The Story of Nana (Margaret Tennant) and the reason she needs help is found in the link:
https://paulandpaulasbooks.wordpress.com/2017/03/10/nanas-inheritance/https://paulandpaulasbooks.wordpress.com/2017/03/10/nanas-inheritance/
Chronicles of The K-9 Boys and Girls on Locus Street seriesre
Rescued Dogs' Stories
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Nana's Inheritance Holdup
The Story of Nana (Margaret Tennant) and the reason she needs help is found in the link:
https://paulandpaulasbooks.wordpress.com/2017/03/10/nanas-inheritance/https://paulandpaulasbooks.wordpress.com/2017/03/10/nanas-inheritance/
W.D. FRANK
I have known W.D. FRANK for a bit over a year. I've yet to read LUCIFER'S LADDER, W.D.'s first traditionally published novel.
But, I have read other works of his. Many of the characters are ones I would not like to have in my life,while others are vulnerable and engage. However...! His stories are lush with imagery and extremely difficult to put aside once started. The reasoning to me is found in one of his answers below ~
1.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I honestly don't think I ever thought about
being a professional writer until I started writing. Well, that is not entirely
true. I didn't think about writing novels when I was a kid, but I wanted to
write screenplays and make movies. At one point during my childhood, I wanted
to be a marine biologist. In fact, that was my ultimate dream at the time. I
was utterly obsessed with fish. It is funny to think of the things we dream
about when we are children.
2.How long does it take you to write a book?
It depends on the book. I wrote Lucifer's
Ladder in around three months if my memory serves, but I never rush anything. I
take things at my own pace in order to ensure that the finished product is
perfect. It doesn't normally take me as long as you would think to finish the first draft, however, it does take time and
lots of patience. If I had to give a real answer, then I suppose it takes me at
least six months to finish novels these days.
3.What is your work schedule like when you're
writing?
Oh, God! I don't want to sound whiny, but it
is such a nightmare balancing all of the stuff on my schedule. (Especially
since I have people who actually care to see me these days) I spend most of my
time during the day promoting my published work on the internet as I
simultaneously mow through as many of my other daily jobs and family
obligations as humanly possible. Then I write a few pages at night. I realize
that part sounds easy, but you have no idea of how time-consuming writing is
for me personally. I spend an unholy amount of time just deciding my word
choices. Everything has to look beautiful on the page. If I am not too
exhausted after that, I will play a video-game... or watch a television show at
the very least. Remember, kids! Entertainment is absolutely vital to a person's
mental health.
4.What would you say is your interesting
writing quirk?
I have so many quirks as a writer, but I
suppose that my most interesting one involves me occasionally taking on my
protagonist's personality traits and mannerisms. Writing is a lot like acting
for me. I slip into another world and I channel my character through me. I once
ruined a potential relationship because I was still in the mindset of my frigid
and narcissistic protagonist from Lucifer's Ladder. I was talking like him and even acting like him to an extent.
It doesn't usually last long. I typically transition back to my normal self
soon after I stop writing. My date just caught me at the wrong time.
5.How do books get published?
Books are published through inhuman patience
and seemingly irrational persistence on their writer's part.
6.Where do you get your information or ideas
for your books?
Sometimes the ideas just come from some sort
of deep and unseen well of knowledge in my soul. When I become aware of an
idea, I write it down and wonder how the concept in question could have
possibly been born. I occasionally even know things that I shouldn't know. It
weirds me out! "Where in the blazing hell did it come from?" That is
something I constantly ask myself. That being said, I actually know where
Lucifer's Ladder came from for the most part. It was primarily inspired by
Japanese role-playing games such as Final
Fantasy and the psychological horror masterpiece known as Silent Hill 2. I also
longed to see a story that featured a dark and ruthless protagonist like Hugh.
Perhaps I needed to see him. I was struggling with a lot of darkness of my own
at the time.
7.When did you write your first book and how
old were you?
I wrote my first book in 2009. I was eighteen
at the time.
8.What do you like to do when you're not
writing?
This is going to sound incredibly nerdy, but I
am a huge geek. I love playing video games
and watching lots of television... especially anime. I am currently geeking out
over Berserk and the upcoming Pokemon games.
9.What does your family think of your writing?
My family is proud of my writing. (Especially
now that I have been traditionally published!)
10.What was one of the most surprising things
you learned in creating your books?
I suppose the most surprising thing I learned
is how natural it feels for me to create entire worlds and histories from
nothing. I can conjure an entire universe into existence and it feels as
typical as slipping on a pair of pajamas.
11.How many books have you written? Which is
your favorite?
Is it bad that I don't know the answer to that
first question? At least eight, I suppose. Although, I have likely written a
lot more than that. My personal favorite out of all of the books I have created
is Lucifer's Ladder because of how personal the story is to me.
12.Do you have any suggestions to help me
become a better writer? If so, what are they?
I realize this sounds cliché’, but just keep
at it. Writing is something you naturally become better at as you go along.
Write a couple of novels and admire your progress. I guarantee that you will
see the improvement.
13.Do you hear from your readers much? What
kinds of things do they say?
It depends on the readers, but they mostly say
positive things. I have a few haters, but the fans are the people I concern
myself with. If I am making the fans happy, then I am happy.
14.Do you like to create books for adults?
I don't write books for children. My stories
are intended for adults, but if children want to read them and their parents
let them, then I am all for it. Personally, I think my writing is better for
children than most of the mindless crap that is being shoved down their
throats.
15.What do you think makes a good story?
Characters who feel as real as family, an unforgettable story, and a unique
atmosphere.
16.As
a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
Like I said earlier, I wanted to be a marine
biologist... or at least a rapper like Eminem or LL Cool J when I was a child,
but now I remember very little about aquatic life and while I still appreciate
good rap songs, I am not as into it as I used to be. I am more obsessed with
David Bowie and Nobuo Uematsu these days.
 |
| goo.gl/XrbqZO |
Sunday, August 21, 2016
Our Daily Blab: Something to Lean On
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Monday, August 15, 2016
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Friday, July 29, 2016
Our Daily Blab: Searching for Bottom
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Friday, July 15, 2016
HOW DO YOU GROW SPIRITUALLY? (OR, THE PARABLE OF THE DUMB DONKEY): HOW DO YOU GROW SPIRITUALLY? (OR, THE PARABLE OF T...
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Wednesday, July 6, 2016
The cult of ignorance in the United States: Anti-intellectualism and the "dumbing down" of America -- Society's Child -- Sott.net
The cult of ignorance in the United States: Anti-intellectualism and the "dumbing down" of America -- Society's Child -- Sott.net: https://www.sott.net/article/313177-The-cult-of-ignorance-in-the-United-States-Anti-intellectualism-and-the-dumbing-down-of-America
Monday, May 16, 2016
Friday, May 13, 2016
Judy Colella
I met Judy Colella several years ago on a site, Bookrix that has evolved into a publishing site that is basically self-publishing. I found the site to be, for the most part, a place to hone one's ability but for me, I was getting too comfortable in writing and not going forward into publishing. Judy has remained on the site with the ability to look outward and now is reaching for better advertising of her books.
Her writing is wonderful. She can grab you with a short story or a tome of hundreds of pages, keep your interest, and have you looking for more. She carved out a few moments of her time to answer some questions ~
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I believe my desire to write started when I was nine; I loved making up
stories with my friends, and thought I should probably write some of them down.
How long does it take you to write a book?
Depending on what, why, and what’s happening in my life, it takes
anywhere from a week to three weeks for the first draft. Once in a while,
it might take a month, but that’s only if I find myself dealing with a ton of
outside distractions. To finish one complete with edits and rewrites, I’d say
it takes around two months of steady work, but rarely much longer.
What is your work schedule like when you are writing?
Since I don’t have a job that requires me to leave the house, I usually get
started writing after I’ve done all the morning things – cleaning, laundry,
updating Facebook, checking emails, etc.That means I normally start
between noon and one o’clock. I write for about two to three hours, take a
break, write another hour or so, break for supper, do a re-read of what I’ve
written, do a surface edit, and then kick back and watch Netflix for a
couple of hours. If I get an idea during that time, I’ll do a little writing after
the shows are over and before finally staggering off to bed.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I can’t work with music on; I tried that once, and ended up writing a short
story that…it was bizarre (not Beethoven’s fault, I swear!). I’m also
obsessive about typos and spelling, so I tend to re-read what I’ve done
approximately every five paragraphs.
How do books get published?
At the moment, I use CreateSpace. I’ve been in touch with another
company that offers to do a lot of the marketing for me (at a price, of
course), but for now, I like the way CreateSpace does things.
Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
The information comes from a variety of sources – text books that deal in
some aspect of the story line, Colliers’ Encyclopedia (hard copy set),
various encyclopedia sources on the internet, local university professors,
and source books at the library. The ideas come from some spooky vortex
lurking around in the center of my mind.
When did you write your first book and how old were you?
My first book was written in 1964 sometime before October – I was
ten years old.
What do you like to do when you are not writing?
Play the piano, go do karaoke, work on craft projects, crochet, read, do
research.
What does your family think of your writing?
They love to tell people I’m a writer, but none of them have read any of my
books yet. I complained to God about that one day, about how I can’t get
my own family to read my book, and he said, “Yup. I know how you feel.”
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your
books?
That writing was the easy part. Writing, researching, editing, etc. are sheer
joy for me. What I hadn’t realized is all the work a writer has to do once
the book is done – specifically, the marketing aspect.
How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
If you count the novelettes, the stories I’m still working on but that are
almost done, and the short stories that are completed but that are being
put together into a collection according to the genre, over 70. I’ve written
twelve completed, full-length novels.
Do you have any suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what
are they?
Be patient with yourself and those around you, keep falling in love with
your characters, and always keep a grammar book nearby.
Of course, from what I know about your writing and the stories of yours that I’ve read, you could probably give me some great suggestions!
Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
I don’t yet have thousands of readers…or hundreds…hmm. But I do hear
from those who have purchased the books, and almost every time I talk to
them, their first question is, “When is the next book in the series coming
out?”
Do you like to create books for adults?
I do, and I have. The MacDara series is for all ages, but I’ve also written a
number of others that are for an older audience. Some of those I’ve written
under my pen name (A J Cole), since they tend to be a little darker, and
even include some horror.
What do you think makes a good story?
Aside from good grammar, spelling, syntax, and format, situations with
which most readers can relate, and characters that are “real” in terms of
dialogue and actions, and who are likeable, make good stories. If the
character is doing things that defy the laws of physics (like looking over
someone’s shoulder even though they are standing back-to-back), or if the
main character is too perfect, the reader will lose interest as a rule.
Another thing I’ve learned that can be vital to a story being considered a
good one is enough description to give the reader a visual context,
without making the narrative too wordy or drowning in adverbs. Wait – did
I say too much there?
As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
That changed from one year to the next. At first, I wanted to be a mommy
with ten children. I have no idea why. Then I wanted to be an actress and
singer. Then a reclusive harpist who lived in either a cave or a castle
(seriously). After that, I wanted to be a famous singer and writer. By that
time, I think I was about twelve. Eventually, I settled on musician/writer, or
writer/musician depending on my mood, and that’s where it stayed.
If you are familiar with any of Judy Colella's writing or music, you are grateful she settled into that last niche. Check her out at the links below:
Judy has a Book Marketing Go Fund Me - check it out here
Sunday, May 8, 2016
Our Daily Blab: Mom
Our Daily Blab: Mom: There has long been the joke that parents really do pick their favorite child, but they never want to say that out loud. Picking a favor...
Saturday, April 30, 2016
James McAllister
The interview with James McAllister has been sitting in queue a long time. I met James in a group where he flashed through. He is an aggressive promoter of his stories and his interview is indicative of why.
I was fortunate in 'winning' several of his books which in turn won him an avid reader. I picked up most of his books and am ecstatic to know he has stories in a charity collection book I have yet to read in its entirety. More will be heard from me about his books and short stories when I post my reviews on our sister site, Paul and Paula's Books.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
An English teacher in college told me I could be a good writer, with a little effort. That was back in 1984. I didn’t think much about it after that until about 2005. In sort of an informal ‘bucket list’ thing, I decided I’d like to write a book. I started writing my first book, The Best Laid Plans, in 2012. I finished and published it in June 2013. I also published an anthology of short stories I had written, The Universe, Five Minutes At A Time, about the same time. I published my second book, The Page, in February 2014. In March 2014 I published The Turret, then in November I released Rods. My latest, Staged Fright, was published in April 2015.
I’ve had a few short stories published by others. The first is Things Seem Different By Firelight in the anthology Torched in July of 2014 - not in print at this time, fortunately can be found in The Universe While You Wait. The others are The Last One, We’re Not In Kansas and The Agony of Defeat. All are in Gifts From The Dark, a Miscellany of Dread, published October 2015.
How long does it take you to write a book?
Good question. My first took about 14 months, sort of. I travel a lot, so I began writing on planes, in airports, and in hotel rooms. When I would get a stuck writing The Best Laid Plans, I would work on The Page. When I didn’t have enough time to complete a scene in either, I’d write a short story as an exercise. I wrote The Turret in about ten months, including about three months ‘off’ for hip replacement surgery. Rods and Staged Fright are novellas. Each was written in about a month.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I consider myself more of a storyteller than a writer. I try to put an ‘Easter egg’ in my stories. In The Turret, there is a law firm name taken from a famous comedy movie. In Things Seem Different By Firelight, all of the characters are names from classic 20s, 30, and 40s comedy movies. So, if you read my stories, google the names of people, places, and ships.
How do books get published?
I publish them through my publishing company, Fortiter Publishing LLC. I publish on Amazon and in paperback formats through CreateSpace. I find it an intuitive and straightforward process.
Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
The basic storylines are in my head. The short version is I write the stories I got tired of waiting for others to write.
The details I research. I did a lot of research on 500 A.D. Scotland, historical figures, Celtic names, flora, fauna, etc. for The Page. For The Best Laid Plans and The Turret, I researched various ethnic names, military ranks, ship names, star names and locations, famous sea battles, and more. Facts for Rods and Staged Fright came from my personal knowledge of New York City, research on NYPD ranks, geography, and history.
The internet is very helpful.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
I love my ‘real job’ doing surveys in healthcare accreditation. It has me traveling three weeks each month, so it is hard to find enough time to spend with my family. I also like fishing, gardening, football, baseball, and basketball.
And I read and watch movies, mostly SciFi. I also beta read for a few author friends.
What does your family think of your writing?
My wife is not a SciFi or horror fan, but she genuinely likes my stories. So do the others in my family who’ve read them.
My wife’s favorite is Rods, with Staged Fright and The Page close behind.
How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
I’ve published seven books: two Starclan books, The Turret and The Best Laid Plans; Two John Martin Adventure, Staged Fright and Rods; The Page; and two short story collections, The Universe Five Minutes At A Time and The Universe While You Wait. The last one is available in paperback and Kindle formats, but my intended use for it is in waiting rooms.
Do you have any suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they
The best thing I can tell you is to practice. Write a lot, even if it’s just short stories. Give yourself a challenge; tell a complete story on one page, etc. Then have others read it and listen to their criticisms. Use their thoughts to improve your product.
And remember, your writing is your product, so do everything you can to put out a product you can be proud of; you can never have enough proof-readers!
Lastly, write what you know, write what you like. Have fun.
Connect with James at his website: Fortiter
On his Facebook page:
His Twitter: @StarclanAdmiral
And, Amazon
Sunday, April 3, 2016
Thomas Duder
I've been in several groups with Thomas and he is not only brash, and bold but is a very talented individual. He's chomping at the bit, so let's go on his ride ~
Hello, hello! Let's begin, yes? :D
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
A professional writer or a writer-writer? I honestly don't know - I've always been a writer, y'know?
But a professional writer? Roughly three years ago or so. I just decided to take the plunge and after the first year, just...found myself here, I reckon
How long does it take you to write a book?
If I had my druthers, all bills paid and my schedule set, I could easily kick out a 50k book every other month. This is also considering work on music, lyrics, and other, nonesuch.
Sadly enough, life is harsh and unfair. Naturally, there are far more factors and I'm not quite at that point yet.
But I will be, once I get this dag-fernagled machine up and running. THEEEEEEEN I can focus on taking over the world.
Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
Apparently from the utter darkness of the void. grins Honestly, some of the ideas form as I write, or during the skeletal structure. I'm very much so a hybrid writer - an engineer at the start, but then a gardener as I write.
It's a combination of order and chaos that usually presents the story to me as I write, or during my planning process. Even more so, sometimes characters will do things that surprise even me, making them far more alive in that sense.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
My geek resume is loooooong, my friend. Video games, movies, music, reading, training and weightlifting. I'm into tabletop games, card battle games, just...all sorts of stuff, y'know?
Internet culture is a thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing, and I find myself getting louder about politics again.
I'm into a loooooot of stuff, yo.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
Having the innocence of my dreams smashed out of me thanks to the brutal reality of the industry. Of ALL industries, really.
But that pain?
That's weakness leaving one. Now I'm stronger, still here, still resilient about getting my dreams my way.
I may yet fail, though. I'm willing to accept that too.
Do you have any suggestions to help me become a better writer?
Stay out of my genre.
grins
Naw, seriously though? Write. Just write, and let everything fall where it may.
Do you like to create books for adults?
Hell yeah! I might try my hand at books for kids, under a nom de guerre of course.
Heeeeeey, keep an eye out for JJ Blackstone someday, friends. still grinning
What do you think makes a good story?
If it leaves an indelible memory within you, something you can never forget, perhaps a moment or a snippet of dialogue.
It could be the backstory, or the current story, or the characters.
There's no one thing that makes a good story, and for some, it IS only one thing.
As a writer, it's up to us to figure out how to write these things and present it as best as we can.
For me, there's my breathtaking scenes of violence and witty dialogue, but I've also been praised for my worldbuilding and "believable" over the top scenes of action.
Like I said earlier, write and just keep writing. Either you yourself will recognize that you suck (in which case you should STILL keep writing, just refine where your audience is, find them and revel in your suckiness) or you will get better and be awesome.
Or you'll find that you're awesome already.
That, too, is acceptable.
Thomas is in the midst of raising funds to launch his new book - only a month left to pledge the link
The Pen is My Sword site
Check out my review on his first two in the series The Generalist at Paul and Paula's Books
Have a look at Thomas Duder's Anubis Unit band
Check out my review on his first two in the series The Generalist at Paul and Paula's Books
Have a look at Thomas Duder's Anubis Unit band
Monday, March 28, 2016
Russell Cruse
I saw Russell in an author's group. Another author had said how much she liked his stories and his being eliminated in a line up for a collection only had to do with the tenor of the story, not the story itself which, I also read, was good. I value her opinion, so went shopping on Amazon and picked up one of his stories, read it, and went and asked him for an interview..... And, he said yes!
In my opinion, his interview is just as interesting as his books ~
How long does it take you to write a book?
Way too long. On average eighteen months to write and publish a novel (see below). However, I can chuck out a 3000 word short story in a day. I really should do more shorts.
What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
I don’t have a schedule, although I prefer the mornings. I think a lot: that is, I don’t sit at the computer and muse but think stories through as I go about daily routines – particularly in the car. Once the story is written in my head, I then write it down.
For my novels, I’ve always used a quite detailed plan. I need to know what the arc of the thing is going to be and I determine what will happen in each chapter. With “The Rothko Room”, I made it a policy that there would be nothing that didn’t move the plot along and there would be a plot point and an exciting episode in each of the eighty-eight chapters. In addition, I tried to get at least one smile or even belly laugh on every page.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
It’s not a quirk exactly but I maintain that a story always needs humour somewhere. Humour appears in real life at the most inopportune and inappropriate moments and a story without humour is a story without soul, without life – like unleavened bread. Even my novella of the First World War, “The Circling Song” has moments of humour and characters who take life less than seriously even when it’s at its most tragic.
I’m a bit anal when it comes to research. Without forgetting that it’s fiction, after all, I think that all stories should be rooted in reality – locations, in particular, are important. To accompany The Rothko Room, I produced a map of London on Google Maps, which pinpoints the locations of various episodes in the book, along with appropriate quotations. In addition, I compiled two actual crosswords in order to present clues to the characters and the readers, should they care to look for them, as well as writing a piece of music, which contains a number of clues in it. The score is printed in the novel. I like things to be as authentic as possible!
Another example of this lunacy can be found in my current work in progress, “Transcripts of Terror”. I have designed an entire Nazi research station, complete with sketches and fully dimensioned 3D schematics in order to ensure that characters can be where I say they are and get from one place to another in the correct manner. I’ve turned one of them into a (sort of) authentic “document” to use as an illustration.
I’ve even mocked-up location photographs.
But saddest of all, each of my long pieces has been plotted on Excel spreadsheets using accurate dates and times.
It doesn’t mean that I don’t sometimes make mistakes: I once received a note from a beta reader who, fortunately was an expert in military dress of WWI. He was able to tell me that the entire first chapter of “The Circling Song” didn’t work, since the Brodie helmets (which were crucial) were not introduced until long after the events I was describing!
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
I have been a musician for over forty years. If I go any length of time without playing my guitars or mandolin or banjos or ukuleles, I go a bit mental. I teach guitar and have done for thirty years.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
It takes a great deal of time to edit and polish a novel: almost as long again as it does to write it, I’d say. So I would have to say that the most surprising thing is how many times it’s possible to miss errors in my own work that I would spot in seconds in someone else’s. Yesterday, my wife showed me an error in a story she was reading. It was in an anthology and so had previously been published before being collected and so had been edited at least twice and yet, within its pages, a seagull managed to pick a muscle off a rock and eat it: not once, but twice.
How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
I have only three novels and am currently on my fourth. They are all very different - thematically and stylistically. I don’t have a favourite but I’d have to say that the most universally popular is “The Circling Song” – perhaps because it’s the shortest. I’m rather proud that, although it has only 10 reviews on Amazon US, every one of them is five-stars. The one I’d like more people to read is “The Rothko Room”. It’s getting good reviews apart from a one-star from a person who said that you’d be better off reading the side of the sauce bottle over breakfast. Amazingly, he has since asked to be my friend on Facebook. I accepted, of course but I don’t think he knows who I am!
Do you like to create books for adults?
Yes, I do. I don’t think I’d be very good at writing for children or young adults because, frankly, I don’t empathize. My own youth and early adulthood was surprisingly free of angst and trauma and, even then, the things that preoccupied my friends never bothered me a great deal.
What do you think makes a good story?
This is the only question I think a writer needs to consider and it’s an extremely complex one. I, as a reader have enjoyed all sorts of books – from adventure stories to so-called literary fiction but a book that relies on plot without concern for character; or rejoices in language and descriptive flourishes without concern for story-telling; or, indeed, is full of insights into the human condition but uses flat and colourless language is not one that’s going to give me a great deal of pleasure. I need a story, a plot, a tale to carry me along; I need characters I can be concerned about; but I also need the language to work for me as well. I want to see original use of words, phrases and sentence structure.
If there is a theme I care to explore, it would be how the ordinary person reacts in extraordinary circumstances.
I will be reviewing Cruse's HEAD COUNT on Paul and Paula's Books later this week ~ I will be back with a linkRussell Cruse Amazon link
website/blog link
Paul and Paula's Books - review of Head Count, and Night Bus, Cruse's short story in the Cake & Quill charity collection, Gifts From The Dark: A Miscellany of Dread
Monday, March 21, 2016
O.N. Stefen
I picked up O.N.Stefen's new book, Sleep then my Princess, today. O.N. Stefen is as elusive and mysterious as the books she writes. I am happy I was able to convince her to give me a photo (which may or may not be her) but the interview, I do know is from her.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I was asked to join a writing group to make up numbers. I went along not knowing what went on and was surprised to find that I loved it. I was hooked from that day on.
How long does it take you to write a book?
Writing a novel is a process of drafts, editing, proofreading and it can take from six to ten months.
What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
I snatch moments to write whenever I can. I’ve written in cafes, pubs and with grandchildren running around me.
I don’t have a typical writing day as I write where ever I can. I take my laptop when I go on short holidays but not when I go overseas as that’s too cumbersome and I wouldn’t get enough time to write. I do like to get 1000 words down, however, I have produced 10,000 words in a day at times. Other times I’m lucky to produce 300 words. So it does vary.
Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
I get ideas from newspapers, TV news reports and sometimes, from an overheard conversation. The seed for my latest thriller, Sleep then my Princess, grew from an overheard conversation when I was a child.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
When I’m not writing, I could be gardening, or cooking or catching the latest movie or shopping.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
I guess you think deeper about emotions surrounding incidents in your life and try to analyse how other people would feel about their trials and tribulations.
How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
I've written five books, one a romance, two thrillers, two fantasy stories and another thriller is currently in first draft stage. I don't have a current favorite.
Do you have any suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they?
Writing conferences and courses are immensely helpful. I have always gone to these with an open mind hoping to take away at the very least one new skill. Also, I find writing blogs on the web a mine of useful information. Other than these, the only way anyone can become better at their craft is to write and take note of any helpful suggestions from other writers and editors.
Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
When I hear from readers, it’s usually to say that they have enjoyed my book. Some have asked how I come up with the ideas for the story they have read.
I always read my reviews and am delighted if a reader has enjoyed my story. If it’s a constructive review, then I keep this in mind as something to tone down or improve in my next book.
What do you think makes a good story?
The essentials of a good story is one that captures the reader's imagination.
Review of THE DEADLY CARESS at Paul and Paula's Books
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