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ROMANCE SHORTS by LWI Author Sourabh Mukherjee

New For the Month of Looooove!

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Sourabh Mukherjee

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PAPERBACK release!

ROMANCE SHORTS

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Silver Lightning Q&A with @AuthorWDarling

RW: Wendy . . . dahling, where are you from?

WENDY: I grew up in a tiny little caravan (trailer) in the south of England. My family migrated to South Africa when I was 12 and we lived there until I was 17 when we returned to England. When I was 30 and married with 2 wonderful daughters, my husband was ‘headhunted’ by a company in Chatsworth, California and we moved to the US in 1988.

RW: You’ve seriously gotten around. I moved around a lot as well, and I think that had a huge impact on who I am. Were you extroverted and a trying-to-fit-in type of kid?

WENDY: I was one of those quiet, shy kids who tried never to draw any attention to herself but my love of reading helped make me a sponge when it came to school – masses of free books to read about so many interesting subjects! Needless to say, English was my favourite subject and I was always the first in class to finish reading assignments!

RW: Okay, so we’re sounding a lot alike here. What got you into the Lit World as we know it here on LWI?

WENDY: My grandmother used to bring me bags of books from the Oxford University Press, where she worked. Reading became my lifeline and I started reading aloud to my two younger sisters at an early age. I often read until I was hoarse because they kept clamouring for ‘just one more chapter!’

The years went by and I read everything I could lay my hands on, wrote poetry and stories; often illustrating them too, read to my kids and tried to make a living. At that time of my life, I had decided I wanted to be a graphic designer or an actor so I started on a Theatre degree and took acting and voice lessons but finally decided to go with graphic design. As I love to read, write, and research, I also got a Paralegal Studies degree.

Life changed, as it has a habit of doing and what I’ve gone though over the last several years (I could write a library) finally took its toll. I moved in with my oldest daughter’s family where my amazingly patient son-in-law told me that maybe it was time to ‘regroup’ and work out exactly what I needed to do to be happy… and I knew exactly what that was. I needed to write. I needed to read. I needed to draw, and I needed to become independent.

5.0 out of 5 stars Silver Lightning is a about a fifteen year old boy … November 15, 2014

By GiftofReading

Silver Lightning is a about a fifteen year old boy that finds a magic motorcycle. He becomes a hero of sorts, saving lives and stopping thieves in action. He has to be careful though. Only someone worthy can keep the bike. Plus, he has other teenage worries to sort out along the way.
I can see a young reader liking this book right away. I believe the three year rule applies to book. Since the hero is a fifteen year old, the targeted reader could be around twelve, give or take a couple of years.

RW: Let’s move into why you’re here for a little bit. What inspired your debut novel Silver Lightning?

WENDY: Much like my character, Alex, I had a dream. I woke up one morning and the book was in my head, vivid and real, as if I’d been there and seen it all. Over the years of trying to just live and make a living Alex and the bike would occasionally pop into my head and say “Is it time to write our story yet?” and I would say “One day.” Until I finally woke up one morning and whispered “It’s time, guys.”

RW: Tell us a little about your book.

WENDY: Silver Lightning is either a book about a boy who finds a rather unusual motorbike OR it’s about a rather unusual motorbike who finds a boy. A boy it has been looking for for a very long time. Of course, it could be both. Yes… probably both.

RW: Silver Lightning falls into the Middle Grade Fantasy genre, why do you write in this particular genre?

WENDY: I’m actually a sci-fi/fantasy nerd. I love new worlds, futuristic tech, Doctor Who, Star Trek, and dragons (Ooh… LOVE dragons!). My long-term goal is to write an entirely new world like The Lord of the Rings or a world-within-a world, like Harry Potter. My thoughts on this subject haven’t really coalesced yet though so I may end up genre hopping or combining a bit while I settle down. Do hope that doesn’t confuse readers too much!

RW: With that bit of information, who are your favorite authors?

WENDY: I love Tolkien, J. K. Rowling, and just about any sci-fi or fantasy writer who ever wrote anything, ever. I particularly like writers like Douglas Adams as I have a pretty weird sense of humour, as anyone who sees my Facebook posts can probably tell you!

RW: Anyone else afraid? Now tell us about your main character(s) and what you think will make them connect to readers.

WENDY: Alex is 15 years old when the story starts. He is a little like me; quiet and shy but with a lot of loud thinking going on under the surface. He is not a hero but has dreams of being one. Unbeknownst to him, there is a magical force out there who has been patiently waiting to help him become the type of hero he always wanted to be, deep down. Silver Lightning is a character in, and of, himself and I can’t say any more than that with a spoiler alert.

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT BOOK that took me back to my childhood where … October 11, 2014

By THELMA

I have written 3reviews and they ended in cyberspace. GREAT BOOK that took me back to my childhood where magic was real and to adulthood where the REAL IS MAGIC

RW: What did you learn about yourself from writing this book?

WENDY: I learned that I can do whatever I have the passion to do! I’ve learned to quit wishing and keep working and I’ve learned that I’m nowhere near as good at it as I hoped I might be but also nowhere near as good at it as I’m going to be.

RW: That may be the most honest answer I’ve ever had. Well they have all been honest but this one just really laid it out there. Now for the tough one, describe your book in one word.

WENDY: If I MUST boil it down to one, single word it would probably be ‘compassion.’

RW: Where can we get your book now?

You can find it on Amazon in ebook and physical form at

(U.S.): http://amzn.to/17Qe2fL

(UK): http://amzn.to/1C8bDbm

I still need to get ‘Silver Lightning’ ready for audio but, if there’s one thing stranger than hearing your own voice reading someone else’s book aloud it’s your own voice reading your own book! It’s proving a challenge but I promise to share a section with you all when I have faced those demons. Maybe I’ll have to set my dragons on them.

RW: Let’s get into my oddball questions.

RW: Okay, you continent cavorting . . . hmm, need a c word here? Ahh, creator. There we go. What is your favorite beverage to drink, any kind?

WENDY: Once upon a time it would have been red wine. Or margaritas. Or something else with alcohol in it. Now, it’s good, old-fashioned water. (Yes, I could write a book about that too!)

RW: All that build up I gave her and she gives me water? Not even flavored water, bottled water or like rain water? Water. Okay then. Dare I ask what is your getaway from writing? Will she say pencil making?

WENDY: Reading or… no, that’s it. Reading. Oh, and Netflix.

RW: I bet she puts the captions on so she can read the dialogue of the movie. What is your biggest tip for someone to getting published?

WENDY: Build your presence AHEAD of time! I didn’t. ‘Nuff said. LOL!

RW: What book are you closed captioning at this time?

WENDY: I am trying to help out as many new or newer authors as I can by writing reviews. I just took a break from that and read J.S. Frankel’s YA ‘Catnip.’ Loved it and will be posting a review soon.

RW: Okay, had to go look at that one. Interesting premise. Like the cover and the title design. What other projects do you have to share with us and can you tell us a little about them?

WENDY: I am working concurrently on the second Silver Lightning book and also an adult sci-fi murder mystery. You’ll all know about it when they come out! LOL!

RW: Okay, before you answer further, there is another cool reason I have you here today and that is you do audio books. What do you have out there people might want to check out at the moment?

WENDY: I have 3 audio books completed with Amazon as well and 3 more in the pipeline which include Silver Lightning and the third and fourth in Nicolette Pierce’s ‘Nadia Wolf’ series. The third of the completed books is ‘Blood and Bane’ by CJ McKee and is a sci-fi fantasy about dragons!

If you’d like to hear some of my narration, here are the audios out now or in the next couple of weeks; you can click on the ‘Listen’ link below the product picture.

Narration: The Big Blind by Nicolette Pierce (1^st in a series of 4): http://amzn.to/1yKczDl

Narration: High Stakes by Nicolette Pierce (2^nd in series of 4): http://amzn.to/17yoMPR

Narration: Blood and Bane The Dragon Sage series by C.J. McKee (1^st in series): Currently in Amazon QC phase and out soon. http://amzn.to/1xaPFzc

RW: And while we are doing all the links, how do people connect with you through all forms of social media?

WENDY:

Blog: http://wendyannedarling.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Wendy-Anne-Darling/1515036022113419

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorWDarling
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/AuthorWDarling/

LinkedIn: Just search for Wendy Anne Darling. (or click her name)

If you would like to hear how Wendy sounds, click here to listen to a brief excerpt from Silver Lightning recorded just for this interview.

Why the long links? I know it doesn’t look professional but some people just won’t click a link they can’t see. So, I sometimes include the actual link.

Jesse Frankel‘s review Jan 09, 15

4 of 5 stars

Gee whiz, Batman, what are we gonna do now?

Alex Bascolme is your typical fifteen year old who worries about life, moving around the country, and making friends. When he moves from Colorado out to the West Coast and he and his newfound friend Logan find a motorcycle that magically repairs itself and turns out to be more than a little magic, well, that’s when the story takes off.

Alex becomes a bit of a superhero, saving people on his magic bike (and no, I’m not going to give away the secret) and having a high old time. When things get rough, the ‘keepers’ of the motorcycle let him in on the deal and things get better again. Happy endings and all that, and since this is a YA book geared for young adults–I’d say in the ten to thirteen age range–maybe that’s the way to go.

RW: Let’s leave everyone with your favorite word.

WENDY: Cuddle.

Well, there you have, Wendy Anne Darling. Fits her name, right? And she really does. She’s one of the sweetest ladies I know. Ready to buy her book? Of course you are. Click here and get it. .99 is less than a cup of coffee or a soft drink. Buy a book and help an author out. So get it now before the price goes up.

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BOOK REVIEW BY @COLLEENCHESEBRO OF “OUTSOURCED” @ETHRILLERWRITER

Title: Outsourced

Author: Eric J. Gates

ASIN: B00NNNCA7M

Website: ericjgates.com

Published: September 18, 2014 by Amazon

Pages: 302

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Adventure, Paranormal Suspense, Drama

*A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review, which follows.

A mystifying package arrives in the mail of New York writer, Nic Stiles. Inside the package, Nic finds an old-fashioned fountain pen made from the remains of an ancient meteorite enclosed inside a carved wooden box. Accompanying the mysterious artifact is a message, which explains that the user of the pen has the capability to change destiny.

Nic uncovers a horrific plot instigated by Robert Polanski, a retired assassin and a previous owner of the pen, who was recently acquitted of murdering hundreds of people, by using the pen to rewrite destiny in his favor. Not believing the power that exists within the ancient artifact, Nic begins to write using the unusual pen. The results are devastating.

Desperate for solutions, Nic teams up with Phil Beasley, (a.k.a. Grayson Fallon), a rival author, who once owned the strange pen himself. Together the two men enter the world of quantum physics looking for answers on how the pen could have the ability to change a person’s destiny with a single written thought. However, they are not alone. The CIA is after the artifact too. Suddenly the issue crystallizes because; whoever uses the pen controls the destiny of the world.

I thoroughly enjoyed the fast-paced suspense in this novel. My favorite part was the research that Nic did into the ancient artifact’s origin. In addition, I enjoyed the unlikely friendship that developed between the two authors, as they teamed up to stop Polanski from his terrible task.

The fact that Outsourced dealt with current issues about government surveillance and even the evils in the publishing industry seemed to weave a thread of truth into the entire storyline for me. The characters were not afraid to stand up for what they believe in. That resolve made me like the characters even more with all their flaws included.

Eric J. Gates

I found the plot, and the characters to be well thought out in the sequence of events. Eric Gates effectively switched the points of view of some of the characters in the beginning of the book. I found this to be a great tool for understanding the plot and getting into the minds of the characters. Overlook the typos, and you will find yourself wrapped up in a story of intrigue and magic that is hard to put down.

For me, the philosophical elements of “destiny versus fate,” that Gates used to illustrate the magic behind the use of the artifact was delivered with stunning accuracy. Destiny seems predetermined and inevitable, while fate represents the consequences, or a result of something. Eric Gates explored these issues, all the while making the pen have a life all its own.

If you love suspense, non-stop action, literally sprinkled with paranormal mystery, Outsource will lead you on a journey that will leave you questioning the world as you know it.

RATINGS
Realistic Characterization: 4/5
Made Me Think: 4/5
Overall enjoyment: 4/5
Readability: 4/5
Recommended: 4/5
Overall Rating: 4.5

Buy it at: Amazon
Format & Pricing:
Paperback: $12.61 US
Kindle: $2.99 US

@ColleenChesebro

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#Authors #Marketing Yourself and Your Work Part ONE

From the blog of our friend Christ Graham, the Story Reading Ape. It’s a series there are links within this first one that takes you to the next one. Go check it out!

Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

writer_398245

Cartoon from Toonpool.com

The following is an extract from a talk delivered at the Calgary Public Library in Feb. 2011.

Part 1

Before I begin, please watch this video:

I’ve named these two characters Wannabe Author (WA) and Real Author(RA).

How many of you have ever said any of the things Wannabe Author says in this video? Come on, be honest. Okay, then, how many of you have heard other writers say any of these things? And, like Real Author, haven’t you just wanted to put them and everyone else out of their misery by ignoring whatever they say? Obviously, Wannabe Author is the least promotable kind of author. First of all, Wannabe is never likely to be published, so will be of little worry to the publishing industry anyway. WA is not listening to an experienced author, knows nothing about the publishing business, and thinks the path to…

View original post 914 more words

The Godling Chronicles Q&A with Brian D. Anderson.

Today you get to meet Author Brian D. Anderson. He lives, eats, breathes the Fantasy genre and it is serving him well. I had heard of Brian for sometime before I finally asked for an interview. Now after finally catching up with the ones that came before you all now get to meet . . .

RW: Brian, I have to say, I detect a bit of kinship with you somehow. Where are you from?

BRIAN: I was born in Montgomery, Alabama on Maxwell AFB. Shortly after we moved to Guam. After my father left the service, we settled in Spanish Fort, Alabama.

RW: Yes, a Southern Boy. UNITE. No, wait. Hmm. Have to keep this professional. I usually wait until later to ask this, but I have to do it now with you being a Southerner like me. What’s your favorite beverage?

BRIAN: Ice cold Coca Cola made from real cane sugar from a thick glass bottle.

RW: We can end the interview now. Buy his books. He’s the best author ever. Sorry everyone else. PS Bartlett is looking at me funny right now. Trust me, she knows how. I think I need to keep going. Yes, ma’am.

Where did the title The Godling Chronicles come from and why did you choose that name?

BRIAN: The name just came to me. My son had come up with the original story concept and had named the Book One title (The Sword of Truth), along with most of the main characters. But I knew the series needed a catchy title. After a few misses I hit a winner.

The new series is called Dragonvein. It began as Dragonborn until someone pointed out that Skyrim already had used it. In fact it’s trademarked.

RW: Tell us a little about the two series.

BRIAN: The Godling Chronicles is a six book series. It’s basically a story about an unlikely hero with a secret lineage who has to save the world from certain destruction. I didn’t exactly try to reinvent the wheel, but there is plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader entertained. I would say that it is a fun story for fantasy lovers of all ages.

Dragonvein is a bit more adult – though not so much that a teen couldn’t read it. In this series there are mages, dwarves, elves, dragons, and even time travel. I can’t really go too deep into it being that it’s not yet released, but I am highly excited about this one.

RW: What inspired that first series, The Godling Chronicles?

BRIAN: My first novel was inspired by my son, Jonathan. I had been working on a story for a few weeks and getting nowhere fast. I had a basic plot, but the characters were desperately lacking in substance. Jonathan – who was seven at the time – came home from school one day, visibly excited. When I asked him what was up, he told me that he had thought of an idea for a story and wanted me to write it for him.

I listened with amazement as he spelled out the basic concept for The Godling Chronicles. I immediately put away what I was working on and began writing. The first draft was ready in only six weeks. Everything that has happened since then is a direct result of that day.

RW: Why do you write in the Fantasy genre, I mean other than because Jonathan told you to?

BRIAN: I actually began writing occult and psychological thrillers. I had tried fantasy in the past, but could never quite get the feel for it – which was frustrating considering that’s what I grew up reading. It wasn’t until my son asked me to write his idea as a book that it clicked. Now, I can’t imagine not writing fantasy.

RW: Tell us about your main character(s) and what you think will help them connect to readers.

BRIAN: In The Godling Chronicles there are several characters I would consider important. Gewey Stedding is the protagonist. Yes, I know it’s a silly name. But my son wanted me to keep it…so I did. He is a young boy on the verge of becoming a man. Orphaned and left to run the family farm alone, he is faced with many challenges I believe to be relevant and relatable to a wide range of people – from teens to adults.

Kaylia is an elf woman and primary love interest. Bold and brash, she offsets Gewey’s naiveté and inexperience.

Lee Starfinder is an older man sent to watch over Gewey (albeit from afar at first) and help him navigate through a perilous world.

This is only three of a cast of more than a dozen characters I have come to love over the past three years.

RW: What message do you think your book delivers to the reader?

BRIAN: I’ve never tried to add my politics into my work. All I’ve ever wanted to do is write stories that entertain and add a bit of fun into the lives of my readers.

RW: Who are your favorite authors?

Tolkien, of course, is the man who inspired my love for fantasy. But over the years I have come to love so many others. Ray Bradbury, Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson, William Goldman, Terry Brooks, RA Salvatore, George Martin, Anne Rice, Frank Herbert, Anne McCaffrey, just to name a few. Honestly, I could go one forever.

RW: What is your escape from writing when just need a break?

BRIAN: I normally head out to the local pub and watch sports. But when it gets really tense I take a two hour drive to New Orleans and spend the night in a hotel in the French Quarter. Best music and food on the planet!

RW: What is your background in writing, what makes you a writer?

BRIAN: I always had a flare for writing and was even able to make a few bucks on the side in college writing papers for people. Later, I only wrote as a hobby. I had no real interest in publishing and no ambitions to become a professional writer. It was really my wife who convinced me to take it more seriously. After the success of my first book I was hooked.

RW: What did you learn about yourself from writing this book?

BRIAN: That I am old enough to have the patience to complete a full-length novel. I started so many over the years that I never finished. Now, I’m half way through my eighth book and still going strong.

RW: Describe your book in one word.

BRIAN: Fun

RW: Where can we get your book now?

BRIAN: For now I’m primarily with Amazon. That will likely change after the New Year.

RW: How do people connect with you through all forms of social media?

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorBrianDAnderson/manager/?section=messages

https://www.facebook.com/TheGodlingChronicles

http://briandandersonbooks.blogspot.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5390719.Brian_D_Anderson

http://authorbriandanderson.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Brian-D.-Anderson/e/B00684NQ4E/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

RW: How did you end up getting signed with your agent?

BRIAN: I am currently represented by Laurie McLean with Fuse Literary. I was fortunate enough to get a referral from Michael J. Sullivan, author of The Riyria Chronicles, after being on a blog radio show with him and Hugh Howey, author of Wool. Laurie and I clicked right away and she is largely responsible for the current interest in my new series by the NY publishers.

RW: What are you working on right now?

BRIAN: Currently I have a new series on the way, but at this point I am waiting to hear back from my agent about who will be publishing it and when it will be released. Unfortunately, the publishing industry shuts down in December so I have a few weeks of twiddling my thumbs to go. Also, I’ve begun to outline a sequel to The Godling Chronicles.

RW: What book are you reading at this time?

BRIAN: The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson (a gift from my agent).

RW: What is your biggest tip for someone to getting published?

Be patient, be consistent, and never give up. Listen to the people who have already been there. Learn from both their successes and their mistakes.

RW: If you could have written any book that exists, other than your own, what would it be and why?

The Hobbit. Because…well…it’s The Hobbit.

RW: Tell us a little about your publishing journey as far as where you started as a full fledged, self-published Indie Author to now?

BRIAN: After I completed Book One of The Godling Chronicles I was utterly in the dark as to how to proceed. I had never considered publishing before and the process was daunting to say the least. Initially I found a vanity press, but very little came of it. The cover was only so-so and the text was still badly in need of another edit and proof reading. I didn’t let this discourage me, however. I just plodded on and finished Book Two.

I didn’t want to use the vanity press again so I contacted a small press publisher. They were looking for a fantasy title and mine seemed to be a good fit. Instead of publishing Book Two, they offered to start fresh and re-issue Book One first. We changed the cover and had the book re-edited and proofed.

It wasn’t long after release that momentum began to build. A few hundred copies at first. Then, by the second full month it began to pick up steam and sales were in the thousands. I’ve often wondered exactly what did it. Certainly hard work and perseverance played a big part. But the more I think about it, I really believe the change in covers was what drew the attention of the reading public.

I released four books with small press before leaving them. I will always appreciate what they did for me, but there came a point when I had to face the fact that I had accomplished all I could with them. I was at the limit of what I could do and they were at the limit of what they could help me with. I knew enough to go it alone at that point, so we parted ways.

Since then I have released two more indie books (the final two in the series) and signed with Podium Publishing for the audio editions. On an exciting note, all of the Big Five requested a copy of the new series and I should hear back from them soon.

RW: What’s the most important thing to you about your work, your novels?

BRIAN: If I can entertain my audience and make them smile…it’s worth every minute of it.

RW: What is the one piece of advice that stays with you about writing that you’ve been given?

BRIAN: Don’t worry about how good someone else is. Do what you do.

RW: What is the one piece of book advertising or publishing that you’ve been given that sticks with you?

BRIAN: Bookbub rocks. But word of mouth is key.

RW: What are the Top 5 fun facts about you people might be surprised about?

At age nine I spent three months trying to learn to use the force.
I once hitchhiked from Washington D.C. To Panama City Beach
I’ve been madly in love with Audrey Hepburn since I saw the movie Sabrina. (Ah, Audrey captures another one.)
I spent a year working offshore and seriously considered becoming a boat captain.
I wish I had taken dance lessons when I was young. I look like a drunk hippo on the dance floor. (I am wondering where Brian wend during that hitchhiking trip to know what a drunken hippo on the dance floor looks like.)

RW: What are two hobbies you have?

BRIAN: I played music professionally for ten years and still play occasionally in local bars. Antiques.

RW: What is your favorite word?

BRIAN: Nap

Okay, I think Brian and I are related. We gotta be.

It looks like you guys can get books 2-6 in Audio Format and get this, there is a Free Audio book about Lee Starfinder. And guess what else? If you want you can get Books 1-3 Bundled in one and Books 4-6. I am about to begin mine now. And if my son is good, I might even let him read them as well. Okay, that’s the end of our time together. So click here to go to Brian’s Amazon Author Page and start reading his books now. Nothing better than a series, with a new series on the way, and a sequel to The Godling Chronicles being outlined. Brian is setting us up for a long time.

Make sure to reblog and share this as much as you like to let everyone know about Brian. Don’t be surprised when you discover your friends already know who he is.

http://OlgaNM.wordpress.com

GoodReads

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Book Review. Alex Haley’s Roots. An Author’s Odyssey by Adam Henig

Title:  Alex Haley’s Roots: An Author’s Odyssey
Author:   Adam Henig
ASIN:  B00HRN891A
Published: 5^th February 2014
Pages: 119
Genre:  Biography/Essay

This is an informative account of the period of time in Alex Haley’s life following the publication of roots and the TV series. Although it does not delve deep into the author’s motives (it is not a deep psychological portrait), it does a great job of reviewing existing sources and even on occasions adding new material from interviews. I was aware of some of the controversy surrounding ‘Roots’ but not of the evidence and details that unfolded. This is a must for people interested in Roots and Haley, and considering its length, it offers a good summary of the sources. I’d love to see and read more of the extensive sources the author explored to produce this work, as there seems to exist much untapped potential.

A well-written and compelling account of a fascinating work (however we might choose to define it) that changed people’s perception of African-American history and stories.

As an author, I also enjoyed the collection of blogs chartering the journey of Adam Henig to, first research, and finally self-publish the book. I hope more books will follow.

What the book is about: What happened to Alex Haley once his book ‘Roots’ and especially the TV series, hit the big time.

Book Highlights: I was aware of some of the controversy surrounding ‘Roots’ but was not aware of the details or the full extent of the impact it had on the fame of the author and the cause of genealogy and the popularity of African-American studies.

Challenges of the book: I personally found it a fascinating read, but I watched ‘Roots’ many years back and also read the book. Judging from other reviews it seems even people who were not aware of Roots enjoy the book, but it might be difficult to quite comprehend the impact it has for somebody totally unaware of it.

What do you get from it: A good summary, well-documented, of the life of Haley following Roots, exploring the fact versus fiction argument. I also enjoyed the compilation of blogs that offer a good insight into Henig’s research methods and his reasons for deciding to self-publish.

What I would have changed if anything: The book offers some snippets (gathered sometimes from writing, sometimes from interviews) of the man behind the book, but this is not a detailed biography and we only get a summary view of who Haley was prior to writing ‘Roots’. If I could have my wish I would have liked to have access to the direct sources (or more of it) as these are detailed and referred to. Greatly admiring Haley’s Autobiography of Malcolm X I would have loved to read something about its genesis as it’s only mentioned in passing (although I know that’s not what the book is about). One wonders also if it would have been possible to develop more of an insight into who Alex Haley really was, but maybe that’s a task beyond the scope of this book.

Who Would I recommend this book to?: People who know of Alex Haley’s work, who love (or not) ‘Roots’ and anybody interested in African-American studies and history.

Ratings:
Realistic Characterization: NA
Made Me Think: 4.5/5
Overall enjoyment: 4.5/5
Readability: 5/5
Recommended: 4/5
Overall Rating: 4/5

Buy it at: Amazon
Format & Pricing:
Paperback: $6.99
Kindle: $3.60

Audio: $ 6.84

Olga Núñez Miret

@OlgaNM7

http://www.OlgaNM.com

Lit World Interview Week In Review Feb. 2-6.

Here are the articles for the week, if you missed one, go and check it out today.

Author Interview with Ronovan Writes

Atonement, Tennessee Q&A with @TeaganGeneviene the Southern Voice.

Q&A with the Irish @aliisaac_ & @MJDougherty33 Discussing their latest collaboration.

FEATURES

The benefits of reading. The reader organisation and what are the benefits reading has for you? Olga Núñez Miret

Genre Blending Jo Robinson

Co-Writing With My Best Friend by Guest Author Wendy Janes @wendyproof

BOOK REVIEWS

BOOK REVIEW OF “SILVER LIGHTNING” @AUTHORWDARLING Colleen Chesebro

RONOVAN’S WHATEVER

Hyphens & En Dashes & Em Dashes Oh My.

What can you expect next from the LWI Team?

I have two Author Interviews this week with one being from Brian D. Anderson of The Godling Chronicles fame and Wendy Anne Darling of Silver Lightning. I see THREE book Reviews coming this week one from Olga on Monday, Colleen on Tuesday and the other from Florence on Wednesday. Jo always comes through on Thursday. Then you will suffer whatever I come up with on Friday.

So Follow us, Bookmark Us, do whatever you need to do in order to come back every day for something new.

Hyphens & En Dashes & Em Dashes Oh My.

Let’s talk hyphens, en dashes, and em dashes.

Are you using them the correct way? Are you using the correct lengths? You are probably wondering about that second question, and we will get to it in a moment. But first let’s talk about what each one is and does. Much of what you will see is based on the AMA and CMA information. In other words, these aren’t ideas I pulled out of the air. You’ve been taught differently, then you’ve been taught differently.

Let’s take them by length order.

First to join us is the hyphen.

What does it look like? –

Where do you find it? You’ll find it between the 0 and the = keys.

How do you use it?

First of all there are several names for the uses of the hyphen. I’m not going to bother filling your time with names that may not even be real or standards. I am going to give examples. Isn’t that what we want when we go looking for this information?

Sometimes you will use the hyphen when words are linked together to describe something. They are linked together because they are essentially one descriptive trait.
- She is a twenty-nine-year-old college student.
- My mother-in-law made dinner tonight.
- The novel is forty-two chapters long.
- A quarter is one-fourth of a whole.
- She lives in a split-level house.
I think we all know about the hyphen between numbers, such as forty-one. I know, I know, we aren’t supposed to spell forty-one out but I do in my writing, and in truth you will see a lot of advice saying to do so. But writing numbers is a whole different article. For me it’s a style preference. I visually like the numbers spelled out.
And of course there is the hyphenated last name. Abigail Smith-Wesson.

Now we have the En Dash.

What does it look like? –

Where do we find the En Dash? Today we are going to use the lap top. Because I use the laptop.

But first we’re going to talk about the uses of the En Dash.

How do you use it?

You use the En Dash for noting ranges. 1–100 is an example of a range. Also a range of time such as June–August is summer vacation for schools in the USA.
You might even see a sentence that has – in it. I know you are scratching your head. What you are seeing is an En Dash with a space on either side. Some people use that as an Em Dash.

Last and definitely not least is the Em Dash.

What does it look like? —

Where do you find it on the keyboard? Good question. And no, don’t hit the hyphen a few times.

How do you use it?

Think of the Em Dash as an interrupter. Interrupter is my word for it here. And I mean that in a couple of different ways.
- The most common we see in novel writing is when dialogue is interrupted. “You are a no good piece of fu—” “What were you going to say, young man?”
- But you can also use it to insert a different thought in the middle of a sentence. I ramble a lot—I do so in my brain—and I type like I think. As long as my writing works—I don’t care what I use.
- Some people use the Em Dash in the place of commas, colons, parenthesis, and semicolons when they want to give whatever it is that extra bit of attention. That being said: don’t over use it. If you use it all throughout your novel then it just becomes another period to the eye and ear.

One thing to keep in mind about En Dashes and Em Dashes is, be consistent. As someone reads your novel, and let’s be a positive thinker here and say novels, you are training them to know what you mean. If you use an – to be an—in one chapter then do it in the next chapter and perhaps the next book as well. I am hoping you got what I did there.

How do the three look?

– Hyphen

– En Dash

— Em Dash

The reason they are called En Dash and Em Dash are because how much space they take up.

–

—

How do they look with a word?

the-

the–

the—

On my laptop when I look at what I am about to tell you there is a key combination or Shortcut key to use that includes the Num key. That’s the Number Lock key. I’m not certain about all of you, but I don’t have a number pad on my laptop. And the Function to actually create a number pad doesn’t work with the key combination to create the dashes I need. So what do I do? I create a new Shortcut key. It’s pretty simple to do even though the instructions below look long. I am very detailed when I give instructions. I see no reason to skip steps. Some of these steps are going to seem like, as I like to say ‘Duh’, steps to you but there is no reason not to include them.

Where do you find the En Dash and the Em Dash?

I’m not sure what kind of laptop you use. But if you use Windows then this should work. What you do is:

Open Word on your laptop.
Click the Insert tab along the top of the screen.
Look for the Symbols It’s at the far right on my bar at the top.
Click Symbols.
More than likely it will say ‘more symbols’.
Click ‘more symbols’.
You will have a pop up box appear with two tabs.
Click the Special Characters
You’ll see the En Dash and the Em Dash with the Shortcut key combination to get each symbol. The hyphen is what we have on the keyboards already. The En Dash is a little longer, and the Em Dash is longer than that. Now you will see there is a Shortcut key combination to use but on mine it says to use the Num My laptop doesn’t have a Num key and doing the Function that does the Number Lock doesn’t make the Dashes work. So continue on below.
Select En Dash
Click Shortcut Key at the bottom
On the next pop up box called Customize Keyboard you will see a field where your cursor is most likely already waiting for you. That field is called Press new shortcut key.
For the En Dash I chose Ctrl and the hyphen. It will look like Ctrl+- in the Shortcut key list. Then click Assign. You could use Ctrl and N.
For the Em Dash I chose Ctrl, Alt hyphen. It will look like Alt+Ctrl+- in the Shortcut key list. Then click Assign. You could use Ctrl and M.

After all of that I want to show you something.

The—

Looks the same, right? Not the same. The first was created by hitting the hyphen twice and then hitting enter. The second was created using my shortcut keys for the Em Dash.

If you made it this far you are probably wondering why all the bother. Using the correct punctuation is never going to hurt you. Not using it can. You don’t know what pet peeve will set off that person assigned to reading your submission has. If you can get something right, then why not get it right? There is more to this subject than what I have here. But this is a place to start. I wanted to plant the seed of getting it right and then you can grow your understanding from there, and possibly even grow mine by sharing in the comments. Other people will read this and you will help them.

Wendy Janes GoodReads

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Genre Blending

Before I finished my first book, I had a list of all the top agents and publishers in the USA and the UK. The very thought of going Indie struck me as amateurish and pathetic, and it was going to be big time or bust. I had my synopsis ready, and my query letter. The more I learned about Indie publishing though, the more I fell in love with it, and by the time my first book was finished I had a totally different plan. I didn’t kick the option of traditional publishing to the kerb – I still haven’t done that. Even though I’ve never queried, I try never to say never, but I wanted to explore the amazing new world of anything goes first.

As an Indie writer you get to write about anything under the sun – satire – taboo – trigger inducing – revolting – weird – boring as watching paint dry – anything at all. I don’t want to read most of these things, but quite a lot of people do (alright – maybe not the paint drying), and with it being incredibly unlikely for some of these things being published traditionally, quite a lot of Indie “books” are making a lot of money this way. Who knew dinosaurs could get up to what they seem to get up to these days?

Apart from all that though, there is still a lot of new ground to be broken with genres and niches that traditional publications very likely wouldn’t take chances on, but with the very real possibility in the Indie world that they could take off with a bang. I fully intend to utilise my self-publishing freedom to mix things up with a couple of sets I have planned for the future. The thought of making up whole new genres is exciting in itself because I honestly believe that the real growth of the Indie market has only just begun, and isn’t going to implode under its own weight as a couple of people are prophesying. It’s going to be about brand new ideas and new ventures into the unknown, and maybe not so much the picking of genres and niches that rocketed unknown authors into the stratosphere a couple of years ago.

We’re going to have to think outside the box if we want to be noticed in amongst the millions, that in all probability in a couple of years will be billions of books out there. So maybe try mixing things up for your next story. You have nothing to lose. Think Fantasy Western, or Historical Weird, African Sci-Fi Paranormal Romance. Botanical Horror. Flower Fantasy. Why not? Anything goes in the world of Indie – try and imagine the never before done, and you could very well hit on the next big thing.

Co-Writing With My Best Friend by Guest Author Wendy Janes @wendyproof

I’d like to share my experience of co-writing. Partly because it’s a funny story, and partly because I hope you’ll find it interesting to find out how we did it. It might even encourage you and a friend to have a go yourselves.

A few years ago my friend and I were sitting in her conservatory chatting about whether men or women could write better love letters, and via a little too much sharing, we bemoaned the fact that any books we’d read with good sex scenes had weak stories, or if the story was good, it glossed over the sex. So we decided to write an erotic romance with great characters that people would care about, an intriguing plot, and sex scenes that would excite our avid readers.

Now, bearing in mind neither of us had written a full-length novel before, one of us was a school governor and a grandmother, and the other enjoyed craft fairs and knitting, we didn’t seem likely candidates for writing erotic fiction.

I don’t want to get into the Fifty Shades debate, but I would like to say that we had finished writing our book before we’d heard of that publishing phenomenon.

So how did two middle-aged women from South London set about co-writing their novel?

Initially my writing partner (let’s call her Pandora) went out to buy lots and lots of stationery.

We met once a week to brainstorm characters, and pretty soon we had created four women who became real people to us. Authors need to know their characters inside out, but because we were co-writing we had to share out loud everything that we knew about them. Such as Hazel’s hairstyle, what Sonia ate for breakfast, the first song Paula bought and Jacqui’s worst memory from childhood. Within weeks the four women were joined by five men. We adored drop-dead gorgeous Billy, we also adored the vile Richard, but only because we were astonished that we could create such a creep.

During this time we also bandied around oodles of ideas for plots. Our notebooks were filling up fast, but we’d not written a word of the story yet.

We plotted Chapter One (which of course never made it to the final draft) and separately wrote our own versions of it. The idea was that we’d give each other feedback on what we liked and what we didn’t and somehow magically turn them into one sparkling opening chapter. That didn’t work. Mine was too full of emotion, more like a Mills and Boon romance and Pandora’s was too spare, more like a thriller. This was not looking good, and so far we’d not written a single sex scene.

Plan B. Pandora would write Chapter One and I’d write Chapter Two and we’d edit each other’s chapters. Plan B wasn’t wholly successful either. While we both agreed that we could write a darn erotic sex scene, I have to admit I took Pandora’s edits a little too personally and things were rather cool between us for a day or two.

Plan C. Pandora was lightning quick at generating ideas, and I was better at taking her ideas and developing them. Same with the writing. So for the next few months we met once a week to plot a chapter together. Then Pandora would take an hour to write the chapter, email it to me and I’d take six hours, often more, to develop it and send it back to her. We agreed there’d be no further revision until we reached the end of this first draft.

Then came the best bit. We read each chapter of Draft 1 out loud and talked through the revisions together. It was amazing how in tune we were with the characters and the plot, often voicing the ideas that were still in the other person’s head. I will gracefully admit that Pandora came up with the best ideas, including the plot twist that had us dancing round her conservatory with glee. What also became apparent at this point was that the four women who at the outset we’d thought were nothing like us, had traits of each of us. Pandora’s vibrancy and love of life shone through in gorgeous Paula. My insecurities were writ large in naïve Sonia!

We then sent the book to friends (male and female) who gave feedback – thank goodness I didn’t crumble in the face of criticism any more – and in the light of that feedback we revised again, and again, and again. By this point we couldn’t remember who had originally written what or whose idea was whose. We were having such fun we could have tinkered with our book for ever, but we also wanted to publish it. Eventually (!) we came up with a title and published our book under a pen name. We were proud of what we’d written, but our children (Pandora’s four and my three) begged us not to use our real names.

The book didn’t take the world by storm as we’d genuinely, honestly (naively) thought it would, but we had a wonderful laughter-filled two years writing it, and we’re still best friends. The whole experience introduced me to the world of self-publishing and helped me find my own writing voice. I reckon that’s a happy ending.

@wendyproof

wendyproof.co.uk

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Q&A with the Irish @aliisaac_ & @MJDougherty33 Discussing their latest collaboration.

RW – How did the two of you connect to collaborate on Grá mo Chroí: Love Stories from Irish Myth?

Ali – We had already become friends through our blogs. I had this idea of re-telling stories from Irish mythology kicking around in my head for a long time, in fact, I had been incorporating some of them into my Conor Kelly books. It turned out that Jane, too, had already been re-writing her favorite myths. It just seemed natural that we would join forces and work on a compilation together.

Jane – I started these retellings about a year ago with the story of Deirdre. It was cold, we had had a flurry of snow for about five minutes that had everybody gazing in wonder up at the sky, and the blackbirds were taken by surprise and fussed about in the trees. Something in the combination made me think of Deirdre and her feelings as a young girl kept in seclusion, just waiting to be married to an old king. One story led to another, and when Ali, at the end of last year suggested we have a go at rewriting some of these tragic stories, I knew I could do it. Tragic usually means love stories. Love stories means Valentine’s Day. Our collection had to be ready for February 14th. And it is!

RW – Why a retelling of Irish myth love stories?

Ali – The first stories we worked on and subsequently revealed to each other just happened to be the most tragic ones, the love stories, perhaps because we connected in some way with the characters and what happened to them. We noticed the theme, and thought it would be fun to launch them for Valentine’s Day. That was in November, so we had to work fast… the Christmas and New Year celebrations held things up, but it’s amazing what you can achieve when you put your mind to it!

RW – Why this particular subject for the book? I know there is a bit of an Irish connection.

Ali – Everyone loves a love story, the more dramatic and tragic the better! I am lucky enough to live in Ireland now, and Jane comes of Irish heritage although she lives in France. I never imagined when I came to live here that I would ever fall in love with it so deeply, but I did. I’ve never yet met anyone who has experienced Ireland and didn’t!

RW – How were the stories selected? Was there a unanimous yes to a selection or was it based on what each you wanted to do or was there a hat and slips of paper involved?

Ali – Nope. We just privately wrote the stories which spoke to us and drew us in, and then submitted them for each others perusal. Our writing styles are quite different, but complement each other perfectly. I loved Jane’s versions of the stories, and fortunately, she quite liked mine too!

Jane – Ali and I have different writing styles, but I think it’s fair to say that both of us have been greatly influenced by the obvious love of nature of the early Celts. Their flattest prose, even their description of combat, is full of poetry. That, for me, is the point of entry into the world of the protagonists of these ancient stories. They looked at a stream, a tree and saw what I see. They listened to the song of the blackbird, the curlew, the cry of the gull, and they heard the same sound. They were romantic people though their notion of love was perhaps not quite the same as ours. That is what I hope we have succeeded in putting across in these retellings.

RW – I enjoyed the fact the stories built on each other somewhat. Was that planned or is there a natural vein running through the old Irish stories that lent itself to what you accomplished?

Ali – That seems to happen quite naturally in the mythology, that stories and characters cross-reference each other. But it also helped with the selection, I think. Jane knew that she wanted to write both the Baile and Aillin story, and the Cuchullain and Emer story, which build on each other. Without giving too much away, I was half way through writing my Ciabhan and Cliodhna story, when I realized there was an overlap with the Cuchullain story. Fand’s words of advice to the couple do not appear in the mythology as far as I know, but I thought it would be fun to add them, as the story leant itself so perfectly to that happening.

RW – One character in particular, which I won’t go into detail or give away, I greatly enjoyed reading about in one story and seeing one aspect at one stage of life and then seeing a different stage of life entirely. There is such tragedy at times, is that something common to the Irish love stories or were they the ones you gravitated to for this collaboration?

Ali – Oh yes! The ancient Irish loved a bit of tragedy and sorrow in their stories! And they were masters of it.

RW – Ali, I know you are very involved in another novel series with the Sidhe. Would you explain a bit about who the Sidhe are?

Ali – Originally, the Sidhe were known as the Tuatha de Denann, a race of powerful semi-divine people who arrived in Ireland under very mysterious circumstances around 4000 years ago. They were said to be tall, blonde or red haired with blue or green eyes and fair skin, and were greatly skilled in the battle and magical arts. Eventually though, they were defeated by a race of man called the Milesians. The Denann were forced to retreat to their hollow hills and live forever in that half of Ireland which lies below ground. As time passed, they became known as the Sidhe (Shee), Ireland’s fairy folk, not the type which are tiny and have wings, but as solid and real as you or I, but with strange, unpredictable ways and powers.

RW – I noticed along with the title for each story you give information as to where the story originally came from such as the Ulster Cycle of Irish Mythology and Historical Cycle of Irish Mythology just to name two. What are the differences?

Ali – Basically, there are four main cyles of Irish mythology. They’re just collections of stories really. The first one is the Mythological cycle, and covers the first waves of invasion of Ireland, focusing mainly on the Tuatha de Denann until the Milesians came. The Ulster Cylce tells of Cuchullain and the Red Branch Knights, and Queen Medbh’s Cattle Raid of Cooley. The Fenian Cycle details all the legends attached to hero Fionn mac Cumhall and his warband, the Fianna. The Historical Cycle details all the High Kings of Ireland, and their adventures, but despite its name, cannot be taken as fact.

Jane – There are lots of variations of all the old stories. As they are part of an oral tradition, we know them mainly through the versions noted down by Christian monks. There are regional variations, but also alternative endings, as if someone was trying to change the message, or include a message that wasn’t there before. We can’t know anything for sure, but it rather muddies the waters if we are trying to reach back in time to the emotions of the men and women of pre-Christian Ireland.

RW – Being this is a collection of short stories how was the collaborative process? I imagine it was a little less stressful than say one where you are working on the exact same story such as a full length novel.

Ali – Well for me it was great! Normally, writing a book is such a lonely process, with a lot of responsibility for every aspect of the book falling on your shoulders. This time, there was someone to share it all with, and not only that, someone to bounce ideas off, edit your work, and help with the really hard stuff, like marketing for example.

Jane – Actually, I think without Ali nagging at me to keep popping these stories out, I’d have given up on it. It was Christmas, holidays, flu, sprained back muscle, and if I had been on my own I’d have crawled into a corner and gone into hibernation. Knowing that I’d agreed to go halves in this venture kept me at it. Joking aside, it just wasn’t possible to let Ali down. She’d proposed doing the formatting after all. That was an offer I couldn’t refuse!

RW – Do you have any individual works that people should be on the lookout for in the not too distant future? Or maybe a just released work?

Ali – I have just started writing the third and final book of my Tir na Nog Trilogy, but it always takes me a long time to write a book. I’m aiming for the end of the year for it to be ready for publication. Its working title is Conor Kelly and The Three Waves of Eirean, but that might change.

Jane – My fantasy series has been around since 2014 but I hope to get the rest of my Irish stories ready for publication in the near future.

RW – Who was or is the most influential writer of your writing style? Or what author made you want to be an author?

Ali – It’s impossible to pin influences down to one writer or novel. But in this style, I have two favourites; the late and great Rosemary Sutcliffe, whose novella Tristan and Iseult has stayed with me since I first read it at the age of 9 or 10; and Marion Zimmer Bradley, whose novel The Mists of Avalon is a multi-layered masterpiece.

Jane – I wish I could cite some great writer and claim their influence on my style, but unfortunately I’m not aware of any. Shame. As for the author who decided me to have a go, he is a complete unknown, Dario Nuzzi, the uncle of a great friend of my mother’s. He decided to write after he retired from teaching and just did it. And he got published. If Zio Dario could do it, so could I.

RW – I always like to ask what is an author’s favorite word and why, so I’m asking both of you now to end our time together, what’s your favorite word and why?

Ali – LOL! Not a word really, but I have a strange compulsion to add it to all my emails and blog comments (but not my stories or novels, LOL! See what I mean?). It’s an addiction which, although I hate it, I cannot deny.

(I can attest to this being true. I have more LOL’s in my email since meeting Ali. And as she read this she really did LOL. I can guarantee it.)

Jane – Oriflamme is a favourite of mine. It’s a lovely sounding word, gold and flames, and so evocative of the coloured banners that floated from spears as armies charged into battle. No, I’m not a warmonger, but I love the image.

Too much talent for one man to handle. I asked the questions and got out of the way. I’ve read the book and my review will appear here soon. All I can say about it is, pre-order the book now on Amazon by going to the site and checking it out. And that’s, as I said. all I can say right now. I am looking forward to reading more works from Ireland.

Available

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Here are Ali’s various links:

Amazon Author Page You can see all of her books there. Very convenient.

Ali Isaac Storyteller is her website.

And of course follow her on Twitter – @aliisaac_Click this one to follow. There is an underscore at the end of the handle. Thus just click it to make it easier.

Here are Jane’s various links:

Amazon Author Page with more books than you could imagine.

JaneDougherty.WordPress.Com is her website/blog.

@MJDougherty33 is her Twitter handle.

Much Respect and Admiration

GoodReads

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BOOK REVIEW BY @COLLEENCHESEBRO OF “SILVER LIGHTNING” @AUTHORWDARLING

Title: Silver Lightning

Author: Wendy Anne Darling

ISBN 13: 978-1502418937

ASIN: B00O2AZLP8

Website: https://wendyannedarling.wordpress.com/

Pages: 189

Genre: YA, Children’s Fantasy, Children’s Literature, Young Adult (8-15), Children’s Adventure

*A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review, which follows.

One night, Alex Bascolme awakened from a dream, so real that he could smell the salt in the air from the ocean along the California coast. He could even feel the sand squishing between his toes, as if he stood on the beach that night. The strange dreams continued after that first night, leaving Alex to wonder what they could mean for him. When Alex’s Father was laid-off from work, Alex and his family moved from Colorado to California; the dreams apparently foretelling his true destiny.

Once in California, Alex meets a new friend named Logan, and the two boys find a magical motorcycle that takes them on the ride of their lives. Only the worthy can ride the bike, and both boys are tested to see who has the “right-stuff” to ride Silver Lightning. Eventually the boys realize that there is always a heavy price to pay for the use of magic, even if it is for the good of humanity.

I was immediately drawn into Alex’s magical world, where his dreams of a dark eyed, black haired girl named Tsura, lead him on a journey into manhood, learning the difficulties of life first hand through his experiences with Silver Lightning. I love the relationship that developed between the mysterious, Tsura and Alex. In addition, the bond between Alex and Logan reinforces everything strange and wonderful that two best friends can share. I laughed, and cried, cheering the boys onward in their adventures.

Wendy Darling

The only challenge of the book in my opinion, is the dialog is to perfect between the characters. I would have loved to see a bit more teenage angst and realism in the words spoken by the teens. Nevertheless, the story is full of sweet memories and life lessons, which took me back to the years of my youth when magic was real.

I thoroughly enjoyed the adventures of the magical motorcycle, Silver Lightning, and the interaction each boy had realizing the power of goodness that existed within each of their hearts. Silver Lightning would appeal to both younger children from ten years old through fifteen years of age. Adults would enjoy reading the book with their younger children.

Silver Lightning is Wendy Darling’s debut novel. I am excited for a sequel to follow the boy’s adventures with the magical motorcycle. I cannot wait to find out what happens next!

RATINGS
Realistic Characterization: 3/5
Made Me Think: 3/5
Overall enjoyment: 4/5
Readability: 4/5
Recommended: 4/5
Overall Rating: 4.0

Buy it at: Amazon

Find it at: Goodreads

Format & Pricing:
Paperback: $7.00 US
Kindle: $.99 US

@ColleenChesebro

Silver Threading

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Atonement, Tennessee Q&A with @TeaganGeneviene the Southern Voice.

RW: Tell us about Atonement, Tennessee. TEAGAN: It always seems simple in my head, but describing it never is. Atonement, Tennessee is a tiny fictional town where a lot of strange things happen. The novel is an “urban fantasy” – set in the current day of our real world, but with magical elements. I also added a mystery subplot to the fantasy. The story is inspired by (but not based on) ancient Celtic/Welsh mythology, particularly the myth of Gwydion fab Don. I give sneaky little nods to the myth in some of the characters’ names (such as Guy Fabdon). If you’re a person who responds well to visual information, I have a modest book trailer. Because of the mythology that motivated me, I put a lilting Celtic tune with the trailer — it will give you a good idea of the story. The heroine, Ralda Lawton, short for Esmeralda. She narrates the story. Ralda moves from the big city to the quaint little town of Atonement, hoping for a quiet life. She buys an old estate house, and she is off to a good start, making friends with her neighbors and settling into the community. But her new life is anything but peaceful. The old house is rundown but interesting, and the grounds include an old cemetery. Some of the antiques in the house have strange properties; a mirror that might show truths you don’t want to see, and a brass bed that gives you dreams of the past, or even past lives. Ralda begins to unravel mysteries about her past, things she hadn’t previously given much thought. Also one of her new friends gets into serious trouble – the woman is suspected of wrong-doing when her husband disappears. Ralda and the other women set about clearing her name. Meanwhile supernatural entities have their own agendas. Their dangerous schemes involve Ralda and she has no defense to compare with their magical strength. She doesn’t know who, if anyone, she can trust. At the end, I deliberately left a few minor details unresolved, to leave room for more novels in the Atonement series. RW: How did you come up with the story? TEAGAN: In 2005 the TV series Desperate Housewives was a big hit. My friends kept telling me I should write a story like that. I didn’t like any of the characters in that show, but I gave it a try… for all of half a dozen pages. I couldn’t make it work. The characters who were supposed to be despicable turned out to be people I would have been happy to call friend. And my “justice for the philandering husband” scene was not realistic. How could it be, when it involved a magic mirror? So I put the story aside. Years later I was preparing for my first National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), and I still remembered those characters. It was time to give them a story. Since Atonement, Tennessee was a NaNoWriMo book, requiring a draft to be written in a single month, I geared everything about the story to be something I could write quickly. Following the advice “Write what you know,” I wanted a small southern town as the setting. I chose Tennessee for the state of my fictional town. (Even making up a fictional town was intended for speed – it wouldn’t need as much research! I research everything…) Suddenly, “Atonement” popped into my mind as the name for the town, and I took the story forward from there. RW: You and I talked about the Southern Voice, explain to our readers what you mean by that. TEAGAN: It seems that I always work on more than one level at a time; or so I’m told. I think the idea of a “southern voice” is just one of those levels. I’m sure the concept of a southern voice means different things to everyone. To me, it means writing in a way that makes the reader feel they are in a place in the southern United States, or that they are listening to a person from there, without resorting to stereotypes, or overt reminders that “Hey, you’re in a southern place.” I’m talking about subtleties in description, cadence, and character development. RW: Who are some classic examples that one might look to in order to get an idea of Southern Voice or even some contemporary favorites of yours? TEAGAN: For me, Charlaine Harris did that in her “Southern Vampire” series. Another good example is the old television series, Designing Women. RW: What draws you to this particular style? TEAGAN: I suppose it is a style at that, isn’t it? I had not thought of it that way. I mentioned the advice “Write what you know.” That was the first guidance I heard as a writer, and I’ve always followed it. I am native to the southern United States. I’ve lived in a number of locations from one coast to the other, but always in southern states. In writing fiction, it never occurred to me to try and suppress it. Even though I write in various styles, points of view, and tones, I expect that (if you were aware of my roots) you would pick up on the “southern voice.” RW: Do you think you need to have lived in the South to be able to truly capture that voice? TEAGAN: I’ve seen it accomplished by non-southerners a few times, whether on film or in print. However, the ones who do manage it did a lot of homework to achieve a good result. They didn’t just jump in and start writing, or assume that they already knew, or accept stereotypes as truth. RW: Give an example of something that would be the Southern Voice and then in some other way. I know it’s not exactly that simple, but you did it, especially in your prologue with Lilith. You nailed it perfectly. TEAGAN: Why thank you Ronovan! I’m quite flattered. I’m not certain that I understand this question, but a good example of a southern voice seeping into the writing was the late Robert Jordan in his Wheel of Time series. I found myself very at home with the main characters, their thoughts, manners, and ideals. When I learned Jordan was a native of Charleston, South Carolina, I understood why those things were integrated so seamlessly into that series. RW: So you naturally write with that style in mind or do you have to go back and work some magic to get that right feel? TEAGAN: I hope I give each separate written work its own tone while still keeping part of my particular voice. I begin any story with an overall “voice” or tone in mind. That comes from 15 years as a technical editor and writer. I often “put words into [my boss’s] mouth” by writing as him or her. That requires a constant focus on how the other person speaks and thinks. So it’s ingrained in me to think of the tone I want a story to carry before I even begin writing. RW: I read the opening pages available on Amazon and I loved it. I liked the style, the tone, the story to that point and it did make me want to read more. Your writing is very professional and I don’t mean that in a mechanics way, I mean that as in polished. Share with us your writing back ground and tell our readers what other things you do in the Lit World. TEAGAN: Ronovan, I would take that as a great compliment either way! Oops… I guess I answered most of that question before I was supposed to. But yes, around 20 years ago I took up the pen (keyboard) to begin my first novel (unpublished). Shortly after that I made a career change to IT technical writing. That grew into technical editing, and eventually morphed into a sort of executive advisory role. If you’re saying something to which your boss is going to sign his name and publish it to a thousand people (including his bosses), you want to be meticulous about getting it right. As far as the mechanics, I’m actually proud to say that I did all the technical/mechanical parts myself. The paper back of Atonement, Tennessee is made by Create Space (a print on demand service), and they did a great job. I went outside their standard template, to produce higher readability in the print version. I did all the formatting, designed the cover, all the details. And yes, I added that to my professional resume. (Grins.) RW: Which of your cats is Lilith based on? Or is this like a friend of yours you have put into cat form? TEAGAN: Ha-ha. No, I haven’t put a human into feline form. Since most of your viewers have not read Atonement, Tennessee, let me explain. The novel is told in first person; through the eyes of Ralda, the heroine. To keep the story interesting, when something happens that Ralda couldn’t be present to witness, I let her calico cat, Lilith be there. Those segments are told through the calico’s eyes. Throughout my life I’ve always had a cat. Lilith’s behaviors and personality are a composite of every cat that has owned me over the years. You’ve guessed by now that I’m a cat person. I love to study them, their movements and behaviors. That let me write the parts that are told from the cat’s point of view. RW: What’s your favorite color for a cat and a cat’s eyes? TEAGAN: Whatever pair of feline eyes holds my gaze at a given moment, that’s my favorite. I have a white cat with eyes the clear blue of the southwest desert sky, and a black and white cat whose golden eyes are the color of the lighter striation in tiger’s eye gems. All cats have beautiful eyes, no matter the color. Lilith is a calico because I’ve always been intrigued by their multi-colored markings. I’ve never had a calico myself. However, I sincerely don’t have a favorite as far as markings or eye color. RW: I ask authors to describe their book in one word. You can do that and tell why or you can describe the Southern Voice style in one word and why. I have my word that instantly says Southern to me. TEAGAN: Ha-ha, one word? When I already need a novel and a running serial on my blog to express my thoughts? I can say that I hope others would choose a word like, intriguing, or exciting, or maybe multi-dimensional. RW: Is there a way people could get an autographed copy of the book? Say by ordering through your site? I know there has been a call for a sequel by fans so I wondered if there might be something in the works for those fans to get hold of. TEAGAN: Since the paperback is made via print on demand, I haven’t worked out an efficient way to provide autographed copies. Now that you’ve made me aware that there might be a demand for that, I will put some thought into how it might be done. Yes, I have started book-2 in the Atonement series, Atonement in Bloom. It brings in a few new supernatural characters, and returns your favorite citizens of the little town. I also have plans for a third novel in the series. It will explore more of the mysterious history of the Cael character. RW: How are you coming on book-2? TEAGAN: I’m worked on Atonement in Bloom concurrently with this year’s NaNoWriMo novel, The Guitar Mancer. (That one is also urban fantasy, but it is very different from Atonement.) So with two novels — and the serial story I publish each weekend on my blog, and of course my paying job… Well, book-2 not coming as quickly as I’d like. I’ll get there though. I’m trying really hard. RW: Where can people purchase your book? TEAGAN: I’ll give you links below to all the ways Atonement can be purchased. Ronovan, thanks so very much for letting me visit with you and your readers today. It’s been a joy to talk with you. Links Barnes & Noble Nook Kindle and Paperback Amazon UK Amazon India Other Links Teagan’s Blog See Teagan’s Workspace Character Interviews-I wonder if the cat was interviewed. Pinterest I’ve used Pinterest to tell a story in pictures not just for “Atonement, Tennessee,” but for my works in progress as well. Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/teagangeneviene/ Twitter: @teagangeneviene Amazon Author Page http://www.amazon.com/Teagan-Riordain-Geneviene/e/B00HHDXHVM Business Profile LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=174325949&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile http://youtu.be/koggOn6vcDs There you have it. Southern Voice. Two Southerners, one asking questions and one answering them. Too bad you couldn’t hear us, right? Maybe another time. You never know what I might come up with. Hope you enjoyed the interview. I thank Teagan for doing a different kind of interview than the norm here. This is more the direction I want to take and slowly we’re getting there. Buy her book! Check out the LWI Review of the book by Olga Núñez Miret by clicking here.