Interview With Tonya York @antifreeze2013

Tonya York

 

When did you start writing and what inspired you to start?

I started writing short stories and poems when I was a young teenager. I discovered at a young age that writing can be a great way to express emotions, both good and bad. I have found writing to be very therapeutic.

 

What inspired you to write your first book?

My brother David who was sadistically murdered in 1994. The book is for him and about him. My family and I have spent more than 19 years fighting for answers to his sudden and unexpected death. Antifreeze Cookbook was written as our last hope.

 

Talk about Antifreeze Cookbook.

It is the true story about the love for my brother and the tragic mystery of his sudden death.

 

How did you come up with the title?

We considered numerous titles and after reading the book, the editor suggested the title, “Antifreeze Cookbook.” I admit when I first heard it I didn’t like it, but the more I thought about it and kept hearing it, the more I started to like it. It made perfect sense. I can’t imagine a more perfect title. It just works.

 

Is there a message in your book that you want readers to grasp?

I think the biggest message is “Never Give Up!” When you know deep in your soul that something isn’t right, like the suspicious circumstances of my brother’s death for example, you do what you can do to prove it and no matter how long it takes. We are all on God’s time.

 

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

The hardest part for me was the fact that this traumatic time of my life, which I kept secret from most people, would be “out there” in a very public way. I’m a private person and having finished Antifreeze Cookbook makes me feel exposed and vulnerable, and I don’t like to feel vulnerable. But as I said earlier in the interview, writing is therapeutic. Telling my brother’s story and all that my family has gone through since his death, has lifted a big weight off of my shoulders.

 

List your favorite quotation or words you live by.

“Never Never Never Never Give Up!” Winston Churchill.

 

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

This is a difficult question because there are so many that I like, but I especially admire William Faulkner, Flannery O’Connor, and Edgar Allan Poe.

 

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

I would like to say “thank you” for your interest and continued support for my family’s quest for justice. It can’t be done without all of you.
You can purchase Antifreeze Cookbook through our bookstore.

And connect with Tonya York on Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Interview With @MaggieWells1

Maggie Wells

When did you start writing and what inspired you to start?

I’ve always been a reader, but I never attempted to write until I was in my late thirties. I started by writing fan fiction inspired by a television show, and in 2009 I wrote my first original fiction.

 

Talk about Nabbing Mr. November

This is the penultimate story in a twelve novella Hot Nights in St. Blaise series I wrote for Turquoise Morning Press.

 

Here’s the blurb:

 

The doctor becomes the patient when Luke Langston lands in St. Blaise’s overrun emergency room with a keister full of birdshot. Worse than the obvious Dick Cheney jokes, he has to endure the abject humiliation of having the one woman he wanted but never quite got round to calling pluck bits of shrapnel from his ass.

 

The minute Intern Elena Mendes pulls the last shard of shot from Luke Langston’s magnificent tuchas, she strips off her gloves and plants a big, wet kiss square on his assailant’s lips.

 

It was about time someone took Dr. Iceman down a notch. Or twenty.

 

Luke’s cockiness makes Elena crazy, but she can’t resist the sparks that fly each time she they butt heads. Every time he’s near, she’s compelled to turn it up a notch, curious to see how much heat it will take to melt the ice-man’s heart.

 

She doesn’t know Luke has been on a slow simmer since the day he first saw her. A tease, a taunt, a whispered confession and a heated kiss are all it takes to make their attraction boil over into something too hot to handle.

 

Looking one hundred years into the future, what do you hope people remember about you or your writing?

I want people to be happy and entertained by my stories, so I hope they remember laughing and perhaps crying just a little bit. I want to write stories that people can relate to in their own lives…but maybe a little hotter. 😉

 

List your favorite quotation or words you live by.

“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” ~ John Lennon

 

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

I have so many favorites, but one of the most recent is Sarah Addison Allen. She writes small town stories infused with whimsy. Her descriptions are perfection, her characters engaging, and the magic she weaves into her story lines is the kind of magic I want to believe exists in the world.

 

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Just keep writing. I always have a number of plot bunnies in the hopper. I try to move forward rather than get bogged down in past projects.

 

You can purchase several of the Hot Nights in St Blaise eBooks through our bookstore.


And connect with Maggie Wells on Her Website  | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

Interview With @MegWelchDendler

Meg Welch Dendler


When did you start writing and what inspired you to start?

I have been writing as long as I can remember. In 5th grade, I wrote a story that won a contest at the University of Illinois. During free time, I would make up new chapters to share with my classmates. I still have the original story that won and would love to publish a version of it someday. Too bad I never kept all the extra chapters. I wrote poetry (not very good ones) and short stories while I was growing up. As an adult, I’ve published over 100 articles in newspapers, magazines, and at web sites. It has just always been a part of my life.

 

What inspired you to write your first book?

My crazy cat. I have had cats in my life over the years, but two of our current ones are the inspiration behind the Cats in the Mirror series. My mom read lots of science fiction, and somewhere along the way she saw something about cats communicating with other alien cats in the mirrors of their homes. So I grew up with the idea of cats being aliens and maybe watching us through mirrors. Take that basic idea and pair it with a completely crazy rescue cat, and you have “Why Kimba Saved The World.” It went through several different stages before it became the book it is now, but Kimba and her sister Hiro were always at the heart of it.

 

Talk about Vacation Hiro.

“Vacation Hiro” came out in November 2013. It is the second book in the Cats in the Mirror series, focusing on Hiro this time as the main character and viewpoint instead of Kimba. Kimba and Hiro are still struggling with the pull between their lives as house cats and their heritage as space-faring cats, but in the second book the reader gets to learn much more about the sisters’ destiny in the stars.  “Why Kimba Saved The World” was honored with a bronze Moonbeam Children’s Book Award as a “Best First Book” in the chapter book category in October 2013. That is so encouraging!!

 


How did you come up with the title?

I had already written “Why Kimba Saved The World” and was just beginning to send it to agent and publishers, so my family knew the story. We went on vacation to Florida, and when we first arrived we saw cats hanging out on the sidewalk below our rented condo. It was pretty obvious that they were agent cats sent to monitor us (well, it was obvious to US!) and the idea for “Vacation Hiro” as the sequel was born. There’s a photo of those cats in the book. All the photos in both books are of the real cats and their antics.

 

Is there a message in your book that you want readers to grasp?

I used to write a column about the spiritual meanings in movies, so I’m sure underlying themes like that are never far from my thoughts. There is a definite theme of love and family and loyalty and how those factor into the decisions the characters have to make, but it’s not all easy because they have split loyalties between the humans and their alien cat family. There is also a big destiny that Kimba and Hiro have to fulfill that will challenge them even more. That is a big part of the second and third books. “Miss Fatty Cat’s Revenge” is book three and brings it all to a climax.

 

Looking one hundred years into the future, what do you hope people remember about you or your writing?

I hope my books are ones that the kid readers of today will want to share with their own kids down the road. I’d love them to wonder about cats talking to alien cats in the mirror while they are away. If that idea can make it past a couple of generations, that would be amazing! I hope to have more books than that series available before I’m done, so I’d love it to be more about ME as a writer than any one book or series that I did — though I’m sure L Frank Baum would tell me not to dis the power of a series franchise! If anyone knows who I am beyond my family in 100 years, I’d be pleased as punch.

 

List your favorite quotation or words you live by.

That can change from day to day, depending on my mood, but I love this one:

“A woman in harmony with her spirit, is like a river flowing.
She goes where she will without pretense, and arrives at her destination prepared to be herself… and only herself. ”
— Maya Angelou

 

What is your favorite book by another author?

I love the Dragonriders of Pern books by Anne McCaffrey and own them all. Plus her other books about psychic abilities and “The Ship Who Sang” are fantastic. I’m terrified of flying, but I could do it if I had my own telepathically-linked dragon.

 

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

I hope you love my books, and if you do, then please share the love. Write reviews at amazon.com. Buy a copy and give it to a friend as a birthday gift. Writing for the wind may still make one a writer, but it’s much more fun to have someone reading it and enjoying it!

You can purchase Vacation Hiro through our bookstore.

And connect with Meg Welch Dendler on Her website | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter

Interview With @ParkerKincade

Parker Kincade

 

When did you start writing and what inspired you to start?

 

I started writing when I was a child. As the story goes, I have been creating “happily ever afters” since I could talk. I can’t really say what inspired me to start writing, but my step-mom gets the credit for being my inspiration to write romance novels. I have a deeply romantic heart. She recognized that, and encouraged me to read and write in the genre.

Talk about Shadow of Sin

 

Shadow of Sin is the second installment of The Martin Family series. It releases on November 6, 2013. This story is a long time coming for Martin Family fans, and I’m excited to share Caleb and Samantha’s story.

 

How did you come up with the title?

 

The title for Shadow of Sin didn’t present itself until the book was almost complete. It was something Caleb thought about – how he’d lived under the shadow of his sins. I did a search to make sure there were no other titles that matched and I had a winner! Thank you, Caleb.

 

What is your favorite book by another author?

 

I’ve got many, but the book that started it all for me was The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss. I still read this book every year in the winter.

 

What books have most influenced your life?

 

As mentioned above, The Flame and the Flower was a huge influence on my career as a romance writer, as well as developed my love for all things happily ever after. The Hobbit was my favorite book as a child (my mother used to read it to me at bedtime) and, I believe, was the first to hook me in the fantastical worlds to be found in the pages of books.

 

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

 

I love to try new authors. Liza Gaines just released her first book, Little Bird, which was fantastic. I’ve also recently discovered Shannon McKenna – who isn’t new, but she’s new to me and I’ve really enjoyed her romantic suspense novels.

 

 

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

 

My readers are awesome! Thank you for your kind comments, emails, Facebook messages and Tweets. I love hearing from you and appreciate you so much. Thank you for reading!
You can purchase Shadow of Sin through our bookstore.

And connect with Parker on Her Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Interview With Roberta J Gordon @GeminiWitching

Roberta J Gordon

 

When did you start writing and what inspired you to start?

I hadn’t planned on writing.  A couple of years ago, it struck me out of the blue.  I know I’m strange, but I see things like a story board.  I saw this scene in my mind and I just happened to write it down out of boredom during a road trip.

 

Talk about  Gemini Witching:  Elements 101

 Gemini Witching:  Elements 101 was first released as an e-book May 2012.  I was invited to a book signing back in March of this year and decided to push for the print copy.  So with additional edits I was able to re-release in February 2013.  It is also published the Audio book version at Audible.

 

How did you come up with the title?

I think it made itself.  Like the book, at times, I have no idea who even wrote it!

 

Who are some of the authors you particularly admire or who’ve had some influence on your own writing?

 For many years I’d gotten away from reading.  As my children were entering grade school, we found Harry Potter. Where would many in the paranormal groups be without JK Rowling?  So I credit her for breathing life back into my imagination.  I went from there to the Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyers.  But I’m not completely entrenched in Paranormal.  I’ve enjoyed mystery by JA Jance & Rebecca Forster, extreme humor with Janet Evanovich and wait patiently for Diana Gabaldon’s next installment of the Outlander series.

When I got to the truly “grown-up” realm of paranormal I discovered Charlaine Harris, Laurel K Hamilton (both with ties to Arkansas) and then discovered Sherrilyn Kenyon, JR Ward, Lara Adrian, Larrisa Ione, Elisabeth Naughton and of late I can’t get enough of Lilliana Hart (a neighbor over in Texas).   Since I entered the arena of independent published authors I’ve come to know not only the ladies I mention below as being part of my support system, but others such as Charity Parkerson, Meggan Connors and Tess Mallory.

I find that each book I read and other authors that I meet that I cannot ignore the influence they may have directly or indirectly.  I find my imagination soars with every piece I read, hand I shake or silly stories we share behind the scenes.  They are amazing people!

 

What is your favorite book by another author?

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

 

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

I have a very twisted sense of humor.  I love when someone takes something so every day and makes it their own with a sense of humor and sass.  I’ve listed Ione, Naughton, Adrian, Ward, Kenyon, Harris and several others above.  A few of which who have been around for several years.  Hart is one of my latest discoveries as well as ME Franco, and then ME Franco led me to Jeaniene Frost (If you like vampires and paranormal, these ladies rock)

I had no idea what steam punk was until I read my friend Meggan Connors “Jesse’s War” and was fascinated with the amount of details one has to research and then go the distance with creating new worlds with that genre.  I’ve signed up for several groups that spot lights other authors and click on all of the FREE downloads I can.  So I discover new authors daily.  When one really strikes a chord with me, I become a sponge soaking up everything they’ve written.

 

 

You can purchase  Gemini Witching:  Elements 101 through our bookstore.

And connect with Roberta on Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

Interview with @JL_Chalfant

J L Chalfant

When did you start writing and what inspired you to start? 

 

I began writing before I could spell. I remember trying to make letters followed by a jumble of words I would eventually turn into nonsensical sentences. And, I was the only human being on the planet who could read what I wrote. However, when my mother discovered I’d been scribbling all over her stenographer’s pad, rather than get angry, she guided me to tell her what I had written, and wanting to please, I revealed the secret meanings of my nonsensical sentences. Mother pretended she could read what I’d written (yes, she worked some as a secretary before finishing her education degree.) The older I get, the more appreciative I become. If Mother had scolded me I might not be writing today. Interesting to me, when she passed in 1999, I found that steno pad in one of her boxes of keepsakes. Naturally I have that pad today. Now and again I try to remember what the nonsensical sentences had meant. But I can only decipher four words: i lv moMy.

 

As I grew older and learned how to write, my father’s acting career inspired me (yes, I was still writing on steno pads.) My father acted in lots of plays when we lived in California, and I listened to him rehearsing his lines. By the time I was in the fifth grade I wrote, directed and forced my little brothers to play parts, I played the third part. We performed in the made-over stage in the family room. By my sixth grade year, my teacher, Mrs. Pearl, and with the aid of other teachers, got permission for all the sixth grade classes at my elementary school in Odessa, Texas to perform one of the many plays in my playbook (I’d written several by now.) This play was based on George Washington and the American Revolution that all sixth graders had actually been studying. The play was about a sixth grade girl who yawned at studying American history, especially the Revolutionary War. Worse, she struggles with memorizing all the dates, names and facts. Then one night, and before the girl flunks her history exam, she has a dream that America’s first president visits her, and this dream occurs three nights in a row, a spin on a famous story: The Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Naturally she discovers the importance, and fun of history and the fun that can come from studying about the American Revolution. Even better, she likes the idea of getting an A+ on her history quiz. She also gains a new respect and admiration for George Washington. I bet you’re thinking that I cast myself in the lead role of the girl who dreams but you’d be wrong.  As a side note: not only was I the writer, I chose the cast, stage crew, directed and acted. Bet you can’t guess which part I wanted. You can find out the answer on my website blog at: www.jlchalfant.com

Talk about Pohoi and Comanche Spirit Power

 

Pohoi and Comanche Spirit Power is a Native American tale about a young Comanche woman and the consequences of her quest for Spirit Power. Set in the spring of 1860 within the Llano Estacado Pohoi’s story weaves themes of tradition, forgiveness, tolerance and harmony into a unique historical that opens a doorway into the captivating culture of the Kwahadi (Antelope Eaters) Comanche, showing how far one young woman will go to save her people and her family—and the lessons learned when she realizes her true battle may be where she least expected.

 

Pohoi and Comanche Spirit Power is on the market now, having been released in April of 2013, and can be purchased through your favorite book retailer or online store: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iUniverse bookstore, and many other online sites.

 

The inspiration for the story happens to come from my genealogical research into the Native American culture on my father’s side of the family. Genealogy is one of my hobbies; however, the indigenous cultures in my distant, and sometimes, recent ancestral line interest me most. As I develop story-ideas for the novels I write, I first examine then research the culture, focusing the overall themes around their spirituality and how that belief system might or might not affect daily and life decision-making. Afterwards, if I can link my story-idea to interesting, even controversial and true events from the past that are relevant to today, I’ll frame the story inside the event, as in this present book where I built a story around true events occurring in 1860, mainly toward the last quarter, October – December of that same year.

 

I recreated the historical setting and conflicts between Comanche, Texans and Federal Soldiers as close to historically accurate as is possible using fictional characters who are acting out a set of fictional story events. I’ve also worked to portray the cultural belief-system in spirit power, type and style of clothing, food, war regalia, culture in general, etc., of the pre-reservation Kwahadi Comanche (much of which isn’t known.) The best historical documentation comes from the Kwahadi Comanche who surrendered to soldiers after 1875, and whose information was put into book form during the end of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century (see bibliography at end of the novel.) In addition, and during the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Comanche elders living in, and around Lawton, OK happily shared oral stories passed to them from their parents and grandparents. Much of this valuable information has been documented. Sadly, more elders are passing away and any stories or information not recorded will be lost. If in some way I’ve managed to save a bit of history not yet recorded, then I will feel I’ve done my small part at keeping alive the memory and culture of a still great people and important culture.

 

 

How did you come up with the title?

 

Originally, I had written three versions of the present story between 1997 and 1999; all three versions were geared to be Y-A’s or what is known as Young Adult novels. The story was originally named Dream Walkers then I changed it to Spirit Walkers, and later Who Are My People, and once again, back to Spirit Walkers to be a series called: Those Who Walk Between. Naturally, when I decided to pull out this story I had to totally rewrite it, plus do much more research as the story structure and theme changed. Something warned me to check the title. And sure enough what books had been written on the subject of spirituality, Native American themes, and overall mysticism, magic, and the supernatural, I discovered an over-use, and over-abundance, of all of it, especially in teen books. Worse for me, all of my titles up to now had been used in some form as a title, sub-title, chapter heading, or within the pages of a stand-alone novel or novel series. Now, for those of you who do not know this, ideas, and titles are not copyrighted. So any title can be over-used, and they are. To get on with it, I fixed the novel, titled it POHOI. I soon found out I needed a better title. How I longed to use Spirit Walkers. My editor said, “You must have a title readers can understand.” I agreed, but I was told I needed to keep the name because it’s about a young Comanche woman named Pohoi. I also had to think of some way to use the word Comanche in the title. After a long, mind-fatiguing trial, that sweet inner voice we all have, said, “Pohoi and Comanche Spirit Power.” So there you have it.

 

Is there a message in your book that you want readers to grasp?

 

Most all stories have message/s derived from the over-arching theme, and/or lesser, often parallel themes. In Pohoi and Comanche Spirit Power I have one main theme and a salting of lesser, but relevant themes that mirror and counter Pohoi as she struggles along her quest. So to say if readers need to grasp a particular message, I say “NO.” I believe the main message will stand out, but that message may not be the message a particular reader chooses to focus on. I prefer that each reader find the message pertinent to where they are in their lives when they read the novel. And, if the same person re-reads the novel down the way, they are quite likely to get something else from the book. I know I do when I re-read my favorite novels.

 

List your favorite quotation or words you live by.

 

“Be a light unto the world … do unto others as you would have them do unto you … as you forgive others, you are forgiven … spirit is breath, remember you cannot breathe yourself alive … there exists something greater that is not seen, nor heard, but felt and experienced … call that something, Love.”

 

Thinking outside the box, if you could do/be/accomplish anything in the world, what would it be?

 

I’d keep being me, a teacher teaching people with words; the writer me who holds the key to the power of the Word that brings healing, peace and love to the world.

 

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

 

I had the joy and honor of growing up in household who loved books. My parents had a well-developed library. From an early age I was told stories, read to then I began to read. Since my family library consisted mostly of classics I gravitated toward stories by Mark Twain and Rudyard Kipling. The adventures they wrote appealed to me and later upon re-reading their works I learned to love their style and descriptions. Much later, I fell in love with William Faulkner’s works, most notable for me is a collection of favorite short stories. The southern story, that’s what I still love, its earthiness, its long sentences that do not shout out “I’m too long,” and most of all, the life that leaps off the page like I’m present and experiencing the story as it is being shown to me.


You can purchase Pohoi and Comanche Spirit Power through our bookstore.

And connect with Janine on  Her website | FacebookGoodreads | PinterestTwitter