tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78588275491147103462024-03-04T23:26:36.362-06:00Kolina's BlogA blog for author interviews, personals reviews of mine, and maybe a free book or two!
Readers, if you would like to enter to win one of the books, simply comment on the writers interview. That's it!Kolina Topelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03604421057836731470noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7858827549114710346.post-10796763224844252102012-07-31T15:13:00.002-05:002012-07-31T15:13:43.385-05:00Long time no talk, but good news!Hey everyone, I know it has been entirely too long since I have been on here, but for good reason! Behind Shields is being turned into a movie!!!! SHUT UP??!?!?! No I'm serious. We are in pre-production as we speak. We are making a teaser trailer to present to the investment company and getting a budget together and all of the crazy stuff that goes into movie making. It will all be being filmed here in Louisville/Southern Indiana, and I am so excited about it all! I have recently welcome a new producer and director and we are bursting at the seams with all of the ideas. We are finishing up the script right now, and will hopefully have more to post about it soon.<br />
For now here are the links to a few of the pages, and I can't wait to share this with you all!<br />
Facebook-<a href="https://www.facebook.com/BehindShieldsMovie">https://www.facebook.com/BehindShieldsMovie</a><br />
Auditions-<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/303726096381390/">https://www.facebook.com/events/303726096381390/</a><br />
Lots of love,<br />
KolinaKolina Topelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03604421057836731470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7858827549114710346.post-14371694722146253642012-04-03T17:48:00.001-05:002012-04-03T17:48:21.176-05:00I made it into the newspaper!!! :)<a href="http://www.thereflector.com/news/article_baca696a-7d05-11e1-b159-001a4bcf887a.html#.T3t-E_p1Pcs.blogger">Author writes book to honor fallen BG soldier Andrew Shields - The Reflector: News</a>: When Jeanie Shields, grandmother of the late Andrew Shields, first found out that Kolina Topel was writing a book to honor her grandson, she s…Kolina Topelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03604421057836731470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7858827549114710346.post-37063319414600287182012-03-20T08:03:00.000-05:002012-03-20T08:03:35.933-05:00Behind Shields Part One!!!!Well the first book in the Behind Shields Legacy is finished!!!! It is with the editor as we speak and I am waiting very impatiently for her to send it back so I can get it out to you. I am so unbelievably amazed to see how much my writing has changed and grown since Royal Blood and I have such high hopes for this series.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAcq-5QjvbpUGgFOiK-IfrcjSzHWJ3G_XFiFqW3AQw9_57uZPhgKhe1xAiNBjWtF-hNWnlGuqUpbEcJIgBIjUfg0czUp3H5puvutv3EM37aOGrTKueXpltEzGlT7RDgo5K-vWMEqyj_08/s1600/BookCoverPreview1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAcq-5QjvbpUGgFOiK-IfrcjSzHWJ3G_XFiFqW3AQw9_57uZPhgKhe1xAiNBjWtF-hNWnlGuqUpbEcJIgBIjUfg0czUp3H5puvutv3EM37aOGrTKueXpltEzGlT7RDgo5K-vWMEqyj_08/s320/BookCoverPreview1.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKp5e5fDNdX7BaOBQLEtE3dbQBXTBkC9_91GsOMhyphenhyphensY-HSSElImvplghz2ytV_QDVTEqBdI8bgsdA_aWD1iSG0sEeHcQY0U30bjy6_3Ija-_m4fxngS4gXMp_FZfCJqyKn9MMFbjp5JS8/s1600/l_855d88cb122761591617f68e7c30f918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKp5e5fDNdX7BaOBQLEtE3dbQBXTBkC9_91GsOMhyphenhyphensY-HSSElImvplghz2ytV_QDVTEqBdI8bgsdA_aWD1iSG0sEeHcQY0U30bjy6_3Ija-_m4fxngS4gXMp_FZfCJqyKn9MMFbjp5JS8/s320/l_855d88cb122761591617f68e7c30f918.jpg" width="169" /></a></div>I hope with all of my heart that Andrew is up in heaven smiling down on me(or lurking around somewhere as a vamp. That would be cool too), proud of what I have done. He deserves to be shared with the world and I hope I did him justice. I hope that his family is proud too. They raised a boy that changed lots of lives with his energy and his smile and I am forever indebted to them. You can read about Andrew on his myspace page at myspace.com/cowboyup.Kolina Topelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03604421057836731470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7858827549114710346.post-81064795784135922702012-01-24T07:40:00.002-06:002012-02-03T07:22:21.890-06:00Author spotlight with Michel Prince (Over)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9jmvFc1MFUrscA0WUiBfNVWdBPs3Q7hFUz1q7N_KaugKQQhPWrbgCq7_dkBZP5lBfiV_-RhXDI0HaU3YO7s4tslwAWJtv7fhBnjJLVSG6OG1KnHkAvwz95mYDoaQwUkCxev9VnbJlc0I/s1600/IMG_4647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9jmvFc1MFUrscA0WUiBfNVWdBPs3Q7hFUz1q7N_KaugKQQhPWrbgCq7_dkBZP5lBfiV_-RhXDI0HaU3YO7s4tslwAWJtv7fhBnjJLVSG6OG1KnHkAvwz95mYDoaQwUkCxev9VnbJlc0I/s320/IMG_4647.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Vw9b4XogEsV924b3Q2SBFaQ5JzQT63pNHu4rnB1D-TI5VLpPSgIEH4XOhCpA-tO5q9U_4U9hbAOz2zN12kgobopkozSxq-173YSWUJ4vrBbWUKT6eTNiXxECnM1wN7dg68VHaQkBbbA/s1600/Chrysalis_Cover0119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Vw9b4XogEsV924b3Q2SBFaQ5JzQT63pNHu4rnB1D-TI5VLpPSgIEH4XOhCpA-tO5q9U_4U9hbAOz2zN12kgobopkozSxq-173YSWUJ4vrBbWUKT6eTNiXxECnM1wN7dg68VHaQkBbbA/s320/Chrysalis_Cover0119.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Michel has generously offered to give away one free ebook copy of Chrystalis after its release!</span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.T. Hello and welcome. I am very excited to have you here today. Why don’t we start off with a small introduction? Tell us a little about yourself. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">M.P. Hi, thanks for having me. My name is Michel Prince, I’m a writer from the Twin Cities where I live with my husband, son, cat and hamster. I’ve lived all around the Midwest between high school and college. My debut novel, Chrysalis, is due out in April. It’s a Young Adult Paranormal Romance. In my spare time I’m a Boy Scout leader and that takes up any free time that I find.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.T. Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">M.P. I fall into my characters and tend to reflect their moods. The funniest most unexpected thing that happened was when I was at a leader training for scouts they gave us a fifteen minute break, so I took out my laptop. The break ended right in the middle of a passionate kiss, and my lips were sore for two hours until I could move my character along. Maybe I’m too attached. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.T. When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first novel? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">M.P. Probably when I realized I could actually do it. When I was in school I had won a few contests, but I never sat down and wrote more than a short grade school story. Then when I got the spark, I wrote and was surprised when I hit eighty thousand words. I actually went online to see how long a novel should be and realized I should probably wrap up Chrysalis, but sadly I hadn’t even scratched the surface. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">The spark came from an interview that Stephanie Meyer had given where she discussed that she had a dream and just wrote about it. I had written a prolog about ten times before, but didn’t know where it was from or who was talking to me. I decided to write it out again and see where it led me. The crazy thing, that prolog is now in the third book of the series because I thought I was writing an adult book that was going to gloss over how Oscar and Ellie met in high school. Instead their story kept coming, so I kept writing. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.S. What genre do you write? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">M.P. Young adult and adult paranormal romance, not sure if the adult is erotic, guess my publisher can let me know if my sex scenes are too hot in the adult books. I am also writing what now is termed sensual romance and my son requested a young adult adventure book which is coming along nicely. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.S. What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">M.P. Probably my husband and friends. Sometimes in the characters, but mostly because he supported me, and there is nothing more inspirational than someone believing you can.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.S. What does your family think of your writing? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">M.P. I have a sister and niece that love it. I’ve only let a few family members view the rough drafts so we’ll have to see after its release.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.S. What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating your book?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">M.P. Although Oscar and Ellie are not autobiographical, they have had to face many of the same issues that I have with my husband. Half way through the second book I looked at him and said “I’ve put up with a lot of crap.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.S. Can you tell us a little about your novel? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">M.P. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">In the annals of dysfunctional families the Chisholm’s are working their way to the top. Drug abuse, unwed mother with multiple fathers and the questionable cash flow for the “pretty one”. All this from a seemingly normal two parent middle class family, but were the choices truly made of their free will.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Bad choices are a Chisholm family trait, one that confounds the youngest child, Ellie, who is trying to separate herself by making smart decisions.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Falling for Oscar Jeffreys, the hottest guy at school would be number one in the Chisholm family disasters … the crazy part is it’s not a one sided attraction. Somehow Ellie has caught Oscar Jeffreys’ eye. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Sure, she could see the barriers between them. Race, age, popularity. They were at opposite ends of the spectrum. A demon set to destroy her family was not on the list. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Oscar provides security and acceptance that she never imagined she deserved. As the passion of first love grows, Ellie can see that she has a chance to beat the odds and live a happy, normal life.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Then her world collapses around her. With the help of a guardian angel Ellie learns of a world that had unknowingly surrounded her for years. She will have to find strength buried deep inside to save not only her future, but flush out and stop the demon in her midst.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Sometimes the hardest lesson in growing up is accepting that you are worth more. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.S. Where can we find your novels? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">M.P. They will be available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, All Romance, BookStrand, Coffee Time Romance and Omnilit after April 17<sup>th</sup>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.S. Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">M.P. <a href="http://www.michelprincebooks.com/">www.michelprincebooks.com</a></span> my blog is called “little people in my head”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">http://www.facebook.com/pages/Michel-Prince/100543550065487<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.S. Do you have any closing advice to aspiring writers? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">M.P. If you have a story, tell it. Jack London got four hundred rejections, and he didn’t have the ease of email.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Kolina Topelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03604421057836731470noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7858827549114710346.post-8072386732146644712012-01-24T07:30:00.002-06:002012-02-03T07:22:35.201-06:00Author spotlight with Jennifer Galuska (Over)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAr2VA1K0LF08BJQE9ymnToXWOD573o6tHRmRMmEDJpaBLFHGD7kFPt184EGGeyOJA_TEDx_OtFXnbnaN1KsME2yuIiuFfp2QJtTh6DTxgd5OIZalzPgFDK4yJEwtFVzwWMLch2bzsY2E/s1600/Mom+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAr2VA1K0LF08BJQE9ymnToXWOD573o6tHRmRMmEDJpaBLFHGD7kFPt184EGGeyOJA_TEDx_OtFXnbnaN1KsME2yuIiuFfp2QJtTh6DTxgd5OIZalzPgFDK4yJEwtFVzwWMLch2bzsY2E/s320/Mom+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAvgx5QfnGBNiIOtO5Wt5sUAZR5rHXSMG4qWFI0WeicsjGI8V0X2OxxEzhU6n43Xy8r-t2Qm035x6_VqMS6Q4m4sqXdg_iaLtUWhRwJDmvYmWwNdczXLOjLTE2ZD2Fwqfc0Du1ZgVxQ7o/s1600/A+Kiss+for+Emily.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAvgx5QfnGBNiIOtO5Wt5sUAZR5rHXSMG4qWFI0WeicsjGI8V0X2OxxEzhU6n43Xy8r-t2Qm035x6_VqMS6Q4m4sqXdg_iaLtUWhRwJDmvYmWwNdczXLOjLTE2ZD2Fwqfc0Du1ZgVxQ7o/s320/A+Kiss+for+Emily.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Jennifer has generously offered to give away one free ebook copy of A Kiss for Emily! Comment to win!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.T. Hello and welcome. I am very excited to have you here today. Why don’t we start off with a small introduction? Tell us a little about yourself. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">J.G. I come from the land of 10,000 Lakes, the Mall of America, and the world famous Mayo Clinic. My favorite place to visit is the North Shore, but only in the summer months, which can still be colder than the winter months for some southern cities.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.T. Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">J.G. It just so happens that I started writing as a result of a bad situation. Early on in 2009, I got hurt at work and was forced into unemployment. If you recall, the US job market had recently taken a deep plunge. Not one to just sit around and do nothing, I decided to try my hand at writing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.T. When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first novel?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">J.G. When I first sat down at my computer, I had no idea what kind of a story to write, except that it'd be for young adults. I spent a couple weeks starting various stories that only went as far as the trash. Then one day my husband came home and he asked me about my day. I was so excited to tell him, "I found it."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.T. What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">J.G. This is a hard question, and to answer it, I suppose I need to do some explaining first. I rely heavily on God for guidance in life, and therefore, I suppose I should be surprised by how the right people have showed up in my life just at the right time...from forming a writer's group to designing my book cover. It's really been quite amazing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.T. What does your family think of your writing?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">J.G. Of course they are very proud of me, and now the book is out, my family looks at me differently too. Not in respect or adoration so much, but rather in dollar signs. My kids want long vacations on sandy beaches and my husband dreams of quitting work.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.T. Can you tell us a little about your novel(s)? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">J.G. So, now that I've told you that I'm a strong believer in God, it may come as a surprise that I've written a paranormal ghost story. I'm not here to say what is wrong or what is right. I'm just here because I have a story to tell - and I keep it pretty mainstream. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">A Kiss for Emily is about a love story that's gone awry; kinda like Twilight meets A Series of Unfortunate Events. My tag line goes a follows: Emily never thought that falling in love would put her smack dab in the middle of chaos. Or have her question her sanity. When strange occurrences turn unbelievable, it becomes a race against time to save her from none other than the good-guys. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">My book is different from other YA novels because the members in the main family actually like each other. I keep the real dysfunction for the bad-guys. I think this style also makes this book enjoyable for a broader market than just YA. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.T. Where can we find your novels?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">J.G. A Kiss for Emily is available from both B&N and Amazon<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.T. Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">J.G. I belong to several places out in cyber land and I'd love for you to stop by, check them out and leave a comment! Don't forget to Like IT <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">My Facebook author page - J P Galuska<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">My website - jpgaluska.com<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">My blog - jpglauska@blogspot.com<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Twitter - @JGaluska</span><span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Kolina Topelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03604421057836731470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7858827549114710346.post-15529532792736824732012-01-17T07:29:00.001-06:002012-01-24T07:08:52.681-06:00Author spotlight with Nicola Palmer (Over)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi8XdYJ3UFcEqgmIBQHkPuWKuN2N9SKGjsDuOrsfd_mdSpONSTesOrcxbCCkoiQLZbafoXSz72HnlaR-oFOk_YJfgPfTJwz6Agt53U2CEjyzyJOf71SA-IFWvG6w4QWprif_x18cUazOY/s1600/author_profile2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi8XdYJ3UFcEqgmIBQHkPuWKuN2N9SKGjsDuOrsfd_mdSpONSTesOrcxbCCkoiQLZbafoXSz72HnlaR-oFOk_YJfgPfTJwz6Agt53U2CEjyzyJOf71SA-IFWvG6w4QWprif_x18cUazOY/s320/author_profile2.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFaLeZr0NbIU2-nyiaiMN9vf8V0-G6Ip0ld_Ig66pBgJvAjMqAg-KBG3-aZGaYY48CMDtAl6mev1UHVvhoLKf7qxPcdqKbETVxJ72j5Kd00NXpvoLofznR4uFRFlfKdnuRTzVo3oNnVJs/s1600/nicolapalmercover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFaLeZr0NbIU2-nyiaiMN9vf8V0-G6Ip0ld_Ig66pBgJvAjMqAg-KBG3-aZGaYY48CMDtAl6mev1UHVvhoLKf7qxPcdqKbETVxJ72j5Kd00NXpvoLofznR4uFRFlfKdnuRTzVo3oNnVJs/s320/nicolapalmercover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Nicola has offered to give away one free copy of </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">her book! Comment to win!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.T. Hello and welcome. I am very excited to have you here today. Why don’t we start off with a small introduction? Tell us a little about yourself. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">N.P. Thank you so much for inviting me. I’m an aspiring children’s writer from Warwickshire in the UK. I self-published my first book, ‘Alice Parker’s Metamorphosis,’ in December 2011 and I’m working on the next one.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.T. Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">N.P. Well, Alice was named after my grandmother. She loved books and taught me to read at a very early age, so I have a lot to thank her for.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.T. When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first novel?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">N.P. I loved creative writing at school but never pursued it as a career. As it always seemed a difficult business to break in to, I considered putting off writing books until I retired! But then two years ago, I had an idea for a book which I couldn’t wait to write.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.T. What genre do you write?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">N.P. The ‘Alice Parker’ fantasy series is primarily for children of 7+, though it has been read to children as young as four, and enjoyed by a few adults too.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.T. What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">N.P. I’d have to say the success of many self-published writers. They have managed to gain a following of readers, some have even got traditional publishing contracts and/or films as a result of their hard work and determination.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.T. What does your family think of your writing?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">N.P. My family have been very supportive. In an ideal world, I would write full-time – my day job as a garden designer/landscaper has taken its toll on my back!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.T. What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating your book?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">N.P. I was amazed how just how much I enjoyed writing it and how easily parts of the story flowed. On the other hand, it proved incredibly difficult to edit the novel myself. I studied at Oxford and a large part of my degree was literature. Could I apply those literary criticism skills to my own work? Absolutely not! I think I was too close to the story to step back and assess it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.T. Can you tell us a little about your novel? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">N.P. Feisty thirteen-year-old Alice Parker knows something isn't right. Aches and pains have started, her craving for sugar is out of control and she keeps imagining something outside her bedroom window. Suddenly she is top of the class in every subject. Baffled by what is happening to her and feeling at odds with the world, Alice can't take much more. Only when she collapses and experiences a life-changing transformation does she learn why she is different. But this new, amazing identity brings its own challenges and Alice isn't convinced she can rise to them. She just wants to be normal! The fact is she's anything but...<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.T. Where can we find your novels?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">N.P. Amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, Smashwords and in the near future, Barnes & Noble.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.T. Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">N.P. Yes – please! I’d love to hear from you there. Any comments welcome!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <a href="http://nicolapalmerwriter.blogspot.com/">http://nicolapalmerwriter.blogspot.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/AliceParkersAdventures">http://www.facebook.com/AliceParkersAdventures</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/nicolalpalmer">http://www.twitter.com/nicolalpalmer</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.T. Do you have any closing advice to aspiring writers? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">N.P. I’m new to this myself, so I’ll just say stick with it. If it’s worth having, it’s worth waiting for. </span><span style="font-size: small;">Good luck!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Kolina Topelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03604421057836731470noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7858827549114710346.post-72073232579272653432012-01-17T07:20:00.001-06:002012-01-17T08:50:02.035-06:00Author spotlight with Jamie Wilsoncroft<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJA7hD_zvw6obkTS9Ii34PP_rJab7aCFDfyaOtlQpQuabid9eyOIoEY1g1xo6U7Hw-wyg0uetz_OXHwwG_EDMo6dp47mc5Z5CfeHcRah7RP9w90jqhuMAhagkPQmEI3vPqCb8gqhf6gBI/s1600/038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJA7hD_zvw6obkTS9Ii34PP_rJab7aCFDfyaOtlQpQuabid9eyOIoEY1g1xo6U7Hw-wyg0uetz_OXHwwG_EDMo6dp47mc5Z5CfeHcRah7RP9w90jqhuMAhagkPQmEI3vPqCb8gqhf6gBI/s320/038.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">K.T. Hello and welcome. I am very excited to have you here today. Why don’t we start off with a small introduction? Tell us a little about yourself. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">J.W. My name is Jamie Sue Wilsoncroft (author name J.S. Wilsoncroft). I live in Pennsylvania with my husband, two children and 3 yappy dogs. I have been a professional dog groomer for over 16 years and a writer for 5 years.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">K.T. Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">J.W. A lot of people find it interesting to know that I get my story ideas while I am grooming. So it would be safe to say that I will never quit my day job. *laughs My only writing quirks that I have, is that I need my diet Pepsi, dictionary and thesaurus beside me and when I get an occasional writer’s block, I start twisting my hair ( I’m doing it right now as I am thinking about how to answer these questions without sounding like a dork).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">K.T. When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first novel?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">J.W.</span> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Hahahaha…I never thought about becoming a writer, honestly. I always pictured myself working with animals. It wasn’t until 5 years ago that I woke up one morning with this story in my head. It was about a hearing impaired Mother of two, who sends an email to a popular movie star. As the two become more than friends, the mother goes through an emotional roller coaster ride, trying to decide whether to pursue their relationship. This became my first story that I ever wrote, Roller Coaster Love. Although, I never pursued to get it published, I went on to write many other stories. And today I have 3 short stories published in anthology books and my newly released novella, Remembering Zane. And my soon to be released novel, coming April 15th, The Unfaithful Widow.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">K.S. What genre do you write?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">J.W. All of the stories that I have written are romance stories. Some are chic lit and some of them are YA. I try to write stories that are mostly suitable for YA but sometimes the stories don’t end up that way and they end up more suitable for older adults. My paranormal/romance, My Haunting Love, coming out sometime in 2012 is for YA, I made sure of that. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">K.S. What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">J.W. My friends and family and my fans on my short story page on Facebook are the ones that have inspired me the most. When I wrote Roller Coaster Love, I decided to post a chapter every few days and my fans loved the story. They fell in love with Ammie and Rob so much that I ended up writing a sequel, called Roller Coaster Love the Ride Continued. Their love and support kept me going, making me believe that I really could do this, become an author.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">K.S. What does your family think of your writing?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">J.W. My family is really proud of me. My 10 year daughter especially, she is into writing stories now. And you guessed it….romance. *laughing* She plays it out with her Barbie dolls, then writes it down. Of course her stories are much more innocent than mine. *snickers<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">K.S. What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating your book?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">J.W. The most interesting thing I found about writing a book?.....Writing a book is the easy part….writing a synopsis or blurbs…ugh!!!!!!! I get stuck for days trying to come up with a good blurb or a synopsis. This is when I’m really twisting and twirling my hair. *laughs<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">K.S. Can you tell us a little about your novel? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">J.W. Remembering Zane???? Well…it came to me while grooming a dog. *laughing* The first thought that came to my mind was a woman walking into a funeral home, smelling an eucalyptus plant. She was so distraught over losing the only man that she ever loved. This story idea came to me and when I sat down at my laptop, everything else just kind of flowed out onto the keyboards.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">K.S. Where can we find your novels?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">J.W. You can find my short stories on Amazon, Nook, Smashword. My first short story published was “Toothless”. It’s in the anthology, 13 TALES OF THE PARANORMAL, published by Firefly and Wisp Publishing. My second short story, “Jingle Bells and Puppy dog tails” is on the HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS anthology, also published by Firefly and Wisp. My third short story, “Dorothy” is in A CUPPA AND AN ARMCHAIR, published by A Cuppa and an Armchair. Portions of these sells goes to charity to help orphanages over in Third World Countries. My newly released novella, Remembering Zane can be found in all major e-book retailers. And soon…my novel The Unfaithful Widow is to be released April 15th. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">K.S. Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">J.W. You can find me on my website, www.jswilsoncroft.com My blog, jswilsoncroft.blogspot.com and Twitter @jswilsoncroft You can also find my author page on Facebook : JS Wilsoncroft and my short story page: Jamie Wilsoncroft’s Short Story Page. My publisher Firefly and Wisp also has a Facebook page for my novel, The Unfaithful Widow.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">K.S. Do you have any closing advice to aspiring writers? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">J.W. The best advice that I could give to aspiring writers…..NEVER EVER GIVE UP!!! Keep writing and coming up with fresh new ideas and BE PERSISTANT!!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>Kolina Topelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03604421057836731470noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7858827549114710346.post-48771269140635327182012-01-12T11:01:00.000-06:002012-01-12T11:01:27.152-06:00Author spotlight with "Wicked Leanore" Elliot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnM91zLq7lEe-Ae3Mt4RZfql-Ju9ujQd6nz5J2MRcwx6e1fUBW3geq_8mxMU5ZCPjkaMoM46bRWpXiwwWBodk6GMOvH7Dx7bUTk4PFs8dodWg2eQjkTXFyKQBxmMi-MtlQzAp-5oZKMB0/s1600/WM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnM91zLq7lEe-Ae3Mt4RZfql-Ju9ujQd6nz5J2MRcwx6e1fUBW3geq_8mxMU5ZCPjkaMoM46bRWpXiwwWBodk6GMOvH7Dx7bUTk4PFs8dodWg2eQjkTXFyKQBxmMi-MtlQzAp-5oZKMB0/s320/WM.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72nOFM4JuVqU9ViE0sXm5vovV5AXqIVnsos6suuoP-YtUfZZE28cI1HbWIBbJrCPqPM_FHAy-5oFTdetuZSIcTfsY1z34-6au3mdyDioglZiwFZ6G3Yupsm1z8WZYjNqkdePVDVVmZIo/s1600/BEASTS+ONE+NEW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72nOFM4JuVqU9ViE0sXm5vovV5AXqIVnsos6suuoP-YtUfZZE28cI1HbWIBbJrCPqPM_FHAy-5oFTdetuZSIcTfsY1z34-6au3mdyDioglZiwFZ6G3Yupsm1z8WZYjNqkdePVDVVmZIo/s320/BEASTS+ONE+NEW.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Wicked Leanore is offering 1 of ANY of her books, but this one will be different folks.Go on Amazon and look at all of her books, and pick which one you would like most, and post the book on here. Her books range from Mild to saucy, to down right burn your tongue off hott so you get to choose how....naughty you want your book to be! Just don't forget to search for Leanore Elliot, her pen name.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.T. Hello and welcome. I am very excited to have you here today. Why don’t we start off with a small introduction? Tell us a little about yourself. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">L.E. Oh my, you don't have that kind of time! (Chuckle) I am known as Wicked Leanore, my pen name is Leanore Elliott. (You can call me Wicked) I have been writing my whole life, but never got a chance to pursue it with Novels. I began in earnest in 2007. I now have 10 novels out and 3 more about to be published. Four publishers have signed me, and I have books under my own imprint.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.T. Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">L.E. Yes, I would like to give the spotlight to Leanore. You see, she is my Muse. I share the pen name with her, my part is Elliott. Her name is from the elusive Lenore in Edgar Allen Poe's "Quote The Raven" I feel that she spins the stories and I write them down. I am just a glorified Editor! Can you call this a Quirk? Yes, most certainly, it does sound crazy, but the stories are so amazing that I truly do not feel entirely responsible for them….So, I am a bit tetched, I suppose. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.T. When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first novel?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">L.E. The answer to this is wild as well. Believe it or not? It was a movie! Mary Poppins to be exact. At 5 years old, I saw this and my mind was opened up, it filled with colors and ideas. I started to tell stories after that.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.T. What genre do you write? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">L.E. Always paranormal. I just cannot seem to keep the story on the ground, so to speak. They start out normal, contemporary, and then they take that paranormal turn. I write them hot. I do have like 2, that are semi hot, but mostly it is Paranormal Erotica.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.T. What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">L.E. I have a quote that sums up this answer</span><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; line-height: 115%;">. </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">"Reality doesn't impress me. I only believe in intoxication, in ecstasy, and when ordinary life shackles me, I escape, one way or another. No more walls.</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">" </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">In essence, I write for the same reason that readers read!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.T. What does your family think of your writing?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">L.E. Hubby is a writer of serious non-fiction, so he may roll his eyes when I'm not looking. Although, he has been an inspiration for some scenes. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">My kids cannot read most of them, lol. Mom? Hot scenes?...Nope.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.T. What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating your book(s)?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">L.E. When I found out, I wasn't directing it. I was writing my first Beasts book with a great concept: a psychic gets visions of Serial Killers. She meets up with a rebel cop and they hunt them down. Well, about Chapter 3? It took a wild turn and I was like whoa, wait up! I wrote the entire series like a madwoman. I had three full novels in 9 weeks time!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.T. Can you tell us a little about your novel(s)? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">L.E. I have 14, but I spoke of Beasts and that is an interesting/Hot novel. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Eyes of Constance:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Constance see's grisly visions and one day, she decides to see if they are real. When she gets to the scene? She finds the victim and the killer. Someone steps in and kills the murderer, Jack a rebel cop. They team up and after three years of a partnership, she finds that he isn't who she thought he was. Her world is turned upside down. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">The ride is exhilarating, exciting and readers have said it is not like anything they have ever read.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.T. Where can we find your novels?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">L.E. Mostly at Amazon, I found that Amazon is where all my sales are.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://tinyurl.com/L-Elliott-books">http://tinyurl.com/L-Elliott-books</a></span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.T. Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">L.E. I have a Colorful, Wicked Home for Leanore, there are some sexy pic's there too!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://captivesouls.weebly.com/-leanores-home.html">http://captivesouls.weebly.com/-leanores-home.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">K.T. Do you have any closing advice to aspiring writers? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">L.E. Make sure, your manuscript is well edited by someone besides yourself, before submitting or self-publishing. You want the readers to see the story and not all the errors instead. Push yourself in marketing and DO NOT GIVE UP.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Kolina Topelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03604421057836731470noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7858827549114710346.post-79313259878148363612012-01-11T15:36:00.007-06:002012-02-03T07:22:52.150-06:00Author spotlight with Alex Lukeman (Over)<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY4ZLAVh19dYdJJJKZkeiTnudegQLqEdz20Qf75O25H6ypcJbXNBwKceXOtewLaN2Wd3Eeg7Y4GAtkXh1kUvO28-etK98uQWMTTVU77X-QQp99vwmfwbRMcEA8Pl5ng9jp1MeRJzfqYlM/s1600/alexcoca1a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY4ZLAVh19dYdJJJKZkeiTnudegQLqEdz20Qf75O25H6ypcJbXNBwKceXOtewLaN2Wd3Eeg7Y4GAtkXh1kUvO28-etK98uQWMTTVU77X-QQp99vwmfwbRMcEA8Pl5ng9jp1MeRJzfqYlM/s1600/alexcoca1a.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 18px;">Mr. Lukeman has generously offered to give away 10 ebook copies of White Jade!! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">K.T. Hello and welcome. I am very excited to have you here today. Why don’t we start off with a small introduction? Tell us a little about yourself. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">A.L I've been writing since I was a kid. I used to send stories to the sci-fi magazines, starting when I was around twelve. Lots of rejection letters! My first book was a Sword and Sorcery novel called The Bane of Kanthos, published by ACE paperbacks in 1969 under the pen name of Alex Dain. It had a fantastic Gray Morrow cover. I'm trying to track down the rights to see if I can re-release it. I'm a former Marine, I ride old, fast motorcycles and I play folk guitar. Did that for a living for ten years. I've calmed down a lot in the last few years...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">K.T. Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">A.L. Well, I have a lot of trouble with the first 5000 words or so. I get them down, then I am never satisfied, even after I've revised the whole draft many times. I revise as I go, working over the previous day's work, so the first draft is really a second or third. Takes time, about 9 or 10 months for completed book. I'm never fully satisfied, but there comes a point where you just have to stop. I read a lot and I think I learn the most from contemporary writers like Robert Crais, James Lee Burke, Nelson DeMille, Steve Berry, Diana Gabaldon--I could go on. Lee child is a favorite.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">K.T. When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first novel?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">A.L. Don't know, really. After that first book I went to Spain and thought I WAS a writer and wrote a sequel (ACE wanted one). The book is long lost, and maybe it would fly now in these darker times, but back then it didn't cut it. It was very, very dark, more of an eruption of the unconscious than a novel. Then I started writing non-fiction around 1990. I had several books traditionally published with moderate success and a few fair advances. Non-fiction does not interest me now.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">K.S. What genre do you write?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">A.L. I write thrillers, fast paced page turners featuring the Project, a covert counter-terrorism unit that reports only to the President. Strong male and female primary protagonists, sociopathic villains. My characters get in a lot of trouble.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">K.S. What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">A.L. Good books. Steinbeck, Wolfe, Hemingway, Vonnegut, Camus--the list is very long. I like books with great description, deep characterization and fascinating plots. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">K.S. What does your family think of your writing?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">A.L. My wife Gayle is incredibly supportive. She has to listen to me go though the story for months and bore her with details. She's my first reader and she has great ideas. She helps me understand the mystery of the female mind and points out places, much to my chagrin, where I have fallen into the pit of classic masculine misunderstanding.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">K.S. What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating your book?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">A.L. That I really, really enjoy writing. There is nothing like it when I'm in the flow. It's a high that can't be beat, as good as any.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">K.S. Can you tell us a little about your novel? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">A.L. White Jade is #1 in the series. It begins with a brutal murder, which leads to the introduction of the female protagonist, Selena Connor. The murdered man was her uncle and a friend of the President, killed for his money and an old book. But the book is missing. Selena comes to the Project and meets Nick Carter. She's a world class expert with ancient languages and highly skilled in martial arts. Nick is a beat up former Recon Marine with PTSD. He has prophetic dreams and hasn't gotten over his dead fiancée. The book may contain the secret of immortality, but a very bad man in China wants the book for another reason. It goes on from there, from Washington to California, from Beijing to Tibet. Naturally, a relationship develops over time between Nick and Selena and she finds herself in a dangerous world very different from the academic world she's used to. The relationship changes both of them.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">The Lance is #2 in the series. It continues their story and involves a Nazi conspiracy started during WWII which is now coming to fruition. World War III lurks in the background.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">K.S. Where can we find your novels?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">A.L. On Amazon, B&N, Smashwords and Apple. Here's the link for White Jade on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/White-Jade-ebook/dp/B005EOQMIG/<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">You can go to my Author Central page on Amazon and find everything there. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">K.S. Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">A.L. Thanks for asking, Kolina. The website is http://www.alexlukeman.org<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">The Blog is http://www.alexlukeman.blogspot.com <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">The fan site is http://www.facebook.com/alexlukeman<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">K.S. Do you have any closing advice to aspiring writers? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">A.L. Hey, advice is a lot easier than writing. Mostly it's write every day, or at least five days a week. Start with a scene, any scene. Don't worry about getting it perfect, because you won't. That comes later. Revise many, many times. If you are not competent as an editor, find an editor, because you need one. Mostly, follow the Dalai Lama's advice: "Never give up. No matter what, never give up."</span><span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Kolina Topelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03604421057836731470noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7858827549114710346.post-27325494076932426192012-01-10T18:48:00.000-06:002012-01-10T18:48:03.821-06:00Royal Blood. Back in the action!I have gone back through Royal Blood now and touched it up a bit. It has officially been republished on Amazon, Createspace and Smashwords. It may take a day or two before it is visible, but it will be there soon! Hope you enjoy the...additions....<br />
KolinaKolina Topelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03604421057836731470noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7858827549114710346.post-24799499188577442162012-01-10T10:13:00.007-06:002012-01-17T07:16:51.856-06:00Author spotlight with Kathleen Valentine (Over)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl1J23TtxsSvqNAgwhPL3hDymyIhyNu2Ckn4dnbnKuU1KbUuBQhyphenhyphenThG0ERy_UX65enRA3U61N1EHL7T-fdKkRgz6FIvL1UTYE3FctiuRUxVLo4M9g5Kws3a7m68qaC1ko0juvJn8IM9Ck/s1600/Kathleen2008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl1J23TtxsSvqNAgwhPL3hDymyIhyNu2Ckn4dnbnKuU1KbUuBQhyphenhyphenThG0ERy_UX65enRA3U61N1EHL7T-fdKkRgz6FIvL1UTYE3FctiuRUxVLo4M9g5Kws3a7m68qaC1ko0juvJn8IM9Ck/s320/Kathleen2008.jpg" width="256" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXaC_xoixg7n2s73UZQ65ZZl3i1nL0tfiUjCDZUGSS_geNch5D3HRxQGbJueM1z9tdrbsAJrW8zrRPd1cFT0r-fQvgzcW-tnQs1jokO5b9QzpdpArxS-PQafoCpvmoYGbPjL4auZtc4WE/s1600/OMT-Front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXaC_xoixg7n2s73UZQ65ZZl3i1nL0tfiUjCDZUGSS_geNch5D3HRxQGbJueM1z9tdrbsAJrW8zrRPd1cFT0r-fQvgzcW-tnQs1jokO5b9QzpdpArxS-PQafoCpvmoYGbPjL4auZtc4WE/s320/OMT-Front.jpg" width="206" /></span></a></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">K.T. Hello and welcome. I am very excited to have you here today. Why don’t we start off with a small introduction? Tell us a little about yourself.</span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">K.V. Hi, I'm happy to be here. Well, I guess I should start at the beginning. I grew up in a family full of story-tellers. As far back as I can remember every time people in our family got together we'd start telling stories so it is natural that I became a story teller. I grew up in a Pennsylvania Dutch community and graduated from Penn State. I was trained as a graphic artist and for most of my life. I supported myself that way but about 10 years ago I started writing seriously. I've published three novels, several novelettes, lots of short stories, a cookbook/memoir about growing up pennsylvania Dutch -- and several books on knitting! </span></span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">K.T. Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?</span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">K.V. I guess this is sort of quirky -- I don't really believe that I alone am responsible for a lot what I write.I have this theory that there is a parallel universe in which characters live and they are always on the lookout for someone to tell their story for them. I have often had the experience of writing for hours and then reading back over it and thinking "goodness, where did that come from?"</span></span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">K.T. When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first novel?</span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">K.V. I've always loved telling stories. My first novel <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Old-Mermaids-Tale-Kathleen-Valentine/dp/0978594061/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_7" rel="nofollow" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" target="_blank"><em style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1326210856_0" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">The Old Mermaid's Tale</span></em> </a>grew out of an experience I had in college. I went to college in Erie, Pennsylvania in the 1960s and, at that time, the neighborhoods around the docks there were pretty rough. There was bar there called The Mermaid Tavern that just fascinated me and I longed to go inside of it. My book grew out of those fantasies.</span></span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">K.T. What genre do you write?</span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">K.V. I write contemporary fiction with an element of romantic suspense. I've also written quite a few crime stories, a very popular psychological thriller, <em style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Old-Lady-Attic-ebook/dp/B005AJC0JA/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1" rel="nofollow" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1326210856_1" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">The Crazy Old Lady in the Attic</span></a></em>, and one ghost story, <em style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ghosts-Beach-Town-Winter-ebook/dp/B005U31RPY/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_3" rel="nofollow" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1326210856_2" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">Ghosts of a Bech Town in Winter</span></a></em></span></span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">K.T. What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career?</span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">K.V. Other writers -- I've been an avid reader all my life. I fell in love with Hemingway when I was in high school as well as Daphne DuMaurier -- a lot of people tell me my writing reminds them of her work.</span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">K.T. What does your family think of your writing?</span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">K.V. In the beginning I don't think they thought much about it but since my books have really taken off and been selling as well as they have they seem to be more interested. One of my sisters, Anne, has been a great supporter. She reads all my books and stories.</span></span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">K.T. What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating your book?</span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">K.V. That's easy -- that I could fall hopelessly in love with characters that I created. It never ceases to amaze me that I can begin writing somthing and, by the time I am well into the story, I'm as involved with my characters as with anyone I ever met in my life! It astonishes me how real my characters become to me and, from what a lot of readers tell me, they become real to them as well.</span></span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">K.T. Can you tell us a little about your novel? </span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">K.V. I actually have 2 novels out and a third one I hope to have ready within a few months but the novel I'll tell you about today is <em style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Old-Mermaids-Tale-Kathleen-Valentine/dp/0978594061/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_7" rel="nofollow" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1326210856_3" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">The Old Mermaid's Tale</span></a></em>. It is set in the early 1960s and is the story of Clair Wagner, a young woman who grew up on a farm in Ohio but who longs for a great adventure. She goes off to college in a town on the shores of Lake Erie where she becomes mesmerized by the waterfront and most especially by a mysterious tavern called The Old Mermaid Inn. As the story progresses Clair meets and becomes involved with three men. First, Pio, a handsome Italian fisherman who wants a life of adventure on the Great Lakes, then Gary, the son of a wealthy shipping tycoon, and finally, Baptiste, a Breton mariner who was injured in a shipwreck and who now makes his living as a musician. It is a coming-of-age story but it is steeped in maritime lore, legends, folklore, and, of course, the desire so many of us feel to be part of something larger than ourselves.</span></span></span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">K.T. Where can we find your novels?</span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">K.V. Both of my novels are available in paperback and digital from all the major online booksellers -- Amazon, B&N, etc.</span></span></span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">K.T. Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?</span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">K.V. I sure do. My web site is <a href="http://kathleenvalentine.com/" rel="nofollow" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" target="_blank">KathleenValentine.com </a>and my blog is <a href="http://parlezmoiblog.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" target="_blank">ParlezMoiBlog.blogspot.com</a>.</span></span></span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">K.T. Do you have any closing advice to aspiring writers? </span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 18px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">K.V. Believe in yourself and never give up. Also, perfect your craft -- learn to write, don't just slap down words. Then edit, edit, edit, and edit again.</span></span></span></span></div><div class="yiv818607330MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div>Kolina Topelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03604421057836731470noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7858827549114710346.post-74761273761518233782012-01-10T10:09:00.025-06:002012-02-03T07:23:05.156-06:00Author spotlight with John Hennessy (Over)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJuGWtW88yzH7VSQRBB-ziE4KhoQLGvQIzVRJYOcDTSALnQXYRbCOi9RANdeNCnx67yRpwkxLNPv1srF02D0gAN4YZUUwzB57lM8D9IB-grhx-3WtEqCzFMUpN9dOeGiCoVeGEKfagPnM/s1600/BackPhoto2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJuGWtW88yzH7VSQRBB-ziE4KhoQLGvQIzVRJYOcDTSALnQXYRbCOi9RANdeNCnx67yRpwkxLNPv1srF02D0gAN4YZUUwzB57lM8D9IB-grhx-3WtEqCzFMUpN9dOeGiCoVeGEKfagPnM/s320/BackPhoto2.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large; line-height: 16px;">Mr. Hennessy is kindly giving away up to 25 ebook </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;">K.T. Hello and welcome. I am very excited to have you here today. Why </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;">don’t we start off with a small introduction? Tell us a little about </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;">yourself.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><span style="line-height: 16px;">J.H. Hello, Kolina. Thank you for having me. I would love to introduce </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">myself. I am a 23-year-old who graduated from Western Washington this last </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">June. I live with my girlfriend, Katherine; our two parakeets, Captain Ron </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">and Lola; and our kitty, Phoebe. I have been writing Life Descending for </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">the last six years and finally decided to self-publish it during the </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">summer, found an editor and cover artist, and finally completed everything </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">in October.</span><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><span style="line-height: 16px;">K.T. Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">with my readers?</span><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><span style="line-height: 16px;">J.H. I don’t know if this is a quirk, but every morning I like to get up </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">early and drink Yerba Maté tea through a strainer straw as I write. I’ve </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">been drinking it for six or seven years now, somehow I just got into a </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">routine of doing it. Other than that, I just write, then write some more.</span><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><span style="line-height: 16px;">K.T. When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">desire to pen your first novel?</span><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><span style="line-height: 16px;">J.H. I realized I wanted to be a writer when I was on a cruise to Alaska. </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">I was a sophomore in high school and was not having a particularly great </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">time because almost everyone there was a couple...and I was single..</span><span style="line-height: 16px;">.need I say more? Although I did have some fun with my parents, I also </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">read a lot when they were out. I bought a book in Juno from a cool local </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">bookstore. At the time I was really into the games Starcraft and Warcraft, </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">and I thought I would give Diablo a shot from a literary standpoint, so I </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">bought Diablo: Legacy of Blood. That book really got me thinking about my </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">own story, especially the cursed armor, which I loved. From there, it just </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">took off, to the point where I used what I had written as my Senior </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">Exiting Project.</span><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><span style="line-height: 16px;">K.S. What genre do you write?</span><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><span style="line-height: 16px;">J.H. I like to write Science Fiction and Fantasy mostly, but also some </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">thriller. Life Descending is labeled as an Epic Fantasy, but it is a </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">mixture of fantasy and sci-fi, something I had a lot of fun with.</span><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><span style="line-height: 16px;">K.S. What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career?</span><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><span style="line-height: 16px;">J.H. My courses at Western and the books that I read and lectures that I </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">attended were quite a bit of my inspiration. I added in little details to </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">my world from other world cultures and religions outside of the U.S. that </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">I learned about as a Culture and Religion major in the Liberal Studies d</span><span style="line-height: 16px;">epartment. Of course, other fantasy authors have also been inspirational, </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">learning from their work while falling in love with their characters. But </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">Don Quixote is probably my all time favorite...it is hard to say for </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">sure that it is, because there are so many books that I love, but it is so </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">fantastic that I fell in love with it from the first chapter.</span><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><span style="line-height: 16px;">K.S. What does your family think of your writing?</span><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><span style="line-height: 16px;">J.H. My parents love my book. Both read the manuscript and both have read </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">the printed edition as well. The rest of my family is proud that I </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">accomplished such a feat at a young age.</span><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><span style="line-height: 16px;">K.S. What was one of the most surprising things you learned while </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">creating your book?</span><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><span style="line-height: 16px;">J.H. That formatting is awful and that revision and editing is probably </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">the majority of the work, not just sitting down and writing out the story. </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">For me, it was a lot of planning, layering, and reworking. The editing was </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">the worst part, and it started to eat away at me after a time, so </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">eventually I hired the wonderful Sara Stamey, a senior instructor at </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">Western/freelance editor/author to edit my manuscript. She really made the </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">work and words come together in a professional way that I am proud of.</span><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><span style="line-height: 16px;">K.S. Can you tell us a little about your novel?</span><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><span style="line-height: 16px;">J.H. My novel is about a man, Tom Navo, who has just assaulted his boss </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">after being fired, and is on the verge of suicide at the start of the </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">first chapter. He slips and falls from the skyscraper he is planning to </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">jump from, but luckily some balconies he forgot were there save him. But </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">he is meant to die that day; it is inevitable for him. Sadly, death finds </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">him in a minimart robbing gone wrong. After that, Tom wakes up on a new </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">world and eventually loses his memories as they are replaced with new </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">ones. Unfortunately for Tom, the planet he resurrects on is in a state of </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">unrest and on the brink of war, which he gets caught up in as he tries to</span><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><span style="line-height: 16px;">discover what has happened to him.</span><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><span style="line-height: 16px;">It is a sad, yet fun adventure, full of different creatures and beings, </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">and characters I hope readers will care about and become attached to, as </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">they invest their time in my novel.</span><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><span style="line-height: 16px;">K.S. Where can we find your novels?</span><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><span style="line-height: 16px;">J.H. If you live in Bellingham, WA, you can find my books at Village Books </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">in Fairhaven, but for the majority, you can find my books on Amazon.com, </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">B&N.com, all eBook formats on Smashwords. You can find a list on my </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">website, along with reviews in their entirety.</span><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><span style="line-height: 16px;">K.S. Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?</span><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><span style="line-height: 16px;">J.H. I do have a website: </span><a href="http://www.johnhennessy.net/" style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" target="_blank">http://www.johnhennessy.net</a><span style="line-height: 16px;">. My blog is built </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">into the website, just click on the news tab. If you visit my website, </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">please visit my map tab, I spent over a month learning how to use Gimp </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">when building it, and I am pretty proud of how it turned out. If you enjoy </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">epic fantasy and the maps that are usually apart of those worlds, I think </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">you will enjoy my map of Gillia.</span><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><span style="line-height: 16px;">K.S. Do you have any closing advice to aspiring writers?</span><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><br style="line-height: 16px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><span style="line-height: 16px;">J.H. Well, to be honest, I am still an aspiring writer. But for those who </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">are serious about self-publishing, please, oh please find an editor. There </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">are only a handful that can really do it on their own and do a </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">professional job, and I bet they still would hire an editor. It really </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">makes a difference if you want to ease the burden on your mind, the weight </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">of all the hundreds of thousands of words than can so easily get mixed up </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">when you have read your own work hundreds of thousands of times.</span></span><span style="font-family: monospace;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></span>Kolina Topelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03604421057836731470noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7858827549114710346.post-80105081855989782712012-01-10T09:52:00.006-06:002012-01-17T07:18:21.324-06:00Author spotlight with George Potter (Over)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY2KESZcB4F42ky-4RrW-dwhYqRLASzOL1FM2lSx0WYByWraiCMt1azi7H3JXQrocfoUPnaxRWZTAb2vMj5c3Kf8RDXZXw5h926i4VeH8svGzorjLAq7l2xSOlzMZKAKVmIaSdF5xjov8/s1600/glp+06062011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY2KESZcB4F42ky-4RrW-dwhYqRLASzOL1FM2lSx0WYByWraiCMt1azi7H3JXQrocfoUPnaxRWZTAb2vMj5c3Kf8RDXZXw5h926i4VeH8svGzorjLAq7l2xSOlzMZKAKVmIaSdF5xjov8/s320/glp+06062011.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAXbRmETuQZJnk9T9iIjRbgtZ-i9-XRcp63FT-Z96tiI-ufX-uzB_odwKAEzgZ-mWxeOcGGUiTherFTJAA_tRnR9rURRW4nqZh6gqf5EBeMMCREmLAY4CgIdUYmk5nkSi5crCNwuk0kZQ/s1600/Yellow+Dog+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAXbRmETuQZJnk9T9iIjRbgtZ-i9-XRcp63FT-Z96tiI-ufX-uzB_odwKAEzgZ-mWxeOcGGUiTherFTJAA_tRnR9rURRW4nqZh6gqf5EBeMMCREmLAY4CgIdUYmk5nkSi5crCNwuk0kZQ/s320/Yellow+Dog+Cover.jpg" width="214" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoXCgQsHqbEHiwhb6iqlKPzhZR5tUmleFabW4B4MV9NWbkHGLACMIPmXGdsFIawtOnEovFvuVjwexku5fJ89aOHATzoTWdmd5bbKWDWYouW5Nt7BReiYs3O8er8WRwt8mFDxzLJLhXKCo/s1600/Cover+09122011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #666666; color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoXCgQsHqbEHiwhb6iqlKPzhZR5tUmleFabW4B4MV9NWbkHGLACMIPmXGdsFIawtOnEovFvuVjwexku5fJ89aOHATzoTWdmd5bbKWDWYouW5Nt7BReiYs3O8er8WRwt8mFDxzLJLhXKCo/s320/Cover+09122011.jpg" width="202" /></span></a></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 28px;"><i><br />
</i></span></span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><i style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><br />
</span></span></span></i></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><i style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">K.T. Hello and welcome. I am very excited to have you here today. Why don’t we start off with a small introduction? Tell us a little about yourself.</span><span class="yiv766368598apple-converted-space" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"> </span></span></span></span></i></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="yiv766368598apple-converted-space" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">First, let me say thanks for this interview. I appreciate the opportunity to discuss my books with your followers. I am a retired oil company executive. My wife and I lived in a number of different places during my career, the most exotic of which was living in Yemen for several years. That is the setting for <i style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">Death in the Empty Quarter</i>. I was born and raised in a small town in Louisiana (the setting for <i style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">In Search of the Yellow Dog</i>). I have degrees in Chemical Engineering and Law from Louisiana State University.<span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"> </span>My wife of 48 years and I now live in Asheville, North Carolina.</span></span></span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><i style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">K.T. Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?</span></span></i></span></span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">I guess my most interesting quirk is that I talk to my characters while writing their story. Not always out loud, but sometimes I can’t go to sleep thinking about what my character is saying and doing. I’ve more than once gotten up in the middle of the night, warmed up the computer and put the thoughts I’ve developed through my conversations onto the screen.</span></span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><i style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">K.T. When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first novel?</span></span></i></span></span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">I’ve wanted to be a writer as long as I can remember. In high school a friend and I penned a few science fiction stories and submitted to a couple of the periodicals – none were ever accepted. I started seriously writing about 30 years ago, but the pressures of my career and raising a family kept me away from that goal. After I retired I dusted off some of my earlier notes – really no more than a couple of uncompleted chapters – updated everything and got serious about writing. Once I started writing almost full time, about 18 months ago, things just fell into place.</span></span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><i style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">K.S. What genre do you write?</span></span></i></span></span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><i style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">In Search of the Yellow Dog</span></span></i><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"> is primarily a mystery, but it has elements of thriller, action/adventure and even some romance. <i style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">Death in the Empty Quarter</i> is basically an action/adventure again with a touch of romance.</span></span></span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><i style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">K.S. What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career?</span></span></i></span></span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">I had some really great English teachers in high school and college. I took a extra English courses as electives in college and attended a couple of writing seminars while practicing law. I’ve always read a lot and that sparks a desire to write. A few authors I particularly find inspirational include Raymond Chandler, Ross MacDonald, James Lee Burke and Robert Barnard.</span></span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><i style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">K.S. What does your family think of your writing?</span></span></i></span></span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">They’ve all been very supportive. My wife relaxes the ‘honey do’ requirements around the house when I’m ‘in the zone’. My oldest granddaughter has helped me with my Facebook pages and is going to help me set up a webpage. She’s also featured me on her blog. My daughter is a talk radio host on a local radio station and has interviewed me on the air (a recording of that interview can be found here: </span></span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ib-5afgeOXY" rel="nofollow" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1326209776_0" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ib-5afgeOXY</span></span></span></a><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"> )</span><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"></span></span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><i style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">K.S. What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating your book?</span></span></i></span></span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">I can’t say that I’ve really been surprised by anything, but it has been a great learning experience in so many ways.</span></span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><i style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">K.S. Can you tell us a little about your novel?</span><span class="yiv766368598apple-converted-space" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"> </span></span></span></span></i></span></span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span class="yiv766368598apple-converted-space" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><i style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">In Search of the Yellow Dog</span></span></i></span><span class="yiv766368598apple-converted-space" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">: Randall Oliver is a semi-retired lawyer who tired of the big city practice and moved back to his boyhood home, a small town in Louisiana. He had been married but is now divorced. Back home he meets his soul-mate, but they had not been going together very long when there are multiple attempts against her life. He has to protect her and find out what secrets in her past has led to these attempts.</span></span></span></span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span class="yiv766368598apple-converted-space" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><i style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">Death in the Empty Quarter</span></span></i></span><span class="yiv766368598apple-converted-space" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">: Bert Franks is an oil company’s ‘man on the ground’ in Yemen. Things were going smoothly, but suddenly spiraled out of control. His brother in law dies a violent death – suicide perhaps? His girl friend goes missing in Yemen and he is expelled from the country. There is conflict with al-Qaeda, the Russian mafia and even the remnants of the old German Baader-Meinhoff Gang.</span></span></span></span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><i style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">K.S. Where can we find your novels?</span></span></i></span></span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">Both are available on Amazon.com in Kindle and as paperbacks. Electronic versions can be purchased and downloaded through Smashwords.com and both are available at a bookstore in Asheville, NC – Malaprops Bookstore and Café: </span></span><a href="http://www.malaprops.com/" rel="nofollow" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">http://www.malaprops.com/</span></span></a><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"> </span><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">I’d like to mention that Malaprops has a great program featuring local authors.</span><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"></span></span></span></span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><i style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">K.S. Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?</span></span></i></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">Yes, I have a fan site for each of the books on Facebook:</span></span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/DeathInTheEmptyQuarter" rel="nofollow" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">http://www.facebook.com/DeathInTheEmptyQuarter</span></span></a></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/In-Search-of-the-Yellow-Dog/184997454887720" rel="nofollow" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">http://www.facebook.com/pages/In-Search-of-the-Yellow-Dog/184997454887720</span></span></a><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"></span></span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><i style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">K.S. Do you have any closing advice to aspiring writers?</span></span></i></span></span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div align="left" class="yiv766368598MsoNormal" style="line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">Yes, to quote a tennis shoe company: ‘Just do it’. I mean sit down and start writing – put your thoughts down and suddenly you’ve got something to be proud of.</span></span></div>Kolina Topelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03604421057836731470noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7858827549114710346.post-1048788722312090912012-01-10T07:15:00.001-06:002012-01-10T07:15:45.068-06:00For authors wishing to interviewIf you are an author who is interested in doing an interview/book giveaway I have a Facebook account that you can send me a message on. I prefer not to post my email on this page because of spammers... boo. I will give you details from there on the interview process. (It's very simple, don't worry). That address is <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kolinat">https://www.facebook.com/kolinat</a>. Hope to have you on very soon!<br />
KolinaKolina Topelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03604421057836731470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7858827549114710346.post-38960061919212535832012-01-09T09:02:00.000-06:002012-01-09T09:02:33.636-06:00Royal Blood. Say what????I am currently taking a short break from Andrew's book to revamp Royal Blood. There seem to be a lot of questions and misconceptions that I, as a writer, did not clear up well enough. This book was meant to have a sequel that I did not get to yet, and a lot of people were...unhappy with the way things turned out. Well, I say this; don't fret yet. Things aren't always as they seem. I will be addressing these issues, and more once the book has been republished. Hopefully, now that I have a bit more experience, and patience, I will be able to shed more light on Royal Blood so that it is a more well rounded and...happier place for everyone. ;) I will let you all know when the process has been finished, hopefully just a few days.<br />
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KolinaKolina Topelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03604421057836731470noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7858827549114710346.post-31385659364347399242012-01-08T18:20:00.000-06:002012-01-08T18:20:26.915-06:00Watch out!!! I'm back! Well, I have finally made it back to the blog. Life has been crazy, as it has for everyone, and I have been distracted. Bad writer, I know...hand smacked. Well, I'm back now, and am working furiously on the next book (Andrew's book) which you can preview the first chapter of on my Facebook. I will be trying to get some authors interviewed again here soon so that we can keep things going on here and hopefully help you all, as well as myself, find some awesome new books and authors to love! Check back in regularly, and see if you can score a free book or two!<br />
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KolinaKolina Topelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03604421057836731470noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7858827549114710346.post-18752014392015039662010-06-23T14:35:00.001-05:002012-01-10T12:09:19.551-06:00Author spotlight with Shells Walter (Over)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaq6qGPs3Qy0bEcoxxti8l3EteT54qtO-Q0qreA_wwaA8dhdi7gvU0ioaNq2z65-Sxw7jPd9kAqrW9ukkULy6x3BrqTpQuDxzhSTcOfa6XQzNe2g5SyD_-tL3u8i-GQQd8dVA9kX_0M90/s1600/Shells_lawyer2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaq6qGPs3Qy0bEcoxxti8l3EteT54qtO-Q0qreA_wwaA8dhdi7gvU0ioaNq2z65-Sxw7jPd9kAqrW9ukkULy6x3BrqTpQuDxzhSTcOfa6XQzNe2g5SyD_-tL3u8i-GQQd8dVA9kX_0M90/s320/Shells_lawyer2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">K.T. Hello and welcome. I am very excited to have you here today. Why don’t we start off with a small introduction? Tell us a little about yourself. </span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">S.W. I'm originally from the mid-west US but moved down to the south-east. I'm a writer at heart and feel will always be. I love anything horror, movies, reading, gaming, anime and of course spending time with my husband, two girls, and four cats.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">When I'm not writing, I'm busy home schooling my two girls, being an animal activist and getting absorbed into my movie collection</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">K.T. </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">S.W. When I had first submitted my first manuscript out I got a rejection letter. Well, you get those every so often. However, with this one I got a flyer with it advertising one of their books on how to write novels.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">K.T. When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first novel?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">S.W. When I was 11 years old I just started writing horror poetry as a way to deal with things going on with my life. From there went on to short stories, screenplays ect. My first time wanting to write something close to a novel, a novella, came when I was in Nanowrite and wanted to see if I could write a 50,000 word manuscript. I did, but it was cut way down to novella size. That experience taught me a lot and I still do nanowrite every Nov.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">K.S. What genre do you write?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">S.W. I write a lot of horror, but write all over, mystery, thriller, suspense, science fiction. I also dabble into screenplays and stage plays as well as other formats in the writing area that fit nicely with those genres listed above.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">K.S. What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">S.W. Situations I deal with, strong emotional ones of either good or bad. These situations somehow get into my writing. Sarcasm is a big thing that sometimes dips into my writing.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">K.S. What does your family think of your writing?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">S.W. My husband is very supportive and my two daughters, well, one of them has become a little horror freak already. I feel my family is very important, without their support I could not do what I do.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">K.S. What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating your book?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">S.W. I think for me it was dealing with zombies in a different way than the norm. They had to fit into society as humans would.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">K.S. Can you tell us a little about your novel?</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">S.W. Dead Practices is about a lawyer named Jerrod. But not just any lawyer, he's a zombie, but not just any zombie, 'a zombie citizen'. There was a solution set forth where zombies could be fit into society without any munching and crunching going on. What happens is someone wants to put the zombies back to the way they were, that someone happens to be one of Jerrod's clients. So he and his buddy named Rusty who is a cop and also a zombie, go on an adventure to stop this madman. On the way there is humor, gore, zombies and a lot of super-glue. <o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">It is expected to be released in ebook and print on sonar4publications.com and other online retail stores.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">K.S. Where can we find your novels?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">S.W. My books can be found at sonar4publications.com , Amazon, Barnes and Nobles online and other online stores, plus Local Heroes comic store in Hampton Roads, VA.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">K.S. Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">S.W. Yes, my personal writing site is www.shellswalter.com I'm on face book, MySpace, and a few other online groups.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">K.S. Do you have any closing advice to aspiring writers?</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">S.W. To keep writing for yourself, to of course improve your writing, but to never forget the passion or the reasons you started to write. At times we forget this and when that happens we end up giving up part of ourselves that we can't get back.</span></i></span><i><o:p></o:p></i></div>Kolina Topelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03604421057836731470noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7858827549114710346.post-27717068947534725002010-06-16T13:11:00.001-05:002012-01-10T12:09:33.132-06:00Author Spotlight with Maria Hooley (Over)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKtWF6LzuHWCK7ERA5iN1AYJe5sf35y6dui0aY5gv1J-xzn_bXZRUSnc8sk5tOHR-P-Gzh7kIoCCFobrODl6CtnletAvuy8YYCujuRnybIHw-wSO6JnkoFGrclPW8SlElgGrqQR9iFUjE/s1600/Maria+Hooley+Pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKtWF6LzuHWCK7ERA5iN1AYJe5sf35y6dui0aY5gv1J-xzn_bXZRUSnc8sk5tOHR-P-Gzh7kIoCCFobrODl6CtnletAvuy8YYCujuRnybIHw-wSO6JnkoFGrclPW8SlElgGrqQR9iFUjE/s320/Maria+Hooley+Pic.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi108md3Ycx0itjqORElzDdie33sUJpRMNy8d3OefW10q1ohZzFJ0JdcbCS4z6XsjY78Z3EWSmN-53ItEFRtyAbzybAanaIHwUuPZhqVTJ9xsJha0x6_a-QGg4QYVDsUHNeSuGJHbWTBW0/s1600/Sojourner+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi108md3Ycx0itjqORElzDdie33sUJpRMNy8d3OefW10q1ohZzFJ0JdcbCS4z6XsjY78Z3EWSmN-53ItEFRtyAbzybAanaIHwUuPZhqVTJ9xsJha0x6_a-QGg4QYVDsUHNeSuGJHbWTBW0/s320/Sojourner+cover.jpg" width="209" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDqHrur8Hjz66FiChWOhzxES5lO2eVgE2nj3Fd4lMDMLfDERTJLzgCWE4_xzd08xop8ocibc4KdmVZZYdm-vw6q4jEfx4C020vMZh_XClFX_fe2_ZF0MG2OtwS2S8jI2HLNpxOHZ0_Fg/s1600/dw+kindle+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDqHrur8Hjz66FiChWOhzxES5lO2eVgE2nj3Fd4lMDMLfDERTJLzgCWE4_xzd08xop8ocibc4KdmVZZYdm-vw6q4jEfx4C020vMZh_XClFX_fe2_ZF0MG2OtwS2S8jI2HLNpxOHZ0_Fg/s320/dw+kindle+cover.jpg" width="204" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Here is my review on Maria's book </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Dreamwalker </span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">directly from Amazon </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Dreamwalker is a story that intrigues you from the start and holds you to it's pages from beginning to end. You are thrown immediately into the life of Misha who has dreams, or nightmares depending on how you look at it, about two brothers; one of which loves her, and one who wants her dead. She must struggle between real life and her dream world and decide weather or not to risk her life for the man she loves.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Mrs. Hooley does a wonderful job of making this story suspenseful and telling it from a teenage girls point of view. I highly look forward to seeing if there will be a second book and will absolutely be looking forward to Mrs. Hooley's next book! I absolutely recommend this to any lovers of fantasy and romance.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Mrs. Hooley has kindly offered five ebook copies of her series Sojourner! (That's all 4 books in the series!!!) Leave a comment with your email on the page and the winners will be picked by next Wednesday!</span></i></b></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">K.T. Hello and welcome. I am very excited to have you here today. Why don’t we start off with a small introduction? Tell us a little about yourself. </span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">M.H. I’ve been writing for numerous years, and right now I’m working on my twenty-eighth novel. I live in Oklahoma with my husband and three kids, and when I’m not writing, I’m usually teaching high school students.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">K.T. </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">M.H. Well, my husband tells me that when I’m writing, a freight train could roll through the room and I’d never notice.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">K.T. When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first novel?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">M.H. I’ve always had a fascination with words and books so I knew pretty early on. One of the earliest books I read and absolutely loved was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">No Flying in the House by Betty Brock.</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">K.S. What genre do you write?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">M.H. That’s a tough one because I don’t focus on genre. It’s the concept and story of the book that I’m interested in, and even if it’s not a genre I typically write, if I feel strongly enough about the concept, I will dive in. The genres I’ve previously written in are mainstream, science fiction, horror, supernatural thriller, fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal romance, romance, women’s fiction, young adult, poetry, and screenplays.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">K.S. What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career? Or, who is your favorite author and why?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">M.H. Usually either films or books inspire me. I’d say Nicholas Sparks is probably my favorite author because he is able to evoke strong emotional reactions in his readers, and that’s what I want. My favorite novel, however, is by Peter S. Beagle. It’s The Last Unicorn. I absolutely adore that book.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">K.S. What does your family think of your writing?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">M.H. My husband is my editor, and he’s also a writer so he’s very supportive. My oldest daughter thinks I’m obsessed, and my son thinks it’s a stage I’ll eventually outgrow. It’s pretty entertaining.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">K.S. What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating your book?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">M.H. When I wrote my first book, I didn’t know if I could sustain a story over that many pages, but I guess I learned how stubborn I can really be. I don’t like to leave things unfinished.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">K.S. Can you tell us a little about your novel?</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">M.H. I have several novels, so I’ll give you a little information about Sojourner series. It’s four books and the first novel, Sojourner, focuses on seventeen-year-old Elizabeth Moon who constantly dreams of her death. In those dreams she sees a beautiful teenage guy who watched her die every time. She thinks it’s just a nightmare until she moves to a small town and meets that boy, Lev Walker. At that point Elizabeth has to figure out who he is and what he wants with her.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">K.S. Where can we find your novels?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">M.H. You can find them at Amazon.com or on my website, www.mariarrachelhooley.com<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">K.S. Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">M.H. I do have Facebook fan page at </span></span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Maria-Rachel-Hooley/118197414874806"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Maria-Rachel-Hooley/118197414874806</span></a><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">You can find my blog at </span></span><a href="http://mhooley18.wordpress.com/"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">http://mhooley18.wordpress.com/</span></a><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">You can also follow me, sojourner18, on Twitter.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">K.S. Do you have any closing advice to aspiring writers?</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">M.H. Writing is really about work and perseverance. All the talent in the world won’t necessary get you where you want to go. The longer you keep writing, the better you get. Always keep an open mind about advice and keep your wits when dealing with critics. If you really listen, you’ll find a way to use even the worst review to your advantage.</span></span></div>Kolina Topelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03604421057836731470noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7858827549114710346.post-80299181715518112002010-06-13T20:15:00.001-05:002012-01-10T12:09:45.427-06:00Author spotlight with Katie Salidas (Over)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFfsBm5h2XCg5n9si2lKNzPenvzlyqwSi4lTXsVCKW7zRMaET_wzrseFAgFEDc65lphxEF6ttLl3Bkx1inUR8c8myNEijLSftBZgVZj3mUW2s_i19GQfziOfJ7T8vtXX4vHIwIve6a2Lc/s1600/Katie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFfsBm5h2XCg5n9si2lKNzPenvzlyqwSi4lTXsVCKW7zRMaET_wzrseFAgFEDc65lphxEF6ttLl3Bkx1inUR8c8myNEijLSftBZgVZj3mUW2s_i19GQfziOfJ7T8vtXX4vHIwIve6a2Lc/s320/Katie.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKMtg_ewVIhhcHIffebHpBla6qBrQeXV1VnBTS2txOrmfYBq5rWONNZJa0PpDtO1FwFubf-N5U24qyHaalhOuj6efcdZzPuiikXVB3j4nDcQDVCF3VJigWfGi7VHF5E1lViyTpGlF-GMc/s1600/Immortalis+Carpe+Noctem+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKMtg_ewVIhhcHIffebHpBla6qBrQeXV1VnBTS2txOrmfYBq5rWONNZJa0PpDtO1FwFubf-N5U24qyHaalhOuj6efcdZzPuiikXVB3j4nDcQDVCF3VJigWfGi7VHF5E1lViyTpGlF-GMc/s320/Immortalis+Carpe+Noctem+cover.jpg" width="207" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8XrWQU4A_s6JdxADTV0vWnvWd9sLjPIStm5aiwW6a2IXFWNOI7bbgTBLcugw1-2XHLHJ93extUemKpzTYmpJSmwUBI3EXuv9rqyUHs8aGKhyphenhyphen4iv83rO7tEsQXkubGtimT3k5fFpNahZk/s1600/Immortal+Pleasures+Hi-Res+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8XrWQU4A_s6JdxADTV0vWnvWd9sLjPIStm5aiwW6a2IXFWNOI7bbgTBLcugw1-2XHLHJ93extUemKpzTYmpJSmwUBI3EXuv9rqyUHs8aGKhyphenhyphen4iv83rO7tEsQXkubGtimT3k5fFpNahZk/s320/Immortal+Pleasures+Hi-Res+copy.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Here are my reviews direct from Amazon on both of Katie's books</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Immortalis Carpe Noctem</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Alyssa is a human going about her life in her normal routine. Work, friend, her favorite coffee-house routine, and what can be called a simple and happy life. That is until walking home one night alone she runs face to face with everyones worst nightmare. Rapists wandering the streets looking for their next prey. On the cusp of death, Lysander, a loner vampire comes to her rescue and saves her from immediate death. As she struggles with letting go of her old life she meets other new vampires, learns to overcome the most horrid part of vampirism (taking life), and learns that despite the positives of her new life, that not every vamp you meet has the best motives.<br />
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I very thoroughly enjoyed this book by Katie Salidas. When I find a book I really really love, I can't put it down, and when I have to, I think about it between sittings. This book was no exception. I was anxious to know how the story ended and felt a bond with Alyssa in her struggles and think that if I was turned, I would have the same emotions. The descriptions of Vegas were also wonderful. The worlds leaped off of the page.<br />
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I would absolutely recommend this book to all avid vampire lovers and highly look forward to the next installment by Mrs. Salidas.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>House of Immortal Pleasures</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">This book was the first erotica story I have read and I must say, after reading it, I will be reading another. Katie has captured a intimate, sexy, naughty, and desirable fantasy that most can say they have had in words which I imagine is hard to do. It is absolutely enthralling from beginning to end and keeps you reading without you being able to tear your eyes from the screen. The story captures the perfect detail of what you would expect a creature of the night to deliver. You get to feel naughty and safe in your own living room,(or maybe sneaking in public). Hot! Sexy! And desirable! Katie has begun her writing on an excellent foot and I highly look forward to reading more from her in the near future!</span></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">K.T. Hello and welcome. I am very excited to have you here today. Why don’t we start off with a small introduction? Tell us a little about yourself. </span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Hey Kolina! Thanks for having me on your blog! Well, hmm, a little about me? I’m a work at home mommy. Writing has become my life. I started up my own small publishing company Rising Sign Books. It’s in its infancy now, but I hope to grow the business in the future. Right now I am only open to publishing my works, until I get a better feel for the business. Aside from that, I am a wife and love the fact I am able to be home with my little girl. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">K.T. </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Not so much a quirk really, but I always have music on when I write. There is just something about it that helps move the muse. My choice of music usually depends on what I am writing. Love scenes usually demand lighter, more melodic music. Action scenes usually require something loud and with a heavy beat. I’ve always got something playing in the background. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">K.T. When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first novel?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ve always written things down. I have notebooks stacked in my garage with things I’ve written over the years. I just love to write. It is my escape. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">K.T. What genre do you write?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">I work in a mix of genres. I like to write Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, and a little erotica. =)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">K.T. What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career? Or, who is your favorite author and why?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Really, I am inspired by everything I read. I love lots of different authors: Anne Rice, Christine Feehan, Sherrlyn Kenyon, Patricia Briggs. There are just so many greats out there!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">K.T. What does your family think of your writing?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">My family is 100% behind me in my writing. Actually, my husband is my hardest beta reader. He wants my stories to shine so he doesn’t pull any punches when he critiques my work. He is definitely not afraid to tell me if a scene just plain sucks. On the other hand he is my biggest fan too. He tells everyone about my books. And my daughter, she can’t read yet but she loves to tell people her mommy is an author. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">K.T. What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating your book?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">That it is hard work! There is so much involved in it. Just getting a story down on paper is a small portion of what you have to do. I swear I went through about 15 drafts of my first book to get to what it is today. It’s worth it though. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">K.T. Can you tell us a little about your novel?</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ve got two books out right now. One is an erotic romance. It’s a novella called, House of Immortal Pleasures. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Blindfolded and kidnapped, Daphne is whisked away to the famed, House of Immortal Pleasures, a Vampire-run Brothel in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Pahrump</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Nevada</st1:state></st1:place>. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Sometimes the only way to mend a broken heart is to get back in the saddle. At least that is how Daphne’s friends see it. And since Daphne isn’t showing any signs of letting that happen, they take it into their own hands. With a few shots of liquid courage, a pat on the ass, and a donated <i>gold card</i>, Daphne is unwillingly sent into fantasy room 123 to meet her <i>creature of the night, </i>Connor.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">It’s Connor’s job to seduce and entice Daphne to try all the expensive, sexual services on the menu. And he is prepared to do just that, until he peers into her mind and sees the damage done by her broken heart. After learning of her past pain, Connor’s plans change. No more is this a game of seduction to pad the pockets of the brothel owner. Connor decides to lavish Daphne with real attention and affection. Something she desperately needs. He will heal her heart the only way he can, by showing her she is beautiful, desirable, and sexy.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">The other book out is my “baby!” It’s my debut novel. Immortalis Carpe Noctem<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Bleeding to death after brutal mugging on the campus of UNLV, Twenty-five year old Alyssa, is rescued by the cold and aloof, vampire, Lysander. Taking pity on her, he shares the gift-and curse-of immortality. She awakens as a vampire and is soon devastated by harsh realities of her new way of life: the loss of her friends, her independence, and her humanity. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">As if having her humanity stripped away was not enough to make life interesting, Alyssa finds out her “turning”, did not go unnoticed by the rest of undead society. Old enemies; an ancient sect of vampire hunters, known as the Acta Sanctorum, as well as a powerful Vampire mistress, each set plans in motion to destroy both Alyssa and Lysander. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Only by accepting her newfound immortality, seizing the night, will Alyssa hope to survive. She and Lysander must fight together against two sets of enemies bent on destroying them both.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">K.T. Where can we find your novels?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: monospace; font-size: 14px; line-height: 16px;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVu86kuBlhQ" style="color: #003399; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1276478034_2" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVu86kuBlhQ</span></a></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Both books are available on Amazon Kindle. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Katie-Salidas/e/B003APXXWO/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1276410824&sr=8-2-ent">http://www.amazon.com/Katie-Salidas/e/B003APXXWO/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1276410824&sr=8-2-ent</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Immortalis Carpe Noctem is available at Barnes and Noble as well as Amazon.com. If you’re a vegas local, you can also stop into Plaza Books.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.abebooks.com/home/plazabooks">http://www.abebooks.com/home/plazabooks</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">They also sell my books online!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">For Author signed copies, please stop by <a href="http://www.risingsignbooks.com/">www.risingsignbooks.com</a> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">K.T. Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Find me on Facebook! I am there every day!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Katie-Salidas-Author/214780936916?v=app_2309869772#!/pages/Katie-Salidas-Author/214780936916">http://www.facebook.com/pages/Katie-Salidas-Author/214780936916?v=app_2309869772#!/pages/Katie-Salidas-Author/214780936916</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Or you can stop by my publishing website <a href="http://www.risingsignbooks.com/">www.risingsignbooks.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">K.T. Do you have any closing advice to aspiring writers?</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Get your story on paper. Just sit down and write. Worry about the rules once you have a compete story. Editing and perfecting your work comes later. </span></span></div>Kolina Topelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03604421057836731470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7858827549114710346.post-12276549123732511122010-06-08T12:45:00.000-05:002010-06-08T12:45:19.264-05:00Welcome everyone!So, I have finally gotten with the times I have created my own blog! I am the author of a recently released novella, Royal Blood, and am currently working on my second book. I figured this would be a great way to get in contact with my readers as well as meet fellow authors. Bare with me as I learn how to navigate this site, as I have NO idea what I'm doing, Lol!, but will soon be posting about the books I'm currently reading as well as what I am working on, and hopefully have an interview or two with some of our favorite authors! Thank you so much for visiting!<br />
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KolinaKolina Topelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03604421057836731470noreply@blogger.com0