Tale Twisters

Guest post by JESSICA ASPEN

I first met Lyndi Alexander in 2010, when she was working on the manuscript that would become WINDMILLS and I was re-writing THE DARK HUNTSMAN for the third time. That was when I realized how much we had in common, number one being our great love of fantasy and number two our great love of books and writing. Or maybe those things are out of order. Maybe it’s writing, then books, then fantasy. I’m not sure it matters, what’s important is that we hit it off.

Oh, and we both wrote about elves.

Yes, elves.

Lyndi caught my attention with her glass slipper that spilled out a cache of elves at the feet of her heroine and onto a city street. What a terrific twist on a classic fairy tale. I was hooked. I bought her book out of the back of her car that weekend and I’ve been very glad that I did. You wouldn’t think there could be so many interpretations of elves, but the truth is that there are as many different ways one can write about elves as there are writers. And that’s saying a lot.

And that brings me to something else we have in common, a love of twisting the classic fairy tale elements. THE DARK HUNTSMAN is a modern fantasy twist of Snow White, but there are only hints and glimpses of the traditional story that lies beneath. I like to layer in tiny elements like apples, witches, and evil queens. And then twist the tale by making the huntsman the hero instead of the prince. Lyndi strays even farther from the standard fairy tale path, but if you look deep you can find those elements in the Clan Elves of the Bitterroot. A hidden princess, an unlikely prince, the glass slipper.

Twisted fairy tales are hot right now, we see them on the big screen and on the TV screen. I’ve loved them since I first discovered a book of short fairy tale twists including one dark tale by CJ Cherryh that I wish I still owned. Darn those constant moves of my youth. I fell in love with the idea of taking a classic story that has all the right elements: romance, magic, girl in trouble, handsome guy, and something ugly, and making it my own. I got to change the things I didn’t like about the story and keep the things I loved.

Snow White has always seemed a little passive to me. I get to re-write the whole story and make her kick-ass. The prince was this dude who came in at the ending, insisted on disturbing the dwarves’ mourning, and kissed the dead girl. How weird is that? Let’s just get rid of him, because the real hero is the working man who takes the risk of his own beheading and doesn’t kill Snow White in the first place. The huntsman. That’s a man I want to kiss.

What fairy tale elements to you love to see in stores? What pieces are intrinsic to the tales? Does Cinderella have to have two step-sisters, or can they be step-brothers, or uncles, or maybe several step-mothers? Does Rapunzel have to have long hair? What if the big bad wolf wasn’t the bad guy?

Do authors have to stay on the beaten path or can they lure you deeper into the tale and encourage you to get lost in the brambles on the side paths?

Are you willing to be lost in the woods?

The Dark Huntsman, A Fantasy Romance of the Black Court

An evil queen, a dangerous man, and a witch, tangled together in a tale of Snow White…

Desperate to save the last of her family from the murderous Faery Queen, Trina Mac Elvy weaves a spell of entrapment. But instead of a common soldier, the queen has released the Dark Huntsman, a full blooded fae with lethal powers.

Caged for treason, Logan Ni Brennan, is ready to do anything to win free of the manipulative queen, even if it includes running a last errand for her…murdering a witch. The sight of Trina, ready to fight despite the odds, gives him another option: use the witch as a chess piece, put the queen’s son on the throne, and bring down the queen forever.

As the queen slides into insanity and her closest advisor makes plans to succeed to the throne, Logan secrets Trina away in the enchanted forest and makes a decisive move in his dangerous game of manipulation. But the gaming tables of fate turn on him, and when Trina’s life is threatened he discovers he risks more than his freedom…he risks his heart.

Dare to enter Jessica Aspen’s world of steamy, fantasy romance in her new twisted fairy tale trilogy: Tales of the Black Court…

Buy now on Amazon:http://amzn.com/B00FN2P7A8

Add to Goodreads Shelf: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18481503-the-dark-huntsman

Author Bio:

Jessica Aspen always wanted to be spirited away to a world inhabited by elves, were-wolves and sexy men who walk on the dark side of the knife. Luckily, she’s able to explore her fantasy side and delve into new worlds by writing paranormal romance. She loves indulging in dark chocolate, reading eclectic novels, and dreaming of ocean vacations, but instead spends most of her time, writing, walking the dog, and hiking in the Colorado Rockies.  To sign up for Jessica Aspen’s new release email please go to: http://eepurl.com/zs4Sj

Author web links: (web, blog, twitter, facebook, goodreads, etc)

Website: http://jessicaaspen.com

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5759763.Jessica_Aspen

https://twitter.com/JessicaAspen

https://www.facebook.com/JessicaAspenAuthor

http://pinterest.com/jessicaaspen/

Jessica Aspen’s non-spammy, new release email please go to: http://eepurl.com/zs4Sj

My name is Patrick Stutzman, and I am a science fiction author. I live in the greater Kansas City area with my wife, two daughters, and a host of animals (a dog, three cats, a gerbil, and a couple of hermit crabs). I drink coffee but only at my day job. I hold a Master’s Degree in Educational Technology, which I feel helps me with creating new and believable technologies for my stories.

Tell us about your new book.

At the time I write this, I am preparing to release the third book of the Chronicles of Anna Foster series titled Alone in the Crowd. While the first two books take place one after the other, several years have passed when the third book opens. Several new characters are introduced in this one, but we still follow Anna’s exploits. This one promises more action and adventure.

What inspired you to write this story? What interesting thing did you learn or research to write it that you didn’t know before?

 Honestly, it was a desire to keep my writing skills sharp that got me started on the book series. I had just finished my job as a game designer for the Star Wars Roleplaying Game, and I could not think of a better way to do so. As for Crowd, it was just a natural progression of the storyline that began with the first two books. The most interesting thing I researched for this book was how a human body decays after death. I know it’s a gruesome topic, but it had to be done.

How would you best describe your books?

 My books are about a woman trying to survive while alone and isolated from the rest of Human civilization. In some ways, you might say it’s like having Robinson Crusoe set in the future.

 What is your favorite genre to write? To read?

 My favorite genre is science fiction to both read and write, although I also read fantasy and a little horror.

 What would you write if you could do write anything you wanted to write?

 Beside my own books, I would choose to return to Star Wars. I absolutely loved writing for the Star Wars universe and would gladly do it again.

What do you most like about writing? Least like? When did you first know you wanted to be an author?

 Writing allows me to release the creative side of myself and let it run rampant; that’s what I like most. What I like least is chasing it around and cleaning up its mess. I suppose the first sign of me wanting to write came to me in 5^th grade, when I was given free rein in creative writing. I created story after story and happily shared them with the class throughout the year. I even wrote a play and performed it for the class.

Do you belong to any writing groups? Are there any writing websites you find particularly useful?

 The only group to which I belong is Science Fiction & Fantasy Saturday, which is found at http://scififansat.blogspot.com. I don’t have any one particular writing website I favor. But, one particular blog I find useful and entertaining belongs to Chuck Wendig and is located at http://www.terribleminds.com. He presents tips for writers with a humorous and somewhat vulgar spin.

 Is there any special music you like to listen to while writing? How does it inspire you?

 I prefer to listen to orchestral soundtracks to some of my favorite movies and TV shows. Some of the soundtracks in my writing repertoire are Babylon 5, Dragonheart, Princess Mononoke, Star Wars (both trilogies), and the video game Command & Conquer: Generals. The music evokes certain moods and ignites my creativeness that help me create certain scenes for what I am writing.

Do you belong to a critique group? What do you find most valuable about the experience?

At this time, I do not belong to a critique group. I probably should find one.

 Tell us a little about your path to publication. How many books have you published? How many books did you write before selling one?

 After I finished writing Paradise, I went on the prowl for an agent or a publisher. Nobody wanted me. I decided to not give up home and went with the self-publishing route. Thus far, I have self-published two books. To date, I have not sold any of my books to a publisher.

What’s your favorite thing about the book featured here today? Any special memories you have in the creation of it?

The one thing I enjoyed the most was the background for the extraterrestrial race that made a brief appearance in the second book, Alone in Paradise. I had already created the basic biology for the race a number of years ago as an experimental concept, but I had to add so much more detail to them for the third and the upcoming fourth book. For example, I have several references to tracking time between Humans and the other race, so I had to figure out how long a local day was on their planet, how they tracked the passing of time (and had it make sense), and how it all translated to Human terms.

What are you writing now? What’s next for you—will you be making personal appearances anywhere our readers can find you?

Right now, I am part way through the fourth book of the series. I have the basic outline already plotted and have the first draft partially done. I am scheduled to appear at ConQuest taking place in Kansas City from 24-26 May.

What would you like to tell readers?

 If you have read any of the previous books of the series, Alone in the Crowd promises more action and suspense than the first two books. I hope to have it released before Memorial Day weekend.

 Feel free to contact me via Facebook, Twitter, or Google Plus with your questions, comments, compliments, hate mail, etc. (Okay, maybe not so much on the hate mail.) I should be pretty easy to find. I do read all of them and am very likely to respond.

Thanks again, Patrick! Very interesting points and best wishes with your book sales!

 Gavin tells her about the Spiral Defenders, a group of warriors that travels through space and time to defend the planets of the Spiral. After meeting the Commander of the Spiral Defenders and realizing his intentions might not be pure, Ronnie struggles between following her destiny to become a Spiral Defender and trying to regain the life she had before being struck by lightning.

Author Bio:
Erin Danzer wrote her first book at 10-years-old for a Young Authors competition, where she was awarded an Honorable Mention and discovered a passion for the written word. She’s written several novels and short stories since that spark ignited. She writes a monthly short story serial, The Cassandra Serafin Chronicles, posting alternately on her blog and in Literary Lunes bi-monthly online magazine. Into the Spiral is Erin’s debut novel. Erin resides in Wisconsin with her husband, two children, and their cat.

 Website: http://www.erindanzer.com

FB Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/ErinDanzerYAAuthor

Twitter: @erindanzer

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Now you can find me on the web! Check out my website at   http://www.erindanzer.com/ 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like my Fan Page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ErinDanzerYAAuthor

Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/erindanzer

 

 

 

Please tell us a bit about yourself.

I’m Catherine E. McLean, author of Karma and Mayhem, a paranormal-fantasy-romance e-novel that was just released by Soul Mate Publishing (www.soulmatepublishing.com). I live on a farm in rural Western Pennsylvania with my husband. Our only child, a daughter, is grown and lives out of state. She and my husband are my first readers, and they also happen to be avid readers.

What’s your education, and is it relevant to your writing?

I wrote my first short story in third grade, but writing was never more than something I did as a hobby. Yet, writing played a role in the jobs I held, first as a secretary, then as a freelance journalist. All of those on-the-job skills made it easy to transition to becoming an author who sells articles and short stories.
When I first began writing novels, I was told that “writers are self-taught,” and if I truly wanted to became a “selling” storyteller and not just a writer who wrote, I needed to learn the devices and techniques of fiction and storytelling. After studying (not just reading) a few hundred how-to books, I developed a knack for spotting and explaining how the various aspects of fiction worked, the choices available in usage, and the pros and cons. After a discussion at one of my Pennwriters’ meetings (my local writer’s group), I was asked to give a series of mini-workshops on various techniques. The next thing I knew, I was giving in-person workshops, college enrichment program writing workshops, and then conference workshops. In 2009, I gave my first online workshop and have done one or two every year since.
Do I have a degree? No. Do I want one? No. What I quest for is the knowledge because I truly believe craft enhances talent. What I’ve learned, and continue to learn, means I have far more choices in writing and storytelling.

Tell us a little about your novel Karma and Mayhem. Is it your first?

Karma and Mayhem is not my first novel, but it is my first published novel. I’m a producing writer who can do, from start to finish, two 100,000 word novels a year.
Okay, so I seem to have a revolving door to the basement of my mind where my muse plays. That “kid” constantly gives me story sparkers or dumps of the text for short story and novel openings. In other words, I’m always working on something.
For the curious, the story sparker for Karma and Mayhem came in May of 2005 and was a line of a poem about what happened in the Valley of Rathe, which Janay, an ex-peacekeeper and the story’s heroine, survived. (She quotes the poem in Karma and Mayhem.) I didn’t actually begin working on the story until that winter.
I will also confess that the hero, Tienan, had me baffled when I first got the story dump because his name didn’t feel right to me. On a very simplistic level, it’s the conscious mind that must translate what the storytelling subconscious sends up. Unfortunately, the two don’t actually talk to each other in the same way, so its understandable that messages get garbled now and then.
Anyway, the first name came out as Aydin, and my instinct revolted at that and the next five names. None felt or sounded right, nor did the name meanings fit the character I knew this man, this hero, to be. Then one morning a few weeks later, I woke and the very first thought that popped into my mind was Tienan. My second thought was: What kind of name is Tienan? I looked it up in my baby name books and found Tienan was a real name and it meant “crowned.” In that instant, I knew–and felt deep down–that Tienan was the correct name, the one my subconscious had been trying to get my conscious mind to divulge.

What is your favorite genre to write? To read?

I lean toward two genres. The first is romance (fantasy, contemporary, historical, regency, futuristic, time-travel, etc.–not necessarily in that order). The second is good, old-fashioned science fiction known as Space Opera (which has, sadly, fallen out of vogue).
I’m also an eclectic reader. If a story interests me, I’ll read it. Some of my favorite authors are: Jane Ann Krentz/Amanda Quick, Justine Davis, Catherine Asaro, Isaac Asimov, Margaret Moore, David Webber, John Ringo, Laura Kinsale, Louis L’Amour, Arthur C. Clarke, Elizabeth Moon, Larry Niven, Heinlein, J. K. Rowling, and Ann Bishop.

Is there any special music you like to listen to while writing? Does it inspire you?

I actually need peace and quite to write so I can hear the vocal inflections and voices of the characters as their story plays out like a movie in my mind. Perhaps this way of drafting a story evolved from my many years of taking dictation as a secretary. However, it does require concentration. So, no music, no distractions.
Unfortunately, I can’t convince the house cat to let herself out or to fill her feed dish.

What’s your favorite thing about Karma and Mayhem? Any special memories you have in the creation of it?

The stand-out element was with the initial idea and figuring out how a man could have two souls and, in particular, how a soul could have a soul.
The second stand-out moment came after the book was contracted. I knew I needed some “raffle” item related to the story to give when doing workshops and for the book launch party. I couldn’t give away a katana (too expensive, not to mention lethal) nor could I give away a replica of a twice blessed dirk because they didn’t exist.
A few weeks ago, on the way home from grocery shopping, it occurred to me that I could give away the Choke-berry Shalamiz, the “blood of ages,” Tienan used to “baptize” Janay (in chapter ten). Trouble was, shalamiz wasn’t a real drink, and just how did one concoct something like it?
I called a chef I know. On October 1, I had a recipe for the Choke-berry Shalamiz thick enough to coat a spoon or glass (like it did in the book). As a bonus, a little change to the amount of ingredients and leaving out the thickening agent resulted in a tart-sweet, fizzy, and very bloody looking beverage. Both are non-alcoholic.
I gave away the dual recipe as the grand prize at my October 10, online book launch party for Karma and Mayhem. Thus only three people have that recipe—the chef and I (who created it) and one lucky winner.

What are you writing now or what’s next for you? Will you be making personal appearances where our readers can find you?

Right now I’m polishing Jewels of the Sky, a science-fiction adventure with a female protagonist, that ties in with the December, 2012, Mayan “End of Days.” This novel is contracted as a print-on-demand book due out soon. I’ve also got a project bible half done for a sequel to Karma and Mayhem (featuring Rowen, Tienan’s brother).
I’m also now scheduling workshops, as well as doing guest blog appearances and interviews. Currently I have an in-person workshop at my local library, Oct.24, on “Characters, Clues, and Creativity.” This is for readers and writers. I’ll be doing a repeat session, again at the library, on November 3.
On October 30, I’ll be blogging at my regular spot at Soul Mate Publishing’s author’s blog (my blog there is “Catherine’s Cup of Tea”). I’ll also be taking part in SMP’s November 14 Blog-a-Thon.
And on November 17, I’ll be at the Grove City library, doing “Questing for a Story.”
A schedule of my appearances, blogging, interviews, and workshops can be found at either www.CatherineEmclean.com (for readers) or www.WritersCheatSheets.com (for writers).

ABOUT KARMA AND MAYHEM:

While investigating a series of murders, warlock Tienan De’Argossi encounters Janay–a lovely, dirk-wielding, down-on-her-luck ex-peacekeeper who talks to archangels.  When she rescues his brother from demons, Tienan figures he owes her.  So, other than she’s plainspoken and gutsy, what’s the harm in having her as a house guest? 

Links for Catherine are:

www.CatherineEmclean.com (for readers)
www.WritersCheatSheets.com (for writers)
http://www.karmaandmayhem.blogspot.com
Linked-In: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/catherine-e-mclean/7/70b/372
Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002397950738
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/#!/CatherineMcLea7

I live in the UK, although I travel as much as I can afford to.

I did okay at school but I’m certainly not an academic genius, so I haven’t found that it’s particularly helped- I reckon I could do what I do just as well without any further education!

Tell us about your most recent publication/whichever book you’d like to talk
about today?
My most recent work that was published is Secret Roads, the second book in the Aona series. The first book, Oblivion’s Forge, was published in 2011.

What inspired you to write this story? What interesting thing did you learn or research to write it that you didn’t know before?

Oblivion’s Forge stirred up a bit more interest than I expected, and that pushed me on to write the sequel probably a lot more quickly than I would have done otherwise. Oblivion’s Forge took a long, long time to complete but Secret Roads was done in under a year- and I’m hoping that the third book, provisionally titled The Endless Shore, will be out around the end of 2012.

How would you best describe your books?

Probably dark fantasy with a certain amount of psychological horror and some sci-fi / tech elements, although they’re dealt with in quite a fantasy way if that makes any sense. Essentially this is based in the very distant future.

What is your favorite genre to write? To read?

My favourite would be the above- that’s what I feel best about when writing. As for reading, I read a broad range of fantasy but also some contemporary fiction.

What would you write if you could do write anything you wanted to write?

Well, I feel as if I can write anything I want- the words are mine, I just have to express them- so you can see my words of choice in my written works!

What do you most like about writing? Least like? When did you first know you wanted to be an author?
I like the feeling when a chapter or even just a paragraph suddenly comes together- that feeling when you just know that you’ve finally got it exactly right. I think the thing I like least would be the editing, looking for errors, trying to spot things that aren’t quite right- that can be quite a
strength-sapping process.

I wanted to be an author from a very young age- I was writing stories from about the age of five or six, so pretty much as soon as I could write at all.

Do you belong to any writing groups? Are there any writing websites you find particularly useful?

I was a member of a few writing groups many years ago but didn’t really fit in- or perhaps my style didn’t really fit in!

Is there any special music you like to listen to while writing? How does it inspire you?

I almost always listen to music when I’m writing. The type of music depends on my mood and on the scenarios I’m writing as much as anything else, and it could literally be almost any genre.

Tell us a little about your path to publication. How many books have you published? How many books did you write before selling one?

I wrote loads of books and stories when I was younger, but in recent times I have two published novels- the first two books of the Aona series. I started out the traditional route of asking agents or publishers to read my work, but the responses were few and far between, and most of those that did respond varied between terse and disinterested- so I decided to carve my own destiny. I certainly don’t regret publishing the books myself- sales are gradually increasing and they’re already far better than I expected!

What’s your favorite thing about the book featured here today? Any special memories you have in the creation of it?

I like the fact that it expands on a number of the characters that were introduced in the first book and adds depth to them as well as moving the plot onwards. There’s additional depth to the book and hopefully it keeps the same atmosphere as the first in the series.

What are you writing now? What’s next for you-will you be making personal appearances anywhere our readers can find you?

I don’t think I have enough fans yet to warrant personal appearances- and I’m pretty sure they’d be disappointed!- but I do have a number of projects I’m working on. Apart from The Endless Shore (the third book in the Aona series), I’m working on an anthology of short stories (as yet entitled) and also a standalone novel, provisionally called The Spiral. Find out more at http://www.worldofaona.com/

What would you like to tell readers?

Thanks for reading and thanks for reviewing- as simple as that. It’s the feedback and comments from people that I value the most and which encourage me to keep going.

Oblivion’s Forge:

Amazon.co.uk (paperback)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Oblivions-Forge-Simon-Williams/dp/1849141754/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Amazon.co.uk (Kindle)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Oblivions-Forge-Aona-ebook/dp/B0082XW04G/ref=tmm_kin_title_0

Amazon.com (paperback)

http://www.amazon.com/Oblivions-Forge-Simon-Williams/dp/1849141754/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Amazon.com (Kindle)

http://www.amazon.com/Oblivions-Forge-Aona-ebook/dp/B0082XW04G/ref=tmm_kin_title_0

Secret Roads:

Amazon.co.uk (Kindle)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Roads-Aona-ebook/dp/B008H67A4S/ref=pd_sim_sbs_kinc_1

Amazon.com (Kindle)

http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Roads-Aona-ebook/dp/B008H67A4S/ref=pd_sim_sbs_kinc_1?_encoding=UTF8&al_rs=#al_rp

(My publisher doesn’t seem to have distributed the paperback of Secret Roads to Amazon yet)

Best place to get paperback copies is CompletelyNovel.com:
Oblivion’s Forge:

http://www.completelynovel.com/books/oblivions-forge–2/buys/new

Secret Roads:

http://www.completelynovel.com/books/secret-roads/buys/new

Also my Goodreads profile for some links, reviews etc.

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6094097.Simon_Williams

Thanks for being with us today, and welcome back! First, tell our readers a bit about yourself.

Hi, again, Babs.

I’m Ted Eaton (actually, Edward Eaton). I live in Boston, MA. I grew up in West Virginia, and my family has for generations been from North Carolina and Virginia. I consider myself a southerner. I like to joke that Boston is a great place for southerners because here, like in the south, ‘Yankee’ is a bad word.

I have a wife, Silviya, who works as a hospital administrator. I have a little boy, Christopher, who is eight and who drives us crazy.

I used to have dogs. I love dogs. What I do not like is taking care of dogs. They are time consuming and limiting. Christopher wants a dog. Right now, we live in an apartment that does not allow dogs, so we have an excuse. When we get our own place, especially if it’s a house with a yard, we will have to come up with another excuse. Christopher does not really follow my reasoning: “Why should I get you a dog when I will be the one who takes care of it?” Anyway, he and I need to come to an agreement as to what is a dog. Right now, he really likes those poufy dust-bunny dogs, like Yorkies. Small enough for him to manage. I like Beagles and Labradors. Sturdy dogs that make noise when strangers are around. I used to have a Lab. I never locked my doors. I always said that if someone was going to get past an angry barking seventy-pound dog, then they were going to get into the place anyway and probably knew what they were after.

I have a PhD in Theatre History. I do some academic writing, but my fiction and poetry is not inherently related to theatre. Some of it is (like the plays I wrote). The way I look at history and the way I structure pieces comes from my graduate work. I certainly do not think that a degree is necessary for a writer. An education, though, is (I do not necessarily mean an ‘academic’ education). Part of that is because writers need some maturity and life experience, a sense of perspective.

Tell us about your most recent publication/whichever book you’d like to talk about today?

Well, I have had a busy summer. I have had three books released through Dragonfly.

A few years ago, my verse drama, Orpheus and Eurydice, was published by a small publisher in England. They have since closed (without paying me, by the way). I was planning on self-publishing Orpheus and Eurydice this summer just to make it available. I asked the fine people at Dragonfly if they could give me some advice. They took a look at the piece and decided that they would be happy to have it as part of their catalogue.

Plays are shorter than novels. Much shorter. Hamlet is only about 30,000 words, and it is a remarkably long play. So, I suggested that they might want to make a two-play anthology and publish my play Elizabeth Bathory, which was performed by a small theatre here in Boston a few years ago. Dragonfly took a look at that play and decided that while it shared some themes with Orpheus and Eurydice, it was stylistically very different (not verse, for one thing) and intended for a different kind of audience (Elizabeth Bathory was written for a Western audience; Orpheus and Eurydice was written to be performed in the Middle East—we had censors come to rehearsals to make sure that the two girls playing the leads were not too close to each other, and we caused a small scandal when they touched briefly at the end). So, they suggested that they release them separately.

At about the same time, my editor sent in the final copy of Rosi’s Doors, Book II, Rosi’s Time. Dragonfly said that they could release Rosi’s Time in the same release window as the two plays, or, we could wait until the winter for a release. I am impatient, so I said that I would opt for a summer release. Of course, what that meant was that I had three very busy weeks doing proofs for three volumes. That is exhausting work. You have done proofs. It can be mind numbing.

You aren’t kidding!! And three at once? You’re a real trouper!

Anyway:

Rosi’s Time. Book two in my series. Rosi has learned about her family secret and is now responsible for it. Unfortunately, she is not the only person who learns what the family secret is. Her enemy from Book 1, Kirk, is back in full force. He leads Rosi and her friends on an exciting and dangerous chase through America’s history. Rosi must also find a way home, if indeed there is still a home to go to.

Orpheus and Eurydice. In Orpheus and Eurydice, two young lovers travel from idyllic Greek glades to the fiery pits of Hell, from the brink of ecstatic joy to the depths of despair. This story is based on the one from Classical Greece, but with a few twists thrown in just for fun. The poem is written in verse. Actually, it is written in Haiku inspired triplets. Each verse follows the syllabic form of Japanese Haiku. The work is not, though, a series of thematically connected Haiku. It is dialogue that follows the specific form. This was quite well received in Oman when it was first produced. The expats in the audience enjoyed the use of language. The Omanis enjoyed the story (most were unfamiliar with it), found it rather shocking, and cheered the villainous Persephone at the end.

Elizabeth Bathory. She killed hundreds to stay young and beautiful forever. The punishment? It worked. Based on a true story. When Elizabeth Báthory discovers that the blood of maidens will keep her young, she sets off on a bloody killing spree that lasts for years and results in the deaths of hundreds. When she is finally caught, she is walled up in her own castle. There, every young and beautiful, she is denied the love and adoration she so craves. Then a young priest, looking for fame and advancement, comes to save her. Will her need for his flesh be stronger than his need for her soul?

The last pieces are theatrical works, though they are both highly readable. Orpheus and Eurydice probably a bit more than Elizabeth Bathory.

What inspired you to write this story? What interesting thing did you learn or research to write it that you didn’t know before?

I wrote each work for different reasons. I wrote Orpheus and Eurydice because I was running a small theatre at a university in Oman. Because of the general level of English my actors had, we had to do some fairly simple things. Light comedy. Two of the actresses (who would eventually play the main characters) asked me to find something a little meatier. Had I been in the States, I would have dug into my library and found something I could have cut up and cleaned up for them. I was not, so I could not. I thought about Orpheus and Eurydice as a subject. They liked it. When I hit on the verse style, it all started moving from there. In the end, I had three native English speakers (the student who played Eurydice, a professor, and another professor’s daughter) and three native Arabic speakers in the play. It was well received.

Elizabeth Bathory was first written with a specific actress in mind—a Russian television actress named Anastasia Melnikova. She loved the piece, but ultimately could not get the funding (or something like that). A small theatre in Boston did an even smaller production of it. I love the piece. There are some really meaty parts in it. This is certainly not a family-oriented play. Elizabeth has some pain in her past, but it is not used by her to excuse or mitigate her actions. Her only regret is getting caught. She was a real person. For whatever it is worth, it is a play, not a work of history. I know where I stray from the history. But I do stray.

Rosi’s Time. Daria Rega, the professor’s daughter who was in Orpheus and Eurydice, read an early draft of Rosi’s Doors: the Battle For New Richmond, which has since become Rosi’s Castle, Rosi’s Time, and Rosi’s Company. She loved it. She strongly encouraged me to pursue it. After some time, I found Dragonfly Publishing. They encouraged me to take the one book I’d written and divide it into three books. Daria would probably recognize the book she read in these three, but only just. I had to make a lot of changes. Rosi’s journey follows the same path, but many of the obstacles are different now.

How would you best describe your books?

Fun. Readable. Entertaining.
I hope that readers will grow as people when they read my stuff, but I am not trying to change the world. I do not have a social agenda or a political agenda (or, if I do, they are not in my writing). I do not mind challenging readers, some. I play with language to some degree. There are plenty of literary and pop culture references and allusions in my works, but they are epiphenomenal.

What do you like to read when you have the chance?

I have an eclectic taste in literature. I go through phases. Historical fiction (especially ancient Rome) is always a safe bet. Mysteries are good. High fantasy (Tolkien) or good space opera.

Desert Island question? Fantasy/Sci-fi. These genres probably should not be lumped together, but publishers and bookstores do, so I get to, as well. I get my Tolkien, my Conan clones, my David Weber (I like his military stuff, especially), and Heinlein (Starship Troopers is one book I read every couple of years). I would miss a lot (Colleen McCullough, Robert Graves, James Clavell), but you did ask me to choose.

What’s your favorite form to write?

Plays. I have an extensive background in the theatre. I could write in just about any style and still write playscripts. Thank God I do not need to choose one style or genre or medium.

What do you most like about writing? Least like? When did you first know you wanted to be an author?

What I like the most and like the least are essentially the same: the solitude.

When I write, I am the boss. My publisher and editor might disagree, but I really am. The act of creating a piece of literature is something I do alone in my study. The characters do what I want them to do, believe what I want them to believe. The words used are the ones I think of. By the time it gets to my editor, the creation is done. There is still a lot to do, to polish, but no one looks over my shoulder and micromanages what I write (I suppose that can happen with some writers, but has yet to happen to me).

Then again, I get little feedback until I am done. Yes, I have prepublication readers, but there is only so much I can ask them to do for me as a favor. I am very careful about discussing what I am writing with anyone. My wife and my reader Brian are pretty good. Few other people are. My two readers, like my editor and publisher, want to make my work as good as it can be. Other readers, however educated and literate, tend to want to tell me to do what they would want to do. Immediately they start telling me what I should read, who wrote something similar, what they think the characters should really do. When I do not take their advice, they are offended. Since I am not writing best sellers (yet), I am not getting immediate feedback or cloying praise from an agent.

Do you belong to any writing groups? Are there any writing websites you find particularly useful?

I did attend a reading group briefly. It was started by Brian, whom I mentioned above. I enjoyed the experience. However, Brian and I both came to the conclusion that we were the ones who were interested in producing written works, while the others were more interested in the idea of being writers.

Websites. Well, there is The Clan Elves of the Bitterroot site—one of the best sites on the Internet.

How kind of you to say so!

Really, I am a bit old school. I read books. I studied Aristotle and literary structure in grad school. Other than explaining certain industry standards, how-to books on writing are not saying anything new.

Is there any special music you like to listen to while writing? How does it inspire you?

I love music and use it sometimes to help me with problem solving. Music, though, tends to be a distraction to me. I prefer to turn it off during composition.

Tell us a little about your path to publication.

Like most writers, I tried the big guys first. I got tired of form letters rejecting me. Even more depressing were the personal notes telling me how clearly talented I was. Everyone gets those. They are meaningless. Meaningful is: we want to publish your book. It is like asking a girl out on a date. If she says how sweet you are, but she has a boyfriend (or has recently broken up with one) and would love to stay friends—it is a rejection; it is personal; and she does not want to be friends.

I looked long and hard at smaller, POD, houses. Some of them are simply vanity presses. I am too vain to use one of them. I also do not have the money to self publish.

Dragonfly and I courted each other. They were not interested in bringing in anything new at the time, but we started talking, emailing. We ‘flirted’ with each other for some weeks before I even sent them any part of the book. Even then, their reader suggested not publishing it. The publisher disagreed. At about the same time, another publisher offered to publish the book in one volume. It struck me that Dragonfly was spending more time trying to make my book better; the other publisher apparently wanted to publish it ‘as is.’ Not that it was not brilliant ‘as-was,’ but it is better now.

What’s your favorite thing about the books featured here today? Any special memories you have in the creation of them?

My last year has pretty much been spent working on the three Rosi’s Doors books. Then I went into overdrive to polish and prep the plays. I do teach college part time (me and Indiana Jones), but my job has recently been ‘writer.’ I like that.

My favorite memory of each of them is opening the box with my first copy in it. I am a firm believer in eBooks. I love them. Those readers who wax on about the mystical connection between the reader and the paper are full of nonsense (I am using my polite vocabulary here). However, there is something really cool about walking into my living room and seeing my four (soon to be five) books spread out on the coffee table. Okay, it is pretty cool to see my book in someone’s queue, but it is not quite the same. I understand that on a certain level, the existence of e-copies of my books make them essentially immortal; however, there is a feeling of permanence to seeing a hard copy.

What are you writing now? What’s next for you—will you be making personal appearances anywhere our readers can find you?

Right now, I am working on several pieces.

Hector and Achilles is a verse drama. It has been written in the same style as Orpheus and Eurydice but is much more ambitious, not only theatrically, but thematically and structurally. I am several drafts into it. In fact, on this very day that I am writing this sentence, the MIT Shakespeare Ensemble will be doing a reading of the play. I have worked on several of their shows before and will go and listen to their reading and their comments.

Last Call. This is a verse novel. It is about a group expats and locals in Oman that gathers together at a hotel bar the night before Ramadan (during which all the bars and liquor stores in the country are closed). It is a story of damaged people who damage those around them. The verse form is similar to that of my two plays; however, it is narrative rather than dramatic.

I just began another verse novel. I have no title for it—or, rather, I have had several titles, but none has stuck. It is about the Civil War. I do not want to describe it too much, yet. The verse form is based loosely on the classic Tamil poetic form of Kural.

Those sound fascinating, particularly Last Call. Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers?

A study at a major university was recently done. The conclusion was that reading my books (and those of Babs/Lyndi) will make you smarter, richer, better looking, a better lover, and your spouse better looking.
So, what are you waiting for?

www.edwardeaton.com
www.rosisdoors.com
www.elizabethbathory.webs.com
www.orpheusandeurydice.webs.com

http://www.amazon.com/Edward-Eaton/e/B006AH2VJ0/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

by guest author Ash Krafton

I’ve always had a thing for museums. When I was a kid, my mother would take my siblings and me to the Everhart Museum in Scranton, PA. It’s a natural history museum located near Nay Aug Park, once a thriving zoo and mini-amusement park. Those trips to the park and museum are among my strongest childhood memories, when I was too young to pronounce “museum” properly. (I called it a “mu-sam” and, trust me, it wasn’t because I had a region accent. I was just a goofy kid.)
I never outgrew my fondness for museums. Overtime, I developed a distinct preference for archaeology and ancient cultures, encouraged by my high school World Cultures class. Although I really got into Roman and Greek studies, my favorite culture of them all was ancient Egypt.
Up until college, the Everhart was my only regular museum. However, once I started college in Philadelphia…well, you can just imagine how ecstatic I was to discover Philly’s museums and their treasures.
Lucky for me, I also met my husband in college—a fortuitous event in itself. He also enjoys museums and science/tech centers and had been spoiling me rotten ever since. Now, we’re the parents of two middle school-aged kids who practically grew up amongst mummies and sarcophagi and the images of gods and pharaohs.
When I wrote Bleeding Hearts, I couldn’t help but put a piece of my love for Egypt into the story. As I wrote it, I began to create a mythology of my own, penning the words that eventually became the origin of my demivampires.
It wasn’t too hard to decide where I was going to meet my hero, Marek. The scene was inspired by a trip my husband and I took to the Penn Museum’s Egyptian exhibit. In a way, the scene is a reminder of one of our dates (few enough since we became parents) so this excerpt is extra-special to me. This except was also a finalist in the “Magic Moments” 2011 contest hosted by the RWA Heart and Scroll Chapter.
First meets are so important. I couldn’t wish anything but the loveliest for my main character, Sophie. I care about her too much! After all, wouldn’t you do the same for somebody you love?

Thanks for having me, Lyndi! I’d like to remind everyone that the Bleeding Hearts Blog Tour will continue until April 14, 2012. I’m being hosted by a wonderful group of bloggers and authors like our lovely Lyndi Alexander here. Be sure to check out the other stops along the tour for other posts about Bleeding Hearts and be sure to enter the huge end-of-tour prize package!
Good luck to everyone who enters and thanks for celebrating my new book with me!

Find out more about Ash and her tour at the links below:
www.facebook.com/AshKraftonAuthor

www.twitter.com/ashkrafton

www.ashkrafton.com

www.ash-krafton.blogspot.com

www.goodreads.com/ash_krafton

BLEEDING HEARTS: Book One of the Demimonde

Saving the world one damned person at a time—shy advice columnist-turned-oracle must find a way to save her dangerous demivampire lover from the fate that threatens each of his race: evolution and the destruction of his soul.

When advice columnist Sophie meets dark and alluring Marek, she learns life-changing secrets about them both—he’s a demivampire struggling to avoid evolution and she’s an empathic oracle destined to save him. Sophie possesses the rare ability to reduce the spiritual damage that causes a demivamp to Fall, making her the only thing that stands between a DV and evolution. However, as Marek’s dangerous past propels him toward his desperate fate, his enemies make darker plans for him: once vampire, powerful Marek would be second only to the Master himself. The vamps want to cause Marek’s Fall and they intend to use Sophie to do it….

Ash’s excerpt!
In the great hall housing the Egyptian exhibitions, I immediately noted the change in the atmosphere. The room was warm and dry, its climate controlled to mimic the conditions in which the relics had existed in their native land.
The entire room had been designed to resemble an Old Kingdom temple. The main lights were dimmed while strategically-placed spotlights emphasized massive columns and magnificent wall carvings, like sunbeams through temple windows.
I scanned the room. No other tourists. Even better. I meandered, enjoying the rare opportunity to linger.
Craning my neck, I ran my gaze up each of the columns, reading the images, admiring the palm leaves carved at the tops like great stone trees. Eyes toward the ceilings, I turned slowly around, admiring the handiwork of the ancient artists.
What was it like to live in those lands and those times? Could an ancient version of my spirit have been there, stepping barefoot and silently through a sandy temple like this one?
Lost in contemplation, I was completely unprepared for the shock of smacking into someone, bumping him hard enough to lose my balance. I’d have fallen had he not caught my arm. Wide-eyed with consternation, I stammered an apology to the handsome but serious-faced gentleman.
“You are not hurt, I hope?” His voice, deep and smooth, sent shivers marching down my neck, between my shoulders, down my spine.
“I’m okay.” I shook my head, too shy to make direct eye contact, wishing I’d checked my hair and lipstick before coming in. “I’m far too adept at being inept.”
He flashed a grin and I caught a glimpse of nice white teeth. “Temples are places for spiritual reflection. It is forgivable if your vision was turned inward, rather than toward where you were walking.”
His expression softened by amusement, he tilted his head toward the pillars. “Majestic, aren’t they?”
I stole another glance at him—black hair smoothed back into a discrete tail, clear light skin framed by long sideburns, strong jaw culminating in a square, cleft chin. Like the other items in the museum, something about him made me want to look closer, inspect each detail.
A subtle flush warmed my cheeks and ears so I quickly turned back to the heights of the exhibition. Murmuring a sound of agreement, I circled the column, stepping a few feet away so I could see both him and the stone. “Do you visit this museum often?”
Furtive glances allowed me to take in more of his appearance a tiny section at a time. Clothing, dark as his hair. Long blazer, something in between a suit coat and an overcoat. In one hand he carried a bound book and fountain pen, as if he’d been making notes.
Unlike my own, his gaze was calm and steady and entirely on me. Taking a deep breath I permitted the contact of the direct look. My boldness was well-rewarded. His Paul Newman lips brought to mind the sculptured busts on display in the Greco-Roman Quarters and he wore a stern expression that cast a veil of hardness upon his features, enhancing the impression he’d been carved from marble.
Except for his eyes. The Roman busts bore eyes that were blank and white but this man’s eyes were alive with bright green color. Like gemstones, they glittered and drew my gaze.
“No, actually,” he said. “My first time here. Although, I admit, I’m drawn to places like this.” His voice made music of the words—deep bass notes and soothing rhythm.
“Ah!” I said. “A man after my own heart.” His left eyebrow arched so sharply I thought it might disappear into his hairline and I hurriedly continued. “Are you a professor?”
“No, nothing like that. I do studying of my own, it’s not a living. It’s more of a hobby. Personal research, of sorts.”
“I like to study past times for past-times. It’s my preferred form of entertainment.”
“Mmm.” Eyebrow cocked again, he cast a disapproving look at me and swept his hand around the contrived temple. “Would the gods be pleased to know they are reduced to the level of entertainment?”
“I hope so.” I kept my tone light. Considering the seriousness of his expression, I didn’t want to accidentally insult him. “Otherwise, they’d have to be content with staying dead, right?”
His gaze swept over me and I shivered again as if the touch had been tangible, a brush of fingertips against my cheek.
“Well, I’ll leave you to your worship. I mean, your wanderings.” He gave me a conspirator’s wink. “Unless…”
He hesitated, a quiet clearing of throat as he tucked his notebook and pen into an inside pocket. “You wouldn’t mind a companion? Sometimes one sees things differently when seeing through another’s eyes. I always appreciative a new perspective.”
I mulled it over, listening to the rain spattering the windows and distant voices echoing faintly from other rooms. Although I’d looked forward to a quiet afternoon, it might be nice to spend it with someone who seemed to share my interests. He certainly was attractive, in a dark and hard way, and his pleasant voice intrigued me.
I realized I’d become used to living inside a shell. This man made me want to step outside for once.
“I’d like that.” I smiled at his pleased expression. “I’m Sophie, by the way.” I stuck out my hand in introduction, offering my firmest professional handshake.
Instead of shaking my hand, he bent his head over it and pressed polite lips to the backs of my fingers. The quaint gesture would have seemed strange and out of place had we been elsewhere. “I am Marek. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”
Fingers tingling from the unexpected kiss, I fought the urge to curtsy. “Well, Marek. Lead me into the past.”

Thank you so much for the interview, Lyndi. I’m honored to be featured on your website!

To tell you a little bit about myself, I live in Tacoma, Washington with my partner and our three children. So far as writing addictions go, my sole vice is coffee as one might expect from a Northwesterner. The coffeepot rarely shuts off at the Perkins house! I’m also fond of music while I write and frequently switch musical genres, depending on the scene that I’m writing.

I work in a local museum which is wonderful for ideas—I spend a lot of time listening to people tell stories and unearthing lost tales myself to share them with others. (What a day job for a writer!)

What’s your education, if it’s relevant to your writing, and how does that education help you/or do you find that you can write well even without the diploma others might think they must have?

My educational background is in military history. I hadn’t intended my education to complement my writing, however, I’ve found that it definitely enriches it. This has been particularly true as I work on my second novel which focuses on more martial characters than the first.

Tell us about your most recent publication!

My most recent publication is The Universal Mirror which came out in February of this year. Mirror is a fantasy novel with more than a bit of romance at its heart.

The Universal Mirror is about two friends, Quentin and Asahel, who decide to defy the laws of their country so that they can practice magic on the human body. This quest starts with Quentin and his wife, Catharine. Catharine was stricken with plague as a child and horribly disfigured,to the point where she refuses to believe that anyone can love her. Quentin, who is in love with his wife, wants to heal her because he believes that if he can make her physically beautiful, she will finally accept his feelings for her. This motivation leads to a number of different realizations—and problems—throughout the course of the novel. (I won’t say too much here to avoid spoiling you!)

What inspired you to write this story? What interesting thing did you learn or research to write it that you didn’t know before?

There are a few different things that inspired this story, some based in research, others in personal experience. One of the strongest influences on it has been raising teenage girls (and a younger son). After hearing my middle daughter complain that there were no positive overweight characters in fiction, I realized how much physical beauty plays apart in fantasy novels. I wanted to present characters who were lovable and believable even if they weren’t physically attractive.

I also wanted to create a story in which someone’s negative self-perception didn’t, in fact, mirror the perception of others around them. (This was something that I myself struggled with in my youth.) Quentin genuinely does love Catharine and would if she had no face at all—however,she’s so conditioned to think that attractive men only love a pretty face that she can’t believe it. And, you know,based on the comments made by both my daughters after reading it, I think that my point was made.

So far as other research goes, I spent a lot of time reading about medieval medicine and looking at the small details of medieval life. I wanted the world of Cercia to be real and yet relatable. Grounding it in our own history made that work for me and also enabled me to come up with tiny details to enhance the reader’s immersion in my story.

How would you best describe your books?

They’re fantasy novels with strong romantic overtones and a dash of adventure. I love books that don’t stick to the formula of their genre and I’ve tried to do that with mine. You won’t find all of the traditional fantasy elements in my novels but you will see love and relationships tested, swordfights, and a bit of humor sprinkled throughout.

I also try to keep them at a shorter length like the fantasy novels I was fond of when I was younger. While I love longer epics, there is something to be said for having a short novel that you can relax with for a few hours. Not all of us always have time to spend months on a book!

What is your favorite genre to write? To read?

My favorite genres to write are fantasy, horror, and science fiction (in that order) though I love a strong romantic subplot. As far as reading goes, I’ll read anything if it’s got compelling characters and a good plot. I’m a very character-driven reader and writer and that’s often what pulls me into a series.

What would you write if you could do write anything you wanted to write?

The stories that I’m writing now, to be honest. I love the world and characters that I’ve created. There is so much story that I’ve yet to tell.

What do you love most about writing and what do you not like?

I love being able just to lose myself in my own imagination for awhile, writing about people and places that don’t exist in our world. I also love seeing the effect that my writing has on people and engaging in conversations with readers.

Do you belong to any writing groups? Are there any writing websites you find particularly useful?

There is a writing group on Facebook for fantasy writers that I’m very fond of. I’ve gotten so much feedback and inspiration from the folks on there! I also have a number of close friends who write and while there isn’t a structured group that I work with, per se, I’ve learned a lot from those individuals.

As far as writing websites that I find useful, I often enjoy reading Ralan’s, io9,and blogs by individual writers/reviewers (John Scalzi and Andrew Liptak, for instance).

Is there any special music you like to listen to while writing? How does it inspire you?

It depends on the scene that I’m writing and sometimes, on thecharacters. I find myself varying the music depending on the emotions involved. If I’m going to write a romance scene, I’m more likely to play soft music or a song with heartfelt lyrics that sums up the relationship. For fight scenes, I like heavy drums (Bear McCreary (of Battlestar Galactica fame) compositions are a big inspiration of mine in that regard).

Tell us a little about your path to publication. How many books have you published? How many books did you write before selling one?

The Universal Mirror is both the first book that I’ve written and the first book that I’ve published. I’v ewritten for a number of encyclopedias and academic publications, as well as published the occasional short story, but Mirror was something of an adventure.

How did you find a publisher? How did you receive the Call?

I looked at a number of different publishers. Ultimately, I decided to submit to small presses and focus on those as I wanted a little more freedom in writing my books than I thought that a larger press would allow.

Hydra won out because I felt really confident after exchanging emails with the publisher that they would respect my wishes and be a true partner in the publication of my novel. I’m very glad to report that I was right. I’ve been consulted on every aspect of the book and my wishes and ideas are always respected. While I could be wrong, I don’t feel that a first-time author often has that experience with some of the bigger presses. Also, the group of authors at Hydra is one ofthe warmest, most supportive teams that I’ve ever been a part of. I’ve learned and am still learning so much from them.

What’s your favorite thing about the book featured here today? Any special memories you have in the creation of it?

My favorite thing about my book is the characters. They evoke strong emotions in me even now. I’ll freely admit that there were times when I disliked my main characters even while I loved them but I think that’s a sign that they became very real to me.

One of the most special memories I have of the creation of the book is when I saw the cover art for the first time. Enggar [Adirasa] really captured a moment of Mirror perfectly in his painting. It was awe-inspiring to see that an artist would take the story that I’d written and create something so beautiful from it in return.

What are you writing now? What’s next for you—will you be making personal appearances anywhere our readers can find you?

I’m currently writing the last part of the sequel to The Universal Mirror. This book, entitled The Jealousy Glass, takes place a year later and follows two of the characters to a new land. I’m working on lining up some appearances at conventions over the summer—the best place to find out where I’ll be appearing is to follow me on your social media outlet ofchoice. They’re all listed at the book’s website, http://theuniversalmirror.com.

What would you like to tell readers?

I love to make connections so please don’t be shy about looking me up! I can be reached pretty easily and I do love to “friend” people, so don’t hesitate to drop me a request. If you read the book, feel free to shoot me an email about it. I may take a little bit of time to respond as I work full-time and have a family but I’ll definitely make every effort!

Thanks for being with us today, Gwen, and best wishes!

Thanks to author Linda Andrews for being with us today! First, would you tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Linda Andrews and I write paranormal, fantasy and scifi romance, plus the occasional horror story. Growing up I never wanted to be a writer but one day I was bitten by the writer bug. Of course, I was always one to tell stories. Just ask my mom:-) I live with my husband and three children in Phoenix, Arizona. Currently, I have 4 cats and 1 dog, plus a fish.

Are you a coffee fiend, or do you have another “addiction” you must have on your desk at all times?

I hate coffee, but love tea. Neither is a must have while I’m writing, only water, preferably with lots of ice. My true writer’s addiction is music. I have to have music on.

What’s your education, if it’s relevant to your writing, and how does that education help you?

I have a BS in Biological Sciences (A BS in BS!). Since most of what I’ve written in my professional life is very cut and dried SOPs and technical reports, it is hard for me to add those details that bring a story to life. My critique partners are constantly asking me to add some setting here and there. Of course, when I write the SciFi stuff, the degree comes in real handy. Do you need a degree to write? Nope. If you want to know things and are willing to research a topic, then you should be able to tell a really good story that can stand up to scrutiny.

Tell us about your most recent publication.

Blue Maneuver is an urban scifi novel set in Phoenix. I loved that I combined my science background with my love of conspiracies and pure imagination. Here’s the blurb:

The extraterrestrials have landed and they’re human.
Rae Hemplewhite didn’t believe in aliens until a close encounter with out-of-this-world technology drags her into the extraterrestrial security program. Helping alien refugees adjust to life on Earth is difficult enough, but her first clients have a price on their heads. Plus, her new partner seems torn between the urge to kiss her or kill her.
And that’s the good news.
The bad news: Alliances are forming in deep space. If Rae doesn’t keep her witnesses alive long enough to transfer their top secret information to the right faction of humanity, Earth will become a battlefield.

How would you best describe your books?

Real characters in skewed realities. I like fully fleshed characters but I like to twist what you’d expect to happen or the world that they live in. Rae, my heroine in Blue Maneuver, hates technology and scifi. Who better to give advanced technology and make her a witness security coordinator for aliens on Earth?

What is your favorite genre to write? To read?

Romance is my favorite to read and write, but I get bored fairly easily so I tend to read and write in a variety of genres to keep things fresh and interesting.

What do you most like about writing? Least like?

The hardest part for me is filling up the blank page. That blinking cursor mocks me. I love the editing. It’s where the story can really shine. Plus the cursor hides next to words, making it harder to see.

When did you first know you wanted to be an author?

I’ve been writing since 1997 and published since 2003, but it wasn’t until I attended a writer’s conference in 2006 that I decided I wanted to be known as an author. Science is still in my blood and I don’t know if I’ll ever give up benchwork, but I’ve made peace with my creative side.

Do you belong to any writing groups?

I belong to Romance Writers of America, the local chapter–Valley of the Sun Romance Writers and Indie Romance Writers Ink.

Are there any writing websites you find particularly useful?

There are so many websites devoted to the craft of writing, I couldn’t possible begin to list any of them. But I lots of them bookmarked. My two favorites are about body language and a slang dictionary.

Do you belong to a critique group? What do you find most valuable about the experience?

I used to belong to two critique groups. Both provided valuable insights into improving my story and I would take them all. Not a good thing. My voice became so distorted and I lost track of the story. I ended up dropping out of one group. Critique groups are great things, just make sure you are true to your writer’s voice and story.

How many books have you published? How many books did you write before selling one?

Currently I have 4 publishers and myself. I have 4 short stories available and 12 novels. I wrote one very, very bad book and started two others before selling.

How did you find a publisher?

Writers groups are the best at finding publishers and the skinny on said publishers.

How did you receive the Call?

Actually, I missed the original call. Liz Burton, my editor at Zumaya Publications, sent me an email requesting the full of my book Ghost of a Chance. I never got the email and after 3 months she sent another one which I did get. I walked on air for 3 days afterward and felt even better because she liked the novel so much she followed up.

What’s your favorite thing about the book featured here today? Any special memories you have in the creation of it?

My favorite thing about Blue Maneuver was weaving in the myths of Atlantis and the Lights over Phoenix into the story line. I wrote the book in two and a half months over Christmas and practically every chapter there was a line that made me giggle at the subtext.

What are you writing now?

Right now, I’m supposed to be finishing the last chapter of a Valentine’s Day book scheduled to be released by Zumaya Publications next year. Then I’m off to finish the dark apocalyptic series of novels that started with Redaction.

What’s next for you—will you be making personal appearances anywhere our readers can find you?

I’ll be speaking and signing at my Valley of the Sun chapter meeting in April. One person asked me to speak about bioterrorism, but because so many became scared from the last one, I decided to change things up a bit by talking about how to add realism to your novels using history.

My name is Ermintrude Perdy! I’m from Northwestern Pennsylvania, born and raised and still very much attached to. I come from a very large family, all still residing in Northwestern Pennsylvania as well. As a family we’re very creative in many ways. Each person seems to have their own artistic skill, or creative skill, lending to a pretty well-rounded group. We have artists of the painting variety, a few writers, musicians, designers, and even into the technically creative, like engineering both buildings and vehicles.

Though I’m educated in a creative field, it was a technical school that I went to and I don’t have any degrees at all. I tried college after high school and foolishly went into a field that lacked any creative aspects which led me to dislike my college experience to the point of leaving after my first year. I’ve fancied taking some classes in literature or creative writing, but everything I’ve ever written I’ve done so without having had help from classes or without toting about that lovely diploma. This isn’t to say that I won’t pursue something in the future, but at the moment it’s not in my cards.

Not coffee, but TEA! I really can’t get anything done without first having a cup of tea in the morning, and of course when I say cup I mean massive mug filled practically to the brim. I try to temper it by only having one or two regular cups and following that with herbal or caffeine-free varieties. Writers still have to sleep sometimes.

Tell us about your most recent publication/whichever book you’d like to talk about today?

My very first publication is so far my only publication and I’m very excited about it! Though I love full-length novels and in-depth stories, I’ve found that creating such universes, personally, takes a lot of time. I’ve been writing since I was a teen and still haven’t completed a novel-length manuscript (a decent, well-rounded one).

I decided to turn my attention to the short stories I’ve been writing, either as exercises to try and get my mind going, or to participate in friendly group contests. I’d never considered a short story compilation before, but so many people insisted that the shorts were wonderful and that’s when I got the idea for my “Ermintrude Perdy’s” collections.

The first collection of what I hope will be many is Ermintrude Perdy’s Relatively Romantic Short Stories. And as the title suggests, it is a collection of three of my favorite relatively romantic short stories that I’ve written in the past year.

Why Relatively Romantic? Well, I’ve never been much of a romantic myself, but I do love love. I’m definitely not a hopeless romantic. Each story in the Collection views love a little differently, and not all of them in a sappy, romantic kind of way. I really wanted to show the struggles that a lot of people go through at times, especially young women in this era who are more independent and more focused on being successful and true to themselves.

One such story, “The Bells are Ringing,” I think shows a situation that many people don’t want to acknowledge. The main character, whom in the beginning was very much in love with her fiancé, is essentially being forced to change who she is to suit her partner’s ideal. I think it really shows how some people are so desperate to love and be loved in return that they’re willing to conform to whatever their current partner wants. It is an important aspect of love and romance that is almost taboo, and I wanted very much bring it to light, for myself and others.

What inspired you to write this story? What interesting thing did you learn or research to write it that you didn’t know before?

I was inspired by many different things. Most often the lives and happenings of my friends and those close to me (and, I admit, myself) inspire a lot of my work.

“The Bells are Ringing” was inspired by the tellings of many different friends and family members, as well as a situation in my own life, that culminated into one absolutely horrifying nightmare! At least, for me it was horrifying. I couldn’t even get back to sleep after.

“Shores of Ireland” was by far my favorite to write out of the three. It was in part inspired by a movie (even though the only relation to the movie is the fact that it’s in Ireland), and a discussion I had with my mother. She mentioned something about wishing she could take the time to learn how to fix all our broken household appliances, to which I responded in like about how wonderful it would be to take classes in home repair. Thus was born “Shores of Ireland,” the story of a young American woman, heiress to a corporation that specialized in building and restoration, who escapes a terrible situation at home and stumbles upon Danny and his crumbling Irish pub.

This story was the most fun to write because of all the research I put into it. I spent a lot of time looking at maps and getting a good idea of rural areas with a sandy coastline in which the pub could be placed. I also thoroughly enjoyed my search for Irish slang and incorporating it into my story. I’m no expert, but now, should I ever go to Ireland, at least I have a heads up on some terms and phrases I might hear!

“Sketchbooks and Friday Sunsets” is a heap of campy goodness! I have a few friends that are absolute hopeless romantics. Listening to them go on about racing hearts and sweaty palms and how everything just looks brighter and more beautiful when you’re in love really inspired me to write this over exaggerated, campy short story.

How would you best describe your books?

For this book in particular the stories really reflect a lot of real life experiences. Now, obviously, I haven’t run away to Ireland and found a pub to save with my immense fortune (oh! If only!) but the message of the story is still very real. The stories each tackle romance from a different point of view, expressing it in ways that people tend to forget about in favor of sonnets and flowery words, handsome men and swooning women. Not that there’s anything wrong with handsome men, but I’m not the swooning type! I think these stories express romance in an unromantic way. I like that.

What is your favorite genre to write? To read?

My favorite genre is Fantasy. I love creating my own universes and the people and places in them. For me, fantasy really gets my creativity flowing because of all the possibilities. It’s an endless sort of genre where anything is possible so I can take all the crazy, unrealistic ideas in my noggin and make a world where all of that could very well be the norm.

What would you write if you could do write anything you wanted to write?

Since I write for myself I’m not limited to any one thing. I can write anything I want. I suppose, however, that if I could be good at writing something new, I’d like to be able to write mysteries. They’re so tantalizing and exciting, but I’m just so horrible at keeping secrets!

What do you most like about writing? Least like? When did you first know you wanted to be an author?

My favorite thing about writing is being able to create anything I want. I love being able to fill my seas with mermaids and my skies with dragons! So often do I have wild and crazy dreams filled with things that couldn’t possibly happen in every-day life. Writing is my way of creating these universes and bringing them to life as much as I can.

My least favorite part of writing…hmm…probably the editing. Sometimes I feel as though it takes me longer to edit the story than it does to actually write it. Then, of course, there’s that horrible writer’s block. Being unable to create that next great chapter in a story is awful and sometimes it lasts for weeks, or even months!

I first knew I wanted to be an author when I was very young, probably about seven. I absolutely loved reading, my mother having taught me very early, and I always had an overactive imagination. I remember one day in the school library, while I was searching for a book I hadn’t read that might catch my interest, when I thought “Wouldn’t it be cool if there were a story like this…” Then I figured, if there wasn’t, why don’t I write it myself? I’ve wanted to be an author ever since.

What do you love most about writing and what do you not like?

I love being able to create my own world and situations and characters to put in them. One of my favorite parts of writing my stories is creating the characters, bringing them to life with their appearances, personalities, and names.

I can get very frustrated with my writing. It’s not always easy to convey exactly what’s going on in my mind and if I don’t write it out just right, then sometimes the events aren’t happening exactly as I’d like them to. Sometimes there’s a lot of deleting and rewriting, and sitting and thinking about the different ways things could be explained. Very frustrating.

Do you belong to any writing groups? Are there any writing websites you find particularly useful?

Unfortunately, no. I’ve been meaning to find groups and get involved for awhile now, but I’m always so busy that it’s difficult to find time to attend group meetings and gatherings. I’ve also found that my age makes joining groups difficult. I’m at a point in life where sometimes people don’t always take me seriously because I’m still so young, however, groups with people younger than myself don’t seem to take things very seriously at all. But I’m working on it! It’s always good to have a group of fellow writers.

I haven’t found any writing websites that are particularly useful. Not for writing itself, anyway. There are a few forum sites that I frequent where writers join in and discuss the nuances of creating a well-rounded story, critique work, and help each other through rough spots, but they aren’t specific to writing. I usually just speak to a few people I know outside of the sites.

Is there any special music you like to listen to while writing? How does it inspire you?

When it comes to music for inspiration, I usually listen to songs that have a mood similar to what I’m writing. For instance, a few Irish themed songs and some similar in sound helped lend to the inspiration for “Shores of Ireland.” Sometimes, however, I’ll hear a song that could have nothing to do with the topic but it gets my mind working and helps me along. Very rarely do I write without music playing in the background.

Do you belong to a critique group? What do you find most valuable about the experience?

I don’t, but sometimes I wish I did. I have friends that I can count on for good feedback, but I think having someone who isn’t very familiar with me read and critique my work would be a huge benefit. They’ll tell it to me straight, hopefully in a constructive way, to help me improve. There’s always room for improvement.

Tell us a little about your path to publication. How many books have you published? How many books did you write before selling one?

Relatively Romantic is my first publication. I’ve been writing for some time, but haven’t fully completed any novel-length manuscripts. A lot of the short stories I’ve written, I’ve done as writing exercises, to help pull myself out of a block, or to simply try something different. Since I have so many and am quite pleased with them, I decided to start my adventure by self-publishing short story compilations. However, I hope in the future I’ll be good enough to sign with a good publishing house.

What’s your favorite thing about the book featured here today? Any special memories you have in the creation of it?

My favorite things about the stories in Relatively Romantic would have to be how different they are. I often find that a lot of romances tend to focus on the woman being a classic “damsel in distress” and her knight in shining armor just appears. While for some that might be the ideal romance, I’m sure there are plenty of women like myself who chuckle at the thought and want nothing more than to hold their own and find someone to simply share that with.

“Shores of Ireland” is the only one that really portrays this. While Danny did help Kendall by giving her a place to stay, she similarly assisted him by repaying his kindness and restoring his pub, bringing her expertise and experience and in the end, her fortune, to save the building he loved so much. I like the idea of the woman occasionally being the Knight in Shining Armor, riding in on her White Horse (or, in Kendall’s case, her inherited Fortune 500 business). The woman can be just as strong as the man and the idea shouldn’t be balked at.

Similarly, I like portraying the nitty-gritty side of things. People will sacrifice a lot of themselves when they think they’re in love and will do just about anything to keep it. In “The Bells are Ringing” I wanted to write about what I see so often in a lot of young women when they think they’re so in love and convince themselves that all the change in the world is okay so long as their love stays with them. Is becoming a completely different person worth it? Kat was losing her identity and allowing her fiancé to mold her into something she wasn’t. In the end, she had to decide if hating herself forever was worth it. I’ve had too many friends experience a love like this to not write about it. Romance isn’t always pretty.

What would you like to tell readers?

I just want to thank everyone for all their time and support. As a new author it means the world to me. Thank you, all!