Thursday, February 23, 2017

Authors in the Spotlight 2/23

In today's Authors in the Spotlight, we have author Me'Shell Brown!


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Name: Me’Shell Brown

How Long been published? Since Feb-2013
 
What’s the worst part about being published? Getting your name out, trying to get your brand built up solid.

What’s the best thing about being published? Watching, and listening to people talk about your work. Just to see it on the shelves is fascinating.

Are you self published or did you go through a publishing company? I am self published.

What are the highs, if any? The highs are I own all my rights and so forth. And I have the freedom of doing what I want, when I want with my work; I have no deadlines.

What are the lows, if any? The lows are, everything is paid for by you. Editing alone can truly hurt your pockets. And, also the marketing is very expensive. If you don’t have the proper marketing, your life’s work can get lost among a billion other titles. Marketing is key.

What is the name of your book(s)? Lovin A Thug

Was it a easy an easy write for you? Yes, it was.

What’s the hardest part about writing a book? Staying on track with one main idea. My brain creates several different stories at any given moment so I have to stay on track or write two books at once, so my mind can calm down.

What’s the easiest part about writing a book? The beginning and ending.

Where can interested readers purchase a copy of your book? Amazon, Goggle Play, Kindle, Books A Million, Barns And Noble, and many others.

Do you have any future projects in the works? Yes, I do. Pt 2 of Lovin A Thug should hit early Summer along with In Tha Midst of Tha Storm and Even Sinners Get Saved. So stay on the lookout for these fast paced, jaw dropping novels.

Do you have any social media sites that you would like to share with readers? Yes, you can find me on Facebook where an excusive sneak peek of my work is updated. Various new books to come so feel free to stop by, hit the like, and share button. 
 
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Join me next week as I bring you more authors!



Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Authors in the Spotlight 2/21

In today's Authors in the Spotlight, we have authors Virginia Alison and Donald Sawyer III!

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Name: Virginia Alison

How long have you been published? I published my first book in December 2012

What's the worst part about being published? The feeling of guilt if I do not write as I am frequently asked when the next book will be released.

What's the best part about being published? The best part is a sense of achievement and leaving a mark on the world, whether for better or worse.

Are you self published or did you go through a publishing company? *What are the highs, if any? *What are the lows, if any? I am self-published. The high is a sense of achievement. I am my own worst critic and I edit a book thirteen times before unleashing it on the world, which is an odd number however, uploading it and finding no spelling or grammatical errors is very rewarding. In addition, I have total control over the book; it is mine after all. As for lows, it takes some time as I do all my own artwork too therefore, I leave a month/six weeks to edit and publish.

What is the name of your book(s)? I have six books out in the Heaven Scent Series; Heaven Scent, Heaven Re-Scent, Heaven Scented, Scent from Heaven, Re-Scent from Heaven, Scented Heaven and have also published the first three in one book – The Heaven Scent Trilogy. Three more in addition to these are on the shelves - The Tomes of Bathoria and two books co-written with my writing partner – The Breathless Nights Anthology and Ariana’s Fall from Grace.

Was it/were they an easy write for you? For the most part, yes. The first book was accidental and the series was unplanned. I wrote a short story based on the poem ‘On finding someone’ by Joel Nelson, which I published on my web site and a few weeks later an editor approached me and suggested I made it into a book. Three months later the first book appeared, at which point I could not stop.

What's the hardest part about writing a book? Editing. I find writing easy. When editing, I look at passages and wonder just what I was drinking when I wrote them. That is probably why it takes so long to get it right.

What's the easiest part about writing a book? The beginning, middle and end are the easiest. I always have a storyboard and know where I am going. If I am in the mood, it just flows if I am not, I leave it until I am…

Where can interested readers purchase their copy of your book(s)? Books are available on Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, Apple and in most of the usual places. My first book is available for free from a link on my web site.

Do you have any future projects in the works? *Is there a tentative release date? Yes, there are three books in the works right now; the first is a prequel to the Heaven Scent series, the second, is a thriller, based again on a poem by Joel Nelson and the third is a book based on internet romances entitled A Tear for Eternity. No release dates, as yet, on any of them.

Do you have any social media sites that you would like to share with my readers? Not really, I am not one for social media other than the usual ones, Twitter and Facebook. Most of my advertising is done on Facebook and my website, where all of the background information is located on the books, sample chapters, oodles of fun pages along with showcasing other authors and poets.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to reading more from you in the future! Thank you for asking me! It has been a pleasure sharing my experiences with you.

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Name: Donald Sawyer III

How long have you been published? I have been published since November 2016.
What's the worst part about being published? The worst part about being published is nothing.
What's the best part about being published? The best part of being published is seeing the idea in your head materialize into a physical object that people can look at and hold in their hands.
Are you self published or did you go through a publishing company? *What are the highs, if any? *What are the lows, if any? I am self-published. The highs of self-publishing to me are, taking charge of your vision and not groveling at the feet of another person. I strongly believe in creating your own path in life and people either help facilitate that or they get in the way. I can honestly say I’ll never run to a publisher to “approve” my work. If a publisher approaches me to distribute a future work, I will only agree if the terms are right. I am not into someone making large bank off of my hard work. The lows of self-publishing are generating heavy buzz. If you are unknown then it takes much patience and creativity in building your name. I’ve learned much when it comes to marketing since putting out my debut novel.
What is the name of your book(s)? The name of my book is Dance Up Out Of Here. It’s about a homeless girl that goes on a mission to become a dancer.
Was it/were they an easy write for you?It was easy to write for me once I created my ideal writing environment.
What's the hardest part about writing a book? The hardest part about writing a book is properly articulating the ideas in your head and making it flow well to another person.
What's the easiest part about writing a book? The easiest part about writing a book is coming up with the ideas.
Where can interested readers purchase their copy of your book(s)? Interested readers can purchase my book on my website and Amazon.
Do you have any future projects in the works? *Is there a tentative release date? I have a future book in the works centered on coping skills and personal development. There is no tentative release date.
Do you have any social media sites that you would like to share with my readers? You can find me on Facebook.

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Join me on Thursday as I bring you author Me'Shell Brown!



Thursday, February 16, 2017

Authors in the Spotlight 2/16

In today's Authors in the Spotlight, we have authors Justin D. Lambe and Claire Mitchell Tsamados!


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Name: Justin D. Lambe

How long have you been published? I have been since May of 2016

What's the worst part about being published? I really don't have a worst part to being published.

What's the best part about being published? The best part is to get your stories out worldwide to hundreds of people. It makes you feel good, especially when you sell your very first book.

Are you self published or did you go through a publishing company? I'm self-published. 
*What are the highs, if any? The highs are, you get to control every aspect of your book from you cover to interior and everything in between. 
*What are the lows, if any? One low would be, your book won't be available in the B&N stores, but can be ordered from their website if you choose that channel to sell your book on.

What is the name of your book(s)? Peanut Butter Cookie Murder, A Picture Perfect View, Death By Gingerbread, and my newest one Death In Sparkling Cove set to release on March 10th, 2017.

Was it/were they an easy write for you? All of my books, I found to be easy to write. Once I get in depth with a story, it is hard to end the book.

What's the hardest part about writing a book? Dedication and Motivation

What's the easiest part about writing a book? I would say deciding my characters, and outlining.

Where can interested readers purchase their copy of your book(s)? My books are available on Amazon, Kindle, B&N, Kobo.com, Apple, and many more.

Do you have any future projects in the works? I'm working on a new book tentatively titled, "Order In The DEATH"
*Is there a tentative release date? Hopefully to release July of Aug. 2017.

Do you have any social media sites that you would like to share with my readers? Readers can check me out on Facebook, on Twitter, or visit my website.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to reading more from you in the future! Thank you so much for this wonderful opportunity! 
 
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Name: Claire Mitchell Tsamados

How long have you been published? My first publication was a short fiction piece included in an anthology by Café Three Zero back in 2011. Back then I was still experimenting with style and genre and wrote a whole array of things. The anthology was called Tales From the Café vol.1 and I was lucky enough for them to publish a few more of my pieces in later anthologies.

What's the worst part about being published? For me, the worst part about being published is knowing that I can no longer change or continue working on a story that has already gone to print. That, and knowing it won't be everyone's cup of tea.

What's the best part about being published? A certain sense of achievement comes with seeing your work published. I dare say reading great reviews could be considered the best part by many authors (whether they like to admit it or not), but as I don't read them, I don't know. Maybe one day I'll be brave enough.

Are you self published or did you go through a publishing company? As I said previously, my earlier works were published by Café Three Zero. It was a great starting platform for me as, back then, I was still in my experimental phase, still trying to find my voice. Working so closely with the publication team and other authors made the whole process fun rather than daunting.

Since then, I have been working hard on writing my debut novels and I have decided to self publish them. It is often the fastest way to get your work out into the public eye and I was lucky enough to learn a lot about the publication process when working with Café Three Zero.

What is the name of your book(s)? My debut novel is a YA fantasy called Forgotten Blood and will be released later this Spring.

Was it/were they an easy write for you? The story itself was not a difficult one for me as I had already had the characters created in my mind even before I started. That being said, it was certainly a long time in the making. Unfortunately, I had to take a break from writing multiple times over the last two years due to my battle with cancer.

What's the hardest part about writing a book? The editing process is notoriously hard work for many authors, and I am no different. Although I have to admit that I often struggle with allowing myself to just write instead of getting caught up in the detail of the English language in the first draft.

What's the easiest part about writing a book? The easiest part about writing a book is the amount of daydreaming I get to do while still being able to consider it working.

Where can interested readers purchase their copy of your book(s)? As with everything these days, my novel will be available from amazon, both eBook and paperback as well as many other eBook retailers. There will also be promotional giveaways on my, and other selected, websites / blogs.

Do you have any future projects in the works? Forgotten Blood is the first book in the 'Shadow Warriors Series' so keep an eye out for new installments.
 
Do you have any social media sites that you would like to share with my readers? I'm in the middle of making them all. 😉
 
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Join me next week as I bring you more authors!

 

Monday, February 13, 2017

Authors in the Spotlight 2/14

In today's Authors in the Spotlight, we have authors Natalina Reis and N. M. Scuri!

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Name: Natalina Reis

How long have you been published? I was published for the first time in January 2016.

What's the worst part about being published? The pressure to top yourself and (in my case) the possible criticism of others (even though criticism is not necessarily bad but it is nerve racking)

What's the best part about being published? Sharing my stories with the world and seeing my words in book form. It’s a kind of an otherworldly experience to go to a library and see your book on the shelf or have someone come and tell you how much they liked it.

Are you self published or did you go through a publishing company? I’m traditionally published with two small publishers, one based in Hawaii and another based in Australia. Because of my time limitations, self-publication was not an option for me at the time. Even though the business of writing is still a 24-hour job even going through a publisher, I don’t have to worry about hiring cover artists or worry about the business of actually formatting and dealing with the retailers for example. It takes some of the load from the author. On the other hand, the author has a bit less freedom with choices such as covers, in some cases even titles. However, I have been very fortunate with my current publisher who has been not only super supportive in every area but also an amazing cheerleader.

What is the name of your book(s)? I have three out right now. My first is called We Will Always Have the Closet (romantic suspense/contemporary), Desert Jewel (romantic fantasy/paranormal), and Loved You Always (romantic comedy/suspense/contemporary).

Was it/were they an easy write for you? Yes and no. They all came pretty easy in terms of characters and plot, but there is nothing easy about writing a book. The editing and revising process can be truly grueling. I’m rather obsessive about my writing, so anytime that I’m in the zone (which is almost always) it throws everything else in my life for a loop; grocery shopping, everyday house cleaning, laundry, TV, movies, shopping, you name it.

What's the hardest part about writing a book? It’s when you hit a “dry” spot. I’m going through one as I write this. I am bringing back a pretty popular character from one of my other books and I think I’m almost scared of ruining the character, so the writing has been extremely slow for my liking. And like I said the editing, revising process can be taxing as well.

What's the easiest part about writing a book? I’m not sure there is anything really easy about writing a book. Don’t misunderstand me. If it is your passion—like it is mine—it’s fun no matter how much work you put into it but easy…no, can’t think of one thing. Maybe writing The End at the end, lol?

Where can interested readers purchase their copy of your book(s)? My first book is found in the Kindle store (and it is also a Kindle Unlimited book) and in paperback format anywhere books are sold. My other two are pretty much everywhere; From my publisher’s web store, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, IBooks and many other retailers in the US and abroad. Here are the links:
We Will Always Have the Closet: US, UK, AU, CA 
Desert Jewel: All Links 
Loved You Always: All Links 

Do you have any future projects in the works? I have one manuscript with the publisher right now (romance with sci-fi elements), one with the editor (M/M paranormal romance), and one in progress (romcom). At the time of this writing I still have no tentative dates for any of them.

Do you have any social media sites that you would like to share with us? Sure. Here they are: FB, Twitter, Instagram, Blog & Newsletter Signup, Pinterest, Publishers’ Author Page: Hot Tree Publishing and Limitless Publishing

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Name: N. M. Scuri

How long have you been published? I've been writing since I was small. My first piece of fiction was published when I was in college, when I was 17-18.

What's the worst part about being published? There's not really a “worst” part, however, there is the realization that getting published doesn't magically make you a best-selling author. There's promotion, there's still the day job, and there's the next book. Please get back to me about this when I'm rich and famous.

What's the best part about being published? Holding a print book with your name on the front and your story on the inside never gets old.

Are you self published or did you go through a publishing company? I've done, and will continue, to do both. Done properly, I think both paths complement each other.

*What are the highs, if any? Other than holding that book in your hand? Meeting someone who has been affected by your work. You spend a lot of time in your own head as a writer, and it's gratifying to see your story go out into the world and touch someone you would never have known otherwise.

*What are the lows, if any? Sometimes I'll have a vision in my head, and it just won't come out, or it comes out a complete mess. It can be frustrating, but no one gets it 100% of the time. That's how life goes.

What is the name of your book(s)? My current titles include collaborations with artist Byron Rempel: Thirteen Stories and Paintings, One Bite at a Time vol I, and Gathering Dark (exclusively on Patreon). My short story “It's All Good News” can be found in the anthology Sins of the Past. More illustrated short stories I've written in collaboration with Byron can be found on Patreon as well.

Was it/were they an easy write for you? What's the hardest part about writing a book? “Easy” and “hard” are relative terms. Writing is as easy as running a marathon. Some days are go, others not so much. A writer just has to keep going. Over time, I like to think I've transitioned from a “hobby” writer to a more professional path. Don't get me wrong, one is not necessarily better than the other. Writing is writing, after all. The motivations are different, and the expectations need to be different as well. In my mind the hobby writer picks up a pen/goes to the computer occasionally, as a reaction to something that's happening in the person's life. He or she uses writing as catharsis, works the feelings out, and goes back to regular programming. Again, there's nothing wrong with that, but it's not too terribly realistic for this type of writer to expect book sales like Stephen King and J. K. Rowling. They got where they are because they sit down and grind every day. The motivation is different as one moves from writing for catharsis, where the story serves the writer, to writing because the writer feels the obligation to tell the story. I'm working on a book on the craft of writing and it includes this topic. To sum up, the writer needs to accept the hard days and enjoy the times when the story wants to come out.

What's the easiest part about writing a book? The part where you announce “Hey! I'm writing a book!” The only part that's easier is where you announce “Hey! I wrote a book, and I have a juicy publishing contract....” I'm not 100% sure about the last part. I'm looking forward to finding out first hand.

Where can interested readers purchase their copy of your book(s)? My books are available on Amazon or as part of Patreon.

Do you have any future projects in the works? *Is there a tentative release date? As a matter of fact...
 
I have a short story out in a new arts magazine, Raven Word is scheduled to be published in the first issue this spring. It's titled “Jane Doe Number Six,” and it continues the stories in Gathering Dark and Thirteen Stories and Paintings. My book for writers, Learning to Write, will be out this summer. The next volume of One Bite at a Time is in production. It's a great collaboration I have with Byron Rempel. I write two sentence horror stories and he illustrates them. We have another book coming out, Twenty Five Ways to Die, which is scheduled for the fall.


If your readers sign up for my newsletter, I will send them a free e-book of "One Bite at a Time vol I": http://eepurl.com/brh_ur
 
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Join me on Thursday as I bring you authors Justin Lambe and Claire Tsamados!