Another fabulous author interviewed

Hello Amazing Readers,

Today I have another fantastic interview to share with you. Blye Donovan was kind enough to offer some time to me to answer my questions. Check out her latest book, Marked as Queen of Hearts, and one click your copy today!

https://books2read.com/u/bxrQkv

Tell me a bit about one of your favorites that you wrote.

Marked as Queen of Hearts is actually my favorite so far. It’s the most complex—plot-wise and emotion-wise—and I put the most of myself into the story. Some of the things the heroine goes through are things I’ve experienced myself. It made this book a bit of catharsis for me and being able to give her a happy ending helped heal us both a little 😉

  • Writing is a difficult endeavor.  What makes you continue to write?

Somedays I ask myself this and wonder what the heck I’m doing 😆 Because you’re right, it is difficult. Sometimes the writing itself makes you want to quit, whether that’s the plot falling flat, or the characters stop talking to you. Other days it’s all the things, like editing, marketing, and promoting your books that makes you want to hang up your hat. But in spite of all that, I love writing. Bringing a story to life and sharing it with others is an incredible feat, and when people enjoy your books, it’s an incredible feeling. Those accolades, the positive reviews, make you pick up your pen (so to speak) and keep writing.

  • What do you look forward to every day?

Lots of things like coffee, reading, making dinner with my husband . . . but I imagine this question was meant to be writing related 😁 When it comes to work, I look forward to sitting down in front of a blank page, sipping my cup of coffee, and letting a scene flow through me onto the screen. When the characters are talking and you can see the scene play out, the story just flows. That feeling is a high I chase every day but don’t always find.

  • How do you define success?  What makes you successful?

There’s a lot of literature out there about being “a successful indie author” and while those tend to focus on dollar signs and figures, I think just hitting that publish button is a success. Even if your book doesn’t sell a million copies, you published a book. Not everyone can say that! True success lies in your own feeling of fulfillment, and I find that by creating the book in the first place. It’s a work of art and when you hit publish, you put it on display. When someone likes and appreciates that art, is that not its own form of success? I think so. It’s important to celebrate the wins, no matter how small.

  • Any tips for a new writer or someone who is considering becoming a writer?

Find a good group of fellow writers because support is the most important thing you can have as an indie author. I was lucky to find that early on, and not only have I gained some amazing critique partners out of it, but we all help promote each other’s work as well. Other authors in your genre aren’t your competition. Don’t treat them as such. Instead, make friends, build relationships, and learn from their experiences. And above all, don’t give up!

Another fabulous author interviewed!

Hello dear readers,

Recently, I had the chance to interview a USA Today Bestselling author. I have met this author and upon meeting her, I knew I had to share her with the world!

She is such a nice person and she writes great stuff, too! Be sure to check out her featured book and one click your copy, today.

Welcome Lynessa Layne.

1. How long have you been writing and what got you started?

I’ve been writing since I was a teen, but didn’t try my hand at novels until my 30th birthday. It was one of those, ‘what do I want to do with the rest of my life now that I’ve had babies’ type of introspections. Figured I’d get about five pages in and applaud my author heroes for what I could never do. Ten novels later, voila! I could write!

2. What genres do you write and why?

Cross-genre blending of romance, suspense, mystery and thriller is my favorite to write because I need a lot of stimulation when I read. I’m able to solve crime novels way too early, predict endings or plot twists, read way too fast and wish it would’ve lasted longer. I wrote the Don’t Close Your Eyes series for myself because of that need, then decided to share it with other readers. I didn’t even know the ending to my own series until I arrived upon it, so it’s fun when readers speculate the who-dun-it or marvel at twists they cannot predict. 

When I’m not working on DCYE, I’m trying my hand at several projects of different genres including paranormal and Southern Gothic. Jury’s still out on whether I’ll use different pen names for those.

3. Tell me about the moment you found out you were a USA Today Bestselling author.

Wow. What to say? Even reading this question, I still get butterflies in the pit of my stomach along with the need to double check that it really happened LOL! One of my author besties, Mariah Kingsley, was the one to notify me. I hadn’t even seen it. Ironically, it was the brightest spot on the same day my husband lost his job, like a silver lining against a storm cloud. I’m supremely grateful and still tear up.

 4. Which book would you like readers to know more about and where can they buy it (buy link).

Off the bat, I’d say Don’t Close Your Eyes Don’t Close Your Eyes : Volume 1 of the Don’t Close Your Eyes Series (Don’t Close Your Eyes – A Slow Burn Enemies to Lovers Series) – Kindle edition by Layne, Lynessa, Cassidy, TK, Alford, AJ. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. but first I’d point to Killer Kiss Killer Kiss (Don’t Close Your Eyes – A Slow Burn Enemies to Lovers Series) – Kindle edition by Layne, Lynessa. Romance Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Don’t Close Your Eyes is a series about a co-ed who falls in love with a hitman/crime syndicate don without knowing his true identity. Simultaneously, she falls for the undercover cop working to bring the hitman to justice. Killer Kiss, however, is a flirty (AND FREE) peek behind the curtain of the series in that you, as the reader, know something Kinsley, the heroine, doesn’t throughout a good portion of the series. 

Readers who love MC villains, dueling crime syndicates, naive yet strong heroines and series along the lines of the Sookie Stackhouse (sans paranormal) sort, should enjoy this tumultuous slow burn that ignites into spicy, forbidden romance.

5.  How can readers contact you?

website https://lynessalayne.com

facebook.com/lynessalayne

instagram.com/lynessalayne/

Twitter@LynessaLayne

Don’t Close Your Eyes blurb

“A thrilling tale about an independent woman in a love triangle.” – Kirkus Reviews

Love at first sight is for hopeless romantics, not a hitman who’s amassed a fortune leading a double life. If only Kinsley Hayes hadn’t stumbled into my crosshairs ….
***
He was edgy, intense, older than me.
Since the night I’d fled my attraction to the handsome stranger, I prayed I’d see him again.
Then, one day, while I mixed drinks behind the bar, he walked in on the same night my crush confessed his feelings for me.
My simple life of college and track drained into an underworld of peril and passion so dangerous, I risked everything for him, including my life.
This is our story.

Don’t Close Your Eyes buy link: Don’t Close Your Eyes : Volume 1 of the Don’t Close Your Eyes Series (Don’t Close Your Eyes – A Slow Burn Enemies to Lovers Series) – Kindle edition by Layne, Lynessa, Cassidy, TK, Alford, AJ. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

How I became an International Bestselling Author

Want to know my back story? Know more about me?

Check out my latest author interview, here and enjoy the ride!

https://allauthor.com/interview/tklawyer/

The beautiful world of Gina Ferguson

Hi Readers,

I am here again with another fantastic author.  Check out my interview with the lovely Gina and take a look at her hot books, too!

Author Gina Ferguson_Image

Thank you, Gina, for joining us.

  1. Tell me a bit about one of your favorites that you wrote.

Honestly, I do not have a favorite; (it’s like your children you can’t play favorites) but I enjoyed writing each one with there unique characters and situations. My suggestion is to start with my stand-alone books, or the sequel sets which ever you prefer. (Rachel or Love Hot/ Lie Royally)

2.      Writing is a difficult endeavor.  What makes you continue to write?

I haven’t found the writing part to be difficult, it is finding time to write. I am a 40 hour a week working mom, uber mom and sports mom, so on Saturdays and Sundays I may have some free time, but it isn’t a lot.

3.      What do you look forward to every day?

I prefer to get some sleep at night, but new storylines or characters wake me from my slumber most of the time.

4.      How do you define success?  What makes you successful?

Success is the finale to the end of writing a book, cover and all. Successful is when I see four to five-star ratings on Amazon.com for one of my books and when I get to see readers faces at book signing events eager to read the next book.

5.      Any tips for a newbie writer?

Never give up. Don’t let anyone diminish your dreams, writing is an art form and it should be shared, expressed and admired.

 

Follow Gina on Amazon and one click your favorite in her collection:

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00M9C7UUK

 

The stellar C.D. Melley

Hi Readers,

I am back with another incredible author.  Check out my interview with Douglas J. McLeod who writes under the pen names:  C. D. Melley, and Crimson Nuage and then one click his featured book “The Prairie Fire Within.”

Douglas J McLeod Author Image

Thank you so much for joining me!

  1. Tell me a bit about one of your favorites that you wrote.

I guess my favorite book to write was my first foray into the romance genre, The Prairie Fire Within. Before then, most of the stories I wrote were of the detective genre; whether it was private eye stories in elementary school, or the paranormal detective tales I write now. However, I wanted to try something different. Since most of the authors I had befriended on social media at the time wrote romance, I decided to give that a go. Only one problem: how to distinguish myself from my detective books? At the time, my great aunt was losing her battle with Stage IV lung cancer, so I made a vow to myself and to her: I would create a new author persona to pay homage to her. Taking the initials of one of my middle names, and my real first name, as well as, her maiden name, the name “C. D. Melley” was born. I released “TPFW” in February 2014, and was the first book of an intended trilogy. Admittedly, with three personas, and a plethora of plot bunnies to chase, the rest of the trilogy has been slow coming. I released the second book, The Prairie Fire Rekindled, in November 2017, and the final tome, The Prairie Fire Ablaze, has a goal of an August 2020 release. Whether or not I make that deadline is yet to be seen.

Douglas J McLeod - The Prairie Fire Within_Book Cover

The Prairie Fire Within is available on Amazon and other fine eBook retailers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IGGNT30

2. Writing is a difficult endeavor. What makes you continue to write?

It is quite a difficult endeavor; even more so when you have a full-time job and are also studying part-time towards a university degree. That being said, I enjoy writing. I feel there are some compelling stories within me, and some interesting ideas that have popped into my head over the years. Granted, some of them have not been seen through to completion. I guess you could argue I have a bit of ADD in that regard. Regardless, I believe everyone has a creative side. For example, my wife makes homemade crafts for herself and the dog rescue she volunteers with. My case, it’s writing. I find it very cathartic to get my thoughts and feelings down on paper, or in a document, after a stressful day or week at work. It helps calm and relax me in the process.

 

3. What do you look forward to every day?

It’s funny you ask that. For years, I would dread getting out of bed every day because I felt like I didn’t have any real purpose or drive. I was constantly depressed and suffered from anxiety. This was due to a negative upbringing where I was made to believe I wouldn’t amount to anything. But thanks to writing and other positive cognitive practices, I am grateful for what the day brings me. Before, I didn’t have much to look forward to; whether it was in life, work, or romantic relationships. Now, I have a wonderful wife who supports me every step of the way, a day job that, while it can be stressful and aggravating at times, helps put food on the table, and a whole new life I didn’t think was possible years ago.

Part of that was moving away from a Toronto neighborhood where I lived the majority of my life (37 years) to start this aforementioned new life in Florida over three years ago. My anxiety was through the roof because I was not ready to step out of my comfort zone. But thanks to my now wife, she helped me break down those psychological walls, and show me that, in the famous words of basketball all-star Kevin Garnett, “Anything is possible.”

 

4. How do you define success? What makes you successful?

One would think success as an author is measured by sales, having a devout following of readers, or having a lucrative publishing deal. I don’t see that to be the case for me. As someone who is as eclectic and varied as myself between my three personas and the three genres I write (paranormal detective/mystery, romance with various levels of steam, and reflective poetry), it’s tough to garner a following. While I do enjoy it when I go to an event and sell a paperback copy of one of my titles, or I log into one of my online publishing accounts and see an e-copy has been purchased, I know that there are others who sell a considerable amount more. I think it’s because they have the time and energy to write on a regular basis. Alas, with my schedule, I try to write when I can. I guess, in short, my success is measured in the small victories I’m able to make along the way.

 

5. Any tips for a newbie writer?

My number one piece of advice for a new writer is not to get discouraged. The road to success has the odd pothole in it, and if you’re not careful, it will mess you up. You might not get the sales you hope for right away, or you might feel like you’re a small fish in a big pond. That’s perfectly alright. Just continue to write what you enjoy. To paraphrase the famous quote from the movie, Field of Dreams, “If you write it, they will read.”

Also, don’t get too intimidated when it comes to marketing yourself and your books. As a self-published author, the promotional aspects fall squarely upon our shoulders, and I’ll be perfectly honest, I can’t market myself worth a crap, so it can be quite daunting when you don’t know what you’re doing. However, getting to know fellow, supportive authors and others in the book community will help you on your journey.

You might hear the horror stories of cliques in the community, and yes, in some aspects, there is a “high school mentality” amongst some individuals. Those are the type of people you want to avoid and not get wrapped up in the drama. But if you do your research, there are some absolutely supportive people out there who will actually help you along the way. Just be prepared to return their generosity in kind because it is truly a “do unto others as they do unto you” mindset and courtesy to them. Just be careful if you intend to turn a hated rival into a dead body in a future work of fiction. Litigation can be an awful bitch.

 

** Follow Douglas McLeod and his writing endeavors at**

https://www.facebook.com/DouglasJMcleodAuthor

 

 

The Hostest with the Mostest

Many Thanks to Author Patty Perrin for hosting me on her blog!

Check out my latest Author Interview and leave a comment or two.  Be sure to one click my latest book, Orion!  Available on Amazon, B&N, Kobo, Ibooks and so many more options!

 

https://ptlperrinwrites.com/2019/02/21/interview-with-an-angel-author/?fbclid=IwAR001slFHKLWgK-plOXLCkgodojsRpoj4hU0oqOUd-4SIyiNrrlUDY3dBfc

 

Meet the Author

Hanging out with Melissa Banczak

Hi Readers,

You know what I like just as much as reading?  It’s spending time with great authors like Melissa Banczak.  Recently, I was able to catch up with her for an interview.  Let me share my experience with you.

Melissa Banczak_Author Image

Melissa, thank you so much for the opportunity to steal you away from your busy life to answer some questions for my readers.  So, let’s begin.

  1. Tell me a bit about one of your favorites that you wrote.

I was a screenwriter for ten years so there were a lot of great characters that I created and still think about. Some produced, some not. I switched to novels a couple of years ago when I’d had enough of that life. So far, I’ve only written one full length book and a prequel, so I’m going with the novel, How to Sex Your Snake. It started as a nanowrimo back in 2004 with a place holder title of, The Aha Moment – A woman falls in love with a guy who collects snakes and then gets caught up in a murder mystery, all while trying to figure out what she wants out of life. I hit the word count but the story was only 2/3rds of the way done and I had no idea how to end it. So I set it aside. Then a couple of years later, my husband left me in charge of his 100 or so snakes (most were babies) while he was out of the country for a year.

One of the first days, I walked into the bathroom and found myself nose to nose with a 9 foot boa hanging from the bathroom light. My daughter had put the snake in the shower and when she’d been done, the snake had climbed up on the light to dry. Everyday was something new and by the time my husband got back, I had the changes I needed for my book, a great new title, and a heroine who had no one to blame for her misery but herself thanks to her bad choices. Maybe because June is completely my creation, she is my favorite. There won’t be an actress to make choices and change how she interacts with the world. She’s all mine.

2.  Writing is a difficult endeavor.  What makes you continue to write?

I have no idea! I’m horribly lazy. Notes from my readers help. People asking for the next in the series or what else I’m working on. Seeing sales on my amazon dashboard and knowing I have no idea who those people are. I’m a tiny bit ambitious so that helps me pop my computer in the case and head out to the coffee house. I hate the idea of my characters being stuck in limbo. (my head)

 

  1. What do you look forward to every day?

Chocolate cake! Some days, one of the only ways to get out the door, is to tell myself I’ll get a slice of chocolate cake and eat it while I write. I never do, though. I look at the cake in the case and think about how great it would taste. And then at the last minute, I change my mind. I think about how crappy I’ll feel with all that sugar in my system. And I just get tea. But, I absolutely love chocolate cake, so on some days, the very idea of it is the only way to get me on my way. I never write at home. Too many distractions.

 

  1. How do you define success? What makes you successful?

Selling books! As long as people are buying I’m a happy camper. I have enough sales on Amazon to suggest that I’m building an audience. Hopefully, they want more. As I write the sequel to How to Sex Your Snake, I’m world building two additional series. I plan on holding back both until they’re complete then rapid releasing. Probably one every month. When readers find a series they like they want to binge. I know I do.

 

  1. Any tips for a newbie writer?

You know your story. Don’t ever let anyone talk you out of telling it. Yeah, an editor will help you shape it but if there’s something that you really don’t want to change, fight for it. But understand why you want to keep whatever it is. And be able to explain the reason. If you can’t, you don’t need whatever it was.

 

How to sex your snake is available on Amazon!

 

Follow Melissa:

A monkey was wearing my bra

https://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Banczak/e/B01N7UG4ZW

https://www.facebook.com/melissabanczakauthor/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7103263.Melissa_Banczak

 

Join Melissa’s Newsletter:

A pool of blood…A missing body…A famous brother accused of murder. June Nash has the worst luck. Get the first 56 pages of my new book, How to Sex Your Snake, free! https://melissabanczak.com/mailing-list/

 

A Halloween Horror Treat!

Hi Readers,

Love Halloween?  How about some thrilling, heartbeat racing, horror?  Well that’s what you will find with this scream-worthy author Steven Evans.  Check out my interview with him:

  1. Tell me a bit about one of your favorites that you wrote.
  • I’d have to say that the fairytale retellings have been my favorite.

Just trying to continue and add to a story that is already known

world wide and keep the integrity of I intact even if you’ve changed

the basis of it, it’s an adventure in itself.

2. Writing is a difficult endeavor. What makes you continue to write?

  • The stories keep speaking and demanding to take their place in the

world of published books. If even one person enjoys what I write, it

all becomes worthwhile.

3. What do you look forward to every day?

  • I’m kind of a boring person. Just like to have low stress and no big

worries. I really like no plans just seeing what comes my way.

4. How do you define success? What makes you successful?

  • Success, that’s just an oxymoron. Everyone has a different idea of

what success entails. I guess, I’d have to say, to me, success is more

if I can actually get the story out of my head the way it’s supposed to

be.

5.  Any tips for a newbie writer?

  • The only advice I’m really going to give is two things…

First: If you believe in yourself then you can never give up. Always

keep striving to improve your style.

Second: Don’t be afraid to ask your peers for help. Many indie authors

are happy to give advice. This is also a two part answer. Never believe

you are so talented or popular that you forget to be grateful. Remember,

no matter how hard you’ve worked to get to this point, you haven’t done

it alone. There have been people helping throughout your journey.

 

Daddy’s Angel (Weeping Willow Book 1)

 Written by Steven Evans

$0.99 on #Amazon OR #FREEonKU

https://amzn.to/2MW9Dh1

 

Check out Daddy’s Angel – Trailer 

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=454101794937441&id=306536453027310

 

Blurb:

 

“For some, living is a daily struggle. Their loneliness guides them and their sadness isolates them.”

 

Tortured by his guilt, a man’s suffering allows an Evil force to enter his dreams.

 

his life becomes a living nightmare. Memories blurred by reality; he longs for a sweet release. “A release that can only be found in Death.”

 

To ease his pain, will he mingle with the Darkness and surrender his soul?

 

#NowLive #KindleUnlimited #UltimateLoss #Nightmares #Death #WeepingWillowSeries #DaddysAngel #StevenEvans #ParanormalActivity #Possessed #Darkness

How about some horror for Halloween- part 1

Hi amazing readers,

Who loves Halloween and things that go bump in the night?  How about a thrilling Sci-Fi/Fantasy during this phenomenal month?  That’s what this stellar author’s new book is all about.

Check out my latest interview with author Steve Soderquist. His latest book The Mor is available now!

  1. Tell me a bit about one of your favorites that you wrote.

I have to say my most recent book ‘The Mor’ has hit many soft spots regarding favorite characters and moments. I’ve always loved the sci-fi genre but never felt compelled to write anything of it myself, preferring to stay in fan-boy status. However, when I was helping to remove some dead shrubs from our front yard area to keep from strangling the live ones, I kept running across these little pod-like red blisters on the dead branches. They looked almost alien to me, which isn’t saying anything mind-blowing as I have a zero green thumb. Still, it was the catalyst to the idea that eventually made its way to becoming a book.

I had many intimidating factors, such as: Will I need to write about spaceships? Will I need people to visit different planets? Will there be gooey aliens or things that are so far-fetched I’ll find myself sorely out-matched by a lack of imagination or ability to explain my vision of what I see?

I am very much a character author. Meaning, I write about people responding to circumstances, not circumstances dictating what people will do. If you take three different personalities and put them in a stressful scene, they will all respond differently. This is the meat and potatoes to my writing style. I enjoy writing real people in unreal, or dangerous, or strange situations, then having them realistically and depending on their own talents and abilities, find a way out. ‘The Mor’ was able to do that as even though the two opposing alien races in the book were as night and day as we are, they still had to coexist in the same dynamics of our world. It allowed for some great setups and situations.

2. Writing is a difficult endeavor.  What makes you continue to write?

I love the challenge of figuring out how to get from point A to point B and beyond. If a writer can tell the story in a way that’s interesting and that clicks with the reader – so they’re along for the ride – so much the better. For me, writing is only difficult if nothing in the story is going on. I always need to remind myself to slow down at times and get a little back-story, in the story. If I don’t, I tend to 90-to-Nothing the whole book.

A good book should be like a roller coaster ride with building tension, followed by stomach-rolling drops and turns. It’s a writing process that can takes years (if ever) for a writer to get. I don’t know how many times I had to slow down ‘The Mor.’ Too many to count. Often it was like a car with no brakes on a steep hill. But, thanks to careful editing, re-writes, and beta-readers who are about as subtle as surgeons operating with baseball bats, I found a happy balance.

3. What do you look forward to every day?

As I edit, format, review submissions, and handle other day to day operations for Foundations, I’ve been incredibly blessed that I still love what I do. I can work 12 or 14 hours in a day,

unplug, then sit up and read in bed for an hour…lol. I’m really in love with the written word that much. The more I read, the more I learn—both the good and the bad. I’ve learned just as much from a badly written book as I have from a great one. What I MOST look forward to, however, is spending some quiet time with Laura, my fiancé, business partner, and best friend. Not many people can take my level of intensity except in small doses, but she has a way of winding through those roads without needing any headlights. Catch us late at night, and you’ll most likely find us vegging and binge watching a Netflix or Hulu original. We have the same tastes in entertainment, so that’s one of our mutual happy places.

4. How do you define success? What makes you successful?

There was a time when success for me circled around monetary wealth and possessions. After being humbled time and again, I now gauge success by how much you enrich the lives of those you encounter. It’s the basis of how I live my life and how I treat others. The smallest pebble thrown in water makes ripples that spread all around it. I am a pebble.

5.  Any tips for a newbie writer?

Read and write, write and read. Do both every day. Push yourself to learn the mechanics. A mediocre story that’s well-written will sell, and often sell very well… a great story that’s badly written won’t. Proper English isn’t something anyone is born with. It’s a learned subject that needs to turn into a habit as natural as breathing. Take courses, go to classes, and study. Most of all, don’t let anyone tell you that you’re wasting your time. No one can write like you. Not the trillions of people who lived before you or the trillions after. Just you.

And have fun!

Social Links:

Facebook:                                         https://www.facebook.com/steve.soderquist.3

Facebook Author Page:               https://www.facebook.com/SteveSoderquistAuthor/

Amazon Author Page:                  https://www.amazon.com/author/stevesoderquist

Goodreads:                                      https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6626657.Steve_Soderquist

Google+:                                           https://plus.google.com/116546158818053309346

Twitter:                                            https://twitter.com/skirascal – @skirascal

Linkedin:                                         https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevesoderquist/

Email:                                              https://steves@foundationsbooks.net

Website:                                         http://www.SteveSoderquist.com/

YouTube Channel:                     https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV55b1YWTrqw5ihuBMBfcnw

Foundations:                               https://www.FoundationsBooks.net

First Author Interview Live!

Hey Readers,

You know what’s great?  Being the very first author interviewed by a fellow blogger.  Wow!!

I am so honored and excited to share with you my Author Interview on Andrea’s site.  Go check it out and show her some love, too!!

http://254bookaholic.blogspot.com/2018/09/mwandishi-spotlight-my-first-interview.html?m=1#more