Welcome to author Ann. 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 started out as a voracious reader, I read anything I could get my hands on. Gradually, through reading indescriminately, I developed taste. When I got married and started having children I decided that keeping a record of their lives was a good idea and so, over the years, I wrote every Sunday evening in their journals. The material was endless and before I started writing I would read through the growing record. This taught me what worked and what fell flat. Where I needed more detail and where brevity would have made the story better. We now have a family of 10 children and I count that journal keeping discipline as the best thing I could have done to hone my skills. 2 .What was the first thing you wrote? A little book about life and death called 'Goodbye Flutterfly'. A condolence book for those who grieve. Our son died at age two and this book attempts to explain death by showing the parallels between our lives and the life cycle of a butterfly. 3 .What inspires you? My children. I learned from them that each of us is endlessly creative and so I gain confidence that I am creative as well. They give me hope. 4 .Do you “people watch” for your writing? I feel bad about this because I put my son-in-law in my book and ended up killing him off. When I named the character I thought that if it didn't work out I would just re-name him but it didn't work out that way. He became as real as you or I and so it proved impossible to change his name. 5. Who are your favorite authors? I love great story tellers. JK Rowling, Jane Austen, Eric Stanley Gardner and Charlotte Bronte, Harper Lee 6. What is your favorite book? To Kill A Mockingbird or the Harry Potter series 7. What genre do you most like to read? Mystery/Thriller 8. What genre do you write? Is this reflective of what you read? My novel is a historical mystery and before I wrote it I thought that it would make a great Dan Brown book. I love fast paced books that have an element of truth in them. My book 'The Throne of David' is all of that! 9. What genre do you have a difficult time with that you wish you could write? I start 30 love stories to find one that I like although I don't think I will ever write a full-on love story. Including a love story in a larger work, that I will attempt. 10. What kind of research do you do or have you done for your story? The research needed for 'The Throne of David' was extensive. Writing about a true legend means that everything has a basis in fact and I had to check and re-check the details to be accurate. There is a lot of controversy over the throne of David legend and I had to sift through everyone's opinion to get to the truth. It was something I really enjoyed. 11. Do you have any writing rituals like eating chocolate or lighting incense? My rituals involve convincing the kids to leave me alone for a period of time. I talk to them, remind them and then tape a sign on the door to keep them from interrupting my concentration. 12. Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what kind? My real world is so noisy that I seem to need complete quiet while I write. The voices in my head are clamoring to be hear and music drowns them out. 13. Introduce us to your current book. 'My book, ‘The Throne of David’, is a historical mystery and joins works such as the ‘Da Vinci Code’ or ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ in unraveling ancient legends. The story follows the history of the throne of David, you might remember that king David was promised that his throne would endure until Christ came to personally reign on the earth. David's throne has always been joined with a sacred stone and you might be shocked to learn that this throne exists today, hidden in plain sight. The book is set in New York, London, Ireland and Scotland and is a fictionalized account of the intricacies of this great mystery. Prophecies about the throne abound and my book follows its history through time and across continents. The book ultimately reveals the likely resting place of the coronation stone - symbol of the royal throne of David. 14. How long did it take you to write it? It took nine months from start to finish. I found that the writing was extremely difficult but I adored the editing. Weird, right? 15. Which character(s) of yours do you most relate to? I think I would have to say that I relate to Camryn because she has known death and is struggling to survive her grief. I admire her vulnerability and grit. 16. Who is your favorite character in this story? David Lord, by far. He is smart and tender and does what is right in spite of his own self interest. 17. Which character is the best role model for readers? I have received more feedback on Enrique than on any of the other characters. I think that his background in the military and his struggle with addiction resonate with my readers. 18. How did you decide on your cover? My cover was designed by an award winning designer named Michelle May. She wins awards every year and although I envisioned something a bit more political thriller-ish Michelle designed the cover to show the historical moodiness of the book. I loved it from the first time I saw it. 19. What do you hope people discover while reading your story? My hope is that my readers come away from reading my book understanding the history of some of the most famous artifacts of the British monarchy. Why they are venerated and how the religious history of Ireland and Scotland is woven all through their secular history. 20. Have you written anything else? Tell us about it/them. Just the two books, 'Goodbye Flutterfly' and 'The Throne of David' 21. Do you experience writers block, how do you deal with it? I believe that writers block is nothing but a writer that is on empty. When I struggle to write I stop and take time to fill myself up with music or art or nature. I sit on our front porch and listen to great music (and by that I mean music from the 70's!) or I take the kids to the river and watch them play. Once I feel renewed I spend a day immersed in the scriptures - I can feel creative energy flowing back into me and I can create again. 22. What do you not like about writing? I am not a super happy writer. It is such a battle to envision the scene, figure out how to make it important and significant, add details that will move the characters forward and get it all down on paper, so to speak. It is very hard work, for me anyway. Editing is another story completely. 23. Are you working on anything now? Yes I am, it is a sequel to 'The Throne of David' and is tentatively titled 'Defender of the Throne'. 24. How do you market your work? I am doing some really fun things marketing-wise. My daughter put together a list of bloggers that might be interested in highlighting a 55 year old mother of ten children who managed to write a high concept potential best-seller and I am doing some guest posts for them. I am also speaking to large church groups on the subject of 'A Remarkable Journey Towards Creativity'. Also doing radio shows. This is the fun part! 25. What would you say to readers? You will ultimately decide if it is a story worth sharing, if it is one of those books that takes on a life of its own. David Lord only exists if someone opens the book and reads his story! So, I ask you to give my characters a chance to really live. 26. What would you say to writers aspiring or otherwise? I have written about the creative process in a pamphlet I call ‘A Remarkable Journey Towards Creativity’. I believe many people who read my book might be interested in reading this as well. It is the story of how I came to write, in spite of the time and space challenges inherent in my life. It is said that 80% of us believe we have a book in us! I have written this to try to explain the extraordinary process of creativity. It is on my website - http://annfarnsworth.com/ - and can be downloaded for free with the code ‘free’. My hope is that my story helps to motivate and inspire someone who is now contemplating or struggling with the act of creation. Before I ever attempted writing, I spent a lifetime as a voracious reader. I know the power of words. That power is limitless, endless and an extraordinarily force for good or ill. The Throne of David, this act of creation, has enriched my life and my hope is that it will bless yours as well. And keep in mind, if I can do this, anyone can. We all have dreams and aspirations - obstacles are just a way to prove we are worthy of those dreams. 27. Where can one purchase your book(s)? The best place to purchase the book would be here: http://www.throneaccess.com/ If you would like to read reviews you can go here: http://amzn.to/1RqzwB5 Or you can ask your library to order a copy with this: ISBN 13: 978-1-4621-1714-7 Social Media author website: http://annfarnsworth.com/ Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1Z30Zhu to buy the book: http://www.throneaccess.com/ twitter: @AnnFarnsworth
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Welcome to author Kristen. 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 had no idea authors had to actually sit down and make up things until, in my college years, I read Youngblood Hawke by Herman Wouk. Poor Youngblood died of something like tuberculosis while working night and day to finish his masterpiece, but never mind that. I wanted to try this fascinating thing. 2. What was the first thing you wrote? A quite awful story about infertility. The notebook where that thing is scribbled is good and lost. And no, I’ve never suffered from infertility. 3. What inspires you? Other great novels. Even People Magazine profiles, even though I hardly read them anymore. But they gave me a sense of where people come from and the odds they face while chasing their dream, or finding themselves trapped in caves or whatever. 4. Do you “people watch” for your writing? Oh, my yes! And I wish I could eavesdrop, too, but I have really bad hearing. 5. Who are you favorite authors? I love Tom Wolfe, Diana Gabaldon, Herman Wouk. 6. What is your favorite book? My current favorite is I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe. It can be explicit in parts (and I wonder if the political rants at the end are a new addition) but Wolfe is a master at showing what people want, at how they think and feel. 7. What genre do you most like to read? I like good old literary novels. 8. What genre do you write? Is this reflective of what you read? I write literary stories, so yes, I guess that reflects my own reading. 9. What genre do you have a difficult time with that you wish you could write? I won’t read much fantasy or paranormal (except for Gabaldon’s time travel series), but oddly enough, I think I’ve got one fantasy story in me. 10. What kind of research do you do or have you done for your story? The research was the fun part! I interviewed a physical therapist, an ER doctor, a boat owner. I read master theses and tracked down a guy who runs a website on bomb shelters. I visited the real “Boxford” multiple times, burrowing into local history shelves, walking its streets. I rode Greyhound buses from Provo to the East Coast, although in the book, the characters ride in the opposite direction. 11. Do you have any writing rituals like eating chocolate or lighting incense? I sit in my special chair, kind of an IKEA bent-wood thing with its own hassock. I sip Diet Dr. Pepper. I set a timer and hope for the best. And sometimes, I look up at the sign on my office wall that says “Resist Paralyzing Perfectionism.” 12. Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what kind? Nope. I need quiet. I shouldn’t even talk to myself. 13. Introduce us to your current book. The Boxford Stories is a collection of short stories chronicling the Runyons and the Feldsteds, two Mormon families in 1970s Maryland. Far from their Western American roots, they cling to each other like exiles clutching a precious box of topsoil from the old country. In The Boxford Stories you will meet Ada Runyon who always turns to Ruthalin Feldsted when she needs an ear—sharing her deepest confidences, her everyday musings, and her bits of horrified gossip. Yet Ada dies inside whenever Ruthalin’s country-cousin manners poke out in public. Latham Runyon, a history professor, and Erval Feldsted, a hospital engineer, bond every Sunday night over gooey desserts and vigorous religious discussion, a game their children call Stump the Rabbi. Underneath their balding heads and graying temples, each man desperately seeks a sign that God would choose him as a buddy. The Feldsted and Runyon children, running breathlessly through each other’s houses and backyards, have long considered each other substitute cousins. However, Ginni Runyon plots to change herself from the girl next door to the girl Marc Feldsted can’t live without. And when Boxford’s Mormons mix with the rest of the town, everybody could use a field guide to the other species. 14. How long did it take you to write it? Decades! I started it when I was pregnant with my second child. She’ll be 30 this fall. I originally intended it as a novel, but my notes grew and grew until I knew that, if I ever finished this book at all, I’d be a nobody with a big fat manuscript. I got the bright idea to divide it up into stories, send them out for publication, then later collect them into a book. You can read four out of the seven stories in Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought and Irreantum. And I’ve still got material for more stories. 15. Which character(s) of yours do you most relate to? Ginni Runyon embodies a lot of my teenage self. Her mother, Ada, draws from my adult self. 16. Who is your favorite character in this story? I really like Erval Feldsted. He’s a bit of a hothead. He’s also out of his depth, living in a time and place far from his Utah boyhood. He just wants credit for being a good guy instead of a Mormon oddity. 17. Which character is the best role model for readers? April Feldsted, Ginni’s best friend. Ginni’s a flighty one. She cares more about covering up her pasty white legs and attracting the attention of April’s brother, but April is the person who can talk some sense into Ginni. 18. How did you decide on your cover? I wanted something that depicted a typical Sunday evening, with the two families gathered for dessert. By the way, the model for the man in the lawn chair is my husband, and artist’s children portrayed the boy and girl chasing each other on the lawn. But you’re supposed to see it as young Marc and Ginni. 19. What do you hope people discover while reading your story? That Mormon fiction is worth their money. 20. Have you written anything else? Tell us about it/them. I’ve written essays and news features. I’ve written about my drop-dead gorgeous cat, about my daughter’s echoing belches, about my interrupt-the-meeting loud stomach on Fast Sunday. I write a blog on my website, http://kristencarsonauthor.com/, where I talk about books I’ve read, books I’ve given up on, and meals I’ve cooked (and the failures). Stop on by, especially if you love chocolate or flour tortillas as much as I do. 21. Do you experience writers block, how do you deal with it? Oh, boy yes!. When writer’s block hits, the problem is often that I’ve gotten off the subject. I have to trace back to the last place I liked and re-start from there. Lately, I’ve found that writer’s block is a symptom of structural problems. Here’s a quote I picked up from Screen Plays by David S. Cohen: “How do you know when a scene isn’t working? “You can’t write it. You can’t write it. “So what do you do? “Figure out why you can’t write it. Go to the basics, sort of like the acting basics. What does each character want? Are they going to get it? If there’s no drama, why not?” Another book I find useful is The Dramatic Writer’s Companion by Will Dunne. It’s full of exercises on character and structure, and includes a marvelous trouble-shooting chapter. 22. What do you not like about writing? I hate it that I work so slowly. I’ve really got to pick up the pace. Again, I think it comes down to structuring a story well, and being willing to write a rotten first draft. Did I mention that sign on my office wall?: “Resist Paralyzing Perfectionism.” 23. Are you working on anything now? Yes, I’m writing a novella about a good-hearted farmer and his wife, whose dangerously innocent world view threatens their family. 24. How do you market your work? I follow the fantastically helpful suggestions of Tim Grahl, whose webinars and courses help writers spend their marketing time more effectively. Other bloggers with good advice include Jane Friedman and Joanna Penn. 25. What would you say to readers? I hope they love the Runyons and the Feldsteds as much as I do. I hope they want more! 26. What would you say to writers aspiring or otherwise? Set aside time for your craft; find a writer’s group either in your community or online; submit your work and listen to their critiques. Your ultimate goal is to provide a great experience for readers, so be willing to change what doesn’t work. 27. Where can one purchase your book(s)? I sell on Amazon. Social Media Website: http://kristencarsonauthor.com/ Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/kcarsonauthor/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kcarsonauthor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristencarsonauthor?skip_nax_wizard=true&ref_type=bookmark Welcome to author Facundo. 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?
After being enamored with reading literature and experiencing how vividly the written would could create worlds, I began to express myself through stories and poetry. 2. What was the first thing you wrote? I believe it was a one-page short story called “The Trip” for my 10th grade English class. It tells the story of a teacher who moves to another state, and her uneasy feeling of not feeling at home is resolved by a small bird that shows up in her window singing the same tune she heard before she left. My teacher adored it because it showed the feelings of being at home without telling them. 3. What inspires you? Many things inspire me; reading, observing nature, my friends, my life, my family. Sometimes watching the rain, feeling the sun, enjoying the breeze. Sometimes a sentence, a word, a sound, music, art. What most inspires me is the fact that I have an immense world inside of me which is naturally expressing out with creativity. 4. Do you “people watch” for your writing? Not really. 5. Who are you favorite authors? Wordsworth, Keats, Poe, Baudelaire, Shakespeare, Whitman, Mann, Joyce, Borges. And Many others. 6. What is your favorite book? The Kybalion” by Hermes 7. What genre do you most like to read? I think the genre I enjoy most depends on the mood I am. However, I really enjoy reading books about psychology, philosophy, art history, spirituality, astronomy, astrology and classic masterpieces of literature. 8. What genre do you write? Is this reflective of what you read? On a certain level, yes. I deeply enjoy reading and capturing the essence of deep ideas, whether they are philosophical or spiritual, and transmit them in a story or a poem. 9. What genre do you have a difficult time with that you wish you could write? I don’t think I have a genre that reflects me a ‘difficult time.’ There are many ideas I have for stories that take place in different time periods and civilizations, but I think the difficulty of writing in those ‘environments’ is related to how I would prepare myself in the language and my knowledge about them before writing. 10. What kind of research do you do or have you done for your story? For ‘The Characters’ Short Living Story’ I would say the “research” has been really broad and deep. It comes from world literature, philosophy, spirituality, alchemy, Christianity, Buddishm, Hermetism, Judaism, Hinduism to Tarot cards, Astrology, psychology, politics, sociology, art history, music, etc. 11. Do you have any writing rituals like eating chocolate or lighting incense? I really do not like being distracted when I’m writing, so the only thing would be listening to music that keeps in the tone of the genre. However, when it is poetry, I prefer being somewhere where there is no music nor sound. I love chocolate, I usually eat a piece after writing, but it is not a ritual. I do not light incenses, I should though. 12. Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what kind? I prefer to give myself doses of classical music. Vivaldi, Bach, Amadeus, Beethoven, Mahler, Holst. However, my choice would completely depend on what I am writing. 13. Introduce us to your current book. “The Author ~ or ~ The Characters’ Short Living Story” is a timeless mystical adventure of six characters who alchemically face the darkest perils of the human psyche and search for the Truth . . . 14. How long did it take you to write it? It took me 10 years to write it. The actual story took me around 6 years, but there were philosophical and spiritual elements I wanted to include, so it took me 4 more years to complete its composition and all the elements I wanted to include. 15. Which character(s) of yours do you most relate to? The Author does not let me answer that question. All the characters relate to me in a very special and unique way. I can’t choose between them. 16. Who is your favorite character in this story? I don’t have a favorite character. And if I did, for the sake of the Reader, I can’t share which one is my favorite. 17. Which character is the best role model for readers? What an interesting question. In this particular story, each reader will see one character as their role model as a reflection of who they are. Therefore, the label “role model” can change for a reader depending on their state of mind. Ironically, I would say that ultimately the best role model would be ‘The Author.’ 18. How did you decide on your cover? The cover is something very special. I wanted to do something pure, artistic, humble, yet meaningful and profound. I think it may present something controversial; most book covers present a polished and carefully developed epic image, a design which attracts the reader for the marketing angle. I painted my book cover, I prefer the artistic angle. Yes, in this system, it is a product which sells, but most importantly, it is literature, it is Art, it is human expression, and I consider that more important. 19. What do you hope people discover while reading your story? Themselves. This story is a mirror. The first impression would be that this story is my mirror, which is also true. However, it is composed in a way for the Reader to free their mind, and in this journey, find their true selves. 20. Have you written anything else? Tell us about it/them. Yes. I have 2 books already written, composed. I just need to go back to them and revise them. I can only share that one of them is a collection of 9 short stories which tell one story; it is not that philosophical, but very spiritual indeed. 21. Do you experience writers block, how do you deal with it? I think every writer experiences writer’s block at one point or another. Whenever it happens to me I take it very naturally. I rather see it as a gap than a block. “I am here, I want to get there, but there is a bridge missing.” If I feel or think at some level that I have the element I need, then I reread again from where I am coming from to where I see the gap; this helps me be more attentive to the flow of reading. Sometimes I just jump the gap and continue writing ahead; later on I will come back with the missing element and built the bridge. If I feel or think that I do not have the element I am missing, then I let it sleep; I detach completely from the writing and do something else. If I come back and I am still missing that element, then I research. Questions will always provoke to find answers. 22. What do you not like about writing? What a marvelous question. I think the only thing would be that it requires a very static posture, physically of course. It is not I do not like it, because I enjoy comfort, but whenever I am inspired and writing a lot, I sense that my body needs to stretch. From there, I don’t like the fact that my body is saying ‘dude, take a walk,’ but my mind is still working ‘. . . and from the trees, the sunlight casted Robin’s shadow on the grass and . . .’ usually, it is my heart who finds the connection between them and proceeds to what I feel to do. 23. Are you working on anything now I am working on The Alquemical Bibliotèque, which is information about the spiritual aspects of the story for the Readers who have already read the book. It opens December 25th in the official webpage www.thecharactersshortlivingstory.com. And many other things. 24. How do you market your work Artistically. 25. What would you say to readers? Take your time to read this story, it is not like other stories and I’m sure you will see why. For the Readers who have not yet began the journey, enjoy its flow, you will be in for a very special treat, and I’m sure you will be surprised. For those who have finished reading it: I’m sorry and you’re welcome. You can visit the Alchemical Bibliotèque for some more mind-blowing information that will expand the horizon of what you know, it opens December 25th 26. What would you say to writers aspiring or otherwise Words have more power than you think, so use them wisely. 27. Where can one purchase your book(s) You can acquire the book at amazon.com Social Media Offical website: http://www.thecharactersshortlivingstory.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/theauthororthecharactersshortlivingstory Twitter: https://twitter.com/FacundoRaganato Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/facundoraganato/ |
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