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.

NaNo Week 1: Monday Blog Post

Posted on November 7, 2016 by conniejean

National Novel Writing Month

Newest News:

This is the end of week one of the 2016 National Novel Writing Month. As of the end of the day, Sunday, I have over 15k written in my fourth Brown Rain series novelette, Tested. I say novelette because that’s what it’s supposed to be. But it’s already running long and I have to say, has a lot of extra baggage that needs to be tossed. But I’m not doing it now. I’ll wait for the rewrites.

Suffice it to say Kyra and Alyssa are in hot water up to their necks. There may be a love interest and as always, they’re looking for clues as well as helping people.

On the Mystery in the Woods front, no progress. I’m writing and that means my brain isn’t in editing/rewriting mode. I’ll keep trying because I really do want to have that book out by the 1st of 2017. I find I’ve neglected my story bible and that hampers me when I want to use the name of a highway or a character, I’m having to go back to the published book to get the answers. Not good. I need to build a good reference series bible where I can go look up pertinent info when I need to. Author problems, right?

Giveaways:

The Halloween Author Group Giveaway has closed. I’m still trying to contact my 1st prize winner but the 2nd prize winner, Lori Neal Brockman, was contacted. If you didn’t win this time, a new giveaway, Rudolph’s Holiday Giveaway is starting in a day or so. This time, a $120 main 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.

I’m also going to be on Facebook for an event called Writers Colony Press Holiday Indie Extravaganza. The event runs December 3rd and 4th. 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. And also, to our very dear friend Stacy Whitemire who passed away recently. She will be greatly missed. Find some new to you authors today and do a good deed for charity. Come join our extravaganza. Lots of authors will be on the event page sharing books, contests and fun. You could win a prize, or two! https://www.facebook.com/events/364089737264705/ Click on the Discussion tab.

Shout Out:

On Wednesday, I’ll have my interview with Nikki Haverstock up on this blog. If you’re a cozy mystery fan, you’ll love Nikki and her stories. Can’t wait for the interview? Check out http://nikkihaverstock.com/ to get an introduction and a taste of what she’s writing. You won’t be sorry.

Garden News:

The broccoli is recovering from being critter chewed. New leaves are out and light frosts, though we haven’t had any yet, will not bother the plants. I may get a broccoli spear or two out of these yet. The rest of the garden looks sad though the cherry tomato plants continue to produce. I do have to clean up though. I actually invited people over for Thanksgiving and I’d like the back yard to look presentable, if not pristine. Gumption. Where are you?

Where Will I Be?

Imzy Stickers

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. The site is now out of beta testing and has opened its doors to everyone. You can follow me there at https://www.imzy.com/connies_random_thoughts. I’ve been posting daily updates on my NaNo progress there including snippets and random pictures. Enjoy.

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:

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: S. C. McCole

Posted on October 26, 2016 by conniejean

Author S.C. McCole

Let’s give a warm round of applause to today’s author, S.C. McCole. McCole is a vagabond tapping tales on his iPad everywhere he travels. When he finally gets back to Peachtree City, GA, it’s nap time with his wonderful wife and two dogs, refresh the bags, then back on the road again! He can often be found hiding out in one of these boxes: Ghost Writer | Shark Diver | Metal Guitarist | Dog Lover | Runner | Hubby | Dad |.

Thank you S.C. for joining us today. Let’s get right to the questions, shall we?

1. Favorite Hobby?

Oh, so many to choose from! Some people say they can’t retire because they’d be bored out of their skulls. I can’t wait. I have way too many hobbies (and bucket-list-items); I’d never be bored.

Shark-swimmin’, song-playin’, sword-collectin’, spirit-summonin’, Survivor-preppin’ (the TV show not bunker-hoardin’ lol)… but, if you’re making me pick just one, it would have to be story-readin’. I could spend my first year in retirement just page-turnin’ my way through the to-read shelf, starting with the Bhagavad Gita.

2. Who would I spend the afternoon with?

The greatest man that ever lived: My Dad. Fate stole my opportunity for a sit-down in-depth conversation with him and I have so many things I’d want to discuss.

3. Coffee, tea, soda, or something else?

I love this topic. Big fan of imbibing! Depends on the moment:

– I drink Dunkin’ Donuts coffee with half & half religiously every morning. I grind my own beans, and use filtered water—ok, I’m a bit OCD.

– When I’m home, I drink several spots-o-tea with the wife in the evening—mostly bagged herbal, floral, or green, though sometimes we brew from a fresh mix (Champagne Rose is our fave). Also, living in the South, I’m required to drink iced tea—unsweetened, because I’m a northern intruder, heh.

– Alcohol, on occasion, as a social lubricant. My go-to is a Crown & Diet Coke w Lime. Beer: I like anything interesting and not too hoppy. My fave is a Belgian Grimbergen Blonde or a pint of Murphy’s. But, a good margarita is hard to beat when I’m on vacation (rim salted please).

– For all other times I’m a big fan of water. I drink a lot of it. It does the body good!

– One rule for liquids: I never use a sweetener. I’m scared it may spoil my finely-crafted curmudgeoness!

4. What am I working on right now?

Writing: I’m in the draft phase of my first novel—Black Friday, an urban fantasy thriller featuring the heroine Kali Stone. The book begins a series, which is the first in a group of chronological series based in a supernatural, apocalyptic world I’ve been developing the last few years. It’s an ambitious blueprint. I hope my hobbies leave me time to do it justice!

Craft: Lately, much to the chagrin of my novel, I’m spending quite a bit of time launching a new fiction writer’s resource. It’s a newsletter/blog where I put my 25 years as an investigator on the line to crack the code of publishing today. It’s all free, interactive, no-holds-barred info. That project is launching soon.

5. How would I describe my writing style?

My style of writing is: FAST HEAT.

I created this acronym to explain that I strive to be FAST (Fearless;
Authentic, Sexy; True) and deliver the HEAT (a story that is: Hot; Exposed; Adventurous; Thrilling).

6. Advice for a new writer?

“Do or Do Not. There is no TRY.” ~ Yoda.
“Even if it’s crap, just get it on the page.” ~ my coffee mug.

7. Where do my writing ideas come from?

The most fertile breeding grounds for my ideas are Titles. I start by brainstorming an intriguing plot nugget (usually the inciting incident or the final showdown) then I wrack my noggin for a working title before I begin a detailed outline. Once I start writing the title often changes, but I need to start with one that thrills me.

In college, I majored in Architecture, so I’m a planner when it comes to art. Since I have a master blueprint for my fiction, my plot nuggets are usually inspired by the world foundation I’ve built. But, my current novel wasn’t part of that original plan—it was born out of necessity. I was enrolled in James Patterson’s MasterClass and needed to submit a thriller plot, so I extracted a nugget from my current profession (in anti-terrorism) and created the plot of Black Friday. It wasn’t intended to be a series or even part of my world, but I’ve since morphed it to fit into the greater structure.

Last, but certainly not least, one of my bucket-list writing ideas comes from my dad. At bedtime, he would spin a fascinating yarn with some crazy characters he made up. Those memories are very special to me. So, for my future grandchildren, I plan to write a series of bedtime stories based upon my dad’s characters. That will be my tribute to him and my our legacy.

8. Where can I be found online?
Come chat with me on Facebook: fb.com/SCMcCole or Twitter @SCMcCole. I’ll be sharing the release of my upcoming investigative report site in those hangouts. Cheers!
Thank you so much for sharing with us today, S.C. We appreciate your time. Good luck on your release of Black Friday.

So, gentle readers, stop on by S.C.s facebook and say hello.

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:

NaNo Prep: Monday Blog Post

Posted on October 17, 2016 by conniejean

Bear Canyon Lake

Newest News:

Spent Saturday the 15th in Scottsdale for the Arizona Professional Writers State Conference. Oh my gosh! So much information. And time to renew acquaintances with the people I see only once or twice a year. Because of the presentations, I’m planning some social media changes. 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.

This week I’m getting ready for National Novel Writing Month. This will be my sixth one. My first one, and where I picked up the writing bug, was November 2011. The challenge is the same. Write 50,000 words in the 30 days of November. I’m as excited about it now as I was in 2011. This year I have some notes to write the 4th Brown Rain novelette, already titled, Tested. I also have a short story, partly written, to finish and other projects, if I finish with that. I’ll be doing some tweeting and Facebook posts about the process for sure.

Troubled Streets is out! Hooray! It’s already up on Amazon, both as an ebook and as a paperback. It’s up on Smashwords and other places. 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:

Shout Out:

Author and Social Media Consultant, Raleigh Pinskey. Raleigh was one of the guest speakers at the APW conference on Saturday and I enjoyed every minute. You can find her on Amazon at: http://www.raleighpinskey.com/ or on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Raleigh-Pinskey/e/B001ITXFFO.

The other guest speaker was Ric Hinkie. Ric is a multi-talented speaker, writer and business professional. Funny and inspirational, Ric kept us riveted with his presentation on how to fast forward our career to thrive as a writer. He can be found at: https://twitter.com/rhinkie, or at http://www.richinkie.com/.

I recommend both speakers for your next conference!

Garden News:

Some critter has killed the Swiss Chard and is slowly nibbling to death every single broccoli plant. Very disappointing. Some tomatoes are left and I’m picking them. Leaves are starting to turn yellow on the fruit trees but without a frost, it’s a slow process. How about you? Is your garden clean-up done or do you still have some growing season left?

Where Will I Be?:

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, Smashwords, Gumroads or Chatebooks today! I’m still getting it loaded onto Apple, Gumroad and Chatebooks. You can also see all of 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.

Craft Fair Book Selling: Monday Blog Post

Posted on October 10, 2016 by conniejean

My Table at the Book Signing

Newest News:

I spent the 8th and the 9th in Pine AZ at the Pine-Strawberry October Fall Festival. It’s the business community’s monthly craft fair and in October, they specialize in antiques, a chili cook-off, and tables for authors to sell their books. I had a table and one other author, a poet, Carena del Uno had a table. On Saturday, she shared her table with a mutual author friend, Annemarie Eveland. We had fun chatting with each other and with the attendees and all of us made sales so it turned out to be a successful weekend. A couple of people interested in being authors stopped by the tables and I invited them to attend our monthly Arizona Professional Authors meeting. The more the merrier! I hope they come.

Pat and Randy at the Chili-Cookoff

Speaking of the chili cookoff. My husband and his brother, Pat, participated in that event. They had tables next to each other so they could talk. As usual they had a good time talking to friends and neighbors who came to enjoy the chili. At the end, it turned out Pat won second place in the cook-off! Hooray! That’s Pat in the red.

A delay on the release of Troubled Streets. Last week my computer died so I lost two and a half days of work time to troubleshooting, then buying and setting up the new computer. Then, I totally messed up the interior file format and am having to do it all over again. Correctly this time. It will be another day or two since I spent the weekend at the craft fair. However, the cover designer, J.A. Marlow, was able to correct the cover quickly. I had the updated cover in my email this morning! The book will be out soon.

Giveaways:

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!

Shout Out:

Author Veronica Sosa McDonald

Today’s shout out is to author Veronica Sosa McDonald. A mom of two and a fiction author, she’s my author interview for Wednesday. If you can’t wait, you can find her at: VeronicaMcDonaldAuthor.com

Garden News:

We’ve had some lovely weather the last week so the garden is fading but I’m still picking tomatoes and the Swiss Chard hidden by the zucchini plant. We haven’t had a frost yet so my lemon tree and bay tree are still outside. Soon though, I’ll have to bring them in for the winter, along with my Jade plant. Then it will be time to clean up the garden and put it to bed for the winter. How about you? Is your garden clean-up done or do you still have some growing season left?

Where Will I Be?:

My book at Dog-Eared Pages Used Book Store

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.

Newsletter Sign Up:

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 critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

Author Interviews: Kim Bailey Deal

Posted on September 21, 2016 by conniejean

Author Kim Bailey Deal

Let’s give a big hello to Kim who has graciously accepted my invitation to visit with us today. Kim Bailey Deal writes Women’s Fiction, short stories, poetry, and creative non-fiction. She’s been published in Firefly Magazine, A Journal of Luminous Writing. Kim has also been a guest blogger for Robert Lee Brewer’s blog at www.writersdigest.com. She authors a weekly column and is Social media manager for www.five2onemagazine.com. Kim also has a creative non-fiction piece published in Pilcrow & DaggerAugust/September Issue http://pilcrowdagger.com/issues/, and three poems, two short stories, and a creative non-fiction piece to be published in September and October 2016. Kim is mom to three sons and one daughter, Nim, to her grandchildren and step-daughter. She lives with her husband, John, near Chattanooga, TN.

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

There are so many. Reading, playing guitar, and watching movies are my top three.

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

My dad. He’s been gone 28 years now, but I’d like to tell him that I learned no one is perfect and he was the best dad he could be, and I’m proud to be his daughter.

3. Coffee, tea, soda or something else?

Coffee in the morning, peach tea during the day, water in between.

4. What are you working on right now?

Several things. I write a weekly column for Five2One Magazine. Also, a couple of poems, two short stories, a song I wrote for my kids, and my finished first draft of my women’s fiction novel I’m also helping to co-edit an anthology..

5. How would you describe your writing style?

I don’t hold anything back. It’s raw, honest, and unflinching in my examination of life, whether it’s fiction and non-fiction.

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

Do it. Now. Carve out the time. Don’t stop and don’t write for anyone but yourself.

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?

My writing comes to me from my past, from current events, and when dealing with messy life situations. It’s a kind of therapy for me.

8. Where can we find you on the interwebs?

I’ve been published in MORE magazine, Member Voices, The Pull of Strays at http://www.more.com/member-voices/your-stories/pull-strays?page=2; a poem “Spirit Awakening” and featured short story Nu Na Da Ul Tsun Yi in the 3^rd issue of Firefly Magazine www.fireflymagazine.weebly.com; on Robert Lee Brewer’s blog, There Are No Rules, as a guest blogger at www.writersdigest.com; and I write a weekly column, Breaking The Legacy Of Silence, at www.five2onemagazine.com. I blog at least weekly on my website, www.kimbaileydeal.net. I can be found on Facebook and Instagram at Kim Bailey Deal, and on Twitter @wordjunkie1966.

Thank you so much for visiting with us today, Kim.

Readers, you can learn more of what Kim is doing by visiting one or more of her pages. It will be worth your time!

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:

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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?:

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.

ConniesRandomThoughts

Thoughts and Activities About My Writing

Tag Archives: Other Authors

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Author Interviews: Veronica Sosa McDonald

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Author Interviews: Kim Bailey Deal

Author Interviews: Dawn Simpson