Wednesday 31 October 2012

#OBTreat - Orangeberry Trick or Treat - Top 10 Halloween Favourites by Robynn Gabel

Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre – Horror (R)
Connect with Robynn Gabel on Facebook & Twitter
Top 10 Halloween Favourites
Horror movies
Horror books
Passing out candy
Halloween decorations
Gorging on candy
Ghost Tours
Haunted houses
Candy Corn
Halloween costumes
Gorging out on more candy
 

#InspiredKathy - Book Blast - Once Upon A Baby by Shari Guess




Once Upon a Baby: A Tale of Adoption by Shari Guess

A heartwarming tale of LDS Adoption. Follow a child's journey from the Pre-existence to his family's home on Earth. The divine guidance of the Savior, along with the love and prayers of both birth and adoptive parents are gently and lovingly portrayed in this tender story of the ultimate "Happily ever after".




Purchase:


Praise:
"Shari Guess has written a "must read" for every LDS family. She made a relevant issue for our time seem simple, yet to the heart."
~Brenton G. Yorgason, PhD

"I cried grateful tears to finally find a book for our children that explains their unique place within our family in a spiritual way."
~Nancy Reynolds, CA



Author Shari Guess

SHARI GUESS is a proud, first-time children’s book author and lives in rural North Texas where she is “Mom” to her beloved 9-year-old adopted son, Garrett. Happily married to her husband Walter for going on 13 years they share their cabin-in-the-woods with a small herd of Great Danes and farm animals. 

Shari is currently a part-time real estate agent and property manager and prior to marriage worked for over a decade in the music business, spanning from Los Angeles to Nashville. She wore many hats as a journalist and publicist representing multiple recording artists, magazines and music publishing companies, along with being a part-time performing artist and songwriter. Her hobbies include choral, Americana and rock music, martial arts, photography, travel and anything in the mountains.


Links:


Tour Giveaway:
$25 Amazon Gift Card + copy of Once Upon a Baby
Copy of Once Upon a Baby
(Paperback open to US only, Kindle ebook for International)
Ends 11/30/12

Tuesday 30 October 2012

#OBTreat Orangeberry Trick or Treat - Top 10 Superstitions by Darlene Jones

Buy Now @ Amazon & Smashwords
Genre – SciFi Romance  (PG13)
Connect with Darlene Jones on Twitter
Top 10 Superstitions
Black cat crossing your path
Walking under a ladder
Crossing fingers for good luck
Breaking the turkey wishbone
Wishes with blowing out birthday candles
Breaking a mirror
Opening an umbrella in the house
Knock on wood
Friday the 13th
Full moon – my daughter was born 3 weeks early on a Friday the 13th with a full moon
 

Monday 29 October 2012

#OBTreat Orangeberry Trick or Treat - Top 10 Halloween Songs by Angela Scott

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Genre –  YA Contemporary (PG13 – Mild Adult Situations)
Connect with Angela Scott on Facebook & Twitter
Top 10 Halloween Songs
10- It’s a Dead mans Party by Oingo Boingo  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UbGtjnluyY
9-Zombie by the Cranberries http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ejga4kJUts
8-Re:Your Brains by Jonathon Coulton http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6vnM9I7HIo
7- Eye of the Zombie by John Fogerty http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbWgcZR1PAU
6-If I were a zombie by Stephanie Mabey http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPNqub966Tw&feature=related
5- Zombie Hands by The Killers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8h13V73NOo
4- Walk Like a Zombie by the Horrorpops http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RKZpKkgWMM
3-Never Look Back by The Nearly Deads http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVXoC-95zDk
2 – No Brains for You  by BrySi http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl_YaLzrhDU
1- Thriller by Michael Jackson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOnqjkJTMaA
 

#Orangeberry Author Interview - Chloe Wilson

If you could travel in a Time Machine would you go back to the past or into the future? To the future I think to see how things turn out so I can stop worrying about them. I’m a bit of a worry wart (apparently!) and would much prefer to have a more carefree attitude. I’m not sure what I’d do if the future didn’t look that bright – probably grab the winning lottery numbers and shoot back home!
If you could invite any 5 people to dinner who would you choose? It would have to be Martha Stewart so we could talk about organizing all the time. I’d actually like to go hers for dinner so I could be inspired by her beautifully organized home. For now, I’ll have to make do with the pictures on her website!
Next it would be Wonder Woman – I could do with a few tips! Third, I would choose Anna, the character from “On The Island” by Tracey Garvis Graves. I think she had a fascinating story to tell.
Fourth, it would be a midwife. If I started a new career, it would be as a midwife so I could do with some insights.
And lastly, Jamie Oliver to help with all the cooking!
If you were stranded on a desert island what 3 things would you want with you? I’m ever the practical one, so it would have to be a medicine kit, a knife and my e-reader with some form of solar power!
If you could have any superpower what would you choose? The ability to fly. It would be great to feel the freedom and the speed of not relying on normal transportation. I quite fancy just dropping in to save someone from danger like you see in Superman and other kids cartoons. I guess I might need super strength too though!
If you could meet one person who has died who would you choose? One of my grandparents. Three of them died before I was 5 years old so I have no memory of them. I was always jealous of my school friends that used to go round to their grandparents after school so I would like to make up for that and find out what they were like.
Night owl, or early bird? Early bird definitely, although as I get older – ‘early’ isn’t so good either! I’m always yawning by 10pm and could quite happily go to bed then, although I rarely get the chance.
One food you would never eat? There are so many as I’m quite a fussy eater. Fatty meat is my main no-no although anything that sounds like a body part is also out – liver, tongue etc.
Pet Peeves? Bullies – whether at school or in adult life. Why people feel the need to make other people feel bad is beyond me.
Skittles or M&Ms? Skittles – I’m not a big chocolate or nut fan. I don’t eat many sweets either to be fair. Cream cakes are more my thing!
Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book. Just one – oh dear. OK, you should read my book because you will learn how to get the organizing habit which, in just 15 minutes a day, will keep you organized.
Or can I cheat(!) and say what a reader said? “It includes a very detailed, practical and doable plan to tackle your clutter, and even more importantly, remain clutter-free.”
Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects? I’ve got some more ideas for organizing books lined up that I’m working on right now. My main goals are to make them practical so readers can take action from them straight away as well as to ensure they attack the problem in a different way to the norm.
If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? On a desert island but only IF: it was safe from pirates, it had basic services and deliveries from a grocery store and Amazon! So probably just somewhere tranquil, out of the way with access to civilization when needed.

What is your favorite Quote? “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.” by Anthony Robbins. So true for everything, including organizing your home.
What’s the best advice anyone has ever given you? To remember that no one on their deathbed wishes they had spent more time at work. I appreciate this advice but struggle to put it into action most of the time!
Hidden talent? When I was younger, this was dancing. I used to do ballet, tap and modern dance all the time and loved it. Since ‘growing up’, my hidden talent is probably knowing how to avoid things I don’t want to do – like exercise!
Favorite Food? There are so many: Christmas dinner, pizza, Mexican, Chinese, Indian, my husband’s cheesy chips (french fries). I could go on and on. I struggle to last a day without something nice to eat.
You have won one million dollars what is the first thing that you would buy? A family holiday to Disney World. My husband and I took our son when he was nearly 3 years old but that was probably a bit young. Now he’s 11, he would really appreciate it and I’d love to take him before he gets too old. He recently went to the theme park close to where we live and had a fabulous time but I know Disney would blow his mind.
What do you do in your free time? I love to spend time with my family walking, cycling and swimming. I also like to cook – I try loads of new recipes as long as they look yummy – and read and sleep. I’m also a bit addicted to reality TV shows but I don’t watch many as I steer clear of the TV in favor of other things most of the time.
How did you celebrate the sale of your first book? With a lot of dancing around the house! Although I think the first review was more exciting. Knowing someone had taken the time out of their busy day to share that they found the book useful, really made my day.
What is your guilty pleasure? A cat nap on a Sunday afternoon. I try and make time for an hour’s ‘quiet time’ where I can read a book and doze off for a bit of a rest! It revitalizes me for the week ahead.
Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre – NonFiction / Advice & How To
Rating – G
More details about the book
 Connect with Chloe Wilson on Facebook & Twitter

Sunday 28 October 2012

#OBTreat Orangeberry Trick - Top 10 Things I Fear by Billie Hinton

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Genre –  Literary Suspense (R)
Connect with Billie Hinton on Twitter
Top 10 Things I Fear
10. Camel crickets.
9. Getting stuck in a really small place. Spelunking would NOT be something I would ever do.
8. Big giant wood roaches and/or palmetto bugs.
7. Being chased by vicious dogs.
6. Falling off a boat in the middle of the ocean.
5. Big bug of most any kind being on my shoulder or back where I can’t see it but everyone else can, and they go “oh my gosh!” and stare intently. (daughter is expert at doing this when there is nothing there!)
4. Heights. Not so much things like ladders but being up in a hot air balloon. Or standing on the very edge of a very steep, high precipice.
3. Being followed.
2. Big spiders. It used to be all spiders but I have made some progress.
1. Needles. Come at me with a syringe with needle attached and you have just enacted my worst nightmare!
 

#Orangeberry Author Interview - Michelle Hughes

What is one book everyone should read? You’re asking me to choose just one?  That’s a question I can’t answer, but I will say the one book that made the most significant change in my life was the Sleeping Beauty series by Anne Rice who wrote under a pen name for that series.  Being from a small rural town in Alabama, I never knew that people even considered this type of erotica, and it put me on a two year journey of research.
Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book. Because it may get me kicked out of the Bible Belt and I need all the resources I can muster up to prepare for my move!
Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects?  My co-author, Karl Jones and myself, are working on the second book in the Forbidden Desires series.  We have five projects in the works for 2013 and it should be a very busy year.  I think we’ve got more ideas than we have time to write at the moment, but I’m excited about all of them.
What inspired you to want to become a writer? Dreams of Cara and Rafe are my soul inspiration for becoming a writer.  Rafe has been my muse since the age of fifteen, and he came into my life at a time when I was suffering great mental and physical anguish.  It was through his inspiration that I managed to survive those horrible years and I will always consider him my guardian because of it.
Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published. My most rewarding experience came just recently when I actually had a bigger paycheck than my husband.  To understand that, you would have to know that my husband is very successful in money management, and it’s something I had never aspired to do.  He was just as pleased and now believes that there is more to writing that just a dreamers way of passing time.  We are very polar opposites, which I think gives our children a very balanced view of life.  He believes in only what he can see and I live in a fantasy world.
If you could jump in to a book, and live in that world.. which would it be? Outside of my Tears of Crimson books, that would be the world of Charlaine Harris.  I of course would be Sookie and Bill Compton would be a forgotten memory as I lived out the rest of my days with Eric Northman.  Sorry Bill, I think you’re great, but I love Eric.
What is your dream cast for your book? I actually did a Pinterest board for this and I would love to have Ian Somehalder, Alexander Skarsgard, and my cousin Candace LeRae.  I have no doubts that they could create a box office hit and it would be incredible to see this on the big screen.
What was your favorite book when you were a child/teen? I was reading Harlequin Romance novels at eight years old, and I can’t say there was just one favorite.  I loved all the happily-ever-after endings, and I think it might have given me a warped view about what relationships should be.  It took several years into my adult life to understand that you had to work to make any relationship last.
Is there a song you could list as the theme song for your book or any of your characters? I love the Way You Lie by Eminem and Rhianna.  It’s a very emotional, and disturbing song that speaks to the soul about the intensity of a relationship.  Leah and Rhett have this volatile passion and it just works with that song.  In the second book to this series, we are introduced to Alex, and he does balance things.
What’s one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors? Pull on your big girl/boy pants and be prepared for hearing many things you don’t want to know about your work in the beginning.  The business of writing, especially as an indie author, is not an easy road and you should be prepared to work harder than you ever have in your life if you plan on succeeding.
If a movie was made about your life, who would you want to play the lead role and why? First let me say that if they ever did that I hope I’ve already passed away.  There are things in my life that I would rather the entire world didn’t see.  But to answer your question, I guess Vanessa Hudgens would be the person I would choose.  I’m not sure why I find this young actress so fascinating, but she really impresses me.
How did you know you should become an author? I still question myself about that, and I have to say it’s because all these dreams in my mind needed an outlet.  Writing seems much better than spending an hour on a Shrinks couch every week.
What’s the craziest writing idea you’ve had? Last year I began having nightmares about the Illuminati and Blood Oaths and I came up with this crazy idea that I wanted to research all the celebrity deaths that had been hooked to Blood Oaths.  I gave the idea up when I started having nightmares about being killed for uncovering information the public wasn’t supposed to be aware of.  When I attempted to write anything on that story I became physically ill, so I took that as an indication to stop doing it.
What’s the best advice anyone has ever given you? Don’t give up and don’t let any negative person influence you to give up your dream.  That was actually the best advice I’ve ever been given because in the beginning there was a lot of negativity in my writing career.  In 2009 I honestly had no clue what I was doing and was having huge trouble with formatting and tenses.  Read enough bad reviews and you learn exactly what it is you’re doing wrong!  Those horrible reviews helped me even as I cried into my pillow about what a failure I was becoming.
I began researching my craft, and discovered how to fix the problems that were apparent in my writing.  Live and Learn!  Now I might still get the negative review, but at least (for the most part) it’s because they don’t agree with my characters.
What was your favorite children’s book? Green Eggs and Ham, by Dr. Seuss.  I still read this one to my youngest kids, and one of them is highly addicted to that book now as well.  I don’t know why I’ve always loved that book, but it makes me laugh.
How do you react to a bad review? I no longer cry my eyes out, so that’s a good thing.  I try not to read them these days.  One of the great things about having a co-author that reads reviews is I can spare myself the agony.
If you could have a signed copy of any novel what would it be and why? You have won one million dollars what is the first thing that you would buy? Property in New Orleans to turn into the Tears of Crimson Nightclub.  That has been my dream for many years, and I hope one day that it will become a reality.  New Orleans desperately needs a vampire bar.
Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre – Contemporary Romance
Rating – R
More details about the book
Connect with Michelle Hughes & Karl Jones on Facebook & Twitter

Saturday 27 October 2012

#OBTreat Orangeberry Trick or Treat - Top 10 Halloween Favourites by Katy O'Dowd

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Genre – Steampunk (PG13)
Connect with Katy O’Dowd on Facebook & Twitter
Top 10 Halloween Favourites - Who doesn’t love Halloween?
The nights are drawing in, the mist is closing, the lights from windows on the street are more indistinct and you nearly jump when a cat twists its way around your ankles. Until you realize that it is in fact your own cat.
The joy of sharing in the delight of children as they dress up to try to scare everyone, going around and taking candy from strangers – the one time in your life you are allowed to do so.
Eating the sweeties and getting a stomach ache, but hey, it’s worth it.
Carving the pumpkin into some kind of grotesquerie and then making a soup of its flesh. Delicious blended with cream and a healthy sprinkling of salt and pepper.
Bobbing for apples, hands behind your back. Make sure not to put your scary makeup on before your face hits the water! A way of finding your future spouse is to peel an apple in one go. If done successfully the single apple peel can be dropped on the floor to reveal the initials of your future-intended.
In Ireland, we have a cake for Halloween called a Barm Brack. It is a heavy fruit cake, and in it is a golden ring. Whoever gets the ring will get married. In older times, it also contained a pea, a stick, a piece of cloth, and a silver sixpence. Each item was supposed to carry a meaning to the person concerned: the pea, the person would not marry that year; the stick, would have an unhappy marriage or continually be in disputes; the cloth or rag, would have bad luck or be poor; the coin, would enjoy good fortune or be rich. A fortune-telling cake – what could be better?
Really terrible old horror movies on the television. They sure don’t make them like they used to!
Answering the door to the trick or treaters and hearing all the songs, poems and jokes that the children – and adults! – have come up with. And going trick or treating with your own children.
Decorating the house, and lighting lots and lots of candles.
And knowing that the black cats who share our house are complete softies who come in and watch the movies with me because they don’t like all the Halloween Ghouls and Ghosties outside. 
 

#Orangeberry Author Interview - Christine Nolfi

What is one book everyone should read? The Bible for all the obvious reasons, if you’re so inclined. But also for an understanding of how theology—like mythology—influences literature.
What has most surprised you since beginning your publishing career? USA Today selected Treasure Me as one of the best of the Indies. I wouldn’t have known if a blogger hadn’t kindly sent mail. I was also pleasantly surprised when the book became a finalist in the 2012 Next Generation Indie Awards.
Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book. Because you like books that make you laugh one moment and dab at your eyes the next.
Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects?  Second Chance Grill, the next book in the Liberty series after Treasure Me, will be released in late October. I’m also midway through revisions of my fourth release, due out in early 2013.
What inspired you to become a writer? Honestly, I can’t remember a time when I didn’t write. My late mother swore I began reading at age two. Having met toddlers, I find this hard to believe.
Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published. Reading reviews by readers who’ve stumbled across my books. If that sort of validation doesn’t send you back to the computer to begin work on the next novel, nothing will.
If you could jump into a book, and live in that world … which world would it be?Harry Potter, first year at Hogwarts. I’m not sure I could stomach life at Hogwarts in later years when he-who-is-not-named began stirring the soup.
What is your dream cast for your book? Funny you should ask. Lately I’ve been deliciously tempted to send Treasure Me to Whoopi Goldberg and beg her to play Theodora in the movie. Not that I’ve sold the film rights, but still.
What was your favorite book when you were a child or teen? Peter Pan. I was utterly convinced I could fly. It’s a miracle I didn’t fall out of Bobby Cooper’s treehouse while trying to demonstrate my gifts to the neighbor kids. Interestingly, Bobby and I both reached adulthood soaring above the clouds—he flies F16s and I’m still floating through the imaginary world of stories.
What’s one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors? Don’t damage your health by pulling all-nighters pounding out fiction while gorging on carbs. This isn’t a college exam. Producing your best work comes with time, reading often and well, and having the courage to put emotion on paper.
List five suggestions or writing tips for aspiring authors.
1) Read often, and across genres.
2) Polish each draft relentlessly.
3) Join a critique group.
4) Read books on craft, and strive to improve.
5) Make time for your art every day, if only for twenty minutes.
What is your favorite Quote? My late father had a saying: Do you want to be a follower or a leader? As he lay dying, I grabbed his hand and shouted the only words that came to mind. “Dad, don’t go! Do you want to be a follower or a leader?” Despite the pain he was enduring, he smiled at me and said, “Always a leader.” I try to live by the last words to leave his lips.
When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up? I’ve always known I’d write. During childhood I’d drift through libraries running my fingers across the spines of books in a dreamy sort of rapture. As my fingers glided across the covers, I felt like I was touching other souls. I wanted to be a part of that.
What led to your decision to self-publish? I worked with two agents, each for about eighteen months. Random House was interested in Second Chance Grill. A division of Penguin considered releasing Treasure Me and the other Liberty books in hardcover. Then Wall Street melted down. The interest fizzled, and my critique partners convinced me to self-publish. By then I’d read enough success stories to realize London and New York no longer held a monopoly on the publishing industry.
Who are your favorite authors of all time? It’s impossible to choose a favorite. Sue Monk Kidd, Nora Roberts, Ann Patchett, J.K. Rowling, Toni Morrison, Sarah Gruen—the list of remarkable talent is varied and virtually endless. I’m not a genre reader. If a novel is good, it’s on my TBR list.
Where do you get ideas for your stories and characters? Usually I get the kernel of an idea, a conflict. The characters most apt to struggle with that particular issue begin to appear in bits and pieces. It’s rather like molding a sculpture from clay, with the final result hidden for many months.
Can you see yourself in any of your characters? Theodora is my inspiration of the best way to age—with fire and sass. Birdie? One morning she simply arose from my subconscious, dangling from a window ledge. Hugh’s hard edge came from years in public relations when there was always another deadline to meet. Ditzy Ethel Lynn and the skillet-wielding Finney … they’re probably the bits and pieces of women I’ve known and loved. Landon and his all-consuming depression came from my experiences helping friends struggling with mental health issues. And Meade reminds me of any woman who has experienced great loss but deftly hides her pain behind elegant gestures and immaculate clothes.
What character in literature do you consider the most memorable? The abuse suffered by Celie, the poor, uneducated black narrator of The Color Purple, will always haunt me. Three pages into Alice Walker’s masterpiece, and I was in tears. Later in the novel Celie’s triumph over hardship becomes one of the most moving passages in literature. A truly stellar work.
What’s the craziest writing idea you’ve had? It hasn’t occurred yet. I’ll keep you posted.
How do you relax when you have free time? I was a single mother for many years. Even now, “free time” comes at a premium. I’ve learned to exercise daily and reserve time for my family. I love to cook, garden, visit museums, dance … and, of course, read. Everything from The Economist and Scientific American to the latest novel to catch my eye.
How do you react to a bad review? I don’t. By definition art is interpretive. One man’s gold is another’s pile of manure. Of course, if I released a novel that didn’t garner predominately 4- and 5-star reviews, I’d pull the work from circulation for reassessment. I owned a public relations firm for many years and learned to emotionally detach from whatever I write.
In your opinion, what are the qualities of a good book? Depth of characterization. Flawless execution of plot. Succinct, creative prose and a relentless pursuit of editorial perfection. Great books are also character-driven.
What is your writing process? Describe your typical day. Creating a compelling novel requires mind-body balance. I start writing early in the morning then knock off around lunchtime to head to the gym. After I work out for an hour, I return home to edit the morning’s pages. And I eat well—lots of fruits and veggies. You can’t fully honor your creativity unless you honor yourself as well.
What do you know now that you wish you’d known when you started writing? I wish I’d known it’s possible to thrive as an independently published novelist. My books don’t easily fit a particular genre—they’re part mystery, part romance, with both poignant and comedic elements. New York editors enjoyed several of my books, but never knew where to place the works on the shelves. With the advent of electronic publishing, I can build a readership without worry about where my books should sit in a physical bookstore.
What is the biggest obstacle you have to overcome when you want to write? This may sound strange, but my biggest obstacle involves knowing when to stop and rest. I get utterly caught up in my character’s lives. During the first 100 pages I’m able to conduct a normal routine. By page 250, all bets are off. I wake in the middle of the night with half of a scene spilling from my subconscious and hurry to the computer. Midway through dinner I leap up to scramble for pen and paper because I’ve suddenly solved a story problem. It becomes rather silly, but my young adult children and husband are very understanding.
You have won one million dollars. What is the first thing that you would buy? I’d pay off my children’s college loans. I have three kids in college presently, and the baby is a high school senior. Ouch.
What do you do in your free time? My husband and I are still discovering so much in our new home of Charleston, South Carolina. We live ten minutes from the beach, and we love to walk the dog there. Recently we toured a mansion downtown that miraculously survived The Civil War. By the way, genteel Charlestonians call the war “The Great Unpleasantness.”
What was life like before writing? My twenties and thirties were a blur—working in public relations, living from deadline to deadline. Then my now ex-husband and I adopted a sibling group of four children from the Philippines. Moving from career woman to fulltime mother was a shock. It took many years of doctor visits to The Cleveland Clinic to heal my kids. Today they’re all healthy, happy adults.
What is one thing your readers would be surprised to know about you? The age thing is usually a surprise. I’m fifty-three years old. People usually think I’m much younger. And the composition of my family always surprises. It’s not every day you see a white woman with four Asian kids. I affectionately refer to my children as ‘The Asian Invasion.’ We stand out in any crowd.
When is your next book coming out? Can you tell us about it? Second Chance Grill will appear on Amazon in late October. A prequel of sorts to Treasure Me, the book depicts the story of Dr. Mary Chance, who’s just inherited The Second Chance Grill, and Anthony Perini, a single dad with a precocious daughter. Of course the feisty women of Liberty will be featured. You’ll learn more about the “bad blood” between Theodora and Ethel Lynn. Their battle was “fur and feathers” in Treasure Me. In Second Chance Grill, they’re even wilder.
Do you have any writing rituals? Working for many years in public relations gave a love of constancy. No writer can create compelling fiction, book after book, without committing to a serious work schedule. Most days I’m at my computer early. By noon I need a break and head to the gym. Then I spend the afternoon editing the morning’s pages. That’s the first edit, mind you. I’ve never written anything that wasn’t submitted to an endless series of revisions.
Your character’s names—Birdie, Blossom, Wish—seem to hint at a bit of whimsy. How do you choose your character’s names, or do they choose their names?There’s no set pattern for naming characters. Some, like Birdie, arrive fully formed. Others start with an archetype employed to aid in fleshing out the character’s traits. In Blossom’s case, I wanted a name that conveyed “life” despite the struggle she faces. Wish is another play on opposites. I think of her as a nefarious criminal who destroys the wishes held dear by others, a sort of death wish in human form.
What is your favorite part of the writing process? Nothing beats the experience of reaching the middle of a work-in-progress and becoming utterly immersed in the characters. They’re real by that point, flesh-and-blood people one might meet on the street. Yet I’m privy to their darkest fears and brightest hopes. It’s an exhilarating feeling.
What are some of the challenges you’ve experienced in the self-publishing market? The biggest challenge is the allocation of time. Those long, leisurely mornings of writing are now encroached upon by marketing demands, creating a buzz, talking to readers—without the help of a New York editor or a publishing house’s marketing department, I must wear many hats. On the up side I can directly connect with readers, which is marvelous.
What’s your cure for writer’s block? I think writer’s block is a misnomer. Writers are often overworked—if the pages don’t arrive on schedule, perhaps you need a night out with friends. A walk in the park to reconnect with nature. Or more exercise, and a bit more sleep at night. Here’s some motherly advice: Eat more fresh fruits and veggies. Oftentimes the well-balanced life produces the finest art. If you feel blocked, asked yourself, “What should I do to bring myself back into balance?”
If you could choose to be something other than a writer, what would it be? Already chosen! Sixteen years ago I boarded a plane, traveled to an orphanage in the Philippines, and adopted my kids. Becoming their mother was—and still is—an absolute joy. Today I view parenting as a privilege, the finest blessing in my life.
Any advice for aspiring artists? If you burn with the need to paint, sculpt, write—whatever your passion—find time to cultivate your gifts. Ignore the parent who questions why you’re wasting that expensive education on frivolous pursuits. Explain to your significant other that your inner muse requires some of the precious hours of your life. The world is made all the more beautiful by a ballad of human experience sung in a chorus of voices.
About the Author
Some writers are gifted with an unusual life and I’m certainly one of those. I’ve lived in Ohio, Virginia, California, Utah and now South Carolina. In college I was featured on the front page of the Houston Post for a lark that erased all my debt. I met my four adopted children for the first time in the sweltering heat of the tropics. I helped build several companies and was lucky enough to earn a living doing what I love best—writing—in a PR firm I owned.
In 2004, I made the wisest and most irrational decision of my life—I began writing fiction full-time. All those years of hard work pay off daily in sweet notes and comments from readers. Please continue the mail and the tweets. I cherish your support and love chatting with readers.
Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre – Contemporary Fiction
Rating – PG13
More details about the author & the book
Connect with Christine Nolfi on Facebook & Twitter
GoodReads Author Page
The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge on Amazon

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