September 7, 2015 by Effrosyni Moschoudi

Interview with Mary Blowers

Hello All! September is upon us, and after a week’s holiday in my father’s homeland on the Greek island of Limnos, I’ve returned rejuvenated and ready for another busy winter. For the first blogpost of this new season, I am pleased to welcome Mary Blowers, a diverse writer who, other than fiction, also writes on the subjects of faith and health, among other things. Let’s get to know her better, shall we?

Blood Moon is the second volume in the Anthology of the Heart series. Mary Blowers has once again pulled together authors from all over the globe to create a life-changing read.

12 Authors, some never before published, wrote on the subject of Transformation. Blood Moon is a multi-faceted title referring to the three blood moons that have already occurred and one to come later this year. What transformation have they been a part of and what changes are yet to come? Is it the end times? No one will know until the day and the hour that He appears. Jewish teaching states that blood moons on Jewish feast days predict major events. Time will tell if it will be true this time. The blood moon phenomenon itself is an intense transformation that baffled and frightened people of the distant past, and possibly in some regions even today.

In the meantime, enjoy these 12 stories about Transformation. Change is often helpful, and always interesting.

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Novella involving a woman’s search for meaning and her journey through dreams and nightmares.

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The Prophecy of Enchantria is a Christian themed preteen genre fantasy adventure starring Pandora! She encounters problems interacting with people at school but then discovers a portal to a secret world in her backyard with its own set of challenges! Find out how she solves problems in a world where all is not as she expects.

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Christianity and Mysticism is a perusal of Christian Mysticism, Rosicrucianism, Hermeticism, Kaballah, psychic mediums, and other topics relating to the spiritual life and death. Four Spiritual Laws of Christianity are linked inside, as well as a free offer for another Christian book and a link to the author’s blog at http://maryblowers.com

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Hello Mary and welcome to my blog!

Hi Fros, it’s great to be here.

Tell us a bit about your work; what do you write?

I’ve written hundreds of book reviews for money, for reviews in trade, or just because someone asked me to, including Lior Zoref, Sigrid Fry-Revere, Braxton Cosby, Rakesh Sethi, and Wali Collins. In addition I have been published in 2 magazines, a Reader’s Digest compilation, and self-published 13 books.

That’s impressive! Are there any hobbies or interests that you enjoy in your spare time?

I love knitting, gardening, collecting antiques, and reading. In the past I have painted, crocheted, and made jewelry.

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What lovely photos! Have you painted this tree?

Yes, I have.

Wow, well done, it looks wonderful! Love your garden, too. What are you working on at the moment, Mary? Tell us a little about your current project(s).

I’m currently writing an exciting historical novel about a serial killer, from the viewpoint of characters in the killer’s life.

What genres do you read mostly, and what are you reading now?

Typically I have read a lot of non-fiction, mainly health books, as my other passion is natural health. More recently I have been reading novels for other indie authors, to review for each other.

Oh! Sorry, I have to say, I’ve had a few hairy experiences exchanges reviews with authors and wouldn’t recommend this to my readers. I hope you have better luck than me there, Mary. Personally, I only approach readers on FB groups now for a review and it works beautifully for me. Are there any sites or writing tools that you find useful and wish to recommend?

I have just discovered Joanna Penn and Nick Stephenson, who have several videos on YouTube about getting more readers. But something that really inspires me is reading other authors’ work. After I’d written many book reviews, I found myself really getting into the rhythm of writing and would recommend reviewing as a catalyst for your own writing. It’s wonderful practice. Read the kinds of things that you would like to write.

Yes, Joanna Penn is a great resource! I take this opportunity to also recommend Bookbub Partners, a great site for author tips I just discovered thanks to my wonderful author buddy, Nicholas Rossis. Nicholas’s blog is also chock-full of author tips, by the way! On to the next question, Mary: tell us about your website/blog. What will readers find there?

My blog started as a place to show my book reviews. As I wrote more and more, I also found that I enjoyed sharing writing advice from other authors and an occasional guest post. I’m open to more guest posts! If you or any of your readers wish, they can contact me directly. I could post a book launch or other topics suggested to me. I also host an occasional giveaway of a book I’ve reviewed and announce my own new releases there.

This is most kind of you! Thank you very much, also on behalf of my readers. Would you describe your workstation for us? I wonder if there are any favorite objects on there you have for inspiration!

Yes, I have some family photos and a vintage poster I’ve always loved since childhood. There are also some of my own paintings and quirky antique collectibles. I enjoy items that are a little creepy so those things inspire me!

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Oh, the vintage poster looks lovely but I don’t think the snowman is creepy! Either that, or I have a very creepy collection of Christmas ornaments, LOL! Tell us, what do you enjoy the most as an indie author that you imagine you wouldn’t if you were traditionally published? If you had a choice would you still go indie?

I’ve never had a whole book traditionally published, but from talking to other authors it can be very frustrating. Long waiting periods before publication, differences of opinion on everything from title to cover to content, and misunderstandings in the contract are just some of the problems I’ve heard about. I love the freedom of self-publishing in that I can upload a book in a very short time and make changes myself as necessary or desired. I guess it’s about control!

Is there anything you like to do to get the creative juices flowing when you write?

My office overlooks a wooded area with occasional deer, turkeys, woodchucks (it’s not a bird), rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, and probably foxes and coyotes. It’s up high and I can see a very long way from my window, which is quite relaxing to me and gives me the space to exercise my brain.

Sounds idyllic! If you could have one superpower what would it be?

Definitely flight. I have had flying dreams and always enjoyed flying cartoons as a child.

If you could choose another profession, what would that be?

I wouldn’t want any other profession–but my other passion is the medical field. Alternative medicine can be risky and is not always well received, so I would likely go into the nursing or physician assistant field if I were to reroute, but I do enjoy making remedies for myself and family members.

Thank you for this lovely chat, Mary. It’s been wonderful to have you.

Many thanks, Fros, for the invitation.

Mary Blowers was told in school that she had a gift for writing essays and was even compared to Emerson. Now she writes on topics from faith, to health, to fiction, and loves all of it. Her dream is to be a full-time writer, or at least not have to have another job to pay expenses. In the meantime, she writes almost every day for at least 30 minutes, working around her hours at the day job as an executive assistant. She is on track to finish her current novel by the end of the year, which will be a departure from the norm, a horror story about a serial killer from the past.

She has published 13 books of her own including two anthologies, and an essay is included in “Best Life Stories” from Reader’s Digest. She is also a contributor to Halo Magazine and West Michigan Christian News.

Mary lives in Southwest Michigan, USA, in a mid-twentieth century home with her husband and two cats. She has one son who lives nearby and she enjoys spending time with her mother and caring for her. When she’s not writing she enjoys knitting, gardening, and walking for fitness. She and her husband have just finished a major landscaping project at their home (see photo). She is also a long-time student of natural health methods and certified Master Herbalist, Nutrition Consultant, Holistic Health Practitioner and Weight Management Coach.

You can join her mailing list to get an occasional free book and be the first to hear about new releases. Sign up at http://eepurl.com/bmKaL5 and get a free book within 24 hours! View her writing/book review blog at http://maryblowers.com

Visit Mary’s Amazon page

Visit Mary’s website and blog

Join her mailing list and get a free book http://eepurl.com/bmKaL5

Other links for Mary and her books:

Createspace https://www.createspace.com/5204619

Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MaryBlowers

Lulu http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/MaryBlowers

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaryBlowers

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaryBlowers.author

Have you enjoyed this post? Follow the blog (see right sidebar) and miss no more posts! Sign up to Effrosyni’s newsletter to keep up to date with her news and special offers (very sparse emails). Interested to read more? Head over to Effrosyni’s Blog, where you’ll find her earlier interviews, book reviews, author tips, travel articles and even Greek recipes!

August 10, 2015 by Effrosyni Moschoudi

An interview with travel writer, Richard Clark

Today, I’m pleased to welcome Richard Clark, an award-winning journalist who enjoys traveling around Greece, then publishing books to share his experiences. Anything that promotes my country is a great thing in my book, so I was thrilled when Richard accepted to do this interview. Richard’s writing is peppered with intriguing historical facts and vivid descriptions. I have read his book on Corfu and learned a lot about the island that I didn’t know. Stick around to hear more from the man himself!

The Ionian Islands stand at the gateway to Greece, with Corfu its gatekeeper. For so much of its history Corfu stood as protector of the Adriatic and its Venetian rulers, but now the island has turned its gaze south towards its Greek homeland. On reaching Corfu, something happens to the light, as if some celestial switch has been flipped, changing everything…

Corfu – A Notebook is a series of snapshots of places, the people and culture of those who inhabit this beguiling island and some of its neighbours in the Ionian group. More of a travelling companion than a guide, this is the fourth of Richard Clark’s books about the Greek Islands.

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In 1982, on a whim, the English journalist Richard Clark upped sticks and left the country of his birth to go and work as a teacher in Crete. So began a love affair with the island to which he still returns as often as possible.

Crete – A Notebook is a series of snapshots of his experiences on an island he has grown to cherish. It is less of a travel guide and more of a travelling companion.

Whether a regular visitor or a first-time traveller there, this book provides an invaluable insight into life past and present on this exquisite island.

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Little more than a stone’s throw from the Turkish coast, Rhodes was the final piece in the jigsaw of what is modern Greece. The island has changed its clothes so many times throughout history that it can be difficult to pin down what best reflects its character, and herein lies the Island’s charm. The variety of its architecture and the wealth of myth and legend combined with an ever-changing landscape makes for a destination which can hold the interest for a lifetime.

For many it is the Crusader Knights who prevail, for others the lost wonder of the fallen Colossus or the Doric columns of the temple celebrating the Ancient Greek cult of Athena Lindia which presides over the maritime gem of Lindos. Whatever memories it leaves us with, it is an island full of surprises.

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In 1982, on a whim, the English journalist Richard Clark upped sticks and left the country of his birth to go and work as a teacher in Crete. So began a love affair with the Greek Islands, to which he now returns on a regular basis.

The Greek Islands – A Notebook is a series of snapshots of Journeys and Places, Culture and History, and People and Island Life on Greece’s enchanted triangle of islands – Corfu, Crete and Rhodes and the islands in between.

Whether a regular visitor or a first time traveler there, this book provides an invaluable insight into life past and present on these beautiful islands.

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Hello Richard and welcome to my blog!

Hello, Fros. Thank you for the invitation.

I love the sound of all your travel notebooks! Tell us more. How did they come to be?

My first published work was The Greek Islands – A Notebook, which really came about as the fulfillment of a lifelong ambition just to actually write a book. In fact, it was not my first attempt; I had written a children’s book (which has since been published in paperback) whilst living in Crete in the early eighties as a gift for my newly born niece at the time. Journalism kept me going over the years with newspaper and magazine articles being published on a regular basis so when I eventually found the time and discipline to embark on working on a book I did not come to it cold. I wrote about the Greek Islands following the much given advice about writing about something you know and you are passionate about. I was a teacher in Heraklion in Crete in the early 1980s and, since returning to England and journalism, had travelled extensively in Crete and other Greek Islands. I still regularly visit Greece three times a year.

Richard enjoys sailing in Greece

What was the first thing you ever wrote and how old were you then?

This probably sounds precocious, but the first thing I remember writing was for a literary competition at the age of 5. I have always enjoyed the creative process and was brought up by a father who was a successful crime writer, so I suppose it’s in the genes. Anyway, this competition was run by the local public library service and was open to children under the age of 16 and my primary school got all its pupils to enter as part of their day-to-day lessons. Low and behold, I won and was awarded with a fistful of book tokens, which came in very handy as even at that age, I was an avid reader.

What other writing have you done? Anything else published?

To date I have seven books published, and a Greek translation of my most successful book, Crete – A Notebook, is in the pipeline. In terms of journalism I have written across a wide range of subjects from politics to travel, sport to cookery and celebrity interviews for a wide range of national newspapers and magazines in the UK.

Any hobbies or interests that you enjoy in your spare time?

I love to read; it is one of the greatest pleasures in life. While commuting from my home to central London daily, I have plenty of time to indulge my passion. Other than that I enjoy music and try to play the guitar, although my son, who is a professional musician, will confirm quite how dreadful I am. I love to cook and do so on a daily basis. I also enjoy sailing, watching rugby and walking with my dogs.

Oh, they’re so cute! Thank you for sharing these photos; doggies are particularly welcome in this blog! What are you working on at the moment? Tell us a little about your current project(s).

I have been in hiatus over the last six months or so, but having just returned from a break travelling to some of the less well-known parts of Crete, I have started writing another book about the island with a working title of ‘Hidden Crete’ which I hope will encourage people to get off the usual tourist trail and discover other parts of this extraordinary and beautiful place. I have also got a couple of other ideas bubbling under, but they are not fully enough formed to talk about yet.

A picture from Elounda, Crete

Which are your favorite authors, and what do you love about them?

We are walking on shifting sands here as my favorite authors keep changing, and the list is always being added to, although there are some constants that remain the bedrock of my reading list. Unsurprisingly, I do read a lot of writers with Greek connections and of course I love Kazantzakis. Weirdly, I first started reading ‘Zorba the Greek’ whilst waiting to board a ferry to Crete from Piraeus on my very first visit to Greece. Coincidence or not, I have loved his work ever since but, if I had to choose one of his books, it would be ‘Report to Greco’. Of course I like Patrick Leigh Fermor and I also like Lawrence Durrell’s Greek travel writing. His ‘Alexandria Quartet’ is also a favorite of mine, although I find some of his later novels a bit impenetrable. There is a beautiful little book Durrell wrote which I think is now out of print, and I gave my copy away to a friend. It is called ‘A Smile in the Mind’s Eye’. I keep waiting for it to be reissued. Of the contemporary authors writing about Greece, of course I like Victoria Hislop, Sara Alexi is also making a well-deserved reputation for herself and in terms of non-fiction, I like the work of Marjory McGinn.

I also love Kazantzakis and Victoria Hislop and have enjoyed Gerald Durrell’s My Family and Other Animals since it’s set on Corfu. I’ve also enjoyed the travel memoirs of Marjory Mc Ginn and recommend them highly. What genres do you read mostly, and what are you reading now?

Over the last few years I have started to enjoy crime fiction, something I had steered clear of before. It started when a friend recommended the Stieg Larsson Books and from there I moved on to Henning Mankell and Andrea Camilleri. I have just worked my way through C.J. Sanson’s Shardlake mysteries. For crime with a Greek theme I really like both Anne Zouroudi and Jeffrey Siger’s books.

I don’t read much crime fiction but I’ve read Anne Zouroudi and she’s wonderful. Tell us, what do you enjoy the most as an indie author that you imagine you wouldn’t if you were traditionally published? If you had a choice would you still go indie?

When I started writing the first Greek book I really hadn’t thought about the publishing process; I just wanted to see if I could sustain the discipline to write a book. Being a journalist, I am used to seeing my work in print on a regular basis so that side of it didn’t excite me perhaps as much as it should have. When I neared the end of that book I began to think about the publication and was reading a lot online about indie publishing and it seemed to me the obvious way to go. I am in the fortunate position of having access to designers and editors who I know through work so the preparation of the manuscript and the cover was not a problem. I also employ an excellent formatter to prepare the eBook editions and design the interior of the paperbacks. For the most part I love the process, I am in total control and the timescales are much more acceptable than those operated by traditional publishers. The royalties are also far superior and I can put out however many books I want on my own schedule. The difficult part is the marketing. I am not a natural extrovert, so find selling my work hard, but the fact is that most ‘legacy publishers’ do little or no marketing for most of their writers nowadays. For me the stigma of whether I am taken seriously as an indie writer is borne out by the level of sales I have achieved, much more than many traditionally published authors. Ironically, for me to go down that route would be ‘vanity publishing’, as I would only be doing it to bestow on myself any kudos that might bring.

Oh yes, the marketing is always the difficult part for all indie authors… What are the things in your life that you’re most grateful for?

That’s an easy question to answer. My wife, Denise, and children Rebecca and James. Every day I feel blessed to have them.

Oh, that’s sweet… and good for you, Richard. Who is your favorite poet? Quote a couple of lines from your favorite poem.

Difficult, but I think T.S. Eliot just shades it, although, if I am allowed to include Bob Dylan as a poet…

Be my guest! I can think of a multitude of songwriters that I personally regard as poets!

Well, there’s a line in Dylan’s song ‘Mr Tambourine Man’ which I cannot hear without thinking about the famous beach sirtaki dancing scene from ‘Zorba the Greek’. This personal connection I have made evokes such wonderful images whenever I hear these words…

‘Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free
Silhouetted by the sea, circled by the circus sands
With all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves
Let me forget about today until tomorrow’

That’s beautiful. Thank you for sharing it with us, Richard, and for being here with us today! Happy travels!

Thank you Fros, it’s been a pleasure.

Richard Clark is the author of six books about Greece, his first The Greek Islands – A Notebook was published in 2011 followed by books about Crete, Rhodes and Corfu. A new edition of his best-selling Crete – A Notebook was released in the summer of 2014 and a Greek translation of this book is in the final stages of publication. Each of his individual ‘Notebooks’ has achieved No1 status in their individual listings on Amazon both in the UK and USA. Richard holds a BA degree in English Literature, is an award-winning journalist and is the son of the late author Douglas Clark.

His books are a series of snapshots of his experiences on the islands he has grown to love. They are less travel guides and more travelling companions.

The author is a writer, editor and journalist who has worked on an array of national newspapers and magazines in the UK. Currently he is Group Deputy Editor of the mass-market consumer magazines TV Times and TV&Satellite Week. He is married with two grown up children and lives in Kent in South East England.

The books are available in both paperback and as eBook editions from Amazon and other major retailers.

Visit Richard’s Amazon page

Visit Richard’s Facebook page

Have you enjoyed this post? Follow the blog (see right sidebar) and miss no more posts! You can also sign up to Effrosyni’s newsletter to keep up to date with her news (very sparse emails). Interested to read more? Head over to Effrosyni’s Blog, where you’ll find her earlier interviews, book reviews, author tips, travel articles and even Greek recipes!

August 3, 2015 by Effrosyni Moschoudi

An interview with Alice Degan

Hello All! Back from my Corfu holiday and feeling all refreshed and energized. What better way to start a new week than to interview a lovely author with a sweet smile like Alice Degan! Alice lives in Toronto and teaches medieval literature but in her spare time she writes fascinating stories taking place in the distant past. Below you will find details on her metaphysical mystery novel, as well as her urban fantasy. The latter inspired a series of short stories as well. Vampires in Toronto? Who would have known! Stick around to hear all about Alice and her work!

Toronto, 1925: An ancient manuscript and a modern cult promise the secret to personal metamorphosis. An atheist graduate student falls in love with a priest. A shiftless musician jilts his fiancée and disappears. From All False Doctrine is a metaphysical mystery wrapped in a 1920s comedy of manners.

Thrown together when their best friends fall in love, Elsa Nordqvist and Kit Underhill don’t think they have much in common. But when Kit’s friend Peachy drops off the face of the earth, and the manuscript that Elsa wanted to write her thesis on seems to have something to do with it, Elsa and Kit become unlikely allies. The question is, can their combined resources of Classical scholarship and Anglo-Catholic liturgy save a man from himself?

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On a back alley in Toronto’s Kensington Market, above the Heaven & Earth Bakery, there’s an apartment with a room for rent. The rent is negotiable. The location varies. Humans need not apply. For Nick, who calls 7C home, real life can be a lot weirder than his friends’ role-playing games. Between regular stints at his job delivering bread and cinnamon buns to the otherworldly population of the city, these days he finds himself dodging attacks from vampire-hunting tourists, possessed pigeons, and his boss’s unborn child. Welcome to a world of obnoxious fairies and bored vampires, satyrs who love ’80s music and demons who play video games. Welcome to 7C. Good luck finding the bathroom.

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Hello Alice and welcome to my blog!

Hi, Fros! It’s lovely to be here, thank you.

What has inspired you to write From All False Doctrine?

As many writers do, with this book I was trying to write the book that I wanted to read. I love the novels of Charles Williams, which are supernatural thrillers with a Christian mystical twist. Williams was one of the Inklings, a friend of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, but while their fantasies became hugely influential, Williams’ novels remained relatively obscure and haven’t had many imitators. So wishing that I had more books like his to read led naturally, for me, to setting out to write in the same curious genre. I chose a setting in the 1920s, to evoke the style and manners of Williams’ books, but I also chose to place my story in my own city of Toronto. This led to a lot of interesting research, and I was able to include many real locations in the story, including the university I attended and the apartment building where I lived when I began working on the story.

Sounds absolutely amazing, Alice. I bet you learned a lot about your city in the process!

Oh yes, a whole lot of interesting things!

There you go, an extra bonus! Isn’t being an author full of thrills? Now tell us, what other writing have you done?

From All False Doctrine is the first novel I have published, and I’m happy about that now. It’s the first of my attempts that was really ready to go out into the world. But if you’d told me a few years ago that I would feel that way, I wouldn’t have believed you. At the time, I felt as if I had written so much, it was a disgrace that I wasn’t published yet, aside from a few poems in literary journals, years ago. The truth is, I had never tried very hard to publish my earlier stories and novels, which were all over the map in terms of genre and length and marketability. Now I can look back at all that writing as necessary practice to bring me to the point where I am today, and to give me the confidence I needed to go indie. Besides False Doctrine, I have a series of urban-fantasy stories that I have also indie-published; the first three are newly available in the collection The Tenants of 7C, and more are planned! Also, I have written a sequel to From All False Doctrine, called Neither Have I Wings, which I hope to publish this fall.

Any hobbies or interests that you enjoy in your spare time?

I dabble in all kinds of hobbies, but the one that might be most interesting to your readers is my small business of crafting handmade notebooks. As a writer, I’m very particular about notebooks, and a couple of years ago I learned how to make the kind that I like best. It’s another case of creating the thing that doesn’t exist because you want to enjoy it yourself! Now I sell them through my Etsy shop, which has the same name as my indie publishing imprint.

Oh wow, this looks fabulous. Well done, Alice! Do you see yourself in any of your characters, or do any of them have traits you wish you had?

The two main characters in False Doctrine are Elsa and Kit. Elsa is a graduate student, studying Classics (a hard row to hoe for a woman in the 1920s). Kit is a priest. I have graduate degrees in medieval literature from the same school that Elsa attends in the novel, and I even lived in the same residence, so on the surface you might think she’s the character who is closest to me. But on a deeper level, I actually have more in common with Kit, even though his life bears no resemblance to my own, because my worldview is closer to his. He’s also one of the characters I feel proudest of having created. The process of writing him pretty much consisted of thinking, “What would I do in this situation … if I were made of awesome?” I’m not, in real life, but that is one of the great things about writing fiction, isn’t it?

Sure is! What are you working on at the moment? Tell us a little about your current project(s).

I’m dividing my time between the Heaven & Earth stories (my urban fantasy series) and the third book in the False Doctrine trilogy, which takes place in Toronto at Christmas, 1946. Of course that means more fun research! I have a Pinterest board full of images of 1940s dresses, vintage Christmas trees, and other neat things that will feature in that story. The Heaven & Earth stories are very different. They take place in the modern world, and draw inspiration from Japanese manga, a medieval story about a werewolf, and my personal love of Toronto’s Kensington Market neighborhood, which is a funky area with a lot of diverse history.

Intriguing stuff! What genres do you read mostly, and what are you reading now?

I read mysteries, fantasy, manga, and anything else that catches my eye. Recently I have been enjoying the mysteries by French historian-turned-novelist Fred Vargas. I especially like her Three Evangelist series, which features three oddball out-of-work academics. The best fantasy I have read lately is definitely Katherine Addison’s The Goblin Emperor.

Thank you for these awesome recommendations! Do you have any advice for other indie authors?

I have some advice for anyone thinking about going indie, which is: do it, and don’t worry too much about what other people will think. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how well my friends and casual acquaintances have reacted; I was prepared to spend a lot of time justifying my decision to other people, but I really haven’t needed to. Most people don’t know or care that much about how books are published, so if you’re confident enough to say, “I decided indie was the way to go,” they will accept that you know what you’re talking about. As for the people who do know the business, well, they know why it’s a smart decision these days!

Great advice, Alice. I also found it easier than I’d thought to tell everyone among my family and friends that I’m a published writer now. To my surprise, people I hardly knew got the most excited about it and wanted to buy my books! Goes to show how our fears and insecurities are not based on reality, huh! On to the next question: what do you enjoy the most as an indie author that you imagine you wouldn’t if you were traditionally published? If you had a choice would you still go indie?

I’m delighted with the freedom and control I have as an indie author. Although I had some experience querying publishers for earlier projects, by the time I finished False Doctrine, I had made up my mind to go indie. I had been reading blogs and books on the new world of indie publishing, and listening to Joanna Penn’s inspiring podcast, and I was excited and nervous, but I made the decision. I didn’t approach any agents or publishers about this novel. For one thing, I knew it would be a hard sell; remember how I said my inspiration was to imitate an obscure novelist?

Sure…

Can you imagine admitting that to a publisher? But, you see, I knew I could market the book myself to my own circle of like-minded readers, and let it grow slowly from there. I also didn’t want to feel that I’d chosen indie publishing as a last resort or backup option, so in fact I made it my first choice. Psychological judo, maybe, but it worked on me!

Psychological judo? Oh, I am noting that down! Thanks, Alice, that’s hilarious (*giggles*) Last question: anything you like to do to get the creative juices flowing?

I like to write in coffee shops, but I don’t actually drink coffee, only tea. I’m fortunate enough to live in a neighborhood with lots of options, so I go to different places depending on how long a walk I want. We also have a great public library system with branches all over the city, many of which have nice work spaces, and I have a couple of favorites. I like going out of the house to write because it helps me to focus by eliminating options for procrastinating. When I’m at home, though, I have a nice workspace: a little red desk in front of a window in the study that I share with my husband.

A lovely nook for writing! Well, Alice, it’s been wonderful to have you. Thank you so much for being here today.

Thank you for inviting me, Fros!

Alice Degan is a novelist and academic (who also sometimes writes short stories). She studies and teaches medieval literature, and writes urban fantasy and something she likes to call metaphysical romance. She lives in Toronto with her husband.

Visit Alice’s Amazon page

Visit Alice’s website

Other links:

http://www.twitter.com/ajdegan

www.pinterest.com/ajdegan

www.etsy.com/shop/sextonscottagebooks

Have you enjoyed this post? Follow the blog (see right sidebar) and miss no more posts! You can also sign up to Effrosyni’s newsletter to keep up to date with her news (very sparse emails). Interested to read more? Head over to Effrosyni’s Blog, where you’ll find her earlier interviews, book reviews, author tips, travel articles and even Greek recipes!

July 20, 2015 by Effrosyni Moschoudi

An interview with author, Viv Drewa

Today I’m pleased to present Viv Drewa on my blog, a lovely, supportive author, who happens to love owls – an affinity we have in common. Check out her covers below and stick around to hear all about Viv and her work.

Before retiring, France Hunter decides to go to the place where she found her first new species of owl: The Amazon. Her group follows a well-known angler, John Sinclair, and his team, along with a reporter who wants to do a story on Hunter. Once arriving at the site, Sinclair leaves to go further up the river. He has a show to record and is hoping to catch an even larger fish this time. Hunter, and the group with her, run into a gruesome nightmare with the satellite phone destroyed and one man fighting for life. Sinclair is not due to pick them up for another week. Will they survive?

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This is the story of a young man’s escape from Russian-ruled Poland in 1913 (a biography).

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This is a story about a widow who, with the help of an owl and a blue-eyed spirit, solves her husband’s murder, and a 1300 year old mystery in Peru.

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Hello, Viv and welcome to my blog!

Hello, Fros! Thank you for inviting me.

What has inspired you to write The Angler and the Owl?

This book came about because of my love for owls and South America, specifically the Amazon River.

What was the first thing you ever wrote and how old were you then?

I was in the 7^th grade, I was 12, and it was an impromptu. My teacher wrote on it: “This is very good. Someday you’ll write books and they’ll be published.” I wish she were still with us to see that I finally did.

Any hobbies or interests that you enjoy in your spare time?

Spare time? Hmmm… (*laughs*) I love to sew, crochet and cross stitch.

What are you working on at the moment? Tell us a little about your current project(s).

My WIP is a paranormal murder mystery. I wasn’t able to find out enough about police procedures in South America so it takes place in my hometown.

What genres do you read mostly, and what are you reading now?

I prefer reading anything paranormal, or scary. I will read other genres to help the authors with reviews. Currently, I’m reading Blood of a Boss: The Moreno Family by Askari.

Do you have any advice for other indie authors?

There’s so much information out there on self-publishing. Read it all and decide what will work for you. As for your genre – read! Get to know it and what’s selling.

Are there any sites or writing tools that you find useful and wish to recommend?

Chris McMullen has a fantastic blog with many helpful hints and what’s new in the publishing business. Also, I love Rayne Hall’s How to books.

What do you enjoy the most as an indie author that you imagine you wouldn’t if you were traditionally published? If you had a choice would you still go indie?

It would be nice to have someone do the promotional part of writing. That would be the only thing that would convince me to go traditional. I do like having direct control of my books, though.

I totally agree on both points, Viv. Do you listen to music while you write and if so, what kind?

No. I like it quiet. I did read that if you’re having a writer’s block moment listening to Mozart helps. And it does.

Good tip, Viv, I’ll try it next time, thanks! Anything you like to do to get the creative juices flowing?

Drinking coffee is a must. Especially since I write early in the morning. If I get stuck I read over the previous chapter and that’ll get me going.

If you could choose another profession, what would that be?

Ornithologist specializing in owls!

No surprise there, Viv! (*giggles*) I see, you’ve brought some lovely pictures to show us today. Would you like to tell us a bit about each one?

Sure, Fros! In these two, you can see my daughter Sofia and also me holding an owl. The story behind these is that Sofia rescued this little darling when it flew into her car. She brought it home and next day took it to an aviary. She called him Lucky!

Awww! what a cutie! I’m sure you loved cuddling it for a while!

You bet! Here, you can see me with my husband, Bob, during one of our camping trips. We just love to camp!

That’s a lovely photo, Viv! And this little, black beauty, what’s she called?

That’s Princess! She loves to help me write. I got a bigger desk because I needed the room. Well, she decided it was for her (*laughs*)

Typical cat! Well, Viv, it was a pleasure to have you today. Thank you so much!

Thank you, Fros, it’s been a pleasure for me, too.

Viv Drewa is a Michigan native and has enjoyed reading and writing since 1963. Though she studied medicinal chemistry at the University of Michigan her passion has always been writing.

Viv has been awarded third place for her nonfiction short story about her grandfather’s escape from Poland. Later, she rewrote the story and named it Pages of Grandfather’s Life. It was published in the Polish American Journal and is now available on Amazon as a short story.

Viv took creative and journalism courses to help in her transition to fulfill her dream of becoming a writer. She worked as an intern for Port Huron’s The Times Herald, and also wrote, edited and did the layout on the Blue Water Multiple Sclerosis newsletter, Thumb Prints.

In her blog, Viv promotes fellow authors.

Visit Viv’s Amazon page

Visit Viv’s blog

Other links:

Facebook: http://facebook.com/vivdrewa.author

Twitter: http://twitter.com/@vivdrewa

Tumblr: vivdrewa.tumblr.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7800701.Viv_Drewa

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/vivdrewa

Google+: https://plus.google.com/111517233233824739640/posts

Watch the book trailer for The Owl of the Sipan Lord:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TL67_7kG5BU&list=LLi_rfNTpmrcl54mRRPP1zrA&index=36

Have you enjoyed this post? Follow the blog (see right sidebar) and miss no more posts! You can also sign up to Effrosyni’s newsletter to keep up to date with her news (very sparse emails). Interested to read more? Head over to Effrosyni’s Blog, where you’ll find her earlier interviews, book reviews, author tips, travel articles and even Greek recipes!

July 13, 2015 by Effrosyni Moschoudi

An interview with crime fiction author, Polly Iyer

Today, I am thrilled to present another member of my writers group, eNovel Authors at Work. Polly Iyer writes intriguing crime fiction novels with a touch of romance. Check out this array of awesome covers:

Adult language and situations.

During a New Orleans Mardi Gras Ball, psychic entertainer Diana Racine touches the hand of a masked Cyrano de Bergerac and is instantly transported into the icy-cold body of a dead woman submerged in water. As Diana crumples to the floor, water filling her lungs, she hears Cyrano whisper that the game has begun.

Diana has been called every epithet in the book: charlatan, cheat, publicity hound…and genius–all at least partially true. But convincing New Orleans police lieutenant Ernie Lucier that her vision of the dead woman is the real thing may be her hardest act yet. He becomes a believer when Diana leads him to the alligator-infested bayou and the woman’s remains. When another vision leads to another body, it’s clear that the two dead women are a prelude to the killer’s ultimate victim–Diana.

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Adult language and situations.

Wealthy architect Reece Daughtry spent fifteen years in a Massachusetts prison for a murder he didn’t commit. Released on a technicality, he now makes his home in the mountains of North Carolina, building rock fireplaces for a waiting list of clients. His self-imposed solitude is shattered when local author Dana Minette asks him to build a fireplace in her new house. Dana becomes more than a client, and for the first time in twenty years, Reece longs to be with someone other than himself.

Then a local woman is murdered in the same savage manner as the murder that sent Reece to prison. More than one person wants him to take the fall, including Dana’s ex-husband, the local prosecutor, who’s determined to convict Reece in the high-profile case. But Reece won’t be railroaded again. Four men were with him the night of the first murder. One of them is the killer. Reece goes underground to discover who’s setting him up and why. Dana insists on going along, and against his better judgment, he relents. With both the police and FBI on their trail, it’s a race against time and a crafty murderer who will kill again.

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Adult language and situations.

High-priced call girl Tawny Dell boasts a client list that’s part Fortune 500, part Five Families. With a PhD in art history and a tidy chunk of money stashed offshore, she hangs up her G-string with plans to retire to a Mediterranean island to open a gallery. Lincoln Walsh, NYPD sex-crimes investigator, has other ideas. He wants Tawny to work undercover at a high-class sex club to discover who murdered a prostitute with ties to the club. The club is owned by an ex-hedge fund manager who’d do anything to hook Tawny into his harem. In exchange for Tawny’s cooperation, Linc’s office, in collaboration with Treasury, will see she avoids prison for failing to pay Uncle Sam his share from years of illegal earnings. But Tawny gets more than she bargained for—another dead prostitute, a mob boss who’s an old client, and romantic stirrings for the hot New York cop sending her back into the world’s oldest profession.

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Separated from her controlling husband, romance author Zoe Swan meets a charismatic art history professor on the beach and begins a torrid affair. But who is he really? By the time Zoe finds out, she’s on the run with her husband, his jewel thief brother, and a priceless painting stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. With the FBI and the murderer in pursuit, the trio heads to Boston. The only way to prove their innocence is to make a deal with the very people who want them dead.

This book is a Kindle Scout Winner!

It will be published later this year by Amazon’s Kindle Press.

Hello Polly and welcome to my blog!

Thank you, I’m very pleased to be here.

First of all, congrats for your latest book, Indiscretion. I understand it is a Kindle Scout winner that’s been selected for publication by Kindle Press. Wow! What inspired you to write this book?

Thank you, Fros. Indiscretion revolves around the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist. For those of you unfamiliar with the crime, it’s the largest art theft in history and still unsolved after twenty-five years. The museum is in Boston and the collection is housed in a reproduction of a 15th-century Venetian palace. Since I went to art school in Boston, I was very familiar with the museum and rather fascinated with what happened to the 13 pieces of art. So I made up a story.

Sounds like a cracking good read, Polly. What was the first thing you ever wrote and how old were you then?

The first thing I wrote was my novel Threads, and it took thirteen years for me to publish it. I published five other books before that one. Unlike so many writers who say they’ve been writing since childhood, that is not my experience. I was fifty-eight when I wrote Threads. That’s a pretty late start, and it took some concentrated effort to catch up.

Do you see yourself in any of your characters, or do any of them have traits you wish you had?

I think it’s difficult for writers not to insert themselves into their characters in some way, both male and female. We are writing about our experiences and our inner feelings even if we don’t recognize we’re doing that at the time. My female characters are pretty independent, and so am I. They also have a smart mouth, and though I’ve tempered it as I got older, I was a smartass when I was younger.

What are you working on at the moment? Tell us a little about your current project(s).

I’m working on the fourth book in the Diana Racine Psychic Suspense series. The difficult part of writing a series is to make each consecutive book better than the last—more exciting, keeping your characters true to the way they were portrayed in earlier books, bringing in more engaging characters so the story doesn’t get repetitive and stale. In this book, I’m adding a permanent character who will change the lives of my two protagonists.

Which are your favorite authors, and what do you love about them?

I love a good mystery/thriller/suspense, and the best ones are all three. My favorite authors are Dennis Lehane, Daniel Silva, Michael Connelly, Karin Slaughter, early Robert Ludlum, and Mo Hayder, to name a few. All of them are excellent writers, and they tread into uncharted territory. Most write dark subject matter and delve into the psyche of their characters.

Do you have any advice for other indie authors?

Keep writing, no matter what. Make sure your books are as good as they can be. Learn the craft of writing. Understand POV—something I find separates the good books from lesser efforts—and find an editor you can work with. Hire a cover designer unless you know what you’re doing. That’s another thing that screams novice. Find beta readers, not family members who think everything you do is wonderful.

Choose a male and a female character from your book and tell us which actor/actress you’d wish to play them in a film adaptation.

I wrote a screenplay for Hooked, and I pictured Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie for the leads. Yeah, right! But they would be perfect. Though Brad doesn’t look like an old Roman coin, my description of Lincoln Walsh, he has the charisma to pull off the role of hard-nosed but caring cop. And Angelina is one of the most beautiful women in the world, and Tawny Dell, ex-call girl extraordinaire, is described just that way. Both also have the acting chops to make the characters come to life. I’d imagine there might be some definite on-screen chemistry too.

What do you enjoy the most as an indie author that you imagine you wouldn’t if you were traditionally published? If you had a choice would you still go indie?

Control. I do my own covers—and, yes, I consider myself a professional since I worked as an artist for 25 years—so I can portray my books visually the way I see them and can’t complain because I don’t like the cover. Also, being indie allows me to fix or add something if I need to. I just repositioned my table of contents to the end of the story on a few of my books. Timing. I can totally control my promotions. However, there are downsides to being indie published. I went to a conference and wasn’t allowed on a panel. Some groups still find us not quite ready for prime time. That is demeaning and frustrating. Because of that, I’ve let memberships lapse to some organizations that still discriminate.

How awful! Sorry to hear that. Being an author involves a lot of sitting around. What do you do for exercise?

I walk my dog, Bogie. He’s the dog love of my life and the best dog we’ve ever had. No dog before him has loved me as much as he does. He makes me smile every time I look at him.

Oh, he’s a sweetie, Polly. I am a dog lover and I’ve been there. So glad you two found each other. What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned so far in life the hard way?

That everything I do is up to me to make it successful, whether it’s my first career in art, my second as an importer of decorative accessories, my third as a store owner, or the fourth as a writer. No one else can make you successful or allow you to fail. I have no plans for another career. Writing is it.

And I wish you every success with it! Thank you for being here with us today, Polly.

Thank you, Fros, for the opportunity to talk about my work.

Polly Iyer, a former commercial illustrator, importer, and home furnishing store owner, is the author of eight novels of crime fiction, all with a touch of romance: Hooked, Indiscretion, InSight, Murder Déjà Vu, and Threads, plus three books in the Diana Racine Psychic Suspense series, Mind Games, Goddess of the Moon, and Backlash. Her books contain adult language and situations with characters who sometimes tread ethical lines. Born in a coastal city north of Boston, she’s lived in Rome, Italy, Boston, and Atlanta, and now makes her home in the beautiful Piedmont region of South Carolina where she spends her time thinking of ways to make life difficult for her characters. Learn more at www.PollyIyer.com or connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

Visit Polly’s Amazon page

Visit Polly’s website

Have you enjoyed this post? Follow the blog (see right sidebar) and miss no more posts! You can also sign up to Effrosyni’s newsletter to keep up to date with her news (very sparse emails). Interested to read more? Head over to Effrosyni’s Blog, where you’ll find her earlier interviews, book reviews, author tips, travel articles and even Greek recipes!

July 6, 2015 by Effrosyni Moschoudi

Interview with Tamara Gill, author of time travel romances

Today, I am pleased to present to you Tamara Gill, a lovely author whom I invited to my blog to talk about her work that includes historical and time travel romances. Here is a small sample, and you’ll be pleased to know one of them is FREE right now!

One small mistake in the past will change everything about her future…

Archaeologist Sarah Baxter just broke one of the biggest rules of time travel: leaving a piece of 21st century equipment in 19th century Regency England. Unfortunately, when she goes back to retrieve it, she makes an even bigger mess of things—resulting in the death of an English Earl. Now his brother is not only out for revenge, but he also has Sarah’s device. Which means an entirely different approach is needed. It doesn’t occur to the new Earl of Earnston that his charming acquaintance is responsible for his brother’s death. He is merely swept away by a passion that threatens his very reputation. Yet he gets the distinct impression that Miss Baxter is hiding something from him. Now Sarah must find a way to steal back her device, hide the truth about the earl’s brother and—most importantly— not fall in love…

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Unlucky in love, Maddie St. Clair hides behind an antique store and her mudlarking hobby. That is until she finds a medieval ring that throws her back to 1102 Cumberland and into the life of Lady Madeline Vincent, heiress to Norman lands and about to be married to an autocratic Baron, William Dowell, nine hundred years her senior.

Lord William Dowell protects his own. Usually, from his closest neighbor and long standing foe the Baron of Aimecourt. Forced to marry his dead enemy’s daughter, Lady Madeline, by King’s decree, he hides his growing respect for his wife behind a wanton mistress. Yet when Madeline’s life is threatened, William’s loyalty to his kin is tested by the astonishing desire that flares between them. Not to mention the love that Madeline ignites that would last an eternity. If fate will allow…

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FREE! FREE! FREE! Grab your copy today!

Chloe, beautiful and privileged daughter of a powerful god, literally has the world at her feet. Until she falls in love with a Scottish druid. Her enraged father sentences her to an endless cycle of birth and death; each life spent yearning for a man she no longer knows or remembers. Scottish druid, Cian McKay searches the world for his long lost love, only to have her appear at the local pub in his highland hometown. Cian must win Chloe’s heart again but without the ability to tell her who she is. Back in the place where she first loved Cian and fell from grace, Chloe’s memory haunts her with images that could not possibly be true. She must find the truth and the only way is a confrontation with the Deity who banished her a thousand years before – her father, Zeus.

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Hello Tamara and welcome to my blog!

Hi Fros, it’s very exciting to be here!

My first question is about your medieval time travel romance, Defiant Surrender. What was the inspiration behind it?

I was inspired to write Defiant Surrender a few years after visiting England, London in particular, where I learned of mudlarks, which are people who used to search for items in the Thames at low tide to sell for food etc. People now do it to find historical items. Mudlarks just intrigued me, enough so that I wrote a book where my heroine is one.

Tamara, I must say, you just hooked me on the story! What was the first thing you ever wrote and how old were you then?

Thinking back, I used to write small plays and have my friends at school act them out in the drama room and show it off to other students and teachers. That’s my first account of writing. I didn’t pick it up again until after my second child was born and I was on maternity leave.

What other writing have you done? Anything else published?

I write time travel, regency and paranormal (mythological) romance and have an array of books / novellas published.

Any hobbies or interests that you enjoy in your spare time?

I like to garden mostly. I have three small children, so I read at night after I’ve had my word count down for the day. I can’t sleep without getting a little reading in. I used to like to travel, but I’m not a big fan of flying, and so, that’s gone by the way side.

Do you see yourself in any of your characters, or do any of them have traits you wish you had?

I suppose it’s inevitable that I’m in my characters somewhere, but sometimes they do things that frustrate me, and I’m left shaking my head at them (*laughs*).

Oh, I know the feeling! What are you working on at the moment? Tell us a little about your current project(s).

I’m working on a Regency series for Entangled Published which will be out next year. I’m also working on a Scottish time travel series for my agent. It’s all go, very busy, and a lot of fun.

Which are your favorite authors, and what do you love about them?

I have a few. Eloisa James, Anna Campbell, Stephanie Laurens, but there are so many more that I love. I read widely too, and I adore Karen Marie Moning. Oh, this is a hard question. They’re all fabulous.

What genres do you read mostly, and what are you reading now?

I’m reading Iced by Karen Marie Moning. I read mostly historical romance, but I also read paranormal, erotic, shape shifters, contemporary, you name it, I have it on my kindle.

Do you have any advice for other indie authors?

Don’t be afraid to get out there and publish. I have stories that I couldn’t sell, Defiant Surrender is one of them, and it’s gone on to be very popular with readers. Have it professionally edited, formatted and covered correctly to suit your market and get it out there.

If you could choose another profession, what would that be?

Archaeologist. Hands. Down.

Thank you for our interview, Tamara! It’s been wonderful to have you.

Thank you for the invitation, Fros.

Tamara is an Australian author who grew up in an old mining town in country South Australia, where her love of history was founded. So much so, she made her darling husband travel to the UK for their honeymoon, where she dragged him from one historical monument and castle to another.

A mother of three, her two little gentleman’s in the making, a future Lady (she hopes) and a part-time job keep her busy in the real world, but whenever she gets a moment’s peace she loves to write romance novels in an array of genres, including regency, medieval and paranormal.

Tamara loves hearing from readers and writers alike. You can contact her through her website, and sign up to follow her blog or newsletter.

Visit Tamara’s Amazon page

Visit Tamara’s Website

Subscribe to Tamara’s newsletter

Join Tamara’s Street Team on Facebook

Other links:

https://www.facebook.com/tamara.gill.author

https://twitter.com/Tamara_Gill

https://www.goodreads.com/TamaraGill

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Interested to read more from this author? Head over to Effrosyni’s Blog, where you’ll find awesome tips for authors, interviews, book reviews, travel articles and even Greek recipes!

June 29, 2015 by Effrosyni Moschoudi

An interview with Pat Zick, author of the Florida Fiction Series

Hello peeps! Today, I am thrilled to welcome author Pat Zick for a chat. I met Pat in our writer’s group, eNovel Authors at Work. Recently, she interviewed me on her blog, and so, today, I am pleased to repay her wonderful hospitality. Pat’s brought along some delightful snapshots to show us, but first, take a look at the array of her stunning book covers:

Behind the Bar is Book Two in the Behind the Love Trilogy. This contemporary romance goes back to Victory, Florida, as Dean and Leah from Behind the Altar say their vows.

Susie and Reggie return to the Behind the Love Trilogy as the main characters in this romance. Susie and Reggie have been together since high school. When they watch good friends Dean and Leah find happiness, they both know something in their relationship must change. Susie believes that means marriage; she didn’t expect it to be Reggie deciding they needed a break from one another. While on break, a handsome publisher comes back to Victory to sweep Susie off her feet, while the voluptuous Sally Jean works her charms on Reggie. Meanwhile, the Victory Tavern owned by Reggie grows into a star attraction for the town. Dean and Leah help, and Susie’s sister Lisa returns home and provides Susie some much needed answers to the questions about their father. Reggie nearly loses everything in a bet that jeopardizes the Tavern. Secrets revealed bring more questions. When Reggie realizes Susie is the woman he loves, Susie must decide if she can ever trust him again. Before either of them can move forward to a life together, they must realize their past does not define them.

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Caroline Carlisle loved Simon from the moment she first laid eyes on him when she was nine years old. Unfortunately, he married her older sister, and thus set a southern family on a collision course with its past. After the death of her sister that makes Simon a widow, the two finally marry and attempt to make a family with Simon’s daughter Jodi. Jodi has other ideas, and they don’t include welcoming a new step-mother who also happens to be her aunt. As Caroline starts to report on the oil spill threatening the sea turtles on Florida’s Panhandle beaches, she begins to uncover the secret of her own mother’s past, which includes her brother’s suicide and a teenage pregnancy. With Caroline’s sharpened reporter skills, she digs until she brings all the secrets to light, including her own.

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Forbidden loves, deceptions, and murder threaten to destroy nature and families in a saga stretching from the 1760s to the present day.

Join Locka and Mali as they lead their tribe of Timucuans away from the Spanish near St. Augustine in 1760 and settle into a new life in the Everglades alongside the Calusa Indians. Their progeny grow up in the Everglades, attempting to keep their bloodlines pure.

By 2010, Mangrove Mike, Joey Cosmos, and Rob Zodiac live among the white people and learn that the human connection transcends the fear of extinction of their people. Barbara Evans in the Everglades and Emily Booth in St. Augustine are the glue as the different cultures combine forces to fight a conglomerate of international interests.

It’s a dangerous journey as this oddly matched group attempts to halt the destruction of the natural world they treasure. Cultural boundaries established centuries ago are erased as love and nature seek the balance lost during the battle for power and control of the last of the Florida frontier.

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Drive Route 66 with four women seeking adventure on the road.

Live from the Road takes the reader on an often humorous, yet harrowing, journey as Meg Newton and Sally Sutton seek a change in the mundane routine of their lives. Joined by their daughters, they set off on a journey of salvation enhanced by the glories of the Mother Road. Along the way, they are joined by a Chicago bluesman, a Pakistani liquor storeowner from Illinois, a Marine from Missouri, a gun-toting momma from Oklahoma, and a motel clerk from New Mexico. Death, divorce, and deception help to reveal the inner journey taking place under the blazing desert sun as a Route 66 motel owner reads the Bhagavad-Gita and an eagle provides the sign they’ve all been seeking. Enlightenment comes tiptoeing in at dawn in a Tucumcari laundromat, while singing karaoke at a bar in Gallup, New Mexico, and during dinner at the Roadkill Cafe in Seligman, Arizona. The trip isn’t always easy as laughter turns to tears and back again. However, the four women’s lives will never be the same after the road leads them to their hearts – the true destination for these road warriors.

Visit Amazon

Hello Pat and welcome to my blog!

Hi Frossie, thank you for inviting me!

Choose one of your books and tell us, what inspired you to write it.

I’ll chose Trails in the Sand because it was inspired by real life events. During BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill, I served as a public relations director for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. I handled the media for the sea turtle nest relocation project that took place during the summer of 2010 as oil threatened Florida’s Panhandle beaches. At the same time, I was beginning a new relationship with a lost love from thirty-five years ago and was in the process of moving to Pittsburgh. Two weeks prior to the oil spill, twenty-nine miners were killed in a coal mine explosion in West Virginia, just a few hours from where I was moving. It all fell into place to write about the oil spill, the coal mine disaster, and a family facing their own disaster. Trails in the Sand explores the themes of redemption and restoration.

Sounds like an intriguing read! What other writing have you done?

I’ve dabbled in different types of writing. My first professional gigs came as a journalist for newspapers and magazines in Florida. I wrote political, investigative, and human interest articles. I wrote a weekly column and feature articles. Then I expanded by starting my own newspaper with my ex-husband. When we sold the paper, I became editor-in-chief over two magazines and continued writing columns, investigative pieces, and feature articles. All the while, I wrote fiction, publishing three novels traditionally from 2000-2006. When I left my public relations job with the Fish and Wildlife folks, I decided the time had come to write my fiction full time. In 2012, I published my first novel, Live from the Road, as an indie author. Since then, I’ve published seven novels—either contemporary or romantic fiction–along with three nonfiction books.

Wow, your writing journey has been amazing. And I am astounded that you published seven novels so quickly. Well done! Any hobbies or interests that you enjoy in your spare time?

My husband and I enjoy outdoor activities. We have a small boat that we love to take out for weekend cruises. We also kayak and golf. My husband is an avid and prolific gardener, and I’m the chief preserver of the food he grows. I’ve also become a decent brewer of beer in the past few years. And when I’m not busy with any of those activities, I read. I wish had more time for all the great books I’ve loaded on my Kindle.

Goodness me, where do you find the time? I am so impressed. And what a lovely photo! You’re so lucky to be able to escape from it all like that. Pat, a little bird told me you’re a docent in a botanical garden. Is that true?

Oh yes, it’s the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh. Here is a photo of me there, giving a tour!

Oh wow, the gardens look fantastic. What are you working on at the moment? Tell us a little about your current project(s).

I started writing contemporary new adult romances last year as a new challenge to my skill sets. I’ve since published two romances, Behind the Altar and Behind the Bar. I’m currently working on Third Base, a novella about baseball and love. I’m going to start another online class of Romance in a Month soon and plan to write another novella. This one, Minty’s Kiss, is for Christmas with a sweet cat named Minty at the forefront of the love story. Both of these projects will be a part of box sets with other authors. Then I have two other novels in various stages, waiting for me to come and rescue them. Both of these will go back to my roots of what someone once called “eco-journalism” in fiction.

Big plans! Good luck to you, and you just hooked me on the Christmas kitty story. Do you have any advice for other indie authors?

My advice is fairly simple: Write. Be flexible. Write. Persevere. And lastly, write.

Emphasis on “persevere”, as every savvy entrepreneur knows. Good advice, Pat! What do you enjoy the most as an indie author that you imagine you wouldn’t if you were traditionally published? If you had a choice would you still go indie?

I enjoy the independence of making my own decisions on when, how, and what I publish. I love the royalties I receive. I’ve gone both routes. My traditional publishing experience was with small publishers. I also had an agent for about a year. I’ll take the indie route any day and don’t even consider going with a traditional publisher these days. I know that every month I’ll have money deposited into my bank account from my book sales, and while I have to pay a percentage of sales to the online retailers I use, that percentage is much fairer than with traditional publishers. I also have a choice on what I charge for my books. When I was published traditionally, the prices were set so high for the paperbacks that I was embarrassed by it.

Being an author involves a lot of sitting around. What do you do for exercise?

That’s so true! It’s a dilemma. I have to push myself up out of my chair. I belong to a gym and do some form of work out every day. I attend dance classes twice a week, and I practice Tai Chi three times a week. Right now I’m in a class where I’m learning a Tai Chi routine with a sword. Not only do I move through these classes, but it gets me out into the world so I can socialize. Being a full time writer is an isolated occupation, so I need the push myself out into the world sometimes.

Oh Pat, I am in awe of you! Only if I cloned myself I’d manage all these activities. Good for you! Last question: how would you like to be remembered?

I want to be remembered as a person who lived by her convictions. I want one of my friends to stand at my celebration of life after I’m gone and say, “I loved this woman. She made me laugh, and she made me think. And then she made me drink. Let’s raise a glass of red wine in remembrance of one fine broad who sure knew how to live, laugh, and love.”

That’s lovely, Pat. Thank you so much for your time. I must say, you’ve inspired me with all you just shared. Many thanks!

Aw, thank you, Frossie. I really enjoyed our chat, and I’m grateful for the opportunity.

P.C. Zick describes herself as “a storyteller no matter what I write.” And she writes in a variety of genres, including romance, contemporary fiction, and nonfiction. She’s won various awards for her essays, columns, editorials, articles, and fiction.

Many of her novels contain stories of Florida and its people and environment, which she credits as giving her a rich base for her storytelling. “Florida’s quirky and abundant wildlife – both human and animal – supply my fiction with tales almost too weird to be believable.”

Her fiction contains the elements most dear to her heart, ranging from love to the environment. All of her novels contain elements of romance with strong female characters and descriptive settings. She believes in living lightly upon this earth with love, laughter, and passion, and through her fiction she imparts this philosophy in an entertaining manner with an obvious love for her characters, plot, and themes.

Visit Pat’s Amazon page

Visit Pat’s website

Visit Pat’s blog

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June 22, 2015 by Effrosyni Moschoudi

An interview with Yvonne Payne, author of Kritsotopoula

Yvonne Payne is one of my most avid supporters on Twitter. Nowadays, I have a better chance at reciprocating for her lovely support, since she has recently launched her debut novel, Kritsotopoula. The book tells the story of a real, local legend in the village of Kritsa in Crete. Check out the synopsis below for more info and then stick around to hear all about the lovely Yvonne!

Throughout her childhood exploits, the feisty daughter, Rodanthe, of Kritsa’s pappas (priest), yearns for her father’s approval without appreciating his efforts to keep her safe under Ottoman oppression.

Years later, the ruling Pasha orders Rodanthe’s kidnap intent on making her his wife. Determined not to yield, Rodanthe tricks the Pasha, and then flees to the mountains dressed as a young man. After joining rebels as Spanomanolis (Beardless Manolis), she draws on her unusual experiences and rare education to maintain her disguise throughout daring raids.

Now, honored as Kritsotopoula (Girl of Kritsa), villagers celebrate Rodanthe’s exploits annually in front of a poignant stone carving. This monument portrays the moment in 1823 when brave Rodanthe’s secret was exposed – a point mirrored as this story culminates with a twist.

Infused with myths and local flavour this historical adventure gives insight to customs that still shape many lives in Kritsa today.

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Hello Yvonne, and welcome to my blog!

Hi Fros, great to be here!

What has inspired you to write Kritsotopoula?

My husband and I soon discovered that just around the corner from our small Cretan village house was the family home of Kritsa’s most famous daughter, Rodanthe, who lived under Ottoman oppression in the early 1800s. A Pasha (local ruler) lusted after Rodanthe and ordered her kidnap, intent on making her his wife. He’d not reckoned on Rodanthe’s anger or her resourcefulness, so after tricking the Pasha she escaped to the mountains to join rebel forces disguised as a young man. Now known by the honorific title of Kritsotopoula meaning Girl of Kritsa, villagers commemorate her exploits annually in front of an amazing stone relief carved by British sculptor and Kritsa resident, Nigel Ratcliffe.

While watching Nigel bring his carving to life, I realized there was no text in English to explain why this girl was so important to the village. I investigated the life and times of Rodanthe, intending to write a pamphlet for the many tourists who visit Kritsa each summer. I had fantastic support from my husband, Alan, during my research as it involved walking in mountains, visiting specific villages, plus spending time in museums and monasteries. As my writing grew into a draft novel I cast Rodanthe in the role of a temporary donkey drover, and to bring it to life we experienced donkey riding. I was delighted with how much Alan enjoyed it.

However, most intriguing was the lack of facts! The focus of my imagination was the puzzle of how this village lass maintained her male disguise to fight alongside rebels in such a manner that Kritsa folk revere her memory to this day. The result is my novel, Kritsotopoula, Girl of Kritsa.

So, is your book a work of fiction?

My book is fiction although the story behind my novel is undoubtedly true. When I researched the legend I found some conflicting information and lots of gaps that left plenty of room for my imagination. The story of Kritsotopoula, is so well known in Kritsa that I made sure to include all the key points, and worked in as much historically true information of those times as I could. However, I cheerfully admit to inventing situations too!

What are you working on at the moment? Tell us a little about your current project(s).

I have made halting progress on a sequel, Rodanthe’s Gift. It’s another adventure to follow the next string of bloody events of the Cretan rebellion. Even while I work on this, I can’t get out of my mind the fact that our local museum in Agios Nikolaos has some remarkable finds from Kritsa that cry out for a story! Recently I heard some amazing recollections of life in Kritsa during WWII, and a story called Spirit of Rodanthe is starting to form. Whatever I write about, one thing is for sure: the setting will always be Kritsa, and that is why the tag line for my blog is ‘Kritsa, at the heart of it all’.

Choose a male and a female character from your book and tell us which actor/actress you’d wish to play them in a film adaptation.

Right from the start Captain Kazanis, a larger than life leader of the Cretan rebels, had a huge stature and booming voice based on British actor, Brian Blessed. Brian’s too old for the part now, so I think Ray Winstone as a hard man with a well-hidden soft centre would be excellent, although I nearly opted for Hagrid!

I can imagine the lovely Greek actress Ekaterina Botziou in the lead role of Rodanthe. However, if my dream director, Theodore Papadoulakis (director of the award winning Cretan TV series The Island), is in charge, he’ll cast whomever he thinks is ideal.

Tell us about your website/blog. What will readers find there?

As I mentioned earlier, my website has Kritsa at its heart, so I intend to develop it as a resource for people interested in our village rather than focus solely on my book(s).

Talking of books, there are a huge number set in Crete and Greece, both reference books and novels. From my experience, these books have such a following it’s almost a genre in its own right. In light of this, I’m in the process of setting up a page on my website called My Greek Bookshelf where I’ll review books I’ve enjoyed. I’m experimenting with the idea of my Rodanthe interviewing characters from some of these books. Time to ask you a question Effrosyni – Can you think of a character from one of your Greek based stories who’d volunteer for an interview?

Sure, just take your pick, Yvonne, and I’ll make sure they make an appearance (*smiles*). Thanks! Now, tell us, what do you enjoy the most as an indie author that you imagine you wouldn’t if you were traditionally published? If you had a choice would you still go indie?

I like being in control! Once I reached the stage where I admitted to myself that yes, I was writing a book, my thoughts turned to marketing. In a crowded marketplace, I could see that my story had a potential niche selling to two groups of people. The first are those who love Greece, and the second are those tourists who visit Kritsa, often as part of an organized tour, who’d like to buy a souvenir. I reach out to the first group via social media, and gaining shelf space in a central Kritsa shop has provided opportunity to reach souvenir hunters.

As a result, I decided not to spend time trying to get an agent to facilitate a traditional publishing deal but used SilverWood Books, a very experienced assisted publishing resource, to help me bring the book to life. I’m especially delighted with the cover design as it has many elements to appeal to local tourists.

Obviously if my book caught the attention of an agent, I’d be happy to explore the options. However, I’m not investing time on something that statistics and common sense tell me probably wouldn’t happen when I can make good use of that time.

Is there something you like to do to get the creative juices flowing?

I work out most of my story long before I sit ready to type. Scenes and whole chunks of dialogue come to me while I’m out walking in the mountains, sitting in a village kafenion or lounging on a beach. Where some people like to take photos, I capture moments of scenery, or events in words and then weave them into the story.

Here’s a photo of me getting to know a very chatty parrot who entices customers into a seaside café. Yes, it’s in the story!

Oh, that’s delightful! Thanks for showing us this photo, Yvonne! Last question: what are the things in your life that you’re most grateful for?

People often say ‘Oh you’re so lucky to live in Crete’. However, we made our own luck by taking a decision to live our life differently, mainly because we’ve seen how fleeting life can be. We make compromises to enjoy our dual life because we can’t ‘have it all,’ so we’ve reduced time and money spent on things that many other people deem important. However, Alan and I are most grateful for our good health so that we continue to enjoy everything that Crete has to offer. Eventually money or health will run out and in that event, we’ll look back and reminisce on an amazing phase of our lives.

That’s a wonderful answer, Yvonne. And I believe it’s your sense of gratitude that will prolong the blessings of money and health for you. I also think you’re very wise to say it’s not about luck but about choice. Not many people realize they have the power to change their lives, if only they decide. Thank you for this lovely chat, Yvonne, and best of luck with Kritsotopoula!

Thank you for inviting me, Fros! I appreciate it.

Yvonne Payne enjoys a dual life between Wiltshire, UK and Kritsa, a village on the Greek island of Crete. Since 2001, short-term Human Resources (HR) contracts funded long breaks in the sun that inspired her to write creatively instead of redundancy letters.

Not put off by the fact that secondary school streaming meant English literature classes did not feature on Yvonne’s timetable, despite her being an avid reader, she wrote her own eagerly awaited, hand written serialized stories for classmates. Leaving school at sixteen Yvonne worked in retailing, a move that eventually led to her writing company newsletters and training materials to launch her successful HR career.

As a regular contributor to Crete-related forums, which included sharing children’s stories based on observations of Cretan village life, Yvonne finally decided to write a novel, and after several false starts, realized that her adopted village had all the necessary ingredients, Ottoman oppression, kidnap, revenge, cunning escapades, and a legendary heroine. Yvonne combined research into the life and times of the early Cretan rebellion against ruling Turks, with her firsthand experience of local food, customs, and mountain hiking to publish her first novel, Kritsotopoula, Girl of Kritsa.

Visit Yvonne’s Amazon page

Visit Yvonne’s Website/blog

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June 15, 2015 by Effrosyni Moschoudi

An interview with Myron Stenzel

Today, I am pleased to welcome Myron Stenzel, an engineer from Kansas who enjoys writing as a hobby; he sees it as a way to inspire others. I thought this was a noble way to approach writing and so, I invited him to my blog to talk about this more extensively. He is a diverse writer too, as you will see below!

She smiled the whole time knowing that she had saved the next dance…

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When he finished, the waves washed away a message that he offered to the heavens and the ocean. “I believe in God and the sea, believe in me.” As the two walked up the beach towards the house, you could almost hear the waves say the words Jim gave the ocean to keep forever.

Chances. We all have taken them in our lives. For Jim Harris, he has taken the biggest chance of all. Giving up everything to chase a career. The one thing that he didn’t count on was that the chance he was taking would lead him to what he needed most in life, the true love of a woman. Keep the Light is a story of family, friendship, true love, and taking that chance. Author Myron Stenzel invites you to take a chance by reading this story of true love. In the end, you will look inside your own self and envision your dreams and passions, and you will forever keep the true meaning of life in your heart-love.

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Hello Myron and welcome to my blog!

Thank you for inviting me, Fros!

What has inspired you to write Keep the Light?

Keep the Light was based off of some old notes I found late in 2012. I had written these notes back in 2000. It was neat finding these going through some of my old documents while cleaning out the basement. Seeing these inspired me to finally sit down and try my hand at writing. It has always been a dream of mine to have a book published. I was amazed that I could produce a 160 page book from 4 sheets of paper. Yes, Keep the Light may not be a 300 page book; however, one will take away so many of life’s meanings from the two poems and my simple words of belief, faith and determination.

What other writing have you done? Anything else published?

My children’s story, Save the Next Dance, was recently published nationwide in February this year. I wrote this for my nine year old daughter. She takes dance lessons throughout the year, and I wanted to write a book about the love of dance and the commitment to family.

I am currently in the editing process of my 3^rd book, “Legend of the Wild Stallion”, which will be published late in 2015. This is a paranormal western mystery novel geared to intrigue a reader’s imagination.

Wow, you’re a diverse writer, Myron!

Yes, I want to be a diverse writer as to cater to as many readers as possible and to inspire them.

Any hobbies or interests that you enjoy in your spare time?

I am a huge baseball fan. I love the game and enjoy it at every level. I’m a big time KC Royals fan. I do not fish as much as I’d like to due to having a full time job, family and, of course, writing to do when I get the chance. I went fishing one time last year, and that was on the beach in Clearwater, Florida. That was amazing. Lack of rain in the area has hurt our farm ponds and rivers. I also like to get on the bike and exercise when time allows.

What are you working on at the moment? Tell us a little about your current project(s).

I am currently in the editing stage for my 3^rd book, “Legend of the Wild Stallion”. I also like to write poetry. When I’m inspired, I like to “pen a poem” and share it with people on my social sites in the hopes of inspiring someone (*smiles*)

Which are your favorite authors, and what do you love about them?

I am a fan of Jules Verne due to the amazing imagination he possessed for the time period in which he lived and wrote. “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea” is my favorite novel.

What genres do you read mostly, and what are you reading now?

Unfortunately, I do not have a lot of time for reading due to my full time job and family obligations. I am a history and geography fan. I like reading about history, and stories about the ocean and sea life.

Do you have any advice for other indie authors?

Only you can make it happen. You possess the “power of the pen”. Write and fight for what you believe in. Being published almost didn’t happen, but it did due to my perseverance and prayers. Most (and I included) may never make it big as a writer, and that is fine. Treat it as a hobby and when your book is published, do not look at how many books are sold or signed. Look at your book in your hands and treat it as a trophy of your own personal success. Never give up!

Tell us about your website/blog. What will readers find there?

They will find inspiration in my poems and “writing ramblings” I post on my Goodreads blog and on my Facebook page. I’d love for your readers to join me. I’d be honored to inspire them in some way.

If you could choose another profession, what would that be?

My dream job would be to own a fishing boat on the ocean, taking people out on fishing trips and catching big fish. Being out on the water and fishing every day. Yes, I may be land locked in the Midwest; however, the ocean has always intrigued me.

What are the things in your life that you’re most grateful for?

My nine year old daughter. Being a father is the greatest gift any man could ever dream of.

How would you like to be remembered?

One who worked hard for what he has received in life. Always the fun loving humorous guy who would put a smile on his face, trying to inspire others to be the best they can be.

Thank you for this interview, Myron, and best of luck with your launch later this year.

Thank you for this opportunity, Fros.

Myron Stenzel was born and raised in the small Western Kansas town of Ness City. His career path has been in the engineering design field which he studied and graduated in 1998 from NWKTC in Goodland, KS. He also received his Associates Degree in Engineering Technology from Colby Community College in Colby Community College in Colby, KS in 1998. Although his studies and professional career have been in drafting and design, Myron has always possessed the power of writing. He found his niche for writing while in college and over the years he has favored the art of writing poetry and short stories.

Myron believes inspiration comes in many forms and in many ways throughout one’s life. He believes that the “power of the pen” allows him to express life’s true meanings. His belief is there is no topic he cannot write about if he is truly inspired. Myron believes God has allowed him to pursue a passion for writing and he feels blessed every day to be published and to be able to share his vision with all who wants to be inspired.

Visit Myron’s Amazon page

Visit Myron’s Website

Visit Myron’s Goodreads Blog

Visit Myron’s Facebook page

Connect with Myron on Twitter

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June 8, 2015 by Effrosyni Moschoudi

Interview with Jamie Jo Hoang

Today, I am thrilled to present to you the lovely Jamie Jo Hoang. Her debut novel tells the inspiring story of a young woman who is going blind. But instead of letting this defeat her, she embarks on a life adventure, traveling around the world. Are you hooked? I know I was when I read about it! Here’s the cover of this awesome story. Check it out and then join me as to hear all about Jamie’s real life travel experiences, too!

Hailed as “One of the best technical painters of our time” by an L.A. Times critic, 27-year-old Aubrey Johnson is finally gaining traction with her work. But as she weaves through what should be a celebration of her art, a single nagging echo of her doctor’s words refuses to stay silent—there is no cure. In less than eight weeks Aubrey is going blind.

Traveling on a one-way ticket around the world with childhood friend Jeff Anderson, Aubrey is in complete denial. But a blindfolded game of tasting foreign foods in China jolts her into confronting the reality of her situation. So begins her quest.

In this adult coming-of-age story, Aubrey struggles to make sense of her crippling diagnosis. But on her journey she finds a deeper understanding of herself and her life—sometimes fragmented and complex, but always with relentless truth.

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Hello Jamie and welcome to my blog!

Thank you for inviting me, Fros!

I must say, Blue Sun, Yellow Sky sounds truly intriguing. What has inspired you to write it?

I had just come off the heels of reading Cheryl Strayed’s WILD and Elizabeth Gilbert’s EAT, PRAY, LOVE when I came across an article about a Dutch painter who was going blind. After reading it, I started researching other blind artists, became inspired by their work, and BLUE SUN, YELLOW SKY emerged. Our ability to adapt and overcome is what makes this story universal; you don’t have to be blind to empathize with Aubrey’s dilemma of having to reinvent her identity as an artist.

What was the first thing you ever wrote and how old were you then?

The first thing I ever wrote that I took seriously was my college entrance essay. In high school I was your stereotypical geek who did better in math and science than English, but for my entrance exam I wrote about my first trip to Vietnam, my parents’ homeland. I came face to face with poverty I had never seen before and realized that had my parents not made that fateful decision to flee, that was the life I had been destined to live. I knew then it was my responsibility to take full advantage of my situation. I was 10 years old at the time, and reflecting on that journey 8 years later for my college essay I first realized I had stories inside myself. You can imagine my parents’ disappointment when I went from Pre-med to Film School, but I think they’ve come around now.

Any hobbies or interests that you enjoy in your spare time?

I love to travel and I’m a bit of a thrill-seeker. When I was 24, I piggybacked on my friend Eric’s trip to Peru and caught the travel bug. So when I’m home I spend a lot of time surfing Google maps. There is so much beauty in the world, both natural and man-made, and I want to see it all. That’s probably why I was so drawn to the Seven Wonders of the World for BLUE SUN, YELLOW SKY. I live pretty modestly so most of my money is spent on travel. This is a map of the Maldives, off the coast of Sri Lanka, and it’s #1 on my bucket list. I’m also a certified scuba diver; there is serenity under water that I find incredibly peaceful. The photo below is of me diving in Bonaire with Dive Instructor William Wang. Ultimately, my motto in life is simply to try every thing once.

Wow, stunning photos! Do you see yourself in any of your characters, or do any of them have traits you wish you had?

The character in the book that is most modeled after me is actually Jeff. I used my experience dealing with heartbreak to develop who he was, but my friends who read the book tell me they hear more of me in Aubrey. As for traits I’d love to have, I’d want Aubrey’s skill as a painter–I myself draw pretty awful stick figures. To this day, the greatest compliment I ever got was from a reader; her dad is a painter and he said I described the world the way an artist would see it. She was my favorite person for a week.

What are you working on at the moment? Tell us a little about your current project(s).

I have a couple of ideas I’m fleshing out at the moment. One is a YA book about an unlikely and surprising friendship, and the other is a fictional account of my family’s history during the Vietnam War. The former has similar themes of personal growth as BLUE SUN, YELLOW SKY, and the latter is a lifelong passion project that has been years in the making.

What genres do you read mostly, and what are you reading now?

I don’t really have a particular genre. I prefer realistic fiction but will read everything from John Green’s THE FAULT IN OUR STARS to Junot Diaz’s THE BRIEF AND WONDEROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO. Right now I’m reading two books: 30 FIRST DATES by Stacie Wiedower and PREPARATION FOR THE NEXT LIFE by Atticus Lish.

Do you have any advice for other indie authors?

Get creative with your marketing. Go back through your Rolodex of people and get all of the help you can. Get involved in your book community–it takes a while, but visit your local bookstores with your book and ask them to consider adding it to their collection. I find that bringing your book with you and taking a picture of how well it fits next to other books of its genre helps! Word of mouth is still the best form of advertising so having your community back you will help build a strong readership foundation. Plus, having a strong network of readers will help soften the blow when those inevitable 1-star reviews suddenly appear.

Tell us about your website/blog. What will readers find there?

HeyJamie.com is my personal blog where I talk about my travels as well as my journey into self-publishing. When I first started as an indie author I was completely lost. I started writing posts about the things I learned so that I’d have a rubric for next time, but also to help fellow indie authors avoid some of the mistakes I made early on (like submitting to the wrong places or not submitting early enough to certain high-profile reviewers).

Being an author involves a lot of sitting around. What do you do for exercise?

I am a hiker. I hate the gym – not because I don’t like exercise but because I feel like it’s inhumane to walk/run for 3 miles and never actually go anywhere. When I was in Peru, I actually made the same trek Aubrey did in the book, hiking 42 km to Machu Picchu, and it solidified my love of hiking (see picture below). I also take really long walks. I use the walking time to catch up with friends on the phone, killing two birds with one stone.

Beware: four days hiking in Peru will turn your hair orange! The dazed look in my eye is exhaustion…it’s a long hike but I made it!

Well done, Jamie! Is there something you like to do to get the creative juices flowing when you write?

With BLUE SUN, YELLOW SKY, I spent a lot of time in museums getting inspired by paintings from all eras. In general, I do my best writing in coffee shops. The atmosphere is quiet enough for me to write but also offers the chance to watch people, which helps me to come up with character traits or physical descriptions. My Houston dog, Jilly (she’s not technically mine but I frequently kidnap her from my friends for play dates), was the inspiration for Aubrey’s childhood dog. I’d take her on walks when I had writer’s block and think about my story while she explored. She was the perfect companion – she kept up a good pace and was more interested in the smell of other dogs’ pee than chitchat. It helps that she’s a literary dog.

She’s a cutie! Well, Jamie, it was wonderful to have you today! Thank you, and good luck with your writing!

Same to you, Fros. Thank you for this opportunity to talk about my work.

Jamie Jo Hoang is the author of BLUE SUN, YELLOW SKY. Her driver’s license says she lives in Los Angeles, but she tries to escape to foreign lands as often as possible. She is a writer, thinker, explorer, lover of tea, certified advanced diver, and never far from an ocean. She blogs about her life and travels at: www.heyjamie.com.

Visit Jamie’s Blog

Visit Jamie’s Amazon Page

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Welcome to Effrosyni Writes

This is the website of Greek author, Effrosyni Moschoudi. Go to the 'FREE STUFF' page on the menu to get her FREE books! Also, her travel guide to Moraitika and Messonghi in Corfu and the Greek recipes are unmissable if you love all things Greek!

Author Interviews

Interview with Mary Blowers

An interview with travel writer, Richard Clark

An interview with Alice Degan

An interview with author, Viv Drewa

Today I’m pleased to present Viv Drewa on my blog, a lovely, supportive author, who happens to love owls – an affinity we have in common. Check out her covers below and stick around to hear all about Viv and her work.

An interview with crime fiction author, Polly Iyer

Today, I am thrilled to present another member of my writers group, eNovel Authors at Work. Polly Iyer writes intriguing crime fiction novels with a touch of romance. Check out this array of awesome covers:

Interview with Tamara Gill, author of time travel romances

Today, I am pleased to present to you Tamara Gill, a lovely author whom I invited to my blog to talk about her work that includes historical and time travel romances. Here is a small sample, and you’ll be pleased to know one of them is FREE right now!

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An interview with Pat Zick, author of the Florida Fiction Series

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An interview with Yvonne Payne, author of Kritsotopoula

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An interview with Myron Stenzel

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Interview with Jamie Jo Hoang

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