It's a beautiful, cool 60 degree, sunshiny morning after so many days in the 80s and 90s. Makes me want to get out in the garden. Best of all I'm singing praises all over the place that I've finally recovered from the perpetual crud. I think it's really gone. Hallelujah!
We have with us today another talented author, Heather S. Ingemar. Heather is the author of A Slip of Wormwood and other stories.
Interview with Heather S. Ingemar
GRACE: Heather, I'm so glad to have you here. We seem to have a lot in common, both of us being librarians with a love of music and writing. I'd like to know more about you. Could you tell us a little about yourself?
HEATHER: I'm a rancher's wife, a librarian, and a writer. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a minor in Music, and I love my job(s). Life couldn't be better. I have a website, http://catharsys.wordpress.com. It's also my personal blog. Be prepared for some goofy stuff there. I post frequent news updates concerning my writing, release dates, and such. Feel free to swing on by; I love company!
GRACE: Now for a tiny peek inside you. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
HEATHER: Wow. Um, if I were still a kid, I'd say a horse because of their beauty, strength, and speed. Now, however I think I'd say a cow. They're really quite intelligent creatures, laid-back and gentle. How many cows have you seen die from a stress-caused heartattack? It'd be great to live a lifestyle like that. Eat grass, lie in the sun, sleep, hang out with your buds. No worries about bills or healthcare or any of the things we adult humans have to worry about. Not to mention, cows are really strong. If they don't want to be held up, they're not. That sort of freedom, free-thinking, is really cool.
GRACE: I'd never thought of it before, but I have to say cows live the kind of life I would like. It's easy to see you have the creative thinking of a writer. When did you begin writing, and what prompted you to write?
HEATHER: Oh, I've always been a storyteller, but didn't start writing seriously until I was in college. My early attempts at it—elementary school, junior high, and high school—frustrated me beyond belief; what ended up on the page was NOT what I had in mind. I had to learn the skills first before I could be satisfied with what I created. Beyond that, it's the drive to tell stories. I love reading, love making up things. I love being creative, being able to draw pictures with words. That's really where it's at.
GRACE: Yes, it is. Which writer or writers do you most admire, and why?
HEATHER: Oh, there are too many to count. Too many.
GRACE: What is the hardest thing for you personally about being a writer?
HEATHER: The hardest thing? Maintaining my sanity. (laughs) No, really, it's finding that place, that mental state of mind where I CAN write, where I can focus on the characters or plot or setting. It takes time, and unfortunately, life does not wait. All too often I have interruptions that can't be put on the back burner, and that's tough. However, and I think a lot of writers will agree with me, we have to adapt. Be creative with our time. Thankfully, that's fun, and it eases down the frustration that can so easily overwhelm us.
GRACE: Tell us about your writing–published and in progress.
HEATHER: Well, I've got a short story out now with Echelon Press, "Darkness Cornered" about sacrifices, love, vampires, and crimes in the name of science. I also have another short, "A Slip of Wormwood," about sibling rivalries gone too far, and a fantasy novella, "Prophet's Choice," about destiny and choices in wartime; both of these will be coming soon also from Echelon Press. About my works-in-progress, I won't give you any details just yet, but I have recently finished a short novel, "Of Shadows," that is currently being prepared for submission, and I'm working on its sequel.
GRACE: Thank you, Heather, for being here with us today and telling us about you and your work.
Heather S. Ingemar's stories, published by Echelon Press, are all available from Fictionwise as e-books.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Monday, October 8, 2007
Today, we are very fortunate to have with us a writer who can transport us to a different time and a different place with the greatest of ease. We welcome Mary Cunningham, author of a very successful children's fantasy fiction series in which two best friends forever travel through time and space.
Interview with Mary Cunningham
GRACE: Good afternoon, Mary. I'm glad to have you here. Would you tell us a little about yourself?
MARY: I live in the beautiful mountains of West Georgia with my husband and sweet, adopted doggie, Molly. My hobbies are golf, water aerobics, and exploring the West Georgia mountains. I write a children's fantasy/fiction series, "Cynthia's Attic." The first two books, "The Missing Locket" and "The Magic Medallion" are published by Echelon Press. "Curse of the Bayou," book three, will be published by Quake (Echelon imprint) and should be available in December 2007.
GRACE: To write your fantasy/fiction, you must have a very creative mind. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
MARY: I'd be my dog. Her food and water bowls are always filled. She gets regular (free) pedicures. No one scolds her about her weight. She gets to take regular naps on her Snoozy. She does not, however, get to eat chocolate! Forget that...If I can't eat chocolate, I'd rather be a bird. It would be so cool to fly.
GRACE: Yes, I think so too. But your books involve time travel, and that may be even better than flying. Can you tell us when you started writing, and what prompted you to write?
MARY: From age 0 to7 I didn't write. Can't remember NOT writing after that. I mostly wrote poems and memoirs before beginning my young reader fantasy series. My inspiration to write was my dad, a Louisville Courier Journal reporter for 40 years. He was directly responsible for my love of writing, creativity, and fantasy. When I was a child, a night didn't pass that Dad wasn't either reading to me from a favorite storybook, or making up a story of his own.
GRACE: Your dad gave you the early reading experience that teachers wish all students had, one that develops the love of reading and writing. Which writer or writers do you most admire, and why?
MARY: Harper Lee. Imagine writing one book—To Kill a Mockingbird. It's such a beautiful study of humanity told in such a meaningful way. I try to read it at least once a year. My granddaughter has to read from the Accelerated Reader list, and the only book, last year, that really stood out to her was To Kill a Mockingbird.
GRACE: To Kill a Mockingbird is also a favorite of mine. Can you imagine how thrilled I was when a university librarian said my character, Annie in True Friends, reminded him of Scout? I wish. You have a successful series going. What do you think is the hardest thing about being a writer?
MARY: Having to concentrate on marketing instead of writing. It's a known fact that the real work begins after you're published. I miss the freedom to be able to "just write" instead of being obligated to answer and send out e-mails, set up booksignings, do workshops, send postcards, contact libraries...etc.
GRACE: I can understand that. The days of being "just a writer" are gone, if they ever existed. Tell us about your writing–published and in progress.
MARY: I write a children's fantasy series, "Cynthia's Attic." The first two books, "The Missing Locket" and "The Magic Medallion" are published by Echelon Press. "Curse of the Bayou," book three, will be published by Quake (Echelon imprint) and should be available in December 2007. I'm really excited about book three. It's loosely based on the disappearance of my great-great-grandfather. He was taking a flatboat full of "produce" down the Mississippi. (The family thought for years he was transporting produce, when actually, he was taking his homemade bourbon to New Orleans to sell! That won't be in the book!) Anyway, Cynthia and Gus time-travel to Louisiana to find out what happened to him. I'm also working on an adult time-travel story that, at this moment, is titled, For the Life of Claire.
GRACE: Thank you, Mary. I've really enjoyed chatting with you. Readers, if you would like to learn more about Mary and her books, you may visit her website, www.marycunninghambooks.com, or her blog, www.cynthiasattic.blogspot.com. Mary's books are available at Amazon.com, Fictionwise, Follett, bookstores, and Quake (Echelon Press).
Interview with Mary Cunningham
GRACE: Good afternoon, Mary. I'm glad to have you here. Would you tell us a little about yourself?
MARY: I live in the beautiful mountains of West Georgia with my husband and sweet, adopted doggie, Molly. My hobbies are golf, water aerobics, and exploring the West Georgia mountains. I write a children's fantasy/fiction series, "Cynthia's Attic." The first two books, "The Missing Locket" and "The Magic Medallion" are published by Echelon Press. "Curse of the Bayou," book three, will be published by Quake (Echelon imprint) and should be available in December 2007.
GRACE: To write your fantasy/fiction, you must have a very creative mind. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
MARY: I'd be my dog. Her food and water bowls are always filled. She gets regular (free) pedicures. No one scolds her about her weight. She gets to take regular naps on her Snoozy. She does not, however, get to eat chocolate! Forget that...If I can't eat chocolate, I'd rather be a bird. It would be so cool to fly.
GRACE: Yes, I think so too. But your books involve time travel, and that may be even better than flying. Can you tell us when you started writing, and what prompted you to write?
MARY: From age 0 to7 I didn't write. Can't remember NOT writing after that. I mostly wrote poems and memoirs before beginning my young reader fantasy series. My inspiration to write was my dad, a Louisville Courier Journal reporter for 40 years. He was directly responsible for my love of writing, creativity, and fantasy. When I was a child, a night didn't pass that Dad wasn't either reading to me from a favorite storybook, or making up a story of his own.
GRACE: Your dad gave you the early reading experience that teachers wish all students had, one that develops the love of reading and writing. Which writer or writers do you most admire, and why?
MARY: Harper Lee. Imagine writing one book—To Kill a Mockingbird. It's such a beautiful study of humanity told in such a meaningful way. I try to read it at least once a year. My granddaughter has to read from the Accelerated Reader list, and the only book, last year, that really stood out to her was To Kill a Mockingbird.
GRACE: To Kill a Mockingbird is also a favorite of mine. Can you imagine how thrilled I was when a university librarian said my character, Annie in True Friends, reminded him of Scout? I wish. You have a successful series going. What do you think is the hardest thing about being a writer?
MARY: Having to concentrate on marketing instead of writing. It's a known fact that the real work begins after you're published. I miss the freedom to be able to "just write" instead of being obligated to answer and send out e-mails, set up booksignings, do workshops, send postcards, contact libraries...etc.
GRACE: I can understand that. The days of being "just a writer" are gone, if they ever existed. Tell us about your writing–published and in progress.
MARY: I write a children's fantasy series, "Cynthia's Attic." The first two books, "The Missing Locket" and "The Magic Medallion" are published by Echelon Press. "Curse of the Bayou," book three, will be published by Quake (Echelon imprint) and should be available in December 2007. I'm really excited about book three. It's loosely based on the disappearance of my great-great-grandfather. He was taking a flatboat full of "produce" down the Mississippi. (The family thought for years he was transporting produce, when actually, he was taking his homemade bourbon to New Orleans to sell! That won't be in the book!) Anyway, Cynthia and Gus time-travel to Louisiana to find out what happened to him. I'm also working on an adult time-travel story that, at this moment, is titled, For the Life of Claire.
GRACE: Thank you, Mary. I've really enjoyed chatting with you. Readers, if you would like to learn more about Mary and her books, you may visit her website, www.marycunninghambooks.com, or her blog, www.cynthiasattic.blogspot.com. Mary's books are available at Amazon.com, Fictionwise, Follett, bookstores, and Quake (Echelon Press).
Oh, boy! Am I glad to be back! That nasty crud I’ve been fighting for weeks nearly did me in, but I have new meds now that really seem to be working. At least I’m thinking again, sort of. I know everybody is wondering who our next guest on the virtual author tour is. Today we have with us Anne Carter. Anne’s newest book is Point Surrender, a paranormal mystery romance, published by Echelon Press LLC.
Interview with Anne Carter
GRACE: Welcome, Anne! Let’s begin with you telling us about yourself.
ANNE: I like to say I am the poster girl for the overbooked, overburdened and
overwhelmed. I've been writing for a long time, just now getting serious about
it. Serious in the way of wanting to perpetuate my career by actually selling
a large number of books! I'm a wife, a mother, a business owner, a
photographer, an artist, a bookkeeper. I'm a computer addict, love chocolate,
Mexican food, big epic movies and classic rock, swing and big band music. I
was born in the midwest, but have lived in California most of my life. I write
contemporary romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romantic mystery and
(under another name) middle grade readers. I am also a columnist for a chamber
of commerce business journal.
GRACE: When do you have time to breathe? I was going to ask you what animal would you like to be if you could be an animal. Okay, I will ask, but you’d better not say a bee.
ANNE: I always thought it would be great to be a bird. To fly, alone, with
confidence—wow! To just sit down wherever you see fit and rest. Gotta watch
out for those cats, though.
GRACE: When did you actually begin writing, and what prompted you to write?
ANNE: In middle school, I took a class in creative writing. My teacher was so upbeat
and encouraging. I was so proud of the stories I wrote in that class that I
just started writing them on my own. I fantasized about meeting movie and TV
stars. Those fantasies became my first stories and then, novels.
GRACE: Which writer or writers do you most admire, and why?
ANNE: To be true to my genre, I must say Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb. To me (and I must
not be alone) her writing is always entertaining and fresh. I love her style,
am in awe of her ideas, and generally think she's a nice person. To be envied,
indeed--but nice.
GRACE: What do you find is the hardest thing about being a writer?
ANNE: Being a writer in itself is not hard for me. Got pen, paper--go. But promoting
one's books has got to be the albatross around most authors' necks. We are
certainly not natural-born salespeople. When you become published, there is a
short, sweet honeymoon where you actually feel like you've made it. Then
reality--and the real work--sets in. It's humbling.
GRACE: Tell us about your writing–published and in progress.
ANNE: Let's see. StarCrossed Hearts and A Hero's Promise are two parts of a three
part trilogy about Hollywood celebrities, love triangles, exotic travel,
murder, children, heartbreak...they read sort of like daytime drama. The third
and final installment, The Gypsy in Me, is in progress (actually quite dusty,
but still in progress).
Point Surrender is my latest release and my first paranormal romance. The
mystery surrounds a fictional California lighthouse and those who once lived,
loved and died there, and the present day owners who stumble across their
story. The best part about writing this book was the time I spent staying in a
real lighthouse.
Following this book will be Cape Seduction, another in the same genre,
about a 60 year old murder involving an offshore lighthouse, a missing starlet
and a modern day photographer. This one's a real grabber.
GRACE: They all sound like books a romance lover would like to curl up with in a mysterious lighthouse–if it’s not too spooky. You’re a lucky duck, getting to stay in a real lighthouse. You really got the feel of it, and I’ll bet the lighthouse atmosphere helped your story come to life.
ANNE: Oh, yes. Thanks, Grace, for the thoughtful questions.
GRACE: Thank you, Anne, for sharing your writing story with us. We’ll be looking for great things from you.
Learn more about Anne Carter at http://www.beaconstreetbooks.com/!
Interview with Anne Carter
GRACE: Welcome, Anne! Let’s begin with you telling us about yourself.
ANNE: I like to say I am the poster girl for the overbooked, overburdened and
overwhelmed. I've been writing for a long time, just now getting serious about
it. Serious in the way of wanting to perpetuate my career by actually selling
a large number of books! I'm a wife, a mother, a business owner, a
photographer, an artist, a bookkeeper. I'm a computer addict, love chocolate,
Mexican food, big epic movies and classic rock, swing and big band music. I
was born in the midwest, but have lived in California most of my life. I write
contemporary romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romantic mystery and
(under another name) middle grade readers. I am also a columnist for a chamber
of commerce business journal.
GRACE: When do you have time to breathe? I was going to ask you what animal would you like to be if you could be an animal. Okay, I will ask, but you’d better not say a bee.
ANNE: I always thought it would be great to be a bird. To fly, alone, with
confidence—wow! To just sit down wherever you see fit and rest. Gotta watch
out for those cats, though.
GRACE: When did you actually begin writing, and what prompted you to write?
ANNE: In middle school, I took a class in creative writing. My teacher was so upbeat
and encouraging. I was so proud of the stories I wrote in that class that I
just started writing them on my own. I fantasized about meeting movie and TV
stars. Those fantasies became my first stories and then, novels.
GRACE: Which writer or writers do you most admire, and why?
ANNE: To be true to my genre, I must say Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb. To me (and I must
not be alone) her writing is always entertaining and fresh. I love her style,
am in awe of her ideas, and generally think she's a nice person. To be envied,
indeed--but nice.
GRACE: What do you find is the hardest thing about being a writer?
ANNE: Being a writer in itself is not hard for me. Got pen, paper--go. But promoting
one's books has got to be the albatross around most authors' necks. We are
certainly not natural-born salespeople. When you become published, there is a
short, sweet honeymoon where you actually feel like you've made it. Then
reality--and the real work--sets in. It's humbling.
GRACE: Tell us about your writing–published and in progress.
ANNE: Let's see. StarCrossed Hearts and A Hero's Promise are two parts of a three
part trilogy about Hollywood celebrities, love triangles, exotic travel,
murder, children, heartbreak...they read sort of like daytime drama. The third
and final installment, The Gypsy in Me, is in progress (actually quite dusty,
but still in progress).
Point Surrender is my latest release and my first paranormal romance. The
mystery surrounds a fictional California lighthouse and those who once lived,
loved and died there, and the present day owners who stumble across their
story. The best part about writing this book was the time I spent staying in a
real lighthouse.
Following this book will be Cape Seduction, another in the same genre,
about a 60 year old murder involving an offshore lighthouse, a missing starlet
and a modern day photographer. This one's a real grabber.
GRACE: They all sound like books a romance lover would like to curl up with in a mysterious lighthouse–if it’s not too spooky. You’re a lucky duck, getting to stay in a real lighthouse. You really got the feel of it, and I’ll bet the lighthouse atmosphere helped your story come to life.
ANNE: Oh, yes. Thanks, Grace, for the thoughtful questions.
GRACE: Thank you, Anne, for sharing your writing story with us. We’ll be looking for great things from you.
Learn more about Anne Carter at http://www.beaconstreetbooks.com/!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)