Jahrra's Journal: Learning with Others

Here's a short entry from Jahrra's Journal that takes place right before the first book in the series.  I know it's not much, but I hope it might encourage a few of you to pick up The Finding if you haven't already ;).

Dear Journal,

 Master Hroombra told me today that at the end of summer I’ll be learning my reading, writing and mathematics with other children.  I was so excited that I spent half of my lesson asking him questions.  How many children will there be?  Will any of them be Resai?  What will they look like?  Will they be nice?  Master Hroombra just laughed and told me to save my questions for later.  But I couldn’t help it!  I spent the rest of my lesson daydreaming about what these other children would be like.  I hoped that by the end of summer, I would be ready to have my very own friends. 

 - Jahrra

Author Spotlight: Interview with Cheryl Landmark

1. Quickly, give us the title and genre of your book and a 30-word or less tagline.


My latest book is a fantasy called “Pool of Souls”, which is set in the fictional world of Regalis.

Joining a rebellion against a renegade queen and her soul-killing talisman, the Pool of Souls, leads Cazlina Narzin and her mare, Miris, into a world fraught with danger and evil.

2. Who is your intended audience and why should they read your book?

This should appeal to those lovers of fantasy who enjoy a fast-paced, action-packed, character-driven story with a strong but vulnerable heroine, a dashing rogue with an irrepressible sense of humour, many other interesting and provocative characters, and plenty of humour, evil and danger.  There is a hint of romance in the book, but it doesn’t overshadow the action or fantasy elements.

3. How did you come up with the title of your book or series?

When I first had the idea for the book, I was searching for a different type of magical talisman than, say, a medallion or a crystal orb or a magical sword.  Somehow, out of the fertile field of my imagination, I thought of a pool of some kind, which drains its victims of their energies and life forces.  Thus, the Pool of Souls was born.

4. Who is your favorite character from your book and why?

Well, naturally, I love my heroine, Cazlina, who is the embodiment of every good quality I wish I possessed myself!  But, aside from her, I think my next favourite character would have to be Miris, Cazlina’s faithful mare, who shares a unique and unbreakable bond with Cazlina and sometimes acts as her conscience.  I just love Miris’ sense of humour!

5. How about your least favorite character?  What makes them less appealing to you?

Well, in terms of who is the most evil character in the book, Captain Lerant, Queen Saranor’s commander in charge of her army, takes that dubious honour.  You would think it would be the queen herself, who, make no mistake about it, is indeed as evil and terrible as they come.  But, Lerant has no conscience and is truly repulsive with his deliberate cruelty.

6. If you could change ONE thing about your novel, what would it be?  Why?

Don’t get me wrong.  I love absolutely everything about my book.  But…I suppose if there is one thing I wish I had spent a bit more time on developing, it would be the background of Jorin Montrill, the dashing rogue I referred to in Question 2.

7. Give us an interesting fun fact or a few about your book or series:

Some readers may think “Oh, no, another Disney talking animal!” story, but I believe they will be pleasantly surprised by the relationship between Cazlina and Miris and their interactions with each other.

8. What other books are similar to your own?  What makes them alike?

I think there are plenty of fantasy books out there that encompass a lot of the elements I have incorporated into my book.  But, I’d like to think that, because it’s my story, it’s totally unique, LOL!

9. Do you have any unique talents or hobbies?

Well, I’m not sure how unique it is, but I do love putting together challenging jigsaw puzzles--shaped puzzles, two-sided puzzles, puzzles which depict a picture totally different from the one on the cover--you name it.  The more challenging, the better!

10. How can we contact you or find out more about your books?

You can check me out on my website at www3.sympatico.ca/cheryl.landmark or on my Author Profile on Goodreads.com.

My books are available in both ebook and paperback versions on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords and CreateSpace.

11. What can we expect from you in the future?

I’m currently working on a dog detective series and another fantasy, both of which I hope to have published in the very near future.

12. What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful?

Readers can help immensely by posting reviews of the book on such sites as Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, etc.  Word of mouth is so important to getting authors, especially indie and self-published ones, noticed in the reading community.  Most of us don’t have a lot of ready cash to shell out for expensive advertising and promotion, so I think having reviews on these various sites goes a long way toward helping to promote our writing.

13. Do you have any tips for readers or advice for other writers trying to get published?

Never give up, first and foremost.  If your passion is writing, stick with it through thick and thin and work at getting it published, whether it’s through the traditional route or self-publishing.  If you choose to send your manuscript to a big publishing house and they send you back a rejection, don’t let it discourage you.  Keep trying, if not with that publisher, with another.  And, if your choice is self-publishing, don’t be intimidated by the process.  It’s really not as challenging or formidable as you might think.

Above all, believe in yourself and your talent.  Don’t let it languish in a dark closet or drawer somewhere.

14. Is there anything else you’d like to say?

Only a very big thank-you, Jenna, for posting this interview and giving me a chance to introduce myself to your readers!

15. And now, before you go, how about a snippet from your book that is meant to intrigue and tantalize us:

The mare sounded apologetic but urgent. I’m sorry to disturb you, Caz, but I think you should know that someone is trying to steal me.

Cazlina Narzin became fully awake but didn’t move. She kept her breathing quiet and steady, as though still in the rhythm of sleep, but every nerve and sinew in her body tingled with alertness. Her hand tightened on the hilt of the dagger tucked into the waistband of her trousers.

She spoke to the mare through the telepathic link that bound them. I’m awake, Miris.  Where is the scoundrel?

She heard the mare snort gently. He’s near my head and about to grab my halter. I really think you should do something, and fast. The mare's tone suddenly changed. Oh, my, Caz, he’s a handsome devil!

Miris! Cazlina thought, reproachfully. Now is not the time to admire the rogue's looks.

Sorry.

Cazlina opened her eyes cautiously. In the pale moonlight, she could dimly make out the shape of a dark figure standing near the mare’s head.

Miris, move closer to me, Cazlina instructed. I want him where I can reach him easily.

The mare tossed her pretty head and sidled away from the dark figure reaching out for her. Cazlina heard a soft curse from the would-be thief and then his low voice trying to coax the mare back to him. Miris pranced skittishly toward where Cazlina lay silently on the ground under the big oak tree, staying just out of reach of the figure and forcing him to follow her.

This is fun, Caz! Miris said. I’ve never had anyone try to steal me before.

Well, don’t enjoy it too much, dear one, Cazlina replied, dryly. Just move a little closer now.

When she judged that the thief was near enough to take him by surprise, she jumped to her feet, drawing the dagger out at the same time.

"Touch that horse and I’ll slice the fingers from your hand," she said, coldly.

Caz, such violence!

Quiet, Miris. Let me handle this my way.

The figure stopped dead when she suddenly rose from the ground in front of him. Then, he straightened to his full height, which was well over six feet. In the light of the moon, his keen eyes scrutinized her closely, and a faint smile tilted the corners of his firm mouth. He wore dark clothing and a shabby cloak.

"I mean you no harm,” he said, holding his hands out to the side.
Cazlina stared accusingly at him, the point of the dagger just under his chin. "You were trying to steal my horse."

He chuckled and shrugged. "She’s such a fine specimen. I couldn’t resist taking a closer look at her."

Miris pricked her dainty ears forward. Well, Caz, he can’t be all bad. At least, he appreciates splendid horseflesh when he sees it.
Never mind, Miris. He’s still a scoundrel and a thief.

The mare snorted delicately. Yes, but what a handsome thief.

 

*****

Thank you Cheryl for taking part in my Author Spotlight interview! I hope your writing continues to flourish and we hope to see more of you in the future.
*****
If you or an author/illustrator you know is interested in being interviewed, feel free to send me an email at jejoescienne@yahoo.com

Guest Blog with Chris Rakunas

The other day I was contacted by Chris Rakunas about doing a Spotlight Interview for his book, Tears for the Mountain.  Chris was concerned with the fact that his book is non-fiction and most of my interviews cover fiction.  I told Chris to go ahead and fill out my interview questions, and while I was reading through his responses, I realized that he drew much of his inspiration from some interesting life experiences.  So I sent Chris another message and invited him to write a guest post.  I just hope you find his sources for inspiration as compelling as I do.  Enjoy!

* * *

Journey to Inspiration

I have been very fortunate to be able to travel often in my life.  Both of my parents spent a great deal of their lives travelling, my mother living all over America and my father through Europe as a child, and I always had the desire to see many of the things that they had seen.  Every family vacation was an adventure, whether it was looking at Tasmanian Devils in Australia or braving storms in British Columbia.  We even managed to turn trips to rural Indiana into memorable events.  So it was not that big of a stretch for me to quit my job and wander around the world for the first half of 2007.

When I returned, I took a job in healthcare, and eventually I was made the Chief Operating Officer of a small, community hospital in a rural town in Florida.  It was the type of place where the people were friendly, years were remembered by which hurricanes struck, and it was not uncommon to have alligators sun themselves on the helicopter pad.  The job was mostly paperwork, and completely unglamorous.  Lost among the capital budgets and physician contracts, a picture of me on top of a mountain in Mongolia resurfaced on my desk one day during a meeting, and the directors in my office had no desire to hear about customer service any more.  They wanted to know about Mongolia.  The only way I could placate them was to promise to send them some pictures via email if they promised to do whatever it was I had been trying to get them to do for the last hour.  They agreed, and that Friday I fired off some photos and a story about singing a Frank Sinatra song to a village in Terelj, Mongolia.  (Old Blue Eyes plays well on the Steppes.  Who knew?)

Again, this type of stuff didn’t seem out of place for me.  My mom can tell you about catching a possum in New Zealand, and my dad can give you directions to the best custom boot maker in Hong Kong.  I thought everyone’s family was like that.

During the next month’s staff meeting at the hospital, I noticed that my directors were only half-paying attention, and when I asked what was the matter, they told me.  “We’re waiting for another travel story,” my Physical Therapy director said.  I was pretty sure that the nods I was getting from the rest of the team were just polite, let’s-be-nice-to-the-boss ones.

John, my Radiology Director convinced me otherwise.  He said, “If I have to sit through another one of your boring meetings and I don’t get a good story about someplace exciting, I’m gonna blow my brains out.”

That started the Occasional Friday Afternoon Travel Story, and it quickly spread to other departments in the hospital.  During weeks where I was too busy to write – you know, because we were actually taking care of patients and not acting like the cast of Gray’s Anatomy – I would catch grief from the staff about not getting their weekly story.

This pretty much convinced me of a few things:

a)      People want to hear about other places.  No matter how wonderful of a place you live, the grass always seems a little greener on the other side.

b)      There is always an interesting story to tell. 

c)       Stories get better the more detail you can provide, so places you’ve been make for great settings.  A story about bribing Russian officials is good.  A story where you can describe the hotel you were in, the sheen of the officer’s hair, the light blue of the carpet, and the way that that S.O.B. looked when he demanded thousands of Rubles to give you an exit visa so you could get on your flight out of there is even better.

(NOTE TO THE US ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE: I didn’t say I was the one who bribed any Russian officials.  I just said a story about that would be good.  So put away the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and leave me alone)

After I finished Tears for the Mountain, I waited to begin another book.  TFTM is a really compelling story about a medical mission trip to Haiti, and the money from the book goes to benefit an orphanage in Port-au-Prince.  I wasn’t sure if I would write something else or if I was going to be a one-hit wonder.  (As long as I didn’t end up on VH1’s “Where are they now?” I would be ok with that)  But in early January 2012, I was standing at the foot of the Temple of the 7 Dolls in Dzibilchaltun, Mexico, and it just hit me: this would really make a great setting for a story.  A few minutes later I was inspired by the clear blue waters of the cenote there, and the plot for my second book, The 8^th Doll, popped into my head. 

It ties together facts from the ruins, Mayan architecture, and the Mayan 2012 apocalyptic prophecy to create a very fast paced adventure.  While it’s not a true story like my first book, The 8^th Doll really felt like it was the type of thing that people would be interested in hearing.

I was fortunate enough to be stranded in San Diego Airport for an entire day following my buddy Brendan’s wedding, and I used the time to think about other places I had travelled and other stories I had heard on the road.  I used those stories to craft the follow up, The Eye of Siam.  Pretty soon, every time I was on the road to anywhere – even to Wal-Mart here in Oklahoma – stories inspired by travel were popping up in my head. 

I now have a pretty decent back log of outlines for my next several books, enough to keep me writing deep into 2013.  They all have elements of places I’ve been to or things I’ve done.  I hope they keep you as interested as my directors back in the hospital were. 

Chris Rakunas is the author of https://vimeo.com/42841856> Tears for the Mountain: Delivering Hope to Haiti After the Earthquake, published by Divertir Publishing, available in paperback or e-book at http://www.amazon.com/Tears-Mountain-Chris-Rakunas/dp/098429306X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1339709241&sr=8-2>Amazon.com</a, http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tears-for-the-mountain-chris-rakunas/1108231145?ean=9780984293063, and worldwide at http://www.bookdepository.com/Tears-for-Mountain-Chris-Rakunas/9780984293063.  His first novel, The 8^th Doll, will be released on 31 July worldwide.  His second novel, The Eye of Siam will be released later in the year.  You can tell him your favorite travel story at www.facebook.com/ChrisRakunas.  

* * *

Thank you Chris for taking the time to talk a little bit about your books and how you go about creating your stories.  If you'd like to learn a little bit more about Chris's book, Tears for the Mountain, be sure to drop in on August 13th, 2012 to read my Spotlight Interview with him.  Until then, happy reading!

-J.E. Johnson

Author Spotlight: Interview with Larry C. Kerr

1. Quickly, give us the title and genre of your book and a 30-word or less tagline:

By the Light of the Moon. Horror. A morning of baseball turns terrifying. The horror in Blacksville has just begun.

2. How did you come up with the title of your book or series?

I wanted something that gave a clue about the book’s horror character.

3. Who is your favorite character from your book and why?

I would have to say the protagonist, John Reynolds. He’s not really based on me but we have similar backgrounds. However, at least one reader really liked Cindy, who was a werewolf victim.

4. How about your least favorite character? What makes them less appealing to you?

Police Chief Harley Winston, although he did turn out to be an okay guy. I think it was because he was a foil for John Reynolds.

5. If you could change ONE thing about your novel, what would it be? Why?

Perhaps I would make it more imaginative about the werewolf. I wanted the werewolf character to be a traditional sort of werewolf, but it may have been too traditional.

6. Give us an interesting fun fact or a few about your book or series:

It gave me a small taste of what famous authors go through and some opportunities I wouldn’t have otherwise gotten.

7. Do you have any unique talents or hobbies?

I also run competitively. I have run a marathon and participated in the National Senior Games.

8. How can we contact you or find out more about your books?

My web site is www.larrykerrauthor.com. My e-mail address is larryk929@yahoo.com

9. What can we expect from you in the future?

I have another novel scheduled to come out in September of October. It is historical fiction and is the first manuscript I wrote. By the Light of the Moon is the second.

10.  Do you have any tips for readers or advice for other writers trying to get published?

Readers, support your authors and open yourself up to more than one genre.

Writers need to be persistent. They need to persist with writing and perhaps be even more persistent with submissions.

11. Is there anything else you’d like to say?

Thanks for the interview opportunity.

12. And now, before you go, how about a snippet from your book that is meant to intrigue and tantalize us:

He was going full bore, concentrating totally on the ball, when his right foot slipped on something wet. He didn’t go down on that step, but when his left foot struck the ground and slid, he was a goner. Tommie threw out his arms in front of him in an effort to break his fall, but they went out from under him and he slammed into the ground in a spray of red sending him skidding along on his belly. What had he fallen into? Whatever it was, it stunk. Cow shit? No, it didn’t smell like that. He didn’t have a reference for how this smelled. When he stopped sliding, Tommie opened his eyes and saw that he was covered in red.

“What is this?” he asked as he pushed himself up.

He stopped when he saw it.

“No! It can’t be!”

He blinked his eyes, wiped his glasses and looked again. It was still there.

Tommie tried to shout, but his voice failed him at first, then he screamed. He leaped up from the ground as if it were electrified and ran back toward the field, screaming the high-pitched screams of a boy who has not yet reached puberty.

*****

Thank you Larry for taking part in my Author Spotlight interview! I hope your writing continues to flourish and we hope to see more of you in the future.
*****
If you or an author/illustrator you know is interested in being interviewed, feel free to send me an email at jejoescienne@yahoo.com

Guest Blog with Indie Book Reviewer Amanda Speer

Let’s face it: being an indie author has its perks and its pitfalls even in the golden age of digital reading devices.  We have complete creative control over our books and we decide when our deadlines are.  However, the pitfalls can be brutal.  One of the hardest things I’ve discovered during my short career as a writer so far has been finding willing reviewers for my books.  I don’t know if I was in the right place at the right time, or maybe if it has just taken me this long to find them, but several weeks ago I stumbled upon a forum on Goodreads that gave indie authors the opportunity to offer up free ecopies of their books in exchange for honest reviews.  Immediately, I signed up and the response has been very promising.  One of the readers who asked to read and review my newest novel, Faelorehn, is Amanda Speer, a blogger who is new to the world of indie books as well.  Amanda and I have been trading emails for the past week and I invited her to write up a guest post on my blog.  I wanted to know why she decided to read and review indie books, what genres she liked and how indie authors could contact her for a book review of their own.  Well, Amanda has kindly answered some of my questions below.  Enjoy!

-J.E. Johnson

* * *

Interview with Indie Book Reviewer and Blogger Amanda Speer

To start off I’d like to say thank you to Jenna for allowing me to write this blurb as a guest for her blog.

A little about me, I’ve been reading and reviewing books for a while now, I’d say a couple years now, and I just started about a year ago to get my own blog up and running. Initially, I started just reposting my goodreads.com reviews into blogger and left it at that. But I decided that even though I wanted to connect with other readers and share in a conversation about books, I really was not accomplishing that; I also was getting little if any traffic to my blog, which meant no one was reading my reviews there anyways. I branched out a bit and discovered an acquaintance on goodreads.com that had a blog she wrote reviews for in addition to her goodreads.com account. I checked out her blog and was blown away by how amazing her site looked. On a whim I emailed her and asked her how she got started. I had noticed that she was reading and reviewing both mainstream and indie authors. I also asked how she went about contacting the authors in the first place because that seemed pretty intimidating to me. She got back with me quickly giving me the info I needed to get started myself.

First things first she told me to start reading other people’s blogs, leaving comments and before you know it they will be following you as well. I did just that and within a matter of a couple days I had gained a couple followers myself. She also told me to just start contacting authors letting them know I would like to read their novels and review them. So I got brave and started scouring the internet looking for indie authors who were looking for reviewers. I was having little luck until I stumbled upon a couple groups on goodreads.com that connected authors and reviewers. I contacted a few authors within a day of getting my email from my acquaintance and the next thing I knew I had received a few books to read/review AND even gotten a couple more followers on my blog! I was incredibly excited because I was realizing THIS was something I wanted very much to do and I thought I can do it well! I’ve always been a reader so to be able to connect with other readers and actual authors looking for honest reviews was a great thing to discover. I’m finding I can not only feed my addiction for books, but I can help get the reviews out there and help push these indie authors with their sales.

So why did I decide to start reading indie authors in particular? Well I was skeptical and didn’t see having much luck with published authors. I thought this would surely be a difficult process and I thought I may not get much response either with this route. Instead I decided to start reading more along the line of indie authors because I read so many books that are basically the same story but with different characters and some not as well written as others and I thought I was bound to stumble upon something better than what is currently being mass published. I am looking for something different than what the mainstream is saturated with. I’m looking for originality, odd twists and quirky stories! I’m looking for books that can stand alone and don’t always have to be a series. Although some stories can only work really well as a series, sometimes there is just too much story, I do at times like to see an ending and know I’ve read all there is to the story. Sometimes you just need some closure.

To kick off my attempt at becoming a reviewer of indie authors and a blogger, I’ve read and reviewed Jenna Johnson’s novel Faelorehn. I’m very thankful for the opportunity, and honored to be asked to be a guest blogger. I have to shamelessly plug her novel Faelorehn a bit and say I’m so glad I contacted Jenna about her novel after having read her post on goodreads.com. I really enjoyed the story and am looking forward to reading more of the series. The thing with this series that really caught my attention is it is not like everything out there that is in the mainstream! Sure there are fairies and the main character Meghan learns she is part of this whole new world she is just discovering. Sure she falls for the boy that is different (and gorgeous) and is going to help her understand her place in this new world. But guess what, this girl is strong and not wishy-washy like some other characters I’ve been reading out there in mainstream.

To keep things rolling in terms of reading and reviewing indie authors I’ve already been in touch with a couple other indie authors. For example LM Stull, author of A Thirty-Something Girl, and Darcy Town, author of Wastes of Space, and I will be reading a novel by each within the next few weeks. After I’ve read and reviewed their novels I hope to interview them as well and add the interviews to my blog.

As to what types of books I read, I read a variety of genres and don’t stick to any one thing. I do tend to read more Young Adult novels than anything else. That I admit freely. I’m not ashamed to read Young Adult novels although some people don’t understand the appeal. I guess because there always seems to be a lot of hope and chances to take risks that you don’t see as often in adult novels. There are also times when chances have been taken and even if there is failure there is still a chance to pick yourself up and start over without completely turning your life upside down. In addition to Young Adult novels, I enjoy Science Fiction, Dystopian novels, Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romances. I really like novels that are in the Young Adult area that contain Science Fiction, are dystopian and have elements of fantasy and romance in them. A conglomeration of all of those elements has me on board no questions asked! Historical fiction is also a favorite for me is because I like to have that little window in one time period and see just what things were like in another era. I love to see the customs, the dress codes, the manners and the speech of a time completely different than the one I live in now.

If any indie authors were looking to contact me about reading a book they think may be in an area of interest to me I welcome them. I can be reached at my blog areadersaddiction.blogspot.com or via email at skinnieminne@gmail.com

Once again I thank Jenna for being so kind in being the first author I’ve reviewed and interviewed. The experience has been wonderful and I hope to continue helping her get her books out there and to help other authors as well!

* * *

You’re very welcome Amanda!  And thank you for taking the time to answer some of these questions.   Here I was all this time, thinking it was the book review bloggers that were hard to find!  I wish you well in the future and I as always, happy reading ;).

-J.E. Johnson

Author Spotlight: Interview with David McGowan

1. Quickly, give us the title and genre of your book and a 30-word or less tagline:

The Hunter Inside – A serial killer thriller with a supernatural twist, packed with suspense and psychological horror! Fast paced with real menace!

2. Who is your intended audience and why should they read your book?

Grown-ups who are not afraid of books with a little bit of the fear factor in them!

3. How did you come up with the title of your book or series?

It’s a tough one to answer, but I think it came about because of the fact that the characters in the novel are being stalked, or hunted, by someone or something that can get inside their heads. Therefore, the novel is about the hunter being inside the characters, and vice versa.

4. Who is your favorite character from your book and why?

My favourite character is Sandy Myers. She is the mother of twin boys, works, and is completely 100% focussed on her family and their futures. She is on the cover of the book!

5. How about your least favorite character?  What makes them less appealing to you?
There are several unsavoury characters in The Hunter Inside. Obviously, the evil and barbaric killer would be the least favourite of my characters, but you’ll find several to choose from!

6. If you could change ONE thing about your novel, what would it be?  Why?

The opening. I think I found it pretty hard to write the opening as it was my first novel and I edited it so many times. I got to a certain point and it just seemed to click, and from then on I loved every minute!

7. Give us an interesting fun fact or a few about your book or series:

My novel is set in and around New York and New Jersey. Bizarrely, I’d never visited these places until after I’d finished the second draft of the novel!

8. What other books are similar to your own?  What makes them alike?
I’ve always been a big fan of Dean Koontz. I would say The Hunter Inside has a very Koontz-esque feeling to it. It is a real page-turner from page one, laden with suspense and excitement on every page. Everyone who’s read it has said they struggled to put it down!

9. Do you have any unique talents or hobbies?

Wow, I wish I had time for hobbies! There aren’t enough hours in the day. I’m working two jobs, promoting The Hunter Inside as an indie author, and writing my second novel as we speak (currently almost 20 thousand words written).

10. How can we contact you or find out more about your books?

I have a website and author blog at http://davidmcgowanauthor.com, you can follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/dmcgowanauthor, or you can visit The Hunter Inside’s Facebook page at http://facebook.com/thehunterinside.

11. What can we expect from you in the future?

My second novel, which I’m currently writing at a frantic pace (over 6 thousand words in the last three days!) is called From the Sky. It is about how a small town in Northern California is affected by the arrival of visitors from the sky, and how a band of characters must undertake a pilgrimage across land and over mountains to a destiny they are unsure of. It is very much influenced by Stephen King, and I’m sure some would say it’s almost like The Stand and Under the Dome rolled into one. If it’s even 1% as good as those two then I’m sure people will love it!

12. What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful?

Spread the word to your family and friends, on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Kindle forums – anywhere you can think of! Also, I am currently running a very special offer. If you read The Hunter Inside and like it, and post your review at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk and email me your details to gow2002@sky.com, you will receive From the Sky FREE when it is released!

13. Do you have any tips for readers or advice for other writers trying to get published?

Why not consider self-publishing for Kindle and other tablet/reading devices? It’s a lot of work and really tough going at times, but the rewards are marvellous, it’s so enjoyable, and you will have complete control over your work and how it is represented. You’ll also get a better cut of the profits, and won’t be tied into any contracts! In the 21st century, the power has shifted from big publishers to individual authors, and it’s an exciting time to be a writer!

14. Is there anything else you’d like to say?

I would like to thank you so much for the opportunity to appear here, and say to anyone struggling to write – don’t give up! Check out my blog for some great tips and advice to help motivate you to get that novel written and out there and in the hands of readers.

15. And now, before you go, how about a snippet from your book that is meant to intrigue and tantalize us:

Okay! Here is the opening of the second section of The Hunter Inside:

It had been cold for a couple of weeks. Too cold for Connecticut at this time of year. The nights were like winter and the mornings always brought a frost that coated the ground and affected anybody who was forced to venture through it. Paul Wayans had been affected by this. He had never been a big fan of cold weather, and although he didn’t have to rise early in the mornings, the cold often kept him awake at night, yearning for the warmth of a wife to comfort him through to a warmer, sunnier day.

For five years he had hoped that day would come – the day when the torture of losing Marcie would be replaced with something other than depression – but each day he had felt the same chill that now bit at his joints and made getting out of bed difficult. The chill went further than his stiff fingers; it went all the way to his heart, and Paul did not think the sun would ever rise on that warmer day he envisaged. It was like a sailing boat that bobbed up and down on the horizon but never got any closer.

It was normally about eighty degrees at this time of year. The theory of global warming actually making the Earth hotter seemed to have by-passed New Jersey; the temperature hadn’t gotten above sixty for four weeks. Bill Arnold had been affected by this. The journey he had undertaken had been made ten times more difficult by the cold. Extra layers made it difficult for him to turn the wheel at any great pace and this, coupled with the effect of the early morning frost upon the roads, had made him fear being part of an accident not unlike the one he had witnessed as he returned to Glen Rock. It also made him wonder if he had made the correct choice of career.

It had affected Sandy Myers, who was finding it nearly as difficult to get herself out of bed as she was to rouse the children each morning. Sean and David’s reluctance to come to life each morning, and their subsequent disinclination to move away from the fireplace each day made her wish for sunny, warm mornings when the world seemed better and children wanted to play and everybody had an extra spring in their step. Sandy loved the sun.

Day after day the sun did not seem to want to shine though, and this had the same effect on Special Agent Sam O’Neill as it did on Sandy Myers. His bed was the only place he wanted to be, and he always wore the wrong clothes for the climate that he was by now starting to get used to. Things would be different if he had somebody to keep him warm at night and to give him advice on the clothes he chose each day, but the demands of murderers had put paid to his relationship with Louise after just six months of dating. Every day was now a bit of a challenge.

 
The being that was affected most by the cold snap of weather was the huge figure that stood in the shadows forty feet from the front door of Paul Wayans’ house, hidden by the darkness and crouching beside a tree that stretched about twenty feet into the air. The tree was something that he needed, as he was over eight feet tall, and his reason for visiting was not a friendly one. And he was a he – as he developed he felt more and more male. Testosterone flowed through him, especially on nights like this one, and despite being only half complete, his body told him he was male.

The cold had slowed him down and made his actions difficult to accomplish, sapping vital strength from his body and diminishing his strength; threatening his objectives with every minute that passed, and making him hungry to succeed and achieve his goals while he still could.

Everything had to be right. No mistakes could be made if he was to achieve his destiny.

This was something that the shadow constantly considered as the day passed and preparations were made, and while anybody else would have thought that Paul Wayans had decided to stay away from home, he knew differently. He had known exactly where Paul Wayans was, and had not been surprised when he saw him for the first time, walking up the road to the drive of the house and pausing, before finding the paper that was nailed to the door. Neither was the shadow surprised to see Wayans enter the house after removing and inspecting the message that he had prepared earlier in the day at some distance from his current location.

His dreams were not really dreams. Whether awake or resting, he saw these people going about their everyday lives. His head was a constant whirl of activity as he moved towards his goals.

He knew their names, addresses, even their thoughts.

He knew what their next move would be, but they didn’t know his.

They only knew what he wanted them to know. He was in control and determined; more determined every day, that the cold was not going to beat him.

Nobody would stop him.

Not now.

Paul Wayans was afraid. The shadow hiding behind the tree knew this and this was what he wanted. Wayans heart beat at twice the normal rate and this was a thing that brought strength to the figure, who remained in the same position, crouched at the base of the tree, waiting for Wayans to leave the house.

He fed off the fear of his intended victims, waiting for the time when it was at a peak, before taking them and taking their strength, their knowledge, their lives.

So far it had been easy. The people he needed to give up their lives had done so without too much of a fight. Now the time had come again, and now the urge was stronger. He was nearly complete, but fear was not enough to keep him strong for long. Tonight was definitely the night for him to feed again. He could not wait.

*****

Thank you David for taking part in my Author Spotlight interview! I hope your writing continues to flourish and we hope to see more of you in the future.
*****
If you or an author/illustrator you know is interested in being interviewed, feel free to send me an email at jejoescienne@yahoo.com

Guest Blog with Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Kathryn Meyer Griffith, one of the authors who has taken part in my Author Spotlight Interviews, has returned to share with her readers some of her own experiences as an author.  And now, without further ado, here is Ms. Griffith's essay on why she has written some of her books.  Enjoy!

-J.E. Johnson

Why I Wrote Evil Stalks the Night

…and also The Heart of the Rose

Damnation Books: http://damnationbooks.com/people.php?author=79 (in E-book and print)

Buy at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com

Evil Stalks the Night-Revised Author’s Edition is special to me for many reasons. It was my first published novel in 1984 and as it comes out again on June 1, 2012, rereleased from Damnation Books for the first time in nearly thirty years, it’ll bring my over forty year writing career full circle. With its publication all fourteen, and one novella, of my old books will be out again for the first time in decades. Sure, it’s been a grueling, tedious two-and- a-half year job rewriting and editing these new versions but I’m thrilled it’s over. I have my babies reborn and out in the world again…and all in e books for the first time ever. Now, perfectionist that I am, I can finally move forward and write new stories.

I’ll start at the very beginning because, though Evil Stalks the Night was my first published novel, it wasn’t my first written one.

That first book was The Heart of the Rose. I began writing it after my only child, James, was born in late 1971. I was staying home with him, no longer going to college, not yet working full time, and was bored out of my skin. I read an historical romance one day I believed was horrible and thought I can do better than that!

So I got out my borrowed typewriter with the keys that stuck, my bottles of White-Out, carbon paper for copies, and started clicking away. I’d tentatively called that first book King’s Witch because it was about a 15^th century healer who was falsely believed to be a witch but who was loved by Edward the Fourth. At the library, no computers or Internet back then, I did tedious research into that time in English history: the War of the Roses, the poverty, the civil and political strife between the Red (Lancasters) and White Rose (Yorks); the infamous Earl of Warwick and Edward the Fourth.  Edward’s brother Richard the Third.  A real saga. Well, all that was big back then. I was way out of my league, though. Didn’t know what the heck I was doing. I just wrote page after page, emotions high believing I could create a whole book. So naïve of me. Reading that old version now (a 1985 Leisure Books paperback) I have to laugh. Ironically, like that historical novel I’d thought in 1971 was so bad, it was pretty awful. That archaic language I’d used–all the rage back in the 80’s–sounds so stilted now. Yikes! Yet people, mainly women, had loved it.

And so my writing career began. Over 40 years ago now. Oh my goodness, where has the time gone? Flown away like some wild bird. It took me 12 years to get that first book published as I got sidetracked with a divorce, raising a son, getting a real job and finding the true love of my life and marrying him. Life, as it always seemed to do and still does, got in the way. The manuscript was tossed into a drawer and forgotten for a time.

Then years later I rediscovered it and decided to rewrite it; try again. I bundled up the revised pile of printed copy pages, tucked it into an empty copy paper box and took it to the Post Office. Plastered it with stamps. I sent it everywhere The Writer’s Market of that year said I could. And waited. Months and months and months. In those days it could take up to a year or more to sell a novel, shipping it here and there to publishers, in between revising and rewriting to please any editor that’d make suggestions or comments on how it could be better. Snail mail took forever, too, and was expensive. But eventually, as you shall see, it sold.

Now to Evil Stalks the Night.

In the meantime, as I waited for the mail, I’d written another book. Kind of a fictionalized look back at my childhood in a large (6 brothers and sisters) poor but loving family in the 1950’s and 60’s. I started sending that one out as well. Then one day an editor suggested that since my writing had such a spooky ambiance to it anyway, why didn’t I just turn the story into a horror novel…like Stephen King was doing? Ordinary people under supernatural circumstances. A book like that would sell easily, she said.  

Hmmm. Well, it was worth a try, so I added something scary in the woods in the main character’s childhood past that she had to return to and face in her adult life, using some of my childhood and my young adult life–my heartbreaking divorce, raising my young son alone, my new love–as hers. It was more of a romantic horror when I’d finished, than a horror novel. I retitled it Evil Stalks the Night and began sending it out. That editor was right, it sold quickly to a mass market paperback publisher called Towers Publishing.

But right in the middle of editing Towers went bankrupt and was bought out by another publisher! What terrible luck, I remember brooding. The book was lost somewhere in the stacks of unedited slush in a company undergoing massive changes as the new publisher took over. I had a contract, didn’t know what to do and didn’t know how to break it. Heaven knows, I couldn’t afford a lawyer. My life with a new husband, my son and my minimum-wage assistant billing job was one step above poverty at times. In those days, too, I was so clueless how to deal with the publishing industry.

That was 1983, but luckily that take-over publisher was Leisure Books, now also known as Dorchester Publishing. A publisher that quickly became huge. Talk about karma.

As often as has happened to me over my writing career, though, fate stepped in and the Tower’s editor, before she left, who’d bought my book told one of Leisure’s editors about it and asked her to give it a read. She believed in it that much.

Out of the blue, in 1984, when I’d completely given up on Evil Stalks the Night, Leisure Books sent me a letter offering to buy it! Then, miracle of miracles, my new editor asked if I had any other ideas or books she could look at. I sent her The Heart of the Rose and, liking it, too, she also bought it in 1985; asking me to sex it up some, so they could release it as an historical bodice-ripper (remember those…the sexy knockoffs of Rosemary Rogers and Kathleen Woodiwiss’s provocative novels?).  It wasn’t a lot of money. A thousand dollar advance each and only 4% royalties on the paperbacks. But in those days the publishers had a huge distribution and thousands and thousands of the paperbacks were printed, sent to bookstores and warehoused. So 4% of all those books over the next couple of years did add up.

Thus my career began. I slowly, and like-pulling-teeth, sold ten more novels and various short stories over the next 25 years–as I was working full time, raising a family and living my hard-scramble life. Some did well, my Leisure and Zebra paperbacks, and some didn’t. Most of them, over the years, eventually went out of print.

And twenty-seven years later, when publisher Kim Richards Gilchrist at Damnation Books contracted my 13^th and 14^th novels, BEFORE THE END: A Time of Demons, an apocalyptic end-of-days-novel, and The Woman in Crimson, a vampire book, she asked if I’d like to rerelease (with new covers and rewritten, of course–and all in ebooks for the first time ever) my 7 out-of-print paperbacks, including Evil Stalks the Night–I gave her a resounding yes!

Of course, I had to totally rewrite Evil Stalks the Night for the resurrected edition, as well as my other early novels, because I discovered my writing when I was twenty-something had been immature and unpolished; and not having a computer and the Internet had made the original writing so much harder. Also in those days, editors told an author what to change and the writer only saw the manuscript once to final proof it.  There were so many mistakes in those early books. Typos. Grammar. Lost plot and detail threads. In the rewrite I also decided to keep the time frame (1960-1984) the same.  The book’s essence would have lost too much if I’d updated it.

As I finished the final editing I couldn’t help but reminisce about all the life changes I’ve had since I’d first began writing it so many years ago. Though it was actually published in 1984, I’d started writing it many years before; closer to 1978 or 1979. I’m as old as my Grandmother Fehrt, my mother’s mother and who the grandmother in the story was loosely based on, was back then. While I was first writing it so long ago, I was a young married woman with a small child holding down my first real job and trying to do it all. Now…my Grandmother, mother and father have all passed to the other side. Many other family and friends I’ve left behind, too. I miss them all, especially my mom and dad. It’s strange how revising my old books reminded me of certain times of my life. Some of the memories I hid from and some of them made me laugh or cry. This book, though, is the most autobiographical of all my novels as it contains details of my childhood, my devastating divorce, and what my life was like when I first met my second husband, Russell, who’s turned out to be my true love. We’ve been happily married for thirty-four years and counting. Ah, but how quickly the years have clicked by. Too quickly. I want to reach out, at times, and stop time. I want more. I have so much more life to live and many more stories to write.

So Evil Stalks the Night-Revised Author’s Edition (http://damnationbooks.com/people.php?author=79 ) republished by Damnation Books/Eternal Press will be out again for the first time in nearly thirty years on June 1, 2012, and I hope it’s a better book than it was in 1984. It should be…I’ve had over thirty more years of life and experiences to help make it so. 

Written this 1^st day of June, 2012 by the author Kathryn Meyer Griffith

***

A writer for over 40 years I’ve had 14 novels, 1 novella and 7 short stories published with Zebra Books, Leisure Books, Avalon Books, the Wild Rose Press, Damnation Books and Eternal Press since 1984. And my romantic end-of-the-world horror novel THE LAST VAMPIRE-Revised Author's Edition was a 2012 EPIC EBOOK AWARDS FINALIST NOMINEE.

My books (all out again from Damnation Books http://damnationbooks.com/people.php?author=79 and Eternal Press http://www.eternalpress.biz/people.php?author=422): Evil Stalks the Night, The Heart of the Rose, Blood Forge, Vampire Blood, The Last Vampire, Witches, The Nameless One short story, The Calling, Scraps of Paper, All Things Slip Away, Egyptian Heart, Winter's Journey, The Ice Bridge, Don't Look Back, Agnes novella, In This House short story, BEFORE THE END: A Time of Demons, The Woman in Crimson, The Guide to Writing Paranormal Fiction: Volume 1 (I did the Introduction) ***

You can keep up with me on my Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1019954486, my Author’s Den www.authorsden.com/kathrynmeyergriffith  or my My Space www.myspace.com/kathrynmeyergriffith 

Author Spotlight: Interview with Michell Plested

1. Quickly, give us the title and genre of your book and a 30-word or less tagline:

Mik Murdoch, Boy Superhero is a YA Adventure that tells the story of an eight-year-old boy who one day decides that his destiny is to be a superhero.

2. Who is your intended audience and why should they read your book?

The intended audience is 9 - 15 year-old boys and girls who enjoy stories of adventure. The story is really one of self-actualization and gives young people a hero they can both relate to and look up to. Mik suffers many of the same problems as other kids: he is bullied and must make hard decisions about what is truly important.

3. How did you come up with the title of your book or series?

The name Mik Murdoch just popped into my head one day. Maybe the alliteration spoke to me. I don't honestly know.

4. Who is your favorite character from your book and why?

Mik, most definitely. He is a normal kid in so many ways. He is uncertain and self-conscious and has to deal with the same problems other kids face. He has to wrestle with decisions that aren't true to his ultimate goal of being a hero and must chose to take the harder path.

5. How about your least favorite character?  What makes them less appealing to you?

There are bullies in this story and they are my least favorite characters by far. I had to deal with bullies of my own when I was young and it was never pleasant. In order to make the experiences more true-to-life I had to make sure that the bullies in this story were not caricatures, but fully fleshed out characters with their own problems. It was both hard and therapeutic to inhabit their skins to write them.

6. If you could change ONE thing about your novel, what would it be?  Why?

I don't think I would change anything. The story is my first to be published and, as such, was a growing experience for me as a writer. There were times I wasn't sure it would ever be finished, but I am so proud of the finished product and know that all the work was worth it for this book and for any I write in the future.

7. Give us an interesting fun fact or a few about your book or series:

Mik Murdoch is actually the second book I ever wrote. The first was a 90,000-word fantasy novel that took me seven-years to complete. A week later I started Mik Murdoch as part of my very first NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and wrote the entire 50,000-word book in 23-days. I have since written two more in the series, also during subsequent NaNoWriMo's.

8. What other books are similar to your own?  What makes them alike?

That's a hard question. I don't know of others that are similar to this because I haven't really read in the genre for a while (my kids are both older). Ramona the Pest is maybe one simply because the characters are both precocious and know what they want.

9. Do you have any unique talents or hobbies?

Unique? Hmm. I'm a Boy Scout leader (not that unique, I suppose). I podcast and I collect swords. Are those unique or just weird?

10. How can we contact you or find out more about your books?

My website, www.michellplested.com is a good place to start. You can also listen to my writing podcast "Get Published" on iTunes. Just look up Michell Plested. Or email me at author@michellplested.com. Or Twitter @mplested.

11. What can we expect from you in the future?

Lots more Mik Murdoch for starters. I'm also finishing the revision of my podcast novel "GalaxyBillies" which has been described as The Beverly Hillbillies meets Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I'm also co-editing an anthology titled "A Method to the Madness: A Guide to the Super Evil". I'm collaborating on a YA Steampunk Superhero mashup, too. Oh yeah, and I writing and podcasting "Boyscouts of the Apocalypse" as part of the Action Pack Podcast (www.actionpackpodcast.com). I'm sure there's more, but I've already put two people to sleep since I started. ;)

12. What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful?

We are currently offering PDF versions of the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for reviews. I'd love to send a copy to anyone willing/interested in helping.

13. Do you have any tips for readers or advice for other writers trying to get published?

Network, network, network. Don't be afraid to talk to people and tell them what you are working on (if they look interested, that is). The job of the author these days is to do much more than just write. Marketing and self-promotion are critical too. Take the time to get familiar with the networking tools out there (i.e. Twitter) and make use of them.

14. Is there anything else you’d like to say?

Don't give up on your dream. If you want to get published, keep at it until you do. That's the only way to really make it happen. A long, slow, sometimes hard road but definitely worth it.

15. And now, before you go, how about a snippet from your book that is meant to intrigue and tantalize us:

Over the next several days we explored Cranberry Flats, rescued cats (some of which Krypto had chased into trees) and searched the surrounding ponds and creeks for minnows and frogs. We even spent part of a day sitting on a hill watching the town hang glider club floating through a deep blue sky.

And we found a body.

We were near one of our favorite fishing and frogging spots when we found him. It was old Mr. McGrady who lived a few houses away from mine. He looked so peaceful leaned up against the tree you would hardly know he was dead.

Krypto went up to sniff at Mr. McGrady and I grabbed a stick. While Krypto smelled, I poked Mr. McGrady’s feet. Nothing happened. I walked a little closer and poked at his side. Still nothing.
I had never seen a dead person before and was curious. My only experience with death was the bugs I had accidentally cooked that time, and television. In the shows I watched, the dead person often came back to life.

That was biggest reason I poked Mr. McGrady. As a defender of Cranberry Flats, I had a duty to protect the town from all threats. That included the risen dead.

I wasn’t quite ready for what happened next.

When I poked him in the crotch the old man suddenly stopped being dead. As he jumped up bellowing and waving, he tripped over Krypto who yelped and bit his leg. I started to run.

*****

Thank you Michell for taking part in my Author Spotlight interview! I hope your writing continues to flourish and we hope to see more of you in the future.
*****
If you or an author/illustrator you know is interested in being interviewed, feel free to send me an email at jejoescienne@yahoo.com