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 17^th.

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

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!

                        http://nicolapalmerwriter.blogspot.com

                       http://www.facebook.com/AliceParkersAdventures

                        http://www.twitter.com/nicolalpalmer

                    

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!!!!

Author spotlight with "Wicked Leanore" Elliot

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.

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.  

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.

K.T.  Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?

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.

K.T.  When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first novel?

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.

K.T.  What genre do you write?

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.

K.T.  What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career?

L.E. I have a quote that sums up this answer.  ‎"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." In essence, I write for the same reason that readers read!

K.T.  What does your family think of your writing?

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. My kids cannot read most of them, lol. Mom? Hot scenes?...Nope.

K.T.  What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating your book(s)?

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!

K.T.  Can you tell us a little about your novel(s)? 

L.E. I have 14, but I spoke of Beasts and that is an interesting/Hot novel.

The Eyes of Constance:

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.

The ride is exhilarating, exciting and readers have said it is not like anything they have ever read.

K.T.  Where can we find your novels?

L.E. Mostly at Amazon, I found that Amazon is where all my sales are.

 http://tinyurl.com/L-Elliott-books

K.T.  Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?

L.E. I have a Colorful, Wicked Home for Leanore, there are some sexy pic's there too!

http://captivesouls.weebly.com/-leanores-home.html

K.T.  Do you have any closing advice to aspiring writers? 

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.

Author spotlight with Alex Lukeman (Over)

Mr. Lukeman has generously offered to give away 10 ebook copies of White Jade!! 






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.  

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...

K.T.  Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?

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.

K.T.  When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first novel?

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.

K.S.  What genre do you write?

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.

K.S.  What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career?

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.

K.S.  What does your family think of your writing?

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.

K.S.  What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating your book?

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.

K.S.  Can you tell us a little about your novel? 

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.

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.

K.S.  Where can we find your novels?

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/

You can go to my Author Central page on Amazon and find everything there.

K.S.  Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?

A.L. Thanks for asking, Kolina. The website is http://www.alexlukeman.org

The Blog is http://www.alexlukeman.blogspot.com

The fan site is http://www.facebook.com/alexlukeman

K.S.  Do you have any closing advice to aspiring writers? 

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."

Royal 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....
Kolina

Author spotlight with Kathleen Valentine (Over)

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.

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!   

K.T.  Any interesting writing quirks or stories you would like to share with my readers?

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?"

K.T.  When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? What sparked the desire to pen your first novel?

K.V. I've always loved telling stories. My first novel The Old Mermaid's Tale 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.

K.T.  What genre do you write?

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, The Crazy Old Lady in the Attic, and one ghost story, Ghosts of a Bech Town in Winter

K.T.  What would you say has inspired you most in your writing career?

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.

K.T.  What does your family think of your writing?

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.

K.T.  What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating your book?

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.

K.T.  Can you tell us a little about your novel? 

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 The Old Mermaid's Tale. 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.

K.T.  Where can we find your novels?

K.V. Both of my novels are available in paperback and digital from all the major online booksellers -- Amazon, B&N, etc.

K.T.  Do you have a website, fan site, or Blog that we can visit?

K.V. I sure do. My web site is KathleenValentine.com and my blog is ParlezMoiBlog.blogspot.com.

K.T.  Do you have any closing advice to aspiring writers? 

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.