HERE’S DAWN SKYY

Robin Leigh Morgan: Please introduce yourself.

Dawn Skyy: Greetings and Felicitations! My name is Dawn Skyy. I’m an Indie or independent author. I work the night shift for NYPD as a police clerical. By day after my errands and workout are done, I sleep like a vampire.

I’m a life-long Star Trek fan. In fact I’m considered to be one of “The Old Guard”, one who literally grew up watching Star Trek from Kirk & Company to Voyager. I also love reading, science fiction, fantasy (especially if there be dragons in it!), spy, espionage, thriller and detective are the genres I enjoy the most. I also love classical music, old school R&B, jazz, and I’ve recently taken a liking country and blues.

Aside from reading and writing I’m also into photography, hand crafts (crocheting, knitting, beading) jogging, power walking, African dance, weight training, and I love animals, especially cats. I currently have two rescue cats I adopted nearly one year ago. Like typical cats, they have me perfectly trained.

Robin Leigh: Tell us about your latest published novel.

Dawn: It started out as a rant against a fan club I’d joined about three years ago. I wanted to warn people that certain fan clubs were not all they are cracked up to be. I’m not saying that all are as horrible or bad. Some fan clubs are well run and monitored organizations.

The one I hooked up with was the pits because it had none of the aforementioned qualities. Since it dealt with a real celebrity (whose name I would never reveal), I concocted a highly fictitious version of the events which transpired, names, and some places involved, and let it fly.

Robin Leigh: What is the latest book you’ve published?

Dawn: Cross Eyed: Part One is my first and only book.

Robin Leigh: Can you give us about a five sentence description from it.

Dawn: Darlene, a retired NYPD cop seeks out her best girlfriend Alexis for help in solving a mystery and help a celebrity. Alexis who is a retired NYPD detective and runs her own private detective agency agrees to go under cover and sort out the mess. Alexis goes undercover and gets far more than she bargained for.

Robin Leigh: What can you tell us about your current writing endeavor?

Dawn: I’m currently working on Cross Eyed: Part Two. I ended Part One with a cliffhanger which I plan to fully address. I will also be clearing up a lot of other issues which I’d vaguely touched on in part one.

Robin Leigh: Can you give us an excerpt from one of your favorite scenes in your latest novel?

Dawn:  We didn’t even have to ring the bell because Mom had the screen door open and was waiting for us. I stepped right into one of her rib crushing hugs. Mom was the type of woman who didn’t let you go unless you hugged her back with equal force. She didn’t like wimpy hugs.

Without looking I could feel Dad standing behind her. I was also aware of what Russell had been doing behind me: removing his hood, taking off his hat and his sunglasses. Both Russell and Dad locked eyes and stared at each other for a half a second before recognition dawned on Dominic DeLaRosa’s face. I wish I’d had my cellphone out to take that photo. My Dad stunned speechless with his mouth hanging open like a Striped Bass…..

“Holy s**t! You’re, you’re… Lexi, why didn’t you tell me you were seeing …..THE Russell Cross?” Dad asked incredulously.

“And have you called me nuts?” I asked.

Robin Leigh: How did you decide what the title of this book would be?  If this book is part of a series, then how many books will be in the series?

Dawn: The name Cross Eyed is the name of the fictitious fan club in the story. I named it that because the star’s name is Russell Cross.

I originally didn’t intend for it to be a series, but I got so caught in the story and charactors some will say the “plot bunnies” went wild. I’m writing a second book which I’m hoping will be a full sized 50,000 word novel. In comparison Cross Eyed: Part One is considered a novella.

Robin Leigh: Would you consider yourself to be a plotter or a pantser?

Dawn: I consider myself to be a little of both. I plot endlessly, and I have set scenes that must happen. However, getting to that set scene is another story. For instance, I must have Lexi go to the carwash. Now, she can take an uneventful drive to the carwash or there can be a twenty mile car chase on the way to the carwash. I can never predict what will happen until I sit down to write. That’s what I’ve so meticulously plotted turns into a monster.

Robin Leigh: What made you decide to become an author?

Dawn: I’d been writing for most of my life. I actually started writing as a result of my love for Star Trek. I wrote for fanzines (fan magazines) and published one of my own for about a year. I also wrote extensively for what are called written role playing games, within the Star Trek community.

I was really bitten by the writing bug when I was encouraged to join a writing community site named Writing Dot Com. There I learned how to create and keep my first blog. I was also introduced to and encouraged to enter and win NaNoWriMo.

Robin Leigh: What is NaNoWriMo?

Dawn: It stands for National November Write Month. It is an international writing event which happens every November. It’s a race where writers participate by attempting to write a 50,000 word novel in one month. In order to meet this goal one must write a certain word goal every day (I believe it’s approximately 3,000 words per day, but don’t take it as gospel). To me this was a real challenge because at that time I was schlepping a laptop and would write furiously on my breaks, at home and everywhere I could. On Thanksgiving Day I didn’t write a sentence as it would’ve been impolite because I was a guest for dinner at a friend’s home. I made up for it and won in 2011, though. That novel is currently sitting on the back burner waiting to be published.

Robin Leigh: In your latest novel, who’s your favorite character male/female? Tell us why.

Dawn: Of course all of my “Cross Eyed” characters are all my babies, because I created them. I like Russell the best because he is so laid back; you really don’t who he is until you really get up close. Then it’s like, “gasp”! I also like Alexis’ stepdad, Dominic DeLaRosa. He is a force to be reckoned with.

Robin Leigh: Do you set aside a specific amount of time to write, write/answer emails, and market/promote your book[s]?

Dawn: I really haven’t been on a specific schedule. I pretty much write when I have a few minutes here and there between my studies, work, chores, and sleep. Thank goodness for smartphones and tablets. Both allow me to do significant amounts of writing and web surfing on the go, instead of waiting to get home to write read emails the way I used to.

Robin Leigh: Do you read books outside the genre you write in? What are they?

Dawn: The titles are too numerous to name. I used to read a lot of well-known authors religiously; I’m talking waiting for their next book with baited breath. That meant long spaces in between as most authors can’t crank out a book a month (like the pulp fiction days). But since I’ve become a member of the independent author community I’ve found so many excellent authors within that realm, I must confess, I haven’t bought a mass published book in two years.

Oh yes, I read anything but horror, zombie, erotica.

Robin Leigh: What must you have around you when you write; food, drink, music, etc.?

Dawn: When I used to write at home I had to have my music, my water and my furry writing assistants (cats) at my feet.

Robin Leigh: When you were an aspiring author you needed advice. What advice would you give to those aspiring author in those shoes today?

Dawn: For an inspiring writer/author I suggest you should join a supportive writing community like Writing Dot Com; they’re like a Facebook for Writers, only it is closely regulated and monitored. You can join for free and you get a profile which includes a blog. You can post your writing and invite members to come by and critique and help you to improve. At WDC you are also free to critique and help others. There are also clubs, forums and contests you can enter to help hone your craft. Then there is the utter madness of NaNoWriMo. This is the perfect place to get your feet wet because everyone there shares the same goal.

I also advise anyone who wants to become an independent author, to familiarize yourself with the top social networking sites. Namely: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Plus, Good Reads. Why? Because these are going to be the avenues which you will use to publicize your book(s), touch base with other Writers and Authors and connect with your fans.

Robin Leigh: Is there anything else you’d like to briefly tell us about your book, your writing, or yourself.

Dawn: I’m so, so grateful to the Independent Authors community, I would’ve never made it without them. I’d wanted to publish a book for about twenty years but I was terrified of the query letter, manuscript, rejection process. I went through years ago with a fan fiction magazine. I’d sent said (long defunct) publisher my story and I received a rejection letter! I couldn’t believe it! A rejection letter from a fanzine? I was devastated! It made me so angry that I decided to publish my own fanzine. I did that for a year until I went broke doing it. Back then I did not have the options we have in abundance today. I encourage you to get out there and use them.

GENERAL_INFORMATION

Where can we find your book?

Cross-Eyed: Part One is on Amazon http://tinyurl.com/l93f8jn

Where can we find you on internet?

WEBBSITE: http://www.dawnskyy.com     

BLOG: http://me4cats.blogspot.com [My blog about my rescue cats named “Cats Gone] There are also several blogs on my website. Click “Skyys the Limit Blog” and mouse over the drop downs for the different categories.

FACEBOOK FAN PAGE: http://www.facebook.com/dawnskyy

GOODREADS: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7451981.Dawn_Skyy

TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/dawn_skyy

TUMBLR: http://theknightsrealm.tumblr.com

Thank you so much Robin Leigh for interviewing me!

AND THANKS Dawn for giving me your time in allowing me to interview you.

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HERE’S BRUCE A BORDERS

Robin Leigh Morgan: Please introduce yourself.

Bruce A. Borders: I’m a self-published author.

Robin Leigh: Tell us about your latest published novel.

Bruce: The latest is a short novel called Inside Room 913. I intended it to be a mini-mystery but I got a little carried away.

Robin Leigh: What are the two latest books you’ve already published? Give us about a five sentence description for each?

Bruce: Over My Dead Body

Over My Dead Body explores the deadly reaction and consequences when a protective father, Jeff Blake, tries to prevent the state from taking his daughter. The director of Child Protective Services uses his position to exact a personal vendetta in removing three-year-old Ashley from the Blake’s home.

The situation quickly becomes violent as Jeff resorts to the only response he feels he has. By the end of the short encounter, three people are dead. Ironically, Ashley is still taken, so the tragic fiasco gained nothing.

Miscarriage Of Justice

Sentenced to fifteen years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, Ethan Rafferty has one thing on his mind – payback! With his time up, the ex-con is free to pursue his mission of revenge. The District Attorney, Mariana Clark, who, during the trial suppressed evidence that would’ve exonerated him, is the focus of his vengeance. Intent on making her life miserable, Ethan employs a variety of tactics to antagonize and torment the woman. Unable to retaliate through the courts, considering her role in the previous trial, Mariana decides to fight fire with fire. Soon, their feud escalates to a point where neither imagined it would go.

Robin Leigh: What can you tell us about your current writing endeavor?

Bruce: I’m working on several books at the moment – a book about an escape from prison, a western, and Book 7 of the Wynn Garrett Series. I like to do prep work on many different projects at once. That allows the story to percolate and then when I start the actual writing I have a better idea of where it’s going.

Robin Leigh: Can you give us an excerpt from one of your favorite scenes in your latest novel?

Bruce: This one is from Inside Room 913

So what happened?” Cynthia spoke up. “Where is Conrad Williams now?”

Holding up his hand, Mr. Jacobson said, “All in good time, my dear. Permit me to finish.” He paused briefly, and then continued. “Not knowing what to say or do, I politely inquired if he was all right. He answered by violently swinging a baseball bat directly at my head. I ducked and luckily, he missed. Then, we struggled a bit until I finally got the better of him.”

Cynthia sat stone-faced, listening, but giving no indication of her thoughts.

Seeing he had her attention, Jacobson continued. “I physically held him down on the floor, and assured the man I did not want to hurt him. I said I’d just been concerned about his well-being. He insisted that he was quite fine and really wanted only to be left alone. Didn’t like people, he claimed.

We talked for a while longer until I thought I’d convinced him that I was no threat and simply wanted to help. He’d calmed down considerably since the moment I’d first barged in, but then he suddenly became like a wild man. His eyes raged with fire and he looked right through me as he came at me again, this time, bare-handed.” Mr. Jacobson shook his head. “Sadly, that was the last time I saw Conrad.”

Frowning, Cynthia gave the man a questioning look. “You still haven’t told me where he is.”

Mr. Jacobson sighed. “He’s gone.”

“Gone? Gone where?”

“Gone, as in dead, I’m afraid. I killed him.” The man said the words calmly, with no emotion, as if the fact that he’d ended another human being’s life was no big deal.

Cynthia’s heart was in her throat. The man in front of her had just admitted to a cold-blooded murder. She couldn’t help but think poor ol’ Mrs. Fletcher had apparently been right! There was a murderer in the building! And here she sat – all alone in his one-room apartment. What’s worse, no one on God’s green Earth knew she was there. Not a single person!

Robin Leigh: What was the inspiration for your latest novel?

Bruce: A few years ago, I heard about a guy being held prisoner in a “hotel” for a few decades and wondered how that could have realistically happened. So, I let my mind begin to wander…

Robin Leigh: How did you decide what the title of this book would be? If this book is part of a series, then the books in the series.

Bruce: I wanted something short, with a little bit of intrigue. That’s the reason for the room number. I thought Inside Room 913 fit the bill. A lot of hotels used to not have a room 13 on any floor due to superstitions of the customers. The ninth floor seemed to play into that as well.

Robin Leigh: Would you consider yourself to be a plotter or a pantser?

Bruce: Both. I plot in my head before the writing begins, then once I start writing I like to just see what happens and where I end up.

Robin Leigh: What made you decide to become an author?

Bruce: I always loved to write, always wanted to be an author. I finally decided there was no time like the present.

Robin Leigh: In your latest novel, who’s your favorite character male/female?

Tell us why.

Bruce: Cynthia Holt, the main character of Inside Room 913. She is very inquisitive and doesn’t really worry much about what she is told if that means ignoring someone’s well-being.

Robin Leigh: Do you set aside a specific amount of time to write, write/answer emails, and market/promote your book[s]?

Bruce: I don’t set a certain amount or a specific time because life is always trying to mess up my carefully laid plans! But I do make sure to write every day. As for all of the other stuff, marketing/promoting, I try to do that daily as well but it is not the top priority.

Robin Leigh: Do you read books outside the genre you write in? What are they?

Bruce: Sometimes. I’ll read almost any genre except for Erotica and Horror or subjects like witchcraft.

Robin Leigh: What must you have around you when you write; food, drink, music, etc?

Bruce: Food to munch on, coffee and Dr. Pepper. I love music but can’t listen while I write or I’d be writing the lyrics down. Wouldn’t really be able to concentrate on writing either – listening to music for me is not a passive activity, it isn’t just something going on in the background but it’s what I am doing. So, my writing environment needs to be quite.

Robin Leigh: When you were an aspiring author you needed advice. What advice would you give to those aspiring author in those shoes today?

Bruce: Write what makes you happy. Keep writing. Try to improve along the way, but keep writing.

Robin Leigh: Is there anything else you’d like to briefly tell us about your book, your writing, or yourself.

Bruce: I would like to thank Robin for the opportunity to do this interview and for her support of the Rave Reviews Book Club!

GENERAL_INFORMATION

Where can we find your books?

Ebooks: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Kobo, among others.

Paperbacks: Amazon, Barnes & Noble as well as my website.

Where can we find you on internet:

BLOG: http://bruceabordersbooks.weebly.com/blog.html

FACEBOOK FAN PAGE: http://www.facebook.com/BruceABordersBooks

GOODREADS: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5752197.Bruce_A_Borders

TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/BruceABorders

WEB PAGE: http://BruceABordersBooks.weebly.com

Bruce, THANKS for giving me your time in allowing me to interview you.

HERE’S KATIE HAYOZ

Robin Leigh Morgan: Please introduce yourself.

Katie Hayoz: I’m originally from WI in the States, but now live in Geneva, Switzerland. I write and read young adult fiction and especially like books with a paranormal edge. My weakness is buttered popcorn; I seriously wonder if I could survive without it.

Robin Leigh: Tell us about your latest published novel.

KH: My debut novel is Untethered. It is a paranormal coming of age novel that follows 16-year-old Sylvie on a unique and slightly sinister journey of self-acceptance. Sylvie has an ability to leave her physical body and astral project. While it could be akin to a superpower, she sees it as a curse. That is, until the day she decides to play with its dark side. Sylvie then sets an evil plan in motion that she believes will change her life for the better. But she doesn’t count on it spiraling out of control.

Robin Leigh: What are the two latest books you’ve already published? Give us about a five sentence description for each?

KH: Wish I could say I have a backlog of books published, but I don’t. There’s Untethered, and a young adult short story that takes place in the 1950’s – Kissing Clarisse. I’m working on building up my list, though! 

Robin Leigh: What can you tell us about your current writing endeavor?

KH: I’m working on a series that involves creepy masks, the lost colonists of Roanoke and stories of the devil. Happy, light stuff, you know. Ahem.

Robin Leigh: Can you give us an excerpt from one of your favorite scenes in Untethered?

KH: I guess I’ll go with the beginning of the flashback in Chapter 19, when Sylvie and Cassie decided to become blood sisters:

The summer we were ten years old, Cassie and I held our fingers over my mother’s biggest, shiniest knife and looked into each other’s eyes.

“Ready?” Cassie asked. Her eyes shone. She dragged her front teeth across the plump cushion of her bottom lip.

The knife was her idea, not mine. I would have gone with a needle.

Robin Leigh: What was the inspiration for Untethered?

KH: Two things:

1. A fall down my basement stairs when I was about six, where I swear I had a split-second out-of-body experience. I didn’t know what it was at the time, but the weirdness stuck with me.

2. Reading the book Stranger With My Face, by Lois Duncan when I was 17. That novel was the first I read involving astral projection and I knew I wanted to write a story with that as the main thrust. I did it twenty years later.

Robin Leigh: How did you decide what the title of this book would be?

KH: I am the absolute worst at titles. Really. My brain goes on lockdown the second it’s time to come up with one. So this novel had the cringe-worthy title of Precious Possession until a friend’s husband suggested Untethered. Whew. Thank you, Robbie.

Robin Leigh: Would you consider yourself to be a plotter or a pantser?

KH: I’m a total pantser. But I really wish I was a plotter. I’ve tried to outline, unsuccessfully. My writing style is complete and utter chaos. I write. I tear the manuscript apart, picking away the fleshy parts and gnawing on the bone. And then I rewrite and move a little forward. And rip apart. And rewrite again. It’s a very long process, but when I outline I never, ever stick to the plan.

Robin Leigh: What made you decide to become an author?

KH: I am the youngest of six children. I don’t know how my parents did it. My mom worked non-stop around the house all day. But in the evenings, my mom would sit in her recliner with a bowl of popcorn and a book. No matter how much noise was around her, no matter what kind of chaos we’d create, she was lost to the world in her novel. She always looked so interested – enraptured even – that I needed to try out reading novels for myself. The reading right away took me into writing. Authors were (and still are) my rock stars. Apart from a flamenco dancer, there is nothing I would rather be.

Robin Leigh: In your latest novel, who’s your favorite character male/female? Tell us why.

KH: Nelson. He’s the boy who has a crush on the main character, Sylvie, though she’s too obsessed with her own crush on Kevin to notice. It’s funny Nelson is my fave because he wasn’t even in the early drafts of the novel. But for the first half of the novel Sylvie is a fairly unlikeable character and I needed to show that she wasn’t always that bad. It was kind of hard to show how decent Sylvie could be if no one liked her. So Nelson went from not being in, to just making appearances, to being one of the main characters.

Robin Leigh: Do you set aside a specific amount of time to write, write/answer emails, and market/promote your book[s]?

KH: I try to. It all depends on my kids’ schedules. But I do have a writing “date” every Monday with a good writing friend. We meet up at the university and sit down together with our laptops.

Robin Leigh: Do you read books outside the genre you write in? What are they?

KH: Most of the books I read are YA – I write it because I love to read it. However, I do venture out and read other genres as well. Book clubs like RRBC introduce a whole range of indie books to check out, and I think that’s great. Most recently, I’ve tried memoir and historical fiction.

Robin Leigh: What must you have around you when you write; food, drink, music, etc?

KH: Food and coffee. Lots and lots of it. Unfortunately, writing is not helping me get any thinner! 

Robin Leigh: When you were an aspiring author you needed advice. What advice would you give to those aspiring author in those shoes today?

KH: Publishing is a seriously tough business, and your skin has to be thicker than a castle wall in order to survive. My advice is, if you love writing, don’t give up. EVER. No matter what. Keep working, keep reading, keep learning and keep writing.

Robin Leigh: Is there anything else you’d like to briefly tell us about your book, your writing, or yourself.

KH: I’d just like to say thank you so much for having me on your blog, Robin!

GENERAL_INFORMATION

Where can we find your book?

On Amazon – both in kindle and paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Untethered-YA-paranormal-Katie-Hayoz-ebook/dp/B00C7A8YW2/

Where can we find you on internet:

BLOG: http://www.katiehayoz.com

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/katiehayoz.author

FACEBOOK FAN PAGE: http://www.facebook.com/katiehayoz.author

GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7032949.Katie_Hayoz

TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/katiehayoz

WEB PAGE: http://www.katiehayoz.com

Katie THANKS for giving me your time in allowing me to interview you.

 

HERE’S LEISL KABERRY

I want to thank LEISL KABERRY for being to be my fourth guest on the HOT SEAT as I interview her about her book, her writing and herself.

Robin Leigh Morgan: Please introduce yourself.

Leisl : Hi, my name is Leisl Kaberry. I’m a recently published author and hospitality director for Rave Reviews Book Club.

Leisl Kaberry: Titanian Chronicles – Journey of Destiny is a teen – young adult fantasy adventure set in the world of Titania. It follows the story of a human wizard (Afeclin) who has grown up in an all elvin kingdom, (found as an infant in a war savaged village in peculiar circumstances) and his elvin friend Wolflang as they leave the kingdom in order to seek out their destiny’s with no understanding whatsoever about what lies beyond the elvin borders.

Robin Leigh: What can you tell us about your current writing endeavor?

Leisl: Right now I am writing book 2 of the Titanian Chronicles. I am very close to finishing the first draft then next stop… editing! My aim is to have this next installment out by the end of the year.

Robin Leigh: Can you give us an excerpt from one of your favorite scenes in your latest novel?

Leisl: I like this particular scene because until this point the feisty red headed elf Lenna has seemed to lack strength and to be kind of young and naïve. It is at this point where she has no choice but to step up and take courage. While it is a moment she shows great bravery and strength it is undermined by her fragility.

Lenna jerked her bow from around her shoulder and snatched an arrow from her quiver. Wrapping one leg around a nearby branch to steady herself, she drew back the bowstring with two skinny fingers and aimed it at the burly man who was heaving himself up the tree after her.

‘You want to bet.’ The words felt strong but left her lips with feebleness.

The man glanced up at Lenna and stared at her with mouth agape but did not stop climbing.

Lenna let the bowstring go and the arrow soared straight into the man’s neck. He let out an agonising wail and as he did so, let go of the branch he was holding and dropped to the ground. He pulled at the arrow, enraged and managed to pluck the fine tipped projectile from his thick neck. Much blood spilled from the wound in a stream down his body and despite the large man’s every attempt to stop it, he fell to the ground dead.

The other man looked to Lenna in shock. She held her bow up with the bowstring drawn ready to shoot another arrow if need be.

The man started towards the tree fearless and angry. Lenna did not hesitate, she let the arrow slip, this time making an intentional hit in the leg. The man yowled in pain but still attempted to hobble toward the tree.

‘I will get you for that elf,’ he yelled in rage.

Lenna grabbed at another arrow. Feeding it into the arrow-rest she drew back the bowstring once more.

The man neared the tree without sign of retreat so she let the string go again, the arrow hitting him in the other leg.

The man groaned in anger and pain and fell to his knees, ripping both arrows out in unison.

When he managed to balance himself back onto his feet he began to totter toward the tree and then looked up at Lenna.

‘I wouldn’t come any closer if I were you,’ she called with another arrow drawn aimed at the man.

The man scratched his face in thought.

‘You are one tough little elf…’

He turned around, walked back to his horse and with great effort pulled himself into the saddle.

He rode back toward the procession of waiting wagons, the dead man’s horse following close behind.

Lenna bowed her head and breathed a sigh of relief. As she did so she spied the dead man at the foot of the tree. Tears filled her eyes as a sudden realisation came upon her.

‘I am a killer,’ she said almost choking on her own words.

Robin Leigh: What was the inspiration for your latest novel?

Leisl: I had read a lot of the Dragonlance Chronicles at the time, so I think that inspired me a bit. However one of the early chapters (the first one I wrote which has become chapter 2) was inspired by a screen saver on my computer of a large green moon reflecting into a calm sea.

Robin Leigh: How did you decide what the title of this book would be? If this book is part of a series, then the books in the series.

Leisl: The title of this book was originally Masters Apprentice and was so for a very long time. When the movie Sorcerer’s Apprentice was released, I did not like how similar the titles were and eventually decided I needed a different name. After much consideration, I decided on Journey of Destiny because that was the very theme of the book and the more I thought about the more fitting I realised it was.

Robin Leigh: Would you consider yourself to be a plotter or a pantser?

Leisl: Haha, I was definitely a pantser writing Journey of Destiny, apart from the basic plot everything came as I wrote it, I never knew what was going to happen until I got there… which is kind of exciting. However, the book I’m currently writing has been less like that, I’ve become a bit more of a plotter… and schemer.

Robin Leigh: What made you decide to become an author?

Leisl: Actually I was consciously never going to be an author. I’ve always had stories in my head as long as I can remember, I even used to prefer to tell myself my own stories than read others but as far as being an author, that seemed like a lot of hard work! (and truthfully it is). However when I first had the inspiration for a simple scene in a moment of creativity, I wrote it and by the end of the scene I had figured out the entire storyline and just had to write it in its entirety… since than I have fallen in love with writing.

Robin Leigh: In your latest novel, who’s your favorite character male/female? Tell us why.

Leisl: My fave male is by far Afeclin. He is such an interesting character to build on. As he grows in his understanding of his abilities, he shows another side of himself. He is a magic user, so that is fun to write and I have a soft spot for him in the position that he is placed in, especially since he is out of place in Tebelligan surrounded by elves but then equally out of place in the world that he comes from since he knows nothing of being a human.

My fave female is Lenna. In the start of the book she can be a bit annoying and naïve but watching her growth and going through her change with her is exciting.

Robin Leigh: Do you set aside a specific amount of time to write, write/answer emails, and market/promote your book[s]?

Leisl: Yes I try to have time carved out for each activity so that everything gets done in a day but it doesn’t always work out the way I want and I need to get better at only allowing a certain amount of time for tweets and marketing etc… otherwise I have been known to get carried away and eat into valuable writing time.

Robin Leigh: Do you read books outside the genre you write in? What are they?

Leisl: Actually my fave genre to read is crime/thriller type novels and if they are based on some kind of actual events, even better… okay I’m a bit of a sicko I’ll admit… but crime is just so fascinating to me. (probably why I study criminology) My fave all time author is the classic Agatha Christie. However since being a part of Rave Reviews Book Club I have been reading all sorts of books I would never naturally pick up… but I’m loving those too!

Robin Leigh: What must you have around you when you write; food, drink, music, etc?

Leisl: Ooh a good snack is helpful… it keeps me alert and on the ball, healthy is preferable but I have been known to munch on salt and vinegar kettle chips dipped in cottage cheese, does wonders for my figure and key board, (eck, greasy fingers).

I also don’t sit down to write without a glass of water with a slice of lemon or coconut water nearby.

Robin Leigh: When you were an aspiring author you needed advice. What advice would you give to those aspiring author in those shoes today?

Leisl: I wish I had been an aspiring author, I might of thought to ask more questions, teehee! However, I would probably say, be true to yourself and write firstly and foremost for yourself. It is when you write with passion about something that interests you that you will write with true conviction and lose yourself in the pages. That kind of writing regardless of genre is what is engaging to read.

Robin Leigh: Is there anything else you’d like to briefly tell us about your book, your writing, or yourself.

Leisl: If anyone is interested in giving Journey of Destiny a go, I offer the first 40% free to download on Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/422214

GENERAL_INFORMATION

Where can we find your book? Amazon worldwide,

KINDLE CA: http://www.amazon.ca/Titanian-Chronicles-Journey-destiny-1-ebook/dp/B00F3UYKZS  

KINDLE US: http://www.amazon.com/Titanian-Chronicles-Journey-destiny-1-ebook/dp/B00F3UYKZS

KINDLE UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Titanian-Chronicles-Journey-destiny-1-ebook/dp/B00F3UYKZS 

The book is also available on Barnes & Noble, Smashwords & affiliates

Where can we find you on internet:

BLOG:http://www.titanianchronicles@blogspot.ca

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/titanianchronicles  

GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21170799-titanian-chronicles

TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/lawfabex

Thanks so much Robin Leigh for giving me this opportunity… I really appreciate it and enjoyed answering your questions!

You’re quite welcomed Leisl, it has been my pleasure to have interviewed you.

HERE’S DORMAINE G

I’d like to thank Dormaine G to come here today and sit in the HOT STEP as I interview her.

Robin Leigh Morgan: Please introduce yourself.

Dormaine G: I was born in New York and lived there with my family until I was eight when we moved to Mississippi. Ten years later, I went to college at Xavier University in New Orleans, LA for about two years then moved to Lynn, MA for life experience. I decided to move back to NY on my own where I finally became an RN. I worked there as an RN for years then decided to do travel nursing for a few years until I decided to stay in Colorado.

I may be a nurse by profession but I am an author by heart. I have been writing stories for many years, both in my head and on paper because I’ve always had a love for books ever since spending Saturdays at the library as a young child. Within a book, the mind can travel to worlds of the imagination and the beyond. I finally took the plunge and published my first novel last year, a young adult urban fantasy titled “Connor” and an adult horror short story titled “Madame Lilly, Voodoo Priestess”. Both are the first editions of many to come as I stay locked up in my office in Colorado spinning more tales.

 

Robin Leigh: Tell us about your latest published novel.

Dormaine: I recently published “Madame Lilly, Voodoo Priestess” in February 2014. It’s a short story historical fiction about a woman seeking revenge through voodoo.

 

Robin Leigh: What are the two latest books you’ve already published? Give us about a five sentence description for each?

Dormaine: So far the books I published are Connor and Madame Lilly, Voodoo Priestess.

Connor: Connor discovers she has the gift of invisibility, among other gifts, but what she doesn’t realize is that her life is about to change for the worse. She meets five other teenagers who have abilities similar to hers but not everyone is so eager to find answers as to why they are different. Sensing their lives are in danger, Connor is determined to figure out the truth by any means necessary. Then there is Ronin, he is young, smart, and breathtaking. He is set on taking his revenge out on Connor but she has no idea why.

 

Madame Lilly, Voodoo Priestess: Is set in the late 1800’s New Orleans about a Creole woman, Odara, who entered into a common law marriage under Placage. Soon after getting married she finds out that her husband is not who he pretended to be. For twelve long years she suffered unbearable hell by his hand forcing her to get revenge. With no one to help her out of suffrage Madame Lilly a voodoo priestess is born. Lilly gets her revenge but in order to do so there is a price, one she was not aware of.

 Robin Leigh: What can you tell us about your current writing endeavor?

Dormaine: I am presently writing on book two of the Connor series of which I still have not named. I just recently finished my first rough draft.

 

Robin Leigh: Can you give us an excerpt from one of your favorite scenes in your latest novel?

Madame Lilly, Voodoo Priestess:

Standing up, Lilly’s body stiffened uncontrollably. There was something wrong. A force was pulling her in. That wasn’t supposed to happen . . . she was supposed to feel in control at all times but she was losing it.

 

There was something else here, something she hadn’t invited. Despite the humid night air her body turned cold, rigidly cold, making her teeth chatter. Her followers saw the change when she stood up so suddenly. They stopped beating the drums since they could tell something was wrong by the way she held herself so tightly.

 

A force had a hold on her. Lilly could feel it in her bones. She desperately wanted to close her eyes but something within her wouldn’t allow it.

 

The wind howled and the dirt flew around them, making it almost impossible to see. Something fierce was coming for her. The other spirits knew it because they stopped walking but instead hid in the shadows of the trees, finally showing themselves as they moved swiftly past the other spirits that were coming right at her. There were two of them, no longer holding human forms, but white shadows of their former selves.

 

Lilly held her arms rigid as the forces rapidly circled her body, spinning her round to see her. Stopping close to her face, they intertwined with each other as if to figure out what she was. They appeared identical with hollow pits for eyes and mouths but she could sense they were not truly the same. They hovered in front of her for only a moment before they shot through her body, taking a part of her with them and knocking her to the ground from the blinding pain.

 

Robin Leigh: What was the inspiration for your latest novel?

Dormanine: I lived in New Orleans at one time and still visit there as often as I can. I love the history there and since voodoo and Placage, both of which intrigue me, play a big part of its culture I decided to put them together in a book. I plan on keeping Madame Lilly around for some time.

 

Robin Leigh: How did you decide what the title of this book would be? If this book is part of a series, then the books in the series.

Dormaine: I usually wait until the end of the book before I come up with the title. I decided by what feels right and since she went through a lot I thought it fitting to name the book after her.

 

Robin Leigh: Would you consider yourself to be a plotter or a pantser?

Dormaine: I am most definitely a panster. I do not plot or outline anything. The development of my stories comes to me as I write. My midbrain is constantly working about the next situation or idea so when I sit down to write I go from what ideas I came up with. Of course I go back and tweak what I write but that way works for me. I don’t like to stick too much to a plan because I feel it can limit me.

 

Robin Leigh: What made you decide to become an author?

Dormaine: I have written stories off and on for years but at the end of 2012 I was laid off and decided to finally finish my book Connor. I feel everything works out in the end.

 

Robin Leigh: In your latest novel, who’s your favorite character male/female? Tell us why?

Dormaine: My latest was named after the main character Odara aka Madame Lilly who is my favorite character. I like her because after all that she has gone through she survived in the end. I feel she is strong and powerful even though she doesn’t realize to what extent yet.

 

Robin Leigh: Do you set aside a specific amount of time to write, write/answer emails, and market/promote your book[s]?

Dormaine: I set a goal each week of how much I will write on my books; usually write at least five thousand words a week. I try and put about one hour a day into marketing but then set one full day a week aside for just marketing. I try not to work every day so not to burn out but with me loving what I do, it’s hard to walk away.

 

Robin Leigh: Do you read books outside the genre you write in? What are they?

Dormaine: Yes I read books outside my genre. Besides my genre of young adult urban fantasy and historical fiction, I will read just about anything fiction or fantasy. I like mystery, thriller, a great detective novel, paranormal romance/dysfunctional romance and anything supernatural.

 

Robin Leigh: What must you have around you when you write; food, drink, music, etc?

Dormaine: I have the television on in the other room just to sense it but not to hear it and it most likely will be on the Syfy (SciFi) channel. I just need to have the essentials around like my laptop and I’m good to go. When I write I’m so into it nothing else matters so having anything else around is not really necessary.

 

Robin Leigh: When you were an aspiring author you needed advice. What advice would you give to those aspiring author in those shoes today?

Dormaine: Grow a thick skin and fast, do not read reviews good or bad as they may influence your writing, be true to yourself when you write and keep striving to be better than what you were on your last book.

 

Robin Leigh: Is there anything else you’d like to briefly tell us about your book, your writing, or yourself.

Dormaine: I’m one of the biggest SciFi geeks who loves anything supernatural and yes that includes vampires. I may be an adult but I don’t believe in growing and never will. I love to swim, write and my two favorite things to eat in the world are New York style pizza and mint chocolate chip ice cream. Also, that another volume of Madame Lilly should be out by June and the second book under the Connor series will most likely be out in July. Also, I plan on writing a short story under the Connor series to explain the San history.

 

GENERAL_INFORMATION

Where can we find your book? Connor is everywhere including book stores. Right now Madame Lilly is located on Amazon. My website and blog links to all my books and their locations.

Where can we find you on internet?:

BLOG: http://www.Dormainegblog.blogspot.com

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/dedeblu?fref=ts

FACEBOOK FAN PAGE: http://www.facebook.com/dormaineG

GOODREADS: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7329928.Dormaine_G

TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/dormaineg

WEB PAGE:  http://www.dormaineg.com/

 

THANKS for your time in allowing me to interview you.

 

CentreStage with Robin Leigh Morgan ~ I Kissed A Ghost

Today I feel truly honored as I’m the featured guest of the award winning blog belonging Nicky Wells, author of “The Rock Star Romance Trilogy.” I’d love to hear all of your questions/comments here as well as my own blog.

Nicky Wells: Love & Thrills

Welcome to CentreStage!

Today, it’s my great pleasure to welcome the wholly unique Robin Leigh Morgan to my blog. Robin has put together an interview to tell you all a little more about herself… and an anniversary promotion that she is running for the next three days. Read on to find out more! Robin, the stage is yours….

Let’s begin by you telling us a little about yourself?

Of course, by now you and your readers know I love listening to music. How else would I be able to post my musical responses each week?

I’m a retired NY City employee who’s been married for 20 years today [November 20^th] with no children. A few years ago, I stopped writing commentaries for a community newspaper after writing them for over ten years. During this time while I’d been working I also started writing [on/off] an adult Contemporary romance. However…

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In the Lair with Robin Leigh Morgan

I want to tell everyone about one of the best, if not THE BEST, interview I ever had. I wait reading your comments. I’ll respond to them as soon as I can.

TALKING with JOYCE STRAND

Hi everyone. I’d like you to join me today as I interview Joyce Strand who’s volunteer this week to be on the proverbial HOT SEAT as I ask her questions about her , her writing, and of course, herself.

Robin Leigh Morgan: Please introduce yourself.  Joyce T. Strand: Please meet Joyce T. Strand, author of the Jillian Hillcrest mysteries On Message and Open Meetings, and avid reader of mysteries and suspense thrillers. I LOVE Broadway musicals, and attend as many as my budget can support.  

I served as a PR professional in high tech and biotech companies for more than 25 years in the San Francisco area. I live in Southern California near San Diego with my two cats, my collection of cow statuary, and my muse, the roadrunner.

Robin Leigh: Tell us about your latest published novel. Joyce: Open Meetings is a Jillian Hillcrest mystery. PR Executive Jillian Hillcrest is having lunch with a reporter colleague when a woman enters and begs him not to print anything she’s told him because they will kill her if he does. A few days later, the reporter tells Jillian that the woman was killed in his hometown in the California wine country. Police ruled her death as an accident in a car crash caused by driving while under the influence of alcohol—except the woman had vowed never to drink again. Jillian joins with the reporter to investigate the suspicious death, and they both uncover far more than anticipated.

   Robin Leigh: What are the two latest books you’ve already published? Give us about a five sentence description for each? Joyce: In addition to Open Meetings, which I described in the previous response, I have also published On Message, the first Jillian Hillcrest mystery. Jillian, the head of corporate communications at Harmonia Therapeutics, is eagerly staying “on message” to inform investors, the media, and the community about her company. 

A call from a homicide detective interrupts her routine when she learns of the murder of a friend. She encounters a determined San Francisco police inspector who is convinced she is the key to her friend’s murder, which he subsequently connects to another killing. With the help of her ex-husband–whose attentiveness to her suggests he wants to amend the “ex” status–and a retired middle-aged intrusive motherly neighbor, Jillian fits together disparate pieces of the puzzle to help solve the crimes.

Robin Leigh:  What can you tell us about your current writing endeavor?  Joyce: I am currently finishing the third Jillian Hillcrest mystery, Fair Disclosure, which is going through the editing process. Jillian and her ex-husband are enjoying a play at a local community theater when a scream interrupts the production upon discovery of a bludgeoned volunteer. When it turns out that the victim is someone Jillian interviewed for a job at her company, she becomes involved in another crime, drawn ever deeper by a second murder, an irate investor, and suspicious stock trading in her company.

Robin Leigh:  Can you give us an excerpt from one of your favorite scenes in your latest novel?  Joyce: From Open Meetings

Chapter 1

“You absolutely cannot print anything I told you. They’ll kill me.”

Jillian Hillcrest looked up from the lunch menu. She saw a non-descript, thin, brown-hair-in-a-bun, middle-aged woman dressed in jeans and a white V-neck top frantically approaching her lunch companion, a local reporter. Jillian watched as the reporter quickly stood up, uttered a brief “Excuse me” to Jillian, and put his arm around the woman, leading her outside. He appeared to be trying unsuccessfully to calm her along the way. She continued to plead with him that he must never repeat what she had told him. 

Jillian was interested in what the woman was saying to the reporter. Somewhere in his late 40s, the tall and slightly stooped Miles Smith was a stringer for a local newspaper and also had a blog focusing on city, county, and state government. He had a history of investigative journalism that impressed and fascinated Jillian. For example, he had uncovered a county assessor’s officer who collected for property value assessments that weren’t done, and then funneled the money into personal bank accounts. So she was intrigued about whatever it was the frightened woman did not want Miles to print.

Robin Leigh:  What was the inspiration for your latest novel?Joyce: All of the Jillian Hillcrest mysteries are inspired by real California cases. Actual events of the murder of a former biotech executive in La Jolla, Calif. led to On Message. A series of crimes committed by a network of former and current police officers in the San Francisco bay area suggested the core plot for Open Meetings.

I based my protagonist, PR Executive Jillian Hillcrest, on my more than 25 years serving as the head of public relations at high tech and biotech companies in Silicon Valley.        

Robin Leigh:  How did you decide what the title of this book would be? If this book is part of a series, then the books in the series.  Joyce: Open Meetings refers to the California Brown Act that guarantees citizens’ rights to attend and participate in meetings of local legislative bodies. As part of her responsibilities as a PR executive, Jillian works with local communities as a representative of her company. In Open Meetings much “not-open” corruption draws her into trouble as part of her community relations duties.

On Message is a phrase used by public relations practitioners to indicate communicating a particular point, or message, and continuing to reinforce it through repetition in various situations. Since Jillian is a public relations practitioner, it seemed like a good title to connote the book’s environment.

Robin Leigh: Would you consider yourself to be a plotter or a pantser?  Joyce: When I start writing a new mystery, I know the main characters, opening chapter, the crime—which is based on a real case—and the conclusion. Jillian and her friends guide me through the bridging chapters. Frequently, the antagonists gets an upper hand, and another murder occurs, or Jillian disappears and her ex-husband has to track her down. I let them guide me as I write as long as we are headed toward the intended conclusion.

Robin Leigh: What made you decide to become an author?  Joyce: As an out-of-work public relations professional, I was spending a frustrating time trying to find a job – for more than a year. My husband, who I’m sure was tired of my moping, suggested I write a mystery. I had always been a writer. Throughout my career, I wrote my doctoral dissertation (which I consider my first book), dozens of by-lined articles, hundreds of press releases, lots and lots of white papers, fact sheets, and many other documents. To become an author, I had to learn how to write fiction—and I’m still learning.

Robin Leigh: In your latest novel, who’s your favorite character male/female? Tell us why.  Joyce: In Open Meetings, I tend to favor Jillian’s friend and neighbor, Cynthia Anderson, a retired SFPD police officer. She is friendly most of the time, but we gain insight into her police persona as she helps Jillian and her reporter friend to track down the truth about a dead informant and her own husband’s death 20 years earlier. I like her because she is a strong—but understated—woman who chose a typically male career of a policeman, and someone who still engages in solving crimes when presented with them. She also loves to cook.

Robin Leigh: Do you set aside a specific amount of time to write, write/answer emails, and market/promote your book[s]?  Joyce:  Setting aside a specific amount of time sounds so organized. I’m really a “just do it” kind of person, although when I set goals I typically achieve them. When I’m in the middle of writing a mystery, it becomes my primary driver, and I usually devote more time to it than marketing. However, I also like to see results. So I gear my marketing efforts to achieve a certain number of likes, followers and hits.  That helps guide my input so that my efforts are effective. 

Robin Leigh: Do you read books outside the genre you write in? What are they?  Joyce: I read mostly mysteries and thrillers. However, my favorite book is Shogun a historical novel about medieval Japan. I do enjoy historical fiction especially if a mystery is involved. So I guess you could say that I read historical fiction, which is outside my typical mystery/thriller genre.

Robin Leigh: What must you have around you when you write; food, drink, music, etc?  Joyce: Above all, coffee in the morning. No music – I need silence. (Yes, I was one of those students who had to go to the library to study.) I definitely need my computer—not just for writing but to research. Having a cat on my lap can be helpful, but also distracting. I use food as a way to take a break and bribe myself to write just one more chapter.

Robin Leigh: When you were an aspiring author you needed advice. What advice would you give to those aspiring author in those shoes today?  Joyce:  First – if you want to be a writer, just write. Don’t worry about your first words being perfect. You’ve got the editing process to re-write as much as you want.                                                          

Second, if you self-publish, make sure your book or short story is error-free. You can control errors and typos. Do not allow your output to be posted as an e-book with formatting errors, typos or spelling and grammatical errors. Readers deserve perfection, and they expect it.

Third, help other authors. You can learn much from them.

Fourth, market, market, market. Be prepared to learn more ways to market, and market some more.

Robin Leigh: Is there anything else you’d like to briefly tell us about your book, your writing, or yourself.  Joyce: I’d like to ask readers to please show your appreciation for a book by posting reviews. Aside from the fact that it takes us authors years to bring a book to market and so we appreciate hearing from readers, our sales and marketing efforts rely on reviews.  We really need them to be successful.

Thank you so much, Robin Leigh, for the opportunity to do this interview.

GENERAL_INFORMATION

Where can we find your book?

Open Meetings  Amazon:

Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cent6zr

Paperback:http://tinyurl.com/d7leoyh

Barnes and Noble:

Nook: http://bit.ly/YiHW6V

On Message  Amazon:

Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/crog4om

Paperback: http://tinyurl.com/d8wbtem

Barnes and Noble:

Nook: http://bit.ly/ZGTO3c

Where can we find you on:

BLOG: Strand’s Simply Tipshttp://strandssimplytips.blogspot.com

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/JillianHillcrest

GOODREADS:  http://bit.ly/Xx8kab

TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/joycetstrand

Are there any other internet sites you would like to tell us about where we can find you?

WEB PAGE:  http://joycestrand.com

Joyce: THANKS for your time in allowing me to interview you.  Robin Leigh: You’re quite welcomed, it has been my pleasure. I believe my readers as well as yours will be pleased with this informative interview.

If you have any comments or questions for Mandy, I’m sure she’ll be happy to hear from you or answer your questions.

If you’re not already following this blog. I’d like to invite you to consider following it.

TALKING WITH MARTHA EMMS

Hi everyone. I’d like you to join me as I interview Martha Emms who’s volunteer this week to be on the proverbial HOT SEAT as I ask her questions about her novel A Portrait of Our Marriage, her writing, and of course, herself.

Robin Leigh Morgan: Please introduce yourself.  Martha Emms: Hi, I’m Barbie Herrera but I use the pen name, Martha Emms. I chose a pen name to honor my Mom and Aunt, who both suffered with brain tumors. I chose Martha to honor my mother who used to hope I would become a writer.   She would say, “If you write, write from your heart.”My Aunt Emma, also wanted me to become a writer, she was an avid reader. She would tell me to stir the pot, when I wrote to get people talking.

Robin Leigh:Tell us about your latest published novel.  Martha: My latest and so far only novel is, Portrait of Our Marriage Memoirs of Love, Family, the Internet, and Obsession.  While the book is about a couple, it is mostly about one woman’s life. It is her journey of discovering herself, becoming a woman, a wife, a mother, and learning to value her own opinion.  As a couple they have fun, fall in love, and get married. In ‘the online age’ she discovers her husbands once casual interest in porn has become an obsession. It is not only affecting their sex life but changing who both of them are. Passion, sex, romance, and intense drama are woven into the story as the reader follows the couple through years of their marriage. A culmination of dreams, research, and information from 8 women’s lives give the book a flavor of realism. Entertaining, thought provoking, and blatantly realistic, you will succumb to an emotional rollercoaster ride of love and madness. This is not your fantasy fairy tale romance but an adult story that takes you behind closed doors into the forbidden private world of a couple dealing with an addiction of our time. Portrait of Our Marriage is a fictional memoir that takes on Love versus Addiction.            

Robin Leigh:  What can you tell us about your current writing endeavor?  Martha: I am working on a sequel to Portrait of Our Marriage and also a family story that deals with pets.

Robin Leigh:  Can you give us an excerpt from one of your favorite scenes in your latest novel?   Martha: “Do you know what time it is?” I asked, looking at the clock, not waiting for him to answer, “It’s three in the morning.” This was the sixth time in two weeks that he’d wakened me early in the morning for sex after visiting his online porn sites. “You really have a damn nerve, coming in at this hour expecting sex after the way you ended our last conversation. You sit up all night and morning looking at these sites with naked girls spreading their legs and posing like sluts and then you want me?” Seething, I continued to unload, “Well hell, why shouldn’t I just jump on it? Maybe I should just go for it and ride you like a bull. Give Mr. Commando some mouth-to-mouth? Geez, what’s wrong with you? Why are you doing this to us?”“Nothing is wrong with me, stop saying that!” he yelled. “What’s wrong with you? You’re my wife and I want to make love. You should be here for me, I have needs.”    

I twisted the covers so I could face him even better. “How old is that saying? You have needs? What about my needs?”                                                 

“You’re inaccessible; when I’m ready you’re not. Like now,” he answered with a determined scowl.

Getting out of bed I matched his infuriated gaze, “Good one, well you’re never ready when I’m awake.” The air in the room was cloaked with a rank stench from a digested and soured brew. “You smell of beer.”“So I had a couple of beers. I’m not drunk and I’m here in my own home. So even if I wanted to get drunk, I could. I’m an adult and I want to make love to my wife.”Inebriated and not wishing to argue further, he patted on the bed motioning for me to get back in, then he reached for and grasped my hand. He gave me a pouty look, gushing with his boyish grin. I looked at Brett, fully aware of the man who was and has been a virile lover. A man with a kind and caring heart, but seeing him in that moment, I wondered who this Brett was.

Robin Leigh: What was the inspiration for your latest novel?   Martha: After watching an episode that was on The Oprah Show, years ago that dealt with the issue of men being addicted to porn, I had a dream. The dream was so vivid it was like watching a movie, and so began the inception of Portrait of Our Marriage. Since I continued to have different dreams about it, I was almost haunted me into writing the story.

Robin Leigh:  How did you decide what the title of this book would be? If this book is part of a series, then the books in the series.   Martha: I kept having dreams of the story, and in my dreams the main character was often looking at pictures on a digital picture display device. She would view the pictures and remember past events from her life. Then parts of her past would play out like a feature film. The title popped in my head after one of those dreams, even before I began writing.

Robin Leigh: Would you consider yourself to be a plotter or a pantser?   Martha: I’m definitely a panster because I am a dreamer. Ideas, stories pop in my head constantly but especially when I’m sleeping or daydreaming. I write something everyday but as far as writing my books I write when it comes to me.

Robin Leigh: What made you decide to become an author? I have always written stories, poems, or songs.   Martha: Ever since I was very young. They were nothing professional though, just for friends. But, in the 1980s, I wrote a children’s story. I did submit it, but after so many rejections I gave up. The story of Portrait of Our Marriage would not leave me alone and after years of research and gathering very personal information from 8 different women, I had to write this story. I truly believe it needs to be out there. There are many couples dealing with this issue and even though my story isn’t a recommendation of what someone should or should not do, it is a story of what could happen. While I say that, I must also stress the book is in no way a lecture, it is a story.

 

Robin Leigh: In your latest novel, who’s your favorite character male/female? Tell us why.   Martha: I believe it would be Nicky. She came from a very strict upbringing and when she meets Brett, she really isn’t sure of who she is. Her belief system about herself, is vulnerable. Throughout her marriage we see her as many different women – shy, religious, a sexy seductress, loving, a caring mother, a vixen, in denial, frustrated, and determined. In Nicky, I see parts from all of us, and I like them all.

Robin Leigh: Do you have a set aside a specific amount of time to write, write/answer emails, and marketing. How does anyone handle all this?  Martha: This has all been an issue I find myself drowning in. The email issue is unreal. I hate to admit it but I cannot read through them all. I try to, but some days there are just too many to manage. Trying to do social marketing and promote, is another time consuming issue, especially when you have no funds for it. It is difficult to find time to write and manage everything else but I’m finally getting a handle on it.

Robin Leigh: Do you read books outside the genre you write in? What are they?   Martha: Oh yes, I love reading all kinds of books. Some of my favorite authors are Ken Follett, Lawrence Sanders, Tom Clancy, Robyn Carr, Debbie Macomber, Jill Shalvis, Nora Roberts, Stephen King, and Clive Cussler. I need the different authors and genres they write in, for my all my different moods, to fill every void in my life.

Robin Leigh: What must you have around you when you write; food, drink, music, etc?   Martha: Background noise, usually from a crime drama on TV, and iced tea.

Robin Leigh: When you were an aspiring author you needed advice, what advice would you give to those aspiring author in those shoes today?   Martha: First, write for the story not for what’s expected or wanted from others. Stay true to the story you want to tell.      Second, if you’re self publishing, hire professionals to edit and proof read your work.     Third, if you don’t know them, learn about all the social networks before your book comes out.     Fourth, meet other authors, they are amazing and supportive people. You can learn a lot from them.

Robin Leigh: If there’s anything else you’d like to briefly tell us about your book, your writing, or yourself.   Martha: I’m almost 60. I would give a big shout out to others to remember, it isn’t your age that limits you, it is your thinking. Never give up on your dream. It took me a long time but I believe I am finally doing what I love, while also doing what both my mom and aunt wished I would do. I am not rich or famous, but I am living the dream, I have a book out that I think accomplishes what they both wished from me, (except for all the sex, LOL). My book has heart and soul written in it and enough storyline to stir the pot and hopefully get people talking.

GENERAL_INFORMATION  Where can we find your book?

Amazon:  http://tiny.cc/1hgskw   Amazon print: http://tinyurl.com/c7mgdpm Barnes & Noble: http://tiny.cc/dggskw

Where else can we find you on the internet?

BLOG:  http://marthaemms.blogspot.com

FACEBOOK:  http://www.facebook.com/martha.emms

FB  Book:  http://tinyurl.com/bfy82wo   GOODREADS: http://tinyurl.com/9mrku45 TWITTER: https://twitter.com/barbiesway

Are there any other internet sites would you like to tell us about where we can find you?

Pinterest:  http://tinyurl.com/9fqp3rs

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME, ROBIN!
You’re quite welcomed Martha. If you have any comments or questions for Martha, I’m sure she’ll be happy to hear from you or answer your questions.

If you’re not already following this site, I’d like to invite you to consider doing so,

THINGS ARE HAPPENING

By now you probably can tell by my recent posts I haven’t done much, if any, writing on my second romance novel. Instead I’ve been busy writing Flash Fictions, and networking to get interrviews, spotlights for my YA romance nover,  I Kissed a Ghost.

 

As of today, I’ve had 8 interviews posted, 2 SpotLights for my book posted, as well as 2 guest blog posts. In additional I’ve completed 8 interview questionaires, and I’m merely for the date when they’ll be posted. A complete listing for these can be found on my website at http://mypennameonly.webs.com/myinterviewsspotlights.htm

Lastly, the Kindle version of  I Kissed a Ghost, will become available around April 24th.

If anyone does interviews on your blogs, I’d like to be interviewed by you. I’m also available to do a guest blog post.