Fair Is Over: Monday Blog Post

Posted on September 19, 2016 by conniejean

Newest News:

Totally missed writing last week’s Monday blog post because I was doing final Fair clean-up. But now, that is over and I had time over the last week to get rid of my fair-brain, and get back to writing.

Zoe Ohale rewrite came back from my editor. Now that I’m done with the fair I’ll have time to go over the last edits and get it ready to release. I’m still working with my cover designer on alternate titles. I still want my “A” Team to review possible covers and get to select which of the draft covers will be my release cover. If you’d like to be in on the action, respond to this blog and let me know your name and email address. Do it now cause who knows when I’ll finalize those covers and get ready to release. Cover reveal will be to the “A” Team first, then the newsletter subscribers, then here on the blog. Want to be in the know first? Comment on this blog to join the A Team.

I am trying something new. A mug offer. Since we’re close to Halloween, I thought I’d do a Halloween themed mug. It has a picture of my daughter’s Chihuahua, Phoebe, in a pumpkin. She really didn’t like being in the pumpkin, hence my caption. You can find the mug at https://www.gearbubble.com/chihuahuapumpkin2016. I’m thinking of putting my book covers on mugs, too, for a memento. What are your thoughts?

Giveaways:

The Red Hot Summer Giveaway is over. My first prize, a copy of Mystery at the Fair, went to Michael Fritz, and the 2^nd prize, a $10 Amazon Gift card went to Sammy’s Book Obsession.

Now, it’s the Halloween Author Group Giveaway. You can find the Rafflecopter link on my website. You do have to sign up to Rafflecopter but after that, you’re free to click away. I have links to it on my facebook and twitter pages, too. This giveaway I offer a free ebook, Recall, or for second prize, a copy of my Halloween Tales ebook. Over a hundred prizes from 30 authors plus a grand prize of $100 Paypal Cash. It’s not hard to enter, there are multiple ways to enter, and it doesn’t cost you anything. You could easily win a prize. If you haven’t entered yet, enter today and every day!

Instafreebie September 18- 20th, 2016

Starting 1 September, I’m involved with a group doing a promotion on Instafreebie. The main promo is going to be today, September 19^th. There are a lot of authors involved and we’ll be cross promoting the books so you get the best selection of cozy mysteries we could put together. My link on Instafreebie is https://www.instafreebie.com/free/rXIZT and the book is free! I know! Last week I said .99 but nah, it’s free! Hashtags for the giveaway will be #instafreebie, #mystery, #Cozy20, #freemystery, #20Mysteries. The full link is http://annertan.com/free-mystery-books/ Please share the tweets and posts. Let everyone in on the fun. Check for us on Facebook and Twitter.

Shout Out:

Author Kim Bailey Deal

On September 21st, my author interview is with Kim Bailey Deal, author of Women’s Fiction, short stories, poetry and creative non-fiction. She’s been published in several blogs and magazines, including Pilcrow & Dagger’s August/September issue, http://pilcrowdagger.com/issues/. She lives in Tennessee with her husband and can be found at www.kimbaileydeal.net. Check out her website!

Garden News:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes. Paste, Early Girl and Cherries. It’s still all about the tomatoes and zucchini. I foisted off gave two big zukes to my brother-in-law Saturday. I used up a lot of cherry tomatoes making tomato soup. I blogged about that on the Chicklets in the Kitchen blog due out on the 25^th. I’m turning chopped zucchini into breakfast hash with chopped left over pork chops. The Swiss Chard and broccoli plants I planted a week ago are doing well. Days are warm and nights are cool. Just what those plants like. How’s your garden doing? Are you enjoying an abundance of something? Do tell.

Where Will I Be?:

The wonderful people at Dog-Eared Pages Book store (http://www.dogearedpagesusedbooks.com/) were nice enough to put a few of my Mystery at the Fair books on their shelves. If you’re in Phoenix, stop by the shop and say hi to the nice people there.

9^th annual Fall Festival in Pine, AZ. October 8^th and 9^th. http://pinestrawberrybusinesscommunityaz.com/fallapple.html. I’ll be there all weekend as part of the local author book signing. My hubby will be there as part of the chili cook-off with his Hot Italian Sausage chili at 11am on Saturday the 8^th. There are also crafters and a very excellent antique show scheduled, not to mention music and food!

Want more details about this event? Click here for more information.

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click here to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve put sign-up prizes on both the regular and the Brown Rain newsletter sign-ups. That’s right. If you sign up for my newsletter you get a free story from me. Be prepared for fun and contests! Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m working on. Join my “A” Team! I’m getting ready to share some things on the Zoe Ohale book. I’d love to see you there.

Newest Book Release:

Kindred Spirits released on March 14th! I’m pretty excited about it. You can buy it and my other books at: Apple, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, Gumroads or Chatebooks today! You can also see all of my books on www.ConniesRandomThoughts.com. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads. It’s a big help to me in the book rankings each vendor uses to promote the books on their sites. Thanks in advance.

Author Interviews: Dawn Simpson

Posted on September 7, 2016 by conniejean

Author D.M. Simpson

I want to welcome D.M. Simpson to my Author Interviews today. Here’s what Dawn has to say about herself.

I am a native Floridian. Most do not believe anyone is native to Florida, but I am here to tell you there are many of us. I am from a large family. I have six siblings, four sisters, and two brothers. I have seven incredible children, five boys, and two girls. I love animals. I have a cat, and a dog, who are now the only children in the house. I am an eclectic spirit. I have a BS in Criminal Justice. I have lived in two foreign countries. I have traveled to Germany. I have traveled from coast to coast here in the states. I, however, prefer the east coast. I have been writing now for three years, and I would not give it up for anything. I started this adventure of writing as a challenge to myself after reading several books written by self-publishers and even some traditionally published. I sat down on my birthday and just started writing. I had a twelve-chapter book staring back at me after four weeks. I wrote every spare moment. I wrote while I cooked dinner. I wrote while the kids did their homework around me at my desk. I wrote on my breaks at work. I wrote while my husband watched TV. Motivated by friends and one of my sisters, who would read as I wrote, begging for more as I completed each chapter. The support was euphoric. My first book was originally going to be my only book, but once the writing bug bites, you cannot stop. Here I am three years later writing two thrillers, the fourth book in my erotic romance series and editing the third book in the erotic romance series.

Wow. That’s a lot going on. But let’s get into the rest of the interview.

1. Let’s start with something fun. What’s your favorite hobby?

I love horseback riding, but I don’t get to do it very much.

2. If you had the opportunity—who would you like to spend an afternoon with and why?

Marjorie Collins; I would like to ask her if she was proud of the person her rebellious granddaughter has become. To hear her laugh, see her smile and to feel her arms wrap around me as she hugs me.

3. Coffee, tea, soda or something else?

Green tea or Black tea or soda just depends on my mood.

4. What are you working on right now?

Currently, writing two thrillers, editing the third book in my romance series and writing the fourth book in the romance series.

Here’s a bit about my newest book, The Ties That Bind, Lyric and Michael. https://www.amazon.com/Lyric-Michael-Ties-That-Bind-ebook/dp/B00DKMKGFO

Career was the focus as Lyric headed to the big city of Boston, she had no interest in anything else. Running from her past to a place where no one knew who or what she was or was not, on a path of the destiny of her choosing. However, fate had other plans. Finding herself and learning there was so much more than she ever imaged. Caught in a love triangle of danger and death.

5. How would you describe your writing style?

I would have to say mental and eclectic. I write as I think and a lot as I speak. My writing is related to my mood as I write. I attempt to draw the reader into the story, make them feel what they are reading. I do not feel I fit in a single genre, eclectic, I incorporate several genres in all my stories.

6. Do you have any advice for a person just beginning their writing career?

If you find yourself getting easily agitated because you cannot sit down and write, you are a writer. Writing is the easy part, putting yourself out there for the world to review is the challenging part. I would not say you have to have a thick skin to be a writer; you have to have the ability to take a review of your writing and make it a learning experience. Not a negative/positive thing. Not everyone is going to like what you write or your style of writing, that doesn’t make it wrong or right, it makes it yours and that is what writing is, it’s yours.

7. Do you immerse yourself in new situations for writing ideas or do your ideas come to you through your normal, day-to-day life?

Ideas come to me through normal day to day life. I also have them come to me in dreams.

8. Where can we find you on the interwebs?

My blog: http://simpsondm7071.blogspot.com/

My facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dmsimpson7071

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/DM-Simpson/e/B00KYRQQTI

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7211741.D_M_Simpson

Dawn, Thank you so much for coming by my blog today and talking with us a little about your work.

All, please stop by Dawn’s pages and say hello. She’ll be happy to see you.

Posted on September 5, 2016 by conniejean

Mom and Dad

Newest News:

Happy Labor Day everyone. My mom and dad were blue collar workers and both were in unions. Mom, because she worked for White Mop company making steel mop heads, buckets, wringers and such, was a steel worker. Dad was a Laborer, meaning he did the heaviest grunt work in the construction world. I’m proud of both of them for providing all of us kids a home, food, clothes, and a knowledge of the value of a dollar and hard work. Thanks Mom and Dad.

Zoe Ohale rewrite is with my editor for the second time. I’m am working on my cover and it’s taking longer than I thought. I still want my “A” Team to review possible covers and tget to select which of the draft covers will be my release cover. If you’d like to be in on the action, respond to this blog and let me know your name and email address. Do it now cause who knows when I’ll finalize those covers and get ready to release. Cover reveal will be to the “A” Team first, then the newsletter subscribers, then here on the blog. Want to be in the know first? Comment on this blog to join the A Team.

The Northern Gila County Fair again took up a lot of time last week with meetings, last minute details and other work. The fair starts this Friday, the 9^th, at 8am, so this week will be filled with the setup in preparation for the opening. I also attended a meeting for the Book Festival finalizing details of a new venue. All of my book festival goers and authors, stay tuned for an announcement about that. Are you in Central Arizona this coming weekend? Come to the fair! www.NorthernGilaCountyFair.com

Giveaways:

The Red Hot Summer has been extended to the 8th, so you have just a little more time to get in on the fun. You can find the Rafflecopter link above on my website. You do have to sign up to Rafflecopter but after that, you’re free to click away. I have links to it on my facebook and twitter pages, too. This giveaway I offer a free ebook, Mystery at the Fair, or for second prize, a $10 Amazon card. Over a hundred prizes from 50 authors plus a grand prize of $150 Paypal Cash. It’s not hard to enter, there are multiple ways to enter, and it doesn’t cost you anything. You could easily win a prize. If you haven’t entered yet, enter today and every day but hurry, only 14 days left!

Instafreebie September 18- 20th, 2016

Starting 1 September, I’m involved with a group doing a promotion on Instafreebie. The main promo is going to be September 19-20^th. There will be a lot of authors involved and we’ll be cross promoting the books so you get the best selection of cozy mysteries we could put together. Click on http://annertan.com/free-mystery-books/ and then click on the book cover to take you directly to the book you want. My link on Instafreebie is https://www.instafreebie.com/free/rXIZT and the book, Mystery at the Fair, is free! I know! Last week I said .99 but nah, it’s free! Hashtags for the giveaway will be #instafreebie, #mystery, #freemystery, #20Mysteries. Please share the tweets and posts. Let everyone in on the fun. More details as they come out. But check for us on Facebook and Twitter.

Shout Out:

On August 7^th, my author interview is with D. M. Simpson, author of Lyric and Michael. An author of paranormal romance, Dawn lives in Florida with an assortment of pets, kids and husband. You can find Lyric and Michael at http://www.amazon.com/DM-Simpson/e/B00KYRQQTI as well as her newest book, Christine and Daniel!

Garden News:

Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes. Paste, Early Girl and Cherries. Then there’s the zucchini. Lots and lots of zucchini. We eat them at just about every meal. I made a spaghetti sauce from mostly cherry tomatoes on Saturday because I had so many. Some paste and Early Girls went into the sauce, too. I thought it’d be sweet but an application of red pepper flakes gave it a nice balance. Yay! Sunday I froze a bumper pick of green beans. We’ll have plenty for all winter long. That’s very satisfying. How’s your garden doing? Are you enjoying an abundance of something? Do tell.

Where Will I Be?:

9^th annual Fall Festival in Pine, AZ. October 8^th and 9^th. http://pinestrawberrybusinesscommunityaz.com/fallapple.html. I’ll be there all weekend as part of the local author book signing. My hubby will be there as part of the chili cook-off at noon on Saturday. There are also crafters and a very excellent antique show scheduled, not to mention music and food!

Want more details about this event? Click here for more information.

Newsletter Sign Up:

Newest Book Release:

Garden and Zoe: Monday Blog Post

Posted on August 29, 2016 by conniejean

Newest News:

Zoe Ohale rewrite is DONE! Whew! It took a lot of thought and some shifting around of chapters but it’s done. I’m now working on my cover and my “A” Team is going to get to select which of the draft covers will be my release cover. If you’d like to be in on the action, respond to this blog and let me know your name and email address. Do it in the next day cause I’m finalizing those covers and getting ready to release. Cover reveal will be to the “A” Team first, then the newsletter subscribers, then here on the blog. Want to be in the know first? Comment on this blog to join the A Team.

The fair again took up a lot of time last week with all of the coordination required to get everything “on the table” at that same time. I’m also attended the Book Festival volunteer thank-you luncheon so that took up a few hours of my time as well.

I met with my editor at the local paper, Pete Aleshire of the Payson Roundup. I’m now an official “stringer” with the paper and filled out the paperwork to get paid for my hiking stories in the new Trails book the paper put out. It is not, unfortunately, on Amazon. But if you’re going to be in central Arizona and like to hike, let me know, I’ll send you a copy for $5 plus shipping. Nine of the hikes in the book were written by me. Photos for those hikes are by my hubby, Randy Cockrell, and our hiking friends Randy Wilfong and Jim Hadder. The photos are mislabeled as being all by my husband. But I know who took them!

Giveaways:

The Red Hot Summer giveaway ends on Labor Day, just 5 days away, so you’re running out of time to get in on the fun. You can find the Rafflecopter link above on my website. You do have to sign up to Rafflecopter but after that, you’re free to click away. I have links to it on my facebook and twitter pages, too. This giveaway I offer a free ebook, Mystery at the Fair, or for second prize, a $10 Amazon card. Over a hundred prizes from 50 authors plus a grand prize of $150 Paypal Cash. It’s not hard to enter, there are multiple ways to enter, and it doesn’t cost you anything. You could easily win a prize. If you haven’t entered yet, enter today and every day but hurry, only 14 days left!

Instafreebie September 18- 20th, 2016

Starting 1 September, I’m involved with a group doing a promotion on Instafreebie. I’m starting on 1 September by selling Mystery at the Fair for just .99. I know. A whole ebook for ninety-nine cents! The main promo for free books is going to be September 18-20^th. There will be a lot of authors involved and we’ll be cross promoting the books so you get the best selection of cozy mysteries we could put together. Hashtags will be #instafreebie, #mystery, #freemystery. More details as they come out. But check for us on Facebook and Twitter as well.

Shout Out:

Author LeeAnn Jackson Rhoden

I missed shouting out my author interviewee for August 24^th, LeeAnn Jackson. You can go back on the website blog page and find the interview. You’ll want to pick up her links and check out her books for sure.

Garden News:

Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes. Paste, Early Girl and Cherries. Then there’s the zucchini. Lots and lots of zucchini. We eat them at just about every meal. I didn’t make the zucchini pizza yet, instead I’m going to blog late (August 25^th) on Chicklets in the Kitchen with Peach Shortcake. I’m still eating through my peaches too! How’s your garden doing? Are you enjoying an abundance of something? Do tell.

Where Will I Be?:

9^th annual Fall Festival in Pine, AZ. October 8^th and 9^th. http://pinestrawberrybusinesscommunityaz.com/fallapple.html. I’ll be there all weekend as part of the local author book signing. My hubby will be there as part of the chili cook-off at noon on Saturday. There are also crafters and a very excellent antique show scheduled, not to mention music and food!

Want more details about this event? Click here for more information.

Newsletter Sign Up:

Newest Book Release:

Author Interviews: LeeAnn Jackson Rhoden

Posted on August 24, 2016 by conniejean

Author LeeAnn Jackson Rhoden

I’d like to welcome author LeeAnn to the blog today. LeeAnn Jackson Rhoden is a wife, mom, and author. She lives with her family in their fixer-upper house they’ve been renovating for three years and hopes it will be finished before her six-year-old goes to college. She is the publisher and an editor for Pilcrow & Dagger, has six short stories published and is still reworking her first novel. Thank you, LeeAnn for visiting with us. Let’s get to it, shall we?

1. Let’s start with something fun. What’s your favorite hobby?

Knitting. I learned to knit about 5 years ago. I made two scarves using the garter stitch then made a striped sweater vest for my husband that actually turned out pretty good. He wears it, anyway. I’ve taught myself how to knit in the round, and how to do strand knitting and I’m about to tackle Aran knitting. I like the complex patterns and rhythms and to me, knitting is very restful. I can shut out the noise and the rest of the world and just knit.

2. If you had the opportunity—who would you like to spend an afternoon with and why?

Hmmm…. good question. Probably Benjamin Franklin. He was a printer and publisher, an accomplished author under several pseudonyms, a diplomat, a scientist, a historian, and an all-around fascinating person.

3. Coffee, tea, soda or something else?

Coffee. In the afternoon more coffee. If it’s hot, iced coffee. In the evening, bourbon. On the rocks.

4. What are you working on right now?

I publish a literary magazine, Pilcrow & Dagger, that takes up the bulk of my time. I finished the first draft of my first novel a couple of years ago. With the aid of a beta reader I discovered a GAPING hole in my plot. And so I set out to rewrite/revise it. And in the process, I discovered that my novel is actually three novels and, of course the sequel to those. I’ve taken too much time out from writing recently and to get back into the swing of things I’ve been entering short story contests. Don’t care if I win, it’s the writing that I need to do. But I’ve set a goal to complete the first novel in my series.

5. How would you describe your writing style?

I’m a pantser. Just like the way I talk (I have no censor. I just blurt). I write what comes into my head, typically disjointed scenes, and then I move them around until they are coherent. And then comes the editing to get rid of the yucky stuff.

6. Do you have any advice for a person just beginning their writing career?

Set a daily goal of words and stick to it. Set it at a reasonable amount like 500 words. If you go over that amount then fantastic! And it doesn’t have to be related to any particular work in progress either. Many times you may feel stumped or bored with your project. You may be too tired or overwhelmed with what the day brought. Look out your window and write 500 words on what you see. Play with sensory descriptions – sight, sound, smell, touch/feelings, taste. Play with words. Make up new words. Just write your daily amount.

7. Do you immerse yourself in new situations for writing ideas or do your ideas come to you through your normal, day-to-day life?

Both.

If I’m done with my soul-sucking life chores (meal preparations, laundry and housekeeping, errands, etc.) and I am able to carve a few peaceful moments to be by myself I can open my mind and imagination and “see” the characters and story in front of me and write freely.

But, many days the soul-sucking chores get in the way of writing time. Still, ideas and phrases will come at you from what you hear standing in line at the grocery store, or something you see driving down the street. I carry index cards and a pen, always, and write them down for later.

8. Where can we find you on the interwebs?

I have six short stories self-published on Amazon.com in the Kindle Store https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=LeeAnn+Rhoden&rh=n%3A133140011%2Ck%3ALeeAnn+Rhoden

I publish a literary magazine, Pilcrow & Dagger, with 8 issues per year. http://www.pilcrowdagger.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/LeeAnnRhoden

Facebook (Author page): https://www.facebook.com/LeeAnnJacksonRhoden

And coming soon, my website: http://www.LeeAnnRhoden.com

Thank you so much LeeAnn for visiting with us today. Dear readers, take the time to visit LeeAnn on her sites and find out what she’s up to recently.

August Already: Monday Blog Post

Posted on August 1, 2016 by conniejean

Crowd at the Payson Book Festival 2016

Newest News:

So I have had a week’s recovery from the Payson Book Festival, held July 23^rd. It was a great success with over 90 authors and over 600 visitors. Food, music, story-telling, author presentations and all of those authors selling books from every genre, fiction and non-fiction, imaginable. As the committee, we’re all involved in the wrap-up phase. Financial sheets need to be filled in, evaluations and feedback forms reviewed and reports compiled, and sponsors, volunteers, festival goers and authors need to be thanked. We’ll have our after-action meeting on the 8^th to go over what went well and what we can do better. The evaluations everyone leaves for us goes a long way to help us sort good and popular aspects of the festival from those not so good.

AuthorShout.com has been a fantastic promoter for me the entire month of July. I’m so pleased with the publicity they’ve been giving me. My book, Kindred Spirits, was on their site for the month of July. http://authorshout.com/recommended-reading/ Take a look around the site. It will be worth your while if you’re looking for a new to you author and fine reading.

Giveaways:

The Smashwords.com’s Summer/Winter Sale is now over. Four of my books, Mystery at the Fair, A New Start, First Encounter, and Lost Rainbows, were free on the site. A good many of you did go and get free books. I hope you enjoy them. They’re still available on Smashwords.com with my other books, as well as on Amazon, Kobo, Itunes, Barnes and Noble and other retailers for both paperback and ebooks. On my website, I have direct links to every book and where it is retailed.

The Red Hot Summer giveaway is still in full swing. Just click on the Rafflecopter link. You do have to sign up to Rafflecopter but after that, you’re free to click away. I have links to it on my facebook, twitter, and website pages. This giveaway I offer a free ebook, Mystery at the Fair, or for second prize, a $10 Amazon card. Over a hundred prizes from over 50 authors plus a grand prize of $150 Paypal Cash. It’s not hard to enter, there are multiple ways to enter, and it doesn’t cost you anything. You could easily win a prize. If you haven’t entered yet, enter today and every day.

Shout Out:

Let me give a big shout out to Payson Book Festival co-committee members Carol and Bing Brown. They have a back ground in media, both newspaper and radio, and Carol was a professor at Arizona State University teaching communications and media. They were responsible this year for both doing the grant work to gain us a grant from Arizona Humanities, and handling all of the media blitz involved in advertising the book festival all around the state of Arizona. They sent news releases to every paper we had an author from, arranged advertising in the Arizona Republic and electronically on the East Valley Tribune. Skilled writers and media persons, they were instrumental in the success of the 2016 Payson Book Festival. Thank you, Carol and Bing.

Garden News:

The yellow beans are ripening, as are the cherry and early girl tomatoes. I can hardly wait. Yellow beans, especially, are only available in cans. I look forward to having them fresh in the summer. The peach tree branches are groaning under the weight of the ripening peaches. The birds have already begun pecking at the fruit. The hot weather and lack of monsoon rain has killed my youngest apple tree. It was about 3 years old and I’m very sad it’s died. I’ll have to go to the garden store in September and get another. The weather should be cooler and the new tree will have time to get some roots established before winter sets in. How’s your garden doing?

Where Will I Be?:

9^th annual Fall Festival in Pine, AZ. October 8^th and 9^th. http://pinestrawberrybusinesscommunityaz.com/fallapple.html. I’ll be there all weekend as part of the local author book signing. My hubby will be there as part of the chili cook-off at noon on Saturday. There are also crafters and a very excellent antique show scheduled, not to mention music and food!

Want more details about this event? Click here for more information.

Newsletter Sign Up:

Newest Book Release:

Zoe Ohale is out for editing and is 100% done at the editors’. Now that the book festival is over, I’ll get to the further edits. If you’re a Brown Rain Series fan, I think you’ll like Zoe Ohale. You may remember a short story I published on my blog on 8/20/15, Extra Baggage. That was the second story about Zoe. The first, Betrayal Moon, is in the Forward Motion anthology, due out in the next couple of weeks. Just 17, Zoe has been an orphan living on the streets of Baia Mare since she was 12. Street smart and fiercely independent, Zoe has been offered the chance to move back into legal society by the police officer that arrested her a few months ago. But first, she has to help protect the little kids in her group, help her friend save her father from assassination, and find a criminal ring that just stole all of the physical credits being delivered to the Planetary Bank of Baia Mare. The book, the first of a series, should be out in August, if I can find time to work on it between the Book Festival and the Fair.

The third book in the Brown Rain Series, Kindred Spirits, released on March 14th! I’m pretty excited about it. You can buy it and my other books at: Apple, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, Gumroads or Chatebooks today! You can also see all of my books on www.ConniesRandomThoughts.com. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads. It’s a big help to me in the book rankings each vendor uses to promote the books on their sites. Thanks in advance.

Author Interviews: Elizabeth Hein

Posted on July 13, 2016 by conniejean

Today’s interview is with author Elizabeth Hein who self-proclaims she writes Snarky Women’s Fiction! Let’s let Elizabeth tell us about herself.

Elizabeth Hein writes women’s fiction with a bit of an edge. Her novels explore the role of friendship in the lives of adult women and themes of identity. How To Climb The Eiffel Tower follows one young woman as she navigates the world of cancer treatment with the help of her friends. Overlook and Escape Plan chronicle how a small group of women bands together to free themselves from terrible marriages and forge their own paths in life.

Elizabeth grew up in Massachusetts within an extended family of storytellers. Her childhood was filled with excellent food and people loudly talking over each other. She and her husband now live in Durham, North Carolina.

Great to know you, Elizabeth. Let’s get to those questions, shall we?

1. Let’s start with something fun. What’s your favorite hobby?

My husband and I love to travel. He loves to go hiking and I have developed a fascination with volcanos, so we are slowly exploring the world’s hot spots. We may only get to go on a trip once every few years, but I enjoy learning about the different locations and planning our next trips. I spend a lot of time putting together Pinterest boards and reading guidebooks.

2. Coffee, tea, soda or something else?

Tea. I take my morning tea very seriously. I have a favorite teapot that was my grandmother’s and make my own blends of loose tea leaves. I drink strong black tea in the morning and a jasmine green blend in the afternoon.

3. What are you working on right now?

I am working on a mystery series set in some of the places my husband and I have visited and featuring two best friends as amateur sleuths. The first one is set on the Galapagos Islands, then Midge and Snig will travel to Hawaii and Costa Rica.

4. How would you describe your writing style?

It’s very hard to describe your own style. It’s a bit like describing what your voice sounds like. What you hear on a recording is never what your voice sounds like in your own head. That being said, I write about serious topics with a snarky tone. I see the world through a psychological lens and am fascinated by what motivates people to do the things they do.

5. Do you have any advice for a person just beginning their writing career?

Find a few trusted writing friends and help each other become better writers. A writing career can be lonely and there will be times when you will feel discouraged. That is when you will need someone to pick you up and help you move forward. You can find writer friends through critique groups, on-line communities, and through networking events. One small caveat to my answer – beware of negative people. Writing is hard enough; you don’t need frenemies.

6. Do you immerse yourself in new situations for writing ideas or do your ideas come to you through your normal, day-to-day life?

Ideas for characters and plots come to me all the time, usually through very ordinary people. My first book was inspired by a woman I met in a hospital waiting room, and my next two books were inspired by a woman I met at a PTA bake sale.

7. Where can we find you on the interwebs?

Elizabethhein.com –http://elizabethhein.com

My writing blog – Scribbling in the storage room – http://scribblinginthestorageroom.wordpress.com

Facebook author page – https://www.facebook.com/pages/Elizabeth-Hein-author/447085108688361

Twitter – https://twitter.com/_ElizabethHein

Amazon author page- amazon.com/author/elizabethhein

Bits and Pieces: Monday Blog Post

Posted on July 11, 2016 by conniejean

Meyer Lemon Blossom

Newest News:

My friend, Carole Emma Mathewson has released her book World War II: On the Home Front. A look at the effect of World War II on a young girl from rural California. I’ll have to admit, there were some spots that had me in tears. Check it out at: https://www.amazon.com/World-War-Home-Front-California/dp/1534812725/.

Have you visited the website, AuthorShout.com? It’s a fantastic resource for readers to find their next favorite author. I’ll be promoting my book, Kindred Spirits, on the site for the month of July. http://authorshout.com/recommended-reading/ Take a look around the site. I think you’ll find something you’ll like.

Giveaways:

Only for the month of July, I’m participating in Smashwords.com’s Summer/Winter Sale. Four of my books, Mystery at the Fair, A New Start, First Encounter, and Lost Rainbows, are free on the site. Log in, get an account if you don’t already have one, and search on my book titles. Use the coupon code SFREE, when you check out and those books are free!

The Red Hot Summer giveaway is now open. Just click on the Rafflecopter link. You do have to sign up to Rafflecopter but after that, you’re free to click away. I have links to it on my facebook, twitter, and website pages. This giveaway I offer a free ebook, Mystery at the Fair, or for second prize, a $10 Amazon card. Over a hundred prizes from over 50 authors plus a grand prize of $150 Paypal Cash. It’s not hard to enter and there are multiple ways to enter. You could easily win a prize. If you haven’t entered yet, please enter today and every day.

Shout Out:

Author Elizabeth Hein

A heads-up. Author Elizabeth Hein is my Author Interview this week. Author of snarky women’s fiction, she’s currently working on a mystery series. Want to know more and can’t wait for the interview? Check her out at http://elizabethhein.com.

Garden News:

Twice the size it was two days ago. It’ll make great hash.

The green and yellow beans are just growing and growing. No flowers yet, I planted late. It won’t be long now. I have decided to take a chance and begin working the bed that had the mint in it. I’ve been fighting it for three years and it’s been months now since I’ve seen a sprig show its head. So, I dumped compost on it and watered it well this morning. We’ll see how it goes. I have managed to get a zucchini from my plant despite the chipmunks. Here’s a picture. I also see that my lemon tree, that had dropped every single lemon bud in late winter, has produced one new flower. That the picture at the top. Maybe I’ll get a lemon. I’m crossing my fingers. The peaches continue to grow and ripen. I should have ripe peaches in about two weeks. How’s your garden doing?

Where Will I Be?:

July 23rd is the Payson Book Festival, partly funded by the Arizona Humanities. It’s just 13 days away and I’ll be at my table all day, ready to talk to YOU! I hope you can make it as we will have over 90 authors attending as well as music, food, author presentations and workshops. It will be stupendous! www.paysonbookfestival.org and click on the Meet the Authors tab. Check us out on Twitter: @PaysonBookFest, and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PaysonBookFestival/.

9^th annual Fall Festival in Pine, AZ. October 8^th and 9^th. http://pinestrawberrybusinesscommunityaz.com/fallapple.html. I’ll be there all weekend as part of the local author book signing. My hubby will be there as part of the chili cook-off at noon on Saturday. There are also crafters and a very excellent antique show scheduled, not to mention music and food!

Want more details about these events? Click here for more information.

Newsletter Sign Up:

Newest Book Release:

Zoe Ohale is out for editing and is about 50% done at the editors’. If you’re a Brown Rain Series fan, I think you’ll like Zoe Ohale. You may remember a short story I published on my blog on 8/20/15, Extra Baggage. That was the second story about Zoe. The first, Betrayal Moon, is in the Forward Motion anthology, due out in the next couple of weeks. Just 17, Zoe has been an orphan living on the streets of Baia Mare since she was 12. Street smart and fiercely independent, Zoe has been offered the chance to move back into legal society by the police officer that arrested her a few months ago. But first, she has to help protect the little kids in her group, help her friend save her father from assassination, and find a criminal ring that just stole all of the physical credits being delivered to the Planetary Bank of Baia Mare. The book, the first of a series, should be out in August, if I can find time to work on it between the Book Festival and the Fair.

Author Interviews: L. H. Whitlock

Posted on June 22, 2016 by conniejean

Today’s author is L. H. Whitlock, a SciFi author. Here’s a little bit about her.

L. H. Whitlock began her writing adventure when she moved to Colorado with her husband. She has always loved stories and has been an avid reader for most of her life. Her fascination with science and astronomy started in school and only grew as the years went on. Most of her inspiration comes from day to day interactions as well as movies, game’s and articles. When not writing, Whitlock is playing with her two dogs, Skip and Peaches, or running and kick boxing at the gym.

So now that we know a little about you, let’s talk!

1. Let’s start with something fun. What’s your favorite hobby?

Besides writing, my favorite hobby is kick boxing or taking my pups to the park.

2. If you had the opportunity—who would you like to spend an afternoon with and why?

One of my favorite authors is Christine Feehan. I would love a chance to chat with her and pick her brain.

3. Coffee, tea, soda or something else?

I love my coffee, especially a vanilla latte.

4. What are you working on right now?

I’m currently working on polishing up my next release, the first book in The Miners of Zalma series. It’s due to be released at the end of June/ early July.

5. How would you describe your writing style?

I mix lots of action with some spicy romance. I also like throwing in a few twists to keep readers on their toes.

6. Do you have any advice for a person just beginning their writing career?

My advice is to keep writing. It can be hard to keep pushing forward and learn, especially if you run into a harsh critique. So, no matter how hard it is, or how terrible someone makes you feel, keep writing. Critique groups also helped me learn a lot about writing and push me to keep coming out with new stuff.

7. Do you immerse yourself in new situations for writing ideas or do your ideas come to you through your normal, day-to-day life?

Most of my ideas come from documentaries, science articles or places on earth. I am always reading for inspiration.

8. Where can we find you on the interwebs?

I am on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LHWhitlock/ and on amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B01F4IG8VW

Thank you, L.H. for a lovely chat.

Readers, to find more L. H. Whitlock, please visit her pages.

Hot Stuff: Monday Blog Post

Posted on June 20, 2016 by conniejean

Newest News:

It’s been a crazy week at the Cockrell house. The new patio has been constructed and over the last couple of days, hubby has painted the inside stucco wall to match the stone and is considering an art project to paint Arizona-themed pictures on there. Should be interesting. I’ll take pictures.

I’ve also been working on one author friend’s cover and another author friend’s formatting. Neither is quick to do but both of them want their books for the upcoming Payson Book Festival so I’m going as fast as I can to make it all happen.

My book, Zoe Ohale, is now with the editor. I won’t get it back until mid-July. I’m looking at cover designers because I just can’t do the cover myself this time.

Speaking of covers, my Mystery at the Fair cover has gone live on Amazon. I love the new look, don’t you? http://www.amazon.com/Connie-Cockrell/e/B009O6199C.

I’m also going to promote a new online magazine, www.ArizonaRimCountryOutdoors.com. They talk about all the great things to do here in Rim Country AND they have pages with local art, stories, and more. Check out their site. I have a story up there now.

Giveaways:

The Spring Into Reading giveaway closes TODAY. I have links to it on my facebook, twitter, and website pages. This giveaway I offer a free ebook, First Encounter, or for second prize, a $5 Amazon card. There are other prizes as well. Over a hundred prizes plus a grand prize. It’s not hard to enter and there are multiple ways to enter. You could easily win a prize. If you haven’t entered yet, please enter today and every day.

Shout Out:

Author L. H. Whitlock

The Author Interview segment this week is the wonderful L. H. Whitlock. I’m very happy she agreed to be interviewed. She’s a fellow science fiction author and has her series, Galactic Battle, in progress. I think you’re going to like her work. Can’t wait till Wednesday? Check out her author page on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B01F4IG8VW.

Garden News:

The recent heat has made everything in the garden start growing like crazy. I put the string trellis up on the bean bed so they have somewhere to grow up. The butternut squash is still a no show. I suspect the squirrel. I’ll try and plant again. The Swiss Chard has finally popped up and if the squirrel will leave it alone, I should have a nice little patch that will keep us in fresh chard the rest of the summer. The two tiny zucchini were not ready to pick on Saturday. Disappointing but I’ll get over it. How’s your garden doing?

Where Will I Be?:

July 23rd is the Payson Book Festival, partly funded by the Arizona Humanities. I’ll be at my table all day, ready to talk to YOU! I hope you can make it as we will have over 70 authors attending as well as music, food, author presentations and workshops. It will be stupendous! www.paysonbookfestival.org and click on the Meet the Authors tab. Check us out on Twitter: @PaysonBookFest, and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PaysonBookFestival/.

9^th annual Fall Festival in Pine, AZ. October 8^th and 9^th. http://pinestrawberrybusinesscommunityaz.com/fallapple.html. I’ll be there all weekend as part of the local author book signing. My hubby will be there as part of the chili cook-off at noon on Saturday. There are also crafters and a very excellent antique show scheduled, not to mention music and food!

Want more details about these events? Click here for more information.

Newsletter Sign Up:

Newest Book Release:

I’m in the middle of the Zoe Ohale editing. If you’re a Brown Rain Series fan, I think you’ll like Zoe Ohale. You may remember a short story I published on my blog on 8/20/15, Extra Baggage. That was the second story about Zoe. The first, Betrayal Moon, is in the Forward Motion anthology, due out in the next couple of weeks. Just 17, Zoe has been an orphan living on the streets of Baia Mare since she was 12. Street smart and fiercely independent, Zoe has been offered the chance to move back into legal society by the police officer that arrested her a few months ago. But first, she has to help protect the little kids in her group, help her friend save her father from assassination, and find a criminal ring that just stole all of the physical credits being delivered to the Planetary Bank of Baia Mare. The book, the first of a series, should be out in August, if I can find time to work on it between the Book Festival and the Fair.

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Thoughts and Activities About My Writing

Category Archives: Interviews

Author Interviews: Dawn Simpson

Garden and Zoe: Monday Blog Post

Author Interviews: LeeAnn Jackson Rhoden

Author Interviews: Elizabeth Hein

Bits and Pieces: Monday Blog Post

Author Interviews: L. H. Whitlock