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.
For now here are the links to a few of the pages, and I can't wait to share this with you all!
Facebook-https://www.facebook.com/BehindShieldsMovie
Auditions-https://www.facebook.com/events/303726096381390/
Lots of love,
Kolina
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
I made it into the newspaper!!! :)
Author writes book to honor fallen BG soldier Andrew Shields - The Reflector: News: 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…
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Behind 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.
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.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Author spotlight with Michel Prince (Over)
Michel has generously offered to give away one free ebook copy of Chrystalis after its release!
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.
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.
K.T. Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?
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.
K.T. When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first novel?
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.
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.
K.S. What genre do you write?
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.
K.S. What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career?
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.
K.S. What does your family think of your writing?
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.
K.S. What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating your book?
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.”
K.S. Can you tell us a little about your novel?
M.P. 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.
Bad choices are a Chisholm family trait, one that confounds the youngest child, Ellie, who is trying to separate herself by making smart decisions.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sometimes the hardest lesson in growing up is accepting that you are worth more.
K.S. Where can we find your novels?
M.P. They will be available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, All Romance, BookStrand, Coffee Time Romance and Omnilit after April 17th.
K.S. Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?
M.P. www.michelprincebooks.com my blog is called “little people in my head”
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Michel-Prince/100543550065487
K.S. Do you have any closing advice to aspiring writers?
M.P. If you have a story, tell it. Jack London got four hundred rejections, and he didn’t have the ease of email.
Author spotlight with Jennifer Galuska (Over)
Jennifer has generously offered to give away one free ebook copy of A Kiss for Emily! Comment to win!
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.
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.
K.T. Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?
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.
K.T. When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first novel?
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."
K.T. What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career?
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.
K.T. What does your family think of your writing?
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.
K.T. Can you tell us a little about your novel(s)?
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.
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.
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.
K.T. Where can we find your novels?
J.G. A Kiss for Emily is available from both B&N and Amazon
K.T. Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?
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
My Facebook author page - J P Galuska
My website - jpgaluska.com
My blog - jpglauska@blogspot.com
Twitter - @JGaluska
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Author spotlight with Nicola Palmer (Over)
Nicola has offered to give away one free copy of
her book! Comment to win!
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.
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.
K.T. Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?
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.
K.T. When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first novel?
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.
K.T. What genre do you write?
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.
K.T. What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career?
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.
K.T. What does your family think of your writing?
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!
K.T. What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating your book?
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.
K.T. Can you tell us a little about your novel?
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...
K.T. Where can we find your novels?
N.P. Amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, Smashwords and in the near future, Barnes & Noble.
K.T. Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?
N.P. Yes – please! I’d love to hear from you there. Any comments welcome!
K.T. Do you have any closing advice to aspiring writers?
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. Good luck!
Author spotlight with Jamie Wilsoncroft
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.
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.
K.T. Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?
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).
K.T. When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first novel?
J.W. 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.
K.S. What genre do you write?
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.
K.S. What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career?
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.
K.S. What does your family think of your writing?
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
K.S. What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating your book?
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
K.S. Can you tell us a little about your novel?
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.
K.S. Where can we find your novels?
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.
K.S. Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?
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.
K.S. Do you have any closing advice to aspiring writers?
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!!!!
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