Hello everybody! Today I am very happy to welcome Dianne Hartsock, author of “ALEX” to Coffee and a Keyboard. Thank you so much for being here!
You’re very welcome. Thanks for having me as your guest today.

When and why did you begin writing?
I began writing in first grade, a two paragraph story about a giraffe. I can’t remember much about it, except that everyone liked to visit him at the zoo. I was very proud when the story was pinned up on the wall for everyone to read, the teacher liked it that much. And I’ve been scribbling stories ever since.

What inspired you to write your latest book?
The first novel I attempted was a fantasy/adventure, which is still looking for a home. As I became more involved in the life of my main character, I began to wonder how he would fair in a modern setting. In his world, this character is considered a magic user. What would he be labeled in today’s society? Would he be accepted, or forced to live away from others? Would he have been born with this ‘gift’ or would it have developed over time?
I found these questions intriguing and began my research into psychic abilities. Most people seem to develop their talents in their late teens. I wanted to show how Alex had been born with his gifts, and how the trauma of his childhood brought them out even stronger than is usual.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
One reviewer summed ‘ALEX’ up for me very nicely. ‘Overall, I am left with a new definition of what love is: an emotion that can endure through life and death. Love isn’t over-romanticized as something that will conquer all, but love makes life worth living.’

What books have most influenced your life most?
The fantasies of Tolkien and C.J. Cherryh, whose characters I always seem to fall in love with, those flawed, wonderful heroes. Ray Bradbury’s stories which remind me of the joys and fears and wonders of childhood. Richard Bach, who opened my mind to possibilities and Douglas Adams, who reminds me not to take myself so seriously.

What book are you reading now?
‘The Dead Town’, book five in Dean Koontz’s Frankenstein series.
The war against humanity is raging. As the small town of Rainbow Falls, Montana, comes under siege, scattered survivors come together to weather the onslaught of the creatures set loose upon the world. As they ready for battle against overwhelming odds, they will learn the full scope of Victor Frankenstein’s nihilistic plan to remake the future—and the terrifying reach of his shadowy, powerful supporters.

Now the good will make their last, best stand. In a climax that will shatter every expectation, their destinies and the fate of humanity hang in the balance.

Oh I LOVE that series!!

What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Abandoned by Alex’s father, his mother raises Alex in isolation, physically and emotionally abusing him as she tries to drive the ‘badness’ from him inherited from his father. With no one to show her differently, they both suffer under her emotional confusion.
It broke my heart when I researched child abuse. The horrible things people do to their children. It hurts to know that a child is suffering even as I’m writing this down. I made it through the research somehow, but no matter how bad things got for Alex, it’s nothing to what some children endure every day.

Do you have any advice for other writers?
Just relax and write! Don’t try to copy anyone else’s style. Write the words as they come to you and worry about cleaning up the mess later. It’s the best way to find your own unique ‘writer’s voice’.

What do you do when you’re not writing?
A million things. I read books like mad. I enjoy going out for coffee or lunch with friends, live music and browsing antique stores. I also like walking on the beach, hiking, having a good laugh, and sitting by the fire with my husband.

Where can we find more information about you and your current projects?
Blog: http://diannehartsock.wordpress.com/
FB: http://www.facebook.com/diannehartsock
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/diannehartsock
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4850270.Dianne_Hartsock

And of course, last but not least…do you have a favorite brand, flavor, type of coffee?
Seattle Mountain 100% Arabica whole bean, Costa Rican French Roast. A mouthful to say, I know, but so rich and yummy!

ALEX
Solstice Publishing: http://amzn.to/ikCVTW
Amazon: http://amzn.to/ikCVTW
Alex is twenty and confused.  He always is.  The world presses on him with its horrors and pain, with scintillating auras that pierce his eyes and drive the migraines deeper. He hears the cries of children, the screaming women. He sees the brutal images of the tortured victims. He feels out of control and his mind slips…
Severely abused as a child, he is left with horrible scars on his body and even worse scars within his mind. Even though it puts him in danger, he’s compelled to help those who call to him. He’s driven, motivated by his visions to rescue them and uncover the killer. When he can, he helps the police; yet some detectives suspect he’s the cause of the problem, not the solution. Often, Alex finds himself alone and afraid in a world he doesn’t always comprehend.

Dianne Hartsock lives in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon with her incredibly patient husband, who puts up with the endless hours she spends hunched over the keyboard letting her characters play.

She says Oregon’s raindrops are the perfect setting in which to write her tales. There’s something about being cooped up in the house while it pours rain outside and a fire crackles on the hearth inside that kindles her imagination.

The intricate and fragile nature of the mind is always fascinating.  Having worked with the public through various careers, Dianne has come to respect the resilience and strength of the human spirit. She’s always trying to capture that spirit in her writing.

Currently, Dianne works as a floral designer in a locally-owned gift shop, which she says is the perfect job for her. When not writing, she can express herself through the rich colors and textures of flowers and foliage.

Dianne’s books include Trials of a Lonely Specter and Alex.

You can visit Dianne Hartsock at: http://diannehartsocksalex.wordpress.com/

Hello everybody! Today I am very happy to welcome Emyln Chand author of “Farsighted” to Coffee and a Keyboard. Thank you so much for being here!
Thank you for giving me a home on your blog today—it’s great to be here!

When and why did you begin writing?
I’ve been writing since before I could write, if you know what I mean. I’ve always loved inventing stories or “tall tales” as my parents call them. I wrote and illustrated children’s books for my younger brothers when I was still in grade school. In fifth grade, I wrote a short MG novel. I tried writing screenplays in high school but never got very far with those. Really, I started writing seriously about two-and-a-half years ago when the local paper offered me a book review column. That gave me the courage and consistency to write novels. Farsighted is my second written but first published.

What inspired you to write your latest book?
Everything started with a single image—my face in these tacky oversized sunglasses reflecting out at me from the car’s side mirror. I was daydreaming while my husband drove us across Michigan for my sister’s wedding. Something about my image really struck me in an almost horrific way. I felt the glasses made me look blind but found it so weird that there was still a clear image within them; it seemed so contradictory. At the time, my book club was reading The Odyssey, which features the blind Theban prophet, Tieresias. I started thinking about what it would be like to have non-visual visions of the future and began forming a modern Tieresias in my mind. Lo and behold, Alex Kosmitoras was born. I didn’t want him to be alone in his psychic subculture, so I found other characters with other powers to keep him company. Thank God for my poor fashion sense.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
My primary goal is to tell an interesting story that people will find entertaining and be glad they read. I also wanted to take YA back to its intended audience—young adults—and to infuse the existing canon of literature for teens with diversity, to teach readers about the beauty of other cultures and other ways of life. I also hope that Farsighted is a book that leads to introspection—what would I do if put in Alex’s place? Did Alex ever have a choice or was this path his destiny? What would it be like to see the world the way he sees the world?

What books have most influenced your life?
In truth, I’m influenced by everything I read (for better or worse). My primary writing influences are JK Rowling for awesome world-building and unrivaled dialogue-writing skill, Anne M Martin for first making me love books, John Irving for incredible characterization, Suzanne Collins for riveting action, and Vladimir Nabokov for seamless and beautiful prose.

What book are you reading now?
I’m reading Scorpio Rising by Monique Domovitch (a wonderful woman who is both a friend and a Novel Publicity client). I’m a sucker for literary fiction, so I’m just eating Scorpio up!

What was the hardest part of writing your book?
The hardest part was getting started! I spent about three months trying to talk myself out of writing Farsighted. It’s too ambitious, my inner critic pointed out. You’ll never get it done, not in the way it deserves to be done, it pressed. But there was another part of me that couldn’t resist; I knew I had to at least try before giving up. So glad I decided to be an optimist for a change!

Do you have any advice for other writers?
My advice is this:  Have fun with your writing. Don’t put pressure on yourself or your story and don’t try to fit either into some type of mold. Not every work HAS to be published, but every work will teach you something, and it will make you a better writer. Find the joy in writing, and you won’t go wrong.

What do you do when you’re not writing?
I like to work, haha. No, seriously. I run my own company, and I love my job. Work is relaxing. When I’ve worked too hard and have to call it quits for the day, I like reading on my Kindle, taking bubble baths, and watching Glee (or more recently, The Big Bang Theory). I also have 5 birds, a dog, and a husband.

Where can we find more information about you and your current projects?
I’m everywhere. Seriously, Google “Emlyn Chand” plus your favorite social media site, and you’ll find me. My website is www.emlynchand.com and my favorite networking sites are Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and GoodReads.

And of course, last but not least…do you have a favorite brand, flavor, type of coffee?
I am a hardcore coffee addict—sometimes drinking as much as 16 cups of coffee per day. And I just got a Keurig coffee maker for my birthday, and I love it! I still drink the exact same brand of coffee I’ve always enjoyed—Dunkin’ Donuts. Now I just have more fun preparing it

About Farsighted

Alex Kosmitoras’s life has never been easy. The only other student who will talk to him is the school bully, his parents are dead-broke and insanely overprotective, and to complicate matters even more, he’s blind. Just when he thinks he’ll never have a shot at a normal life, a new girl from India moves into town. Simmi is smart, nice, and actually wants to be friends with Alex. Plus she smells like an Almond Joy bar. Yes, sophomore year might not be so bad after all.

Unfortunately, Alex is in store for another new arrival—an unexpected and often embarrassing ability to “see” the future. Try as he may, Alex is unable to ignore his visions, especially when they begin to suggest that Simmi is in danger. With the help of the mysterious psychic next door and new friends who come bearing gifts of their own, Alex must embark on a journey to change his future.

Emlyn Chand has always loved to hear and tell stories, having emerged from the womb with a fountain pen grasped firmly in her left hand (true story). When she’s not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm, Novel Publicity. Emlyn loves to connect with readers and is available throughout the social media interweb. Visit www.emlynchand.com for more info. Don’t forget to say “hi” to her sun conure Ducky!
Farsighted is her latest book.

Hello everybody! Today I am very happy to welcome Nancy Stewart, author of “Sea Turtle Summer” to Coffee and a Keyboard. Thank you so much for being here!
When and why did you begin writing?

As an academic, I’ve written all my adult life. Of course, much of that was by its nature, stuffy and dare I say, boring?  I didn’t begin writing for children, though, until six years ago.  I taught children’s and young adult literature at the university level and loved the books used in those courses.  When my granddaughter, Leah, was born almost six years ago, I wrote my first book called I Held You on the Day You were Born.  Since then, I’ve never looked back, and the stories continue to tumble out one after the other.

What inspired you to write your latest book?

Sea Turtle Summer is the second of the Bella and Britt Series to be published by Guardian Angel Publishing.  My husband and I bought a condo on Clearwater Beach, Florida four years ago, and in doing so changed my life forever.  I watched the marine life on our daily walks and quickly grew to love it all.  The plight of sea turtles has been documented over and over, but I wanted to write about them for children.  The earlier kids learn about caring for their environment and about the dignity of animals with which we share this world, the better it is for everyone.  Hence, Sea Turtle Summer…
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

The Bella and Britt books are all about kid empowerment and caring for their world.  When the girls see a problem, they waste no time in trying to fix it.  That can be a tricky business in an adult milieu, but they persevere to get the job done.  This time they see a sea turtle laying her eggs on a busy, bustling beach.  After seeing her safely back to sea, they go about trying to save the nest.  No small task!  I hope kids will take away the importance of making the right choices for themselves and in doing so, help care for their planet.

What books have most influenced your life most?

By far, the most memorable children’s book I’ve ever read is Jane Yolen’s, Owl Moon. Why?  The prose is so beautiful, it is really poetry.  The spell Ms. Yolen casts in the book is haunting, filled with lonely and spare countryside, a night so cold that one feel it to the very marrow and the yearning of a child to fulfill her much longed for expectations.  It is glorious and has had a profound impact on my own writing.

What book are you reading now?

I am reading Gerald Duff’s biography, Home Truths.  It is an amazing read and has been heralded by reviewers as an “authentic and brave book.”  It is doubly fun to read, as Gerald is a good friend as well as a talented author.

I am also reading children’s chapter books!  I’m in the process of writing my first chapter book, Lost on the Skeleton Coast, which I hope will become a series.  As a result, I’m delving into such books as Midnight Howl by Clare Hutton and Goosebumps Horror Land by R.L.Stine.  You get the picture…

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

I pretty well had my two protagonists defined, as this is the second book in the Bella and Britt Series, so that was not an issue.  It was difficult doing the research and seeing and learning about distressed sea turtles.  I certainly learned more than I ever expected to, and most of it was difficult to experience.  The book, though, had to be written, and I’m glad I did it!

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Don’t write in a vacuum! Join a writer’s group and get involved in the critiquing aspect.  Try to write every day, if possible.

Marketing is a huge issue. Today, much, if not most, of it is up to the author, no matter how large or small your house.  It is simply expected.  The trick, then, for the author, is to keep it all in perspective and not give (as one tends to do) it all up to selling the book/s.

What do you do when you’re not writing?

It seems these days that my life is nothing but writing!  My husband and I enjoy having dinner with friends.  I love to cook, so we do entertain quite a bit.  For me that is always relaxing, using a different skill.  I exercise three times a week—so important in a sedentary job such as writing.  We love to travel and do lots of that as time and work load permits.  And, of course, seeing our children is wonderful, and we try to make time for visits as much as possible!

Where can we find more information about you and your current projects?

Sea Turtle will be sold at: Guardian Angel Publishing, amazon.com, barnes & noble.com, Fictionwise, and at my web and blog sites, where autographed copies can be purchased: http://www.nancystewartbooks.com and http://www.nancystewartbooks.blogspot.com

And of course, last but not least…do you have a favorite brand, flavor, type of coffee?

Intelligentsia Coffee is one of my favorite brands.  The El Diablo Dark Roast is wonderful.  I also like their use of Direct Trade practices in growing, harvesting and selling their product.  Try it!

Photo by Amilia McLarey

Hello everybody! Today I am very happy to welcome Myra McLarey, author of “The Last Will and Testament of Rosetta Sugars Tramble” to Coffee and a Keyboard. Thank you so much for being here!

When and why did you begin writing?

I was in my mid thirties and saw a brochure on the Bread Loaf School of English. They had money from the Rockefeller Foundation which was to be used to bring rural teachers to the mountain for their summer program. They required a written sample, so I decided to write a poem or two. I did, sent them in—got the grant, and that summer I took a poetry writing course taught by Laurence Raab. He was a tough taskmaster—but I learned so much about language and making each word count. I left there thinking I’d write more poetry. I had a sabbatical, was living in Australia and had time to indulge myself, so I sat down and started a poem which became a short story. I sent it off to a writer friend who encouraged me to “slide from poetry to fiction.”  So I sat down to write another short story and that became a novel—which is still in the drawer. A few years later, when I first began teaching at Harvard (in 1989), I was living with Richard Marius and his wife, Lanier.  After dinner, Richard would go to his office and type away on his novel. Lanier, a draftsperson, would go to her room and work an architectural drawing. I would go to my room and read student papers. One night, with all the papers read–and with the sound of typing coming from the Richard’s room–I decided I liked that sound, so I started yet another short story. By the time I finished it, I knew I wanted it to be part of a novel about place with each chapter centered on an event that took place in that community. That novel was Water from the Well.

What inspired you to write your latest book?

Believe it or not, I started this novel right after I got back from the thirty-five day book tour my publisher sent me on when Water from the Well was released. I was at the MacDowell Colony in the dead of winter.  It’s gone through many, many visions and revisions—to borrow from T. S. Eliot.  I have added to and thrown away enough paper to fill the back end of a pick-up truck—or so it seems.  I always knew I would return to the communities of Sugars  Spring and Bethel to see what else it has to tell me—because somehow, a story begins to talk to the writer—in a manner of speaking.  In between the start and finish though, I co-wrote a children’s book with my daughter (When You Take a Pig to a Party) and co-wrote a country music love story with Linda Weeks, under the pen name of M.L. Rose. (The Road to Eden’s Ridge. It was optioned by United Artists before it folded—so it languished a while but is now under option again.) Finally, I returned to this novel and it felt fresh again and I loved revising it and seeing it take the shape I wanted.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? 

Actually, I always leave that to the reader to say what they think the book is about. It’s not my place to tell them—except I do want them to think about the role of stories in their lives. This book is about a lot of things, but it’s certainly about the stories that are told and not told.

What books have most influenced your life most?

Probably the Bible—I grew up on the language and cadences of the King James Version. Others:  Richard Wright’s Black Boy, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried, Eudora Welty’s short stories. But there are writers who are so good that I learn by reading them: Lee Smith, Jill McCorkle, Jessica Treedway, Ron Hanson…and then there are the poets who influence me as well—but it would take a book. I might write one someday on what I learned from other writers.
What book are you reading now? 

The books my four classes are reading (I’m re-reading)—All Quiet on the Western Front, The life of Pi, One Day in the Life of Ivan Densiovich—and the poetry of Billy Collins. On my own, I read a lot of non-fiction (history largely). And the New Yorker is always beside my bed. I just finished Jessica Treadway’s recent book which won the Flannery O’Connor Award. And now I’m getting ready to read Alexander Solzhentysin’s new book of (Postmodern) short stories.)

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Finding long chunks of time. I am not one who can sit down and write for two hours and then go about my business. I need several hours ahead of me so that I can get on a roll. Sometimes, I’ll sit down and before I know it, five hours have passed. I love those times.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Find what works for you—early morning, evening, weekends. Carve that space somehow.  And always know what your next sentence will be when you stop. (I think that was Hemingway’s practice and it’s certainly mine.)

What do you do when you’re not writing?

I am a full time teacher and in 2003, I moved from the Boston area to Tennessee to be the English Chair and help start a new high school. We opened the doors in 2004, and I’m still here.  So when I’m not writing, I’m teaching writing. I also have produced a show called “The Festival of Story and Song” that brings professional songwriters (among them Amy Grant and Vince Gill) students, teachers, and parents together to celebrate the spoken and written word. That is a huge undertaking so I haven’t had time to get started on my next novel, but I’m researching the early history of Iowa for it.

Where can we find more information about you and your current projects?

At http://www.myramclarey.com/ or on my Facebook fan page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Myra-McLarey/266961326648542 )

And of course, last but not least…do you have a favorite brand, flavor, type of coffee?

I am really not a coffee drinker as I am hyped enough without caffeine—but I lived in Sweden so when I drink coffee, I like it strong, which is how the Swedes drink it. But if you read Water from the Well, there’s a “coffee” story in the chapter, “The Choosing of Little Jewel” which, in fact, is my mother’s story—so to me, strangely, drinking coffee always meant striving for independence.

Hello everybody! Today I’m EXTREMELY please to welcome Natasha Dean, author of “What Happens in Vegas” to Coffee and a Keyboard. I’ll be reviewing “What Happens in Vegas” on 9/13. Spoiler alert – the book is great!

When and why did you begin writing?

One of the reasons I started writing in romance (in 2005) was because I was fed up with what I call Dysfunction Masquerading As Conflict. You know what I mean: she’s supposed to be self-sufficient and stubborn, but she’s shrill. Or he’s “wounded” and that’s the reason he’s allowed to emotionally abuse her, and be a jackass because “it’s romantic.  He secretly loves her.”

One of my favorites is the external conflict that a five year could solve. She needs the rind of an orange, and he needs the inside, but oh-uh!! There’s only ONE orange. What are they going to do? So the reader suffers through hundreds of pages of “come here,” “go away,” hot sex, more sex, and oh, look, more sex and right when she hits the 100th orgasm, she realizes she really loves him, but boo hoo, there’s that problem of the orange. Then she either gets pregnant and runs away, or sees him having dinner with another woman and runs away, or realizes it’ll never work in this mad, one orange world, and runs away. Inevitably, she gets hits by a truck or car (no doubt, driven by the now, completely pissed off romance reader). Then, she wakes up in a hospital, sees him. He’s all “oh, I love you!” and she says, “It won’t work. There’s only one orange.” Then he solves it all by saying, “No, we can share the orange.”

Then there’s more sex…well, except for the reader whose too busy poking their eyes out or seeking professional help to even consider having sex.

It annoys me. Vexes me.

There are GREAT romances out there. Why couldn’t more of the books I read be like them.  And I thought, “Okay, Big Mouth. You can criticize, but can you step up to the plate and write a book that is more in line with the romances you love?”

And that’s how I started.

What inspired you to write your latest book?

The Crimson line of The Wild Rose Press had a call out for stories that revolved around a jewel, and I’m a total sucker for Romancing the Stone’s Joan Wilder. I wanted to do something funny, irreverent, and have a Joan-esque type of character: a woman tossed into circumstances beyond her control, but who still emerges victorious (if a little bruised).

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Big message: when stuck in a closet with an intruder in your house, have more than a broom as a weapon.

Really, I just want my readers to have fun, to laugh and relax, and give themselves a little reading TLC in their busy lives.

What books have most influenced your life most?

Oh, that’s a long list. Truly, it’s books I love (Nerd in Shining Armor, One for the Money, anything by Dean Koontz) because they make me want to work hard to do the best job I can. But I also love books that I can’t stand—poor plots, annoying characters—because they also push me to work hard.

What book are you reading now?

Actually, I have three: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (Rebecca Skloot), Dragons of Darkness (Antonia Michaelis), and Salamander (Linda Sillitoe & Allen Roberts).

Plus, I work as a writing coach, so there’s some great unpublished stuff I’m reading.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Everything that’s in between the covers. Seriously.  Plot, character, description—it’s all hard—and we haven’t even touched on editing, yet.   But that’s what makes it such a rush for writers: persevering to get from “once upon a time” to “the end.”

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Agatha Christie said it best: “There was a moment when I changed from an amateur to a professional. I assumed the burden of a profession, which is to write even when you don’t want to, don’t much like what you’re writing, and aren’t writing particularly well.”

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Thanks for reading. You make all the long nights and early days worth it!

And last but not least…what is your favorite kind of coffee?

Ha! I don’t think what I drink can count as coffee:  a full mug of warm milk, a tiny squish of coffee (because as much as I LURVE the scent and taste of coffee, it never loves me back), and a TON of sugar…I don’t even think it counts as a café latte, but it tastes sssooo yummy…

(VL – Oohhh! That does sound yummy. )

You can also connect with Natsha here:

September 16-Guest Post and Giveaway@Darlene’s Book Nook

September 19-Review@Oodles Of Books

September 20-Interview@Book Marketing Buzz

September 23-Review@Urban Girl Reader

September 23-Review@Lady Lit Reviews

September 26-Review@Romancing The Book(Valerie)

September 27-Review@Frequent Reader, Infrequent Blogger

September 28-Review@ Sweeping Me

September 29-Review@Socrates Book Reviews

September 30-Guest Post@The Book Faery Reviews

Happy Friday everyone! Today I’m happy to welcome the very talented Estevan Vega, author of “Arson” to Coffee and a Keyboard!

When and why did you begin writing? I began writing when I was in fifth grade. I basically had no choice. My teacher at the time had us write a short story/essay every day for a while, and at first my writing was kinda lame. Then my dad stepped in and taught me to appreciate writing and the power of words and images. He taught me to close my eyes and picture things, make them real. After writing a few awesome stories together, I began writing stuff alone. In sixth grade, I started my first book, and the rest is history.

What inspired you to write your latest book?

A lot of baggage. Writing this book was like medicine. Growing up, I felt a little misplaced. I kept waiting for the life I saw in the teen drama shows, never actually getting that those people’s lives were scripted, and that every actor was most likely in their twenties, so of course they were kinda cool and got the girls. I always seemed to identify with the isolated, the outsiders, even though to my friends, I wasn’t. I was actually very outspoken, the one with all the opinions. Then in high school, my parents split up. That kinda wrecked a lot of perceptions in my head, changed some things. But one thing that never changed was my love for heroes, comic book characters who could do extraordinary things. Arson, and the dysfunctional family dynamics within the book, mostly came from my own life. Though I’m still working on the creating fire with my mind bit.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Yeah, a few actually. But I’ll let the readers figure that out for themselves. More fun that way.

What books have most influenced your life most?

I’d like to say there were a ton of books that have influenced my life and me, but more than anything, it’s been my dad, a friend of mine, and the readers. Of course, there have been books by King, Matheson, Fitzgerald, Shakespeare, that all played a part, but the real people have had the hugest impact on my other worlds. Having someone believe in your stuff, sometimes more than you do, is priceless.

What book are you reading now?

A bunch at once. I know, terrible. I feel like I’ll never finish them, but I am ambitious. But in all honesty, I’ve been writing so much and editing, I feel my eyes are gonna explode along with my brain. All for the game, though, right? I guess I’ll survive. It means more books coming your way, and I’m crazy stoked about that.

What was the hardest part of writing your book? Figuring out how it should begin and end. The scenes in between can be hard at times, but figuring out the beginning and the end are the trickiest things.

Do you have any advice for other writers? Find people who can believe in you. Read, and re-read…until your brain feels like it’s going to explode. Get out there and promote like a madman once you have something; it’s never too late or too early. And remember why you’re writing. Don’t forget the reason. It’s more than a job. It’s a calling.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers? Check out ARSON and its sequel, ASHES, releasing later this month. It’s gonna be so tight. And If you’re not liking the We are Arson page on facebook and following me on twitter.com/estevanvega, I swear you’re missing out.

What is your favorite kind of coffee?

Brace yourself…I don’t drink coffee.

(VL note – that’s ok…sort of. KIDDING!)

I know, a writer who doesn’t like coffee. My friend was just talking to me the other day, and he was, like, “I can’t believe you don’t like coffee. I always pictured you sipping a cup of coffee in a little shop typing away at you’re book.” I was, like, “Dude, I don’t like it. Maybe I’m the other kind of writer.”

Burn something,

-E

Happy Monday everybody! Today I am very happy (I know…quite a feat for Monday) to have author Kate Dolan here. Kate is the author of several books including Deceptive Behavior, which was just released in e-book. It’s the third book in the Love and Lunacy series described as a story, “involving an eccentric family who would all probably be reality TV stars if  television existed in Regency London.” Sounds like a good read to me!

When and why did you begin writing?

I had to obey the voices in my head. Really. Well, actually when I started the voices weren’t too demanding. I was thinking “I wonder what would happen if…” and then my story started. That was about 12 years ago. Then about a year into it, when I started to  give up on it, the characters demanded that I come back and finish their story. They were quite stubborn.

Before that, I had tried off and on for years to write but I always gave up because I hated my characters and didn’t care what happened to them. That time, the characters fought back.  And I finished not just a few chapters but a whole book.

What inspired you to write your latest book?
I had so much fun writing these “Love and Lunacy” books. They didn’t have a series name until recently. I just thought of them as my “crazy family” stories.  I started this one during NaNoWriMo (a book-in-a- month challenge) because I think the insane energy of that writing marathon gave an extra boost to the story. I thought it would be fun to base a book on Oliver Goldsmith’s hilarious 18^th Century play, She Stoops to Conquer. But when I veered away from his version, I got stuck. I set the story aside for a few years and came back to it because I really missed the characters. And they deserved to have their story finished.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Don’t judge people by their reputation. My hero has a reputation as being strange and unmanly. He’s really just shy (he stammers when he’s nervous). He’s not interested in traditional male pursuits like riding, hunting and fencing. He likes running and beagling (which is like hunting excepting they chase after the quarry on foot instead of on horseback).

What books have most influenced your life most?
The  Bible. Not as much as it should have, probably. And Anne of Green Gables – she taught me it’s okay to be yourself even if other people don’t quite approve.

What book are you reading now?
I’m always in the middle of a bunch of books, at least half of them nonfiction. I’m reading The Gentleman’s Daughter: Women’s Lives in Georgian England by Amanda Vickery and for fun, Christie Kelley’s  Every Time We Kiss. And I’m trying to get my hands on a copy of Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins  The whole Hunger Games trilogy is amazing.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Figuring out how the characters could regain each other’s trust. Goldsmith’s play is a comedy, a farce really. The lovers just accept the deception, realize they like each other, and live happily ever after. But in real life, we don’t operate that way. We don’t forgive and we don’t forget. So it’s hard to regain trust.

Do you have any advice for other writers?
Keep writing. Show your writing to other people who are not afraid to tell you if something isn’t working and needs to be changed. We don’t learn much from people who agree with us.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read this interview! If you’d like to waste more time, visit my website at www.katedolan.com and read my blog or find a book that sounds appealing.

(Note from V.R….her blog IS excellent. Do check it out)

And, I must ask this…What is your favorite kind of coffee? Why is this question at the end??? Coffee has to come before the keyboard. Without coffee, there is no brain function. Admittedly, some or possibly much of my writing looks as if it involves no brain function, but still…

If you really want to know, I usually drink a mixture of a Fair Trade decaf and a small amount of something with a little more unique taste like Café Du Monde’s chickory coffee or a flavored coffee like hazelnut or Irish crème.  Come to think of it, it’s time for a refill. I hope you’ll excuse me…

Judgment. As a writer, or any type of creative person, it’s something  you will face. People won’t “get it,” won’t like it won’t accept it for a variety of reasons. Some people are jealous that you dare to create, while others just really aren’t into artistic endeavors and just won’t appreciate it.

So, what does one do?

Forget them. You don’t have to be rude, or even tell them that you’re not listening, but just let their judgment roll off of you. Don’t absorb it, don’t push it back to them, just let it go.

If you’re a creative person, it’s what you ARE, not something you do. It’s an aspect of your personality. Anybody who has had writer’s block or has been too busy with their day job to paint will tell you that when that happens, a part of them feels very unfulfilled. And it’s not a feeling that will go away. And frankly, it doesn’t matter if you’re any good either. Granted, if you’re not, you may never make a dime from it, but in the end, that’s not what matters.

So when other people judge you, and they will, you just have to let it go.

Now, I’m not talking about constructive criticism. That’s the advice you get that helps you grow. LISTEN to that, and know the difference. If somebody says, “Hey, this sentence didn’t work for me. Try rewriting it, see what you can do with it,” that’s advice. Take it. Learn from it.

Judgment is the person over there telling you that what you’re doing is stupid, wrong, not a viable career option, a waste of time. They’re not helping you grow, they’re putting you down. And you don’t have to take that. Smile and nod, or tell them you don’t agree, but in the end, let it go.

This is one of those first hurdles that we get to jump when we decide to tell people about our creative activities. This is the point where many people decide they don’t want to or can’t deal with that kind of judgment and so they stop creating. Don’t let that happen. Don’t be afraid to express who you really are. Life is too short to be parading around as somebody else.

When have people judged you? How did you deal with it? Have you ever stopped creating for a time because of it?

I heart GalleyCat. Yes, I do and I’m not ashamed to say it. It’s one of MediaBistro’s many blogs and in my opinion, it’s one of the best. Between the insider info on the publishing world and the great interviews, I feel that it’s a must read for writers and authors. No, I don’t get a check from them for saying this. When I find something I like, I feel the need to share it.

One of yesterday’s articles, entitled “Writers: Making a Living Off of Kindle?” caught my eye for a variety of reasons. Anything that has “writer” and “making a living” and “Kindle” is probably going to stop me in my tracks. I clicked on the link and lo and behold it’s an interview with J.A. Konrath, author of the Jack Daniels detective series. The interview was inspiring. Here’s an excerpt:

Is it really possible to make a living from selling eBooks on Kindle? Could someone actually give up their day job? And if so, how long would it take to do so?

I’m currently selling 180 ebooks a day on Kindle…

180 books a day, without a publisher backing him. Wahoo!

You can read the rest of the interview here.

Julia Cameron is the author of, “The Artist’s Way.” The book/program is supposed to help unblock the blocked and discover the undiscovered artist in each of us. It may sound a little woo-woo for some people, but oh well.

I’ve started and stopped this program about twice now. However, I have restarted it and am determined to finish this time, as I discussed in an earlier blog post. So far, so good. I know I will finish it this time. I expect you to yell at me if I don’t. We can yell at me together. It’ll be fun.

Anyway, below is an interview with Julia Cameron, primarily about “The Morning Pages.” (In other clips linked on the page, she discusses other aspects of The Artist’s Way as well.)  The Morning Pages are one of the key stepping stones in The Artist’s Way path. Seriously, when I first started the course, I thought they were pointless. I’ve always resisted free writing. I’m more of a stare out the window till inspiration hits, incubate the ideas for a while and have them pretty much solid before I ever commit them to paper or screen. Staring at a blank page freaks me out and tends to scare away my already flighty muse.  I arrive at the blank page armed with ideas, but that’s not the point of the morning pages.

Last week though, I had a breakthrough.  I’d been doing the morning pages, but filling them with ho-hum journal-ish type things like how I wish I had a cup of coffee, and, oh dear god why won’t the cat make me a cup of coffee, or if I could just use the force to make myself a cup of coffee I’d be so happy. You get the point.

However, last week I actually wrote a piece of fiction. Not a story really, but a little slice of time. Just a page long, more of a descriptive piece than anything, but there it was. It came from nowhere. I hadn’t tossed it around beforehand, I hadn’t developed a mental sketch of anything. I just sat down and wrote, and it was great. Can’t wait to see how the rest of this journey unfolds.

Click here to see Julia Cameron on The Artist’s Way.