Saturday, February 7, 2015

Welcome an Interview with Crime Author Alan Brenham....

Welcome to an Interview with Crime Author Alan Brenham....

Hello-Hello and how are you today? I'm back and hope everyone is doing well and happy! Welcome back to my new blog page where I try to share whatever I think may interest you. Today I interview a fellow author. And with me this time is Crime Author Alan Behr.   

Alan Brenham is the pseudonym for Alan Behr, an American award-winning crime fiction author and attorney. His novel, Price of Justice, was voted best in Police/Crime fiction from the Texas Association of Authors in 2013 and Finalist in the Beverly Hills Book Awards in 2013, a Finalist in the Eric Hoffer Awards, and a Finalist in the 2014 International Book Awards.  He served as a law enforcement officer before earning a law degree and working as a prosecutor and a criminal defense attorney. He has traveled to several countries in Europe, the Middle East, Alaska, and almost every island in the Caribbean. While working with the US Military Forces, he lived in Berlin, Germany for two years. Brenham and his wife, Lillian, currently live in the Austin, Texas area. Currently he is a reserve deputy sheriff with the Bee County Sheriff's Office in Beeville, Texas. He also volunteers free legal services for veterans in Austin through the Austin Bar Association's Veterans Legal clinics.

Without further ado, lets us begin. …
 

SJ) You were a policeman then became a lawyer and now a writer. What made you become an author? Did you always have an interest in writing or was it something you fell into?
Alan - After so many years of writing reports as a police officer and drafting pleadings and briefs as an attorney, not writing seemed unnatural. Besides, I loved reading crime novels so, after retiring from being a state attorney and, at my wife’s urging, I began writing novels.
 

SJ) Of the two books you’ve written, which one was your favorite to write and why? 
Alan - Cornered was my favorite because it’s set in the city where I worked as a police officer. Doing the research and scouting the various settings brought back a truckload of memories from those days. Also, it put me back in touch with some of my former police colleagues, one of whom is now the Chief there.   
 

SJ) You’ve led such an interesting life in law and law enforcement. What was your inspiration for Cornered?  Can you tell us a little bit of how the idea came about for it?
Alan - The idea was two-fold. First, I wanted to write a story about the agency where I used to work - Temple Police. Second, I’d read about and was familiar with actual stories about the trafficking of females from both a law enforcement perspective and from cases as a prosecutor and defense attorney.
 

SJ) What do you love most about being a writer? Least?
Alan - Character creation is probably the one thing I love the most about writing. The least favorite thing has been promoting the books.
 

SJ) What writer inspired you most and how?
Alan - Actually it’s a draw between Michael McGarrity and James Hayman. Both are crime mystery/thriller authors. McGarrity’s books contain the best setting descriptions I’ve ever read. Hayman does an outstanding job with character creation and building suspense. Both men have counseled me on various aspects of being an author.
 

SJ) If you could give just one piece of important writing advice to an aspiring writer, what would it be?
Alan - The most important piece of advice I can think of giving is for an aspiring writer to read a lot of other authors in his/her genre to see how they do it.
 

SJ) What is a favorite book you enjoyed reading and would recommend without hesitation? Why?
Alan - David Baldacci’s Total Control was one of my favorite books from a suspense viewpoint. His story build-up was fairly quick and continuous. It was also one of the first crime thrillers I ever read.
 

SJ) In closing, will you tell us about your latest projects Gone Wrong and Behind Closed Doors? We’d love to hear about it.
Alan - Gone Wrong and Behind Closed Doors will be my first foray into the mystery genre.
Gone Wrong will be set in Fort Worth, a city where I practiced criminal defense. The protagonist, an assistant district attorney, learns the hard way that everything isn’t as it seems.
Behind Closed Doors will be a sequel to Cornered. In it, Detective Brady’s childhood past plays a major role in the “why” for the crime he investigates. It’s a past he had hoped would never re-surface.
     Cornered is Alan's latest book released by Black Opal Books in July 2014: Here's the synopsis:

Detective Matt Brady struggles to solve the disappearances of seven young women, but he quickly finds himself pitted against a criminal organization that knows as much about police procedure as he does. His troubles are compounded when a young veterinarian injects herself into the investigation and is targeted to become victim number eight. When he tries to protect her, he finds himself in the crosshairs of a professional cop killer.

 
     Available in both Kindle and paperback, here are the purchase links:
    
     Amazon:     http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LV6FTGC
     Barnes and Noble:
           http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cornered-alan-brenham/1119964758
And to introduce you to this story, here is a brief excerpt:



Brady knelt down next to the body and examined her head. One apparent gunshot wound above the right eye. Her half-opened eyes were fixed in a death stare, straight up at the ceiling.
 

Killebrew pointed at a hole in the wall opposite the front door. "We removed the bullet. It appears to be a nine millimeter. Same as the shell casing."
Brady saw blood spatter sprayed onto the lower half of the wall. He stood up, moved to the living room, and made a mental inventory of the room. The front window was covered with flowery-patterned drapes. A piano sat in the far corner by the front window. He was no expert on furniture but the victim’s appeared to be fairly expensive pieces. He saw mail lying on the coffee table. Using a pen, he sifted through it, checking the sender’s address, but nothing jumped out at him. A family portrait of her, an ordinary-looking man with narrow shoulders he assumed was Burt Smith, and twins—a girl and a boy—sat on the end of the table.


He ambled over to a European-style, white corded telephone, covered with black fingerprint powder, sitting on a table next to a leather tufted sofa. From the room’s furnishings and appearance, it seemed to him that she had money, and lots of it. Since no evidence indicative of a robbery existed, he wondered whether Burt Smith shot her or hired someone to do the job. As he walked through the remainder of the house, he asked himself, "Where the hell are you, Burt Smith?"

Brady did a records search of divorce records through the Bell County District Clerk’s online database. When the Becker-Smith divorce record showed up on the screen, he wrote down Burt Smith’s last known address, the Candlewood Suites, as well as the attorney’s name and address. The divorce petition was filed by Becker claiming irreconcilable differences as grounds. It listed two children, both over the age of eighteen.
 

 
And with that, we must bring this blog post to a close. Thank you, Alan for your time and allowing me to take some time out of your busy schedule and interview you about your writing. Readers, thank you for visiting. Please forward this onto others and don't be shy about leaving a comment. I'm sure Alan will love to hear from you. You can learn more about Alan and his writing projects and news on his website at:
          http://www.alanbrenham.com/



Until next month...every one please stay safe. Smile. Be happy. Show compassion. Be nice to others. Put a little love into your heart.

Regards,
S. J. Francis
 Advocate for the underdog, and cat, et al.
 In Shattered Lies: "It's All About Family."  Coming in 2015 from Black Opal Books.
My Black Opal Books Author Page:
View My ShoutOut:  http://bit.ly/1r3oynM
 A Book Review 4 U: abookreview4u.blogspot.com
A Consumer's View: aconsumersview.blogspot.com
OnefortheAnimals:    onefortheanimals.blogspot.com
 
 

And now for some legal stuff: Copyright 2015 by S.J. Francis.
Opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, S. J. Francis and the guest author and are meant to entertain, inform and enlighten, and intend to offend no one.

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Sunday, January 18, 2015

An Interview with Suspense and Young Adult author Bonnie Hearn Hill ...

Welcome to An Interview with Suspense and Young Adult author Bonnie Hearn Hill .

Hello all and thanks for visiting my writing blog. Many of you have expressed difficulties accessing this interview on my original blog page at awriterwriteshere and the reason seems to be that my page has been hijacked. Since I am unable to fix the problem on my own (I don't even know how it began) and Google is not responding to my pleas for help, I've just gone ahead and created this new webpage. Hopefully, this will solve the problem. We shall soon see. Apologies again for the inconvenience in trying to visit with Bonnie and not being able to. 
Happy New Year everyone! I hope that all your hopes, dreams and wishes come true for you this year! I also hope everyone is doing well and happy! Welcome back to my blog where I try to share whatever I think may interest you. Today I am once again interviewing a fellow author. With me this time is suspense and young adult Bonnie Hearn Hill.
Bonnie has graciously accepted me into her domain to take up some of her writing time to talk about writing and her novels. So please, without further ado, let us welcome Bonnie to the pages here.

Thank you Bonnie so much for spending time with us...  

 

SJ: From newspaper editor of a major newspaper for 22 years to novelist, how did that transformation take place?  What kind of schedule did you have for writing?

BHH: When I began writing novels, I was very young and didn't know what I wanted beyond words on a page. Once I connected with my longtime agent, I knew I wanted to write fiction about characters and situations I cared about. At the time, I thought of it as women's fiction. I didn't aspire to write suspense. It just worked out that way.
I got up at 5 most mornings before I went to work, and I wrote when I returned home. My job was far from glamorous. I edited special advertising sections for a major daily newspaper, which meant I spent much of my time interviewing people on the phone on topics such as health/fitness, weddings and real estate. It did teach me how to write in the voice of another person, it showed me how interesting the most unassuming people were if one dug deeply enough, and it forced me to write every day. In 2001, I signed with my dream agent, and she created my career. Our first deal was for six novels. One was a newspaper series, and three were stand-alone suspense novels. I’ve never looked back.
That was so long before that I was essentially a first-time author when I got the MIRA deal. I’ve written more than 20 books and co-authored others. My first novel was published with a small house. I got the rights back years ago, and it is now in pre-production for film. Then I published several nonfiction books on writing and other topics.  In 2002, I got my six-book deal with MIRA. After that, I did the three YA Star-Crossed novels for Perseus/Running Kids Press and a paranormal love story for another small publisher, Black Opal Books. This year, I signed for a new series with a large UK publisher. That's the beauty of writing today and it's different from the way it was when I started. Writers don't have to be locked into one genre or one publisher.
 
SJ: In your Star Crossed series of young adult books the titles are Aries Rising, Taurus Eyes, and Gemini Night. How did astrology become part of this series? How much influence does astrology have on your stories in general?
BHH: The three-book YA deal with Perseus/Running Press was based on the idea of a teen girl finding an old astrology book and using it to try to change her life and the lives of her friends. My best friend is humorous astrology writer Hazel Dixon-Cooper, who wrote the Cosmopolitan Magazine astrology column for eight year. She’s in my writing critique group and was the inspiration for the series.

SJ: After writing so many novels, short-stories, etc. how and where do you continue to get your ideas for human rights?
BHH: My interests are social justice, human rights, and women’s issues, and my first novel was set during the Delano Grape Strike of 1965. It’s been optioned for film and is in pre-production right now, so I’ve revising the book. That’s a painful process, let me tell you. It’s like editing someone else’s work. Even in my suspense novels, I try to write about issues that matter to me. In IF ANYTHING SHOULD HAPPEN, which will be published in March 2015 by Severn House in the UK, my series protagonist is trying to find her biological mother, who is an abused wife. GOODBYE FOREVER, the second in that series, deals with runaway kids.

SJ: What do you love most about being a writer? Least?
BHH: I always say I love it all even when I hate it. My ideal day is this one in December with rain blurring the windows of my office, a cat or two on the desk, and a new book in my head and heart. But when I’m speaking at a writing conference, teaching a class, mentoring another writer, then those are my best days.

SJ: What writer inspired you most and how?

BHH: I had no mentors, which is one of the reasons I spend time mentoring other writers. In fact most of the women writers I knew personally had husbands to support them. I believed that if I wrote every day, read every day, and tried to stay a little out of my comfort zone, I might have a chance.
I was influenced by authors with strong voices and characters I couldn't forget. Joan Didion was one of those. And my high school English teacher was the first who taught me how to think and to strive for honesty on the page. Mr. Hearn didn't ask the usual questions that required memorized answers. Instead he asked questions like, "Would MacBeth go to hell?" He was a major influence.

SJ: You do a great deal of mentoring: If you could give just one piece of important writing advice to an aspiring writer, what would it be?
BHH: For nonfiction writers, ask yourself: Who is my reader, and what do I want to tell this person? For fiction writers: Whose story is this, and what does this person want? It’s difficult to stop here, I must admit, because that’s just the beginning. Perhaps the most important advice is to treat this as lifetime work and tend to it every day. You will never “find” the time to write. You have to make the time.
Choose the publisher carefully. Although Black Opal Books is small, it is also approved by Mystery Writers of American and International Thriller Writers. So if you're good, you could end up nominated for a major award. You have to decide what you want. I'm glad I started with a large publisher so I knew how the business worked and what to expect. However, all of my publishing experiences have been overall positive ones.

SJ: In closing, Bonnie, what is a favorite book you enjoyed reading and would recommend without hesitation? Why?
BHH: After Kent Haruf’s recent death, I went back and reread PLAINSONG. It’s a quietly stunning novel about people coming together in the most unexpected of circumstances. 

And now for the latest book released from Bonnie in July 2014… 
 
SUSPENSE FROM BONNIE HEARN HILL :   Last Words
Abby Walsh has a gift she doesn’t want. Every time she reads someone’s handwriting, she sees a lot more than just words and letters. She can, for a moment, become the person who originally wrote those words. She hears their thoughts. She knows their feelings. She can see what they see. But Abby’s gift is more like a curse as it caused her to lose both her mother and her marriage. Before the so-called gift costs her anything else, she resolves to give it up forever.
But when Abby’s father commits suicide, she can’t help herself. She has to read his final note. Instantly, she knows he didn’t write it. His killer did.
With the help of her psychic ex-boyfriend Collins, Abby is determined to figure out who murdered her father and why. She learns quickly that her dad was not the only target. A few days earlier, Judge Valerie Hallowell was killed. The judge was linked to a vigilante feminist group called ERIS, a dangerous group of women that Abby’s father was investigating. Abby is determined to figure out their role in these faked suicides, murder, and other violence.
LAST WORDS by Bonnie Hearn Hill is a gripping suspense with characters you will love, romantic tension, and a plot that will make your heart race. 
LAST WORDS is available at these links for purchase:  
http://amzn.to/1qfqFp1
http://bit.ly/1pK8RVf
 
Bonnie Hearn Hill is the bestselling author of six other suspense novels, including IF IT BLEEDS, CUTLINE, OFF THE RECORD, INTERN, KILLER BODY, and MISTRESS.
She is also the author of TIL MORNING, a brand new work of historical fiction, GHOST ISLAND, haunting paranormal fiction for young adults, and, with Christopher Allan Poe, she is co-author of the practical non-fiction book, DIGITAL INK: Writing Killer Fiction in the E-book Age.
Bonnie speaks at conferences across the country, leads a successful writing workshop in Fresno, California, and mentors numerous writers.
Follow her on twitter @bonniehearnhill or visit her on Facebook, or at www.bonniehhill.com.

Thanks Bonnie for visiting with us. Thank you all for stopping by. Bonnie, please return any time. It was fun.
Until next month...every one please stay safe. Smile. Be happy. Show compassion. Be nice to others. Put a little love into your heart.

Regards,
S. J. Francis
 In Shattered Lies: "It's All About Family."  Coming in 2015 from Black Opal Books.

My Black Opal Books Author Page:

View My ShoutOut:  http://bit.ly/1r3oynM
 A Book Review 4 U: abookreview4u.blogspot.com
A Consumer's View: aconsumersview.blogspot.com
OnefortheAnimals:    onefortheanimals.blogspot.com
 
 
 


And now for some legal stuff: Copyright 2015 by S.J. Francis.
Opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, S. J. Francis and the guest author and are meant to entertain, inform and enlighten, and intend to offend no one.
Posted by at 2 comments:

Saturday, December 6, 2014

Spotlight on Multi-Published Romance Author Leigh Michaels.....

Welcome to an Interview with Multi-Published Romance Author  Leigh Michaels....

Hello-Hello and how are you today? I'm back and hope everyone is doing well and happy! Welcome back to my blog where I try to share whatever I think may interest you. Today I interview a fellow author. And with me this time is Multi published romance author, Leigh Michaels.

Leigh Michaels (leighmichaels.com) is the award-winning author of more than 100 books, including Regency romances, contemporary romances, and non-fiction. Six of her books have been finalists in the Romance Writers of America RITA contest, and more than 35 million copies of her books are in print in 25 languages and 120 countries. She is also the author of On Writing Romance, and teaches romance writing online at Gotham Writers’ Workshop where we first met.

Without further ado, lets us begin. …
 
Photo of Leigh at a conference. 

SJ: You’re a romance writer, Leigh, but actually studied journalism at Drake University. How on earth did you transition from one to the other? What transpired that made you switch?
Leigh: I always knew I wanted to be a writer, but I was fond of the idea of having a roof over my head. I figured I could work at a newspaper or magazine and write on the side. Instead I ended up in radio and public relations and as a librarian. My first editor told me I wrote “lovely clear prose” that translated easily, and that helped to explain my success in overseas markets. I credit my journalism training– it taught me to write precisely, to write fast, and to meet deadlines.

 
SJ: You’ve written over 100 books including romance and non-fiction: Where do you continue to get your ideas after so many stories?
Leigh: I almost always start developing a story with a problem – an interesting situation that’s going to put pressure on my main character – and then I figure out what kind of person would be most affected by that problem. Why is it important? How would they react? Sometimes it can be as simple as reading a snippet in a newspaper, but that’s only the germ of an idea. It’s the characters, and why this problem is so all-encompassing to them, that make the story special.

 
SJ: Now this one will cause you to think…of all the books you’ve written, is there one that stands out as your favorite to write and why?
Leigh:  Oh, actually that’s easy. My all-time favorite book is my runway bride book – Backwards Honeymoon. I’d been thinking about that story for a year, but one morning I woke up knowing exactly who the heroine was and why she was running away from her wedding, exactly who the hero was, what put him in her path and why he was willing to help her run away,  and pretty much how their story unfolded. I wrote that entire book in 17 days, and my editor didn’t change a word. (What’s not to like about that?)

 
SJ: What do you love most about being a writer? Least?
Leigh:  I love that writing allows me to live multiple lives – I can, through my characters, have many different jobs, live in different places and even different eras, and follow different lifestyles. Being an author means I never really have to grow up. 

What I like least is the pressures of a writing career – things like deadlines and the demands of marketing and promotion.

 
SJ: What one writer inspired you most and how?
Leigh: Georgette Heyer. I always enjoyed reading her Regency romances, long before I started writing historicals. I loved the humorous twists and I loved her heroes – and I think all of my books, even the contemporaries, have a similar flavor and sense of humor. I still go back to Georgette Heyer every year or two and reread my favorites.

 
SJ: If you could give just one piece of important writing advice to an aspiring writer, what would it be?
Leigh: Stick to it. In the classes I teach, I see a lot of people who have talent – but they never make it because they give up when the first book doesn’t get published. I see people who achieve moderate success but don’t reach their full potential because they don’t challenge themselves to make each story better than the one before.

 
SJ: In closing, Leigh, what is a favorite book you enjoyed reading and would recommend without hesitation? Why?
Leigh: Oooh, this is hard. I’ll settle for sharing a book that I’ve just finished and really enjoyed – The Unquiet Bones by Mel Starr. It’s the first book of a series set in 1365 in and around Oxford, England – about a young surgeon who gets drawn into trying to solve murders. If it was on television they’d call it CSI: Medieval!

 
SJ: Thank you, Leigh so much for your time and allowing me to take some time out of your busy schedule and interview you about your writing career and your latest historical novel: Ruining the Rake.

Follow news about Leigh at her website: www.leighmichaels.com 

Her latest release, Ruining the Rake is a new Regency romance novella and here is a synopsis: 
                                                    A desperate young lady…

When Elinor’s guardian arranges her marriage to an elderly merchant interested only in her society connections, she will do anything to sabotage the wedding – even if it means ruining herself by running off with another man.

A gentleman rake…

Who could be a better choice for a woman who needs ruining than a man so notorious that all of London calls him Lord Rake?

A straightforward bargain…

But when their arrangement goes awry, saving Elinor may mean ruining the rake! 

And before we close this interview, Leigh would like to share an excerpt for you to enjoy: 

As Gus descended the stairs on his way to breakfast, a commotion at the front door drew his attention. One of the footmen appeared to be attempting to block the entrance as he remonstrated with a caller – certainly an odd circumstance. If it wasn’t the master of the house who was the object of the call, the visitor should have used the servants’ entrance instead. Gus himself was expecting no visitors, and anyone who had the temerity to call on him at this hour would be such an intimate friend that he would be admitted without question.

The butler hurried toward the door, and Gus’s eyebrows rose. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen old Feather take anything but a slow and deliberate pace. The footman moved aside, deferring to the butler. Beyond him, Gus caught a glimpse of a slight figure draped in an all-concealing dark gray cloak, standing just inside the door.

Gads! Were the determined ladies of the marriage mart pursuing their quarry even into a gentleman’s own home these days? Or was this some new sort of wager among the bored young women of the ton, to beard Lord Rake in his own den? Last night, there had been those two young ladies prowling around the folly as if they were seeking prey...

“I have come to see Lord Rackham,” the visitor said clearly.

Definitely a lady, judging by the accent – though the timbre of her voice was lower and richer than he had expected, not the high-pitched, giggly prattle of the simpering debs whom he avoided at all costs.

Intrigued, he moved closer.

“My business is my own,” she said firmly, obviously in answer to a question Gus hadn’t heard. “My errand is personal, and I shall speak of it only to his lordship. Please tell Lord Rake a lady wishes to see him.”

“A lady? Not hardly,” the footman breathed with a smirk – until his gaze slid away from the caller and landed on Gus. Instantly, the servant straightened back to attention, displaying the same wooden expression normally found only on a nutcracker.

With the servant reminded of his place, Gus stopped glaring at him and turned his attention back to the gray-clad figure. The cloak enveloped her entire body, and the deep hood was drawn up till it concealed her face. There was nothing he could see about her except her height – or lack of it; he estimated the top of her head would come only to his chin. But her voice...

 Gus concluded this was not a woman he’d met before, because he would have remembered her voice. He couldn’t possibly have forgotten any woman who could sound so soft, so gentle, and so fiendishly determined – all at the same time.

Regardless of what the footman so obviously thought, Lord Rake had never seduced this female.

Or perhaps it was more accurate to say he hadn’t seduced her yet. The day was young and he had no other plans, and suddenly Gus felt like whistling.

“Now, Feather,” he said gently. “Surely we must not allow a lady to stand on the doorstep where any chance passerby might see.” He stepped forward.

The lady turned to face him and curtsied, and for an instant the shapeless, dull-colored cloak parted and Gus was rewarded with a brief glimpse of a pale muslin skirt and a slender ankle.

He swept a magnificent bow. “Do come in, my dear. I am Rackham – or perhaps I should say, I am Lord Rake. Will you come with me to my library, and tell me what I may do for you?”

He held out a hand, and though she hesitated for an instant, the lady laid her gloved fingers in his and let him lead her across the marble-floored entrance hall. The servants melted away, and as Gus shut the library door, closing them in together, she pushed back the deep hood of the cloak that all this time had shadowed and hidden her face.

He turned to inspect his prize – and sucked in a stunned breath, for this young woman was familiar after all. “You were at Vauxhall last night, at the folly. What the devil are you doing in my house?”

And she said, in her gentle and soft and very determined voice, “I want to run away with you.”     

Ruining the Rake is available in both e-book and print available from online retailers:
Amazon.com:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N9JOZ6O 

Apple:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id915537835

Inktera: http://www.inktera.com/store/title/2ddf2469-1fd7-4e85-8e7e-45dd3a844d96 

Scribd:  https://www.scribd.com/book/238548298/Ruining-the-Rake 

Kobo:  http://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/books/ruining-the-rake/e19dBLYXRkSyTct-x_jIBQ?MixID=e19dBLYXRkSyTct-x_jIBQ&PageNumber=1 

Barnes & Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ruining-the-rake-leigh-michaels/1120294961?ean=2940046241266&itm=1&usri=2940046241266 

Print edition from amazon.com:  http://www.amazon.com/Ruining-Rake-Leigh-Michaels/dp/1892689944/
 
Until next month....stay safe. Smile. Be happy. Show compassion. Be nice to others. Pass it along...
 
Regards,
S. J. Francis
 In Shattered Lies: "It's All About Family."  Coming in 2015 from Black Opal Books.
My Black Opal Books Author Page:
View My ShoutOut:  http://bit.ly/1r3oynM
 A Book Review 4 U: abookreview4u.blogspot.com
A Consumer's View: aconsumersview.blogspot.com
OnefortheAnimals:    onefortheanimals.blogspot.com
 
 
 
Posted by at No comments:

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Guest Interview with Paranormal Romance Author Carole Avila.

Guest Interview with Paranormal Author Carole Avila....

Hello-Hello and hello again and how are you today? I hope you’re all doing well and happy. I really do.
Ready to hear about a new book? Welcome back to my blog where I try to share whatever I think may interest you. Today is the third time I interview a fellow author and I'm so excited. With me this time is paranormal romance author, Carole Avila. Carole is an award winning author, poet and playwright. Black Opal Books published her paranormal romance, "Eve's Amulet, Book 1," an exciting and fun story to read and makes a great gift for time-travel, adventure, or romance enthusiasts. Her young adult horror story, “Death House,” should be released next year and is sure to scare her audience! Carole’s non-fiction work, "The Long Term Effects of Sexual Abuse," will be published by Spout Hill Press, and is based on her personal experience, as well as intuitive life coaching work. Carole lives in Southern California, and when she isn’t writing, reading, or visiting with friends, she enjoys the company of her children and grandchildren.
Carole Avila.
     Carole has graciously accepted me into her world to take up some of her valuable writing time to talk about her writing and her debut novel, Eve's Amulet Book 1. So please, without further ado, let us welcome Carol to the blog and get this show on the road......Oh and before I forget, for those of you that visit this blog and leave a comment as well as subscribing to one of Carol's blogs, she is offering one (1) Free Printed Copy of Eve's Amulet Book 1 to one (1) lucky winner. So don't be bashful. Go ahead and leave a comment. Subscribed to one of Carole's blogs. Maybe even subscribe to mine (not necessary for the contest.) Good Luck and happy reading!!

SJ: Thank you Carole for spending time with us. We want to hear about Eve’s Amulet and writing. I’ve always been fascinated with the entire concept of time travel and enjoy seeing it used in a romance. Eve’s Amulet sounds like such an intriguing idea. What was the inspiration for Eve’s Amulet? Can you tell us a little bit of how the idea evolved?
Carole: Eve’s Amulet was completely inspired. I literally did this: I placed my hands on the keyboard and prayed for a new story to come in. Within moments ideas flew into my head, and I couldn’t type them fast enough. I didn’t do any initial research, just trusted my gut instinct and kept writing. Eve’s Amulet-Book 1 was written in a weekend. (However, it took me more time to research the data and edit.)
 

 SJ: Amazing. Your protagonist, Mandy certainly has a dilemma on her hands. I get the impression that she is a very strong woman.  Will we see more of her in future books? How did the idea evolve for a series versus just one book?
Carole:  Mandy is strong, but at first doesn’t see herself this way. You will see Mandy and all the heroines of each of the 5 books unite in the last book of the series, where lots of surprises will take place. It became an idea for a series with the amulet that had six sides, which meant 6 time-travel stories. Women are empowered through my characters, but there are different ways we connect to that inner source of strength, thus the need for more characters with different situations and symbiotic relationships to experience it.

Eve's Amulet by Carole Avila. 
SJ: You certainly have your work cut out for you with a six book series. Carole, please tell us what do you love most about being a writer? Least?

Carole:  What I love the most is eventually sharing my written creation that impacts others in a positive manner, if at the very least to entertain and relieve someone’s stress for a while.
     The least has to be marketing and promoting. I’d rather spend days alone at the top of a mountain rewriting the same page than to spend hours finding ways to get my name out. With that said, I love the one-on-one interaction with readers and other authors—but marketing and promotion is about mass engagement, and that is “work” to me, unlike the joy I find in writing.  

 
SJ: All writers can empathize with you on that. I feel the same way. Now tell us, please, what writer inspired you most and how?
Carole: I was 3 years old and read “Go, dog. Go!” by P.D. Eastman. It was my first book—and a romance at that. (Two dogs drive off into the sunset in a convertible together!) I wondered what was beyond the horizon where a road ended, and my imagination would allow me to create fascinating possibilities. 

 
SJ: Speaking of inspiration, Carole, if you could give just one piece of important writing advice to an aspiring writer, Carole, what would it be?
Carole: Actually, it would be two things that I think are equally important.
1.)    When I asked Ray Bradbury the same question, he told me, “Write.” But first, I had to move beyond a lot of fear based excuses. So, write without fear of what others may think and keep your integrity intact by sticking with your truth.
2.)     Be open to constructive criticism. There’s no room for ego in creating an exceptional work that you want to share with an audience. (I’m talking about letting go of that false pride ego, not the healthy kind that gives one confidence.) 

 
SJ:  What is a favorite book you enjoyed reading and would recommend without hesitation? Why?
Carole: I can no more recommend a favorite book than I can a favorite film, food, or song. There are just too many fabulous works out there. Some at the top include: John Steinbeck novels, Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series, Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta novels, the Harry Potter series, and of course, Ray Bradbury. These are wonderful authors with great books that kept me interested and/or entertained. (I love good literary fiction and autobiographies but can never remember the names of the works, probably because they’re generally not in a series.) 

 
SJ:  Before we close our interview Carole, is there anything new on the horizon for your fans to know about?  Anything we should watch out for?
Carole: Thank you for asking, SJ. Book 2 of Eve’s Amulet is still being written. Death House, my young adult horror story will be out next year. I’m writing my nonfiction work, The Long Term Effects of Sexual Abuse, based on my life coaching work and personal experience, and once it’s finished I will go back to conducting workshops for abuse survivors. I have several books that are being edited, including a literary piece, a contemporary romance, and a few literary short stories. I've also started a new blog devoted to coaching abuse survivors. 

You’re an inspiration to others, Carole. Have no doubt. Thank you so much for your time and allowing me to take some time out of your busy schedule and interview you about your time-travel romance, Eve’s Amulet, Book 1.I hope you all enjoyed this interview as much as I did. It’s been a pleasure spending time with everyone.
While we’re on the subject, here for you is a Synopsis for Eve’s Amulet Book 1: 
     Mandy Ruhe receives a sacred amulet from a mysterious woman she’s never met, and is suddenly swept back in time to Texas 1845, where romance goes hand in hand with gunrunning. Mandy finds herself inside the body of Carmena Luebber, owner of the Holiday Ranch. Until she can return to her own time, Mandy must assume Carmena’s role and is caught up in the lives of the people who work for Carmena—their struggles, hopes, and dreams. Torn between two men in love with the woman she portrays, Mandy finds herself hoping that true love can triumph over time. Trapped in the past, she must find a way back to her own life—before she messes up the future for everyone! 
    Readers, take note this book is available for sale now at online retailers: Amazon.com:   http://www.amazon.com/Eves-Amulet-~-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00EE29128/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414642234&sr=8-1&keywords=carole+avila  , Bn.com:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/eves-amulet-book-1-carole-avila/1116440423?ean=9781626940567   and direct at www.blackopalbooks.com.
    Remember to check out Carole Avila’s blog at: http://caroleavilablog.wordpress.com. Carole’s brand new blog dedicated to healing from abuse called “Healing Through Awareness & Self-expression” can be found at http://htase.wordpress.com. 
    Of course, this interview wouldn’t be complete without an excerpt for my readers to enjoy: Read on for an excerpt from Eve’s Amulet, Book 1:  

Captain Charles Sanders rose above insanely gorgeous. He could turn the head of a mannequin, the classic image of a steroid muscle man on the front cover of a paperback romance, an easy six-feet-four—maybe five—inches tall.

I swallowed. “Captain. It’s absolutely wonderful to see you.” And it was.

Carlos, out of the captain’s line of sight, rolled his eyes heavenward. I stumbled past the chairs behind my desk.

“Thank you, Carmena.” The captain’s masculine voice wrapped invisible arms around me. “And may I say that it’s always wonderful to see you?” He glided across the room with the heat of a professional tango dancer. He took my hands and placed a long, slow kiss on the back of each one. “I’m so glad you have recovered from that unfortunate circumstance.”

“Carlos,” I kept my toothy grin on the officer, “I’ve changed my mind about our last discussion. Perhaps you can attend to that other matter we were just dealing with.”

“And what matter would that be, Carmena?” Carlos asked. He stood like a permanent fixture with his arms crossed.

I waved my hand. “Whatever. Just take care of it.”

“I don’t understand, Carmena,” Carlos said. “We were just discussing your poor condition after the lieutenant’s attack.”

“Is it true?” the captain asked, deep concern evident in his tone, and he held my hands tighter. “Are you unwell, Carmena?”

“Oh, no. I’m feeling much better now.”

“Why don’t we sit down?” Charles said. He took my arm, and I felt a girlish flutter in my solar plexus. We sat down on the leather settee, and Carlos seated himself on the matching chair directly across from us.

“Carlos, is there something else you need?”

“Yes, actually. We need to finish the conversation we were having moments before the captain arrived in which you told me how fatigued you still felt since the attack.”

Alarm washed across the captain’s handsome face. “Please, Carmena. You mustn’t try to be brave for me.” The captain unwittingly joined the enemy’s side in the verbal tussle I was having with Carlos, and he abruptly stood. “Perhaps I can return another day.”

I practically jumped on top of him and dragged him back down. “But I’m much better today!” I turned to Carlos and gave him a ferocious stink eye. “Aren’t I looking much better, Carlos?”

“Well…” He rubbed his chin. “Now that you mention it, you do look a little pale.”
 

     Until next time, I wish you all health and happiness. May all your dreams come true for you. Stay safe. Be happy. Smile. Be kind to one another. Show compassion for all, especially for those without a voice.

Cheers!
S.J. Francis 

In Shattered Lies: "It's All About Family."  Coming in 2015 from Black Opal Books.

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