Author Interviews: Lyndsey Cole

Posted on January 18, 2017 by conniejean

I’d like to welcome author Lyndsey Cole to the blog today. Lyndsey Cole lives in New England in a small rural town with her husband who puts up with all the characters in her head, her dog who hogs the couch, her cat who is the boss, and 3 chickens that would like to move into the house. She surrounds herself with gardens full of beautiful perennials. Sitting among the flowers with the scent of lilac, peonies, lily of the valley, or whatever is in bloom, stimulates her imagination about who will die next!

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

I would have to say gardening, especially flower gardens. I spent thirty years growing cut flowers to sell to flower shops and there’s something about the scent, the colors, the variety, and the short life span that has me addicted to flowers!

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

I would love to meet Sue Grafton. I love her Kinsey Millhone character –a strong, smart female – and it would be fascinating to hear how she develops a story, where the initial idea comes from, her plotting method, where she pulls her characters from, and her writing discipline.

3. Coffee, tea, soda or something else?

That’s an easy choice—tea. I’ve never been a coffee drinker even though I love the smell of coffee and soda is just too sweet for my taste buds. My routine is a pot of black tea in the morning and a pot of either lemon ginger or peppermint in the afternoon.

4. What are you working on right now?

I’ve just completed book 9, Jingle Buried Cookies, in my Black Cat Café series and I’m working on an outline for book 5 in my Hooked & Cooked series.

5. How would you describe your writing style?

Usually I just start right in once I have an idea for the first paragraph but with my latest project, I’m forcing myself to spend more time plotting with the hope that the writing will go quicker.

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

Write! Put one word after another and repeat until done! Sounds easy, doesn’t it, but if you don’t start, you will have nothing. One of the first things I remember reading is, you can fix crap but you can’t fix nothing, or something like that. You will get better the more you write.

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 but probably more the normal, day-to-day stuff. My secret idea generator is my 90 year old mom who moved in with me a year ago. She loves giving me ideas and I’ve used several in my books!

8. Where can we find you on the interwebs?

http://lyndseycolebooks.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/LyndseyColeAuthor/

Thank you so much, Lyndsey for joining us today. We’ve enjoyed talking to you.

Readers, if you’d like to know more or follow Lyndsey in her writing journey, check out her website and facebook pages!

Author Interviews: Meghan O’Flynn

Posted on January 4, 2017 by conniejean

Author Meghan O’Flynn

Today we’re welcoming in the new year with Meghan O’Flynn. Meghan is a clinical therapist, writer, artist, wife, and mommy. She adores her amazing little boys, dark chocolate, tea, dirty jokes, and back rubs with no strings attached, in that order. She writes psychological suspense novels and is amazed that her husband still agrees to live with her after reading them.

I appreciate you taking the time to chat with us, Meghan, so let’s get started.

Hi, I’m Meghan. And I’m an author.

I’d describe my writing style as emotive with a side of snarky, heavy on the character development (I’m a shrink, it’s what we do). But I think what makes my work interesting overall is its unpredictability. It’s a virtue for a mystery writer, I presume, perhaps less so for an interview questionnaire, and yet, here we are, answering question number five instead of question number one like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

Maybe I have trouble thinking linearly. Maybe I’m a jerk. Jury’s still out.

Coffee, tea, soda or something else?

Tea. It goes better with vodka.

I kid, I kid, I never drink vodka, but I am a tea geek. I have about twenty-five different kinds of loose leaf tea: Bancha, Houjicha, Matcha, Yerba Mate, Pu Erh, Wu Yi Oolong (because screw the Makaibari estate). It’s an obsession. But it’s cheaper than shoes. Or cocaine.

Clearly my favorite hobby is telling jokes, as anyone on my newsletter knows (so if you’re into that, sign up at www.meghanoflynn.com or visit my book group, Meghan O’Flynn’s Partners in Crime). Riddles, knock-knocks, dirty limericks–all awesome. So I guess I’d spend my perfect afternoon with a clown. (But not one like the masked man in my third novel, Repressed. That bastard has issues.)

Speaking of, Repressed hit the shelves back in December, but I’m following it up in just a few short months with Hidden, both installments in my Ash Park mystery series. And as I round out the Ash Park series this year, I’m working on a novel with a supernatural edge. Creepy. Chilling. Fun.

I sound insane, I know. After years of clinical therapy practice, I might be. And though I have enough stories in my brain to last a lifetime, I sometimes immerse myself in situations to get into a character’s head. When I was working on Famished, https://www.amazon.com/Famished-Park-Novel-Meghan-OFlynn-ebook/dp/B01EZ7HCEK, I wrote all the killer’s stalker scenes out on my back porch. By moonlight. It looks creepy as heck, but it keeps the neighbors away. Which gives me more time for jokes and tea.

As for my best advice for new writers: Don’t stop. You’ll have days where you wonder what you’re doing. Why you’re wasting your time. Nights when you want to throw your computer out the window at the neighbor’s cat for breaking your concentration (little fluffy punk). Keep going. Get an editor. Breathe. You’ll make it. And in the meantime, there’s always pretentious tea drinking and dirty limericks.

Thank you, Meghan. It was fun to mix around the questions. I’ve enjoyed talking to you.

Readers, you can find Meghan on her website at www.meghanoflynn.com or her Facebook group, Meghan O’Flynn’s Partners in Crime, https://www.facebook.com/groups/676239022514919/. Go ahead, visit her on either site.

Happy New Year 2017: Monday Blog Post

Posted on January 2, 2017 by conniejean

Newest News:

Happy New Year! I hope that you, your family, and all of your friends have a wonderful and productive new year.

One of the things I do each year is set some writing goals. Usually I check in July to see how I’m doing but July was so busy this year, I never did get around to seeing how I was achieving the goals I set in January. Here’s the breakdown.

Goal: Start an author interview post on my website for 2X per month.

I did that. I had two author interviews per month all year long. I plan on continuing this feature on my blog. See below for who’s coming up next, January 4th! Do you enjoy these? Is there an author you’d like to see on the feature? Let me know.

Goal: Submit stories to newspapers/magazines about my appearances before and after each appearance.

I didn’t do so well on this goal. I would get busy and forget to send something to the paper for local appearances. However, I think I will keep this goal for 2017. Promotion is a big part of an indie author’s life and a good way to build a local following.

Goal: Publish 6 books in 2016

I didn’t publish 6, but I did publish four: Kindred Spirits, Troubled Streets, and just under the wire, Mystery in the Woods. On the non-fiction side, I had 9 hiking articles in the Payson Roundup’s Trails book. Not too shabby. I don’t know if I can do another year with six books published but for 2017 I do want to put together a collection of my Science Fiction. I also have Mystery at the Book Festival to edit and publish. I also have a Brown Rain book drafted, called Tested. Which will also come out in 2017. I have a fun, novelette, Jania, Princess of Tania drafted. This is my take on a campy Space Opera. I may release that ebook only, I’m still thinking about that.

Goal: Participate in the April and July Camp NaNo’s and in the November NaNo

I did participate in April and in November but because I run the book festival, there was just no way for me to get involved in the July Camp NaNo.

Goal: Produce a Christmas Book this year.

I did not do a Christmas Book this year but some author friends and I were having a little fun brainstorming conversation in December and I came up with some ideas for a Christmas book. Some of them are doing the same. Not all of us liked all of the ideas so even if we all write a Christmas book out of the discussion, they’re going to be very different books. So that would bring my total 2017 published books to 5. Oh! I’m getting closer!

Goal: Submit a story to the 2016 FM Anthology.

I did that. It’s a short story about a trip Kyra and Alyssa take just before they leave the Algonqwa tribe, just after Kindred Spirits. It’s called Vision Quest. No publishing date is available yet.

Goal: Complete the Holly Lisle World Building class and the How to Write A Series Expanded class

This was not achievable. Holly came down with a life-threatening health condition and her site was totally under reconstruction. I just had a recent email though that she’s back at it, and putting the two classes back up on her renovated site. Yay! It’ll be on the 2017 goal list.

Goal: Submit at least 20 stories to contests/magazines in 2016

I came close, 17 stories submitted to contests/magazines. I’ll keep this goal, too.

Goal: Participate in May Story A Day

I did and created 12 stories. This goal stays as well.

Goal: Increase speaking appearances and opportunities to sell my books to 12.

I didn’t achieve 12 but I did the following:

Appeared on an Indie Author panel at an Arizona Professional Writer meeting 1/21/16, April 16th I was at the Tempe Library Book Festival, June 3rd and 4th was the AZ Mystery Conference, June 30th I was on KRIM local radio as an author and to publicize the Book Festival. July 22nd was the Book Festival. On September 21st, I spoke at the Rim Country Chapter meeting on writing NaNo. In October I spent the 8th and 9th at the Pine, AZ, craft show selling and signing books. November 12th, I was with other local authors at the Romance Cottage here in Payson to chat with visitors to the rental’s open house. Total appearances: 9.

Goal: Participate in the Payson Book Festival as an author.

Easy since I’m the organizer. We had a great festival in 2016, over 600 attendees and 95 authors. If you all are in Central Arizona on July 22, 2017, stop by the festival. All the details will be on my Where Will I Be tab.

I scheduled a Facebook Live for January 28th at 3pm, Arizona time. I had several people on the broadcast and I answered questions both live and afterward on the Facebook Live recording. That was fun! I’ll schedule another one for January.

Giveaways:

Rudolf’s Holiday Giveaway is now over. I’ll be notifying the winners of my prizes soon. Don’t miss out on the next one. It’s being called For the Love of Books, Valentines Giveaway. The link will be on https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/giveaways-and-prizes/. Click on the Rafflecopter link.

Shout Out:

This week I’d like to shout out to Megan O’Flynn. She writes mysteries with a supernatural edge. If you like your mysteries a little dark and creepy, you’ll want to check out her interview. Can’t wait? She can be found at: www.meghanoflynn.com.

Where Will I Be?

I already have a January appearance. The local Payson Library is doing a Book Blitz. Throughout the month of January, they’re inviting authors to do a reading and take audience questions. I’ll have books to sell there, too. See me at the Payson Library community room, January 11th at 9am. See you there!

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 to be the first to read my books and hear what new books are coming.

Newest Book Release:

Mystery in the Woods released on January 24th! I’m pretty excited about it. You can buy it and my other books at: Apple, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Smashwords, today! You can also see all my books on https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/my-books-and-other-published-work/. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a short, honest, review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads. It’s critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

Author Interviews: Maggie West

Posted on December 21, 2016 by conniejean

Author Maggie West

We have with us today the wonderful author, Maggie West. Maggie is a woman after my own heart writing several series in different genres. West is the author of the Antique Pickers in Paradise cozy mystery series and the Lily Thistle cozy mystery series, the Doorways to the Past time travel series, and several romance books. When she’s not reading or writing, she loves to craft and sew, keep her kitten out of trouble (oh boy, good luck with that!), and take walks where she dreams up new stories.

I certainly appreciate your time, Maggie. Let’s get started!

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

I love looking for treasures at yard sales, thrift stores, and estate sales. I particularly love to find vintage items, like linens, kitchenware, and just anything that strikes my fancy.

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

I’d love to spend 10 minutes with Martin Short. A whole afternoon? Yeah! He’s a hoot and a half! I know it would be a fun afternoon since I’d spend it laughing.

3. Coffee, tea, soda or something else?

Coffee. Definitely coffee. I sometimes drink warm herbal tea on cold nights. I gave up soda several years ago and now the stuff tastes awful to me!

4. What are you working on right now?

The third book in my antique pickers cozy mystery series. It’s tentatively called Picked On.

5. How would you describe your writing style?

Straightforward with a touch of humor.

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

Keep writing. Like with anything else, the more you practice, the better you get.

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?

I get lots of good ideas from watching people and listening in on conversations. So in a sense I find new ideas by being out and about, but I don’t purposely seek out experiences so I can write about them. They seem to come about from my own experiences and being observant.

8. Where can we find you on the interwebs?

My website is MaggieWestBooks.com, and I can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MaggieWestAuthor.

Well I certainly appreciate finding new cozy mystery and time travel stories. Thank you so much, Maggie.

Readers, I hope you take the time to visit Maggie’s lovely pages and give her a lot of support. Thank you so much for being with us today.

Author Interviews: J.B. Hawker

Posted on December 7, 2016 by conniejean

Author J.B. Hawker

I’m very pleased to bring to you today Author J.B. Hawker. J.B. is a fellow cozy mystery author, currently living in the wilds of Northern California. J.B. is a woman of a certain age with a lot of living behind her, who looks forward to all the great adventures ahead.

J.B. mines the richness of her history as a pastor’s wife in small communities all over the Western United States to people her not-quite-cozy mystery/thrillers. (If you’ve ever attended a small town church, you may even recognize some of the characters.)

Writing from a Christian perspective, her stories include men and women at all stages in their faith walk, along with some truly scary villains.

I’m ready to get to know, J.B., aren’t you? Let’s get to it.

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

Gardening. I love to dig in the dirt and then enjoy the fruits (and veg and flowers!) of my labors. There is something so elemental about growing things. It is the perfect antidote for a high-tech lifestyle.

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

This is easy: my three granddaughters, ages 15, 6 and 5. They live in northern Italy, so I don’t see them in person often enough. Skype just isn’t the same.

3. Coffee, tea, soda or something else?

Strong black tea with milk in the morning gets my engine started, then I take a cup of latte to my desk to begin writing. I almost never drink soda, but I like minty lemonade on a hot summer day.

4. What are you working on right now?

I’m unwisely juggling three projects: a non-fiction resource for women’s ministry leaders, a collection of Christmas-themed short-stories, and the first book of my new Mrs. Thistlethwaite series, Mrs. Thistlethwaite and the Magpie, coming out in 2017.

5. How would you describe your writing style?

I write from my own heart and experience. I try to create authentic characters I would like to spend time with. I try not to take myself too seriously, so there are bits of gentle humor in all my stories. I can be a bit dark, on occasion, but only when the story calls for it. I do write mysteries, after all, and that means bad guys.

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

Fear not. That’s the first thing. It’s both easier and harder than you think, but don’t let the enormity of the task paralyze you. Learn as much as you can about your craft, then just write, proof, edit and rewrite, but don’t wait for perfection before publishing or you’ll never think your work is ready for prime time.

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?

I’ve been around the block quite a few times, so I’ve got enough stored experiences for a library of books. Occasionally, it will be a new adventure, like a trip to Italy, say, which sparks the writing ideas, but most often it is simple, day-to-day events which recall past experiences to mind. I frequently write about pastors, their wives, and church life because I was a pastor’s wife for twenty-five years. I’ve lived all over, so those locations also find their way into my writing.

8. Where can we find you on the interwebs?

Website: http://jbhawker.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JBHawker.author/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HawkerJB

Blogs: Power Walking with Jonna (Inspirational): https://jonnaturek.wordpress.com/

Author Blog: http://jbhawker.com/category/author-blog/

And special news.

I just released a collection of cozy short stories for Christmas (along with recipes). I’m attaching the cover and this is the link. It’s only 99 cents through Christmas Eve. Here’s the link

https://www.amazon.com/Cozy-Christmas-Sweets-Collection-Stories-ebook/dp/B01MQK1BR1/

Thank you so much J.B. for taking the time to be with us today.

Fellow readers, I invite you to visit J.B. on any of her pages. I’m sure there’s a cozy mystery just waiting for you there. And what a bargain on her new Christmas book! Get that today while it’s on sale.

Holiday Season Madness: Monday Blog Post

Posted on December 5, 2016 by conniejean

Homemade Truffles

Newest News:

It’s December. That means baking and candy making. I do it every year because for the longest time there was no candy for celiacs. If I wanted Christmas chocolates, I had to make them myself. This year I found out that Reeses has gluten free peanut butter cups. That’s one item I no longer need to make. I still make truffles and peppermint patties. And in addition to my usual Russian Teacakes, I replaced the peanut butter cups with a cranberry bar cookie. I had hoped to have all the baking done by Sunday but that didn’t happen. So, today, Monday, I’ll be dipping the truffles and they’re the last thing to be done. Then it’s box everything up and send it to various family members. Hopefully done by Friday so I don’t miss the mailing window. How about you? Do you mail things across country? Are you done or are you, like me, still scrambling.

We had some outdoor lighting issues this year. Timers have died or become terribly sensitive. I don’t have any interior decorating done since I spent the weekend on cookies and candy. This week though, it’ll all be done. I’ve also accepted some party invitations for the month. So, now there’s finger food to consider. On Saturday evening we went to the Electric Light Parade our town holds every year. It’s always fun to watch the little kids along the street. They’re so pleased with the Christmas music and the lights. And the parade isn’t shabby either. Every year it seems to get better and better.

Mystery in the Woods has made it to the editor. We’re trying very hard to get it out before the end of the month. I’ve been brainstorming ways to promote the release. One way is to contact my A Team people, and have them let me know if they’d like an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of Mystery in the Woods to read and review. There are several other ideas on my list. We’ll see if I can make them work for me. You’re not on my A Team? Let me know you want to be. I’ll set it up.

I’ve mentioned it before but since it is gift-giving season, check out my store www.conniesrandomthoughts where you can get very nice coffee mugs with my book covers on them. A handy, useful give and a collectible at the same time! Very reasonably priced.

Giveaways:

Rudolf’s Holiday Giveaway is in full swing. This time, there is a $120 grand prize, lots of author prizes, what’s not to like? And you get the opportunity to find new to you authors. You’ll see my posts on my Facebook, and Twitter pages as well as in these posts and my newsletter. Don’t miss out this time. https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/giveaways-and-prizes/. Click on the Rafflecopter link.

On Sunday I spent 2 hours hosting the Writers Colony Press Holiday Indie Extravaganza. Writers Colony Press publishes anthologies for charity. The Longest Night Watch Volumes 1 and 2 are to raise money for Alzheimers. We dedicated them to Terry Pratchett and Gene Wilder. The other Anthology out is “Stardust Alway’s” for Cancer research, and dedicated to Alan Rickman and David Bowie. I had a great time. In addition to the event contests and contests the other authors held, I held my own. The prizes have been awarded and I had people buy my books and were interested in my website and a couple of the sites I frequent as an author. All in all a good day.

December 17th, is the Brain to Books Holiday Giveaway and CyCon Sampler. Every year Brain to Books hosts a Holiday Book Giveaway. This year, our giveaway is a CyCon Sampler. Get a sneak preview of the Brain to Books Cyber Convention to be held in April. While you’re here, we have a $100.00 Amazon gift card to hand out to someone along with a list of books we’re giving away! Here’s what’s happening.

1 – Browse the Author Takeover displaying sales, giveaways, games, prizes, etc.

2 – $100.00 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

3 – Holiday Book Giveaway

4 – Blog Hop (YA, Science Fiction, and Romance)

5 – Vote in Character Tournaments

It should be a lot of fun and who couldn’t use a $100 Amazon Gift Card?

You’ll find us at: https://www.facebook.com/events/624679124381085/

I’ve signed up to host the 5pm Eastern (3pm Arizona) time slot on December 17th. Want to have some fun, play a couple of games? Click on the link and join in the fun.

Shout Out:

Author J.B. Hawker

J.B. Hawker is my featured author this week on my Author Interviews. J.B is currently living in the wilds of Northern California, J.B. is a woman of a certain age with a lot of living behind her, who looks forward to all the great adventures ahead.

J.B. mines the richness of her history as a pastor’s wife in small communities all over the Western United States to people her not-quite-cozy mystery/thrillers. (If you’ve ever attended a small-town church, you may even recognize some of the characters.)

Writing from a Christian perspective, her stories include men and women at all stages in their faith walk, along with some truly scary villains.

Can’t wait? You can find her at: http://jbhawker.com/

Where Will I Be?

Do you follow me on Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or other sites? You can find all my links here. I’m also on a new social media site, Imzy.com. You can follow me there at https://www.imzy.com/connies_random_thoughts. This is a troll free site and free to join. Enjoy.

Newsletter Sign Up:

Newest Book Release:

Troubled Streets released on October 15th! I’m pretty excited about it. You can buy it and my other books at: Apple, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Smashwords, today! You can also see all my books on https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/my-books-and-other-published-work/. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a short, honest, review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads. It’s critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

Author Interviews: A.K. Lakelett

Posted on November 23, 2016 by conniejean

Today’s Author Interview is with A. K. Lakelett. A new mystery author, A.K. and I have a lot in common. A. K. grew up as a lonely kid in the Frozen North which had one thing going for it, libraries! She was a frequent visitor in every library in every place they moved to. She read a lot books and created her own worlds. Finally this year, she decided to publish one of the stories. her first book, “Remember Me?” is now available on Amazon.com. She is currently working on the next book in Faukon Abbey Mystery series, called “Missing Alibi”.

Let’s get right to the questions, shall we?

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

Reading – Always reading.

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

Michelle Obama. She’s a very sharp woman, whose background and life experience is entirely different from mine. It would be interesting.

3. Coffee, tea, soda or something else?

Always tea, Earl Grey.

4. What are you working on right now?

Next installment in the Faukon Abbey Mysteries series, “Missing Alibi”.

5. How would you describe your writing style?

Not sure if I have one. I just like to tell a good story, a good mystery to keep readers guessing until the end.

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

Just write and never throw your early efforts away. You never know when they can come handy. Always do your own research. And find a good editor, and cover designer if you’re doing it on your own.

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?

I honestly have no idea. I get an idea, jot down a few notes about it and then I go from there.

8. Where can we find you on the interwebs?

Check out www.aklakelett.com or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aklakelett

Thank you so much, A.K. for chatting with us today.

Gentle readers, to learn more about A.K. and her next book, Missing Alibli, search her out on her pages. I’m sure you’re in for a treat.

Author Interviews: Nikki Haverstock

Posted on November 9, 2016 by conniejean

Author Nikki Haverstock

I’m so happy to introduce fellow cozy mystery author, Nikki Haverstock to Author interviews, today.

Nikki Haverstock is a writer who lives on a cattle ranch high in the Rocky Mountains. She has studied comedy writing at Second City and has published 6 cozy mysteries that are heavy on the humor.

Before fleeing the city, she hosted a competitive archery reality show, traveled the world to study volcanoes, taught archery and computer science at a university and now works on her family’s ranch herding cattle. Nikki has more college degrees than she has sense and hopefully one day she will put one to work.

Nikki likes to write comedy pieces that focus on the everyday humor of one-uppers, annoying humans and the strange behavior of the ultra-rich. She tried stand up but the cattle weren’t impressed.

Welcome Nikki and thank you so much for coming on Author Interviews. Let’s start dishing!

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

I would say archery. I have been competing in recurve target archery (like what you see in the Summer Olympics) for 16 years. I have coached most of that time but since I am not coaching right now, I suppose it is mostly a hobby.

Additionally, I have a ton of crafty hobbies. I’ve quilted since high school (with the fabric stash to prove it), I take pictures of everything and I melt glass with a torch to make glass beads.

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

Tina Fey. I have a great deal of respect for how she has carried herself while not only being a comedy writer but also a performer. If you haven’t read her memoir, go grab it.

Amy Poehler and Mindy Kaling are also top contenders, notice a pattern?

3. Coffee, tea, soda or something else?

I am 7 months pregnant so right now it’s lots and lots of water with small glasses of juice here and there and one precious cup of coffee that I savor. Before I was pregnant, I was drinking a lot of coffee. A big part of coffee drinking was the ritual of getting up from the desk, getting a cup (with a very generous helping of cream) and letting my mind wander while I sipped.

4. What are you working on right now?

Being pregnant is taking up a lot of my energy but I am thankful that I can still work. The second book of my Reality TV Cozy mysteries is in edits while I am writing the rough draft of my Target Practice Mysteries sixth book. Plus I have two co-writing secret project for 2017 that I am plotting with fellow authors.

5. How would you describe your writing style?

Wholesome and Funny. I want my books to be safe, fun little adventures that make you smile.

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

Read, write, revise and repeat.

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?

I am naturally curious so I am learning new things all the time (mostly when I am avoiding real work) but most of my ideas come not from deliberate research but from stumbling across something that sparks an idea.

8. Where can we find you on the interwebs?

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nikkihaverstockauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RancherNikki

Website: http://nikkihaverstock.com/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/RancherNikki

Instagram: https://www.youtube.com/user/RancherNikki

I love it! Especially the tiny chihuahua peeking out from around the woman on your cover! Thank you so much, Nikki, for stopping by my blog today and telling us a little bit about yourself. Good luck on all of your “new releases”!

And so, gentle reader, stop by one of Nikki’s pages and say hi! There will have to be a baby picture posted somewhere. LOL.

Wrapping Up October: Monday Blog Post

Posted on October 24, 2016 by conniejean

Fall Color

Newest News:

Oh my Gosh! It’s the last full week of October. Are you planning on attending any parties this coming weekend? Hubby and I are. I’m going as a Ghost Buster. Fun! I’ll try and post a pic in next Monday’s blog post.

If you follow me on Pinterest, twitter, Facebook, Instagram or other sites, you’ll see some changes. If you don’t follow me on those sites, why not? You can find all my links here.

National Novel Writing Month

In my efforts to prep for November’s National Novel Writing month I’ve been writing blog posts (not the Monday posts) and newsletters and my flash fiction Friday stories in advance and scheduling them to be sent out on the appropriate days. That means even if I’m deep into Tested, my 4th Brown Rain series book, you don’t miss out on those free Friday stories or my Chicklets in the Kitchen post at all.

Troubled Streets is out! Hooray! It’s already up on Amazon, both as an ebook and as a paperback. It’s also now up on Kobo and Barnes and Noble. See my links at the end of this newsletter. I’m very excited to have the 1st book about Zoe Ohale out and into reader hands. As always, if you get it, I’d appreciate it if you could take 5 minutes and give me a review.

Giveaways:

The Halloween Author Group Giveaway is still going until the end of the month. 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!

I’m also going to be on Facebook for an event called Thirteen Days of Halloween. From the 19th, a number of us authors have been on the event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1103648499703425. Scroll all the way to the bottom to See All Discussions. I’ll be on the site on the 31st at 6pm Eastern time. Yes, I’ll remind you next Monday. I’ll have some giveaways myself but don’t wait for me. The group I’m working with have some event prizes as well as the individual prizes the authors are giving out during their hour. So stop on by. There’s a complete list of the author schedule under About as you scroll down the event page in the Details. Find some new to you authors today!

Shout Out:

Author S.C. McCole

Author S.C. McCole is on tap to talk to us during my author interview on Wednesday. A multi-talented person and world-traveler. If you can’t wait, you can find him on facebook at facebook.com/SCMcCole.

Garden News:

I watered the lemon tree and the bay leaf tree and my jade plant since we haven’t had rain in weeks. I’m tired of the garden at this point. I should take some time this week and clean it all up before the November NaNo madness. The question is, will I have the gumption or not? How about you? Is your garden clean-up done or do you still have some growing season left?

Where Will I Be?:

The wonderful people at Dog-Eared Pages Book store (http://www.dogearedpagesusedbooks.com/) were kind 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.

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click here to sign up for my newsletter. I sent one out on Sunday with all kinds of news. 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 to be the first to read my books and hear what new books are coming.

Newest Book Release:

Troubled Streets released on October 15th! 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! I’m still getting it loaded onto Gumroad and Chatebooks. You can also see all my books on www.ConniesRandomThoughts.com. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a short, honest, review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads. It’s critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

Author Interviews: Veronica Sosa McDonald

Posted on October 12, 2016 by conniejean

Author Veronica Sosa McDonald

Let’s welcome author Veronica Sosa McDonald to the blog today. Veronica McDonald is a fiction writer, poet, and mom of two. She received an MA in Literature from American University. Her stories and poems are published or forthcoming in Kaaterskill Basin Literary Journal, Phantom Kangaroo, Gingerbread House Literary Magazine, and Apocrypha and Abstractions, among others.

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

Besides writing and reading, I love to paint. It’s almost like telling a story with no words, where you work your way through a journey to the finished product. By the time you finish you know every brushstroke of that painting and why it’s there. It’s such an intimate experience, much like writing.

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

This is kind of a bizarre answer, but I think Ethan Hawke. I don’t even particularly like him as an actor, but I’ve seen “Before Sunrise” a bunch of times, and I would love to spend the afternoon with someone like him, talking about life and philosophies, and just having a childlike fascination with the world. I have no idea if he’s like that in real life, but I like to imagine he is… otherwise it’ll be a long afternoon.

3. Coffee, tea, soda or something else?

Coffee in the morning. Tea when I’m sick. Soda with ice on a warm afternoon.

4. What are you working on right now?

Right now, I’m sorely behind in Camp NaNoWriMo. I’ve been using it as motivation to pick away at a novel I’ve been working on for awhile. It’s about a young girl stranded on a deserted island with her dog, and she’s rescued by devious men who hold the answer to why she was deserted in the first place. I wrote a short story spin-off of it last year that got published, called “A Rich Man.” The novel is called “Islands of Raba,” but it needs a lot of love.

5. How would you describe your writing style?

Dark. Creepy. But with a tinge of whimsy and mystery.

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

Well, I’m just starting in my writing career, so I’m not sure what advice I can give. The only things I can say for sure: write a lot, submit a lot, and learn to believe in yourself while knowing that your writing can always be better.

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?

New situations are always inspiring, but mostly I’d have to say day-to-day life. My best ideas come from childhood memories, dreams, and daydreams, and every very once in awhile I’ll come across people that are so unique that they inspire me. My children (who are four and two) are good for that, too.

8. Where can we find you on the interwebs?

You can find me at VeronicaMcDonaldAuthor.com, or on Twitter: @VeeMcD123

Thank you so much, Veronica. We’ve loved having you on the blog.

Everyone, please take some time and visit Veronica on her website of on her Twitter page to see what she’s up to now.

ConniesRandomThoughts

Thoughts and Activities About My Writing

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