Billy Bob Buttons on Come In, Sit Down, Tell Us About...

Billy Bob Buttons came crashing into my life via a Facebook request for friendship.  Not long after accepting, I was invited to read a bit of his new book, a YA adventure.  

To my dismay, I landed in the midst of a squeamish, soon looking to see if there might be a weapon I would be able to use for the cause of the side into which I had been plopped.   I am not a proponent of war, nor do I enjoy reading or watching battle scenes, real or reel, but...  I was instantly captivated by the reality, the intensity and the almost instant bonding of myself, the reader, and Tor, the character.

Billie Bob Buttons {Edward Trayer} is a husband, father of three, and Secondary School English Teacher.  

From his profile on Facebook  ~


He has two matching baby earthlings called, 'No! No! Stop chewing on that electric cable!' and, 'There's no way she needs a nappy change! Is there?!' He also has a baby boy and a mate called 'Sorry, Darling' who seems vastly more intelligent and is the ruler of the dwelling. Finally, he spends lots of earth hours thumping two fingers on the keys of a primitive computer


What inspired you to write?

When you’re young, everybody tells you what to do. And when you’re older…  Everybody tells you what to do. But when I write, I decide what happens to the characters in my book. I decide if my hero turns left or right, gets to eat chocolate cake or gets eaten by a dragon. I decide, and I think that’s a pretty wonderful feeling. That is why I write.

Do you have anyone you show manuscripts to and get advice from or are you a loner doing it all yourself?
Everybody, anybody who will read it. My wife, usually two editors, a school teacher I know, even the postman if he’s got time. I don’t always listen to every word they say, but usually a fresh set of eyes can see errors I no longer can.

What genre do you normally write in? Also, is there a genre you've always wanted to write in, but don't feel you could pull it off?
I only write books for children and young adults, usually adventure or fantasy adventure with a touch of mystery thrown in. I don’t plan to write for adults; I don’t have anything to say to them.

Do you ever base your characters on people you know?
Elements of people I know get put in my characters but all mixed up. I never base a character totally on a person I meet or know.

What advice would you give to someone who was just starting off in writing?
Don’t rush it. Don’t jump helter skelter into self publishing.  Spend years on your first manuscript; get it right. Then, when you think it is perfect, spend another year on it. Get help from anybody who offers it. And, if nobody offers, beg! A lot.

Do your stories tend to have morals, or specific messages, included within them?
There is the odd moral floating around in my books, but I try not to rub it in my readers’ faces.

This question was posed by a fellow author, and I loved it so much I decided to throw it into the mix ~ Oh no! One of your characters has escaped. Luckily, I have caught them! I will interrogate them with the help of a lie detector. Welcome!Take a seat, make yourself comfortable. You will be returning to your book once this is over. What's your name, where are you from and what is your role in the book?
My name is Tor. Just, Tor. I love crackers with Chévre cheese and red wine but only if it’s room temperature. I hate turnips, I’m claustrophobic, and I’m allergic to cats…
…oh, and I’m a major and a mercenary temporarily in the employ of the French army, my job… to shoot Germans.

Tell us why we would enjoy reading your books
ADVENTURE! Non-stop, adrenaline-pumping adventure.

Cheers!
Billy Bob Buttons
Author of Felicity Brady and the Wizard's Bookshop, The Gullfoss Legends and UK People's Book Prize runner-up, TOR Assassin Hunter.


Edward Trayer, writing under the pen name Billy Bob Buttons is the author of the much-loved 'Felicity Brady and the Wizard's Bookshop'  'The Gullfoss Legends' and 'TOR Assassin Hunter'.

His next book 'TOR Wolf Rising' is COMING SOON!

He is also the organiser of The Wishing Shelf Book Awards.

http://www.thewsa.co.uk/    Wishing Shelf Independent Book Awards {UK}

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5CZRLy1wdg

www.felicitybrady.co.uk

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=billy+bob+buttons

Robert W. Walker on Come In, Sit Down, Tell Us About...

Our Guest today is Robert W. Walker.  Robert has been an author on my reading shelf for many years.  I first was introduced to him when I was working at one of the local libraries and was put in charge of taking the paperbacks out of their neglected, thrown onto rack, if they want it bad enough they’ll find it, state and into a shelving unit made specifically for paperbacks, and, finally in alphabetical order.  I had shelved some of his books in hardcover so I already knew of him, just had not yet read his work.

When I kept bumping into him on forums and then in groups on Facebook, I decided to ask for an interview.  One he graciously granted  and I promptly misplaced but knew I had in the lineup, so lost is too much of a  final word.  However, I did need to go and ask for another copy and he, at least not in typed words sighed out any displeasure at my faux pas.

I do not stalk any of my authors, but they seem to float down my Facebook stream daily with the added benefit of my being able to share timely news and to find that I not only enjoy his books but he is the type of writer who prepares in exactly the same way I do for my stories.

His recent statement on on his WIP is on the series I originally had been introduced to his writing ~ 

My Work in Progress will be #12 in my Dr. Jessica Coran Series. Thus far, less than a third through, but I got this remark from my editor on first 100 pages: "Shocking and unexpected .... Just the way it should be. You're just writing in your own awesome style, brilliant, unforgiving, and keeping us readers on the edge of our seats. Love it." AND here I had grave doubts as I have not done an Instinct title in 12 years! Like riding a bike; I just have to stay on it!!

~ And his preparation and writing ~

I write horror, suspense, mystery, thrillers, historical thrillers; no one has ever accused me of writing literature, but I am among those fiction writers who work using Research First. Not everyone does or needs to. This is MY process. There are many rivers to the ocean, and I respect anyone anywhere who can start and finish a novel, as a novel is a complex matter of layered art no matter the genre. I do not plan from the END as some do, I do not follow a set formula, but I do a vast deal of living with my characters before it is all over in order to know them inside and out, to create fully realized characters and to run them through the plot mill. I do not do outlines or character sketches, but I do sleep, eat, and travel with my characters.

What inspired you to write?

When a young man in middle school, I began reading the works of Mark Twain. More than any other author, Twain inspired me. My first novel was purely in imitation of Twain's style, and he taught me so much, as a result.

Do you have anyone you show manuscripts to and get advice from or are you a loner doing it all yourself?

I have cultivated some first readers; it is not a smart idea to assume anything and especially to assume a work of fiction is whole and complete without getting feedback. Feedback from trusted individuals has always been part of my process. A work is not finished without the help of great editorial advice.

What genre do you normally write in?   Also,  is there a genre you've always wanted to write in, but don't feel you could pull it off?

I have taken my cues from Twain on this as well, and so have tried my hand at many genres and crossed many in the same story. Being versatile has always been a goal. There is no genre I have not incorporated or folded into my work. Most of my titles are crime novels but even my horror titles, I try to layer and layer like a wedding cake. The more layers, the greater the challenge, and I hope the better the read. I go for complexity that mirrors life.

Do you ever base your characters on people you know?

All the time, yes and I do mean the good, the bad, and the ugly, HA. Many characters are composites of people I know. I also have run contests wherein a person can get his or her actual NAME attached to a character in a novel. I also love to do cameos of historical figures I believe I understand from my readings in my historical thrillers and alternate histories.

What advice would you give to someone who was just starting off in writing?

Write a MYSTERY. No other category of fiction teaches plotting so fast and so well. A new writer will flounder about like a fish out of water trying to get a plotline underway in other categories but to learn commercial, mass market appeal DO a mystery. Figure out what is the greatest mystery of all time and write to that end. It provides a ton of learning. In addition, get hold of my book Dead On Writing - a how to for the dysfunctional writer in us all.

Do your stories tend to have morals, or specific messages, included within them?

Mostly that karma will take out the bad guys, typically in a horrible way - terror and horror they commit on others catches up to them. The reader enjoys a novel wherein the author delivers vengeance and retribution.

This question was posed by a fellow author, and I loved it so much I decided to throw it into the mix ~

Oh no! One of your characters has escaped. Luckily, I have caught the character! I will interrogate the character with the help of a lie detector.

Welcome!Take a seat, make yourself comfortable. You will be returning to your book once this is over. What's your name, where are you from and what is your role in the book?

Dr. Jessica Coran, FBI agent and Medical Examiner, Quantico, Virginia in the Instinct Series of 11 books, and I am the heroine in each book, although I work with other agents and local law enforcement officials on serial killer cases of the worst sort. I stare into the abyss in order to catch monsters.

Tell us why we would enjoy reading your books?

I provide action, color, the five senses on every page; people who get into the rhythm of my novels have told me that it is as if I had abducted them for the time they are in the story; even reviewers have noted this with such remarks as "Walker quite literally snatches the reader's mind for the duration of the novel" -- Midwest Book Review. Many reviewers have likened my plots to those of Kathy Reichs, Karin Slaughter, Patricia Cornwell, and John Sanford.

Links for books and/or sites

website - www.robertwalkerbooks.com

blog -   www.acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com

            www.speakwithoutinterruption.com

url for 1st Instinct title - Killer Instinct - http://www.amazon.com/Killer-Instinct-Jessica-acclaimed-ebook/dp/B006VORFR0/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1340405895&sr=1-3&keywords=Killer+Instinct

Amazon link for Bismarck:  

Alan Dale on Come In, Sit Down, Tell Us About....

We have just finished celebrating our Independence from Great Britain in 1776.   Two Hundred and Thirty-Six years have passed and this year, 2012 celebrates a much different world where our  fighting forces are under the tutelage of the United Nations and are deployed in the name of  peacemakers.  There is much debate as to our engaging in wars and the country’s appeal has been to bring our troops home.

By his own admission, Alan Dale has written a battle cry of a book akin to Animal Farm that is his metaphor  depicting today’s societal deficiencies wrapped in the skin of zombies.  His book debuted July 4th, entitled Code Flesh, the first book in the DNA or Dead Nations Army trilogy. Alan Dale is a journalist who has turned to pen novels based on society as he sees it.

In the early morning hours of July 4, 2012 Alan Dale says,

“If I may share...."DNA: CODE FLESH" has vaulted to the top 14K in all Kindle Sales in just under 12 hours. MY GOD. I appreciate this so much. And the KID KAT PROJECT DOES TOO! The animals benefit (and yes the author does too).”    Alan is also an animal advocate with a portion of his sales of the trilogy  going to animal rescue.  A movement near to my heart as my children set, The K-9 Boys and Girls on Locus Street, also does the same.

Alan has interviewed and presented my piece in his The Summer 150 tour and asking him for an interview in return was no mean task.  I have thrown caution to the wind and given him the floor ~

I am Alan Dale. Long-time journalist, longtime revolutionist, lifelong rebel. I have written on sports, news, politics, education, and entertainment, having won seven national awards, mostly in my youth. I currently am back to deliver my second full-length novel, "Dead Nations' Army Book 1: Code Flesh." My first was "The Enternet" and my DNA story was promoted via a teaser novella that's been out on Amazon for about 10 weeks. I also run WERZOMBIES PRESS, which focuses on a mix of entertainment, news, politics, and social issues reports. Right now I am looking to move that baby up.


Plain and simply, the first DNA book is a propaganda piece wrapped in a zombie metaphor. This is not your typical zombie story. The zombies are the victim.

This is a vehicle to educate the people of this planet that we are in serious, deep, trouble. We must fight back. The governments of this planet want us out.

The 99 percent are in jeopardy of extinction or mass civil wars. The inherited wealth have taken over, and it is their intention to have it all with us out of the way.

DNA will terrify you more for what could be than for what you actually read... And that is terrifying in itself.

The original version, a movie script, took three days to write. The novel? In actual writing time of 78,000 words? About a month, maybe three weeks. Usually I average 5-10K words a session.   I have a desire to finish the rest of the Trilogy, so I will work on DNA.

Code Mind following along with the first book in my YA series, Resurrection of Game. That's about a
basketball team and program I used to coach and the amazing experience they had despite the odds. I will then either start my NIGEL of the UNDERDARK trilogy (also an original script) or 24=1M which will blow your minds.

Also, I am obviously working on the SUMMER 150 Tour which involves the interviews of 150 persons within the Indepedent writing world. The goal is to get them all in by the end of July. It's goal is to help authors cross promote their works for 60 days with 149 others of their ilk. So far its gone ok.

When reading I still prefer print, but I love the relaxing, non-hand cramping set an e-book offers.

Alan goes on to tell us his pet peeves are a lack of accountability, hypocrisy, bullying, laziness, a sense of entitlement when nothing is earned, and last but not least Facebook members who have internet
muscles.

When asked what has surprised  him most about being an author – his reply is indicative of his style.  He relates – How easy the change was from being a journalist. I think that training prepares you for being able to plug plot holes and also not to rely on, in my opinion the safer and easier first person POV. I use many different POVs in stories, and it seems to work. Why? Because I was trained to use 12-15 sources in a news article and yet keep the reader on task. That is a skill as well as a learned talent. Being born in Chicago and seeing so many people daily, it got easy to understand the script taking place around me despite dozens of fresh faces and voices.

Alan says he never leaves home without  - a  book (because you never know if you'll get stuck somewhere) or my laptop (always working).

And Alan’s thoughts on receiving book reviews - the good and the bad - I like them all as long as they aren't bots sent by trolls. Good ones boost your beliefs and unfavourable ones can drive you forward.

Alan’s  book has been released on both Amazon Kindle and CreateSpacec


http://www.amazon.com/DNA-Flesh-between-Flesh-Volume/dp/1475121784/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341401777&sr=8-1&keywords=alan+dale+dna  Print version

http://www.amazon.com/DNA-Flesh-between-Flesh-Volume/dp/1475121784/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341401777&sr=8-1&keywords=alan+dale+dna  

of zombies.  His book debuts today, entitled Code Flesh, the first book in the DNA or Dead Nations Army trilogy. Alan Dale is a journalist who has turned to pen novels based on society as he sees it.

In the early morning hours of July 4, 2012 Alan Dale says,

Christine Rimmer on Come In, Sit Down, Tell Us About...

Christine Rimmer here today ~ Wednesday, July 4th on Paul and Paula’s Place and at  Paul and Paula’s Books on Thursday, July 5th.

I am an eclectic reader who delves into all genres fiction and into non-fiction subjects from psychology to fashioning the backyard solar panel.  I cannot say with any certainty what is my favorite except in, it always is the book or books I am currently reading.

When I started on Facebook, I had been invited by fellow readers from Shelfari, a site that is friendly, and like Facebook can gobble bites and chunks of time.  On Facebook though, I found along with us fledging writers and voracious readers, some of my favorite writers, mainstream to start and with authors I had read from their first book to their current.  

A Harlequin writer, one of my favorites and an author who likes to interact on a daily basis with readers, fans, and over time, friends, has just released one of her books onto e book form.

I’d like to share this lady today who, unbeknownst to her, has visited my bedroom many a time, and left me with romance, love, and laughter ~ Christine Rimmer

          What inspired you to write?

o    *     Hmm. Reading. Definitely. I wanted to create the worlds that readers

o                   like me could get lost in—and I mean lost in a good way. ;)**

o    *

o                  Do you have anyone you show manuscripts to and get advice from or are you a loner doing it      all yourself?

o    * I’ve written ninety books and have had the same editor for years and trust her absolutely. Never have been one for critique groups, though I know they   work well for many authors. But I do have a plot group. There are five of  us. All of my plotmates are totally brilliant. We meet in Las Vegas twice  a year and each plot two books each time. It’s fabulous to have all those great writing brains concentrating on developing my stories. And I like  the mental workout of plotting for the rest of the group. Now and then,  when I try something new or I’m not sure if what I wrote is working, I will send it to a close writing friend for critique. Those particular friends   feel free to send their material to me, if needed.**

o    *

o           What genre do you normally write in? Also, is there a genre you've always  wanted to write in, but don't feel you could pull it off?

o    *I write Contemporary Series Romance. I have written Contemporary Single  Title Romance, as well. I would love to write thrillers. I love to read   them. But alas, it’s not to be.***


o         Do you ever base your characters on people you know?

o    *Often. Or, more specifically, on traits of people I know. I tend to take  a trait from Jane and one from Joan, mix them up with other elements to  make a character who’s a little like someone I know…  but not quite.**

o    *What advice would you give to someone who was just starting off in writing?

o    *It’s all about talent, persistence and luck. You need to persist most of all. Talent can be developed. But if you don’t persist, you won’t be  there when your luck comes calling.**

o    *

o           Do your stories tend to have morals, or specific messages, included within them?

o    *Well, I would say, since I write romance, that’s it’s ultimately all about life working out….and love conquering all.*

o          This question was posed by a fellow author and I loved it so much I decided to throw it into the mix ~ Oh no! One of your characters has escaped.

o        Luckily, I have caught them! I will interrogate them with the help of a lie detector. Welcome! Take a seat, make yourself comfortable. You will be returning to your book once this is over. What's your name, where are you from and what is your role in the book?

o    *My name is Jace Traub. I’m from Christine Rimmer’s July release, THE LAST SINGLE MAVERICK. In fact, I am the last single maverick, though it bugs the hell out of me when anyone calls me that. I used to be in the oil   business. I used to be a good-time kind of guy. Now? I’m making some changes. I want something more out of life. Too bad I’m not sure exactly what. Yet.**

o    *

o         Tell us why we would enjoy reading your books?**

o    *My books are about two modern-day flawed-yet-lovable people finding each other and working through whatever life throws at them, to find a love that will last. My books are both sweet and sexy. With humor. *

o             Links for books and/or sites: www.christinerimmer.com

Ebook release day was July 1! Finally. ;) You should now be able to get it anywhere in the USA in every format. Whew!

The Last Single Maverick (Harlequin Special Edition)
www.amazon.com
Look out, ladies: there's another Traub bachelor in town! Jason "Jace" Traub is every bit as gorgeous as his sexy twin brother, but rumor has it he is even more marriage-shy. There's not a woman alive who

o    

Stuart Ayris and Halimar Omar on Come In, Sit Down, Tell Us About...

For you that are new, please read our intro now printed in Blue - for our returning guest feel free to jump to the text in black:
This blog is a meeting place for authors and others in the arts .... each week as others are directed to our door or just stumble on by, they come and leave information about themselves - telling about their new books or drawings or photos or to tell us about their new blogs. ****PLEASE be sure your comments are appearing on the latest most timely blog insuring your inclusion in the sending off to Google plus land at the end of the week.*****


Here is the link to Gwen’s site: IAN , a site which I am closely affiliated.  We are celebrating our grand re-opening with contests and drawings so please stop over.


Our site is free to comment and share and always will be free. This is a great site to join and to become interactive with guest comments. It gives you a chance to step out of your box and be whatever you wish.  Tell us and google land about you WIP, your new releases, whatever is closest to your heart.


Another blog that I have a close tie is CRYPTO and CO. Please pop over and check out all their pages.




Stuart and Halimar are with us today, Monday, July 2nd and will be on Paul and Paula’s Books on Tuesday, July 3rd


Stuart Ayris is here to kick off our round of Interviews for the following week.  Stuart’s daily outlook  is shown in his writing.  Welcome Stuart ~

What inspired you to write?

In general I was inspired to write during my adolescent years as a way of trying to make sense of the world around me. More specifically I was inspired to write Tollesbury Time Forever following fourteen years of working as a psychiatric nurse during which I formed a belief that there is no such thing as mental illness. The book was written as a way of exploring how I came to that conclusion.


Do you have anyone you show manuscripts to and get advice from or are you a loner doing it all yourself?

I don't get advice from anyone although I have been fortunate enough to meet someone via Goodreads.com who has offered to go over my work prior to publication. She is absolutely wonderful. Due to me generally writing during and after drinking it has really helped tidy my work up!


What genre do you normally write in? Also, is there a genre you've always wanted to write in, but don't feel you could pull it off?

I guess my novels are within the Literary Fiction genre. I dislike genre classification in the same way that I dislike any form of classification but I guess it helps people find the type of books they would like.


Do you ever base your characters on people you know?

All the characters in Tollesbury Time Forever are based, physically on people I have seen in Tollesbury (the village in which I live and where the novel is set.) Other than one of the characters being an anagram of my wife's name everything about them is made up! Although I do make an appearance in the prologue, towards the end of the novel, and in the epilogue!

What advice would you give to someone who was just starting off in writing?

Love what you do, absolutely adore it! If it seems a chore then do something else until the love comes back! And it will, trust me!

Do your stories tend to have morals, or special messages, included within them?

Tollesbury Time Forever most definitely has! It is spelled out very clearly in the acronym FRUGALITY which itself is presented to the main character by a group of children in a field and presided over by a man referred to only as The Walrus. It will makes sense when you read it! Anyway, the acronym is as follows:

F – forgive everybody everything
R – recognise beauty wherever it be
U – understand the nature of loss
G – give love wherever you go
A – anger devours the soul
L – look deep or don't look at all
I – imagination is life
T – trust everyone for, at heart, everyone is good
Y – You are wonderful!

The novel I have almost completed is about the value of friendship and about the effects of violence, amongst other things. I kind of take the view that it's ok to try and change the world!


This question was posed by a fellow author and I loved it so much I decided to throw it into the mix ~ Oh no! One of your characters has escaped. Luckily, I have caught them! I will interrogate them with the help of a lie detector. Welcome!Take a seat, make yourself comfortable. You will be returning to your book once this is over. What's your name, where are you from and what is your role in the book?

"My name is Simon Anthony. Have you ever heard of the Hen Harrier? We get them in Tollesbury and they are incredible. They glide over the marshes silent like breath, their V-shaped wings just a little more refined than that of the Marsh Harrier - smaller and slimmer and maybe a little more elegant. The male Hen Harrier is a ghost of a bird, the spirit of the Marsh Harrier, for it is not brown but almost completely white. It shimmers like a wave and is cut from the cloth of the morning mist. The only sign that these birds are of this world is the coal black wing-tips that leave darkening embers smouldering along the wing as they fly. And the markings on their tail go round and round in rings and rings of roses.

But that is not all. Suddenly, they fall and go a-tumbling from the sky, rocketing to earth like a parachutist whose chute has failed to open - yet there is no distress! Even in such a descent there is a beauty. And then - wham - the chute opens and the birds roar back up into the heavens - but just for a moment! This tumbling and rising goes on and on until the little Hen Harrier finds its way and wafts into the very firmament upon the breath of angels.

I am a man yet I am a Hen Harrier also. I am a drunkard and a dreamer. I am a Beatles fan and a lover of cricket. I am a husband and I am a father. I am all these things and more. And I am a friend of yours. I am the world’s best friend. Just think of me not as a schizophrenic but as a Hen Harrier only. A Hen Harrier.

For there is no schizophrenia and there is no depression; no bi-polar disorder, personality disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder. There is just life and trying to get through it. That is all. Look past the drugs and past the diagnosis, look deeper than the despair and higher than the highs - and what you have is a soul that needs embracing, a mind that needs cradling and a heart that needs to beat its beat without condemnation.

Some weeks ago, I was at the marshes with just darkness on my mind. I was rushing to the depths. Yet now I float and I rise. The earth is the same yet I see with new eyes. I have learned that the world does not change. All that alters is the way we choose to see it.

I am not a schizophrenic.

I am a Hen Harrier.
And I’ll have no more of your injections if that’s ok!
Thank you.

Tell us why we would enjoy reading your books?

Because I love life and everybody in it.

Well, there you have it folks and here are the links to Stuart Ayris world ~



Tollesbury Time Forever – UK –
www.tollesburytimeforever.blogspot.com

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tollesbury-Time-Forever-ebook/dp/B006TJDJKE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339093869&sr=8-1

• Tollesbury Time Forever – US –

http://www.amazon.com/Tollesbury-Time-Forever-ebook/dp/B006TJDJKE/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

TOLLESBURY TIME FOREVER

tollesburytimeforever.blogspot.com
Simon Anthony is a Beatles-obsessed alcoholic with a love of cricket and experiences that nobody believes. 'Tollesbury Time Forever' follows his attempts to find the son he abandoned twenty-two years ago. Reviewers have been calling it: "A work of genius" "Flawless perfection" "Magical, moving and...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks Halimar for stopping by. Halimar is a new writer on the scene who is enfused with a zest in all she’s does.  Let’s hear from her what drives her writing ~

What inspired you to write?

Before I became a writer I was obsessed with reading, until I felt as though I read everything. I had this unquenched thirst to read more, that’s when I decided to write. As I wrote more I couldn't stop, I loved writing as much as love to read or draw. Of course my friends encouraging comments pushed me to write more, but my readers became a big part of the inspiration as well.


Do you have anyone you show manuscripts to and get advice from or are you a loner doing it all yourself?

Yes, before I write a story or book I pitch the idea to my friends first and they give me ideas or advice.



What genre do you normally write in?

I write urban fantasy, some young adult novels, paranormal romance, and historical fiction. In the future I hope to dabble in other genres.

is there a genre you've always wanted to write in, but don't feel you could pull it off?

I’ve  always wanted to write comedy, but I don't have the knack for it like my cousin does. It's the one genre I've always wanted to write, but can't pull off. Of course most of my works have some funny moments, but not every scene is funny.


Do you ever base your characters on people you know?

Sometimes I do base them on my friend’s little personality traits, I love, I  create in my characters - especially if they’re funny.


What advice would you give to someone who was just starting off in writing?

Don't let others discourage you - if you love to write, then keep doing it. Surround yourself with others who believe in you and support your dreams.But most of all don't stop writing, write anything and do it everyday. As along as you continue to exercise your writing skills and imagination. Don't be afraid to write about things you've never done, or places you've never been before-it's all right to write outside the line.

Do your stories tend to have morals, or special messages, included within them?

Yes of course, most of my story do have a moral or special message some are not so blunt. I find stories are more interesting and more full filling if there's a message or moral.

This question was posed by a fellow author and I loved it so much I decided to throw it into the mix ~

Oh no! One of your characters has escaped. Luckily, I have caught them! I will interrogate them with the help of a lie detector. Welcome!Take a seat, make yourself comfortable. You will be returning to your book once this is over. What's your name, where are you from and what is your role in the book?

Hi name is Dmitri, I'm from Melbourne Creek Washington and I'm one of the main characters in The Legend. I'm a werewolf and the alpha of the Moon-base pack, recently I found my mate and right now I'm trying to convince her we’re meant to be together. But convincing her is like trying to convince a  lion not to kill its prey, hard and getting damn annoying. Hey, do you have some advice for me?

I would say Dmiti, you just need to be persistent and look to your creator for you needs and direction.  Nice meeting you.  Now off you go.

Tell us why we would enjoy reading your books?

My books are unique, intriguing and are filled with characters with outrages personalities. If you love fantasy, romance and paranormal books then you should definitely check out my books. Even if that's not your favorite genre you will love the heart pounding plots I create and characters that will have you laughing out of your seat.

Links for books and/or sites

Halima Omar's website: www.halimaomar.com


Blog-www.limaomar.blogspot.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/arebella92

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Halima-Omar/149682901804638