Interview with Ingrid Jennings

Do you title the book first or wait until after it’s complete?

I like to title my book first. I usually come up with an idea then I try to bring that idea to life.

What book are you reading now?

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

What books are in your to read pile?

I have just purchased Gabriel's Rapture by Sylvain Reynard but I havn't had the chance to begin it. I also plan of reading: The Bone Bed by Patricia Cornwell and Alex Cross before the year is over.

What is your current “work in progress” or upcoming projects?

I am currently working on an novel that takes place in New Orleans. It is a mystery and it will also have some voodoo in it.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

 I have a very busy life therefore actually finding the time to write is challenging.

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

I love Charlaine Harris, I have fell in love with her Sookie Stackhouse characters.

Who designed the cover of your latest book?

Gaelyn Larrick

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Do not worry about what other people have to say about what you write, write from the heart and because you love it and everything else will fall in place. 

Slopjar
Ingrid Jennings

Genre: Poetry

Publisher: Lioness Publishing House

ISBN: 978-0985696047

ASIN: B008Q3DHLM

Number of pages: 138

Word Count: 9,122

Cover Artist: Gaelyn Larrick

Amazon   Barnes and Noble

Book Description:

This is a book of poetry that will truly touch your soul. Indulge in the words of a lonely lunatic full of laughter, love, lust, Lucifer, and the Lord. 

Escape into a world of profound, seductive words that will melt your soul like butter. 

Escape into an insane mind and learn the trials of a battered soul. 

Fall into the trap of this astonishing book that will pull at the strings of your heart. 

Immerse yourself in the pure pleasure of this dazzling work of art. 

Open up the Slopjar.

About the Author:

Originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, Ingrid Jennings is what one would call a true Lioness. As a wife and a mother, she is loyal and a protector. As a publishing guru, she is a team player and works with her clients toward their success. As a teacher, she is passionate about education, and as a business woman, she is always on the hunt for new opportunities to learn and grow. She wears many hats and handles each situation in stride and with ease.

        With a B.S. in biology and chemistry from Palm Beach Atlantic Christian University, Ingrid decided to go a step further, to get a step closer to her true passion by excelling with her masters degree in reading education from Nova Southeastern University.

       

Ingrid spent three years working as a public school teacher in Palm Beach County, teaching integrated science to ninth graders. While teaching, Ingrid self-published her poetry into her first book titled Slopjar. Slopjar recieved rave reviews not only for its creativity, excellent writing, and self expression but also for the excellence of its publishing and marketing. Through the experience and knowledge gained while publishing and marketing her own book, Ingrid gained an appreciation for the inner workings of the publishing world and ultimately birthed her own publishing company Lioness Publishing House.

Website: www.ingridjennings.com

Twitter @ingridmjennings

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ingrid-Jennings/362113930525719

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6468845.Ingrid_Jennings

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Relocated by Margaret Fieland

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Politics, Women and Writing Guest Blog by Kate Lynd

Today as I write this blog we are about two hours out from precincts closing on election night. I have watched the presidential campaign unfold over the last year and as a woman born in the mid-seventies, beneficiary of Title IX and the 19^th amendment along with the trailblazers of fiction writing like that of Jane Austen, songwriters Dolly Parton and Patsy Cline I know I stand high upon their shoulders. Climbing the ladders put in place by the likes of my publisher Lea Shizas.

Writing what I do pushes the boundaries of romantic fiction. And finding my voice in a cacophony that demanded I fit in a box marked sweetness and light when I am dark and gritty was a hard road. Penning stories since I was 5. Attempting publication since I was 18, I landed my first contract with MuseItUp Publishing when I was 35.

Think. Lea Schizas and MuseItUp Publishing are located in Canada. First contract was with a heroine who had been victimized but had the skills to keep going and fight for what she believed in. She could hollow out a dime, her shot to kill if she had too, but she was vulnerable enough to love and she was determined to live the life she always dreamed she could have.

Traditional houses such as Harelquin and even their digital first imprint Carina Press have rejected every single manuscript I’ve ever sent them. Too dark. Heroine is cold blooded. All loved the hero. Who was painted very similarly to the heroine. Another Way to Die has received rave reviews and won awards now. I didn’t fit in a box. But in the small press world I found a world that accepted me. A woman owned house picked me, a woman writer with a strong heroine headlined story and made me cry the night I opened my email box and realized I had finally achieved a long held dream. Publication.

So now 12 contracts, 2 houses, and one WIP later I have my first print book, Bounty Hunter out. I have equal pay for equal work. Just as I got to play field hockey because of Title IX just as I exercised my 19^th amendment right to vote at 10:30AM this morning. By the time this is posted and being read on the 8^th we will know whether the United States embraced these advances or if like some socially backward Neanderthal we stumbled and these precious advancements will become endangered by the very people we chose to put in office.  

Bounty Hunter

Kate Lynd

Genre: Sci-fi erotic romance

Publisher: Hydra Publications

Number of pages: 142

Word Count: 41,559

Cover Artist: Frank Hall           

Amazon

Book Description:

Dare to fall in love. Dare to change the world.

Logan Mitchell doesn’t like to mess around when it comes to business. He is a rarity, a half-breed human/alien who has survived the purge. The product of an illicit affair between a charismatic human rebel and a sympathetic female alien from the planet Lonegal he is an outsider. He is a bounty hunter, and he is the best at what he does.

Enslaved from the age of fifteen, Alabama Newsome is a half-breed who’s managed to escape once and exact her revenge on the killer of her human mother and Lonegal father. Labeled a terrorist she was recaptured, tortured, and made to suffer for her actions. With the help of Logan’s imprisoned father she escapes once again and General Runyon wants her back. She’s pregnant with his child and he’s sure she’ll abort it.

When her case file comes across Logan’s desk he’s forced to deal with the truth mixed in with the lies. And he must decide, bring her in, or risk everything just to save her life.

 Author Bio:

Kate Lynd is an award winning blogger and 2^nd place finisher in the 2011 Preditors & Editors Reader’s Choice Award for Best Romance Short Story for No Ordinary Love. She also writes as Amy McCorkle. Her books include 2012 Moondance International Film Festival Semi-Finalist Another Way to Die, and Set Fire to the Rain. GLADIATOR is her most recent release with Bounty Hunter, her first print book due out in October.

Her official website is http://AmyLMcCorkleKentuckyAuthor.webs.com, reviews, guest posts, and her random thoughts are posted at her blog, http://Creative-Chatter.blogspot.com, and she is peppered all over Facebook and Twitter under Amy Leigh McCorkle and @Kate_Lynd.

http://amylmccorklekentuckyauthor.webs.com

http://thegladiatorchronicles.webs.com

http://Creative-Chatter.blogspot.com 

https://www.amazon.com/author/amymccorkle 

http://Twitter.com/Kate_Lynd

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001053271003

Interview with Pembroke Sinclair

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Interview with Chrysoula Tzavelas

Do you have a specific writing style?

It's funny, I was just talking about this with my publisher. While my novels are generally written in third person, I still vary the voice I use to suit the protagonist. With my current work in progress, this was a real challenge, because I needed a punchy, action-focused style. My regular without-trying style is more introspective and moody. Fortunately, this was perfect for the protagonist of Matchbox Girls.

Do you write in different genres?

I like both modern urban fantasy and other-world fantasy. Sometimes I imagine writing fiction without some speculative element to it and it just never seems to go anywhere.

Do you title the book first or wait until after it’s complete?

I always need some title when I'm working on it, although it might be quite casual or nonsensical (“Trashy Fantasy Novel” or “Caleb and Indigo”). The original title of Matchbox Girls was Under Bridges. I never commit fully to a title until the end. With my current work, I thought I had the title before I even started writing it, but once I reached the end of the draft, I started questioning whether it was actually the right title after all. I still haven't decided.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

It's not a “message” book, but there's an ongoing theme of “protection” throughout the book: who you can protect, who you can't, what you can protect people from, what you can't, and so on.

Is the book, characters, or any scenes based on a true life experience, someone you know, or events in your own life?

My books do draw on my life experiences. While none of my characters are completely based on one individual, many of them draw on the people I know well. Also, three of the characters in Matchbox Girls are derived from role-playing game characters from a game I ran, although two of them have been changed significantly and one of them is minor. Finally, I'm not sure I would have been inspired to write a book about taking care of children in the face of serious adversity if I hadn't just had my own first child.

What is your current “work in progress” or upcoming projects?

I'm currently working on the sequel to Matchbox Girls! Hopefully by the time you read this, it's in my publisher's hands. The sequel to Matchbox Girls focuses on a supporting character, Branwyn, and her attempt to resolve some of the loose ends of Matchbox Girls.

Can you share a little of your current work with us?

I would love to. There's some really choice bits! But after consideration, I shouldn't. I think they all spoil the first book in some fashion. :-)

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

I used to have trouble finishing things, but once I embraced outlining, that challenge became surmountable. These days, my biggest challenge is finding time to write. And the focus to use that time wisely.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

I often wish I could go back in time and give myself advice. Maybe it can help other writers, too. Here you go: "Average but hardworking beats brilliant but lazy." Don't wait for the muse. 90% of any story comes from work, not grace. You can fix it later. Beauty can be built in layers.

Do you have a song or playlist (book soundtrack) that you think represents this book?

I didn't discover this song until the book was about finished, but Rise Against's "From Heads Unworthy" is pretty appropriate for Matchbox Girls. I did have a soundtrack I wrote the novel to, but while I now associate all the songs with specific elements from the novel, probably nobody else would see the connection.

Matchbox Girls

Chrysoula Tzavelas

Paperback: 324 pages

Publisher: Candlemark & Gleam

ISBN-10: 1936460203

ISBN-13: 978-1936460205

Book Description:

Marley Claviger is just trying to get her life together. Stumbling into an ancient conflict between celestial forces is going to make that a whole lot harder... When Marley wakes up to a phone call from a pair of terrified children, she doesn't expect to be pulled into a secret war.

She rescues them from an empty house and promises to find their missing uncle. She even manages to feed them dinner. But she barely feels competent to manage her own life, let alone care for small children with strange, ominous powers... And when a mysterious angelic figure shows up and tries to claim the girls, it all falls apart...

Plagued by visions of disaster, Marley has no idea what she's gotten herself into, but she knows one thing: magical or not, the kids need her.

Candlemark and Gleam  Amazon Paperback  Amazon Kindle

Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/bAhT-MTK9cE

"Lovely worldbuilding and an unusual heroine surrounded by strong relationships and good intrigue kept me reading Matchbox Girls until well past my bedtime. Tzavelas has created a winning story universe and I'm impatient for the next book!"

- CE Murphy, author of Urban Shaman and The Queen's Bastard

About the Author:

Chrysoula Tzavelas went to twelve schools in twelve years while growing up as an Air Force brat, and she never met a library she didn't like. She now lives near Seattle with some random adults, miscellaneous animals, and a handy small child. She likes combed wool, bread dough, and gardens. She's also a certified technology addict; it says so on her (trademark-redacted) music player.

https://twitter.com/chrysouladreams

http://www.dreamfarmer.net/

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5049815.Chrysoula_Tzavelas

Interview with Taylor Dean

What inspired you to become an author?

A driving need to commit my thoughts to paper.

To be honest, I never thought I’d be an author. Yet, I had stories in my head that I was constantly daydreaming about. Sometimes I would stay up late at night, reciting my stories to my husband. He listened intently, fascinated at my imagination. Still, it never occurred to me that I’d actually write any of the stories. One day, my thoughts were driving me crazy and I HAD to write them down. I hastily penned the first ten pages of my first novel, Sierra. (I still have them and they’re awful!) Of course, it still doesn’t dawn on me that maybe I should write. I was too busy raising my four children.

But then my children grew up and left the nest. Finally, I had the time to sit down and write to my heart’s content. And I LOVED it! I completed my first novel, Sierra, and let my sister read it. She stayed up all night, till she finished it! All night! She couldn’t put it down!

That was all the encouragement I needed! I haven’t stopped writing since!

Do you write in different genres?

I LOVE to write romance. However, I write in several different sub-genres of romance: paranormal, suspense, and contemporary.  I don’t like having to write in one specific sub-genre. Nevertheless, I will always write ROMANCE!

Do you title the book first or wait until after it’s complete?

I ALWAYS have a title in mind when I start the book. However, that title doesn’t always survive! My novel, Sierra, was originally titled, Sanguinity.  The sequel to Lancaster House, The Middle Aisle, was originally titled, Furlough. I know, awful! That’s why it hit the cutting room floor! A good decision!

Is the book, characters, or any scenes based on a true life experience, someone you know, or events in your own life?

Lancaster House has a couple of ties to my personal life.

First of all, I grew up in San Jose, California. As a family, we toured the Winchester Mystery House on more than one occasion. It’s a fascinating mansion. My siblings and I also spent many hours exploring the dilapidated Hayes Mansion, (also in San Jose, California). As a matter of fact, my parents were at one time considering becoming the caretakers of the Hayes Mansion, long before it was ever restored. In the end, my parents decided not to do it. However, Lancaster House contains many of the feelings I felt while exploring these mansions.  Unforgettable experiences!

Secondly, my grandfather drove across the country as a young boy, saying it was one of the best things he’d ever done. I couldn’t resist adding in this little tidbit of family history. Hence, Andre also drives across the country at a young age.

What book are you reading now?

I am currently reading ‘Pulled’ by A.L. Jackson.

What is your current “work in progress” or upcoming projects?

I’ve been slowly releasing all six of my completed novels. I’ve been so busy with this endeavor, I haven’t written anything new. However, I plan to write a futuristic romance and a military romance next—and I don’t plan on stopping there!

 Here’s the release schedule:

Lancaster House            June 2012

Sierra                            June 2012

I Have People                Sept. 2012

The Middle Aisle           Dec. 2012

(the sequel to Lancaster House)

Joshua’s Folly               March 2013

For Nick                        June 2013

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

I love Nicholas Sparks and Danielle Steel—they are writing machines and they consistently put out great novels.

Do you have to travel much to do research for your books?

No! As a matter of fact, I hate to travel because I get horribly motion sick! Miserable!

Who designed the cover of your latest book?

I chose the image, but my daughter ‘designed’ the book cover. She does this for all of my books. I love being able to work with my daughter. She’s helped me so much and I wouldn’t be published right now without her.

Do you have a song or playlist (book soundtrack) that you think represents this book?

I received the inspiration for Lancaster House after viewing the American Idol performance of Adam Lambert singing ‘Mad World’ on a fog shrouded stage, dressed in vampire-like garb. In my mind, ‘Mad World’ will always be the song that represents the novel.

Lancaster House

Taylor Dean

Genre: Paranormal Romance

ISBN: 9781475068689

ASIN: B008EMKKYW

Number of pages: 304 pages

Word Count: 91,303

Amazon  Smashwords  Barnes and Noble    Apple iBooks 

Book Description: 

Are you ever really alone?

Zoe Grayson needs a change. So, she moves to another state, purchases an old, dilapidated 1920s Victorian Mansion, and sets out to restore it to its former glory. As she begins the restoration, she finds herself falling in love with the old house . . . not to mention its illustrious builder, Mr. Lancaster. Zoe becomes obsessed with the house as she discovers its secrets; hidden rooms, secret passageways . . . and a mysterious man who seems to think the house is his. Who is he? More importantly, how does he live in her home unseen and unheard?

The unexpected answers leave her reeling—and questioning everything she’s ever known. To her dismay, Zoe’s actions land her in the local psychiatric hospital, scheming for ways to return to Lancaster House . . . and the love of her life.

About the Author:

Taylor Dean lives in Texas and is the mother of four grown children. Upon finding herself with an empty nest, she began to write the stories that were always wandering around in her head, quickly finding that she had a passion for writing, specifically romance. Whether it’s paranormal, contemporary, or suspense—you’ll find all sub-genres of romance in her line-up.

website: www.taylordeanbooks.com

facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Taylor-Dean-Books/244057199037467

twitter: @taylordeanbooks

goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6425797.Taylor_Dean