Tag: authors

Signed Book Quiz

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Round 4 begins today!!  This round lasts for 13 weeks when I’ll give away 2 prizes.  I know it’s busy this week due to BBAW so I’m giving you til Sunday to submit answers 🙂  I hope any of you stopping by from BBAW will play along too.

Here are the rules… 1. Open to everyone.  Play once or every week, that’s okay.  I’m happy to have you here today.

2. No cheating.  No googling, other internet searches or looking at other commenter answers.  Yes, we’re going by the honor system

3. Your first answers will be the only ones accepted.

I love autographed books.  Here are my stacks of signed copies.  All you have to do is tell me the author 1-10.  Each correct answer is worth 10 points.  Since this is the first week I chose the authors with the best penmanship (but you may have never heard of them!).

1. Ciji Ware  2. B.D. Joyce  3. Preetham Grandhi  4. Tomi Akinyanmi  5. J. Everett Prewitt  6. Bob Adamov  7. Greg Cielec  8. Christina Bartolomeo  9. MaryRose Wood  10. Vicki M. Taylor

Best Paid Authors Quiz – Last week for Round Three

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Forbes Magazine released a list of the top 10 highest paid authors from June 2009-June 2010 who earned a combined $270 million in the 12 months.  I’m giving you 15 authors and you need to rank the top 10 in order.  The extra 5 are just ones I added to keep it interesting.

Here are the rules… 1. Open to everyone.  This is the last week for Round Three.

2. No cheating.  No looking at other commenter answers or Googling!  Yes, we’re going by the honor system

3. Your first answers will be the only ones accepted.

Choose the top 10 best paid authors and rank them in order 1-10.   Each correct answer worth 10 points.  And no checking out the magazine!

1. James Patterson

2. Stephenie Meyer

3. Stephen King

4. Danielle Steele

5. Ken Follett

6. Dean Koontz

7. Janet Evanovich

8. John Grisham

9. Nicholas Sparks

10. JK Rowling

Dan Brown

Michael Connelly

Charlaine Harris

Kathy Reichs

Nora Roberts

Answers to last week’s quiz here.  Current Leaderboard here.

Better With Age Quiz

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Who are some of the oldest living writers?  See if you can guess. 6.5 points each.  Submit your guesses by Thursday night.

Here are the rules… 1. Open to everyone.  Play once or every week, that’s okay.  I’m happy to have you here today.

2. No cheating.  No looking at other commenter answers or Googling!  Yes, we’re going by the honor system

3. Your first answers will be the only ones accepted.

Answers to last week’s First Lines quiz here.  Current Leaderboard here.

1. This 97-year-old knows a lot about Siamese cats and bestselling mysteries.  Lilian Jackson Braun

2. This 95-year-old  spent 13 years researching and writing the two novels The Winds of War and War and Remembrance, but it was The Caine Mutiny that won him a Pulitzer Prize in 1951.  Herman Wouk

3. This 94-year-old author has written more than 30 books for children and young adults.  The Ramona books are my favorites.  Beverly Cleary

4. This 93-year-old English author is perhaps best known for her Merlin series.  Mary Stewart

5. This 90-year-old is the oldest person to win a Nobel Prize in Literature (in 2007), but I always think of the The Golden Notebook when I hear her name.  Doris Lessing

6. This 90-year-old’s first book is one of my favorites about rabbits adventures in and out of the warren.  Richard Adams

7. This English author just celebrated her 90th birthday last Tuesday.  She’s famous for her Adam Dalgliesh series.  PD James

8. This 90 year old still writes her women’s fiction longhand on legal pads.  Her last book, Crossroads, was published in 2004.  Belva Plain

9. This 89 year old’s most famous work was featured in last week’s quiz.  Go ahead and take a look.  He has never had a driver’s license.  Ray Bradbury

10. I love this 87 year old’s Mrs. Pollifax mystery series.  Dorothy Gilman

11. This 86-year-old South African author writes about love, politics and race.  Her last book in 2005 drew on her experience of the death of her longtime spouse.  Nadine Gordimer

12. Do you recognize this 84-year-old novelist, journalist, essayist, and playwright?  Gore Vidal

13. This 84-year-old minister is well known for co-authoring the apocalyptic Left Behind series.  Tim LaHaye

14. This 82-year-old is famous for her suspense novels.  As is her daughter.  Mary Higgins Clark

15. This 82-year-old Columbian author is best known for One Hundred Years of Solitude and Love in the Time of Cholera.  Gabriel Garcia Marquez

16. This 82-year-old became famous when he wrote and illustrated the children’s book Where the Wild Things Are.  Maurice Sendak

10 in ’10 with Maria Semple

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Maris Semple, author of the fabulous novel This One is Mine, has graciously agreed to answer a few questions.  This is her first novel, although she was a writer for many very good tv shows, like Arrested Development and Ellen.  Why not stop by her website and have a look around?  On to the questions…

1. In your book bio it says you “escaped from Los Angeles” and now live on an island off Seattle. What was it about Los Angeles that made you want to escape?

It’s a company town, and I was done screenwriting.  And in my mind, if you don’t have to be in LA, you really shouldn’t.  The usual gripes… traffic, infrastructure collapsing, people in Porsche’s honking at you.

Plus the sun.  I’m not a fan of the sun.  

2. You wrote for television before writing this book. Which of these shows are you most proud of?

Mad About You, because I think there was the most of me in it than any of the other shows.  

3. The characters in This One is Mine are deeply flawed.  Tell us what Violet saw in Teddy?

Hey, methinks you fall into the category of readers totally puzzled and repulsed by Teddy.  In my mind, Teddy saw a “twinkle” in Violet that she thought had been snuffed out by too many years of being married to David, not working, being a new mother.  And as happens with love, circuits get crossed and Violet thinks that Teddy makes her twinkle.  He makes her feel beautiful, sexy, funny, needed.  So by chasing him, she’s chasing that part of herself she is desperate to keep alive.  

4. Did you have any input on the cover?  The trade paperback cover is deliciously beautiful.

So glad you like the paperback cover.   My friend, the very talented Kimberly Brooks painted the cover for the hardback, which I really loved.  Little, Brown decided to go for something poppier for the paperback and I think they did a great job.  How can you not reach for that book?

5. Who or what inspires you?

Any artist who experiences failure and rejection and keeps going.  I find bouncing back very moving.  

6. What’s the last book you read?

Les Liasions Dangereuses.  I had read it a few times, and always considered it one of my favorite books.  I picked it up again and it thrilled me.  A work of total genius.  It’s the only book that has left me feeling scandalized.   Three hundred years after the book was written!   And you read my book, full of sex and immorality, so that’s saying a lot.

7. What’s your favorite non writing hobby?

Trying to stay off the internet.

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

The Gods of Discipline are benevolent.  My boyfriend and I made this up yesterday.  We were remarking that anytime we exercise discipline– with work, exercise, speech, anything where we don’t act impulsively, but show restraint–  it always pays off.   

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

That’s so hard to say, because most fictional characters go through so many highs and such lows.  I guess I’d like to be any smart heroine who’s vexed and maddened by love, and who doesn’t end up killing herself.  Elizabeth Bennett, Dorthea Casaubon, Jane Eyre, Isabel Archer.  

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

I’m working on my new novel, and it’s finally coming together.  To make an embarrassingly lowbrow analogy– there’s that reality show star named Heidi something who I just read had ten plastic surgeries done to her at once?  I feel like the plastic surgeon who performed that work– I’m sitting at the computer and I have this living thing open in front of me but it needs attending to on ten different fronts… wait I have to stop, this analogy is going to make me sick.  

How’s this:  I’m in the process of figuring out my second novel.  

Thank you, Maria!

10 in ’10 with Shirley Tallman

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Last fall I read Murder on Nob Hill and The Russian Hill Murders and fell in love with the independent and spirited Sarah Woolson.  The next  book in this historical mystery series is on its way to me as I type 🙂  So, I was very excited when I contacted author Shirley Tallman and she agreed to answer a few questions. 

I recommend visiting her website where you will find access to her blog, books, and contests.  This month she’s giving away an Amazon gift card and next month she’ll be giving away signed hardcover copy of one of her books EVERY DAY!

On to the questions…

1. I love Sarah Woolson.  She’s smart, independent, and brave.  What or who was the inspiration for this wonderful character or did she just show up on your screen one day?

Actually, Sarah’s character had  been growing and developing in my mind for quite some time before I started MURDER ON NOB HILL, the first book in the Sarah Woolson Historical Mystery Series. To me Sarah embodies all the qualities I most admire in a heroine: intelligence, determination, fair-mindedness, empathy, honesty and, above all, courage. In order for a woman to square up against the chauvinism rampant in 1880’s society, she would have had to possess all of these virtues — in spades! Yet despite her feisty independence, she also possesses a quiet vulnerability and sensitivity that makes us sympathize with the many obstacles she must face, and root for her to come out victorious in the end.

2. Historic San Francisco is such a wonderful setting for this series.  What was it about San Francisco that made you want to explore its history in a series?

Several things led me to choose San Francisco as the setting for my novels. Of course the fact that I was raised in San Francisco was largely responsible. Fortunately, at the time I was growing up it was still fairly safe for a young girl to travel practically anywhere in the city by bus or cable car. My friends and I loved to ride our bikes through Golden Gate Park, visiting museums and the California Academy of Sciences, then continue riding down to the beach where we’d go ice skating, to Playland at the Beach, or to the Cliff House (the setting for book number four in the series). With my family I attended live theater and plays downtown, shopped along brightly decorated Maiden Lane at Christmas, and window shopped on Market Street. I think I fell in love with San Francisco before I even learned to read, and once I could, I would literally bury myself in books to learn more about its fascinating history. I don’t remember considering any other locale for my mysteries.

3. You also write screenplays.  How is that experience different than writing novels?

It’s completely different! For one thing, writing a novel is usually a solitary effort; for better or for worse, the author pretty much controls her story and her characters. Writing a screenplay is anything but a solitary endeavor. In Hollywood everyone seems to want a piece of the pie, and to satisfy their own egos. Perhaps a better way to put it would be to say everyone from the producer(s) (often there’s more than just one producer),  director and even the actors want to have a say in the final product — which frequently forces the screenwriter to veer off into vastly different directions. Of course when the writer attempts to please one of the producers/directors/actors, she’s sure to offend the rest of the players. To put it in a nutshell, the finished screenplay sometimes bears little resemblance to the writer’s first draft!

4. Can you tell us a little about how you were first published?

Once upon a time, my best friend and I (both mothers of small children) decided to write a book. Today we look back on the experience as having proven the old saying that, “Ignorance is bliss!” Having absolutely no idea as to the impossibility of the task, we blithely sent out the completed manuscript to at least fifty publishing houses, papering our laundry-room walls (yes, that’s where we did a good portion of our writing!) with rejection slips. Finally, one brilliant and perceptive publisher (at least that’s how we like to remember him), bought our book, PLEASE STAND BY — YOUR MOTHER’S MISSING, and released it in hardcover to an unsuspecting public. To his surprise, I’m sure, the book sold rather better than he suspected, and our careers were launched. Okay, maybe they weren’t launched right away, but we were certain we were on the right tract. As it turned out, my friend went on to write award-winning stage plays, while I helped feed my growing family by penning Harlequin/Silhouette contemporary romances. Later on, we joined up again to successfully write and sell movies to ABC, NBC and CBS.

5. Who are some of your favorite mystery writers?

There are so many it’s hard to list them. Certainly Agatha Christie introduced me to the magic of mysteries as a child. As a teen, I added science fiction to my favorites, then mystery masters such as Anne Perry, Elizabeth Peters, Ngaio Marsh, Robert Bernard and Ellis Peters.

6. What’s the last book you read?

I just finished reading Maeve Binchey’s novel, HEART AND SOUL, and Dean Koontz’s FOREVER ODD. Plus, of course, a steady stream of research books for my own novels, but I don’t necessarily count those as leisure reading.

7. What is your favorite non-reading and writing hobby?

I’m a Gemini, so I have a lot of hobbies. I love to bike ride and snow ski, do yoga, knit and crochet, and go to the movies. I admit I’m addicted to several TV series, including TRUE BLOOD, THE CLOSER, MONK, CSI (all three), HEROES, PBS MYSTERIES, HOUSE and  THE BIG BANG THEORY.

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

I think my favorite quote is: “All things are possible to one who believes.” (Saint Bernard of Clairvaux – letters)

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

I know I’m prejudiced, but actually I’d choose the life of my own heroine, Sarah Woolson. As I said earlier, she embodies so many qualities that I admire in a woman. Beyond that, her life is never dull!

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

I’m working on book #5 in the Sarah Woolson series, tentatively titled, DEATH ON TELEGRAPH HILL.

Thank you so much for stopping by, Shirley!

10 in ’10 with Beth Hoffman with giveaway

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Photo of Beth HoffmanBeth Hoffman is an interior designer turned writer and with her debut novel being chosen as the first book for Sam’s Club book club it seems she made the right choice to turn to writing.  Beth grew up in northeast Ohio, not far from where I live and she is just as sweet in person as a person can be.  Read yesterday’s post about meeting her.  By leaving a comment there or here you will be entered to win a copy of Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt.

And now on to what you are really interested in…

1. You and CeeCee both grew up not far from where I live.  What’s the best thing about growing up in northeast Ohio?

The absolute best thing was the early years of life I spent living on my grandparent’s farm. To this day, there’s nothing that takes me back to fond Ohio memories more than smell of freshly cut hay and the rumbling sound of a tractor’s engine. I loved the change of seasons, too. And as tough as Ohio winters were, they were beautiful. The Metropolitan Park system is outstanding, and I enjoyed exploring the endless hiking trails as a kid. Whenever I go back to Ohio, I try to save some time to visit Squires Castle and walk the paths. Ohio is wonderful horse country too, and there was nothing like saddling up and going for a long ride through the countless trails that are so easily accessible. I miss that so much.

2. I’ve read that Aunt Tootie is based one of your own aunts.  What was it about her that made her such a great character?                  

When I was nine years old, I went to visit my Great Aunt Mildred Caldwell who lived in Danville, Kentucky. And it was culture shock of the best kind. There I was, a shy little farm girl suddenly in the midst of a world I could have never imagined. I was in awestruck by the beautiful old homes, the towering trees, and the lush flower gardens, and, I was enthralled by the Southern dialect. My great aunt was an accomplished, highly educated woman who had strong values and a generous heart. And, oh, was she ever witty.

She was always busy with charity work and was known to step in when someone was in need. My great aunt treated everyone, and I mean everyone, with kindness. Her domestic help adored her, and she them. She was so charming—a true Southern lady. To this day I’ve never met anyone more gracious, and I suspect I never will. I was impressed by how she used and enjoyed the things she had; even her finest heirloom china was used for evening meals. As far as I could tell, nothing in her home was off limits or saved for that one special occasion. To my great aunt’s way of thinking, every day was a celebration, and it was called LIFE. That has been her legacy to me. 

3. I gave this book 5 stars and am impressed that it is your first book.  How much time passed from conception to publication?

I’m so glad you loved CeeCee’s story, thank you. I thoroughly enjoyed writing it. So much so that I was really saddened when I typed THE END. The manuscript took four years total—the last nine months of which were spent on intense, and sometimes brutal, editing.

4. You had a successful career as an interior designer before switching to writing.  How has your life changed since making the leap?

I’m calmer and much more grounded. Perhaps the most interesting thing I’ve noticed is that I’m more wide awake to the simple things in life—the things that bring me the greatest joy: my animals, watching the birds, walking in nature, and having the time to really listen to a friend in need. While I loved my design career, I was so buried in work for such a long period of time that I lost the wider vision and appreciation of life that I once had. It might sound strange, but I regained much of my childlike delight in people and everyday life when I threw my briefcase in the trash, kicked of my high-heels, and began to write.

5. What was your favorite childhood book?

Hmmm, that’s a real toss-up. I loved STUART LITTLE and THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS equally.

6. What’s the last book you read?

THIS I BELIEVE – The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women

7. What’s your favorite non-reading and writing hobby?

Animal rescue, gardening (I’m crazy for peonies), and laughing with girlfriends! I’m a stay-at-home kind of person, and I truly enjoy the simpler things. In the warmer months my husband and I will pack a picnic, drive to General James Taylor Park, which overlooks the Ohio River, and play gin rummy while watching the barges go by. To me, that’s living.

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

Yes! And it’s from Richard Bach’s book ILLUSIONS: “There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands. You seek problems because you need their gifts.”

9. Who would you choose if you were trapped in the life of one fictional character?

This is going to seem odd, I’m sure, but I’d pick Thelma Rae Goodpepper. I adore her. As eccentric as she is, Thelma Rae succeeded in creating a magical, if offbeat, world for herself—she is a true free spirit.

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

I thought I knew, but it’s dramatically changed over the past few weeks. Though I have ideas, and more characters have stepped from my imagination, I suspect I won’t know for certain what my next novel will be until I complete my book tour. I’ll be traveling quite extensively for the next several months, and I find it hard to do much writing when I’m on the road. I miss it something fierce, and I’m eager to hit the keyboard again.

Thanks so much for stopping by, Beth!  Visit her website for more info and event dates. 

 

9 in ’09 with Barbara Delinsky

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Barbara Delinsky, NYT bestselling author, has graciously taken some time to answer a few questions.  I reviewed her book, While My Sister Sleeps here and the book is out in paperback just this week. 

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and Barbara is a survivor and continues to fund research.  You can visit her website for more information about her books and her wonderful blog. 

Here’s the nine with Barbara…

1. While My Sister Sleeps is the story of a family in crisis and each of the characters travels a personal journey that leads the book full circle.  Which character do you think grew or changed the most?

I’d have to vote for Molly, partly because that’s how I conceived of this book.  I see it as a coming of age story about a 27-year-old who has always lived  in the shadow of her star sister and felt secondary in the eyes of her Type A mother.  Suddenly, with her sister comatose and the rest of the family unable to act, Molly rises to the occasion.  In speaking for her sister, she finds her own voice, helping even her mother grown in the process.

2. When I posted my review of this book, commenter Violet asked if it were a movie.  I know it’s not, but there are so many wonderful characters in this book that it would make a great one.  Who would be your dream cast if While My Sister Sleeps made it to the big screen?

Honestly?  I have no idea.  I’m so not a movie or TV person.  Given that I spend so much time writing, what free time I have is spent knitting, talking with friends, and doing things like laundry.  I’m always curious to know, though, who readers would choose.

3. You have a big presence online with a website, blog that you started in 2005, and many other social outlets.  How has your life as a writer changed over the years since the explosion of online social networking?

Oh my, a loaded question there.  I have to confess that at times I do pine for the old days, when all a writer had to do was write her books!  Today, I spend roughly one-third of my work time maintaining that online presence – website, blog, and now Facebook and Twitter – meaning that I have to work even longer hours to get each book done on time.

The plus side, of course, is that online social networking has given me a vehicle to communicate with my readers, which is – and always has been – hugely important to me.  My readers have put me where I am today.  Their enthusiasm and loyalty keeps me going.  I love communicating with them!

4. You are a breast cancer survivor and wrote the book Uplift: Secrets from the Sisterhood of Breast Cancer Survivors in 2001.  I love that all the proceeds from the sale of this book go to your own charitable foundation.  Can you tell us a little about the foundation?

From the very beginning, I knew that I didn’t want to personally pocket a single cent from the sales of Uplift, and was able to shamelessly shop it from publisher to publisher for this reason.  The entirety of my proceeds from Uplift go into the charitable foundation, which has, to date, funded four years of a breast research fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital.  Each May, I have the joy of meeting the fellow just finishing her year and hearing about the work she’s done.  How awesome is that?

5. Who or what inspires you?

People do.  I take a gesture here, a physical characteristic or manner of speech there, and create characters that interest me.  As for what those characters do?  My plots are almost always inspired by current events.  When I’m in the process of writing a book, I keep a file on my computer for “Next Book Ideas.”  Inevitably, the idea I pick is either the most recent one entered, or an idea based on news occurring since then.  My agent calls me a prescient, in that I write more about things that are about to happen, but it’s truly just being attuned to people’s concerns in the here and now.

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

Here’s one from my father.  When faced with different people having different opinions or preferences, he always said, “That’s why there are menus in restaurants.”  I think of this often, when readers say that they loved my latest book but that their favorite is still – and then they name one of my other books.  Another thing my dad always said was, “Taxation is the price of civilization.”  I agree with him there, too.  Some folks don’t – but, hey, that’s why there are menus in restaurants.

7. What are you currently reading?

Homer’s Odyssey by Gwen Cooper.  It’s a gem of a book about a blind cat.  Being a cat person, I’m loving every page.

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

Given that fictional characters have to experience some form of angst to keep the reader turning pages, I’ll opt out of this choice.  I have enough on my own plate, thank you!

9. What are you currently working on?

Just finished, actually.  Not my Daughter – not to be confused with an earlier book of mine, For My Daughters.  This new one, Not My Daughter, tells the story of three high school girls, all good students from good homes, who make a pact to become pregnant.  I know, I know, TV is currently loaded with shows about pregnant teens, but this book is different.  The heart of the story is the fallout of the pact, with accusing fingers pointing to the girls’ mothers.  Here is an exploration of what it takes to be a good mother, whether at 17, 35, or 45.

Thank you so much for stopping by, Barbara!

9 in ’09 with Hallie Ephron

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A few weeks  ago I reviewed 1001 Books for Every Mood by Hallie Ephron and really enjoyed it.  Hallie took the time to email me after seeing the review and offered to send me a copy of her newest book The Bibliophiles Devotional: 365 Days of Literary Classics.  I mean how can a list lover like me resist a book from a great list maker?  I couldn’t resist and I’ve been reading about a new book every day and loving it.  Thanks, Hallie! 

Anyway, Hallie is the author of 4 books and you can visit her website here. 

And now the nine questions…

1. My first question has to be about growing up in a house full of writers.  What was your childhood like with parents who were writers and three other sisters (Nora, Delia,Amy) who are writers too? It must have been wonderful to grow up in such a creative home.

Our house overflowed with books – wall to wall bookcases, bedside tables stacked with books to be read and re-read (cookbooks and children’s books on my mother’s; history and economics on my father’s), and as kids we were read to early and often (the Oz books, Little Women, The Little Princess…).  My mother recited poetry after dinner, and we grew up cherishing words.

2. I loved your book 1001 Books For Every Mood, probably because I love books and lists.  How long did it take for you to decide what books to include and did you have to cut any favorites?

Thank you!  I love books and lists, too.  It took me months to decide which books to include.  I started, of course, with my favorites, and then talked to booksellers and librarians and readers and anyone who had the temerity to cross my path holding a book.  I also cherry-picked from many great lists out there, like Sports Illustrated list of best sports books, Business Week’s list of best business books, TIME’s list of great books, and of course the ones that Oprah has recommended.  If someone mentioned a book I hadn’t heard of I found it to decide if I thought it was gem worthy including.

3. Your new book The Bibliophile’s Devotional is 365 Days of Literary Classics.  Can you tell us what defines a classic for you?

Hmmm…I’d say one that’s stood the test of time.  One that influenced the way we think, like books that were the first of their kind (did you know Oliver Twist was the first book in English with a child protagonist?).

4. You write book reviews for the Boston Globe.  Do you think  blogs and websites devoted to books have changed newspaper reviews or do you think they serve two different purposes?

I think blogs and web sites can give books visibility that is so very hard to garner right now since there are so many books out there and so little is spent on advertising.  They can build buzz and community.  Book reviews serve more of a critical purpose, I thin, to select and highlight quality (good and bad).

5. Have you discovered a favorite new author in the last year or two?

Oh, gosh yes.  Where to begin?  Leonie Swan (“Three Bags Full”); Carolyn Wall (“Sweeping Up Galss”); Josh Bazell (“Beat the Reaper”); Alan Bradley (“The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie”); Spencer Quinn (“Dog On It”)…I could go on.

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

Not so much a quote as a paragraph…I LOVE Carl Sandburg’s “Rootabaga Stories” – read it to revel in the words and images.  It’s pure joy.  One of my favorite stories in it is “Three Boys with Jugs of Molasses and Secret Ambitions.”  SO FULL of wonderful lines!  Here’s just a sample: “Eeta Peeca Pie grew up with wishes and wishes working inside him.  And for every wish inside him he had a freckle outside on his face.  Whenever he smiled the smile ran way back into the far side of his face and got lost in the wishing freckles.”  Don’t you love that idea of “wishing freckles?”

7. What are you currently reading?

For myself I just read Sheila Wellers’ “Girls Like Us” – it’s a meaty nonfiction about Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Carly Simon, and the generation they exemplify.  Loved it.

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

Anne Shirley (Anne of Green Gables)

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

I’m finishing a novel – psychological suspense like my last one “Never Tell a Lie.”

Thanks so much for stopping by, Hallie!

9 in ’09 with Preetham Grandhi

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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 Emilie Richards

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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!