Author Corner

Mary Lynne Gibbs

Frank J. Monte

So after a restless sleep, I finally had a chance to get some shut eye. When my head hit the pillow, I was immediately woken. You might think it was the girls, because well it usually is. However, this time was a different story. My mind was racing with new ideas for a story that I had put on the back burner a long time ago–my Terrahtu series.  It was never written with the romantic flare that my Destined Series was, so I played around with the idea of changing Terrahtu so that it was geared toward a younger audience, but I just wasn’t ready to take the leap, because writing them under my current pen name just would not make sense and everyone knows the more books you have out there, the better your sales are. I have two published(In Flames & In Rapture), one in editing(The Land of the Shadows), another near completion(In Chains) and a fifth one at least 1/2 way written(Saving Grace). All of these are adult books.  So I guess it is not a terrible time to dabble in the young adult genre.

My plans? Terrahtu. Five books surrounding the five original characters from my first draft set on the planet Terrahtu. Magneira is book one, although it’s story line and timeline coincide with Mag Book 2, which is why I want them to be released almost simultaneously. Book 3 would be Kilana and her adventures. I have  a deep fondness for this character. Book 4 is Wilder, my very first attempt at writing a shapeshifter. I must have enjoyed him too, for I’ve been writing about them ever since. Book 5 is The Collective(which is the one that has no content written as of yet). The rest of them are somewhere between 1/2 top 1/4 finished on each of them. I guess it wasn’t such a bad thing to write such a huge book the first time. It was 44 long chapters and close to 900 pages long. I decided a few years ago to break them into separate stories, but since then have realized I love each character enough to devote an entire book to each. Will these books be feature by Elissa Daye, not likely. I’ve chosen a different pen name for that: Emma Davis. Why? Because I don’t want to write a wholesome young adult book under the same pen that writes hot spicy romance novels. (Me wholesome, well yes, most of the time).

Author Corner

K. Rosemont

K. S. Carol

Snow, lovely snow. It wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t below zero outside. The crisp, white snow is a blank canvas to the rest of the world, much like the white screen and blinking cursor that is staring at me. What world do I create today? Faeries, dragons, werewolves, vampires…There are literally thousands of choices if you connect characters to worlds and then throw in a multitude of plot ideas. Snow days are fun days for writers, as long as they can find a quiet place to reflect, which with two active children, well that is a challenge.

It’s too cold to play in the snow with my girls. Is it wrong that I am thankful for that? This author and the freezing temps, we aren’t good friends. When I was younger, the winter and I were besties. I would stay outside for hours, even if my toes were frozen. I remember sledding with my mom and brother when we lived in Missouri. With over 5 acres of land, it was easy to find something to do. Hide n seek in a deadly quiet private forest, sledding down the many slopes, pretend ice skating on the frozen creeks, or even snow ball fights which I always seemed to lose. One year we built a fort using cardboard boxes.

These memories, they fill me on days like this. It reminds me that building up a child’s imagination helps them maintain it for the rest of their lives. Perhaps this is why I find myself spending so much time playing with my children. One day they may need that creative outlet and having a good “fun”dation will only help them in the long run. It certainly has helped me.

Well there you have it. I have just literally talked myself into trekking out into the snow and freezing my appendages off. My girls need some fun.

Author Corner

Jill Campbell

Judith Ann McDowell

Author Corner

Mariam Shallan

Kaylie Austen

Hopping back into a story is difficult. I started working on the chapter I had left off at, but I had to go back and refresh my memory on the battle that had occurred in the chapter before. Throw in children who want to play and well, I managed to get only a few paragraphs completed. Instead of being frustrated, I decided to celebrate. Getting any words down is progress for me. I’ve spent the last month nose deep in packing boxes trying to organize the world around me and only now do I feel comfortable enough to sit down and tackle my writing. Life just happens, and sometimes you just have to let it. Here’s to hoping tonight will be more prosperous once the girls have gone to sleep.

Author Corner

Fran Orenstein

Steve Bartholomew

I find myself hopeful that I will complete In Chains this month. Sometimes getting back into a manuscript after you’ve been away for awhile is difficult because you literally have to go back to the beginning and read where you started and try to get back into your story. Thankfully, I was able to find where I left off and found it easy to get back into my story. I only got a few paragraphs edited before the girls needed my attention, but that’s ok. I only have about 8 chapters to create, so completing this story is feasible.

The big question I have right now is what are my challenges, are they insurmountable? From the beginning I knew that I wanted In Chains to be a little different than the other two books in the Destined Series. I want my love story to be gentle, even if there is plenty of spice thrown in, but I also wanted this book to be an adventure for my heroine, for more than anything this story is about a woman who not only finds independence from the mandates of the world around her, but also finds herself along the way. Brieanna is a strong character who will impact the Destined world greatly. I don’t want to give too much away about her role among the Women of Lena, but let’s just say she has a destiny that is greater than any of the other women in my world so far. I can’t wait to finish it and see what my betas think.

The challenge is not sacrificing the romance or her purpose. How do you create this while still being true to Brieanna. It’s tough. I need to go back create more interactions between Leo and Brieanna. In doing so, it will strengthen their bond and my feeling is that people will become even more attached to them than they have my other two books. One can only hope. I love all my characters, which I’m sure everyone knows, but Brieanna, she has a special place in my heart.

Wish me luck! I have a lot to do.

Author Corner

Sally J. Carpenter

Boyd Jamison

As I sat there watching my child dance to ending credits of the latest children’s movie, I felt tears well up in my eyes at the pure joy she broadcasted to the world. There she stood, in front of a crowded movie theatre whirling and twirling in oblivious bliss. She loves to dance, loves to perform, and knows nothing of the judgment of the world around her. I found myself a little envious of her lack of inhibitions, something you wouldn’t normally hear me say, but it’s true. I wish I could be as open, be as care free, but alas we do grow up and learn quickly that the world can be a harsh place to live and somewhere along the way we become adults trapped in the daily hustle of the world around us.

We start out with so many hopes and dreams without fear and trepidation, but somewhere along the way that bright light seems to fade, not completely, but it’s certainly not as blinding as my daughter’s aura. Many times, I am surprised by her power to charm the world around her. If I asked her what she wants to be when she grows up, she might say a princess, and she may very well end up being a princess in some theatrical way. I’m not quite sure she gets the question, but does it matter? From where I stand she’s got it right. She sings to her favorite songs even if she doesn’t know the words, dances to any music, and tells jokes to anyone who will listen even if they make no sense. She shares her light with anyone who will listen and it’s simply amazing.

So, today as I watched her dance and sing, my eyes welled up. I felt a switch click into place in my brain and decided that if I ever wanted inspiration to be better, it was dancing on tiptoes and rolling on the floor in front of me. I will always have menial tasks I have to do each day to provide a healthy and safe world for my children, but I can make time to be a little more giving to myself. I can turn on my music and sing at the top of my lungs, pitch a pretend tent and camp out with the girls. and I can make time to write the stories that are begging to come out, one happy step at a time. Will I truly be carefree? No. Probably not like her, because my experiences have tainted the innocence I started out with, but I will feel happier one step at a time. Here’s to a year filled with creativity, love, health, and happiness. What I wish for everyone is to have the time to play, laugh, and love. Happy New Year!

Author Corner

Ronald Paxton

Kathi S. Barton

I am going to attempt to make Author Corner Posts as much as possible. With these, I may also include some writing I have been working on, or daily views into the life of an author who juggles her daily life while attempting to write each day. So far, the writing has been lacking. It’s understandable though. Raising two children, one 3 and the other just turned 1, is a pursuit in itself. Throw in moving to a new house, well anything is likely to happen–anything but the writing I so want to do. Now that we are settled in, the creative part of me is screaming to be let out. I have In Chains about 3/4 of the way finished and The Night Order-Saving Grace is about 1/2 way completed. I would like to complete both of these books before working on Terrahtu- the book that started it all. I haven’t decided if I am going to make it young adult or throw in some of my romantic flair or not. I never know what the muse will dictate.

AUTHOR CORNER
http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Cave-Angie-West/dp/1938961501/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354497909&sr=8-1&keywords=9781938961502

In this final installment of the Bloodlines trilogy, Keira and her friends face their toughest battles yet. Not only with the ones they believe have set out to destroy them, but also with themselves and each other.

A shock revelation throws the group into confusion, torn between what each of them think is right and wrong. Keira now has to make a hard choice – does she stay with the people she loves, and fight with them – Or does she leave them, join forces with the person they originally thought was heartless, cold and brutal, but in fact, is doing something she actually agrees with. Something that could benefit and comfort almost every person who has ever lived.

Revelations will take you to a place you never could have imagined existed. Heart-wrenching passion, death-defying friendship, treachery and pain, mixed with extreme battles, powerful magic and self-belief, make for an unbelievable climax that will stay with you until the end of time.

About the Author

I have lived in Droylsden, Manchester, all my life. I live with my parents and my younger sister, Cheryl. I never knew what I wanted to do with my life until I began writing. This is my dream.

I get most of my inspiration from music, I’ll sit there listening to it and suddenly I’m no longer in the room. My stories play like videos in my mind, then I go and write them down.

I’m a very dark person, I love anything spooky, supernatural, or unexplainable, and so that’s the genre I want to write in for the rest of my life. I love watching scary films, although I find it very hard to find one these days that actually frighten me.

Website – www.lindsayannekendal.com
Blog – http://lindsayannekendal.blogspot.co.uk/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lindsay-Anne-Kendal-Author/205994872781867
Goodreads –http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3433502.Lindsay_Anne_Kendal

Twitter – @lindsaykendal

http://www.lindsayannekendal.com/