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Author Julie Whitley

Secrets of the Home Wood series

I'm thrilled, dear Readers, to welcome author Shelly Hancock to my blog couch today

2/6/2018

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 Tell us about yourself, Shelly! Who are you and what do you like to do when you’re not a writer? I never know how to answer the question of who I am because I still don’t know the answer to that myself. I’m a lot of things; I wear a lot of different hats. I’m a mom, a wife, a history buff, an optimist, a writer, among other things.  I suppose I’m kind of a multi-faceted person. As far as what I like to do when I’m not writing, I like to read. I’m an avid reader I know every section of the library and book sales are one of my favorite things. I love to go to the movies, watch documentaries, hang out with my family and walk the dog. It’s so peaceful when I walk our dog; it’s getting out into nature. I put up the phone and it’s just us enjoying all the wonders around us. I try to get my husband and my kids to go on walks with us. Sometimes I’m successful sometimes I’m not. But I think it’s good for families to get away from all the electronics for a while and just be together without all the modern day distractions.


I agree with you, about getting away, Shelly. What inspires you to write? Almost everything inspires me to write. I see someone or something or hear something and then an entire story and conversation just starts playing in my head. It’s good unless it bed time then I just lay there thinking about all these different story ideas. And there’s something about the rain. The rain really puts me in the mood to write. 
Tell me about your journey as a writer. When did you start and how do you keep the creative juices flowing? My journey as a writer started when I was a kid. I was always writing stories ever since I can remember. But I guess I never really thought of it as a future career it was just something that I always did. I have notebooks all over the place with book ideas, poems, partly finished books, etc. They are everywhere and they span from when I was a little kid to what I wrote yesterday. I keep the creativity flowing by making sure I always have a pen and notebook near me whenever possible. You’d be surprised at how many times my, ‘I’ll just write this one little thought down’ has turned into pages and pages of story ideas. 
Give us the elevator pitch for your book. William Somers, Henry VIII’s fool lived in two worlds. One where he was surrounded by the nobility and the people we think of when we talk of the infamous Tudor court like the ill-fated Queen Anne Boleyn, and the other amazing women who for a short time wore the Tudor crown as queen. And of course King Henry VIII himself, who William would come to know intimately. But William also found himself part of a world just down the hall in the area of the castle the nobles rarely descended to, becoming friends with the servants whose lives were just as interesting and tragic as those whose lives we normally read about. Sometimes the two worlds collided impacting those from both although most didn’t even realize it.  Except of course for William, he was there and he felt the thundering tremors that ripped through all their lives as they twisted closer together.
An intriguing premise! It drew me right in. Do you have a favorite character in your story? Who is most like you? My favorite character is probably Catherine Howard because she is so young and so full of life. It’s tragic because the reader knows what she’s doing is going to cost her her life but she is like most young people who get caught up in throes of blinding love. Writing her story actually inspired me to write another book from her point of view. It will be awhile but it’s something I hadn’t planned on doing until I got to know her in this book. As far as me I am very far from Catherine Howard’s personality. I think I’m most like the servant girl Mable. She is happy with a simple life yet she longs for more. She is caring and thoughtful. I would like to think I am most like her because of the kind heart she has.
Who would you like to see play your characters in a movie? I think I would like new actors because when I watch most movies it’s hard for me to see the characters as the people they are supposed to be portraying because I still have the picture of them as a character in a different movie. With that being said I do think there are a few current actors that would make a great William because they can play such sweet characters who are more than what they seem. Of those I’m not completely sure. But the best Henry VIII I have ever seen portrayed was by Ray Winston. So I always picture him when I think of Henry VIII. Catherine Howard I pictured as looking kind of like Olivia Hussey did in Romeo and Juliet.  
Do you have a favorite time of day and place to write? Do you have a routine? I like to write at night when the house is quiet and kind of dark. I don’t have a routine but I recommend that those who want to write do. I know if I had a routine or schedule I would get so much more done than I do. But as far as place to write I like to write at home in my house I feel comfortable here. I tried to the library to write a few times but I just couldn’t relax enough out of my comfort zone to really get into my characters heads. 
What do you do to market your book? I try to find groups on social media that are interested in the style of book I’m writing like groups devoted to the Tudor era and historical fiction. I also put my book on Kindle Scout when I first published it. Kindle Scout is a contest where people vote on the book they would like to see Amazon market. Even if you don’t win the contest it gets your book out there so that people can see it. I found several readers that way. The best review I have is actually from a person who first saw my book when I had it in the Kindle Scout contest.  I also signed up with Goodreads as an author. I was already a member as a reader. I love Goodreads it’s a great place to check out books other people are reading that you might want to read as well. And if you’re an author it’s a great place for people to find your book and rate it or add it to their reading list.  I highly suggest it for authors and readers both. And another great way to market your books is to do author interviews.  I have been lucky enough to be asked to interview for this blog, (thank you Julie!) and for a few others blogs as well. Never turn down a chance for an author interview. 
You are most welcome, Shelly! Who are your three top author crushes? Who would you most like to meet? Narrowing it down to three is really hard! I have had the opportunity to read a few things from aspiring authors that are SO good! They just haven’t finished their books yet but wow there is some amazing talent out there right now that I think will be on my ‘author crushes’ lists as well as many other people’s lists someday. But as far as authors that already have books out, I have to say that I really like non-fiction, (go figure since I write fiction) so I’m going to go with some non-fiction authors for this list. Mark Bowden’ he wrote Black Hawk Down which is one of my favorite books, General Patton, not only was he an amazing strategist and one of the most interesting people I have ever read about but he wrote a book as well so I’m picking him and Mark Bowden because of the interesting real life stories they could tell me about people they have met, adventures they have had, and their ideas and thoughts. I want to know what’s going through their minds. And for my third author I’m going to pick James Alexander Thom. If you haven’t read his works I highly recommend checking them out. One of his books, Follow the River, is also on my top books of all-time list. A coworker told me about it years ago and I have read it more times than I can remember. It’s so good. He did a lot of research so he would be fascinating to meet and ask questions. 
What are your future plans for writing? I’m working on the second book in the Shattered Rose series. It will take off from where Fall of the House of Queens left off. There will be many of the same characters in the second and third of the series but instead of William the stories will be told by Annabel, the servant girl Mable’s daughter. I also want to write a book told by Catherine Howard and one by Guinevere. I have a little notebook full of ideas but those are the ones I want to get out first.
What words of wisdom would you share with aspiring authors?  I think society gets caught up in sticking people into certain slots or categories based on what they do for a job. You know when most people meet someone for the first time they tend to ask, “What do you do for a living?” and then the answer that they give defines them in other people’s minds. But I have never really believed that. I think if people look deeper they will discover that who someone is may not be what they do for a living. I think there are a lot of artists and writers out there that are doing other jobs but they are really writers or something. They just haven’t discovered it yet. I know that was kind of a long drawn out answer but I wanted to get that out so that other people might be inspired to find out who they really are. If you would have asked me that a few years ago I would have said, “I’m a construction technician” or something like that because even though that wasn’t my passion and that’s not who I felt I was as a person that’s what I was doing for a living. I still have trouble saying, “I’m a writer” because I was in so many other roles for so long. But now being able to say that is strange and wonderful. Because that’s a hat I have longed to wear since I was a kid. So despite what you think you are now if deep down you feel like you’re a writer then you’re a writer! So pick up a pen and notebook or sit down at the computer and show the world who you really are. You are who you choose to be not what you have to do to get through life sometimes. Think of Elvis who was a singer but for a time he had to work as a truck driver. Another thing I would tell aspiring authors is that remember you were once unpublished and trying too. So help others when you can, and treat others like you wish you had been treated when you were at their stage in your writing journey. The other authors aren’t competition they are allies. 
Great advice, Shelly! Thanks so much for chatting with me, today.
Dear Readers, please check out Shelly’s links.
http://www.amazon.com%2FFall-House-Queens-Book-Shattered-ebook%2Fdp%2FB06XVJTLHX&usg=AOvVaw3bOqC0q54-6Gn7WSG7nY4I


https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fall-of-the-house-of-queens-shelly-talcott/1126048765
    

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Good morning, Dear Readers! I'm pleased to chat with author/poet Shirani Rajapakse today.

1/29/2018

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Welcome, Shirani, to my blog couch this morning!




Hi Shirani! Tell us about yourself. Who are you and what do you like to do when you’re not a writer?
Hi Julie and thanks for the interview. I’m a poet and short story writer from Sri Lanka. I wasn’t always a writer but I’ve been writing on and off for the past 20 years. My collection of short stories, “Breaking News” was shortlisted for the Gratiaen Award and published in 2011. I also began publishing poems and fiction in literary journals and anthologies. In August this year, I published “Chant of a Million Women” a collection of poems.
When I’m not writing I like to read. These days I’m spending every moment I can devouring every book I can find. I think it’s because I didn’t do much reading for some time as I was busy with writing, then editing and getting my book ready for print. I also like gardening, sewing, and hanging out with

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What inspires you to write? Everything that happens around me is a potential story waiting to be written down. I am inspired by a variety of things, from music, watching the rain, the birds or squirrels in the garden or just reading a book. Watching the news about something happening somewhere even in a remote corner can be a potential trigger for a story or poem. Sometimes listening to music can inspire me to write something, although what I write is totally different from the type of music I am listening to at that moment.  


Tell me about your journey as a writer. When did you start and how do you keep the creative juices flowing? 
I started writing in the late 1990s as a means of trying to tell a story in a different way. I was working as a journalist and wanted to tell a particular story from a different viewpoint and I felt the only way to do this was by fictionalizing the story and creating a whole new world. 
I don’t write all the time, there are days when I don’t feel like writing at all. I’m not a writer who can write X number of words daily. I tried it and found that although it is possible the results aren’t good as I have to spend more time re-writing to get the story to be the way I want. It’s also very uninspiring to write for the sake of writing or to make those numbers for the day. 
I prefer to write when I am inspired or when there is something so good that I just can’t ignore it. This sometimes means having to stop what I’m doing to get the idea out of my head and onto paper before I forget it.  

Give us the elevator pitch for your book.
Identity, values and women’s role in society are explored through the poems in Chant of a Million Women. The concepts of beauty and the standards imposed on women to conform are also addressed as are power and the quiet force that keeps half the world moving even when there is no hope.  

Do you have a favourite character in your story? Who is most like you?
I’ll talk about Chant of a Million Women since it’s the most recent. My poems are little stories in verse. They don’t have characters and dialogue like a story but there is a story happening in every verse. I like creating little worlds within a small space with a few words. The main characters of my ‘stories’ are women and what they go through, the positive and negative. My favourite ‘character’ is the woman who doesn’t give up although the odds are stacked against her but finds a way of letting her individuality show even for a brief moment.   


Do you have a favourite time of day and place to write? Do you have a routine?
I don’t sit down at a particular time and write like most people. I write when I am inspired to write. Sometimes it can be while I am at home, sometimes while travelling, or while I’m sitting talking to someone. I tend to jot down the ideas or the lines that come to me and leave it until I return home to put down on my computer where I then develop the story or poem. I tend to be inspired at night and find myself getting up to scribble things down before I forget it by morning. 
I have to see the story or sequence in the poem in my head play out like a scene from a movie before I write it down. If it doesn’t play in my head then I can’t write it and forcing myself to see a sequence will not benefit the writing as it will be dull and boring and even I will be uninspired to continue with it. The only routine I have is when everything is written down, when all the movies in my head have made it to the computer and I get down  to edit. Then I start in the morning and work until I can no longer think about it anymore or my eyes need a rest. That’s the only routine I have.  

What do you do to market your book?
My first book of short stories was published by a traditional publisher and I didn’t have to do anything, but with “Chant of a Million Women” I’ve had to think of many different ways to market my book. One of the hardest things is to market poetry. I’ve done a short movie of the theme poem, had my work featured on a blog post radio. I sent out copies of the book for review and have done a couple of interviews. Two reviews have been published and I’m waiting to see the responses from the others. 
“Chant of a Million Women” was nominated for a Reader’s Choice Award from TCK and the voting is still taking place. That was a big thing as being nominated has given the book some extra publicity. 


Who are your three top author crushes? Who would you most like to meet?
More than author crushes I think I probably had character crushes. I find that getting inside the world of a book is as fascinating because it gives you an opportunity to live in an alternate universe as it were. I’d probably like to meet Rhett Butler and maybe James Bond.

Great choices! What are your future plans for writing?
I will re-release “Breaking News” as an ebook soon. It was published through a small local publisher in 2011 as a print book and I think it’s time to turn it into an ebook. 
I also have more poems and short stories that can be included in collections and I want to publish at least one book a year. I haven’t decided if I want to alternate between short stories and poems but I definitely know I want to keep writing more. 
There are stories I started that have been left in various stages of writing and editing and I want to finish these and wither add them to a collection or create new collections.
I also want to continue to submit to literary journals and anthologies as I did earlier. This was temporarily halted this year as I spent time learning about publishing and everything to do with self publishing. So it will be nice to get back to writing for literary journals as most of them ask for themes and I find this is not only enjoyable to have to write something to a particular theme or set number of words, but it’s also a challenge as it helps me develop my writing. 

What words of wisdom would you share with aspiring authors?
I think everyone should write their story the way they feel comfortable and not write because the theme or genre is popular. Some writers select a genre because it is popular and sells well but they don’t really like the genre. Our stories are unique to each one of us. We may see the same incident in different ways and that is what’s important. Our view, our voice should come out strong, and genre or theme should not have to define what we say or how we say it. 




Thank you for joining me today, Shirani! Dear Readers, please check out Shirani’s links.


Social Media Links    


https://shiranirajapakse.wordpress.com
https://www.facebook.com/shiranirajapakseauthor
https://twitter.com/shiraniraj
https://www.pinterest.com/shiraniraj/
https://www.instagram.com/shiranirajapakse/
https://lk.linkedin.com/in/shiranirajapakse
https://www.goodreads.com/shiranirajapakse


Book links


https://www.books2read.com/shiranirajapakse
https://www.amazon.com/author/shiranirajapakse
http://www.lulu.com/shop/shirani-rajapakse/chant-of-a-million-women/paperback/product-23289513.html

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Happy New Year, Dear Readers! Welcome to my 2018 Blog Couch

1/7/2018

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        I’m pleased to welcome, poet and author Kimberly Hockaday to my blog couch today!








Thanks for joining me. Tell us about yourself, Kimberly. What do you like to do when you’re not a writer? My name is Kimberly Hockaday. and I am from North Carolina.I am the author of 2 books, "A Mourner's Diary:Poems of Grief and Healing" and "Soul Mates:Poems of Eternal Love." Both published in 2017. When I am not writing I enjoy watching my favorite television shows, listening to music, and spending time with family.


What inspires you to write? I can not really state exactly what inspires me to write. Everything about life inspires me to write. The good, the beautiful, and not so beautiful things. I find inspiration everywhere.


Tell me about your journey as a writer. When did you start and how do you keep the creative juices flowing? I have always wanted to be a writer. I have always believed that I was born to write. For as long as I can remember I have wanted to be a writer. Even at the age of 3 or 4, I always had pen and paper in my hand. I actually taught myself how to write my alphabets.  I was just scribbling on paper (not even school aged yet) and my mom came into the room to check on me and was stunned to see that I had written the entire alphabet. As a young child I was always writing. I remember I would write down stories I just watched on Television then run around the house trying to get someone to read my "story." 
I have no secrets in keeping my creative juices flowing. I write when I feel like writing or if something pops into my head. I also never force words to come. Sometimes I will listen to music but usually the words just come naturally to me.


How would you describe your book in a nutshell. If you have lost someone to cancer or know someone dying of cancer then you will be able to relate to my book, "A Mourner's Diary:Poems of Grief and Healing." It is a personal collection of poetry dealing with the loss and acceptance of loved ones.


Do you have a favourite character in your book? "A Mourner's Diary" is a poetry book and there are no characters. The poems deal with real people; my aunt and uncle who passed away in 2016.


Who would you like to see play your characters in a movie? My book is a poetry book and so I would love to have an actress with a strong beautiful voice recite my poems. Actresses like Cicely Tyson come to my mind. I think she would do an amazing job.


Ms Tyson is a great choice! Do you have a favourite time of day and place to write? Do you have a routine?  I do not have a favorite time or place to write. I can write any time and anywhere as long as I am not constantly interrupted. My routine is pretty simple. I have journals but I like to first write my thoughts out on scratch paper and write the poem down in my journals. I feel like it's less mistakes and less marking I have to do in my journals. 


What do you do to market your book? To market my book, I have mentioned it constantly on social media sites, made fliers, and mostly word of mouth. 


Who are your three top author crushes? Who would you most like to meet? I honestly do not have any author crushes. My all time favorite author and the one person I always wanted to meet since I was a little girl is now someone I will never have the opportunity to meet or thank for being an inspiration. That amazing, brilliant woman was Maya Angelou. 


I agree with you, Kim, Ms Angelou was an inspiring woman. What are your future plans for writing? At the moment I am not a well known writer. I currently work a part-time job. I hope to one day accomplish my life long dream in establishing a career as a writer. I want to continue writing books and be able to say my job is being an author. There are other projects in the Arts I would like to create but most importantly is making writing my career. I hope to not only write books but also work with a magazine. I love writing.


What words of wisdom would you share with aspiring authors? My words of wisdom to other aspiring authors is three things. (1) Never give up on their dream (2) Be passionate about what you do (3) Always remain humble.


Great words to remember, Kim. Thanks for being with me today!


Dear Readers, you please check out Kim’s links.


https://www.amazon.com/Mourners-Diary-Poems-Grief-Healing/dp/1543161901/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1513054907&sr=1-1&keywords=a+mourner%27s+diary+poems+of+grief+and+healing


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My last blog interview for 2017!

12/30/2017

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Dear Readers, please help me welcome author Jorja Grael to my blog couch!

Tell us about yourself, Jorja? What do you like to do when you’re not a writer? I am never not a writer! I do lots of other things, like photography and gardening, but in my head I’m always writing. I have a full time job, because writing doesn’t pay the mortgage, and a husband, who loves me in spite of all the craziness I bring into his life. I’m pretty much a free spirit with a variety of interests, and do whatever catches my attention at the moment. A lot of this ends up in my books. My heroine in The Rental, for example, is a photographer, and my first book, To Tame a Rogue Heart, is set in the 17th century, one of my favorite times in history to read about. 


What inspires you to write? I really have no idea if I’m “inspired” to write. Mostly, it’s the age old question “What if…?” I remember how my current work in progress began. I was looking out the window at my garden and thinking it was nearly time to start spring plowing. My garden is the site where an old barn used to be, and it just popped into my head: what if the plowing turned up a human skull? I know, that’s really weird, but it turned into the current book, so it can’t be too bad, right? Music does inspire me. I can’t remember how many times I’ve had to pull over and make a note of an idea because a song on the radio triggered it.


I love to hear what inspires other authors. Tell me about your journey as a writer. When did you start and how do you keep the creative juices flowing? I started writing in seventh grade. I don’t even remember what the class was now, but we had to write a short play. After that, I was hooked. I spent a good bit of class time writing stories instead of studying. Until recently, I just wrote when the muse took me, but lately I’ve been setting daily goals and tracking my word count and progress. That seems to be helping me stay focused.


Can you give us the elevator pitch for your book? In the mid-sixteen hundred’s, women were expected to behave a certain way, but Morgan O’Neill never did what was expected of her. She ran away from an arranged marriage, fell in love with a buccaneer captain, and, when fate forced her hand, took to the high seas on a mission of vengeance. In a world where strength is everything, Morgan has the strength to take what is hers, regardless of what stands in her way.


Do you have a favourite character in your story? Who is most like you? I don’t really have a favorite character, although Morgan has been with me the longest. It took years to get her story out. I believe any author can see themselves in all their characters, to some degree. Morgan is who I would like to be, if I could get away with it! Well, certain aspects of her anyway.


Who would you like to see play your characters in a movie? I am not really a fan of film adaptations of books, so I’ve never really thought much about it. If a film was made of my books, I think I’d rather see a new actor play my characters, not someone I already associate with something else.


Do you have a favourite time of day and place to write? Do you have a routine? As I said, I have a full time job, so mostly I write in the mornings before work. My day starts at four-thirty a.m. Yes, I know, that’s barbaric, but I have to be at work by seven! The routine is get coffee, play solitaire through the first cup (I can’t write a coherent sentence without coffee), then write for about an hour. I usually write some when I get home, too, but my brain seems to work better early in the morning.


What do you do to market your book? I have major problems with the marketing part of being an author. I am on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, I have a blog, I hand out business cards to anyone who will take them. I do have some marketing plans for the new book, which I hope to release in February or March, but they’re incomplete right now.


Who are your three top author crushes? Who would you most like to meet? I wouldn’t call them crushes, but I’m a huge fan of Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, and Diana Gabaldon.


What are your future plans for writing? The new book, The Sound of Winter, will be out within the next few months. It is the first in a four-part series called Seasons. I also have a sequel of sorts for To Tame a Rogue Heart on the back burner. It’s a “we’ll see” sort of thing, but I’m hopeful.


What words of wisdom would you share with aspiring authors? Grow thick skin. Read, read, read, and write, write, write!  


Thanks so much, for chatting with me, today, Jorja! Dear Readers please check out Jorja Grael’s links. 
https://www.amazon.com/Jorja-Grael/e/B009ZTUEUS
Twitter@jorjagrael
Facebook@Jorja Grael author     
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BooksGoSocial Author to Author Blog Tour

12/29/2017

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The Long Road to Publication – by Anna Belle Rose


Years and years ago, actually decades ago, I was a stay-at-home mom for a bit, with my then youngest child who would not fall asleep at nap time. Over time, I realized that while he wouldn’t sleep, he would sit in his crib for a bit each afternoon, listening to Yanni at the Acropolis, looking at story books, and I could sit and write. And write I did. I wrote and wrote and wrote over many months. By then, my youngest was talking, and he somehow understood that Mommy was writing a book, and he kept nagging me to keep going. And I did.


Fast forward many years, and I’d keep opening the word file of that first novel, print it out, edit and revise, and eventually send it out to a few agents. Rejections would come in, and I’d put it away for a while, then that same son would poke at me again, and the process would start all over again. During this same time, I also started several other novels, and kept working on them in the same way. All of them were contemporary romances, heavily linked to life in Vermont, and all have gloriously happy endings – I mean, who doesn’t love a happily ever after?


Finally, late in 2016, I decided I needed to either get serious about writing, or give it up for good. So I pulled those two complete novels out again, and hired incredible professional editors to go at them. Then I started submitting them to a few agents, and a couple publishing houses that didn’t require representation by agents. And on June 13th, a publishing contract arrived on the novel I wrote first, The Phone Call. And on July 13th, a contract arrived for my second, That One Small Omission. And joy of joys, on December 4th, a contract was offered on my third, More Than I Can Say.


On October 11, 2017, That One Small Omission was published in e-book and print versions, and on December 12th, The Phone Call will be published. The joy and excitement I feel each time I look at my mantle and see my first published novel is an emotion that I think only other authors can understand!


Amazon link to That One Small Omission: https://tinyurl.com/yb5bc2ux
Amazon link to my author’s page: https://tinyurl.com/y8uzgxeh

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BooksGoSocial Authors for Authors Blog Tour

12/29/2017

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Earth to Centauri - Alien Hunt


The year is 2118. The First Journey from Earth into interstellar space has been successful, but the explosive secret carried aboard Voyager 1 will have grave consequences. 


As Captain Anara and her crew returns to Earth aboard their faster than light spaceship Antariskh, civil war breaks out on the world they have just left behind. A cryptic message warns her of the dispatch of mercenaries to Earth. Their mission - unknown but deadly. She may have just days to prevent unimaginable carnage on Earth and stop the outbreak of interstellar war.


Her crew and the National Investigation Agency or NIA, engage in the greatest undercover search for the mercenaries in the streets of the megacity. As they race against time to uncover the plot, a traitor is unmasked and Anara herself comes under suspicion. She must use every ounce of her resourcefulness to protect 30 million people and one unique innocent life.


Immerse yourself in an edge of the seat thriller on a realistic future Earth and geek out on the technology just a few decades away from today.


Releasing in December 2017




Read the prequel Earth to Centauri - The FIrst Journey https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071RYBF3D

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Welcome to author Kevin McAllion.

12/6/2017

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I'm pleased to chat with Kevin McAllion today!
Hi Julie,

Tell us about yourself, Kevin. What do you like to do when you’re not a writer? 
I’m a journalist from Dundee, Scotland, who now lives and works in Glasgow. I’ve been working as a sports journalist since the age of 19, which is now sadly 20 years ago. When I’m not working or writing, I’m usually listening to music, watching or playing football, or updating my website rhesuspark.com, which is perhaps the world’s only spoof monkey park.
 
 What inspires you to write?
I mostly write to amuse myself, creating situations and characters that make me laugh. I also want to leave a piece of me that future generations of my family can see. One of my writing projects is a diary of things my daughter has done for every year since her birth. She will have no memory of these precious moments so I want to make sure they are recorded so she can look back at pictures and read the story behind them as well. I’ve kept it going for the first four years and hope to have a record right up until she turns 18.


  What a lovely idea for your daughter! Tell me about your journey as a writer. When did you start and how do you keep the creative juices flowing? 
I’ve been writing most my life but that has mainly been journalism. It all began with a school newspaper day that got me gripped when I was about 12 or 13. That led to me studying journalism at university then I started working for newspapers while I was still studying. It began with writing lower league match reports for the Sunday Mail and that led to a staff job as a sports reporter with the same paper. I then evolved into a sub-editor and production journalist, which is my current role. In terms of creative writing, I dabbled in poetry for a while before starting my first novel Moristoun in 2012. It was finally published two years later.  


 Give us the elevator pitch for your book.
Moristoun is an island Scottish people are sent to in the afterlife when they have died by suicide. Buchan, a lawyer who has been trapped there for over 200 years, finds out he can move to a higher realm if he helps to stop modern-day Scots from killing themselves. He is tasked with saving McSorely and brings him back to Moristoun to work as his assistant in a bid to boost his self-esteem. McSorely slowly starts to discover the reality of Moristoun and things take a dark turn when he falls for Gail, the daughter of the landlord at the Tortured Soul pub. Gail is the only other mortal in Moristoun, having been brought there by Buchan as a baby when her mum died, and her fate becomes linked to McSorely.
 
 Do you have a favourite character in your story? Who is most like you?
My favourite character is Buchan. He is the most intelligent and suave of all the people on Moristoun, having read every book at the library. He was great fun to write as he is always coming up with insightful quotes and wins any battle of wits. I’d like to say I’m the most like him, but I’d be lying. I resemble McSorely more and share a lot of his character flaws. If my life had been as tough as his, I’d probably be in the same bind.


 Who would you like to see play your characters in a movie?
Peter Capaldi would make a great Buchan while I’d like to see Ewan McGregor as McSorely. Gail is a lot harder to cast as I don’t know many Scottish actresses who are 17-18. Give it to an unknown actress and pray she doesn’t make an arse of it like Sophia Coppola in the Godfather III


  
 
 Do you have a favourite time of day and place to write? Do you have a routine? 
When I was writing Moristoun, I woke up at 7am every morning and spent the first hour or two writing. This was the only way I could find the discipline to write the book and keep the ideas flowing. If I write at night I find too many things to distract me and due to work commitments I can’t do it every day. Since the birth of my daughter, I’ve had to stop the 7am writing shifts and that’s had a big impact on my output. I need to get back into the habit of writing every day.
 
Children are good at rearranging schedules! What do you do to market your book?
It’s mostly done on Twitter and Facebook, although I have held a couple of signings in book shops. One was a disaster and the other went quite well. Just after Moristoun was released, I contacted a lot of book bloggers to see if they would be interested in writing a review and this proved quite successful. I recently made a trailer for the book, having been annoyed by the poor quality of the one made by my publisher. This has been another good way to market the book as people now prefer videos to reading. In addition to that, I’ve joined a few groups on Facebook. The group Books Go Social has been a great way of meeting fellow writers and sourcing more reviews. I attempted to get book groups interested in looking at Moristoun and giving me feedback and was thrilled when a group from a university in Glasgow agreed to take part. But it didn’t end well. After giving them 22 free copies, I waited for months and months for them to get back in contact with me. I emailed the student who had organised everything and sent messages on social media but got no reply. Even when I got in touch with the university they just fobbed me off, saying there was nothing they could do as it wasn’t an official group. An expensive mistake.
 
 Who are you three top author crushes? Who would you most like to meet?
My three favourites are Victor Serge, Gunter Grass and Roddy Doyle, although I’d like to stress there is no sexual attraction as the word ‘crush’ can be interpreted a couple of ways. I’d most like to meet Gabriel Garcia Marquez, as I read his autobiography and it was fascinating, but I’d need a time machine now as he’s passed to the other side. 
  
 What are your future plans for writing?
Just to get back into the habit as I’ve written nothing of note for the last five years. I’ve started three or four books since Moristoun but given up after a few chapters. The most interesting revolved around a man turning up at a small town in Scotland and proclaiming himself the Second Coming. When I first came up with the idea, it opened up a world of possibilities so I’d like to get properly into the writing of that book. 


What words of wisdom would you share with aspiring authors?
Try to write something truly original. Don’t just copy someone else’s style as you won’t be able to do it as well. Find your own voice and passion. Also make sure you spend as much time editing the book as you do writing it. Be harsh on yourself and cut out anything that doesn’t need to be there.
 
 
Thanks dear readers, please check out these links for Moristoun
Website:
http://moristoun.com/
Amazon.co.uk: https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=moristoun&tag=mh0a9-21&index=aps&hvadid=8864195614
Amazon.com:
https://www.amazon.com/Moristoun-Kevin-McAllion/dp/1784552844
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/Moristoun
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Moristoun/
YouTube trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BguzcBFh8M
 ​

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A morning chat with Author/Artist Lisa Zarcone!

11/6/2017

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I am so pleased to welcome Author Lisa Zarcone to my blog couch!


Tell our readers about yourself? Who are you and what do you like to do when you’re not a writer?

I am a wife, mother of three grown children, and grandmother to three.  My husband and I are raising two of our grandchildren – Phoebe who is nine, a beautiful free spirit with a special love for all nature, and Liam who is five. He is autistic but making incredible strides.  He always has a beautiful smile on his face!


At this time I am not working outside of the home as I have dedicated the last couple of years to the children. When I am not running with them, or writing you can find me out in my gardens.  Flowers and vegetable gardens surround my home.  I am also a nature lover so birds, butterflies and all nature make my world a happy place to be.  I love teaching the children about life outside and what incredible gifts it has to offer.


What inspires you to write?
Life! Life experiences the good as well as the bad.     Sharing knowledge, inspiring others, and sending messages along the way.


 Tell us about your journey as a writer. When did you start and how do you keep the creative juices flowing? 
I always enjoyed writing.  As a young girl I would journal as a way to help myself cope with the turbulent upbringing that I had to endure. This was a special outlet for me.  I reminded myself to stay strong, and keep on fighting. I also loved to draw and paint, which was another creative way to express myself. I continue to keep my creativity flowing through my life experiences and through my family.

There is always something new to learn, as our life lessons mold us as we travel on this journey.



Give us the elevator pitch for your book.
Tale as old as Time.  In the silence of her unspoken truth she fights to find her voice so she will never be silenced again!   The Unspoken Truth A Memoir. Take the journey into the life of a young girl, and read her harrowing story as an abused child.   Will she be victorious on her quest to freedom?   

Embrace this journey with Lisa, which will keep you emotionally invested from start to finish.



Do you have a favourite character in your story? Who is most like you?
My favorite character is me as it is my memoir, and I tell my story through the eyes of a child – MY EYES.


 Who would you like to see play your characters in a movie?
Reese Witherspoon as she has played tough characters with true passion.



Do you have a favourite time of day and place to write? What’s your routine?
When the house is quiet and I have soft music playing it inspires me to write. My focus comes to light, because I am not distracted by my ultra busy high-energy family.   I love each and every one of them dearly but in the silence I am ME.



What do you do to market your book? I am everywhere I can possibly be.   I am on social media every single day promoting my book and story.   Face book, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest.  I am also on Amazon and I have an author page.  I can be found on YouTube.  I try to do as many radio interviews as possible and I will be taping a TV interview with a local TV programming network.   I also go around and do author talks/book-signing events.
    I will speak to anyone who is willing to listen.  Spreading the word and bringing awareness to Mental Health Issues and Child Safety is a huge passion for me, as I feel it is so important to bring these issue to light. They are not talked about enough.   More work needs to be done to help those in need.



Who are your three top author crushes? Who would you most like to meet?
James Van Praagh, Mitch Albom and John Holland.  I had the great pleasure of meeting John Holland a couple years ago, and he was incredible, filled with beautiful spirit energy.
    I would love to meet James and Mitch as they both have two very different ways of writing and the messages that they offer.



 What are your future plans for writing?
I have a children’s series that I am looking to promote next.  This series is inspired by my beautiful granddaughter Phoebe and her stuffed bear.  They go on many exciting adventures together.  I wrote this series to show children that all family units are unique.  Phoebe is being raised by her grandparents and that is OK!!!  I am also working on book two an extension off of my memoir.  This will focus on the relationship with my mother and I as I transition into adulthood.  I will dig deep into my mother’s mental illness and how it affected both of our lives.
The good, the bad and the ugly.



What words of wisdom would you share with aspiring authors? Believe in yourself and your talents. We all have something different to bring to the table. Never give up! Many doors may close but when that one special door opens magic happens. Keep pushing forward and you will find your place.


That’s lovely, Lisa! I wish you all the best on your journey and in your writing endeavours.   
Thank you so much for sharing your story and chatting with me, today!



Dear readers, please check out Lisa’s links.


Lisa Zarcone  Author -  The Unspoken Truth A Memoir

Email lzarcone@comcast.net


https://www.amazon.com/Unspoken-Truth-Memoir-Lisa-Zarcone 


https://www.facebook.com/LisaZarcone11/?ref=bookmarks 


https://twitter.com/Lzarcone11


https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-zarcone-0ba19135?trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile_pic


amazon.com/author/lisazarconeunspokentruth




https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B01MU268HL 
  

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An excerpt from The Stalker from the Secrets of the Home Wood series

11/5/2017

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Jonathon


That horrible smell, like the worst body odour mixed with rotting meat, was still too familiar. Jonathon would never forget it. Worl, the King’s scheming brother, and all his men smelled like this. They wore the smell like the King’s men wore their red and gold badges. 
Jon’s heartbeat ratcheted up. What are they doing here? They were supposed to be caught. He glanced at the Grue woman. Her eyes were wide. Fear? Her hand crept up to her throat and for the first time, Jonathon saw the bruises on her wrist. What caused those? 
“We have to go for help.” Jon said. “The San is our best bet.”
As Jonathon looked around the circle and sniffed the air, he realized that the breeze was coming from the direction of the path to the San’s fortress. The smell was between them and the route to safety. 
Crap!
Amia grabbed Jonathon’s arm. 
“We must go this way, now!” A tremble in her hand betrayed her. Jon put his hand over hers and squeezed.
“Where do we go?” He asked.
“Wait, Jon.” Gramp stopped him. “Why don’t we just go back through to home?”
“Gramp, that smell means trouble,” Jonathon gestured earnestly. “Remember I told you about Worl? He’s not just bad, Gramp. He will kill us…” 
“Kill?” Marly’s voice rose. “I want to go home now!”
“We can’t.” Desperation crept into Jonathon’s words. “They might catch up with us before we go through and we can’t fight back. I don’t know how long it takes for the portal to work. What if they catch us while we’re asleep but haven’t crossed over?” He looked at his grandfather.
“We have no choice, Gramp. We have to follow Amia and we have to go now before it’s too late.”






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BooksGoSocial Army for Authors Blog Sharing!

11/4/2017

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Have you ever helped out a stranger only to have it turn your normal life into something that resembles a nightmare?
Arina did.


After a dead man is discovered in one of her motel units, his only relative, an older sister, asks Arina to help her. The sister believes her brother was murdered.
Despite being dissuaded from getting involved, true to form, Arina dives in. Head first. 
Without knowing exactly what she was getting into, she inadvertently puts lives on the line. Including the life of her two-year-old son, Ben.
Money laundering and multi-million-dollar tax evasion scams are uncovered. Ruthless and desperate people will do all they can to avoid detection to protect their interests. Including murder.




Book Three ‘HER BROTHER’S KEEPER’ of the Arina Perry Series takes a phycological ride on the wild side.
Released in e-book late November 2017 and in paperback late December 2017.
LINK TO THE NOVEL https://www.amazon.com/Her-Brothers-Keeper-Missing-Child-ebook/dp/B0743JS9VM


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    About Julie

    An avid reader who became a jotter of stories and poems that led to a life long dream of writing a novel. Loving the journey.

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