired, I shook myself out of it by reminding myself that not only was I considerably younger than Ms. Susann, but I was healthy, too. The wonderful Carson McCullers had terrible medical challenges, but she still wrote with such beauty! I used to joke to myself that I wanted to write like Carson McCullers and sell like Sidney Sheldon. I don’t mean that as an insult to Sidney Sheldon. Not at all! I was a great fan of his books, and know how very kind and generous he was to new or undiscovered writers. He will always inspire me because of how hard he worked on his books. He truly wanted to give his readers the best possible entertainments he could, and he never stopped one sentence short of the best he could do.

6. I love quotes.  Do you have a favorite?

My favorite quote is “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” I’ve never come across a better guide for living.

7. What are you currently reading?

I’ve just finished reading the last novel by Donald E. Westlake: “Get Real.” It’s up to his usual high standard of story-telling and great descriptions.

8. If you were trapped in the life of one fictional character who would you choose?

What a wonderful question:  No doubt about it: Elizabeth Bennett (later Mrs. Darcy) of “Pride and Prejudice.”

9. And finally, what are you working on now?

At the moment, I’m writing a new book that (until now) only my agent knows about. It’s a novel of suspense, with a male protagonist, told in third person.  It’s a big change for me because for the last seven years I’ve been writing one-book-a-year for Berkley Prime Crime, for a total of 2 different series. When I told my agent about my concept for the novel, and about my new protagonist, he loved the idea. But I’m working without a net, so to speak, because my agent can’t sell a book until it’s written. At the moment I have 76 pages: 10 chapters. I’m 2 pages in to Chapter 11, but I don’t consider that I have pages until I’ve written and rewritten them. Then I move forward.

Thank you so much, Linda!

Linda Palmer books-Daytime Mystery series- Love is Murder, Love Her to Death, Love You Madly, Kiss of Death

Melinda Wells books -Della Cooks Mysteries- Killer Mouse, Death Takes the Cake, The Proof is in the Pudding (to be released 02/10)

Okay, to enter to win Killer Mousse

1. Leave a comment for Linda on this post (1 entry)

2. Leave a comment for me on my review (1 entry)

3. Post about it on your blog and/or Twitter and let me know (1-2 entries)

And here is the exciting bonus.  If I get 100 comments on these two posts Linda will give away the first TWO books of this series, Killer Mousse and Death Takes the Cake!

Cover ImageCover ImageI’ll ‘draw’ for a winner on September 15th.

9 in ’09 with Preetham Grandhi

5 Comments

Preetham Grandhi, M.D. immigrated to the United States from India and graduated from Yale.  He is the chief of service for House 5 at Bronx Children’s Psychiatric Center and also has his own private practice.  So, he speaks from experience when telling the story in his new book, A Circle of Souls, reviewed here.  Visit his website for more information about Preetham and the book.  You’ll also find links to his blogs.

I want to give special thanks to Preetham for being the first author of the male persuasion to agree to answer 9 questions on my blog.  He may have also tied with Carla Neggers for the quickest response time.  I think it took less than an hour for Preetham to send me his answers.  Without further fanfare…

1.  I love your novel A Circle of Souls.  Is it true that the idea for this story came in the aftermath of 9/11 and in what way?

It was a few months post 9/11, and I was looking at the biographies of the people who had lost their lives.  I began to wonder if there was a larger meaning to their lives.  Are we predestined to interact with each other in a certain way.  All of a sudden, a story flashed into my mind, and I quickly wrote it on a piece of paper.  I knew then that I needed to write a story that was larger than life.  It needed to communicate the essence that there is a bigger purpose and meaning to our passage on earth.

I knew that in order to capture and convey such a message, the book needed to be captivating, interesting, and thrilling.  I realized that a story based on the work I do would be the right place to begin.  I am a child psychiatrist and had just started a new job.  During my fellowship, I worked with children with numerous psychosocial issues and many life stories to tell.  It was at that moment that I decided I could write a book that would capture all these thoughts.  That was how A Circle of Souls was born.

2. I am impressed that this is your first novel!  What is the best writing advice you have ever received?

Never to give up, was the best advice given to me.  I think being patient is very important.  In the end you have to do your half and hope that the other half will happen.

3. You work at a children’s psychiatric center, have a private practice, are working hard to promote your book, have several blogs, and are blessed with a family.  When do you find the time to write?

It is hard, I mostly write while driving (I don’t mean literally).  I get my ideas while driving to and fro from work and put them on paper when I get the chance at home.

4. You found the world of traditional publishing a challenging one.  What has your experience been like with Sweetwater Books?

It has been wonderful to work with and I am grateful to having met Cedar Fort.  They were very reassuring and have been easy to work with.  They designed such a great cover that fits the content of the book and taking into consideration what I had in mind.

5. Who or what inspires you?

To travel and see the world some day.  I think life is too short and there is so much to do.

6. I love quotes.  Do you have a favorite?

“The world is yours so turn it around,” is actually a dialogue line from the movie Scarface.  It had kept me going during some hard times in medical school.

7. What are you currently reading?

Terror by Joseph J Neuschatz M.D. and am looking forward to reading The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown.

8. If you were trapped in the life of one fictional character who would you choose?

I would enjoy being Tintin, from The Adventures of Tintin.  This is a series of comic strips created by Belgian artist Herge.

9. And finallly, what are you working on now?

Hoping to start my next novel once I get this one on it’s own feet.  I thought writing was difficult only to find out marketing in even more challenging.

Thanks Preetham!  To enter to win an autographed copy of his book, click HERE.

9 in ’09 with Eva Etzioni-Halevy & Book Giveaway!

44 Comments

 Cover ImageAuthor, Eva Etzioni-Halevy has graciously offered one FREE copy of her latest book, The Triumph of Deborah, to one lucky commenter.  Click here for book description.  Leave a comment to be entered.  I will draw a winner on JULY 10th.

Eva Etzioni-Halevy is the author of three books of biblical fiction.  She has led a fascinating life and has turned to writing fiction after a long academic career.  Visit her website  for additional info and her detailed biography.  And without further ado, 9 questions for Eva…

1. Your latest book is about Deborah.  Can you tell us what sets her apart from the other women of the Bible?

Deborah is the most eminent woman in the Hebrew Bible (The Old Testament).  She was a national leader: sort of a president, chief justice and chief rabbi, all wrapped in one, and deeply adored by the people.

What is special about her is not only her prominence, but the intriguing tale the Scripture tells about her:  Deborah orders Barak to launch a strike against the Canaanites, who threaten their people with destruction.  His response is rather unusual: he demands that she accompany him to the battlefield.  Over three thousand years ago – a woman in the battlefield?

I found this to be very strange and suggestive.  I asked myself: why did he really want her there?  Moreover, he lived in a different part of the country and she ended up going with him to his hometown as well.  Yet she was a married woman and a mother, and there is nothing to indicate that her husband accompanied her.

I began asking myself: what did her husband have to say to that excursion?  What would anyhusband say if his wife suddenly went off to distant parts with another man, leaving him to do the babysitting?  It makes good sense that this created marital problems between them.  Would they be able to overcome those problems?  And what transpired between Deborah and Barak when they were together with no husband in sight?

These were the aspects of Deborah and her story that to my mind set her apart from other biblical women.  I found them most compelling, and they prompted me to write the novel.

2. What led you to writing about the women of the Bible and how do you choose which to base a book on?

Recently I began to read the Bible, and I discovered what an amazing set of books it is.  I found it to be full of the most dramatic and the most traumatic stories about people who lived thousands of years ago, and yet are so strikingly similar to us in their anxieties, hopes and desires.

I began to identify in particular with the women whose lives I could visualize as if they were my own.  I decided to hand them a “loudspeaker,” so that their voices could be heard loud and clear across the generations.  I have done so in three novels, of which The Triumph of Deborah is the most recent.

I usually choose to write about the biblical women who are closest to my heart, and the ones who ignite my imagination, as was the case with Deborah.

3. You are a professor emeritus at Bar-Ilan University.  Do you still have any responsibilities at the university that take up your time and how much time is spent writing?

To my mind, Professor emeritus is the best type of professor to be.  It means that, being retired, you still hold the title but you no longer have to do anything to earn it.

Having written heavy academic books for years, I felt an urge to burst out into a completely different direction and write light books that people would not have to read for their coursework but would want to read for fun and reading pleasure.  So as soon as became emeritus, I “reincarnated” myself as a biblical novelist.  I began writing what had been sitting inside me for years, and at this point of my life I no longer do anything else.

4. These books must require extensive research.  How much research do you do compared with the amount of time spent writing?

I have been doing extensive research that spanned over several years and included:

-Scouring the Bible itself for all hints it yields about social structure, family structure, the position of women, foods, cosmetics, diseases, medicinal herbs, and more.

-Traveling to the locations in which the plots of the novels took place.  I visited some locations of The Triumph of Deborah twice, and it was awesome to see the castle in which part of the story takes place, still in existence, though in ruins!

-Reviewing a variety of excavations that showed the layout of houses and temples, cooking utensils and the like, in the period described.

-Visits to museums, which displayed relieves of what people looked like, what they wore and what utensils they used, and a lot more.

This research has been completed by now, and I can devote most of my time to writing and promoting my books.

5.Your life has been full of experiences I only get to read about in history books (escaping from Vienna, war years in Italy – both in concentration camps and in hiding, life in Palestine after the war, and life in Tel Aviv).  Is there any chance that you may write a memoir?  I’d love to read it!

I am a child Holocaust survivor and sometimes people say to me: you ought to write about your experiences during this horrific era, because soon there will be no one left to tell the tale to generations to come.

But, disappointingly, I don’t have a book on this topic sitting inside me, waiting to come out.

I am “locked” into writing biblical fiction and intend to continue with that.

6. I love quotes.  Do you have a favorite?

My favorite is from the biblical book of Psalms, emphasizing that even when life is dismal there is hope, that even when one is downtrodden, there is a path that leads from despair to success.

He raises the destitute from the dust…

The stone the builders have disdained

has become the chief corner-stone…

It was from the Lord;

it was a marvel in our eyes.

7. What are you currently reading?

I have just finished reading an Advance Review Copy of J: The Women Who Wrote the Bible, a Biblical Novel by Mary Burns.  I found it fascinating.

8. If you were trapped in the life of one fictional character who would you choose?

I don’t have one particular favorite character.  I am trapped in the lives of all my biblical heroines, and I feel a compulsion to write about them as I believe they deserve to be written about: stories of love, betrayal, and redemption, with sensuous scenes, and twisting, suspenseful plots.  Stories that are faithful to the Scripture, but are not only for those interested in it.  They are written first and foremost for reading pleasure, for anyone who likes a light, enjoyable read.

9. And finally, what are you working on now?

I am working on a novel about another biblical woman: Tamar, the daughter of King David, who was the victim of incestuous rape by her brother.  My book describes the trauma she experienced and how she succeeded in rebuilding her life afterward.  I am still struggling with it and it is not ready for publication yet.

Thanks, Eva!

Books by Eva- The Song of Hannah, The Garden of Ruth, and The Triumph of Deborah

9 in ’09 with Nina Vida

4 Comments

NINA VIDA This week I asked the author Nina Vida to answer a few questions.  She is the author of seven books and gives hope to anyone who thinks it is too late to start a writing career.  Visit her website and her blog to learn more about Nina and her books.

Thanks for stopping by Nina!

1. You began your writing career after your children were out of the house and some encouragement from your husband.  Can you tell us a little about how you became a published author?

When the children went to college, so did I, majoring in English, with no thought of writing anything more complicated than a grocery list.  As part of my course work I was required to take a creative writing class.  I said to myself, oh, no, creative writing, what do I do, what do I say.  But I was stuck with it.  So I wrote an essay about my sister, who had had heart surgery at age 38 and how it had affected the way I looked at life and health and everything else.  The professor loved it, said it made her cry.  My husband (who had been a Navy journalist) read it and said he thought I should try my hand at writing a novel.  I had always been a fanatic reader, but reading a book and writing one are two very different pursuits, and I couldn’t conceive of myself as a writer, so I resisted.  I told my husband that writers were born writing, they wrote books and poems in the cradle, that writing was a sacred profession, not to be taken lightly.  He wouldn’t give up.  Finally I agreed to try, and that was how it began.  Every evening my husband read what I had written that day, and then we discussed it, and after a while I began to get the hang of it. 

2. How was the writing experience different from your first book to your last?

The writing experience from the first book to the seventh was a tremendous learning curve.  Whatever talent a writer has, nothing worthwhile is accomplished without craft, and craft only comes with writing, writing and more writing.  Which is what I did.  I kept writing, and with each book I struck out farther from shore, began exploring stylistic tropes, began thinking in terms of imagery and metaphor, but always wanting to tell a story and tell it beautifully.

3. What is the best writing advice you ever received?

The best writing advice I ever got was from my husband at a time when prospects for getting my first novel published looked bleak.  “Your time will come,” he said, “and in the meantime where else can you get all these cheap thrills?”

4. How do you feel about the new electronic readers?  Do you have a Kindle or plan on buying one?

I don’t have a Kindle, but my husband does, and he loves it.  I’ve learned never to say no to anything new, but right now I still like the smell of a book and the feel of the pages turning beneath my fingers.  I even like the dog-eared look of a well-read book. 

5. You’ve written books in a few different genres.  What is your favorite genre to read?

 I read mostly literary or mainstream fiction, but an author who uses language distinctively, who has genuine insight into his characters, who uses dialogue in a realistic way, and who knows how to tell a story without padding the book to death with unnecessary exposition – that’s my kind of author, my kind of book.

6. I love quotes.  Do you have a favorite?

A favorite quote:  Take nothing on its face; take everything on its evidence.

7. What are you currently reading?

I just finished “The House on Fortune Street” by Margot Livesey.

8. If you were trapped in the life of one fictional character who would you choose?

Elizabeth Bennett in “Pride and Prejudice,” because she’s so smart!

9. And finally, what are you working on right now and do you have a book hitting the shelves soon?

I’ve recently finished work on a novel about Jewish refugees in Shanghai during World War II.

Books by Nina- The Texans, The End of Marriage, Between Sisters, Goodbye Saigon, Maximilian’s Garden, Return from Darkness, Scam

9 in ’09 with Emilie Richards

3 Comments

This Friday I invited Emilie Richards to answer 9 questions.  I am almost finished with my first Richards novel, Fox River, and have enjoyed it so much I contacted her before I even finished it.  I sent her the questions Wednesday night and she had sent me her answers by the time I checked my mail Thursday morning!  Thank you, Emilie!

Emily is a  minister’s wife, mother of four, and author of the the popular Ministry is Murder mysteries and the Shenandoah Album novels.  I’ll post my review of her novel, Fox River, on Sunday and I can assure you that I will be reading more of Emilie Richards.

Visit Emilie’s website (www.emilierichards.com) for a list of her books, quilts, and upcoming events.  And now, the questions…

1. You have written over 60 books.  What is your writing routine?  You must be very disciplined.

I am disciplined, but that’s easy enough since I love writing so much that I look forward to my time at the computer.  I usually do email or blogging over coffee, then after breakfast I launch into whatever I need to work on that day.  I try to take care of promotion, research, editing, brainstorming etc. in the morning because I actually write best between about 2 and 6.  I save that time for the most concentrated work and try to avoid interruptions.  I set aside Mondays as my day off, but I do write at least half a day each on the weekends.

2. You have been a minister’s wife for many years and write the Ministry is Murder mystery series.  How has your congregation responded to your books?  Any fun stories?

I learned some time ago that people will see themselves in my books whether I put them there or not (and you can bet I don’t).  Strangely, though, nobody seems to think I’m writing about anything that could actually happen in a real church, nobody except ministers’ families, of course.  My best mail comes from fellow clergy wives and clergy of all denominations, also lots of PKs (preacher’s kids) who recognize my characters and sympathize.  Their real life stories put mine to shame.

I do have to say that our congregation has been totally supportive, and the church I loosely base the series on (and the town of Emerald Springs) invited me for a book signing last year.  They love it.

3. I just visited your blog for the first time and fell in love (http://blog.emilierichards.com/).  You cover a range of topics from the inauguration (made me teary eyed) to swine flu (made me happy you’ve recovered – you have to read it for details, readers).  As a relatively new blogger what has surprised you the most and do you have favorite blogs that you visit?

I was dragged kicking and screaming into the blogosphere.  I’ve never kept a journal, never wanted to, and doing it online seemed pointless and excruciating.  How wrong could I be?  I adore blogging.  I’ve gone from wondering what on earth I’d talk about to how on earth can I fit everything in?  It’s a joy and a journey.  In the very near future I’ll be running my next contest there (for Happiness Key) and anybody who comments on my “happiness” blogswill be entered to win a beach bag stuffed with gifts chosen by my characters.

I am a big fan of my friend author Diane Chamberlain’s blog, and nothing beats Lee Lofland’s The Graveyard Shift for great research on police procedure.  I visit many others, but I’m trying not to become addicted.

4. What is the one thing you could not live without?

My imagination.

5. Who or what inspires you?

I love stories about the “little guy” or “gal” who have overcome adversity, or stood up for their values against impossible odds and won.  There are so many, and we see so few of them.  But I am always inspired.

6. I love quotes.  Do you have a favorite?

I fall in love with quotes and immediately forget them.  But here’s one from Milton that I saw today in the NY Times, and I really like it:  The mind is its own place, and in itself/ Can make a heav’n of hell, a hell of heav’n.”

7. What are you currently reading?

I just finished Mansfield Park by Jane Austen.  I have Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell on my bedside table and Blood Bayou by my friend Karen Young, plus I’m listening to Storm of Swords by George Martin.  There’s a new Diane Mott Davidson mystery on my list, and I’ve downloaded the new Harlan Coben and Lisa Scottoline to listen to once I finish Storm of Swords.  Is that eclectic enough do you think?  I also received a Sony reader for my last birthday (love it) and last night I downloaded three of L. Frank Baum’s Oz books, and three Sherlock Holmes to go along with other classics I’ve already downloaded.  Life is good.

8. If you were trapped in the life of one fictional character who would you choose?

Stephanie Plum, because even though she’s in constant danger, cars explode when she’s not inside them, and she has both Ranger and Joe to keep her life interesting.

Of course I’d also love to take up permanent residence in the Land of Oz, so the choice would be tough.

9. And finally, what are you working on now and are there any books we’ll see on the shelves soon?

Happiness Key, my latest Mira, will be on bookshelves June 30th, along with the new paperback of Sister’s Choice, last year’s hardcover.  Happiness Key is in trade paperback, a new venture for me, and I’ll be offering a $1.50 off coupon on my website, and in my newsletters.  It’s easy to sign up for my email newsletter on my website.  Happiness Key  is the quintessential beach book, set on the Florida Gulf Coast.  It’s a friendship novel, about four very different women and I adored writing it.  Fortunate Harbor, the sequel, is in progress now.  Once it’s finished I’ll launch into A Truthfor a Truth, the fifth book in my Ministry is Murder series.  I think I’m supremely lucky to have two different kinds of books to keep my work fresh, and I never tire of either.

Happiness Key

Thank you, Emilie!

9 in ’09 with Sherryl Woods

8 Comments

This week I have the New Times Bestselling Author Sherryl Woods answering nine questions.  She writes wonderful romances and has a great website with a blog that covers some really fun topics.  You can visit her website here.  And she also happens to be a part-time neighbor and full-time friend to my Aunt Carol in Colonial Beach, Virginia.

1. You have written over 100 romance and mystery novels.  What is your secret for staying so productive after all these years?

I think my journalism background has been a huge influence on my ability to keep coming up with stories.  I’m always looking around at the world and wondering why this happened or what would change if somebody did this, instead of that.  As Mary Higgins Clark once put it, I spend a lot of time asking what if…?

2. You are my second featured author who earned a journalism degree from Ohio State (Go Bucks!).  Do you think aspiring authors should go to college or are there other avenues that can be just as helpful?

I don’t think college is ever a mistake.  However I certainly don’t think it’s necessary to have a degree in creative writing.  Lots of writers I know have wildly different backgrounds, everything from mine in journalism to drama and law.

3. When you first started your writing career you used a few different pseudonyms before using your real name.  Why did you decide to use one and why did you stop?

I was barely out of my newspaper job when I sold my first books and friends (mistakenly I now know) thought I should preserve my “real” name for “serious” writing.  When I went with my agent, she advised me to use my own name and stick with it, so I could build an identity as an author…and no publisher could ever let others use the name, which can happen if you’re not careful with pseudonyms.

4. It has always been a dream of mine to own my own bookstore and you actually did it!  What were the best and worst aspects of owning your own bookstore and would you recommend it to others, like me?

The ten years I spent owning a bookstore were absolutely wonderful in many respects.  I loved getting to read catalogues, order books and open the boxes every week.  Even better was getting to talk about books with my customers.  It was a book lover’s dream.  However, it was also so demanding, especially with a writing career, that I almost never had a chance to actually read.  And in this economic environment with even the big chains having difficulties, I don’t know that I’d try it unless the circumstances in your community are just right…meaning no major competition for miles and miles.

5. Who are your favorite authors?

I have a slew of them in many genres.  I love Carla Neggers’ romantic suspense, Heather Grahams’ suspense novels, Jayne Ann Krentz (and her Amanda Quick persona), Susan Wiggs, Nelson DeMille, Joan Mendicott, Jan Karon, Dorothea Benton Franks, just for starters.

6. I love quotes.  Do you have a favorite? 

No, not really.

7. What are you currently reading?

Maeve Binchy’s Heart and Soul.  She’s another of my favorites.

8.  If you were trapped in the life of one fictional character, who would you choose?

Just about any female in a book that has a happy ending.

9. And finally, what is your current project?

I’m now writing three more Sweet Magnolias books, beginning with a much-requested story for Ty and Annie.  I’m so delighted by reader enthusiasm for this series.  Writing more is like getting to visit with old friends.  These are scheduled to come out back-to-back in spring 2010.

Thank you so much for stopping by, Sherryl!

9 in ’09 with Laurie Dean

3 Comments

Laurie is the author of the children’s book Baron Thinks Dogs are People Too (reviewed here).  Visit Baron’s fun website for interactive games and a special offer –  order the book before April 30th and it will be shipped FREE.  http://www.baronthinks.com/  You can also follow Laurie on Twitter (handyauthor).

1. Baron is adorable!  Is there a real Baron?

Baron is a fictional character.  His disposition is a composite from my recollections of behaviors and ‘personalities’ that various dogs from my childhood exhibited.  We lived on a dead end street in an unincorporated part of town.  At the very end of the street, past the last house, was a large woodland area.  Back then, in the 1960’s and 70’s, it was common for people to drive to the woods and drop off unwanted litters of puppies and kittens.  Sadly, they would be abandoned there to fend for themselves.  My siblings and I often played among the trees, whereupon, we would discover the baby animals and take them home with us.  We fostered many dogs and cats over the years.  I grew up in a large family with a lot of pets!

2. How long did it take you to write Baron Thinks Dogs are People Too! ?

For me, the process of writing children’s stories is like having ‘puffy clouds’ of ideas constantly floating around in my mind.  Then when I focus my awareness with the intention to bring a story to life in the form of a book, it’s like the puffy clouds form into a funnel cloud that ‘touches down’ through me.  This rumination process is a perpetual part of my sub conscience.

 Word selection and cadence is very important to me, so I start with a draft of the story, and then ponder the words and movement carefully as I rewrite.  Sometimes, rewrites can take months.  Several kindergarten and preschool teachers, and their students previewed the story text for Baron, even before it was submitted to an editor.  Their feedback helped me write the best story.  This book took me about two weeks to write.

3. When and why did you decide you wanted to write a children’s book?

The exact moment I decided on making my dream of creating this book come true was when I held my newborn grandson for the first time.  I felt an incredible sense of legacy, like a spiritual connection from my ancestors was beaming through me.  I wanted to create a book my own grandchildren would revisit again and again.  A combination of life experiences and time spent pondering my heart’s desire gave rise to my urge, and sense of calling, to publish children’s books.

4. Can you tell us a bit about your road to publication?

So far, I have not had any major challenges in my career as a writer.  Nowadays, it’s much easier for a first time author to publish good quality children’s books.  Since there are so many wonderful books in circulation, the challenge is to get your book noticed by all of the people who would enjoy reading it!

For me, the entire process of having my book published came about through the use of the Internet.  It has totally helped me in my writing career.  I found the website of DragonPencil/Big Tent Books publishing services online, and used them for the entire process.  Now that my book is in print, I use the Internet for marketing and networking with other professionals in the book publishing industry.

5. What was your favorite childhood book?

My favorite book that I read as a kid was Harriet the Spy, by Louise Fitzhugh, published in 1964.  Harriet loves to eat tomato sandwiches, and I do too!

6. I love quotes.  Do you have a favorite?

The only way to have a friend is to be one.  -Ralph Waldo Emerson

7. What are you reading right now?

Currently, I enjoy reading New Age books about affirming and manifesting my heart’s desires.

8. If you were trapped in the life of one fictional character, whom would you choose?

Tinker Bell.  It would be fun to fly around sprinkling magic pixie dust!

9. Are you working on another children’s book?  A follow-up to Baron?

I’ve written a series of stories about two imaginary friends I had when I was preschool age.  As for Baron’s future…his family may get a cat.  Baron thinks cats are cool!

9 in ’09 with Mary Doria Russell and book giveaway, part 2

23 Comments

To read the first part of this interview, click here.

I will be giving one lucky commenter his or her choice of one Mary Doria Russell title.  After reading part one of the interview leave a comment and you will be entered.  Read Part Two and comment  and earn a second entry.  Those who have gotten a correct answer in my Green Title Quiz have earned an extra entry and those who are winners in my upcoming quiz on Monday will also earn extra entries.  I will draw the winners on March 31st at noon.  I will ship anywhere.

And now for the rest of the interview…

5. I’ve read that you became a novelist because you were out of work.  Is that true?

Yep.  There was this big recession at the end of the Bush administration…Wait!  I’m having deja vu…

Anyway, I lost my job and I had an idea for a short story about Jesuits in space.  That turned into The Sparrow and Children of God.

Would you recommend the writer’s life for the rising number of unemployed Americans?

Um.  Only if you’re married to an engineer with a secure job and medical benefits.  Seriously.  Publishing is under severe stress as an industry, and it was brutally competitive even before the latest economic pooh hit the national fan last fall.  The odds of an unknown getting a first novel published were approximately 4 million to one back in 1995 when I got my first contract.  Today, you’ve got a better chance of fame and fortune if you buy lottery tickets.

On the other hand, if you can’t help yourself, and you live to write, and you are talented and have something interesting to say, the blogoshere is an amazing new outlet.  Making money that way is a different thing.  Occasionally a blog will take off, and be parlayed into paying work, but it’s a lot like standing in a field during a thunderstorm hoping to get hit by lightning.

6. I love quotes.  Do you have a favorite?

You probably mean quotes from famous authors or something, but in our household, about 64% of the conversation consists of quotes from movies.  We use any of a hundred lines from the Princess Bride on a regular basis, but we just watched Moonstruck again a couple of nights ago, and I particularly like “Yeah, well, someday you will die, and I’ll come to your funeral in a red dress!”

My husband and I also use “You’re still gonna die, Cosmo!” whenever we see some middle-aged idiot trying to pretend he’s a young stud.

7. What are you currently reading?

At the moment?  Two non-fiction studies of the Kansas temperance movement in the 1870’s – that’s background research.  Also “Born Fighting,” by Jim Webb, about the history of the Scots-Irish, which explains a huge amount about contemporary American politics.  I’m also reading The Last Judgement by James Connor, which is a wonderful art history book that clarifies the swirl of politics, science, art and war that was the Renaissance.  And recently, I loved a book about death called  Nothing to be Frightened of” by Julian Barnes.  Exquisitely written and funny as hell.

I also read stacks of magazines: current affairs, economics, decorating.  And I watch a lot of TV.  I’m not a snob.  Baseball, HGTV, the History Channel.  Just discovered Dead Like Me, on DVD.  Getting into The Dollhouse, by Joss Whedon.  LOVED Firefly!

8. If you were stuck in the life of one of your fictional characters, who would you choose?

Interesting question…I guess I’d choose Agnes Shanklin, in Dreamers of the Day.  Yes.  Definitely.  Agnes.

I like the way she questions everything and slowly takes charge of her life and handles adversity.  I also like that she stays true to her sensible Midwestern self, no matter who she finds herself among.

9. What are you currently working on?

This time, I’m taking on two iconic figures of the American frontier.  Eight to Five, Against is a murder mystery set in Dodge City in 1878, the summer when the unlikely by enduring friendship between Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday began.

The novel takes place almost 4 years before the famous gunfight at the OK Corral, but there’s a direct line from the summer in Dodge City to the gunfight in Tombstone that made the Earps and Doc Holliday notorious.

I’m about 8 chapters from having a complete first draft.  Usually Wyatt is the focus of these stories, but I am totally in love with Doc.  That boy just breaks my heart…

He’s often portrayed as a coldblooded psychopathic killer, but he wasn’t like that at all.  At the time of the novel, he was a frail, proud, beautifully educated 26-year-old dentist living on the rawest edge of the American frontier, still hoping to recover from tuberculosis in the warm dry climate of western Kansas.  That summer in Dodge was the last time Doc was well enough to attempt to practice his profession.  He still believed that he was going to get better and go back home to Atlanta someday, but it never happened.

When will it be out?

Sometime in 2010 is my guess.

BONUS QUESTION   What’s next for you?

I’m starting to get interested in Benedict Arnold now, and there might be a book in that.  I seem to be drawn to characters who are unjustly condemned by people who don’t know anything about them, and I do think Arnold got a raw deal from Washington and the Continental Congress.

I like the idea that Arnold could draw me into the Enlightenment and Baroque music, and early American history.  Not sure what the story would be, though.  When Eight to Five is done, I’ll start reading biographies of Arnold and his wife, and Washington, and so forth.  Maybe a plot will emerge.  Maybe not.

On the other hand, and this is a scoop for you: I may go back to paleoanthropology.  I’ve been thinking about the Dark Ages in Europe, and how everybody – including pregnant and nursing mothers – drank beer and wine almost exclusively for long stretches of European history.  The Dark Ages have been described as a thousand years when each generation knew less than the one before it.  It was a great melting away of high culture, and I wonder if endemic fetal alcohol syndrome had something to do with it.  So I have and idea for how to test that idea using skull measurements from cemeteries.

Have to think some more about this, but it would be fun to get back into the bone biz.

Mary

I want to thank Mary for taking the time to participate.  I appreciate it and I’m sure all of you did too!

9 in ’09 with Mary Doria Russell and book giveaway, part 1

29 Comments

Mary Doria’s first novel The Sparrow and it’s sequel Children of God, combined to win 8 regional, national, and international awards.  She followed with two books of historical fiction, A Thread of Grace, nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, and Dreamers of the Day.  She holds a PhD in Paleanthropology and taught human gross anatomy at the Case Western Reserve University School of Dentistry before becoming a full-time writer.

Mary is a wonderful speaker and you should take advantage of any opportunity to hear her.  Here‘s my post on a book signing I attended last year. Visit her website for more information, http://www.marydoriarussell.net/

I will be giving one lucky commenter his or her choice of one Mary Doria Russell title.  After reading part one of the interview leave a comment and you will be entered.  Come back tomorrow and comment on part 2 and earn a second entry.  Those who have gotten a correct answer in my Green Title Quiz have earned an extra entry and those who are winners in my upcoming quiz on Monday will also earn extra entries.  I will draw the winners on March 31st at noon.  I will ship anywhere.

Without further ado…

1. Dreamers of the Day takes place as the fate of the Middle East was being decided in 1921 and many historical figures play roles in the book. How true to the real players are the characters?

I did my level best to portray all the historical characters with accuracy. My goal with historical novels is never to contradict the facts, but to work with them and deepen the reader’s insight into personalities and events. I will sometimes fudge dates by a few weeks, to make a narrative work, but I really try to keep things as accurate as possible. I’m still an academic at heart.

2. The Sparrow is one of my favorite books and was optioned by Brad Pitt’s production company. What is the status on The Sparrow making it to the big screen?

 Producer Nick Wechsler called me at the end of February (2009) with an update. According to Nick, Mr. Pitt is passionate about getting the film made and “Brad’s been concentrating on doing his own treatment of the novel since finishing up with Benjamin Button and the Oscar hoopla.” The whole project could still evaporate, but it seems more likely now that it is the focus of Mr. Pitt’s attention.
3. Your historical novel, A Thread of Grace, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.  Can you tell us about your personal experience of becoming a nominee?
Well, as everybody says, it’s great honor to be nominated – a heartening validation of a writer’s skill and very nice recognition of a particular work.  It’s also the only thing that impresses people more than “Brad Pitt might do The Sparrow!”
To me, however, the most gratifying recognition is the email I get from families of veterans of the World War II Italian campaign.  These are notes from people whose parents served in the armed anti-fascist resistance, or in the German, Italian and Allied armed forces.  I also hear from children of Jewish refugees whose lives were saved by the Italians, as described in the book.
Veterans and survivors rarely talked about the occupation of Italy, and the novel fills in a lot of gaps for families because the silence of Claudia at the end of the story is typical.  Partly, it’s the difficulty of conveying political and strategic complexity in what is often a third or fourth language for he parent.  But it’s also very difficult to relive those emotions, and most people in the World War II generation believe such memories are better forgotten.
Of course, war trauma is never forgotten – it’s there, and the consequences echo down the generations.  It was my privilege to start a few conversations, even ones that are now posthumous.  The book seems to fill in gaps and connect dots for many in the second generation.
4. Your books must require so much research.  You invented a whole language for The Sparrow…
Two actually!
And Eight to Five, Against, I even ‘interviewed’ horses to get the personalities and capabilities of an intact quarter horse, an Arab mare and a gelded hunter-jumper right!
And since Doc Holliday went to dental school in 1871, I read all the issues of the professional journal Dental Cosmos between 1871 and 1878, so I’d be familiar with the instruments available to Doc and his patients.
This kind of research is just a joy to me.  I love love LOVE this stuff.
…and your two historicals are jammed full of information.  How much research do you do for each book?
Tonnage.  I mean: YEARS of research for each of them.  And I go deep on the main characters.  I need to know what they knew, and I also have to understand their parents’ lives and the kind of relationship they had with their parents.  I know more about Doc Holliday’s family than I do my own, and if I get started on him, I’ll go on forever, so I’ll tell you about the research on the Earp brothers, because I can shut up about them more easily.
I started with all the biographies, but I still didn’t believe I understood their family dynamic.  Just looking at the whole group – Newton, James, Virgil, Wyatt, Morgan and Warren – I knew there was something going on at the home that nobody was writing about.  My guess was that they were beaten as children, but none of the biographers mention it.
Then I dug up a diary written in 1864 by a woman on a wagon train to California that was led by Nicholas Earp, the boys’ father, back when Wyatt was 15.  Sure enough, Nicholas was a mean, profane, violent sonofabitch.  The diarist gave example after example, and this was years before any of the Earps was famous, so I think it’s reliable.  It was a great validation of my developing insight into the brothers’ personalities and was of dealing with the world.
I’m also pretty certain Wyatt was dyslexic, based on descriptions of his attempts to read law, but Morgan was a reader, and that told me something about their relationship – Morg was four years younger, but he and Wyatt were extremely close.  So there’s Morg’s hero worship of his older brother Wyatt, while Wyatt was dependent on Morg’s help with letters and newspapers and so on.
And I’m becoming very fond of their older brother James, who was crippled during the Civil War.  Each of the boys has reacted differently to their father’s bullying, and James is the kind whose reaction is to remain gentle in a quiet existential defiance of the abusive parent.  He’s a remarkable guy…James was in every town where Wyatt served on the police force, but he’s almost unknown to history – I have a colleague digging out James’s war record  right now, to get a feel for where he’d been and the intensity of the fighting he saw.
to be continued tomorrow…

9 in ’09 with LaConnie Taylor-Jones

3 Comments

This Friday romance writer, LaConnie Taylor-Jones, joins me for 9 questions.  Last year I reviewed When a Man Loves a Woman, here.    You can visit her website at http://www.laconnietaylorjones.com/index.htm

LaConnie is a wife, mother of four, health educator, and author.  Somehow she found the time to fit in these 9 questions 🙂  Thank you, LaConnie!

1. When you wrote your first book, When I’m With You, did you know you would continue to write about the Baptiste family? Did you have future stories in mind for these characters?

Yes, I actually knew from the beginning that there would be at least four stories from the Baptiste Family. Since I’ve introduced them to readers, they’ve been well received and many readers have requested stories from some of the secondary characters. Only time will tell if this will happen.

2. I love a great romance, but sometimes the genre gets a bad rap. What is the most memorable reaction you have received when you told someone you are a romance writer?

First let me say, I ditto your sentiments. I love romance, too, both as a reader and a writer. A romance novel has the same characteristics as any other novel, except it centers on the love between two people, and provides an optimistic ending. The read is fresh, smart, and diverse.

The most memorable reaction occurred in late 2007 when I stood face-to-face with a person I’d recently met at a small gathering. After a few moments of polite introductory exchange, I casually mentioned that I’d recently published my debut novel.

“Oooh, so how exciting,” the person exclaimed.

With a smile, I nodded and said, “Yes, it certainly is.”

“So, tell me, what do you write?”

“Contemporary romance.”

There are no words in the English language to truly describe the flabbergasted expression on that individual’s face the moment I uttered those last two words.

3. I think it is hard to walk the fine line between too little and too much sex in a romance, but you did a great job in When a Man Loves a Woman. How difficult is it to know how much to put in and when to stop?

The answer to that question comes with an author truly understanding the genre they are writing in. If for example, an author is writing erotic, then it would include more sex scenes than a traditional romance. Most of my books hover between 300-310 pages and I usually include no more than three love scenes.

4. What is the best writing advice you have ever received?

The best writing advice came from my author mentor, Beverly Jenkins. She wisely said, “The only control you have is the story you write, so write the best darn story you can.”

5. What was your favorite childhood book?

Actually, there are two: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger.

6. I love quotes. Do you have a favorite quote or motto?

“Reach beyond the break.”

7. What are you reading right now?

The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama

8. If you got stuck in the life of one fictional character, who would you choose?

Scarlett O’Hara from Gone With The Wind. Despite her faults, this character showed a tenacity to succeed and perseverance to overcome the most difficult of situations.

9. And finally, what are you working on right now?

Currently, I’m working on the plot for an upcoming romantic suspense series.

Books by LaConnie- When I’m With You, When a Man Loves a Woman