Flow Friday

Welcome to Flow Friday! Poetry lovers, kick back and enjoy the read!

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"A Praying Mother" by Danielle Bigsby

I pray they take this pain away,

 But they can't.

They took a piece of my heart,

They took it away from me,

And things will never be the same.

I pray these tears stop,

But they can't.

Because the cause of my tears was one of my worst fears,

The fear of losing the only thing that truly loved me.

I pray for peace, But how can my mind ever really be at ease?

When it can never release the anger,

Or relinquish the torment that it was put through when that fatal bullet pierced you.

I pray for patience,

Patience,

Patience to hold me until I'm granted answers,

Patience to guide me until I can understand why they had to take you,

Patience to endure this pain that I have to endure life long,

Because no part of me can be complete,

Because the one part of me that was complete,

Now no longer beats,

And my heart is forced to beat a lonely beat.

A mother prays,

That she never has to face these days,

But in this unrelenting craze,

Gun violence has taken so many of our babies away,

And I just pray, 

That God somehow helps me to endure another day.

Dedicated to: All the mothers who have had to bury their child due to senseless gun violence

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Every Friday, I will showcase one or two other poet's work. If this is something that you are interested in participating in, please click on this link and fill out the form. Poems will be posted in no particular order so be sure to keep an eye out for yours!😉

Authors in the Spotlight 7/27

In today's author's in the Spotlight, we have author Jim McComish!

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Name: Jim McComish

Published since: My first novel, the Reluctant Rapparee, was published in Decmeber 2015.

Worst part of being published: I was quite nervous about laying myself bare to the world, but I haven’t encountered any negative feedback so far.

Best part of being published: Seeing my book in print and having the opportunity to make my work available on a global platform.

Self published/Publishing company: I was very fortunate in that a small local publishing company, Excalibur Press, was just starting up at the same time as I was finishing my novel. They were looking for a local writer and I submitted my manuscript to them. I was successful in my application.

What is the name of your book(s)? Reluctant Rapparee

Rapparees were basically irregular soldiers fighting a guerrilla war in the late 17th to early 18th centuries in Ireland. They are celebrated in Irish Folklore much as Robin Hood is in the English tradition. 

Was it/were they an easy write for you? I had already undertaken a great deal of research on these fascinating people as part of a dissertation for my Masters in Irish Cultural Heritages, so I was able to write with a good deal of confidence on this period of history.

What's the hardest part about writing a book? Although the story came easily I had to put a good deal of thought about how to present basically a light hearted story in what was a very dark and contentious period of Irish history. I didn’t want to gloss over issues such as the Penal Laws and went to some lengths to detail the injustices that existed in our society at that time.

What's the easiest part about writing a book? The easiest part about writing for me was the humour; I enjoy laughing at my own jokes and creating dialogue between characters.

Where can interested readers purchase their copy of your book(s)? on Amazon and Excalibur Press

I would advise readers to use the Amazon page as this is the cheapest option, currently £5.99 for a printed copy or £1.99 Kindle.

Do you have any future projects in the works? *Is there a tentative release date? I’m currently working on my second novel, set in the Belfast docklands of the late 1870s, over 130 years after the events of the Reluctant Rapparee. There is a loose connection between the two novels but it will not be necessary to read the first one to enjoy the second. I am working towards a release date near the end of the year.

Do you have any social media sites that you would like to share with my readers? Facebook and Twitter

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Join me next week as I bring you more authors!

Authors in the Spotlight 7/25

In today's Authors in the Spotlight, we have author Jessie Wrights!

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Name: Jessie Wrights

How long have you been published? Since 2016

What's the worst part about being published? The hours you have to spend Marketing.

What's the best part about being published? Knowing that you are bringing a few hours of enjoyment to someone else.

Are you self published or did you go through a publishing company? Self Published

*What are the highs, if any? Knowing that every step of success is your own.

*What are the lows, if any? The hours you don't get to spend writing because your focus is divided among so many other things.

What is the name of your book(s)? Angelic Outcast, As the World Burns

Was it/were they an easy write for you? Angelic Outcast came fairly easily.
 

I call As the World Burns my personal book from hell. It ended up twice as long as it was supposed to and will be re-released this year.

What's the hardest part about writing a book? Aside from grammar and punctuation, is time line consistency. Making sure that past events don't contradict future events, and vice versa.

What's the easiest part about writing a book? When you can sit in front of a computer or a notebook and let the words flow from your head to the page.

Where can interested readers purchase their copy of your book(s)? I currently have accounts on Amazon, Kobo, Smashwords, and I'm working on others. Details can be found at my website. 

Do you have any future projects in the works? *Is there a tentative release date? The sequel to Angelic Outcast 'Angelic Beast' will be released this year. As well as several anthologies.

Do you have any social media sites that you would like to share with my readers? Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Google, and Smashwords.

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Join me on Thursday as I bring you author Jim McComish! 

 

Flow Friday

Welcome to Flow Friday! Poetry lovers, kick back and enjoy the read!

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"Deceased Denise" by Terry James

 

Upon a stone one night she sat, a lovely corpse in midnight black.

And on that stone was etched “Denise”, and for seven years she’d been deceased.

The dress she wore was torn and frayed, her face was pale and part decayed.

Heavy on her heart did weigh, a chain that kept her there to stay.

It was her lover’s face she longed to see, to feel his kiss, to set her free.

But all she did was sit and cry, you see, she did not have her eyes.

Now not too far away from her, each night another corpse would stir.

He stared at her with abated breath, he’d loved her long before his death. 

He’d try to reach her from his grave, but his own chains they never gave.

Each night he tried to call her name, each night the end result the same.

Never would he feel rejoice, you see, he had no throat or voice.

So forever they were cursed apart, forever never joining hearts.

A loathsome end to this saddened tale, of star crossed lovers whose love had failed.

But for those who live and love they yearn, remember here a lesson learned.

For those with eyes they need but see, and those with voices need but speak. 

 

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"The Hood Tells No Tales" by Shatika Turner

 

So I wanted to hear a story

One that for once does not bore me

Keep me intrigued

Alert

So I looked out the window thinking “Yea, this will work”

Saw the corner boys doing their usual

Pants on low

Pockets full of dough

So soon as 5-0 came around

Pounding footsteps was the usual sound

Seen the new mother sittin on her stoop

Wondered if she ever contemplated going back to school

Her baby daddy ain’t no good

Steady “swaggin” around the hood

He says he gets money

But I find that funny

Because the baby don’t have necessities

The parents poppin pills like daily festivities

Seen a body drop the other day

I had to quickly look the other way

Another young life gone to soon

Because now and days everybody wants to live the life of a “goon”

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Every Friday, I will showcase one or two other poet's work. If this is something that you are interested in participating in, please click on this link and fill out the form. Poems will be posted in no particular order so be sure to keep an eye out for yours!😉

Authors in the Spotlight 7/20

In today's Authors in the Spotlight, we have author Joe Evener!

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Name: Joe Evener

How long have you been published? My first book, "The Heart of Seras: Journey to Seras" was published in 2013. My second book in the series, "The heart of Seras: The Elders" came out in 2015.

What's the worst part about being published? The worst part, if there is one, is not being able to type fast enough to get my books out quicker.

What's the best part about being published? That's easy, seeing the labor of my hard work and ideas come to print.

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

*What are the highs, if any? The high point is that my work is made available to the public, and people are enjoying them.

What is the name of your book(s)? My first two books are part of a series, The Heart of Seras series. The first one is Journey to Seras, the second one is The Elders.

Was it/were they an easy write for you? Yes, the ideas came to me easy. I started writing my book series in 2005 during my first year of college (I was 41 years old at the time), after being inspired by a freshman writing class which had the first three books of Harry Potter as textbooks, and Classical Mythology 101. After that, the story just flowed.

What's the hardest part about writing a book? Finding time – besides being a husband, father, and grandfather; I'm a 5th grade language arts/social studies teacher, and a high school track coach, so finding time to sit down and write is he hardest part.

What's the easiest part about writing a book? The ideas. I have a pretty active imagination and that makes coming up with stories to tell pretty easy. I love reading, especially fantasy books – The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, stuff like that. I also loved comic books growing up. So I used to make up stories just to have fun and escape for a while. I love my current series, The Heart of Seras. It's something I have been working on since 2005. I just finished book three, "Revelation," and I have three more to go before it's finished. After that, I have seven – eight other ideas I can't wait to work on.

Where can interested readers purchase their copy of your book(s)? My books are available on Rogue Phoenix Press, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.com in print and ebook.

Do you have any future projects in the works? Yes, book three "Revelation" will hopefully be out later this year. I also have a dark romance book in the vein of "Lolita" that I am really excited about, and it's in the final editing stage.

*Is there a tentative release date? No, for either. I am hoping for a late fall release for "Revelation," but I have to do a final edit on the other before I continue with The Heart of Seras series.

Do you have any social media sites that you would like to share with my readers? Yes! People can follow me on Facebook, on Twitter; and on Instagram. 

Thank you for you time and I look forward to reading more from you in the future! Thanks again.

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Join me next week as I bring you more authors! 

 

Authors in the Spotlight 7/18

In today's Authors in the Spotlight, we have author Jacquelyn Wiles.

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Name: Jacquelyn Wiles

How long have you been published? I have been published since June 10th, 2016.

What's the worst part about being published? There is nothing bad with being published.

What's the best part about being published? The best part about being published is gaining new readers, and meeting amazing authors to network with.

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

*What are the highs, if any? The highs are being able to do everything on your own, in your own time.

*What are the lows, if any? The lows are that you have really market to gain a new audience.

What is the name of your book(s)? My published book is Don't Trust A Stranger.

Was it/were they an easy write for you? It was very easy to write, it's partially a true story with some made up scenerios along the way.

What's the hardest part about writing a book? The hardest part about writing a book is getting rid of writer's block, Sometimes you can really be into writing and then all of a sudden during a scene you get stuck.

What's the easiest part about writing a book? The easiest part about writing is throwing words together, you can always go back and change how you want something to feel and sound later.

Where can interested readers purchase their copy of your book(s)? Amazon, Createspace, and Barnes & Nobles online are a few places my book can be found.

Do you have any future projects in the works? I have two new books in the works, the sequel to Don't Trust A Stranger is You Can't Trust Anyone then a horror novel called Neighborhood Nightmare

*Is there a tentative release date? I have no release dates for either book at this moment, but it will be soon.

Do you have any social media sites that you would like to share with my readers? My Facebook, my Twitter, and my Instagram. 

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Join me on Thursday as I bring you author Joe Evener!

 

Flow Friday

For those of you that know me, or even know of me, you will know that I love poetry. 20 years ago, my literary career began with writing poetry and it will end with writing poetry. So far, I've written three poetry books and two children's poetry books. I've also written and endless amount of poems that have yet to be published. However, more than anything, I love reading another's words and seeing what it is that I can take away from them. I have a secret lust for well written word play and an addiction to the way words can make me feel.

To show just how much I love poetry, I have decided to do a "Flow Friday" in my blog. Every Friday, I will showcase one or two other poet's work. I've always been one to share another poet's work; it's what I did in my first two books. If this is something that you are interested in participating in, please click on this link and fill out the form. Poems will be posted in no particular order so be sure to keep an eye out for yours!😉

To kick off "Flow Friday", I'm going to share one of the longest poems that ever I've written. I hope you enjoy the read. Have a great night and I'll see you next Friday for more poetry from talented poets!

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“Obsessed” by La Kata E.K.

From afar, you stand there watching her,

Since that’s all that you can do,

No longer allowed to be near her,

Poor guy… She’s pulled away from you…

An acquaintance you were in the beginning,

But over time a friendship grew,

While you developed a love for her,

It wasn’t the same from her point of view…

All she wanted from you was friendship,

Her husband’s name, on her arm, a tattoo,

A couple of messages might’ve gone too far,

But to her husband, she always stayed true…

Somewhere, however, lines became crossed,

And your feelings for her turned into,

Something that was no longer a comfort,

But that of a friendship’s taboo…

For awhile, you kept your feelings hidden,

To show her, you didn’t think fair,

It was if you were playing a game with your heart,

Kind of a lonely man’s truth or dare…

You were available when she needed a shoulder,

A hand to hold, it was yours that was there,

The more she needed you, the closer she came,

To finding out feelings that you just couldn’t share.

Over time your love for her turned into obsession,

You two were soul mates, on that you would swear,

But none was the wiser, especially her,

That around you, was a dangerous air…

You began feeling like she should’ve been with you,

The fact that she had a husband, you just didn’t care,

You felt that the two of you had a connection,

One that she, with her husband, just couldn‘t compare…

There were moments that you tried to distance yourself,

A complicated choice, but she even agreed,

But those moments seemed like they dragged on forever,

And for her, you always felt this need…

You never could handle her absence too well,

To come back, sometimes you would beg her and plead,

As these moments continued to drag on forever,

Between the lines, is where she started to read…

A beautiful flower was what she assumed she created,

From the friendship that started off as a seed,

Over time she began to realize that her beautiful plant,

Was nothing more than your average weed…

The pain from the reality that she was starting to see,

Was enough to make her heart want to crumble and bleed,

But what hurt even more, was the girl’s permanent decision,

That into the background, was where she would recede…

No one was the wiser, not even the guy,

When he found out that their friendship was through,

But she had to remain honest within herself,

And to her husband, faithful and true…

She never really felt like the need for explanation,

Because her heart was already heavy and blue,

And why go through the pain of saying goodbyes,

When you can bid a phantom adieu…

Out of all of the people that she considered her friends,

He was special because he was one of the few,

Over time she developed a special love for him,

That continued growing as the friendship grew.

I guess what I’m trying to say by telling this story,

Is how no one was the wiser or would’ve had a clue,

That while you were becoming obsessed with her,

All along, she was obsessed with you…

Authors in the Spotlight 7/13

In today's Authors in the Spotlight, we have author Yomeica Webb!

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Name: Yomeica Webb 

How long have you been published? Since January 2017

What's the worst part about being published? Scrutiny and limitations

What's the best part about being published? Marketing and exposure

Are you self published or did you go through a publishing company? Both 

*What are the highs, if any? Assistance and promotion, less work on your part because you have help . With self publishing, I get all of my royalties and that is the best ever.

*What are the lows, if any? Self publishing requires a lot of investing money and time. Publishing companies want royalties.

What is the name of your book(s)? "Meet the Tears": Attention please and NYC's Melting Pot KIDZ: "You can touch my hair"

Was it/were they an easy write for you? I couldn't believe how easy it came to me.

What's the hardest part about writing a book? Work and business interruption - other books come to mind.

What's the easiest part about writing a book? The concept flowed perfectly.

Where can interested readers purchase their copy of your book(s)? Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads,and my website. 

Do you have any future projects in the works? Yes, definitely.

*Is there a tentative release date? May 20th 

Do you have any social media sites that you would like to share with my readers? Facebook and my website.

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Join me next week as I bring you more authors!

Authors in the Spotlight 7/11

In today's Authors in the Spotlight, we have author Connie B. Dowell!!

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Name: Connie B. Dowell

How long have you been published? I published my first book in May 2014 and haven’t looked back.

What's the worst part about being published? What's the best part about being published? The answer to both these questions is reviews. An awesome review can make your day. It’s fantastic to know that somebody else hopped into a world that sprang out of my head and had a great time. A negative review that teaches you something might sting, but is still ultimately a good. The worst, though, are negative reviews that don’t teach me anything about how to be a better writer. They’re just a bummer.

Are you self published or did you go through a publishing company? I happily self published my young adult fiction and nonfiction, but I’ve recently gotten serious about picture books. Because of different marketing concerns (and, frankly, wanting to see what’s on the other side of the fence) I’m in the throes of querying for once with those books.

 

*What are the highs, if any? One big high of being self pubbed is getting my hands in every part of the process, even if I’m not the one actually doing it. It’s excellent training for a broader publishing career one day down the road.

 

*What are the lows, if any? One big low is that there is still a bit of stigma about self publishing, because anybody with enough time and stubbornness can do it. It’s always a loaded question when a layperson asks your publishing method. Are they going to assume you self pubbed because you couldn’t crack it the traditional way? For the record, self publishing was a first choice for all the books I’ve chosen to put out in that method. I was attracted to the entrepreneurial aspect.

What is the name of your book(s)? My two works of fiction are The Poison in All of Us (a YA mystery set in 1918) and The Orchid Caper (a YA heist comedy that’s high on silliness). Both of these are series starters. My first book was a nonfiction aimed at entering college students, called You Can Love Writing: A Guide to Get through Your College Papers and Like It.

Was it/were they an easy write for you? A bit of both, honestly. There were easy parts (getting into character for Ian and Darlene in The Orchid Caper and hitting my nonfiction voice for YCLW) and tougher stuff (research for The Poison in All of Us was a blast, but took forever and involved multiple trips to different special collections libraries and deciding the exact scope and outline of YCLW took probably as long as the actual writing).

What's the hardest part about writing a book? Butt in chair writing time (or standing at standing desk if I’m feeling like being healthy). This has only gotten tougher after having kids. It’s so easy to overlook the little bits of time when I’m “destressing” but really just goofing off and it’s also easy to let worries about my work prevent me from moving forward.

What's the easiest part about writing a book? The shiny new idea stage. Especially if I have a chance to explore that semi-out loud with a glass of wine and my husband nodding along, sometimes just letting me wander, sometimes suggesting things or asking questions.

Where can interested readers purchase their copy of your book(s)? You can find all my books at

Amazon, Barnes and Noble, (some of them) at iBooks, and (some of them) at Kobo.

Do you have any future projects in the works? *Is there a tentative release date? Oh my gosh, tons! I’m researching and plotting book 2 of the historical mystery series, plus a tie-in short story. I’m working on a tie-in short story for The Orchid Caper, and plenty of picture book manuscripts, as well as two podcasts. Oh, and my fingers have been itching to do a few comics, so you never know. I’m hoping to have both shorts and book 2 of the historical series out by the end of the year.

Do you have any social media sites that you would like to share with my readers? You can find all the stuff I do at http://conniebdowell.com and you can find me on Facebook and Twitter. Thanks, LaKata, for having me on the blog!

 

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Join me on Thursday as I bring you author Yomeica Webb!

 

Authors in the Spotlight 7/6

In today's Authors in the Spotlight, we have author Camilla Stevens! 

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Name: Camilla Stevens

How long have you been published? Since June 2016.

What's the worst part about being published? Putting yourself out there is very hard. You are completely vulnerable and exposed. I don’t knock negative reviews (and sometimes find them very helpful), because people are entitled to their opinions, but they still sting, more than I care to admit.

What's the best part about being published? The fact that even one person out there in the world is reading my work. It still amazes me, especially when I get positive feedback.

Are you self-published or did you go through a publishing company? Self-published. This started as a hobby born from love of writing. I never even bothered trying a publishing company because I still want this to be fun for me and I think bureaucracy would kill that part of it.

*What are the highs, if any? Doing what I want, when I want. So there! ha ha.

*What are the lows, if any? Having do all the work myself, even if it’s finding the right people to do the work for me.

What is the name of your book(s)? One Night, Mr. Wright & Mr. Wrong, Mr. & Mrs. Wright, Sweet Seduction, So Wrong, Slugger Fever (Publishing summer 2017)

Was it/were they an easy write for you? Yes and no. I have NO trouble coming up with stories. I’m a panster, which means the stories just flow from me without an outline. Unfortunately my brain works faster than my hands and by the time I reach the 70% mark or so I’m itching to move on to the next story in my head. Don’t even get me started on the editing and read-throughs!

I also have fun with my work. I love humor and try to incorporate it in my books. It really makes it easy when you’re laughing along while you write…or better yet, catching those feels. Then I know I’ve done a good job.

What's the hardest part about writing a book? Self doubt. I read a lot so there’s a constant struggle of comparison, even with authors outside of the genre! There are those that humble you with their brilliance in the written word. Then there are those that humble you with their massive following. It can all drive you crazy.

I just hold on to the that saying: Comparison is the thief of joy.

What's the easiest part about writing a book? The modern era! I won’t plug the services I use but thank goodness for everything out there that makes publishing a book as easy as typing and hitting send. I love that I’m able to share my work with the world this easily!

Where can interested readers purchase their copy of your book(s)? Right now I’m strictly on Amazon Kindle: purchase or Unlimited. I plan on publishing everything in paperback as well by the end of the year.

Do you have any future projects in the works? Right now I’m working on a series of Stand Alone books about Texas Men (because they’re awesome!), (tentatively) called the Texas Troublemaker Books.

After that it will be a series of Stand Alone books about International Men (because they’re awesome!), called the International Lovers Books.

See what I mean about no problems coming up with stories? Lol.

*Is there a tentative release date? I’m setting up a schedule to publish every two months. A lot of the books above are works in progress that have been set aside to return to. Each of the series will have at least three books.

Do you have any social media sites that you would like to share with my readers? Twitter (I’m very casual there), Facebook Author Page, and my website.

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Join me next week as I bring you more authors!

 

Authors in the Spotlight 7/4

In today's Authors in the Spotlight, we have author BJ Neblett!

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Name: BJ Neblett

How long have you been published? My first poetry was published nationally in, Encounter, An Anthology of Modern Poetry, while I was still in high school. Since then I’ve had a few short stories placed in pulp trade anthologies. I got serious about my writing with my first book, Elysian Dreams, published in 2011.

What's the worst part about being published? That’s an interesting question. I am traditionally published, so I try and concentrate on writing. But even with a publisher, there is a never ending list of promotions and signings and such I have to attend. It’s fun, but it does cut into my writing time. The irony about being published and achieving some fame is the more popular you become, the more you have to do and the less time you have for reading.

What's the best part about being published? Ha! I could probably give the same answer: all of the publicity and signings and attention. You know you’ve made it when you are recognized on the bus by your author cover photo.

Are you self-published or did you go through a publishing company? I’ve never been self published, so I’m not qualified to answer fully. I was very lucky to find a publisher for my first book within about six months.

What is the name of your book(s)? My first was Elysian Dreams, a contemporary romantic fantasy adventure. Then came Ice Cream Camelot, a memoir about my growing up during the Kennedy administration. It’s a departure from my usual but something I needed to do. Recently I appeared in the anthology Beyond The Hedge: The Light And The Dark. 2017 will see the book Planet Alt-Sete-Nine, a contemporary fantasy about video gaming. And I am a regular contributor to eFiction and Romance Magazines.

Was it/were they an easy write for you?  I actually find the actual writing the easiest part.

What's the hardest part about writing a book? I guess the hardest part would be to actually find time to sit down and write. I find myself binge writing because a lot comes to me all at once.

What's the easiest part about writing a book? Getting the words exactly right and not revealing the ending. I tend to surprise my readers with plot twists at the end that they never see coming, so I have to be careful. The clues are there, but unless you really look for them, you won’t see them right away until after the denouement.

Where can interested readers purchase their copy of your book(s)? All of my books and magazines are available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. In the Seattle area, as well as a few other places, I can be found in many book stores.

Do you have any future projects in the works? Planet Alt-Sete-Nine looks like it is turning into at least a trilogy, so they are in the works. My publisher says it’s time to do a compilation of my short stories and another for my romance stories. And I have a couple of ideas for a full contemporary romance novel or two.

Do you have any social media sites that you would like to share with my readers? The best place to keep up with me and my books, stories and other projects is my blog. From there readers can email me questions and comments and be put on my email blast list to be notified about releases and signings and such. Also, you can find me on Facebook.

Thank you for you time and I look forward to reading more from you in the future! Thank you. It’s been my pleasure.

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Join me on Thursday as I bring you author Camilla Stevens!