My stories emanate from my imagination and the fact that I am a hopeless romantic. Author Lola James VBT Pit Stop Mar 12

Bound to Remember

Book One of the Spellbound Series

Vampires and Witches and Myths, oh my!

Lola James chats about her new release and why she loves to write paranormal.

 Click on the image to visit the Meet & Greet with Lola on VBT Cafe.

Louise: Lola, welcome to my blog! I’m so excited you could join me for a chat. When did you first decide to submit your work to be published? Tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step.

Lola: I am self-published through my own publishing company and my encouragement came from my Kindle! The day I bought it I was welcomed into the world of Indie publishing and I’ve never looked back.

Louise: Please tell us a little about your new release Bound to Remember, without giving too much of a spoiler away.

Lola: It’s a story that follows a young doctor named Toni as she begins to remember who she really is after meeting a tall, dark, and handsome vampire named Ben. Ben is unknowingly one of the links to her remembering her past.

Toni is a young doctor with a past she can't remember and a deadly reason for forgetting it. Ben is a nurse who has his own tragic past and transfers hospitals after an act of heroism forces his secluded life public. Ben can’t believe his eyes when he meets Toni, she has an uncanny resemblance to an old friend of his, and Toni can’t help but find Ben irresistible. 

Enter Kevin, Toni’s sexy but arrogant Ex. Kevin’s jealousy of Ben blinds him from his main objective, Toni. A dangerous secret is revealed and a magic spell seems to be a quick remedy, but the witch that helps has a little more than magic up her sleeve…

Louise: Do you plan all your characters out before you start a story or do they develop as you write?

Lola: In this book the main character Toni came to me first. She popped in my head and I knew her whole story. The other characters kind of developed around her. But in other works I have planned out the characters.

Louise: How much research do you do for your books? Have you found any cool tidbits in your research?

Lola: This story has some Greek myths to it so I had to research those, but I did find some cool characters that pop up in the second book, Unbound! I also had field trips to hospitals to scope out the scene and I watched some doctor shows to pick up the lingo.

Louise: What is your writing process? Do you outline, write by the seat of your pants (Pantser) or a combination of both?

Lola: Combo! Bound to Remember is a pantser, though Lol.  I am not even sure how it will end at this point; I just let it flow as I write. In another series that I wrote (Fate’s Design) I outlined everything from beginning to end so it really depends on the story.

Louise: Do you write full time? What did you do before you became a writer or still do?

Lola: Sadly no, I wish! I play hooky sometimes, and pretend like I am. My “day job” is a HR Manager, but I long to be a full-time writer!

Louise: Do you have a ritual when it comes to writing? Example….get coffee, blanket, paper, pen, laptop and a comfy place.

Lola: Music I need music and gummy bears! I could survive a whole day at my desk writing with gummy bears.

Louise: Describe a typical writing day for you.

Lola: Well, I wake up at 4 a.m. to write and I write until I absolutely have to go to work, so I get about 4 hours in. Then I try and sneak in another hour along with my social media marketing at work.

Louise: Please give us a sneak peek at your future books. What’s on the horizon?

Lola: I have a lot on the horizon for me… I have a new book Fate’s Design in a new series, (The Fate Series) that is coming out the end of this month on or around March 30. I have the second book in the Spellbound Series, Unbound, coming out in late spring (end of April beginning of May); and I plan for another two or three more books before the end of the year in both those series.

Louise: What is your favorite genre to read and who is your favorite author?

Lola: Romance, Paranormal Romance and Mystery, I know that’s a mixed bag. I love Charlaine Harris as well as a lot of Indie writes, too many to name!

Louise: Is there anything else you would like to tell the readers we have not touched on?

Lola: Yes, the characters from my books have blogs and they post on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The blogs are Spellbound Series (Bound to Remember and Unbound) http://spellboundseries.blogspot.com/ and The Fate Series (Fate’s Design) http://thefateseries.blogspot.com/. They leak info and generally talk about themselves it’s quite comical you get to see them individually. I love to hear from the readers of my books good, bad, or otherwise, because at the end of the day anything they say will help make me a better writer! And I want to thank you Louise for having me today!

Louise: Where can the readers learn more about you and find your books on the web?


Lola: All over but here’s my vitals:

Email 

Website 

My Blog 

Spellbound Series Blog 

Fate Series Blog 

Twitter 

Goodreads 

Facebook 

Buy my book Bound to Remember on: Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Louise: Lola, thank you again for visiting my blog!
Readers, Lola is giving away a copy of Bound to Remember to one lucky commenter. Let Lola know you stop by, ask her questions and please leave your email address in your comment so we can easily contact the winner! 

Excerpt: 

Part of Chapter One:

Another meeting, I thought as I sat down in the conference room of the ER. I stared into my Starbucks coffee cup with my hour-old coffee in it and frowned at the idea of drinking it cold. I missed the good ol' days before medical school, when it was just Annie, my roommate and best friend, and me. On a Friday nights like this, we would pop some popcorn and watch romantic comedies until we fell asleep. We were social pariahs, Annie, and I, because of my pre-med major and because she thought, she was a witch. I never doubted her but I never believed her either. Now all I do is work! I looked around at the room crowded with interns, residents, nurses; and I sensed something was about to happen I just didn’t know what. I looked for a friendly face.

The first one I saw was the last one that I wanted to see, Kevin Cooper. Kevin and I attended medical school together. I was always in the top three of the class and Kevin was always fourth. We had been rivals until the second semester when we became lovers. I imagined a storybook ending; the two medical students fall in love and live happily ever after. The problem with the story was only one of us fell in love. Me. The idiot. Of course, Kevin looked up as I stared at him. The smug smile on his face brought back all those memories from seven years ago. I ducked my head and abandoned my search for familiar faces, opting instead to check my ginger colored hair for split ends. Since I didn’t regularly check for split ends, I noticed hundreds, more than enough to keep me busy until the end of the meeting. Focused on my split ends and pulling them apart, I barely noticed when my new best friend, Dawn, sat down next to me. Dawn was already an attendant in the Emergency Department and three years my senior. She took in what I

was doing to my hair with a bewildered look on her face. I guess when you have perfect blond hair you don’t get split ends. 

“Toni, what are you? You know what, never mind,” Dawn said as she shook her head. If it’s

true that “opposites attract” it would explain Dawn and me. Dawn, unlike Annie and me, had

been a social butterfly in college. I think it had something to do with her being from the South, but I wouldn’t dare say that to her, it always annoyed her.

I looked over at her disapproving visage and asked, "Any idea what this is all about?"

Dawn shrugged, “The last time we had a meeting like this, the chief was introducing you and

Kevin to the Emergency Department. So maybe we’re getting another newbie." she smiled.

Dawn had the kind of smile that made you feel warm and relaxed. 

"Maybe," I said glumly as my thoughts drifted back to Kevin. I absentmindedly took a sip of

my cold coffee. It was not only cold, but also now disgustingly old. The hum of voices lowered

and I looked up to see Dr. Stevens walk to the front of the conference room. 

"Hello E.D. Night Team, I know that it is Friday night, which is our busiest night, but I

wanted to introduce the newest member of our team," Dr. Stevens said, smiling at the group

crammed inside the conference room. I couldn’t help but smile back. He was the ideal man:

smart, cute and had the dreamiest smile I’d ever seen.

Too bad Dawn had dibs on him. Even though she had not quite proposed marriage to him,

she was always talking about it. So, that meant he was hers.

"He should be ashamed of himself with his flirtatious smile," Dawn whispered as she leaned

close to me. 

"I know," I replied, not taking my eyes off Dr. Stevens.

"Please give a warm welcome to the new head night surgical nurse, Benjamin Slaton." The

chief placed his hand on the new nurse’s shoulder as he stood up. I considered retracting my last thought. This Benjamin had the dreamiest smile, combined with intoxicating eyes, perfect hair, and smooth pale skin. I fell for him in that moment, all thoughts of what’s-his-name vanished.  "Close your mouth, you’re drooling," Dawn whispered with a giggle. 

"Shut up," I said, not taking my eyes off Benjamin who similarly seemed to have his eyes

riveted on me. Benjamin stared through the crowd of people and directly at me. I felt breathless as Dr. Stevens continued to talk.

"Dr. Toni Hollander," Dr. Stevens began. I did not move, still mesmerized by the sexy man

standing in front of the room. Dawn jabbed me in the side with her elbow as Dr. Stevens said my name again. That broke the spell and I snapped out of the delicious daydream I was having about Benjamin.  

"Ye-yes," I stammered. I pushed my seat back and stood up. My cheeks blushed and beads of sweat appeared on my hairline in embarrassment when the thought crossed my mind that

someone else might have witnessed my intense attraction to Benjamin or saw me staring at him.  “Dr. Hollander, I would like you to show Nurse Slaton around the hospital," he said with a smile. I wanted to jump up and down with excitement, but I didn’t. I smiled back and nodded before quickly sitting back down. 

"Lucky girl," Dawn said, grinning from ear to ear. 

Or unlucky, I thought. 

"That's it everyone. Have a great night," Dr. Stevens said. Everyone began filtering out of the conference room. Dawn and I stood up together. She brushed the hair out of my face. I figured it was all over the place since I had been fussing with it. I finger-combed my hair, hoping I didn’t look like a complete idiot, which is what I felt like.

"So what do you think?" I asked, looking into Dawn’s bright blue eyes. 

"You look great! And I hope he’s single for your sake, T. Here he comes," she said as she

walked away, grinning. Benjamin was about five feet away but smiled as if he had heard her

comment. I just brushed it off. He stopped a foot in front of me. 

"Hello, I'm Dr. Toni Hollander but you can call me Toni,” I said, extending my hand. He

stared at me as if he were looking right though me and ignored my extended hand. A rush of

emotions washed over me, sapping my confidence, considering my horrible taste in men. 

"Oh! Sorry. Where are my manners? I am Benjamin, but you may call me Ben," he said with

a toothy grin, taking my hand into his. His hand was a degree colder than normal even in a

hospital with the air conditioning set at the same temperature as the North Pole. I looked at his hand. 

BIO: 

My name is Lola James and I'm the author of Bound to Remember, a Paranormal Romance (Book 1 of the Spellbound Series).I live in southern California and I’m married with three beautiful children. I currently have a day job as a HR Manager and I hope to leave one day to pursue my dream as a full-time writer. Somehow, I find time to write in between working full-time, being a full-time mom and wife. When I’m not moonlighting as an author, I’m a studying for my Masters degree, which I hope to complete in 2013.

I have always loved reading and writing! As a reader, I know that readers and writers share the common love of a great story. I personally love anything dealing with Vampires, Witches, and Greek Mythology. I started writing a Paranormal Romance story that included all three when voilà, I wrote a book! I write mostly Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy stories with suspense and a little humor but I am not limiting myself to just that. My stories emanate from my imagination and the fact that I am a hopeless romantic. I have been reading romance novels since my teens and fell in love with vampires when I read Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles.

After some extensive research into the publishing process, I became discouraged and I put my laptop down and my dreams on hold. It wasn’t until I bought my first e-reader that I discovered a new way to publish. I dusted off my laptop and I self-published my first book!

I am currently working on two series, the first is the Bound to Remember, Book one of the Spellbound Series, and it’s a paranormal romance with vampires, witches and a mythological twist. The second is Fate’s Design Book one of the Fate Series, a paranormal romance about dreams and what happens when and if they come true.  

A chat with Bk Walker and Janis Friesler, Two Authors Promoting Authors

Indie Publishing is booming and authors/promoters like Bk Walker and Janis Friesler help to make it easier to get your name and book in front of the public.

Bk Walker is a self-published author of multi-genre fiction. Bk also owns Virtual Book Tour Cafe where authors can schedule book tours, book reviews and book blitzes. 

BIO: B.K. Walker is working as a Pediatric Home Care Nurse, and has had a love for reading and writing since she was a child. B.K. also runs several blogs,  where she hosts author interviews and organizes virtual book tours for other authors, helping them to promote and market their work. She lives in Pennsylvania with her three children, a Pitbull named Rancid, a Dachshund named Sadie, a cat named Whiskers (aka Shitigan), and a goldfish named Albert.

Janie Friesler is a self-published author of non-fiction. Janis owns Assisting Authors Online which helps authors with their online presence including website traffic, book trailer videos and formatting for eBooks.

BIO: Janis Friesler was born in Milwaukee, WI. and attended the University of Wisconsin, Madison and UCLA.  Janis earned a degree in English and Education. She taught elementary and middle school for many years. She is retired from teaching but subs a few times a month to keep her knowledge up to date. Janis is married and has two dogs that are adorable, Cosmo and Gizmo, and her hobbies are playing bridge, golf, knitting, and reading books.

I'm excited to introduce these two wonderful authors who followed their dreams and are always willing to help a fellow author. Bk and Janis collaborate often between their businesses to offer the best services available.

Help me give these very busy ladies a warm welcome!

Louise: Bk and Janis, welcome to my blog! I’m so excited you two could join me for a chat. I have to say I admire the both of you and the many talents you have. When did you first decide to create your marketing/advertising companies for authors? Tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step.

Bk: I decided about 2 years ago when I was finding many authors not sure what to do about promoting their work. There was so much frustration you could almost feel the tension in the air, even while sitting in front of my computer.

The Virtual Book Tour Cafe was created with authors in mind to give authors and their book the attention they deserve.

Janis: Hi Louise and all your readers.  This is a very interesting question with a rather long answer. I was a middle school English teacher for many years. After I retired, I designed websites for small businesses, most of them for my friends. I have a childhood friend, Trish Silver who I haven't talked to for many years.  We connected on Facebook like many long lost friends have done. As fate would have it, she wrote a book, When I Remember Love. When she found out I knew my way around computers, she asked me to run her website, so I did.

I have always been an idea person.  As a teacher I won quite a few awards for curricular project design.  I started getting ideas about promoting her book on her site.  I studied best practices in book promotion leading me to social media marketing with a peppering of Search Engine Optimization. I learned about video book trailers blogging, and Amazon book promotion, Linked in groups, Twitter for authors on and on. I worked on my new education for a year.  I met BK searching information about blogs and put Trish on one of her book tours.  Now I put all my authors on the tours.

Louise: Please tell us a little about your companies and your web sites.

Bk: I'm the founder of the Virtual Book Tour Cafe'. I organize virtual book tours, setting authors up with various blogs to do interviews, guest posts, giveaways and sometimes they even get a review of their book. I also offer other services, which I've deemed “Cafe' Creations', creating Book Trailers, cover art, promo ads, banners, blog headers, buttons and more. Anyone can stop in to either of my sites, both have info, www.virtualbooktourcafe.com and www.vbtcafe.com

Janis: Another interesting story.  A little over a year after I started researching my career,  a former 8th grade student of mine, David Schultz, graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in Physics and Computer Science.  We have kept in touch over the years because he would help me with my websites.  When he was my student, he did all the computer programming for an online interdisciplinary project I wrote on the Iditarod.  It was an amazing project that won first place in the country.  Because of it I was written up in an article for the Knowledge Loom. a US Department of Education Website at Brown University. 

By the time he graduated, I was being contacted by people in my Linked in groups to help them promote their books.  I would express some of my ideas in the groups and I people liked what I had to say.  So I decided to branch out.  I talked to David and he agreed to create all the Wordpress websites and blogs and help with other technical details.  I would run the company and do all the promoting.  That is how Assisting Authors Online was born. I had to have a blog so I decided to do series about promotions that authors could do themselves. Of course when they find out how much time it takes, some would rather I do it for them. I also give shorter tips on Facebook, We have so many services, but what I have found out that works best is a Book Launch and has structured our services to fit this blue print.  We have a pdf explaining this plan on our website.

Louise: Now Bk, you’re also an author with several books under your belt. Tell us about a typical work day for you. 

Bk: I don't get much time for writing, that's for sure lol. I normally get up and grab some coffee, gotta have my caffeine or, ya know I might actually die or something. I then sit in front of my computer, answer the thousands (literally) of emails I get daily, responding to questions about tours, writing in general, advertising. Then I hop on over to FB & Twitter, respond to those, gotta keep up social networking #goodforbusiness. I schedule tours, design banners, create media kits for the authors going on tour. I take the dogs out and feed them. Turn on channel 833 on my Satellite – Classic Rock, answer some more emails that have meandered in. Finalize schedules, send them out to authors and hosts. I'm continually updating schedules from signups. Sometimes I plug into my radio show on Blog Talk Radio for an author interview, and I constantly promo current tours. When  my muse strikes I take time to write in one of the 7 books I'm working on. That usually doesn't happen until way late at night, or maybe it's morning, like now LOL.

Louise: Please share with us without giving any spoilers a bit on your latest release Night Secrets.

Bk: Night Secrets is actually a book that I didn't think anyone was going to like at all. It turns out that everyone likes it though! *happy dancing* 

Keara Crosby has just lost her parents in a plane crash. She is learning to live without them while in her Senior year of High School. Her father's sister has been given legal guardianship over her until Keara graduates, but the deal is she must move from Ireland to the states to honor that. When Aingeal, (Keara's Aunt) arrives, Keara starts noticing strange things happening and finding weird items in her room, backpack, that her aunt has left her.

When a new club in town opens, her best friend Jared talks her in to going. Only going was a lot more than she bargained for. She is faced with vampires and werewolves all while learning about her true heritage. She soon comes to realize that some things of the night, just may kill you.

Louise: Janis, I see you have published Use Amazon To Promote Your Books. What kind of feedback are you getting from authors who have purchased this book? 

Janis: I wrote this book for people who sign up for my newsletter.   They get it at no cost.  It is really a compilation of blog posts with some updating.  I haven't have time to write a book to sell since I am doing so many things for my clients and to help authors.  I think they like the book.  I hope your readers will sign up for my newsletter and get the book.  If you do readers, please leave a comment on my blog or Facebook page, and let me know what you think.

Louise: Have you written other books the authors/readers should know about?

Janis: I am going to compile another book, Why Authors Should Blog from my blog posts on that topic.  I am going to give that away to all the people who "Like" our Facebook page.

Louise: Please tell us why it is important for a new author to get their name and work on social medias (Twitter, FB) and blogs/websites. 

Bk: It's the perfect way to connect with readers, promote their work, and make new friends. It’s a great platform to build on. How else are people going to know who they are?

Janis: When someone writes a book, it is like giving birth. There is a profound personal attachment to a book that has been created from the mind and heart of the author. Every author wants their book to be loved, but the problem is there are so many authors with so many books, how will their book be found? That is why social media is so important.

Here are a few things an author can do to get his/her name branded and book known.

Facebook 

Author pages can get targeted traffic.  Have a contest or a give-a-away.  Have your book trailer on your page, put up your book tour schedule and banner.  Ask questions on your wall, do surveys.  Always respond to comments.

Blog

Authors must have a blog.  I am big on self-hosted blogs (your own domain).  Then you can have an RSS feed that will feed the blog to blog directories, social media sites, and tons of other places.  Make sure that you writes posts that are related to your book but don't self- promote.

Go to other book blogs, many have author promotions, free reviews, spotlights, guest blogs.

Linked in:  Linked in has so many author groups and some give excellent tips to promote books.  Make sure that there are a lot of members in the groups for more exposure. 

Book Trailer: A book trailer is a must have.   A video book review is a great.  You can put these videos all over the place.  There are many video sites to show off your book.

There are so many sites to use to get the word out.

The bottom line is to sell a book; people have to know about it.  This takes time and a hard work so be patient.

Louise: How do each of you think eBooks have impacted books sales for authors and do you see the traditional print copies fading away?

Bk: I think the digital world has EXPLODED book sales. Why wouldn't it? It's right there available for immediate download, people can view billions of books, and never have to leave the comfort of their homes. Some books may not even be carried in retail stores.

I don't think paperbacks have faded away completely, but with technology on the rise with Kindles, Ipads, and the Kindle Fire even, it's definitely not going to see as many sales as digital. There are still those few that HATE e-readers. But, maybe they've not even tried it, because I thought I would hate them too until my kids bought me my Kindle. I love it!

Janis: I think eBooks are here to stay, but I don't think they will replace print books.  I love my Kindle.  I hate taking a ton of books on a trip especially now when they weigh suitcases.
I also like eBooks because one of the services I do is format eBooks so they can be converted for Kindle, Smashwords, IPAD,  Barnes and Noble, etc.  It is trickier than people think to make eBooks look good.

Louise: Who/what is your favorite author and genre to read?

Bk: I absolutely love JD Robb and Laurell K. Hamilton for a traditional authors, and Tina Folsom for an Indie author. I could read her work all day. I didn't think I'd like historical romance until Tina introduced me to Paranormal Historical Romance with her book, Venice Vampyr. Beautiful! 

Janis: I have a lot of favorite authors because I have fairly eclectic taste in books.  I really love books by Ken Follett.  I am really looking forward to his second book set during WWI.

Louise: Bk and Janis, thank you so much for joining me on my blog. I encourage the authors who have stopped by to utilize your services to market their books and the readers to visit your sites to find fresh and seasoned authors to follow!

BK: Thanks so much for having us today Louise. I had so much fun just taking a break and you had some pretty great questions.

Janis: Thanks Louise for inviting me to this stimulating interview.  I really enjoyed answering your thoughtful questions.  I look forward to meeting your readers.

Readers and Authors, both Bk and Janis' sites have Authors/Books to explore and great writer resources!

Visit Bk on her web sites:

B.K. Walker Books 

Immortality and Beyond 

BK Walker Books ETC

A Coffee Break And Book Tours 

VBT Cafe Blog  

Facebook 

BK Media  Entertainment on Facebook

VBT Cafe Facebook Fan page 

Bk's Amazon Author page

Writing Innovations E-Zine
Twitter

BK Media & Entertainment - Blog Talk Radio

Listen to internet radio with Bk Walker on Blog Talk Radio

Visit Janis on her web sites:

Assisting Authors Online 

Janis on 

Facebook 

Assisting Authors Online Facebook Fan page

Twitter 

The Knowledge Loom 

Author Carrie Green Talks About What She Loves Best - Writing Horror, Feb 24 - 26

Carrie: Stephen King made an early impact with 'Carrie,' which was the the bane of my childhood. I can't tell you how many of my peers thought it was funny to suggest that I should run for prom queen, so that they could splatter pig's blood on me.  Anne Rice was another early influence. Tabitha King, Dean Koontz, Stephanie Meyer and Laurell K. Hamilton are other authors that I'd pick up when they publish a new book.

Carrie Green "a powerful new voice in horror and suspense" will have her first novel, 'Walk a Lonely Street,' published by McMullin Press in 2012. Set in Chicago, a jazz nightclub owner is found dead in the parking lot with a bullet to the brain. Police have written it off as a suicide, but his wife and best buddy think that it's a murder and they embark on their own investigation. Carrie is excited to build her audience, in the meantime, with the 'Roses are Red,' 'Violets are Blue,' and 'Sugar is Sweet,' trilogy of shorts stories and a novella being released as eBooks for a limited time. Born and raised in Chicago, Carrie now lives with her husband in the northern suburbs of the city. Contact Carrie or sign up to receive notification of the publication of her next book at www.CarrieGreenBooks.com  

Carrie's books are available on Amazon

Louise: Carrie, welcome to my blog! I’m so excited you could join me for a chat. When did you first decide to submit your work to be published? Tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step.

Carrie:  My day job is in Public Relations and I had a client for whom I wrote a business eBook.  As part of this project, I researched eBooks and Amazon (as the leader in eBook sales).  I was intrigued by what I had discovered, especially about how Amazon has made it possible to make MORE money self-publishing than going with a traditional publisher. 

I was always passionate about writing fiction, but I had placed that dream on a shelf, since I didn't see it paying the bills (let's face it; there are more state lotto winners than there are bestselling authors).  Today, however, thanks to Amazon's online marketplace, it is feasible to make a decent income.

Louise: Please tell us a little about your new release Walk A Lonely Street without giving too much of a spoiler away. (Cover not available)

Carrie:  I'm very excited about my new release due in a few months, Walk A Lonely Street.  It picks up some of the themes displayed in my short story and novella New Blood Trilogy (Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue, and Sugar Is Sweet) that true horror is most often tied to personal relationships.  In a nutshell, a man is found dead under suspicious circumstances. When the police rule it a suicide, his wife and best friend investigate on their own.  It's a journey which is all about the secrets that we hide from those who are closest to us.

Louise: Do you plan all your characters out before you start a story or do they develop as you write?

Carrie:  I do a combination of both planning and trying to allow room for spontaneity.  Often the best scenes in a novel are tangents that were not in the original outline.  I’m sure that you've experienced that type of writer's high when the words are just flowing and your fingers can not type fast enough to transcript the sentences and paragraphs that are appearing whole and complete in your mind.  If a scene starts to turn in another direction, under those circumstances, I'll pursue it.  When I edit, later, I'll decide what I'm keeping or deleting.

Louise: How much research do you do for your books? Have you found any cool tidbits in your research?

Carrie:  In my business life, I conduct tons of research online, stuff like competitive overviews, reading all of a reporter's articles on certain topics, but I like to go more old-school for my writing research.  Rather than depend on the Internet, I'll go to experience, in-person, and a location that is featured in my book. 

Reality serves as the best inspiration for fiction.  If the settings are true to life then what I portray happening at those locations will seem equally realistic.  It's the old adage that the best lies have an element of truth. 

 

Louise: What is your writing process? Do you outline, write by the seat of your pants (Pantser) or a combination of both?

Carrie:  Same answer as planning the characters that I answered above (I actually outline all my major characters, provide them with a back story and figure out their motivations—this is what drives the action/plot).  It's a combination.

Louise: Do you write full time? What did you do before you became a writer or still do?

Carrie:  I do write full time as writing is the bulk of my day job in PR.  Sadly, my fiction writing, however, is still a hobby that happens evenings and weekends.

Louise: Do you have a ritual when it comes to writing? Example….get coffee, blanket, paper, pen, laptop and a comfy place.

Carrie:  Since I write full-time during the day, I'm pretty business-like in my approach.  I compose directly on the computer (in college, I used to write first drafts, long-hand, in yellow legal pads).  I prefer no distractions.  While I have a window with a lovely view in my home office, I sit facing a wall and focus only on my computer screen. 

I've learned to divide writing from editing, which is the key in order to prevent writer's block from happening.  I write and then edit only when I'm finished (usually at the end of a chapter).  Writing is about being open and creative.  Editing is about following rules and being restrictive.  These are opposite goals. 

To be successful at each, I perform them at separate times.  Writer's block occurs when a writer tries to accomplish both writing and editing at the same time.  FYI, I actually spend more time editing than I do writing, because it is that important in creating a polished product.

Louise: Describe a typical writing day for you.

Carrie:  I sit at the computer all day and type.  I take break to prepare and eat meals.  I try to exercise at least once a day.  I like to write down ideas whenever they occur to me—often whole passages of text or a solution to a plot problem.  It's not very exciting, which probably why you'll never see a reality show featuring writers—not enough action, most of writing is very internal, it takes place inside your head.

Louise: Please give us a sneak peek at your future books. What’s on the horizon?

Carrie:  After 'Walk A Lonely Street,' I plan to write serial killer/ghost story for my next novel, but I'm also involved in several collaborative writing projects with other authors that will be released in-between my novels.  I really enjoy the brainstorming aspect of collaboration.  I take great pleasure in seeing a good idea, after some creative input, become great.

Louise: What is your favorite genre to read and who is your favorite author?

Carrie:  I love horror, but I also read mystery, thrillers, detective, women's literature, literature, biography, historical nonfiction, cookbooks, management and business books.  I tend to bounce around multiple genres.  My favorite author is one that writes well, whatever the genre.

Louise: Is there anything else you would like to tell the readers we have not touched on?

Carrie:  To give Indie authors a chance.  There is an unfair perception that Indie authors are sub-par.  The more that I've engaged with other Indie authors, I've discovered that the most successful ones are highly professional, have their work edited, and produce books equal to anything that a traditional publisher is releasing. 

I think that there is some hostility towards Indie authors because of the misconception that they are the reason for bookstores dying.  The truth is that bookstores were a monopoly held by the top 6 publishers.  Amazon and the eBook format is actually customer driven and allowing real competition. 

For example, the top 6 have recently decided that paranormal romance is over and that military romance will be the next big publishing trend.  That is how the top 6 operate—they only publish what is bringing in the largest profit.  Due to eBooks, readers can still find thousands of Indie authors that will write and publish their favorite styles of fiction.  A niche market that the top 6 won't support, can flourish online.

eBooks are here to stay because they serve all readers, whatever genre that they like to read, and the price is right.  The customer is now actually deciding what books become bestsellers, not the publishers.  It's time to embrace this change as it actually benefits readers and authors alike.

Louise: Where can the readers learn more about you and find your books on the web?

Carrie:  Readers can visit my Author Amazon page. 

Louise: Carrie, thank you again for visiting with me. Readers, Carrie is giving away an eBook copy of her first book Roses Are Red from Smashwords. Leave a comment with your email address. Good luck!

Violets Are Blue, A Novella

Newly-wed Sarah was delighted to move in with her mother-in-law, Martha, a widower who had raised her son, by herself, on an isolated Midwest farm.

A kid from a broken home who had been raised in a group house in Chicago, Sarah had struggled to put herself through college on scholarships.  She considered herself to be self-reliant and willing to work hard for her dreams.  She wanted only one thing, a real family.  Todd was the love of her life, so that she was sure that she'd love Martha, too.

It never occurred to Sarah that Martha would see her as competition, to be eliminated.

Excerpt

Sarah stood on the dirt road, staring at the six foot high stalks, at the long, rippled leaves that concealed, in seconds, the bold red of Todd’s t-shirt. The corn had swallowed him up. She hadn’t expected him to take off.

Seriously, he wanted to play tag in a corn field? Then, she thought, why not? It was as crazy as anything else that they had done together.

She remembered the time that they had walked through a snow storm, licking ice cream cones. People drove by; laughing at them, but a cone in winter had the advantage of not melting. It was the perfect weather for ice cream.

“Todd, where are you?”  She tried to sound pissed, after all, he was forcing her to play tag. She waited to hear his voice, so that she could follow him. “Todd?”

“Come and get me!” he shouted, but she heard him moving again as she ran into the field, the noise of him running was fainter than the crashing of her own elbows and legs through the corn stalks.

In the corner of her eye she saw the ears of corn which were both uglier and smaller than those in the supermarkets back home. The cobs, half eaten by the birds, had empty black sockets that resembled gap-toothed smiles. Tassels draped over the cobs like a bad comb-over.

The leaves sliced her skin. She was forced to run through random swarming circles of flies. Her hands were held out straight in front of her in a futile effort to protect her face. Sarah could hear Todd, up-ahead. He sounded closer.

She stumbled. Her feet kept getting caught in the rope-like webbing of the corn roots. The ground was rock hard and dry. Only her momentum kept her from actually falling. A glimpse, finally, of Todd’s shirt; she was gaining on him.

His dark blue baseball cap flew up above the corn. Her eyes followed its descent. Sarah almost went to pick it up, but she didn’t want to lose Todd now. It was his problem, if they couldn’t find the hat later…

Grinning, she gasped for more air, she was getting closer. Todd was too smug in his country boy superiority, condescending about her fear of chickens. They were big birds, peaking at her knees, chasing her around the pen.

They had flapped their useless wings in what she figured was their attack pose and made their warning cries, high and screechy. Fried chicken. Roasted chicken. Sweet and sour chicken. Her revenge would be tasty.

Todd was no longer a blur, but begun to take shape, again. She could see, in clear detail, the dark wave of hair at the top of his neck, formed by his constant habit of wearing baseball caps.

She was getting closer. Growing up in Chicago didn’t mean that she couldn’t run. There had been plenty of things to run from in Chicago. She liked to think that four years in college hadn’t slowed her down.

She could see Todd turn his head to check on her progress. He started quarterback dodging, going left and then right, around the rows of corn. Sarah followed, replicating his sudden turns. She steadied herself by reaching out at the corn, ripping off leaves, knocking down stalks. She was beginning to enjoy herself, exhilarated by the pounding of her heart and the heat of the sun on her head.

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