Anatomy of a Rip-Roaring Read” on Shindig

May 29, 2012 – 2:05 am
Meet the Authors! Anatomy of a Rip-Roaring Read, a live chat with readers!

Meet the Authors! Anatomy of a Rip-Roaring Read, a live chat with readers!

I’m hosting four dynamite writers in a panel discussion on the ANATOMY of a RIP-ROARING READ!

Meet a gathering of fabulous authors of suspense, fantasy, historical fiction, chicklit, and humor: A. R. Silverberry, weaver of magic. Melissa Foster, emotional suspense that captures the soul. Karen Bergreen, Comedian, Author, Stressed-Out Mom. Bonnie Trachtenberg marries romance and comedy. Kathie Shoop, bringing the past to life. Join us as we explore what tickles, scares, inspires, and moves us!



This online, live-video event takes place at Shindig.com on June 4th, from 12 – 1 PM, EST. The event is free and open to all! RSVP at http://www.eventbrite.com/event/3600710823.




 


More about each author:


 


Karen Bergreen, a mainstay in the New York City comedy clubs, has also been invited twice to perform at HBO’s U.S. Comedy Festival in Aspen, Colorado and the Great American Comedy Festival at the Johnny Carson Theatre in Norfolk, Nebraska. Karen has appeared on Comedy Central, The Oxygen Network, and The Joy Behar Show, and Law & Order. Her 2010 comic novel, Following Polly, earned praise from The New York Times, Oprah Magazine, and her mother-in-law. Her next novel, Perfect is Overrated, will be out in July (that’s very soon). Learn more about Karen on her Website.


 


Melissa Foster is the award-winning author of three international bestselling novels, Megan’s Way, Chasing Amanda, and Come Back to Me. She has also been published in Indie Chicks, an anthology. She is the founder of the Women’s Nest, a social and support community for women; the World Literary Cafe, a literary community; IndieKindle; and Fostering Success.Melissa hosts an annual Aspiring Authors contest for children, she’s written for Calgary’s Child Magazine and Women Business Owners Magazine, and has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. She’scurrently collaborating on the film production of Megan’s Way. Learn more about Melissa on her Website.


 


Kathleen Shoop, PhD, is a language arts coach in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her debut novel, The Last Letter, won the 2011 IPPY Gold Medal Award for Best Regional Fiction, Midwest. Her newly released novel, After the Fog, is already receiving critical acclaim. She is published in four Chicken Soup for the Soul books, and regularly places articles and essays in local magazines and newspapers. Visit her website at Website.


 


Bonnie Trachtenberg is the bestselling, award-winning author of Wedlocked: A Novel. She writes a monthly relationship and advice column for LoveaHappyEnding.com. Her newly released novel, Neurotically Yours, is already receiving critical acclaim. She was senior writer and copy chief at Book-of-the-Month Club, and has written seven children’s book adaptations. Learn more about Bonnie on her Website.


 


A. R. Silverberry is the author of the award-winning fantasy novel, Wyndano’s Cloak. His villain, Narfyel, has been called, “A perfect witch/hag,” and the novel has been called, “A Book for Three Generations.” Silverberry, the pen name for Peter Allan Adler, has been a licensed psychologist since 1991. He continues to balance his clinical practice with writing. Learn more about Silverberry on his Website.


 


Shindig.com is a NYC start-up committed to unleashing the unrealized potential of video chat. Shindig’s proprietary technology enables presenters to give a live reading, talk, or interview in front of an online group of 50 to 1000. Presenters share the stage with fans and take questions from audience members. Shindig adds a unique social dimension to events by allowing fans to interact with one another in private video chats.The company was founded in 2009 by Yale College, Harvard Law grad Steve Gottlieb. Steve’s prior entrepreneurial successes include the founding of TVT Records, one of the most successful independent labels in the history of the US recording industry. Steve’s discovery of such artists as Nine Inch Nails, Ja Rule, Lil Jon and Pitbull powered the label’s achievement of 25 plus Gold, Platinum and Multi Platinum releases. Steve served on the Board of MusicMatch and Tune Up as well as the Advisory Board to Napster. He was a Founding Director of A2IM, the American Association of Independent Music.


Talk to the authors! RSVP at http://www.eventbrite.com/event/3600710823. 


 


 


 


 


								

				

					By A. R. Silverberry
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After the Fog: Interview of Author Kathleen Shoop

				
May 24, 2012 – 4:21 pm

				


After the Fog, By Kathleen Shoop
After the Fog, By Kathleen Shoop


I’m thrilled to be interviewing author Kathleen Shoop today. She’s a language arts coach, and has a PhD in Reading Education. Her debut novel, The Last Letter, won multiple awards, including the 2011 IPPY Gold Medal Award for Best Regional Fiction, Midwest. She’s published in four Chicken Soup for the Soul books, and regularly places articles and essays in local magazines and newspapers. Join us now as she discusses her historical novel, After the Fog.


 


AR: Themes about forgiveness and healing run through After the Fog. What impelled you to write about these issues? 


 


K: I read the newspaper (yes the old-fashioned kind) almost every morning. The stories that move me most deal with flawed people who have made big mistakes in life but are doing something to right them. Of course, if these things are in the paper then they’re huge things to heal or repent for, but that idea that it’s possible, that we all need to do it in some way is compelling to me. I try to figure out what exactly about a certain story inspired me or brought me to tears—I want to do that in my fictional stories!


 


AR: Rose is complex character; headstrong; controlling; riddled with painful secrets; a nurse, but ironically in need of healing. How did she come about?


 


K: Rose’s hard shelled, no-nonsense, sometimes hurtful personality came from women, (like my grandmother) I knew growing up in Pittsburgh—they were extremely tough and could be pointed, but they loved their families. Just not always in the way the family members wanted to be loved. My grandmother adores nothing more than snuggling a baby/toddler, but don’t dare be a toddler who’d rather explore the house than snuggle her! The woman worked her fingers to blisters and simply could not tolerate anything less than the same steely nature. There was nothing like finally getting a compliment from her because it took so much to get one! She still strikes fear/love in the hearts of children, cousins, grand kids and she’s 95! 


 


My grandmother was orphaned by the flu epidemic, she grew up with her siblings at her grandparents. And though she says, “I raised myself,” the specific back story details I gave to Rose (other than being an orphan) in After the Fog are complete fiction. With that said, I think being an orphan, having in reality or perception “raised myself,” would have contributed to my gram’s hard shell without a doubt.


 


In creating what Rose needed to heal from I took the context of who she was: a woman in early/mid 20th century, an orphan who committed what she sees as a cowardly act as a teenager, she sees herself as being duped by the first person she trusted and with that, she barrels through life, hoping her work and actions redeem her past wrongs.


 


AR: The historical “killing smog” was a powerful use of place to set mood and move the story along. What inspired you to write about it, and how does it serve as a central metaphor in the novel?


 


K: I had finished writing The Last Letter in which the Children’s Blizzard of 1888 turned a major plot point in the book. I mentioned to my mother that I needed another disaster for my next book and she suggested the infamous 1948 Donora, PA “five days of fog.” Once I researched it, I saw it was the perfect backdrop for my next book. The fog does work as a metaphor—Rose has sort of lived in a fog, blindly pushing through life in ways she thinks are right because she can’t see past the fear in her heart. Only once everything was taken away from her and the fog cleared long enough for her to see what she was missing could she begin to heal—to recognize she had everything she needed right in front of her.


 


AR: Meticulous research would be needed to evoke the 1948 Donora, Pennsylvania steel town. How did you approach that?


 


K: I grew up in Pittsburgh at a time when the mills were booming then suddenly gone. Though my home was up the hill from the closest mill town, Etna, it’s where my father grew up. You couldn’t drive toward Pittsburgh and its surrounding areas without hitting a mill. Whether up and running or an abandoned carcass, there is nothing so awe-inspiring as the sight of a 20th century steel mill.


 


 Donora is south of Pittsburgh and though still there, the mill property is now an industrial park, with grave markers of steel workers who fell into vats of steel and were buried encased in it, weeds sprout of concrete, and though new buildings are there, the space still exudes mystery to me.


 


I am so lucky that the Donora Historical Society allowed me access to their records, their photos, their stories, their people. I’ve visited Donora several times, had the most incredible tours from Dr. Charles Stacey who was born in the home he still lives in. Brian Charlton (historian) read a draft of After the Fog and pointed out any issues with details related to Donora, the fog, the times. 


 


My conversations with them (and residents of other mill-towns) helped me shape much of the struggle between Johnny and his mother—the idea that residents were so proud of the work they did, yet they wanted their children to go to college and have a “better” life. It’s a strange contradiction to work with.


 


Then there was all the science and research related to mills and the 1948 killing smog. Most people around Donora don’t even know it happened! This event that spurred the development of the EPA and the Clean Air Act of 1955 is largely unknown in the very area it happened. Part of that is time marching on, part of it was that residents didn’t want the mills to go away. “Smoke was money,” was the attitude of many—these were immigrants who came from around the world to have a better life. And, they weren’t going to give it up for some smoke. So, after the smog cleared, everyone went back to work.


 


I compared articles from the time of the smog, government reports, and books written on industrial pollution to the interviews I did—I looked at what matched up and what didn’t and tried to layer the information into the story in an unforced way. I wanted the family’s personal struggles to rev up as the fog was settling in, suffocating people, forcing everyone to make decisions they wouldn’t have normally made. Like real life! I hope I managed that.


 


AR: What launched you into becoming a writer, and how have you honed the craft?


 


K: I’ve always written in terms of constructing stories in my mind. I am a voracious reader and always have been—I love nearly every genre there is. For me, it was this idea that people get sick of hearing your voice, but if you can write down what’s important to you, a story, or an essay or whatever, people can read you at their leisure. You get to say what you want, but you don’t bother anyone with it!


 


I seriously began writing ten years ago—that’s when I knew I could not, not write. I’ve gone to workshops, conferences, and participated in critique groups. Mostly, I read and study other writers—the way they move me and hope I can find a way to do the same.


 


AR: Your synopsis is so tight, promising a beautiful melding of character, story, and theme. Give us a glimpse into how you approached attaining that harmony in the novel!


 


K: Thanks, Peter, I hope the novel delivers on the synopsis’ promise! I think I’ve attained harmony for some readers and probably not for others. I did my best not to dump any info into the story just because it was interesting on its own. There were so many facts and instances and events that were compelling that I wanted to use or tell the reader, but I couldn’t because it didn’t further the plot or illuminate a character. The rule I tried to live by was—if I wanted to show something about the time or place, say with a type of kitchen implement, I needed to show a character using it. I tried to steer away from paragraphs of window-dressing, yet still give the flavor for the time and place—a setting readers have either forgotten or never knew. If something’s in a scene or a person is saying something, it was my attempt to move the plot or show a character’s growth or lack of it! 


 


AR: What’s ahead for you?!


 


K: I’m going to put out a women’s fiction novel by the fall—something I wrote a while back. And, now I’m writing a follow-up to The Last Letter. Thanks so much, Peter!


 


AR: Thank you! Readers can purchase your books and follow you at the links below!


 


Purchase Kathleen’s books on Amazon


 


Kathleen’s Website.


 


Kathleen on Facebook


Kathleen on Twitter


Kathleen Shoop, Author of After the Fog
Kathleen Shoop, Author of After the Fog


								

				

					By A. R. Silverberry
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Vision, Clairvoyance, and Soul Herder: Beth Elisa Harris Interview

				
May 20, 2012 – 6:19 pm

				


Soul Herder, by Beth Elisa Harris
Soul Herder, by Beth Elisa Harris


I’m thrilled to have author Beth Elisa Harris joining us today. Her fiction blends fantasy with humor and subtle themes of the human condition. She started writing fiction at an early age, with later detours working as a business writer and editor. Her paranormal  novel, Vision, is an international bestseller, receiving recognition and rave reviews from readers worldwide.


AR: Soul Herder is the second book of a trilogy. Without giving anything away, give us the set up from book one. 


BE: Layla Stone is a seventeen year old headed from Portland to Cambridge, England to attend college. She possess extremely strong clairvoyant skills that have given her recurring nightmares most of her life. She thinks she is compelled to leave to break the isolation in her life, but discovers she’s pulled to the UK for bigger reasons. There are secrets buried on a Scottish island where she meets a woman who changes her life, and helps reveal a strange, dark past. Layla thinks she’s unique and distant from her mom, but they are more alike then she knows. Book one deals with discovery, and sets the path for the other two books.


AR: Imagine that Layla has materialized somehow in the middle of a Roman coliseum. Can you write a brief scene to show us something about her character?


BE: Stuart must have whisked me here. We generally don’t end up in a different part of the world when he swishes me from danger, and I don’t recall events leading up to this point. But I can’t complain. Visiting Italy and touring the coliseum is on my long bucket lists of travel destinations, and there is so much to see. The only problem is I seem to be alone. I rely on my well-traveled, worldly Guardian boyfriend for tours and language barriers, but he must have wandered off. I may be dreaming—it wouldn’t be the first time my dreams are as real as life. Time passes slowly while I wait to wake up, or wait for Stuart, or wait for any sign to show me why I’m in Rome. In the meantime, I stroll around admiring the historical significance and architecture, imagining the events once held within the magnificent, circular structure. I close my eyes and focus, because when I do, I am able to see exactly what really happened, as if it was the present.


AR: What does Layla yearn for?


BE: Well, it depends on what phase of her life she is in. They are different in the three books. Organically, she wants to study literature, travel, and experience the world once she finishes college. Her initial goals are clear and fairly simple. She does get to see the world sooner than expected, but on very different terms. Layla moves from an isolated loner to somewhat of a warrior confronting danger. The adjustment in her thinking occurs as she experiences more and more life-altering events.


AR: Tell us about the story’s antagonist.


BE: Layla is extremely smart and a bit lonely. Her parents are good people but have basically left her on her own most of her life due to circumstances I can’t reveal without giving away the story. Her decision to attend college in England is a way for her to escape and expand her education—or so she thinks. There is a part of Layla that thinks she knows a lot because she can read minds, so she knows who to trust, who to avoid, and thinks her brains and ability makes her self-sufficient. What she learns is, she needs people more than she knew and there is much more to her life and family then she could possibly imagine. If you take the clairvoyance away, we can all relate to loneliness, needing others, and discovering our roots.


AR: How did you go about figuring out the plot line for the trilogy? Was it all done in advance, or are you creating it as you go along? 


BE: Both. I had most of the premise and story in my head, and have also allowed it to evolve while writing. VISION went through several iterations because it was my first book and I was experimenting and anticipating how the trilogy would play out. Once I had that down, the other two books have just spilled out. I didn’t sit down and say, “I’m going to write a trilogy because it’s trendy.” It was more a matter of needing three books to tell the story.


AR: What kind of research did you do to write the book? Did you study Scotland and clairvoyance?


BE: About ten years ago we discovered some rich family history from the Scottish island of Colonsay, one of the primary locations in the book. The clairvoyance is just stretching the idea of our sixth sense like a rubber band. I started thinking about what could play out if someone had senses that strong, and would bad people attempt to exploit their abilities. So, it started with actual history, with actual clan names. My family is MacPhie descendents. Layla’s soul belonged to Sarah MacPhie. 


AR: What do you think drew you to write a story about eternal love, forgiveness, and the human connection?


BE: All relatable subjects for me and always threaded in my stories. I am obsessed with the idea of living longer than we are given, not in any afterlife, but here on earth, in the tangible. I believe love and forgiveness transforms people, and this is what really changes Layla, even with all the other crazy stuff going on. It is her connection with people and forgiving that sets her free and opens her eyes.


AR: What has helped you the most to develop as a writer?


BE: Writing, and probably reading. Reading was a writer is different than just reading. As an author, you start to analyze as you read. I think authors give other authors permission to go to places they may not have considered, or have been brave enough to explore. Sometimes I’ll read something and think, “Oh, we can do that? We can say things that way?” or “That’s a great way to handle a fragile subject matter without crossing a line” or “Cool! That writer went to a place I would have otherwise thought was forbidden.” Reading liberates thinking, so I would ultimately say fearlessness has helped me the most.


AR: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?


BE: Put the time in. Even though I recently published, I have been honing my skills for a very long time. I always refer to the book OUTLIERS by Malcolm Gladwell where he proves successful people spend ten-thousand hour perfecting their craft—approximately 10 years. Also, if you decide to publish, be prepared to work at the business of writing. Writing is not all about rainy days and coffee shops and book signings. It’s real work and some expense. If you write for fun, great! If you plan to write for profit, learn the business side. It never ends.


AR: What’s ahead for you?


BE: After the SOUL HERDER launch May 1, the PR will continue while writing the final VISION novel WRITTEN IN TIME. I look forward to working on some of the other projects and concepts I have on the burner that are NOT series!


AR: Thanks so much for joining us! Please come back when WRITTEN IN TIME is released! Meanwhile, readers can follow you at the links below!


Purchase Beth Elisa’s books on Amazon


Website


 


Blog


 


Facebook


 


Twitter


 


Goodreads


Beth Elisa Harris, Author of Soul Herder
Beth Elisa Harris, Author of Soul Herder


								

				

					By A. R. Silverberry
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10 Reasons Virtual Book Tours Blow Actual Ones Away

				
May 14, 2012 – 11:43 am

				


Neurotically Yours, By Bonnie Trachtenberg
Neurotically Yours, By Bonnie Trachtenberg


Top 10 Reasons Virtual Book Tours Blow Actual Ones Away, by Bonnie Trachtenberg, Author of Neurotically Yours, A Novel


 


#10. You’ll save money. We all know how expensive flying can be and it’s not just the airfare. Expenses also include hotels, taxis, meals, and other miscellaneous incidentals. It can sure add up quickly and the worst part is that you’re not even on vacation!


 


#9. You’ll reach more people. One of the miracles of modern business was the invention of the internet, where you can reach out to new clients or in my case, new readers, on an immense scale. These days, it’s a lot more likely you’ll find people surfing the net then scouring the streets in search of goods or services. Why? Because we are lazy. Why else? Because we can!


 


#8. You won’t have to worry about people showing up to your event all at one time, in one place, or during inclement weather. It’s really a bummer when you spend the money, time and energy flying into a city for a book signing only for a snowstorm to wipe out any chance you have for attracting a crowd. Don’t like leaving your livelihood up to Mother Nature? You never have to worry about that on a virtual book tour. Blackouts, yes; snowstorms, no.


 


#7. Agoraphobics are welcome. Up until recently, you’d have a very rough time selling any books if you suffered from agoraphobia. Now, agoraphobics can be authors too. Afraid to leave your house? No problem. Order in some Chinese food and settle down at your computer. You’ll be just as productive—and save a fortune on sedatives.


 


#6. You can sleep in your own bed every night. I don’t know about you, but staying at a hotel for a couple of nights almost guarantees me a trip to the chiropractor when I return home. A virtual book tour lets you lounge in the comfort of your own home and your own bed. And if you spent as much money on yours as I did on mine, you’ll be happy to get the use out of it.


 


#5. You will avoid the anxiety of airport screening machines. Who needs to wonder if your nude image is making its way from monitor to monitor for personal viewing, while you’re on your way to Toledo? Avoid the intrusion and the humiliation (not to mention the radiation) with a virtual book tour.


 


#4. You can multitask. That’s right. While I’m answering interview questions and writing guest blogs, I can also eat lunch, answer phone calls, obsessively check my email, and even purchase some cute new summer tops…Sorry, I’m back now and you have my full attention.


 


#3. You can relax. Whether you have chronic fatigue (like me) or just general life exhaustion, it’s nice to know that you can undertake a virtual book tour with a minimal amount of physical exertion. In fact, about the worst affliction you can suffer is carpal tunnel syndrome.


 


#2. You won’t have to worry if your husband/wife remembered to feed the cats. If you don’t have cats, insert dog here. If you don’t have a dog, try goldfish, turtle, hamster—you get the picture. Notice I’m not worried about the kids.


And the number one reason a virtual book tour beats the heck out of an actual one is:


 


#1. You can do it in your pajamas!


 


BIO


Bonnie Trachtenberg is the author of the recently released romantic comedy Neurotically Yours: A Novel and the bestselling, award-winning book Wedlocked: A Novel. She writes a monthly relationship and advice column for LoveaHappyEnding.com. She was senior writer and copy chief at Book-of-the-Month Club and has written seven children’s book adaptations. Trachtenberg lives in New York with her husband, four cats and a dog.


 


 


Read all about Bonnie on her website:


http://www.BonnieTrachtenberg.com


Read her relationship column at:


http://loveahappyending.com/editor-bonnie-trachtenberg/


Find her on Facebook:


http://www.Facebook.com/BonnieTrachtenberg


Follow her on Twitter:


http://twitter.com/#!/writebrainedny


 


 


Buy Neurotically Yours


Amazon: http://amzn.to/HY4PyF


Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/IcWr0M


 


Buy Wedlocked


Amazon: http://ning.it/ovIMiw


Barnes & Noble: http://ning.it/pPRGvC


 


Bonnie Trachtenberg, Author of Neurotically Yours, A Novel
Bonnie Trachtenberg, Author of Neurotically Yours, A Novel


								

				

					By A. R. Silverberry
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Silverberry Super Book Giveaway!!!

				
May 14, 2012 – 11:21 am

				


A. R. Silverberry, Author of "Wyndano's Cloak"
A. R. Silverberry, Author of "Wyndano's Cloak"


Silverberry’s Super Book Giveaway!!!


 


May 14th through June 30th, I’m hosting a super book giveaway. Six dynamite authors, six awesome books, six fabulous genres, including fantasy, paranormal suspense, YA, romantic comedy, and historical fiction! Three chances to win! Enter Now on the Contest page of my website! If you’re already receiving my newsletter, you’re automatically entered. Six winners will be randomly selected for one of the following fabulous reads!


 


Neurotically Yours, A Novel, by Bonnie Trachtenberg. Smart, attractive, and ambitious, thirty-seven-year-old Dara Harrison is, nonetheless, still single—and on sabbatical from dating. Ironically Los Angeles’ most renowned relationship advice columnist, Dara has become a Southland sensation with her “tell-it-like-it-is” approach to the mating game. Parlaying her success into a new business, Dara launches a revolutionary dating service geared for the perennially single and romantically challenged. Its no-holds-barred theme soon makes the company a roaring success, even catapulting Dara onto the national talk show scene—until, of course, it all backfires. With her company under threat and a publicity stunt gone haywire, Dara is forced to join the ranks of her lonely heart clientele, and suddenly realizes that saving the business she cherishes, means facing her lifelong fears—and maybe even falling in love again. Witty, poignant, and immensely engaging, with sparkling dialogue, colorful characters, and a story never lets you go. Genre: Romantic Comedy.


 


After the Fog, by Kathleen Shoop. In the steel town of Donora, Pennsylvania, site of the infamous 1948 “killing smog,” headstrong nurse Rose Pavlesic tends to her family and neighbors. Controlling and demanding, she’s created a life that reflects everything she missed growing up as an orphan. She’s even managed to keep her painful secrets hidden from her loving husband, dutiful children, and large extended family. When a stagnant weather pattern traps poisonous mill gasses in the valley, neighbors grow sicker and Rose’s nursing obligations thrust her into conflict she never could have fathomed. Consequences from her past collide with her present life, making her once clear decisions as gray as the suffocating smog. As pressure mounts, Rose finds she’s not the only one harboring lies. When the deadly fog finally clears, the loss of trust and faith leaves the Pavlesic family—and the whole town—splintered and shocked. With her new perspective, can Rose finally forgive herself and let her family’s healing begin? WINNER! IPPY 2012 Silver Medal! Genre: Historical Fiction.


 


Soul Herder, the highly anticipated second book in the best selling Vision trilogy, by Beth Elisa Harris. In Vision, readers are introduced to Layla and her Clear abilities—the profound capacity to read thoughts and predict events through dreams. She has a unique relationship with her mom and with a woman from Colonsay that blows the lid off her life. She discovers her connections and why she can no longer have a normal life. Soul Herder picks up following Layla’s kidnapping and bloody, near fatal airfield attack. After settling back into Cambridge life with her Guardian boyfriend Stuart and best friend Sienna, Layla’s hyper-focused mom, Liz, forces her to leave for Morocco to hone her Clear skills with the ancient mystic Najee. The plan disintegrates when Stuart receives a mysterious, last minute phone call, leaving Layla at the airport. Stuart blocks her from the hidden truth of his past while urgently dashing to Greece. When Layla learns his secrets, she is devastated, and questions not only their relationship but their ability to move on together. She continues to Morocco and meets Najee, a quirky, wise man who seems to know more than he’s saying. As Najee begins his lessons to help Layla get in touch with her inner power, troubling news arrives, and a life-threatening message in the form of a charm causes them to flee to safety. Najee leads everyone through the desert to an underground bunker, where troops prepare for Bane battle. Soon, Layla is transformed to a warrior, and must use her Clear skills to outwit enemy attacks before they can escape. Genre: YA Paranormal Thriller.


 


Read Me Dead, by Emerald Barnes. Alexia “Alex” Wheaton just wants to live a normal life. She wants to worry about what dress to wear to the homecoming dance and which boy she wants date. But as the sole witness to her parents’ murder, her life is far from normal. When an article about her parents’ death is written, stating that she has seen the murderer after years of bearing that secret, she is thrown into a world of fear, where she may be the murderer’s next victim. She’s in a race to save her life and bring her parents’ murderer to justice. Genre: YA Paranormal Suspense Thriller.


 


Verliege, by Micheal Rivers. The world of Adrian Bolt shattered as his wife lay butchered on the floor of Castle Verliege. His conviction by a German court was as swift as the sword that killed her. He maintained his silence, knowing his story would not be believed. Though his reputation was impeccable there was nobody willing to stand for him. Another world lay in wait for anyone living within the walls of the castle; waiting, watching, for eternity to keep the Mueller name upon its registers. There is only one world here for those who choose to stay. To enter its doors is an invitation you will not soon forget! Genre: Paranormal Suspense Thriller.


 


Wyndano’s Cloak, by A. R. Silverberry. Yes, I’m giving away a personalized signed copy of the limited-edition hardback! From the award-winning cover and interior design to the embossed spine and smythe-sewn binding, this book is a keepsake! And then there’s the story! –> Jen has settled into a peaceful life when a terrifying event awakens old fears—of being homeless and alone, of a danger horrible enough to destroy her family and shatter her world forever. She is certain that Naryfel, a shadowy figure from her past, has returned and is concentrating the full force of her hate on Jen’s family. But how will she strike? A knife in the dark? An attack from her legions? Or with the dark arts and twisted creatures she commands with sinister cunning. Wyndano’s Cloak may be Jen’s only hope. If she can only trust that she has what it takes to use it . . . An award-winning fantasy of loyalty, betrayal, and the yearning of the spirit. Genre: Middle Grade/YA Fantasy


 


Enter Now on the Contest page of my website! Don’t miss your chance to win one of these awesome reads!


 


You can learn more about the authors and their books below. Check out my interview of each of them!


 


Micheal Rivers served his country during the Vietnam War in the USMC. Later, his travels provided over thirty years of investigating and collecting stories of the paranormal. His genres include horror and thriller, with an element of paranormal. He’s the founder and lead investigator for the Smokey Mountain Ghost Trackersof Western North Carolina. His novels, The Black Witch and Moonlight on the Nantahala, have received rave reviews; one calling his work, “Timeless and beautiful.”


Website


Amazon


Read my Interview of Micheal Rivers!


 


Emerald Barnes has a BA in English with an emphasis on Creative Writing. She’s been writing since high school, but became serious with it after her first writing class in college. Her critically acclaimed novella, Piercing the Darkness, was described as a “Thrilling psychological drama,” that, “Leaves you wanting more!” Her short story “Wishes” was published in Blue Legs and Other Coming of Age Stories by Phyllis Scott. 


Website


Amazon


Read my Interview of Emerald Barnes!


 


Beth Elisa Harris is a bestselling fiction writer who blends fantasy with humor and subtle themes of the human condition. She started writing fiction at an early age, with later detours working as a business writer and editor. Her first novel, Vision, published by eInteractive Media, Inc., is an international best seller, receiving recognition and rave reviews from readers worldwide.


Website


Amazon


Read my Interview of Beth Elisa Harris on my Blog, May 21st


 


Kathleen Shoop, PhD, is a language arts coach in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her debut novel, The Last Letter, won the 2011 IPPY Gold Medal Award for Best Regional Fiction, Midwest. She is published in four Chicken Soup for the Soul books, and regularly places articles and essays in local magazines and newspapers. 


Website


Amazon


Read my Interview of Kathleen Shoop on my Blog, May 25th


 


Bonnie Trachtenberg is the bestselling, award-winning author of Wedlocked: A Novel. She writes a monthly relationship and advice column for LoveaHappyEnding.com. She was senior writer and copy chief at Book-of-the-Month Club, and has written seven children’s book adaptations.


Website


Amazon


Read my Interview of Bonnie Trachtenberg on my Blog, May 15th


 


DON’T MISS OUT on these great reads! Enter Now on the Contest page of my website!


								

				

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WYNDANO’S CLOAK in Children’s Book Week Giveaway

				
May 6, 2012 – 6:38 pm

				


 


Wyndano's Cloak, by A. R. Silverberry
Wyndano's Cloak, by A. R. Silverberry


Wyndano’s Cloak is included in the Children’s Book Week giveaway on Rachel Cotterill Book Reviews. She’s giving away four books she selected, including Puffling Patrol, The Absolutely Amazing Adventures of Agent Auggie Spinoze, and  Intelligent Life. I’m giving away a limited edition hardback of Wyndano’s Cloak, personally signed by yours truly. To celebrate Children’s Book Week, Rachel is running the giveaway from 7th – 13th May, with five chances to win one of these fantastic children’s books suitable for kids ages 10+. This giveaway is part of a blog hop organized by KidLitFrenzy, Classic Children’s Books, Mymcbooks and I Am A Reader, Not A Writer, so please check out the other giveaway links on Rachel’s blog for more chances to win great children’s literature prizes!


 


 












 


								

				

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Building Your Author Platform On Goodreads

				
April 15, 2012 – 6:33 pm

				


The Chosen One of Allivar, By EW.Greenlee
The Chosen One of Allivar, By EW.Greenlee


I recently got an intriguing tweet from author EW Greenlee. He said that he was building followers faster on Goodreads than on Facebook. Always looking to learn more about building my platform, I asked him if he would write a guest post about his experience. Happily, he agreed. EW writes fantasy, science fiction, and supernatural stories. His first published work is the epic fantasy trilogy The Chosen One of Allivar, soon to be followed by a fifteen-book series titled Chronicles, which expands upon the mythical universe and history surrounding his trilogy. Inspired by the Lord of the Rings, Dante’s Inferno, and Paradise Lost, EW’s books will keep readers entertained and revisiting his stories often. As one reviewer wrote, “Leaves you craving more.” Join me now in welcoming this imaginative writer!


 


EW Greenlee:


 


As a new and independent author, I realized prior to the release of my mythological trilogy, “The Chosen One of Allivar” that digital technology and social media marketing was going to be the most effective and cost efficient means of disseminating information on my stories. Goodreads provides readers not only information on my stories, but also the ability to post reviews and learn much more about me and my future stories. Independent authors already know about Facebook and Twitter. But these are generic social media tools. Goodreads is specifically designed for the world of readers, authors, and books. So it is a must for any author.


 


In addition to Goodreads, an author should have a website, not just for additional information or links on where to buy the books, but also as an enhancement tool for their stories. Here I can provide much more into the thought process of creating my mythology, provide audio on character pronunciations, book trailers, maps, sketches, on and on.


 


I have read that readers want to connect and converse with their favorite authors. Goodreads provides a link directly to your blog. My blog, called “Daily Thoughts” has a daily post on topics of random selection. I post my daily post to Facebook and Twitter using hashtags that draw potential readers based on topics of interest. So far, #Humor has been very successful for me. Many of my posts appear on social newspapers created under Paper.li. My posts are generating approximately 1,400 views per month. Those views and sharing by others costs me nothing. Plus, I just love to write. Blogger and Goodreads are FREE online services.


 


Technology has affected my career as a CPA / Financial Planner. So too has it altered the publishing industry. As a one-time national technology consultant, I embrace the technologies being utilized in the publishing industry. Knowledge of these technologies has allowed me and others to go independent of traditional publishing. Utilizing software such as Adobe Creative Suite – Master Edition, I have been able to maintain my website, format into Kindle and epub3 standards, and create book covers with Photoshop and book trailers with After Effects. Each day I learn something new that enhances my independence. I’d love to hear from others who may be thinking of writing. It took me ten years for my trilogy, but I never give up.


 


AR: Thanks for sharing, EW! People can find links to your website, Goodreads page, and books below.


 


Website


 


Goodreads


 


Amazon Kindle


 


Barnes and Noble Nook


 


iTunes


 


 


								

				

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Ghosts, Paranormal, and Castle Verliege

				
April 8, 2012 – 9:18 pm

				


Verliege, By Micheal Rivers
Verliege, By Micheal Rivers


I’m thrilled to have author Micheal Rivers joining us today. His travels include over thirty years of investigating and collecting stories of the paranormal. He writes horror and thrillers, with an element of paranormal. He’s the founder and lead investigator for the Smokey Mountain Ghost Trackers of Western North Carolina. His novels, The Black Witch and Moonlight on the Nantahala, have received rave reviews; one calling his work, “Timeless and beautiful.”


 


AR: Micheal, you’re a real-life ghost hunter! What are some of the stranger experiences you’ve had?


 


MR: The experiences over the years have been fantastic to say the least. One of my favorites happened last year on an investigation in the mountains of North Carolina. The owners of the residence were standing by their house while the team was about 20 yards from them in a wooded area. There were three of us. My wife took a picture that shows myself and another investigator sitting on some rocks. Behind us was an infrared camera pointing towards my wife. In the picture you see the camera and two men and a woman who was not with us. This made four people when there were only three in the area. The infrared never picked up the fourth person, but the still camera did. Where did the fourth person come from?


 


AR: Creepy! Readers can find a pic of the ghost woman, and more about your ghost hunting below. How did your experience with paranormal phenomenon impact your writing of Verliege, and what’s the story about?


 


MR: Between the actual experiences and research over a long period of time, I have learned what can happen when the paranormal events take place. Yes, it can be very dangerous at times and you can be physically harmed in the blink of an eye. I incorporated a few of the things into the book, but most have been embellished for the sake of the reader.


 


Verliege takes place in an obscure castle in Germany. A famous writer was convicted of killing his wife and is murdered while incarcerated. A team of experts as well as his psychiatrist go to the castle and attempt to prove who killed her and clear his name. What they find is a mystery that will only be resolved with the legacy surrounding the secret of the ‘9’.


 


AR: The title, Verliege, suggests an old castle with shadows and dark secrets. How did you come up with it?!


 


MR: I have always had an avid interest in castles and the history behind them. I first developed this idea back in the 90’s. I wasn’t sure exactly how I wanted to produce the story. Castles and hauntings go hand in hand, but I wanted something to give my readers something to think about. 


We have known since the beginning that spirits walk the earth and there are more things possible than we can possibly imagine. Many disagree, but a huge number claim to have had an experience of some kind. Do the spirits of those passed co-exist with us, or do we co-exist with them? Food for thought.


 


AR: If it won’t spoil anything, tell us about the story’s antagonist, and how you developed it.


 


MR: The antagonist is not a simple one, it is a question. “Can you bargain with the dead?” I posed a scenario to myself and backed it by asking people what they thought about it. The answers were amazing. Some who were not believers (or said they weren’t) actually believed it was possible.


 


AR: Themes about loss run through your writing, and is so compelling in a love story? What is it about the transcendence of space and time that grabs people?


 


MR: In Moonlight on the Nantahala, the basic theme is how some of us deal with the loss of a loved one. Most move on with their lives and find happiness again, while others try to hang on to memories and emotions that once lost can never be regained.


 


I am not sure what the exact answer would be. For some I think it would be to try and hold on to some semblance of what they once had, while with others it would be proof there is life after death. They search for the answers to life after death. It is unknown territory and as curiosity seekers we want to know the truth. It is a lot of speculation on our behalf.


 


AR: Are you a romantic at heart. Nature or nurture?!


 


MR: I don’t know for sure if I would be in the category of being a romanticist. Maybe in my personal life, but then again, with my background, sometimes I have doubts. Nature at best.


 


AR: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?


 


MR: Write what you know and don’t be discouraged if your writing does not compare with the writers of great merit. At one time in their lives they were not as beloved as they are now. Practice makes perfect so they say, but not everyone was born to write.


 


AR: Thanks so much for stopping by! Links to follow Micheal and purchase his books below:


 


Links:


 


Amazon


Micheal Rivers Facebook Author Page


 


Website


Micheal Rivers Blog




Email 


 


Micheal Rivers, Author of "Verliege"
Micheal Rivers, Author of "Verliege"


Micheal told me about a house on a mountain top that the owners leave for the winter. Their security is very high, with cameras everywhere. The caretaker has gone in twice and found the thermostat turned up; and there was a leather cord with three strands that had been braided and left on the table. The alarm system was on! Picture of the braided cord below.


 


 


Braided Cord left by ghost?
Braided Cord left by ghost?


 


								

				

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Read Me Dead: Emerald Barnes Author Interview

				
April 2, 2012 – 2:41 am

				


Read Me Dead, By Emerald Barnes
Read Me Dead, By Emerald Barnes


I’m thrilled to have author Emerald Barnes join us today. Emerald is the critically acclaimed author of “Piercing the Darkness,” a young adult novella described as a “Thrilling psychological drama,” that, “Leaves you wanting more!” Emerald is stopping by on her blog tour for the launch of her new young adult novel, “Read me Dead.” It sounds like an awesome novel, and I was dying to interview her!


 


AR: I love your titles! How do you come up with them?!


 


EB: Thanks! I don’t know, honestly. They just kind of come to me. 


Piercing through the Darkness was always that to me. It was never anything else. I saw this street lamp, the only light in the darkness, and my main character, Kandi, just running towards it, trying to free herself of the darkness surrounding her. Back then, it was very literal in the short story, but as the novella grew, it was her metaphorically finding herself free of the darkness overtaking her.


 


Read Me Dead was a little harder to pinpoint. I had wittily tagged it as “The Article” while writing it, but I wanted something more interesting. I thought of one line in my novel, “You might as well have written my obituary,” Alex says, and Read Me Dead was born from that line. 


 


AR: What is “Read Me Dead” about?


 


EB: Read Me Dead is about my main character, Alexia “Alex” Wheaton. She just wants to live a normal life. She wants to worry about what dress to wear to the homecoming dance and which boy she wants date. But as the sole witness to her parents’ murder, her life is far from normal. 


When an article about her parents’ death is written, stating that she has seen the murderer after years of bearing that secret, she is now thrown into a world of fear, where she’s afraid that his next victim will be her.


She’s in a race to save her life and bring her parents’ murderer to justice. 


AR: Who is the book’s audience, and what will they find there?


 


EB: My book is generally written for Young Adults. I find that I can relate to them more on a reading level, but it can be enjoyed by adults as well, as most of my beta readers were adults and loved the book.


 


But, in the book, they will find that Alex is a relatable character. She’s just a girl wanting to be normal, but she unfortunately finds herself in a horrible situation, but it’s how she handles that situation, I believe, that will be so relatable. My goal for young adults reading the book was to find a character that they would be interested in reading about and actually feeling as if she was real. 


AR: YA has taken the world by storm as a genre. What are your thoughts on why, and why now?


 


EB: It’s amazing at how YA has taken the world by storm! I think that it’s so popular now because we can re-live our young adult lives vicariously through each story that is told. It doesn’t hurt that films from popular YA books are coming to theaters world-wide! The YA genre has gone in so many different directions now. There weren’t many books back when I was in high school in the YA genre that I enjoyed (or thought I would enjoy), but now, high schoolers and adults alike can enjoy new, entertaining literature told from the point of view of middle grade to high school main characters! I know that I can’t get enough of that genre! 


 


AR: What’s your approach to crafting your stories?


 


EB: Would it be bad if I said I don’t have an approach? 😉


 


I’m a pantser at heart, writing only by the seat of my pants. But, eventually, I have to tell myself that I need to plot out something. So, I’ll sit down and write by stream of consciousness what all I want to see in my stories. From there, I take it chapter by chapter, writing out each scene and bringing to life what I believe will work best for the story I’m telling. After my first draft is finished, I take a break for a week or two to wrap my head around my story, and then I begin edits. I will edit two or three times before finally deciding my story is good enough for the masses. 


AR: I’ve noticed that if one looks at all of a writer’s oeuvre, there’s an overarching unity, and that each separate work is part of a whole. What trends do you see emerging in your work?


 


EB: I couldn’t agree more with that statement! I think mostly in my work, I see a theme of the damsels in distress types who eventually have to come to terms with facing their darkest secrets and pasts head on, and it makes them stronger. 


 


AR: What are some of the most important lessons you’ve learned on your journey as a writer?


 


EB: Some of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that you don’t have to do this on your own, and that having fellow writer friends is what will keep you sane in this otherwise insane profession.


 


At first, I believed that being a writer was solitary, and in essence, I believe that it still is some, but there are people out there who understand what you are going through when you’re about ready to have a fight with your characters for them doing something completely uncharacteristic and you having to re-think your plot. And, these fellow writer friends will help you face that head-on. They’ll help you through the writing process, offer invaluable feedback, and then, they will be generous enough to help you with promotion, marketing, etc when you finally finish the novel you wanted to chunk across the room for being so difficult. Writing no longer has to be a solitary experience. 


 


AR: You have a B.A. in English, with an emphasis on creative writing. Tell us about some of the things you learned in your writing classes that have helped you.


 


EB:I do, and it helped me with a general background of what to do and what not to do in stories. My Fiction Workshop class was the best at this because we all were able to critique each others’ works. I still remember a lot of the comments written in the margins of my short stories. “This doesn’t work.” “Too much dialogue.” “Show more. Don’t always tell.” These are small comments, sure, but you learn from your previous mistakes, and when I edit, I think of what they would say about it. I also remember how my professor would mark out entire pages and say, “Rethink your beginning.” I still use that to this day. He also said something along the lines of “Grab the reader’s attention, but you don’t have to punch them in the face.” Don’t you just love that?


 


AR: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?


 


EB: Believe in yourself and don’t give up. And when you don’t give up and finish that manuscript. Edit. Edit. Edit. 


 


AR: What’s ahead for you?!


 


EB: Something new, I must admit! I’m dabbling in the YA Paranormal genre now and straying a bit from the suspense genre (but only a bit!). I have a trilogy in process called, Knight’s Academy, that deals with Vampires, Werewolves and the protection of humans. 


I also have some ideas floating around for a sequel to Piercing Through the Darkness. 


 


Thanks for having me on your blog! I wish you all the best. xoxo 


 


AR: The pleasure is all my mine. I’m looking forward to diving into Read Me Dead!


 


You can follow Emerald and purchase her books at the following links:




Read Me Dead Video


More about Read Me Dead


Emerald’s Blog


Emerald’s Website


Emerald on Twitter


Read Me Dead Facebook Page


Facebook Author Page


Piercing Through the Darkness Buy Links:


 


Amazon




Barnes and Noble


Create Space


Smashwords


Emerald Barnes, Author of "Read Me Dead"
Emerald Barnes, Author of "Read Me Dead"


 


 


 


"Read Me Dead" blog tour!
"Read Me Dead" blog tour!


 


								

				

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Wyndano’s Cloak: New Review on Amazon!

				
March 22, 2012 – 3:29 pm

				


Wyndano's Cloak, by A. R. Silverberry
Wyndano's Cloak, by A. R. Silverberry


Wyndano’s Cloak got a rave book review on Melissa Bartell’s blog, Bibliotica! She called the book, “Unique and compelling,” called Naryfel the, “Perfect witch/hag,” and read the book in a single night! She posted the review on Amazon and Goodreads, and recommended that the book went well with a latte and a chocolate-covered croissant. Love it! You can read the whole review here —> review. And please check out the other thoughtful and insightful reviews on her site!


Wyndano’s Cloak is also featured with a long excerpt on author Kellianne Sweeney’s blog. If you haven’t read the book yet, check it out! It’s part of a blog tour I’m in called Teaser Train, which features the work of a group of talented indie writers, and represents a range of genres!


								

				

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