Welcome to author Ashley. Thanks so much for taking the time to fill out 27 Questions so readers can better get to know you and your work! 1. What got you started writing to begin with? Originally, I began my writing career as a musician and as a film student at Chapman University. It wasn't until my interest from film and TV production and screenwriting shifted to early childhood education after completing my BFA that I started focusing in on writing picture books. I started writing "A Little Goes a Long Way" while I was teaching piano to young students and working as a nanny to 3 small boys while living in Ireland, just after graduating from Chapman. It was during this time while working with all of these wonderful children that I came up with the idea. During my years as a preschool teacher I found I was reading a lot of 'fluff' to the children at circle time so it was really then that I realized how much I wanted to push this particular project to get it out there. I wanted to see more books in the classroom that had relatable lessons and that could spark a bigger discussion. In "A Little Goes a Long Way," Fin learns to be more careful with how much he uses while helping with the chores around the house, which is a great starting point for discussing conservation, preservation and moderation. 2. What was the first thing you wrote? "A Little Goes a Long Way" was the first children's book I wrote that has been published. 3. What inspires you? Great stories with important lessons that inspire children. 4. Do you “people watch” for your writing? I love to observe children as they play to learn all about their world so that I can inspire and instigate creativity and relatable lessons in the stories that I write for them. 5. Who are you favorite authors? Dr. Seuss, Eric Carle, Ezra Jack Keats, Anna Dewdney, Julia Donaldson, Maurice Sendak, Audrey Wood 6. What is your favorite book? 'Where the Wild Things Are' by Maurice Sendak 7. What genre do you most like to read? It sounds silly, but my favorite genre to read are children's picture books. I love to study what works, how it's put together as the illustrations marry the text. I love the simplicity and complexity of using as few words as possible to tell a really great, fun and ultimately powerful story. 8. What genre do you write? Is this reflective of what you read? I love writing for children. As a singer/songwriter in my past, it comes natural for me to write in rhyme and meter. 9. What genre do you have a difficult time with that you wish you could write? I wish I could write fiction for adults. I've been brainstorming how to go about writing a story about a woman who finds balance in a depressed, unbalanced emotional state. She is struggling with postpartum depression, addiction and a fighting marriage but somehow ends up finding peace with the voices in her head. 10. What kind of research do you do or have you done for your story? At this point, my current idea is just a blog in my head. It's mostly based on my life right now and would be purely for self expression and creative outlet. 11. Do you have any writing rituals like eating chocolate or lighting incense? Ideas seem to come me either when I am running or as I lay down at night to go to sleep. It's very inconvenient when you have a 5 month old baby still waking 1-2 times in the middle of the night! 12. Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what kind? The only way I can write is in complete silence. I need to focus on the voice in my head and there is so much noise around me in daily life as it is. It's nice to comb out all other noise and focus in on my thoughts. 13. Introduce us to your current book (this is the latest and greatest, only choose one). "A Little Goes a Long Way" is about a little boy named Fin and his little dog, Sausages, and together they learn to use only what they need as they help with the chores around the house. I was featured at the OC Book Festival on the Storyteller Stage and Pretend City Children's Museum as part of their Author Series last year and have done several reading tours both domestically and internationally. The book has won 3 awards so far including 'Runner Up' at the Hollywood Book Festival in 2014. 14. How long did it take you to write it? It took 7 years of rewriting, discussing, reading aloud to children and adults, focus groups and editing to get it just right for publication. This particular project was in and out of the self publishing process before it was picked up by a small press which meant it also saw 2 other artists in the past. Ultimately we ended up with the very talented Vivian Nguyen. 15. Which character(s) of yours do you most relate to? I generally write in the point of view of the child. I have 2 boys under the age of 3 and have always worked with children ages 0-6. I like to think I know the young child well. 16. Who is your favorite character in this story? I love Fin because he is just like any other young child who is absolutely free in his world to wander and explore yet his willingness to help is adorable because he just can't seem to get it right. In the end he learns to be more careful with how much he uses and learns to not be so wasteful, which I think is a valuable - and relatable - lesson for any young child to learn. 17. Which character is the best role model for readers? Fin is my main character in the story and I suppose he is the best role model for my readers because he learns how to be more careful, which is ultimately his goal. 18. How did you decide on your cover? My artist designed the cover. When we won the first 2 awards we decided to make the title stand out a bit more and add 'Award Winner!' to the front cover with the award seals on the back. 19. What do you hope people discover while reading your story? I have put together several activities with free downloads on the website (www.alittlegoesalongwaybook.com) including suggestions for teachers on how to incorporate the book into their classroom. My hope is that my readers and teachers take advantage of these materials. I've also had fans along the way tell me how they use my story to talk to their kids about how not to be wasteful in their daily lives and that is something that I love hearing! This little story is a springboard for a bigger conversation about conservation and ultimately that is what I hope little ones take away from as they read my story. 20. Have you written anything else? Tell us about it/them. I originally wrote "A Little Goes a Long Way" as a series. The second is called 'A Little Kindness goes a Long Way.' The third is told in the point of view of Sausages, the dog in the story, and he learns to be a good dog. I have yet to come up with a title. I have a separate series that I have written as well and each one of these stories follows a different character who learns something specific as their name suggests: 'Lazy Daisy,' 'Squirrely Hurley,' 'Choosy Susie' to name a few. 21. Do you experience writers block, how do you deal with it? It's so frustrating when you actually have the time to sit down and write and can't for whatever reason. For me, I have so much stress going on in my current world that it really takes some time to wipe away those stressing thoughts that circle my head to make a clear canvas so I can 'draw' with my creative thoughts. I find meditation, yoga or just a nice cup of green tea helps with finding peace. 22. What do you not like about writing? It takes time - which I don't seem to have anymore these days with 2 small children!! 23. Are you working on anything now? My most current project is paired with an instructional video on swimming and it will be using real photographs as the visual as opposed to illustrations. I have a few other ideas in the works as well using this type of photography art visual. We'll see what happens in the coming months! 24. How do you market your work? "A Little Goes a Long Way" has won 3 awards so far and it's not only gratifying to me as a writer to gain this sort of recognition but it's also a great tool to market your work because it now has validation. I can now market myself as an 'award winning author' and that gives me momentum. I use social media, goodreads giveaways, school tours, teaming up with other small businesses, libraries , schools and fellow authors, book readings, signings and festivals to help promote my book. Organizing these types of events to help market the book is half the battle. Getting the book published was easy. When I have readings I also play an interactive song with the kids, I bring coloring sheets and stickers and also have a website that has free downloads and printable activities (www.alittlegoesalongwaybook.com). It's not about making money at this point, but rather getting myself out there and having fun! 25. What would you say to readers? When I do my readings, I always ask the children if there is anything they can think of at home or at school where they have to be more careful with how much they use. Lately, what we mostly discuss is our current drought situation here in California and how we can be less wasteful when it comes to water conservation. I always tell my readers to try and use just what you need so you're not being wasteful! 26. What would you say to writers aspiring or otherwise? When I get asked to give young writers advice, I always say keep reading but STUDY what you love. Study what works and what doesn't and then ask why. Picture books are so simple, but it's the simplicity of it that makes it so hard to write. I have to remember who I am writing for. When I write for the young child I know I can't use too many words. I know that their tiny little brains can't handle too much information at once. I know that they can't be sitting down for that long. I have to allow the illustrations to tell the story too. Marrying the text with the illustrations and finding your formula are key to writing picture books. Thinking about how the pages will turn with the flow of your text is another element to writing in this genre. There is a lot of visualization that goes into writing this genre and it gets quite technical when you think about all the details involved. Keeping it simple is a challenge but it's what works. 27. Where can one purchase your book(s)? Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes and Noble online, Ingram and other expanded distribution channels. It is also available in small local bookshops and toy stores around the country. Please take advantage of the website that provides FREE downloads including my featured song, a video and the audio book. There are also free printable activities and posts about the making of this book. Check out more info at www.alittlegoesalongwaybook.com! Social Media WEBSITE: http://www.alittlegoesalongwaybook.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Little-Goes-a-Long-Way/605158366162933 Twitter: https://twitter.com/ashleymillsmon #alittlegoesalongwaybook #alittlegoesalongway
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Whit McClendon was born on October 31, 1969 in Freeport, Tx. He grew up in Angleton, Texas and was active in martial arts, track and field, and playing the clarinet in band. One year at Texas A & M proved that lacrosse was far more fun than electrical engineering, and he eventually graduated with a degree in Engineering Design Graphics from Brazosport College. After working in the petrochemical field as a CAD drafter for many years, Whit finally achieved his life’s dream of becoming a full-time martial arts instructor. He now lives with his family in Katy, Texas, plays lacrosse as often as possible, and runs Jade Mountain Martial Arts. He laughs a lot more now than he did when he worked at the engineering firm. Welcome to author Whit. Thanks so much for taking the time to fill out 27 Questions so readers can better get to know you and your work! 1. What got you started writing to begin with? I wrote scenes and short stories to amuse myself when I was in junior high, and kept doing so whenever the mood struck me as I grew older. I’ve always enjoyed telling stories, and writing was just an extension of that. 2. What was the first thing you wrote? The first thing I remember writing was a story about a boy who finds a tiny alien sphere that grants him amazing powers. There’s always been an element of fantasy and magic in my writing because that kind of thing fascinates me. I also find it hugely entertaining, so there you go. 3. What inspires you? In terms of my writing, just about anything can inspire me. Music, art, conversation, I’ve found something to write about in many perfectly ordinary things. I also read a lot, and although I never feel right about taking something so blatant as characters or identical situations, I still grab things here and there. I may read an entire book and come away with the idea that I need more rain in my story because weather played a big part what I’d just read. 4. Do you “people watch” for your writing? <chuckle> Nah, I people watch because it’s entertaining. Occasionally, I’ve seen someone that brings a character to mind or influences a brand new one, but that’s actually pretty rare for me. My characters tend to arrive fully realized. 5. Who are you favorite authors? Dennis L. McKiernan, David Gemmell, Simon Green, Raymond E. Feist, Jim Butcher, Dean R. Koontz...so many great authors, so little time. 6. What is your favorite book? Wow, that’s like asking me to pick which piece of chocolate cake I like the best. Here are a few of my favorites. All of the following have either made me cry, yell, laugh, or pump my fist at some point. Lightning by Dean Koontz, The Iron Tower Trilogy by Dennis L. McKiernan (hey, I have an omnibus edition, it’s one book!), Pet Sematary by Stephen King, Small Vices by Robert B. Parker. All of the Druss the Legend tales from David Gemmell are fabulous. There are so...many...more. I read constantly, and just don’t feel right if I don’t have a book nearby. 7. What genre do you most like to read? Fantasy/sword and sorcery. LOVE that stuff. 8. What genre do you write? Fantasy/sword and sorcery. The trilogy that I’m writing now is heroic fantasy, but the other stories that I have either started or outlined have some element of magic or supernatural influence in them. I love that kind of atmosphere, and find that it makes an effective medium for the stories I want to tell. 8a. Is this reflective of what you read? Mostly, though I’ve also been known to read more modern adventure novels, detective stories, and the occasional horror. Have I mentioned that I read a lot? 9. What genre do you have a difficult time with that you wish you could write? I wouldn’t mind being able to write a good detective story, but I doubt I’ll ever put in the time and energy to do that. I enjoy reading those, but I’m never really inspired along those lines. 10. What kind of research do you do or have you done for your story? Hey, Google is a goooood friend of mine. I also bounce things off of a few writer friends from time to time. I do want to make sure that nothing jumps out as being incorrect, but in my genre, I get an awful lot of leeway. Things like castle defenses, rates of travel via horse and on foot, ancient currency exchanges, those are things I like to detail more thoroughly so that nothing jumps out at the reader as being ‘off.’ I’m a martial arts instructor with training in quite a few martial arts, so writing about medieval combat and training is especially fun for me. 11. Do you have any writing rituals like eating chocolate or lighting incense? Not really. I seem to do my best writing in my office at my martial arts school. I’d write more at home, but I always end up with our two pugs in my lap and they tend to put me right to sleep. Seriously, they’re better than Ambien. Can’t write a dang thing with them there, all warm and cuddly. I do listen to music sometimes, but that’s the next question. 12. Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what kind? I often listen to Pandora, I have an Enya station and a Loreena McKennitt station, those work best for me. It’s very Celtic/New Age stuff, and sets the right mood for what I’m writing, and I’m not distracted by the words. 13. Introduce us to your current book. Mage’s Burden is the first in a heroic fantasy trilogy. When the evil sorcerer, Mordak, escapes after two thousand years of imprisonment, it is up to Brunar, the Mage, to gather the Guardians and oppose him. Using the ancient magick of the Jidaan, six ancient and magickal weapons, Brunar must find the men and women who are uniquely bound to each, and train them to use their extraordinary powers to defeat the vile wizard. Not all of the Guardians accept their destiny. Mage’s Burden tells of Brunar’s struggle to prepare his students for battle, and of the rise to power of the evil Mordak. Mordak is really, truly, baaaaad. I mean, I’ve had people come up to me and say, ‘Yeah, that guy is just AWFUL! Who kills him??” I just laugh (somewhat evilly) and tell them they have to read the next two books to see what happens. 14. How long did it take you to write it? It took me over 20 years to finally get Mage’s Burden to print. Yes, yes, that’s an awfully long time and I feel badly about it. You see, in the past, I was an extremely lazy writer. I’d work hard for a couple of weeks and then not touch the manuscript for nearly a year before getting to it again. Life got in the way, and very often. In 2014, I finally decided that it was time to get MB published at last, so I tied it all up and pulled the trigger. Once I finally got MB published, I became much more motivated and disciplined with my writing, and I’m now nearing completion of book 2 in the series, Gart’s Road. It’s been a little over a year since I started GR and I’m literally about 5 pages from finishing the rough draft. 15. Which character(s) of yours do you most relate to? There’s a bit of me in almost all of my characters, even the evil ones. The leader of the ‘good guys’ is a Mage who is a scholar as well as a warrior, and as a martial arts instructor, I identify with him a lot. There’s also a young fighter who is very pure in his fighting style and not so clued in to a lot of social nuances. He’s a far better fighter than I’ve ever been, but I know that guy pretty well. I’ve also been as angry as Gart, so his blinding rage is not unknown to me. We write what we know and make up the rest, and I’m no different in that respect. 16. Who is your favorite character in this story? That’s a hard question. All of my characters are pretty near and dear to me. I will say that I have a group of priestesses that crack me up, and I really enjoy them a lot. They are healers who can kick some serious butt. They have...um...skills. I very much look forward to exploring their hijinks more thoroughly. 17. Which character is the best role model for readers? I have a number of heroic characters, and any of them would qualify, I think. Alyssa is the smallest of them, and is a healer rather than a fighter, but she’s just as powerful as the biggest fighter among them, and she’s willing to go toe to toe with anyone if necessary. She doesn’t let her lack of size, or the fact that she’s a woman, keep her from doing whatever needs to be done. Brunar is the leader, and has devoted his entire life to protecting the land and the people in it, no matter the odds. Nessar is an older character, a former thief and Guildmaster, who is now fighting on the side of good. I’ve heard it said that one doesn’t truly know virtue unless they’ve fought out of a hole, and Nessar is doing that. 18. How did you decide on your cover? The cover of Mage’s Burden depicts a scene in which the Mage presents one of the fabled weapons to its Chosen wielder. The scene is repeated with other characters several times in that book, and seemed appropriate for the cover. 19. What do you hope people discover while reading your story? What I really hope is that folks simply enjoy the story and are entertained by it. It makes me deeply happy when folks tell me that they had fun reading it. I also want to display the virtues of having a never-give-up attitude, and acknowledging the fact that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. (Thanks, Mr. Spock.) 20. Have you written anything else? Tell us about it/them. Mage’s Burden (June, 2014) and Gart’s Road (coming soon) are my only book length works. Other than these, I have a handful of short stories, scenes, outlines, and ideas for other book projects gathering dust on my laptop. One story I may explore is a modern werewolf tale, while another deals with witches during the time of the Salem witch trials, though with a huge fantasy twist. There’s also one ghost story that has one foot in the pioneer days of Texas and the other foot in the present. 21. Do you experience writers block, how do you deal with it? If I ever get stuck when I’m writing, I tend to just stop writing that part and find another scene that is more clear in my head. Often, I’ll write an entire chapter before the other scene becomes clearer and then I can go back to it. I fit it all together eventually. 22. What do you not like about writing? The thing that bugs me about writing, is not so much about writing itself, but about the fact that I don’t have nearly as much time to do it as I would like. Writing is fun for me, I just can’t do it as much as I want because I have a business to run, classes to teach, my own training, family time...that kind of thing. And sleeping. That’s important. 23. Are you working on anything now? I’m just a few pages away (I think) from finishing Gart’s Road, book 2 in my series. 24. How do you market your work? I have a wonderful lady, Aileen Aroma, who publicizes my work on social media, and I also post on Facebook and tweet when I remember to do so. I’ve done a book signing at a local bookstore, Katy Budget Books, and had a booth at Space City Comic Con, where I happily sold all of the copies of MB that I’d brought with me. Lastly, I have a website, www.jidaan.com that has links to the book on Amazon. 25. What would you say to readers? “Hello there! Read my book! I hope you like it!” 26. What would you say to writers aspiring or otherwise? Write. Just write. Write even if you don’t think it’s any good. Get something on the page and once you’ve started, just keep going with it. Write as much as you can and read as much as you can. You might be good at it, and you might not, but if you enjoy writing, then let nothing stop you. Get after it. 27. Where can one purchase your book(s)? My books are available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Katy Budget Books in Katy, Tx, and Jade Mountain Martial Arts in Katy, Tx. If anyone wants a signed copy, feel free to contact me. http://www.amazon.com/Mages-Burden-Book-Jidaan-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00KUKV4WS http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mages-burden-whit-mcclendon/1120036885?ean=9781500237714#productInfoTabs Social Media www.jidaan.com www.facebook.com/whit.mcclendon www.facebook.com/fireofthejidaan www.twitter.com/whitmccauthor Ber’s search for Serren comes to an end when he learns she’s being kept prisoner at Snow White’s castle. When he goes to retrieve her, he learns that she is suffering from a curse that has made her kill several Blue Beards. She is possessed by a Blue Siren, and the only way to save her is for the beast who rejected her to listen to the story of each her kills. But can Ber convince the siren to tell him her tales when it was his voice that drove her to kill?
To protect Serren from the pain of being abandoned by her beast, the sickness she locked up inside her has grown into a monster called the Blue Siren. A monster whose only purpose is to kill Blue Beards so the voice of the man who rejected her will be silenced by their screams. When she is captured, she is taken to be quarantined at the formidable and inescapable prison at Snow White’s castle. Content to die, she waits for the queen to decide her fate, but instead of an execution like she expects, a man who shares a voice with the one that drove her mad has come, demanding she tell him her story. But will he still love the beauty the siren is trying to protect when he learns just how mad she’s become? Stan had a pretty normal, middle-class American youth. He was lucky enough to change that by convincing an exceptional woman to marry him in 2000, setting him on a much more fulfilling life course. Four years later, Brigham Young University awarded him with a Bachelor’s of Science in civil and environmental engineering. He then spent several years designing homes, prescribing work for bridges, and even exploring the mortgage industry. In the midst of all this, he produced two science fiction anthologies in 2006 and 2007. In 2012, Breezy Reads Publishing picked up his romantic comedy The Cinderella Project. And thus he transformed himself from Captain Kirk into Don Juan. Stan lives with his wife, and children (final count to be determined) in rural Arizona. Welcome to author Stan. Thanks so much for taking the time to fill out 27 Questions so readers can better get to know you and your work!1. What got you started writing to begin with? What got me seriously writing was the fact that I’d spent several years dreaming up stories on webforums—and loving every minute of it—and the realizing that, hey, I could actually go somewhere with it. I still remember that day in 2008 that I paused in the middle of what I was doing and said, “I want to be a published author.” It still took me four years to get over my laziness but by the end of 2012 I’d landed a contract with a publishing house and, my first book (a new adult romantic comedy) entered the public realm. 2. What was the first thing you wrote? How far back do you want me to go? If we want to be super technical, my first “published” work was actually written when I was five years old. I won a writing contest put on by my local library. The grand prize was to have a copy of my book included in the library, which I thought was pretty cool. The first book I actively sought to have published through a house was the aforementioned romcom, entitled The Cinderella Project. 3. What inspires you In addition to becoming a storyteller, I’ve learned to see the world through a photographer’s eyes. I see the beauty of my wife, her kindness and love, framed timelessly in a way I can only hope to emulate in writing. I see the brilliance of a sunset as it bids the day farewell, and wonder, “How do I put something like that into words?” Even realizing that I’m inadequate to the task, I still feel the burning to do it. The lives of my children, the work of other authors, the ups and downs of life—these things also inspire me. We write because we want our stories to be known. All of us have stories. When we share them, when we throw ourselves out into the darkness of chance, heedless of the fact we might be ridiculed for doing so, we often find that we can connect with others in ways we could not have had we not shared our stories. Life inspires me. 4. Do you “people watch” for your writing? Yes and no. It’s true I prefer to build characters around proven archetypes, simply because such archetypes are often easiest to relate to, and it’s certainly true that I find myself saying, “That person could so be a book character.” But I don’t generally set aside time to stalk people, er, I mean “people watch” in direct relation to a current story project. Or, at least, nothing that I can recall for anything I’ve worked on. 5. Who are you favorite authors? In no particular order, I have several “favorites” including Orson Scott Card, Hugh Nibley (yes, I like non-fiction as well), David Eddings, Brandon Sanderson, Dan Wells, Michael Stackpole, and Milton (yes, of Paradise Lost fame). 6. What is your favorite book? That’s like asking me to choose a favorite child. My favourites include books from the authors mentioned above, though I will get a little religious and include the Holy Scriptures in that list. 7. What genre do you most like to read? Genre preferences have been somewhat fluid over time. In my younger days, I was a huge sci-fi fan (still am), but I’ve learned to love fantasy and even romance, though I avoid the really smutty stuff. I write clean romances; if I want steamy, I’ll go talk to my wife and bring her some chocolate. 8. What genre do you write? Is this reflective of what you read? All of my published work, so far, is new adult romantic comedy. It’s not actually all that reflective of what I read, but that’s no surprise since I almost accidentally stumbled into writing romcom—I really enjoy doing it, but it’s not at all what I set out to do. My current work-in-progress is actually a midgrade fantasy-fic work which does more closely match what I read. I still see myself doing romcom (so many good stories to tell there), but I’m transitioning back toward my “home” genre. Still, I think there’s no reason to define one’s writing solely by what one reads. Branching out can be risky business, but even if you do “fail,” it doesn’t mean you can’t learn something valuable from it. 9. What genre do you have a difficult time with that you wish you could write? I don’t really have a good answer for this, since I feel reasonably proficient at writing the genres I prefer to write. That said, I wouldn’t mind being better at mystery writing; there are times I’d like to include more elements of that genre in my stories. 10. What kind of research do you do or have you done for your story? Research is an integral part of every book. I’ve done everything from studying how certain professions actually work, to virtual tours of city streets, in order to make sure I get details as accurate as practical without actually experiencing those things myself (which often isn’t practical for me). As an ancillary to research, I also “research” the world I’m building in order to establish consistency. That includes character bios, local history, timelines, etc., even if the world I’m using is predominantly fictional. 11. Do you have any writing rituals like eating chocolate or lighting incense? I’d rather not say. The parakeets would blush. 12. Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what kind? Since I listen to music in general, I can’t really say I “listen to music” while I write—at least, not more than usual. More recently, however, I’ve taken to writing without music, since I find that the music often pulls my thoughts away from what I’m writing. I’ve found that for me, music inspires writing best outside the actual writing process. Some music really will inspire a scene, and I have used that. Just… not so much when it’s “fingers on the keyboard” time. 13. Introduce us to your current book. My upcoming release is entitled Autumn Wings, and it’s my third New Adult Romantic Comedy. It focuses on a process many people are familiar with—namely, grieving. Alex Sharp is the only young widower at his college, having lost his wife during their junior year at school. Struggling to move past her life, and sworn to never give his heart again, Alex finds that his late wife actually has her own plans for him. 14. How long did it take you to write it? The actual writing was off and on over a couple of years—much longer than my previous two novels, but much of that was because of life issues (and some heavy stress from my day job resulting in long periods of burn out). I initially started this story in 2006, then shelved it until 2013 when I picked it up and started seriously revamping it with help from my truly excellent writers group (I miss you ladies!). After that, life changes really slowed the process, and I didn’t put the finishing touches on it until mid-2015. My publisher is still finalizing the cover and working on the marketing angle, but we’re hoping to release the book fairly soon. 15. Which character(s) of yours do you most relate to? In a way, I think I relate best to both Alex, the main character, and his deceased wife, Autumn. I relate to Alex because while I have not (thankfully) lost a spouse to death, I did lose the woman I wanted to marry when she dumped me. I went on to deal with my own grieving, and efforts to move past that deep wound. Autumn speaks to me because of what she’s trying to do for the man she loves; I’ve been in a similar place, watching people I care about suffer through various woes (including relationship troubles), and trying not to pull my hair out because they’re making sometimes foolish decisions based on pain, fear, and an incomplete picture. 16. Who is your favorite character in this story? Hands down, it’s Jennifer. She’s a loveable ditz, but she was so stinkin’ fun to write and to read. She doesn’t have enough substance to her story to really be a main character, but there were several times when I had to tone down her character simply because she was so engaging that she was starting to outshine other characters who really should have more spotlight. Because of that, she became the de facto standard against which to measure other female characters in AW. 17. Which character is the best role model for readers? I’d like to think that Alex is, simply because I do try to be conscientious about the messages my characters put across, both in word and deed, but I think Kamu (another character I dearly love) is a pretty strong contender simply because of his easy way, and the fact that he was always able to keep his head even when his roommates verged on feuding. Still, Alex’s determination to do what was right and to honor his word despite personal pain and sacrifice is a message I think we could all stand to learn from. 18. How did you decide on your cover? I’ll let you know when my publisher concludes that process. *Grin* 19. What do you hope people discover while reading your story? I hope they discover what I did—namely that while dark times do come, there’s almost always a way through them; and often, we may get help we neither recognize nor expect. 20. Have you written anything else? Tell us about it/them. As mentioned above, I’ve already got two other New Adult romcoms in print. The first, The Cinderella Project deals with the notion “Cinderella lied,” in a contemporary college setting. The second, Love Spell, involves a guy who gets what he wishes for only to find out that there really is such a thing as “too much of a good thing.” There’s a bit of a “King Midas” theme going. While neither of these books share characters with one another, or with Autumn Wings, they’ll be packaged together as a collection under my publisher once AW releases. 21. Do you experience writers block, how do you deal with it? Honestly, I’m not sure who doesn’t experience that at least sometime in his/her writing, notwithstanding what Brandon Sanderson posits. I agree with Brandon’s points about how writing is our profession (if we’re actually professional writers instead of hobbyists), and I agree with the “Sit down and write” advice I’ve heard many times. When I do get writer’s block, it’s generally a function of the rest of life simply catching up with me. I’m a normal human being. I get tired, sick, stressed, bothered, etc. When that happens, it’s far more difficult to shift my brain into “Creative Mode.” My solution is either to find a way to relax myself or, if I’m under a deadline, just “sit down and write.” Sooner or later, the dam breaks, and things move forward again. While I may not produce high-quality stuff in those moments, it’s much easier to come back and fix it, later, than it is to pull something out of nothing. The real secret to writing success is to just work and work some more. 22. What do you not like about writing? Hand cramps. And the occasional burnout, which usually has less to do with writing and more to do with having to take care of other important things. And the business side of things. Still haven’t learned to love that. 23. Are you working on anything now? Absolutely. I’m working my way through the first of what I intend to be a series of mid-grade fantasy fic novels that draw heavily from metaphysics, and explore the premise that “everything is real.” It has been a more common theme of late, it seems (consider “Fablehaven” for instance), but it also asks the question, “What happens when a boy with no imagination is put in charge of an imaginary world?” This story has been burning a hole in my mind since 2009, and actually combines key elements of three other short stories I originally wrote on webboards, as well as some interesting personal experiences that got me wondering about some things. Seriously, this book is great, even though it’s not done yet. My only wish is that I’d gotten it on the market much a few years back, instead of having it still be a work in progress. 24. How do you market your work? I have this little booth down on Fifth Street, amongst the sheep vendors. Seriously, though, marketing is probably my weakest point as an author, so I rely on my publisher probably more than I should. I’ve long hated “sales” of any kind (ironic, since I once did a brief stint as an internet service phone salesman) because I want people to read my books because they enjoy them, not because they feel cajoled to read them. That said, I’m slowly learning how to market my book simply by showing others just how excited I am about them, which stimulates interest all its own. Book signings and conferences have helped me with this as well, but I still have a long way to go. My poor blog languishes, and I don’t even plug myself on Facebook near as much as I could. One lesson at a time, right? 25. What would you say to readers? Read my books. They’re awesome. (How’s that for marketing?) Human beings are storytellers and story consumers by nature. We don’t want to feel alone. We want escape. We want to know that someone else has faced long odds and came out okay. We want to know that others can find joy, and that we, too, have that same hope. People read for all sorts of reasons, and that’s great. Don’t just read, but read things that are worthwhile—things that teach, and expand your mind and even challenge your worldview a little. Even if you don’t agree with what’s being said, there’s something we can learn about ourselves in seeing a different perspective now and again. A good book can provide just that opportunity. 26. What would you say to writers aspiring or otherwise? I would say you’re aspiring to a great dream. You need to ask yourself whether you’re ready to do the work involved, and to commit to it over time and through hardships. Life doesn’t stop just because you’re a writer (thank goodness), but if you ever want a chance at notable success, you’ll need to pay the same price many authors before you have paid. Remember, though, the heart of what we do is storytelling. Money, fame, glamor—those are nice to have if you get them, but what good storytellers do has a value you just can’t put a price tag on. Don’t fixate on the financial side of things if you don’t have to. Just concentrate on bringing to life the best stories you can. You’ll have plenty of chances to worry about the “business” aspect later. And believe me—that part can take its toll. 27. Where can one purchase your book(s)? Currently my books are available at several online dealers, namely Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, and Smashwords.com (links in the vendor name as well as below for convenience). Social Media Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stan.crowe.5?fref=ts Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/StanCrowe Website: www.breezyreads.com Other: http://stanavenues.blogspot.com/
Welcome to author D.G. Driver. Thanks so much for taking the time to fill out 27 Questions so readers can better get to know you and your work!1. What got you started writing to begin with? I wrote for fun in school, just as a hobby to pass the time. In the summer between high school and college, some friends and I had a fun night exploring the spooky “Old Town” in Irvine, CA, and we created a ghost story to go with the setting. Inspired, and maybe possessed, I spent my breaks from school over the next four years writing that into a novel. I never published it, but I’ve been writing ever since. 2. What was the first thing you wrote? I started with short stories and songs. An original play I wrote was performed by my former high school when I was a freshman in college, and that was my first writing that had an audience other than a teacher or my parents. The first writing I was paid for was a children’s musical called A Pirate Tale that was produced in Los Angeles. 3. What inspires you? I get my ideas from all kinds of sources: dreams, news stories, tidbits I hear on the radio. I’m inspired to write when I read good books and celebrate the success of my author friends. 4. Do you “people watch” for your writing? Not actively. I tend to pull characteristics I remember from people I’ve known from my past, from work, or from my years doing theater. 5. Who are you favorite authors? Stephen King is my favorite author overall. I loved Judy Blume best as a child. My current favorite I-will-read-any-of-her-books author is Nashville author Sharon Cameron. 6. What is your favorite book? My favorite book is The Neverending Story by Michael Ende. 7. What genre do you most like to read? I mostly read Young Adult and Middle Grade, but it doesn’t matter which genre. I do favor plot-heavy stories over character-driven ones. Hit me up with some adventure, fantasy, dystopia, thriller, and I’ll be a happy girl. 8. What genre do you write? Is this reflective of what you read? I write YA Contemporary Fantasy. Some call it Urban Fantasy or Magical Realism. Basically, I like writing stories about regular kids in current times who encounter something fantastic that changes their view of the world. And yes, I read more fantasy and scifi than anything else. I’m also a nut for scifi TV shows. While everyone else is watching Scandal and Grey’s Anatomy, I’m watching The Arrow or Once Upon a Time. 8. What genre do you have a difficult time with that you wish you could write? I’m not very good at writing mysteries. I wish I could write a good mystery with clues, puzzles, red herrings, and stuff like that. 10. What kind of research do you do or have you done for your story? I do quite a bit of research. For Cry of the Sea I had to do research on oil spills: how they occur, laws concerning them, how they are cleaned, how animals are rescued and rehabilitated, and so on. I had to do research into my main character’s American Indian heritage (and even more so for book two Whisper of the Woods), and I looked into the legends and mythology that might go well with the story I was creating. These are just some of the bigger things I researched. 11. Do you have any writing rituals like eating chocolate or lighting incense? No, not really. I work full time and have a family. I write when I can grab a chance. I don’t have time to have rituals. I do prefer writing on my laptop at my desk at home, but I’ve been known to scribble in a notepad while sitting in the car waiting for my daughter to come out from school. I wrote the first draft of my novella Passing Notes in a legal pad while my daughter was taking swim lessons. 12. Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what kind? No. Music is super distracting for me, even instrumental. 13. Introduce us to your current book. My novel is Cry of the Sea. It is a YA scifi/fantasy novel about Juniper Sawfeather, a teen daughter of environmental activists who discovers mermaids washed ashore during an oil spill. She soon finds herself in the middle of a struggle between her parents, a marine biologist and his handsome intern, the media, the kids at school, and the corrupt oil company over the fate of the mermaids. Can she keep them from being exploited or killed? 14. How long did it take you to write it? I originally wrote this story over the course of three months back in 2000. However, it’s been through many, many rewrites since then. The biggest overhaul, and I mean pretty much starting over, was in 2010, and it took me about half a year. The sequel, Whisper of the Woods, comes out in November. On and off, that novel took about eight months to write. 15. Which character(s) of yours do you most relate to? I feel like I relate mostly to Juniper’s mother. I like to think I’m warmer than her, but I definitely struggle with daughters who fight against my advice or refuse to follow my example when it comes to work ethics and studying. 16. Who is your favorite character in this story? My favorite character is Carter. He’s the potential love interest for Juniper. He’s a smart, caring guy in a beach boy’s body. He’s a freshman in college and doesn’t have much patience for Juniper’s high school friends and their drama, but he is very charmed with her because she more mature than the rest. My readers have all told me they have crushes on him, which thrills me to pieces. 17. Which character is the best role model for readers? Juniper. She is incredibly smart and driven. She cares deeply about the environment and sea life. When she sets her heart on helping the mermaids (which are portrayed as real sea creatures), she will not be stopped. She struggles against her intimidating parents, but she still admires and loves them. 18. How did you decide on your cover? My book is traditionally published with Fire and Ice Young Adult Books. They provide the cover art for their books. Caroline Andrus did the art for both Cry of the Sea and Passing Notes. When I first saw the cover for Cry of the Sea, I got teary-eyed. I thought it was beautiful, and she capture Juniper’s face perfectly. I’m excited that we hired a model to be Juniper for the Whisper of the Woods cover, and I can’t wait to see how it comes out. 19. What do you hope people discover while reading your story? I hope they learn an appreciation for keeping oceans clean of pollution. I also hope they take away a desire to help animals and creatures that need it. I didn’t write Cry of the Sea to be an issue-driven book, but it does have a message in the theme. 20. Have you written anything else? Tell us about it/them. My YA romance novella Passing Notes was published in January of this year. It is a sweet story about a ghost that is teaching a teen boy to write the perfect love letter to impress the girl he adores. It’s nostalgic and heartwarming. Whisper of the Woods, my sequel to Cry of the Sea, comes out in November. It will tell another story about Juniper Sawfeather encountering a magical creature, this time during a protest to prevent Old Growth trees from being chopped down. “The Jamaican Dragon” is a short story of mine that was published in the pirate anthology A Tall Ship, A Sail, and Plunder. I also have four non-fiction books (under the name Donna Getzinger) with Morgan Reynolds Publishers. 21. Do you experience writers block, how do you deal with it? I don’t have a lot of time to write, so I am often like a pot boiling over by the time I get to actually work on my stories. However, I have stared at pages many times wondering how to get from A to Z. For me, I either have to work on something else for a bit, or I just power through and write a bunch of junk, knowing I can always fix it later. 22. What do you not like about writing? I have a hard time with first drafts. I’m excited about my story, but I get caught up with all the little sentences “he walked over to the door”, “she picked up the paper”, “he told her” that stuff. I love rewriting. Tweaking, cutting, changing. Fixing those horrible little sentences. I find that way more fun. 23. Are you working on anything now? Yes. Right at this moment I’m writing a romance story for an anthology that Satin Romance is putting out next year. I then plan to write a couple more ghost stories in the same style as Passing Notes to perhaps bundle into an anthology of my own work. When that’s all through, I plan to start writing book three of the Juniper Sawfeather stories. 24. How do you market your work? I do lots of social media stuff on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Pinterest. I LOVE doing school visits, speaking at conferences, and I try to have a space or booth at all kinds of local events. Follow me: Website: www.dgdriver.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/donnagdriver Twitter: www.twitter.com/DGDriverAuthor Tumblr: www.d-g-driver.tumblr.com www.pinterest.com/dgdriver www.instagram.com/d_g_driver# 25. What would you say to readers? Take a chance and discover my books. They are appropriate for kids as young as twelve, and lots of adults enjoy them too. If you do like them, please consider leaving a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads. It really helps other people discover the books. 26. What would you say to writers aspiring or otherwise? Take your time. It’s not a race. Make your book the best it can be before you start submitting to agents or publishers. And if you’re going to self-publish, hire and editor. 27. Where can one purchase your book(s)? Everywhere you can buy books online. But here are some links to get you started: Cry of the Sea: http://www.amazon.com/Cry-Sea-D-G-Driver/dp/1612357865/ref=sr_1_1_twi_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1419096316&sr=8-1&keywords=Cry+of+the+Sea+by+D.+G.+Driver http://www.lulu.com/shop/d-g-driver/cry-of-the-sea/paperback/product-21464813.html http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cry-of-the-sea-d-g-driver/1118708060?ean=9781612357867 http://www.bookdepository.com/Cry-Sea-Driver/9781612357867 http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/409843 Passing Notes http://www.amazon.com/Passing-Notes-D-G-Driver-ebook/dp/B00RMZBLJK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420227403&sr=8-1&keywords=Passing+Notes+by+D.+G.+Driver https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/505480 http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/passing-notes-d-g-driver/1121253580?ean=2940151542746 Ouran High School Host Club by Bisco Hatori ★★★★☆ Completed Series (18 Volumes) Genres: Drama, Reverse Harem, Romantic Comedy, Bishonen I have this friend, the one who introduced me to the world of manga. I was resistant at first because I didn't think I was going to care much for it, but I was also very afraid that I'd get sucked into it. And let's be honest. Manga is an expensive hobby. $10.00 or so a volume and there likely being several volumes within a series.
So I'm lucky. She buys the manga, and she becomes my library. What happens when I've read everything she's got? Well... I've already started my own library of first volumes. So here is my review of the first manga I ever read. I agreed to read The Host Club because I had seen the anime several times and loved it (this story is like, one of the funniest things out there), but I was sadly disappointed by the lack of romantic closure between the characters. Well never fear! There's a manga for that! (Like many animes adapted from manga they didn't finish the series. They only did a first season to tease you and get you to go read.) My girlfriend found out my woes and offered to lend me her books. I reluctantly agreed. I mean. Was I really going to like this form of storytelling? I breezed through those volumes in a couple of days (granted I skipped the ones that were covered in the anime which I guess ought to be a no no because they're not always perfectly the same, but alas). I finished and thought... gosh darn it! I was hooked. The manga love blossom had bloomed. So. The Host Club. Japanese story tellers (and audiences because the storytellers keep using this story form so it must be popular) really love putting a girl in guys clothes and making several guys fall in love with her. That's right! This is a bishonen (beautiful men), romantic drama-comedy, reverse harem piece! Whoa what a mouthful. In other words, it's a romantic comedy taking place in everyday life (usually in a school setting) where a guy and girl fall in love under interesting though somewhat normal circumstances. Haruhi is a "commoner" who has been allowed into a rich kids school due to her academic awesomeness. She can't afford a school uniform so walks around with glasses, a shabby sweater, and messed up hair. She's just looking for a quiet place to study when she ends up in an unused music room. Should be quiet, right? Wrong! Upon entering, Haruhi is greeted by the bishonen boys! A host club with just about every Japanese character archetype (yes, they are somewhat different from western archetypes depending on your genre) available to the imagination. Due to her shabby appearance they not only peg her as a "commoner" but mistake her for a boy. When she accidentally breaks a very expensive vase they force her to become the club's dog or errand boy to pay them back what she owes. Things take a turn however when they realize that she's a pretty boy (not yet figuring out she's actually a girl) and they decide to make her a host. Tamaki, the club's king and prince-type, takes her under his wing and starts to train her, but she turns out to be a natural. Girls know what girls like, y'know? But then, one by one, each the club members realize that he's a she, the order of which proves their intelligence and or observatory skills. Mama, or the club's manager, is the first to notice and doesn't say a thing as the other members come to discover it for themselves, Tamaki being the last and not getting it until he walks in on her changing. And in that moment, unbeknownst to him, love has blossomed and he mistakes his affections for her as that of a doting father's. How he expects to compete with her actual doting (trany) father becomes an entertaining cycle of abuse and alliance. And no matter how Tamaki presents his love, Haruhi is always resistant, not understanding his flamboyant displays are the true feelings of one who's fallen for her. But throughout the story the two grow closer and Tamaki not only realizes that his feelings aren't a father-type at all, but Haruhi starts to suspect that she has feelings for him herself. Haruhi is also (I have come to discover) a refreshing heroine. She's not girly, she's not timid, she's not really all that shy. She's herself, a down to earth girl who isn't afraid to say no. She's a little reckless in her desire to help people and that can cause trouble, but in the end, she comes to realize that there are not only certain things she can't do alone but she doesn't have to do alone. Full of silly cracks at classic manga and anime tropes this story is full of cute scenes, awkward brothers (you get over it though), and knee slapping, guffaw worthy satire. The characters are well rounded, each having a side to them beyond the archetype from which they were manifest from, and all supporting the heroine in his own way as she becomes more comfortable with her feelings for the prince who's been unwittingly trying to steal her heart. For a fun read with little to be sad over I'd recommend Ouran High School Host Club. Have fun! Nim of A Witch's Song is excited to announce that we've reached over 100 Likes on our facebook page!
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