"Christmas Books" Giveaway Hop December 1st to 7th Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & Laurie Here

And that's it! Happy Christmas Season! And Good Luck!

Welcome to my stop on the Fledge Blog Tour. J.A. Huss did an interview for me. Make sure you enter the giveaway!

About the Author:
J. A. Huss never took a creative writing class in her life. Some would say it shows. Others might cut her some slack. She did however, get educated and graduated from Colorado State University with a B.S. in Equine Science. She had grand dreams of getting a Ph.D. but while she loves science, she hated academia and settled for a M.S. in Forensic Toxicology from the University of Florida.

She went on to write science curriculum for homeschoolers and now runs a successful home business that creates and offers online science unit studies. When she’s not writing science curriculum or fiction, she works as a farm inspector, traveling the Eastern Plains of Colorado in variety of environmentally friendly vehicles that never have four-wheel drive, so when she gets stuck in the mud in said vehicles, she has to beg for assistance from anyone who will help her. She is not bitter about that at all.

She’s always packing heat and she is owned by two donkeys, five dogs, more chickens and ducks than she can count, and of course, the real filthy animals, her kids. The I Am Just Junco series was born after falling in love with the ugliest part of Colorado and the Rural Republic is based on the area of the state she currently resides in, minus the mutants, of course.

Website: http://www.iamjustjunco.com/
Blog: http://jahuss.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Junco-Coot/258034560979553
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6446815.J_A_Huss

The Blurb

The Review

Fledge was a fun read, full of interesting plot twists and hidden secrets just waiting to escape. Action packed and so well described I felt like I was standing next to the main character.

Similar to the first book, Clutch (review here), yet so much more. It's got more excitement than the first one and loads more death. The suspense leaves the reader gripping the edge of their seat with one hand and the book in the other.

This books brings a more vulnerable side of the main character, making her even realer than she was before.

Don't think that you can just jump in with both feet to book 2, this series needs you to pick up at the beginning and ride it til the end.

I recommend this book for anyone that loves a good action book. Obviously those that loved the first book will love this one, and maybe even those that were fence sitters should pick up this one and try the series out again.

The Interview

Did you always want to be a writer? If not, then what?


No, I always wanted to be a scientist and so that’s what I went to school for.  It wasn’t until much later that I decided to begin writing, first non-fiction science educational materials, and finally this year, I started writing fiction.


Do your readers contact you? If so, what do they say?


Most of the time readers contact me to say they enjoyed the series, also to ask when the next book is coming out.


For aspiring writers, what three pieces of good advice would you give them?


Learn to plot and develop characters

Find an editor that understands your genre and your story

Start planning your marketing strategy early.  Way before you publish.


Do you have a favorite of your own books?


I always think the one I’m writing is my favorite so right now I’m in love with the fourth book, Range.  Junco is so messed up and the scenes in the beginning of the book are so emotional, I just fall in love with her all over again when I read them.


But truthfully, I think Fledge is my favorite.  Junco is so ugly in that book, yet despite never catching a break, she soldiers on.  She does two awful things in that story, one to someone else and the other to herself.  And I could never in a million years have done either of them.  But if she didn’t do those terrible things, she’d never live to complete her one true mission.  So in the end I have to agree with her choices.  She did was she had to do.  That’s kind of the story of her life.  She gets the job done.


How do you balance writing with your life?


It’s hard because I own my own business and I have an outside part-time job.  But the best way for me to find writing time is to schedule it in on my calendar.


How old were you when you wrote your first book and what was it about?


I wrote my first book when I was 31.  It was a middle-grade mystery about a couple of orphans who went to live with their aunt on a farm.


Where do your ideas come from?


I have no idea…they just come to me.


Do you have a writing quirk?


I plot all my scenes while walking on the treadmill.  It’s very hard for me to plot any other way now.


Pantser or Planner?

Planner all the way.


Do you pick out dream casts for your books? If so, what's your favorite so far?

No, I really haven’t done that, but it would be fun to do.


Coke vs Pepsi?

Pepsi


Chocolate vs Vanilla?

Chocolate


Cake vs Ice Cream?

Cake


Do you think we dream in color or that we wake up and remember it in color?


I have no idea!  I’ve never thought abut that before.  I think we probably dream in black and white, but I’m not sure.


What's your favorite food?


Everything on my Thanksgiving table!


What type of food could you never live without?


Milk Duds


If you were stuck on a desert island, what would you take with you (limit 4 items)?

A solar-powered phone charger

iPhone

Pocket knife

Lighter


Favorite show growing up?


The Simpsons


If you could have one super power, what would it be and why?


Invisibility – it has so much potential!


What do you think the future will hold?


Good things, I hope.

Welcome to my stop on the Not Quite Dating Blog Tour Post. Guest author Catherine Bybee has graciously done an interview with me! Enjoy! Don't forget to entering the giveaway!

About the Author:

New York Times bestselling author Catherine Bybee was raised in Washington State, but after graduating high school, she moved to Southern California in hopes of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full-time and has penned the novels Wife by Wednesday and Married by Monday. Bybee lives with her husband and two teenage sons in Southern California.


Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter

The Interview:

Thank you for having me on your blog today.


Did you always want to be a writer? If not, then what?


It’s not a secret… I wanted to be an actress… ended up in Nursing School and worked for years as an ER, RN… But the creative bug never left. I knew there was something out there for me.


Do your readers contact you? If so, what do they say?

They do. All the time! They usually start with something about how they enjoyed my book. How they escaped their lives for a moment…or connected with a character. Sometimes they just say thanks.


For aspiring writers, what three pieces of good advice would you give them?

Write! Write! Write!


Honestly that’s all there is. You get better at your craft by writing. You stand a better chance at selling a book to a publisher by writing new work. You find readers by writing different books.


Do you have a favorite of your own books?


Oh… that’s like asking who my favorite child is. I might have to steel Nora Robert’s answer… My favorite is whoever is on sale now. My least favorite is whomever I’m working on. (Thank you Nora)!


How do you balance writing with your life?


Kicking and screaming! It’s so very hard to NOT work when you love it. I’m learning.


How old were you when you wrote your first book and what was it about?


Let’s start with the first scene. I was in my teens… I was babysitting my neighbor’s kids.  And I couldn’t tell you what it was about. The first book I finished only a handful of years ago is still sitting under a bed…NEVER to be in print. I learned… moved on… Then I wrote Binding Vows and in 2009 it was published.


Where do your ideas come from?


Life and the people around me.


Do you have a writing quirk?


Is wine a quirk?


Pantser or Planner?


Pantser by nature… planner because publishers like it that way. LOL


Do you pick out dream casts for your books? If so, what's your favorite so far?


I should considering I wanted to be an actress. But I don’t. When the day comes that Hollywood comes knocking. I will!


Coke vs Pepsi?


Coke!


Chocolate vs Vanilla?


Both


Cake vs Ice Cream?


Good Cake over Ice Cream

Homemade Ice Cream over Lousy Cake


Do you think we dream in color or that we wake up and remember it in color?

Color. Don’t care how you spin it. Black and White is something ‘Man’ couldn’t duplicate with a picture so what… we assume our brain thinks in Black and White? *silly notion*


What's your favorite food?

Wine… Is that a food?

Pasta.


What type of food could you never live without?

Love!


If you were stuck on a desert island, what would you take with you (limit 4 items)?


Let me ponder this for a moment…


A solar powered e-reader with 10K books in genres I read. (at least one book on wine making)

Grape seeds ( see above)

Yeah… I think that’s all I need! *wink*



Favorite show growing up?


GREAT QUESTION!  


Ohhh, uhm… Bewitched. Yeah.  I liked Samantha. Go figure.


If you could have one super power, what would it be and why?


Moving objects with my mind. Myra’s power ( Silent Vows ) ~ Yeah… that would be me.


What do you think the future will hold?


Oh, now… why do you want me to depress everyone now?

Follow the Tour:
November 29 Guest blog Avril's Blog http://avrilashton.blogspot.com/
November 29 Reviewwww.bendingthespine.blogspot.com

November 30 Guest blog and reviewFor The Love Of Film And Novelshttp://www.fortheloveoffilmandnovels.com/
November 30 Blooding Book Reviewshttp://frankieblooding.wordpress.com/
December 2  Manga Maniac Cafewww.mangamaniaccafe.com
December 3 Tana Rae Readshttp://tana-someofmyfavoritebooks.blogspot.ca/
December 3 My Guilty Obsessionhttp://myguiltyobsession.blogspot.com/
December 5 TBQ'S Book Palacehttp://tbqspersonalbookpalace.blogspot.com/
December 5 A Bibliophiles Thoughts on Books http://bibliophilesthoughtsonbooks.blogspot.com/
Dec. 5th www.coffeeaddictedwriter.com
December 6 Smitten with Readinghttp://smittenwithreading.blogspot.com/
December 7 Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelfhttp://melissaseclecticbookshelf.blogspot.com/
December 7 Reviewing in Chaos  http://reviewinginchaos.blogspot.com
December 7 Not Now...Mommy's Reading      www.mommysreading.com
December 8 www.christina-mcknight.blogspot.com 
December 9 Wolf Majick Reviewswolfmajick.blogspot.com
December 10 Forever Book Lover www.Foreverbklover.blogspot.com  
December 10 www.stormgoddessbookreviews.blogspot.com

Welcome to my stop on the Veiled Mist Blog Tour! A very big welcome to author Eleanor Beaty. She graciously did an interview with me! Make sure you enter the giveaway (it's a rafflecopter, so the widget is below)!

About the Author:

I am Brazilian born and raised, of American parents. I live in Sao Paulo with my third husband and children. I studied at the American school in Brazil, in boarding schools in Switzerland and the US. I have a BA in English Literature from FIU. I published a YA trilogy in Brazil and another YA novel in Turkey in 2001, now in its fifth edition. My passion is history and spiritualism. Besides Veiled Mist, I have another YA novel, Fallen Ruler, being released soon.

• Website  http://www.eleanortbeaty.com
• Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Eleanor-T-Beaty-Author/116550148485360
• Twitter @ eleanortbeaty
• Goodreads  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6452631.Eleanor_T_Beaty
  

The Review:

Veiled Mist is a book that by just looking at the cover you'd never guess what it's about. Which isn't a bad thing. This is the kind of book that has a little bit of mystery mixed it. I loved it. It is awesome to see the main character, Hanna, develop and grow. I want a Ornella in my life! And the dolls! What an awesome concept!

Eleanor does a great job at crafting this tale. Her character arcs are amazing and the reader can relate to them- something SO important when writing YA, something that sometimes gets forgotten! I love the magic elements that she's thrown in there. Her use of Gypsies is original- I've never heard of the Tribe. My family comes from Old Europe- yes, there is Gypsy blood in me, and I'm proud of that heritage! Eleanor nailed the rich teenager too, as well as the Knight in Shining Armor protecting his friend!

In short, I loved this book! I read it quickly- I read fast. I'd recommend it for a lot of different people- it doesn't just sit stagnant in one genre preference. I think anyone that likes paranormal aspects would like it, anyone that likes teen love, witches, dark fantasy, fantasy, the list goes on. In short, you should just give it a try and find out if you like it! I think you will!

The Interview:


Did you always want to be a writer? If not, then what?


I wanted to be an animal psychologist, but back in those days there were few colleges teaching that, actually one. Since it was still a very novel field and my father wouldn’t stop making fun of me, I chose child psychology. Two years into the course I became disillusioned and dropped out. Many years later I went back and got my BA in English literature.



Do your readers contact you? If so, what do they say?


The first reader to contact me directly did it through FB. They were adults who had read my children’s trilogy called The Gnorks, published in Brazil in 1990. They wrote how much the books influenced and helped them when they were growing up. One actually chose his profession influenced by the books. I did get letters from children when they book came out, but that fact that as adults my book still left an impression on them was priceless.



For aspiring writers, what three pieces of good advice would you give them?


For aspiring writers: Be aware that the publishing side to writing can take a toll on you as a writer, it’s hard, humiliating an ugly. Don’t be lazy when it comes to rewriting. Put your pride aside and accept criticism as a chance to become a better writer.


Do you have a favorite of your own books?


No, I love them all. They each represent a phase in my life as their themes carry the emotions I was trying to deal at the time I was writing. But, I only realized this later. What I really enjoy is watching my style change with the years. I’m proud of my growth as a writer.


How do you balance writing with your life?


I save mornings for writing, unless something comes up and I have to make an exception. I disciplined myself to sit at the computer everyday, even if I only write a paragraph. If I don’t feel like writing, I review.


How old were you when you wrote your first book and what was it about?


I began with books late in life. From early teens through late twenties I only wrote poetry as a form to deal with my troubles and pain. When I was Twenty-seven I decided I wanted to open a restaurant with a separate children’s restaurant. I had two small kids and idealized a nice adult restaurant, which I could take my kids and not have to die of embarrassment when they got bored and began to misbehave. So I created a world for the children’s restaurant, which turned into a book. Thank god I never opened the restaurant. The theme – a planet with magical and spiritual beings called Gnorks.


Where do your ideas come from?


My ideas come from many places. I love history so an event in time can trigger a theme. I love passing on a bit of history and cultural traits in my books. Spirituality, spiritual books that I have read, give me many ideas as it has endless possibilities and can be connected to magic and the unknown. Folklore and mythology also provoke ideas.


Do you have a writing quirk?


Writing quirk – I can’t write when I’m not home. I mean serious writing. I’ll take my computer but my discipline ceases to exist. I need silence and I have to get up and take a walk around the house when I feel frustrated with a scene.


Pantser or Planner?


More of a Pantser. I first let the story take me then I go back take the story.


Do you pick out dream casts for your books? If so, what's your favorite so far?


For one of my books I would have picked a younger version of Matt Bomer, but otherwise no, I haven’t given it much thought.


Coke vs Pepsi?

Coke


Chocolate vs Vanilla?

Chocolate


Cake vs Ice Cream?

Cake


Do you think we dream in color or that we wake up and remember it in color?

I think we dream in color.


What's your favorite food?

Japanese.


What type of food could you never live without?

Salads and cheese.


If you were stuck on a desert island, what would you take with you (limit 4 items)?

If I were stuck on a desert I would take a large and sharp knife, moisturizer, a good spy or mystery book (Can I count a series as one item?) and chocolate.


Favorite show growing up?

Batman.


If you could have one super power, what would it be and why?

Super power – Foresee the future – so that I could avoid making the mistakes I made.


What do you think the future will hold?

For myself I think the future will hold fulfillment along with growth. For the world - a return to important principles as humans. We have become way to selfish and self-destructive.  

Follow the Tour:
11/28    The Avid Reader   
11/30    Brooke Blogs 
12/3    Nomi’s Paranormal Palace 
12/4    Deal Sharing Aunt
12/5    Hooks and Book
12/7     Wicked Readings by Tawania
12/10  Cristi's Reviews 
12/10   Faerotic Prose  
12/11   Night Owl Reads  
12/11   My Cozie Corner 
12/12   Andi's Young Adult Books 
12/14  Window on the World 
12/21   Fictional Candy  
12/27   Krystal's Enchanting Reads 
12/27   Lissette E. Manning  
12/28 Reviewing in Chaos
12/31  DanaSquare
1/1   Rose's Book Corner 
1/2  A Soul Unsung 
1/3  Reader Girls
1/3      Reflections of a Bookworm  
1/4  Rude Mom  
1/7    Identity Discovery 
1/7    U.P. Book Blogger
1/8    5 Girls Book Reviews 
1/8  A Daydreamer's Thoughts  Review  
1/9    Everyone Loves A SiNner  Review  
1/9   Mr. Book Wonder  First Chapter
1/9    The Cover by Brittany  Review 
1/10  Broad-Minded Books  Review  
1/10   Jennifer's Asylum  Review  
 1/11   Head Stuck In A Book  Review  
1/11   Sweet Southern Home  First Chapter 
1/11   The Stuff of Success   Review  
1/14  Simply Infatuated  Promo  
Lenora Rogers"Lenora" Amazon Review lbgraz  Amazon Review Mom of 4  Amazon Review
Michelle Willis  Amazon Review

Welcome to my stop on the Cephrael’s Hand Blog tour! Make sure you take a minute and enter the giveaway!

About the Author:
Melissa McPhail is a classically trained pianist, violinist and composer, a Vinyasa yoga instructor, and an avid Fantasy reader. A long-time student of philosophy, she is passionate about the Fantasy genre because of its inherent philosophical explorations.
Ms. McPhail lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, their twin daughters and two very large cats. Cephrael's Hand is the multiple award-winning first novel in her series A Pattern of Shadow and Light.

Connect with the Author:
Website  http://melissamcphail.com

• Blog  http://melissamcphail.com/blog
• Facebook  http://facebook.com/cephraelshand
• Twitter @melissagmcphail
• Goodreads http://goodreads.com/melissagmcphail

The Blurb:

Follow the Tour:
11/26  Blooding Book Reviews
11/27  A Night's Dream of Books 
11/27   Nyx Book Reviews 
11/28   Intoxicated by Books    
11/29 Krystal's Enchanting Reads 
  Proses, Verses and Conversations 
11/30   Chris Redding Author 

A big warm welcome to author Susan Hughes! Hi, Susan! She agreed to go on the chopping block and do an interview with me! She's also doing a giveaway so make sure you leave a comment!

Did you always want to be a writer? If not, then what?

I’ve always felt compelled to write stories, and as a teenager I knew I wanted to be a novelist. But I knew it was a hard road, and since I also enjoy working with other people’s words, I trained as an editor.


Do your readers contact you? If so, what do they say?

The most frequent comment I get is in regard to my novel Wine & Roses. They find it refreshing to read about a mature woman dating a younger man. It was fun to write, too!


For aspiring writers, what three pieces of good advice would you give them?

- Join a community of writers. Feedback, advice and encouragement from fellow writers can be invaluable.

- Develop a thick skin. Some people will try to tear you down, no matter how good you are.

- Believe in yourself and persevere.


Do you have a favorite of your own books?

Right now my new one, Sense of Touch, my first historical romance. It was the hardest to write because of the research I needed to do, but at times the words just flowed because it was so close to my heart.


How do you balance writing with your life?

It’s difficult when you have a day job and three young kids! My usual strategy is to neglect housework.


How old were you when you wrote your first book and what was it about?

I was thirteen and it was about a couple of girl detectives. It was meant to be a novel but I think it ended up being about twenty pages long.


Where do your ideas come from?

Often I pick a setting first, then sketch out my main characters, drop in a conflict and see what happens from there.


Do you have a writing quirk?

I don’t think so.


Pantser or Planner?

A bit of both. Plans usually get tossed out the window anyway.


Do you pick out dream casts for your books? If so, what's your favorite so far?

He’s not an actor, but TV host Josh Bernstein makes a perfect romance hero. His ideal costar? Me!


What do you use to motivate yourself to keep writing through the tough spots?

My friends are very supportive. When I’m having a bad day they encourage me to believe in myself and keep going.


What is your current WIP about? (Possible title, characters, setting, etc.)

A Christmas novel, though I don’t have enough time to finish it for this season. I don’t want to give any details away yet!


Share one sentence from your book, no explanations, just one sentence.

Methodically she unclipped her stockings from her garters, rolled them down her legs and flicked them off the ends of her toes, and then slipped off her chemise and bloomers and tossed her bandeau aside—until finally she stood naked, feeling not a bit self-conscious as the cool air touched her skin and warm anticipation fluttered through her chest.


Coke vs Pepsi?
Is there a difference?

Chocolate vs Vanilla?
Chocolate all the way.

Cake vs Ice Cream?
Both – ice cream on top of cake (both chocolate)

Night owl or Early bird?
Night owl

Favorite genre to read?
Romance or historical fiction

What was your favorite book as a child?
Lamont the Lonely Monster

Do you think we dream in color or that we wake up and remember it in color?
My dreams are very vivid and definitely full-color.

What's your favorite food?
Indian curry

What type of food could you never live without?
Salt & vinegar chips

If you meet one person, living or dead, who would it be and why?
Shakespeare, to find out if he really did write those plays himself!

If you were stuck on a desert island, what would you take with you (limit 4 items)?
Fishing rod, blanket, pillow, toilet paper

Favorite show growing up?
Starsky & Hutch

If you could have one super power, what would it be and why? The ability to fly. No more sitting in traffic!

What do you think the future will hold?
Many more good books, I hope.

About the Author:

Nothing gets my heart pumping like a good love story with absorbing emotion, plenty of passion, and an old-fashioned happy ending. That’s why I started writing romance novels, and I’m excited to share these stories with you. Set mainly in Canada, my novels explore the extraordinary thrill of finding that special someone and falling head over heels in love. I hope you’ll enjoy reading them as much as I did writing them.


I live in Ottawa, Ontario, with my husband and three children.

Connect with the Author:
Website: susanrhughes.weebly.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Susan-R-Hughes/150348171749025
Blog: http://authorsofmainstreet.wordpress.com

Welcome one and all to the most amazing, most awesome event of the season! That's right, the BLACK FRIDAY BLOG HOP! For one day, and one day only, you will be thrilled by the AMAZING, WONDERFUL prizes and posts happening right here, and right here only!

Great! Now, your blood is pumping, you're excited but you don't know what you're excited for! You're excited to LEAVE A COMMENT so you can be entered to win a FABULOUS PRIZE.

You also get the pleasure of saying hi to me! Hi! In the comments just tell me what you like about Black Friday, if you despise it, tell me why! MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS!

While I have your attention, maybe you'd like to know about one of my books. Let's choose... Dead to Bites.

Dead to Bites is the first book in the Kat Purrowells series. It has some spicy elements mixed into a fun, suspensy paranormal world.

Intrigued? Grab yourself a copy, CLICK HERE for where you get it!

Now that my shameless plug has passed, and you are both aroused and annoyed- the pain and pleasure of a blog hop- here's what you can win!

From the ENTIRE hop, which you MUST LEAVE A COMMENT WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS  to be entered:


Now what are those prizes?
1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
2nd Grand Prize: A $75 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!

To find ALL the hoppers, go HERE!!

For my awesome part in this celebration of spending: A surpise... HA! You won't know what it is unless you enter! So get entering! I've even made it easy to enter both giveaways!

A big ol' welcome to author KC Klein! She graciously did an interview with me, and is doing a giveaway!

First of all I want to thank Jesse for having me here and putting up with my crazy schedule. She has been so gracious and accommodating. Thank you, Jesse.



Did you always want to be a writer? If not, then what?


In the back of my mind I always wanted to tell stories even though at age seven I may not have known what that really meant. I also wanted to be a dentist, psychologist, an oral surgeon, and a CEO of a big company. Now, I can be all those things through a character in one of my books.


Do your readers contact you? If so, what do they say?


I’ve had a few fan mails, and let me say, they are AWESOME. I don’t know any author who doesn’t like hearing a glowing review from a fan. Now, if you hated the book, I see no reason to go out of your way to email me. LOL!


For aspiring writers, what three pieces of good advice would you give them?


The same advice that I give myself: Finish the damn book! (I tell myself this one a lot) Get off Twitter, HootSuite, and Gmail! (I tell myself this one all the time.) Visualize yourself writing. (I use this technique for lots of things, but especially for writing.)


Do you have a favorite of your own books?


Since I am just finishing my third full length book, I don’t have many to choose from. I guess the answer is the one that I’m most passionate about which should be the novel that I’m working one, but usually is the next one on the horizon.


How do you balance writing with your life?


Balance? What’s that? Seriously, as a writer I’ve been searching for the key to balance all aspects of my life for a long time. I’ve read books, prayed, meditated, and written out a detailed schedule. Honestly, I think things come in waves. Sometimes you are doing great in one area and lacking in another and other times it’s opposite. But the one thing I’ve learned is you really can’t do everything all the time. One way or another something has got to give. So pick the top three, alternate between them, and eventually you will make progress.


How old were you when you wrote your first book and what was it about?


I started writing an epic romance longhand when I was twelve. The book swept across three continents and touched on issues of abuse, death, miscarriage, and infidelity (yikes what was I reading at the age of twelve?). I never did finish it, but the book still lingers in the back of my mind waiting for its time to come out and give me hell.


Where do your ideas come from?


My ideas come from everywhere, but mainly from music and movies. I love taking a scene in a movie, dissecting it, and then creating my own story from it. I did a post about just this thing on my blog. Here is the link, in case anyone is interested. Inspirational Mondays (How I write)


Do you have a writing quirk?

My crit partner says this is a quirk—I’ve written almost all of my books longhand first. Now that I’m having issues with my hands I’m thinking of trying out a AlphaSmart for all of my first drafts, but there’s just something that is really very freeing about taking a pen to paper.


Pantser or Planner?


Gah, a little of both. I am a Panster who wishes and tries really hard to be a Planner.


Do you pick out dream casts for your books? If so, what's your favorite so far?


Not really, except if my first book, DARK FUTURE, ever gets turned into a movie than Daniel Craig has to play ConRad’s part. Totally Yum!


Coke vs Pepsi?


Coke


Chocolate vs Vanilla?


No contest—Chocolate


Cake vs Ice Cream?


Cake. Did I mention chocolate above?


Do you think we dream in color or that we wake up and remember it in color?


I think I definitely dream in color. I’m not sure about anyone else.


What's your favorite food?


Any food that is brought to me while I am holed up in my room working. Case in point my husband just brought me half of a chicken sandwich from McDonalds. Works for me.


What type of food could you never live without?


I love chocolate and wine. If you put them in your mouth at the same time they really do count as one food.


If you were stuck on a desert island, what would you take with you (limit 4 items)?


Since we are counting chocolate and wine as one (see above) I would have to go with:

Chocolaty-wine

Sunblock (I burn easily)

Matches

Endless supply of paper and pens.


Favorite show growing up?


I loved watching the reruns of the Brady Bunch.



If you could have one super power, what would it be and why?


I truly believe that if I could go without sleep I would rule the world. (Not sure, but that could be sleep deprivation talking.)


What do you think the future will hold?


I am very optimistic. I think the future only holds great things.



I would love to giveaway on e-copy of my latest release, TEXAS WIDE OPEN. Below is the book blurb and excerpt.


Katie Harris loved growing up on a ranch. She had her horse, the beautiful Texas prairie, and Cole Logan, the cowboy next door. But there are a lot of secrets hidden under a Texas sky…

Katie always knew she’d marry Cole one day—until he broke her dreams and her heart. But now that Katie’s father is sick, she’s back home, older, wiser and nowhere near the love-sick fool she once was.

Cole knows Katie doesn’t want anything to do with him. But after so many years, he can’t pretend she’s no more than a neighbor. Not when thinking about her cherry lip gloss and hell-for-leather passion is keeping him up all night. Holding his ground was hard enough when she was seventeen. Now that she’s her own woman, Cole’s heart doesn’t stand a chance…

“Passionate, gritty and fast paced…with a hot blooded, honorable hero to make every woman's knees go weak.”—Diane Whiteside

Excerpt


Katie watched as Cole slowly turned, and at the sight of his bare chest, smooth and ripped with muscle, she locked her knees to keep upright. Instead of his inviting smile, there was a hardness she rarely saw that contrasted with the desire in his eyes.

Cole stood and stared. The silence between them crackled as if a whole conversation could be said without words.

Her breathing quickened as her nipples contracted into small, tight buds, sensitive to the brush of the cotton across them. She refused to hide her body’s reaction even as a flush of heat rushed to her cheeks. She’d been waiting all of her life for this moment. She was tired of hiding. She was ready. Unashamed, she gazed in his eyes and let the wealth of her feelings pour into her face.

Cole was no coward—he returned stare for stare—but she could see his jaw flex and knew he was pissed. She’d pushed him hard, but this was where the women separated themselves from the girls.

“I’m not a child any longer.” She took a step closer.

“And I told you, if you wear that shirt again, I’ll burn it,” he growled.

But Cole would have to do more than display a little anger to scare her. Before she lost courage, Katie crossed her arms and pulled.

She threw her shirt in his face, along with her challenge. “Go ahead and do it.”


If TEXAS WIDE OPEN is your type of book leave a comment telling asking me a question you wished I had answered above.


Thanks for reading!

About the Author:

KC Klein is the author of Dark Future, a sexy futuristic time-travel. She became serious about writing three years ago and was as surprised as anyone when her stories took a turn toward dark and snarky. Today, she divides her time between taking care of her family and driving in circles around Arizona, too busy creating stories in her head to pay attention to mere road signs.

Welcome to my stop on the Dominion Blog Tour! Scott has graciously done an interview with me! Make sure you enter the giveaway! *Quick note of apology for the post not going up sooner, technical germlins got into the works*

Author Bio:
years living in northern Virginia.  He has authored several short stories, including “Dead Water”, “Rednecks Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things”, “Cruise of the Living Dead”, “Deck the Malls with Bowels of Holly” (an alcoholic mall Santa battles zombie reindeer), and “Denizens.”  His two latest short stories – “The Last Flight of The Bismarck,” about steampunk zombies, and “The Hunger,” a tale of cannibalism during a zombie outbreak – will both be released later this year in anthologies being published by Knighwatch Press. 

Scott’s first zombie novel, Rotter World, which details the struggle between humans and vampires during a zombie apocalypse, was released by Permuted Press in April 2012.  He has also authored The Vampire Hunters trilogy, which has been published by Pill Hill Press and received excellent reviews from Famous Monsters of Filmland and Fangoria, among others. Scott has finished his fifth novel, Yeitso, a homage to the monster movies of the 1950s set in northern New Mexico, which is currently with a publisher, and is wrapping up his sixth novel, Hell Gates, the first in a series of young adult novels set in a world in which the realms of Hell and earth have merged.  

When he is not busy writing, Scott can either be found relaxing on his back deck with a cup of iced coffee, or doting on the four house rabbits that live with him. 

Please visit the author’s website at http://scottmbakerauthor.blogspot.com.


Blog   http://scottmbakerauthor.blogspot.com/

Facebook   http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000252439528&ref=profile

Twitter   http://twitter.com/vampire_hunters

Goodreads  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3505916.Scott_M_Baker

The Blurb:
After being hidden away for centuries, the Vampyrnomicon, the Book of the Undead, is finally unearthed, and with it the terrible secret of the vampires’ origins.  The discovery of the Vampyrnomicon gives Drake Matthews the means to defeat the Master and eradicate the vampire threat, but it also provides Chiang Shih with the knowledge she needs to make her masters immortal.

Now more powerful than ever, Chiang Shih raises an army of the undead and creates a vampire nation in Washington D.C.  Her attempt to assassinate Drake and his colleagues nearly cripples the hunters, but fails to kill them all.  Driven by vengeance, and with his band of hunters swelled by unlikely allies, Drake leads the group into the infested city.

With the fate of humankind hanging in the balance, hunters and vampires wage the final epic battle in the streets of the nation’s capital to determine who will hold dominion over the earth.

The Review:

Like the other two books in the series this book is action packed to the brim.  Hard to put down once you've picked it up. The plot continues to develop and get better as the series continues. Dominion is by far the best in the books.

The characters feel like real people. They're way easier to relate to. The unbrittled evilness of the main villain is beyond compare. I wanted to hide in the corner, wearing a helmet, and sporting a bat to protect myself from her. I felt sorry for the heroes and rooted for them the entire book.

Overall, an improvement upon the other two books. I'd recommend this book for lovers of action, Walking Dead, and anyone that loves that sort of stuff.

The Interview:
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Since I was old enough to write.  When I wasn’t reading, which was rare, I was writing.  I began when I was about ten years old, jotting down stories in notebooks or creating my own monster magazines.  I loved doing book reports in elementary school because it allowed me to explore my two passions.  My favorite class in high school was creative writing.  And I was one of the few in college that actually enjoyed term papers.  I didn’t start writing professionally until I was out of grad school.  I would say that I’ve spent forty years reaching this point in my writing career, but that sounds depressing.  [chuckles]


How long does it take you to write a book?

It takes me up to a year from first developing the idea to getting the manuscript ready for submittal, and that’s because I do this as my second job.  I spend a month planning out the novel and developing the characters so that, when I actually sit down to write, everything flows quickly.  It takes about five to seven months to complete the first draft, depending on the size of the book.  I give my beta readers a month to comment.  Then it takes another eight weeks to incorporate the feedback into the final draft and review it one last time.  Once I retire and devote all my time to writing, I hope to cut that time in half.


What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I usually write for about ninety minutes a day when I get home from work, and try to fit in two- or three-hour marathon sessions on the weekend.  If I’m on a roll, I can easily crank out 2500 words a session.


What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I include a lot of action in my novels, more so than in your average horror/urban fantasy.  When I write, I imagine how the story will play out if the novel was ever made into a movie.  I like to have blockbuster endings that go on for thirty or more pages and keep the readers engrossed.  My favorite compliment is when fans tell me they stayed up late finishing my book because they couldn’t put it down. 

Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?

Mostly from a warped and over active imagination.  Seriously, though, I conducted a lot of research while preparing to write The Vampire Hunters trilogy, mostly on vampire history and the origins of the various legends.  I then picked which aspects I wanted to include in my mythos (for example, my vampires are immune to religious symbols and garlic but are horribly scarred by holy water).  I’m also a historian by training, which is one of the reasons I included so many flash back sequences in my books.  Those scenes were fun to write, and it finally gave me an opportunity to put six years of college and grad school to good use.  

You would also be surprised at how many people are willing to be interviewed by writers.  For The Vampire Hunters trilogy, I was able to arrange tours of the Washington D.C. sewer system and a local funeral parlor, which greatly helped the realism of those scenes.  For Yeitso, I spent an entire morning with an entomologist for the National Archives who answered all my questions about insects.  I have as much fun researching my novels as I do writing them.


When did you write your first book and how old were you?

I wrote my first novel while in graduate school, when I was twenty-nine.  It was an espionage thriller, and it was amateurish and pathetic.  But I learned a lot from that experience, and my next novels were much more professional.


What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I spend what little free time I have reading, watching monster movies, and playing with the four house rabbits that live with me.  I also enjoy video gaming, but have not had a chance to play anything in over six months.  I’m still stuck at a boss fight on Dead Island.  


What does your family think of your writing?

My family and friends are very supportive.  And my colleagues at work think it’s cool that they have a horror novelist in their ranks.  

My mother is the funny one, though.  She used to be a nurse’s aide and is a gorehound in her own right.  When I get feedback from her it’s usually, “There’s not that much blood in the human body” or “That’s not what intestines really look like.”  


What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

How great ideas seemingly come out of nowhere.  Once I started writing The Vampire Hunters, the plot for the next two books in the trilogy just came naturally.  The entire concept for Hell Gate developed while watching an episode of SyFy Channel’s Face Off.  A lot of my short stories came from passing news reports or stories someone related.  My friends are becoming careful to watch what they say around me otherwise out of concern I’ll turn whatever they say into a novel.  


How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

I have four books currently in print: The Vampire Hunters trilogy and Rotter World, which is about a small band of vampires and humans putting aside their distrust for each and trying to survive a zombie outbreak.  My fifth novel is currently with a publisher for consideration.  It’s called Yeitso and is my homage to the giant monster movies of the 1950s that I grew up with as a kid.  I’m putting the final edits on Hell Gate, which is a young adult novel dealing with a sixteen-year-old boy coming to age during an apocalypse caused by his mother.  And I’m about to start work on my seventh novel, a sequel to Rotter World.  I’m proud of all of them, but I’m partial to The Vampire Hunters: Dominion because I think it has the best character development of all my novels, and I love the spin I put on the vampire legend.

I also have an impressive selection of short stories: six published in anthologies or on line and two that are scheduled for publication this fall.  Of those, my favorite is a zombie Christmas tale titled “Deck the Malls with Bowels of Holly.”  An alcoholic mall Santa battles zombie reindeer.  You can’t get much campier than that.


Do you have any suggestions to help aspiring writers to become a better writer? If so, what are they?

Write every day, even if you don’t feel like it or are not inspired.  Like any skill, the more you practice, the better you’ll become at it.  And don’t give up, no matter how discouraged you get.  No one who has stopped writing has ever been published.  


Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

So far I’ve gotten only positive feedback.  A few reviewers have become devoted fans.  And several readers who picked up one of my books have written me to tell me how much they enjoyed it.  Several have even provided feedback, which I always listen to.  I’m writing for them.  

I have one fan in particular who is very special.  She reached out to me in March 2010 after The Vampire Hunters was published and complimented me on my book.   In the course of our chats, I discovered that she also wrote vampire novels, and volunteered to read her manuscript.  Her first book is being published later this year, and we’re about to celebrate the anniversary of our first date.


Do you like to create books for adults?

I do.  I can get away with things in an adult-oriented novel that I can’t in other genres.  However, I am experimenting with new formats.  Yeitso is the first book I published in which I don’t use the “f” word and I keep the gore and sex to a minimum.  And Hell Gate is my first attempt at a young adult audience.  Someday I want to try my hand at a children’s book based on one of my pets.  It’ll be called Ruby, the Rude Rabbit.  


What do you think makes a good story?

The most important element to a good story is well-developed characters.  The story itself is important, but if the reader isn’t emotionally invested in your characters and doesn’t care what happens to them, the novel will fall flat.


As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
I wanted to be a horror movie star like Boris Karloff or Bela Lugosi.  All my friends told me I’d be a natural.  I used to think they were being supportive, but now I realize they were just being mean. 

Follow the tour:
11/19  Reflections of a Bookworm
11/20 Lizzy's Dark Fiction
  11/22  My Cozie Corner  
11/22   The Cover by Brittany 
11/23   Identity Discovery 
11/23  The Avid Reader 
11/26  Queen of the Night Reviews  
11/26   DanaSquare 
11/28   the college crawl   
11/30  Kara Loves Reading  
11/30  Everyone Loves a SiNner
10/19  The Cover by Brittany
 11/14  All Things Writing  
11/30   Proses, Verses and Conversations 

The Excerpt:

     Chiang Shih turned to face the rose window.  Picking up the Vampyrnomicon, she opened it and began to read.
     “Fortunate are the evil in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Hell.  Fortunate are those who hate, for they will be avenged.  Fortunate are the strong, for they will dominate the earth.  Fortunate are those who hunger and thirst for wickedness, for they will be satiated in their lust. Fortunate are the merciless, for they themselves have been shown no mercy.  Fortunate are the dark of heart, for they will know Satan. Fortunate are the warmakers, for they will be called sons of Satan.  Fortunate are those who persecute the righteous, for theirs is the kingdomof Hell.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in Hell.”
     A rumbling emanated from outside, similar to thunder but deeper and prolonged.
     “Praise Satan!  Oh Dark Lord, you are very great; you are clothed with cruelty and ignominy.  You wrap yourself in darkness as with a garment.  You undermine the earth’s foundations; it can never be stable again.”
     A small black cloud three feet in diameter formed out in front of and just above the cathedral.
     “How many are your works, Oh Dark Lord!  In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.  We all look to you to give us our human food at the proper time.  When you give them to us, we gather them up; when you open your hand, we are satisfied with evil things.  When you send your Evil Spirit, we are created, and you renew the face of the earth in Hell’s image.”
     The cloud expanded rapidly until it dominated the sky above the front lawn. 
      “May the infamy of the Dark Lord Satan endure forever; may the Dark Lord Satan rejoice in his works, he who looks at the earth and the earth trembles.  May the righteous vanish from the earth and the humans be no more. Praise the Dark Lord Satan!”   
     The cloud began swirling, forming a vortex.  The rumbling grew increasingly louder until the cathedral trembled from the noise.
     “The Dark Lord Satan said, ‘I am the resurrection of death.  He who obeys me will live as the undead.  Whoever obeys me and lives as the undead shall never die.’
     “Dark Lord Satan, make us immortal like you!”
     A thunderous boom rocked the cathedral.  The rose window shattered outward, covering the humans below with shards.  Walker watched in fascination as the black cloud deepened in density and its swirling increased in speed.  A brilliant beam of sunlight emanated from the vortex and shone through the frame, illuminating Chiang Shih.  She stiffened.  Her body glowed until she seemed almost as bright as the beam.  When she turned to face her masters, her eyes burned bright yellow.  
     Without warning, sunlight flowed from her eyes and filled the interior of the cathedral, washing over the masters, the vampires huddled in the corner, and the corpses scattered around the nave.  Walker closed his eyes and crouched, expecting death.  Instead, he felt a sensation he had not experienced since his days as a human.  Warmth.  
     Walker opened his eyes and stood.  Sunlight bathed his body.  Rather than peel off and crumble, however, his flesh tingled.  He looked back down the nave toward the crossing, excited to see his shadow extending away from him.  Raising his hand in front of his face, he noticed that his shadow did the same.  
     Chiang Shih had done it.  She had made them all daywalkers.

I've been trying to bring you, the readers, something new and exciting on the site. I know you love to read about books and do giveaways. But I know that there is more to each of us than just books and giveaways! So I've done t-shirts, macaroons, and now I bring you cake syrup!

Madjon, the chef from Cooking with Madjon, sent me a bottle of her awesome cake syrup. Now I'm sure not all of you know what cake syrup is. I can honestly say, I wasn't too sure what it was either. LOL. But cake syrup is used to keep cake moist and delicious and well, wonderful.

I used as she directed (unfortunately, the bottle doesn't have directions on it. A minor problem if you don't have the Chef's email).

The cake we made was YUMMY! It was moist and I don't think I screwed up what I was supposed to do. :0) If you have the problem of drying cakes out, or just want to add a little more awesome to your cake, then grab some!

MadJon is graciously doing a giveaway for a bottle of her syrup for you guys! So make sure you enter with the rafflecopter below!

She also has a cookbook out, Cooking with MadJon! Click here to grab a copy!

A big thank you to MadJon for sharing her awesome cake syrup with me!