Sunday, December 28, 2008

Make-Believe Mondays With Miss Mae


Today on Make-Believe Mondays, my guest is Miss Mae.

Miss Mae, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.

Miss Mae: This is a story I started soooo many years ago, and it’s been rejected soooo many times…LOL..But now with three contracted works, I’m hoping I understand more of what editors expect. So, once again, I’m going over this story. It’s about a young vet returning home from the Vietnam War (set in small town USA, 1967)and because of his good looks, he’s immediately popular with the girls. He gets a reputation for being a “bad” boy. My heroine, meanwhile, because her mother had a bad experience with her dad, is over-protective and won’t allow her to date until she’s 18. She meets this “playboy” when she’s 16 and he’s 20. For these 2 years he’s after her to go out with him. But she, unwilling to reveal the “mortifying” reason of not being allowed to date, puts him off. So what happens when she does reach 18 and goes on her first date? She makes the wrong choice, of course…LOL..This is tentatively titled, “A Knight in Deed” and it’s the first book of a two-book story. In the second story, when my heroine becomes twenty, the tale turns into a romantic suspense. It will be called, “A Knight in Need.”

Debra: That's an interesting story set up, age being the hurdle to overcome.

For some writers, dreams play a role in creating fiction. Has this been true for you? Have you ever dreamed a scene or an image that later wound up in one of your books?

Miss Mae: Hmm, you mean night dreams, I guess? I can’t recall that I have. But daydreams, yes. Isn’t that how all our stories are created? We escape from the real world around us, withdraw into this imaginary place and dream or “plot” out our books!..LOL..

Debra: Yes, I mean night dreams, but also daydreams too, for they are a type of hypnotic state and that also interests me. It is wonderful to escape to the imaginary place. :-)

As a child did any particular book or author pull you into their imaginary world?

Miss Mae: Yes. Though I loved the Nancy Drew books, I will have to say that Madeleine L’Engle’s “A Wrinkle in Time” truly stole my imagination. I devoured that book and the story of courageous Meg outwitting the sinister It to save her scientist father and genius little brother, Charles Wallace. See, I can still remember the names!

Debra: And remembering the names as well as the story is the true mark of a book that has touched us, isn't it? :-)

Miss Mae, thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.

Readers can visit Miss Mae at
www.missmaesite.com
missmaesite.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/missmaeauthor
www.myspace.com/monamurphy

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Debra's News/Debra is Watching:

Today it is my turn to blog over on Title Wave. I'm chatting about calendars, changing technologies and ebooks and I would love to hear your comments.

Also this week, I am taking down and putting away the Christmas decorations, selling some things on ebay, doing a winter cleaning and clearing out and getting ready for the new year to come in, all shiny and new and full of adventures and possibilities. It is a good feeling to be clearing away things that no longer serve you, whether it be the things that pile up in our homes or our lives. I'll need a pared down, simpler life once the book signings and writers events kick in next year. So I am paring things back to prepare for that.

www.debraparmley.com
Authors of fiction who wish to be interviewed on Make-Believe Mondays, please visit Debra's website and fill out the request form. Booking through the the end of 2009 now.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Make-Believe Mondays With Melody Knight



Today on Make-Believe Mondays, my guest is Melody Knight.

Melody: Thank you so much, Debra, for inviting me as a visitor to your blog!

Debra: It's a pleasure to have you here today. Melody, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.

Melody: I'm actually working on three at the moment, all under my "N. D. Hansen-Hill" name, which means they are mainstream fantasy/science fiction/paranormal/horror, but not romances, per se. That's because this has been my romance year as "Melody Knight". I've written a number of fantasy romances, SF romances, paranormal romances, and had a romantic suspense novel, "In Flames", released. I'm playing catch-up now with my non-romance thriller publishers to prep for 2009!

The first of my current WIPs is about three paranormal archeologists who know far more about their subjects, the artifacts, and the settings than they should. These three run into trouble when they uncover a particularly strong entity, with possession on its mind.

The second WIP is a fantasy which will probably relate to my fantasy series, The Elf Chronicles. We have an adventurer in a cave and he's running into major problems with creatures who have no business being there. No business being anywhere on Earth.

The third is about gargoyles. I've always wanted to do a book about gargoyles, and this one's just barely underway.

Debra: Of the three, I don't know which one I'd choose to read first, they all sound fascinating. Archaeologists, elves and gargoyles, oh my!

Ray Bradbury said, “We are cups, constantly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.” How do you keep your creative cup filled?

Melody: Research! In-depth research offers insight into everything from the molecular to the movements of galaxies. No event can be viewed singularly, any more than an individual can consider herself remote from her surroundings. I really like lateral thinking in my books, and layering. I don't intentionally arrange it that way, because I write by the seat of my pants, but the more I study a topic "under construction", the more interesting I'm able to make a scene.

Debra: Yes, everything is related to everything when it come to our lives and is equally true when creating the worlds in our books. Pebbles in the stream reach far. It's amazing how something you studied or experienced years ago can play an important role in a manuscript.

Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?

Melody: Definitely! To the point of embarrassment, I must admit. When you're walking down the street, having a two-sided conversation, or sweating because you've just been pursued by a demon, you know you're in trouble, LOL.

Debra: Well, I talk to mine too when no one is in the room. LOL Dickens who is one of my favorite authors, used to do it too. I figure if he did it, we're in good company. And each of his characters is quite memorable.

Some very famous authors have played with language, creating words for people or places that no one has ever heard of. Have you ever played with words in that way and if so how?

Melody: Sometimes there just isn't a word to describe the way one of your characters feels or reacts, so I'm guilty of creating one. Usually my editors catch me, but when the word is perfect for the character, they'll often let it pass.

Debra: Glad that you're guilty then, and that they let them pass. Language is a living growing thing and it is fun for me as a reader when new words are born.

As a child did any particular book or author pull you into their imaginary world?

Melody: There was this book about a blind boy who grew a luscious strawberry to give to a beautiful princess, because he was poor and had nothing else to offer her. It turned out to be her favorite of all the gifts she received. I absolutely loved that story!

Debra: Oh, that sounds like a wonderful story. (Readers if you know the name of this story please leave it in the comments. I would love to read it.)

If there were no categories for books, no reader expectations to meet, and you could create the wildest work of imagination that you could think of what kind of story would that be?

Melody: The kind I already write as ND. Writing romance is not my favorite thing, because I have to focus so much on the two main characters. I like entire worlds in trouble with heroes coming to the rescue.

Debra: Then that is the direction you should go, or perhaps blend them a little. We need to write the things that call to us, that bring us joy. It can be difficult when a writer is capable of writing so many things (as I am learning right now) but I think, from speaking to so many authors, that there comes a point where things just click in and you know.

Melody, thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.

Melody: Thanks again, Debra, for "having me over" . If you or anyone else would like to see my workplaces, you can visit my pages at
Red Rose Publishing
Linden Bay Romance (now part of Samhain)
my Melody Knight website www.MelodyKnight.com
my N. D. Hansen-Hill website www.NDHansen-Hill.com
and my MySpace pages

Debra: It's been a pleasure, and welcome to Samhain. I was excited to hear of the acquisition, especially as so many publishing houses are cutting back and trimming.

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Debra's News/Debra is watching this week:

I'd like to take a moment to wish everyone Happy Holidays.
This week I'm looking forward to visiting with our son and daughter-in-law who are coming up from Baton Rouge. Our other son is in Vegas and this will be the first year he hasn't made it home. It's rather unusual for them to have snow in Vegas or Baton Rouge, but they've both had it this year! So one of the things I've been watching lately is the unusual weather patterns.

Now the tricky thing this week for any author who celebrates Christmas, is to write while in the midst of the holiday. I managed to do it at Thanksgiving, and there's no reason not to get some pages written this week. If you had a 9 to 5 punch the clock job, you'd still have to go to work, wouldn't you? So why should writing for a living be any different? I'll be taking my own advice this week for all but Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. That's the way books get written.

This is a season of gift giving and I love pretty packages with shiny bows as much as anyone, but the true gift is the person handing you the gift. Make some memories and enjoy the people you care for and who care for you. Jobs, money and gifts are here today and gone tomorrow. But your loves ones....those who are there in good times and in bad....they are to be treasured.

www.debraparmley.com

Monday, December 15, 2008

Make-Believe Mondays with Pam Champagne



Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Pam Champagne.

Pam, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.

Pam: I’m working on a full-length RS that I keep changing the name of. “Tina, the heroine is an addicted gambler. Her mother died at the hands of a serial killer and now he’s after Tina. Spade, the hero, who carries his own heavy load of baggage, is in hot pursuit of the murderer for killing his sister. Spade’s a former SEAL so he sticks by Tina while she tries to clean up her mother’s involvement in selling a lost treasure map.”

Debra: So you'll keep us in suspense with the title of your romantic suspense. ;-) It sounds intriguing.

Ray Bradbury said, “We are cups, constantly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.” How do you keep your creative cup filled?

Pam: My creative nature is sparked by reading, whether it be a newspaper, other author’s stories, a history book or even a dictionary. I also have an overactive imagination. My brain is like the energizer bunny. It never shuts off. Ever.

Debra: I have one of those busy brains too, so I know just what you mean.

Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?

Pam: My characters are alive in my head from conception. We take a while to really get to know each other but by the end of the book we talk to each other day and night.

Debra: Some very famous authors have played with language, creating words for people or places that no one has ever heard of. Have you ever played with words in that way and if so how?

Pam: No, I can’t say that I have. I enjoy playing with known words…putting them together in a unique phrase, but I’ve never created new ones. Perhaps it’s because I don’t write fantasy or sci-fi.

Debra: For some writers, dreams play a role in creating fiction. Has this been true for you? Have you ever dreamed a scene or an image that later wound up in one of your books?

Pam: I’m an avid dreamer and I always dream in color. I’m actually surprised whenever someone tells me they dream in black and white. I’m a star in most of my dreams and I’m sure a psychologist would have a field day with me. I think my overactive brain gets bored at night and conjures up some excitement. I’ve never consciously included any dreams in my books. That’s not to say I don’t do it though.

Debra: I dream in color too. It's hard to imagine it in black and white. Yes, I'll bet psychologists are gleeful when an author walks into their office. We're usually so far outside of the box.

As a child did any particular book or author pull you into their imaginary world?

Pam: I devoured Nancy Drew books as a child. I tried the Hardy Boys, but even at a young age, I liked the hint of “romance” in the Nancy Drew series. As a teenager I moved on to adult books. Forever Amber was one of my first and I read every book that Frank Yerby ever wrote.

Debra: My best friend and I managed to borrow/trade/read every Nancy Drew out at the time. Devoured those books. That bit of romance early on, combined with her adventures was a world we wanted to live in.

If there were no categories for books, no reader expectations to meet, and you could create the wildest work of imagination that you could think of what kind of story would that be?

Pam: Great question. I’ve toyed with writing an apocalypse themed book. There’d be a dab of romance, of course, but it wouldn’t be the main focus of the story. Stephen King’s The Stand inspires me to write my own ‘end of the world as we know it’ book.

Debra: Thank you. This is one authors seem to either love or don't want to answer, which I find very interesting. I'm sure that psychologist would have something to say about that.

Is there anything else you would like to add about the role of imagination, and dreams in creating fiction? Any other message for our readers?

Pam: Every author is unique in their ways of creativity. If there are aspiring authors reading this and you’re having a difficult time starting a book, I’d suggest you go somewhere quiet, clear your mind, and start asking the “what if” question. I find this method a foolproof way to come up with a plot.

Debra: Pam, that is excellent advice. Thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.

www.pamchampagne.net
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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

Well, I seem to be behind on everything and the little fender bender I had last week didn't help matters. This week I have to ship presents to family in Vegas and Ohio and get going on the Christmas cards. And as with any other day job, continue to go to work which means writing. This week I am working on a contemporary romance.

www.debraparmley.com

Sunday, December 07, 2008

Make-Believe Mondays with Margay Leah Justice



Today on Make-Believe Mondays, my guest is Margay Leah Justice.

Margay, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you're working on now.

Margay: I am working on the next book in the Dante Chronicles, a follow-up to Nora's Soul in which Dante takes a more prominent role.

Debra: Ray Bradbury said, "We are cups, constantly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out." How do you keep your creative cup filled?

Margay: I read a lot, blog a lot, and keep abreast of what is going on around me. You just never know what might tip off a story idea. Plus, my daughters are very creative, as is my mother, so that helps keep my creativity at a high point, too.

Debra: Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?

Margay: Yeah, that's kind of what happened with Dante. He was only supposed to be a secondary character in Nora's Soul, but long after the first draft of the book was done, he stayed with me. So somewhere along the way, during rewrites and edits, more of his story came out and is spilling over into another book.

Debra: Some very famous authors have played with language, creating words for people or places that no one has ever heard of. Have you ever played with words in that way and if so how?

Margay: No, I haven't had occasion for doing that.

Debra: For some writers, dreams play a role in creating fiction. Has this been true for you? Have you ever dreamed a scene or an image that later wound up in one of your books?

Margay: Actually, Nora's Soul is based on two very distinctive dreams I had in one night, which I realized, upon waking, were interconnected. The first was the scene where Nora dances the night away in a night club with a dark, mysterious man (Dante) who isn't all he appears to be and shows his true colors when she turns away from him. The second is of Nora moving into a garage apartment at the house of a widower because she is going to take care of his twins. Both dreams are scenes in the book.

Debra: I have always been fascinated by stories which arrive in our dreams and how to capture them before they fade away in the morning light.

As a child did any particular book or author pull you into their imaginary world?

Margay: I read so much as a child (still do!) that it's difficult to pull out just one. Strangely enough, the book that impacted me the most as a child was the Diary of Anne Frank. I was always right there with her in hiding.

Debra: Oh, yes, that book really caught me up with it too.

If there were no categories for books, no reader expectations to meet, and you could create the wildest work of imagination that you could think of what kind of story would that be?

Margay: Whoa, that is giving me too much leeway! I think it would have to be some sort of fantasy with action and romance – something for everyone. It would have to be something really epic, something like Star Wars crossed with the Sixth Sense meets Twilight.

Debra: Now that sounds interesting. Is there anything else you would like to add about the role of imagination, and dreams in creating fiction? Any other message for our readers?

Margay: There was a wonderful movie awhile back called The Neverending Story that was a modern day parable. It was actually two stories in one: The story of a boy reading a book and the story in the book itself in which the boy became a part. The character in the book was fighting back something called the Nothingness, which was basically eating up the imagination of children who didn't read anymore and the way to combat it was to become a part of the story. I think that holds true as much today as it did back when it first came out. We are in a state where the imagination of our youth is being devoured by the nothingness of online chatting. That's why I whole-heartedly applaud people like Stephenie Meyer and JK Rowling, who are fighting back the Nothingness with their mega-watt storytelling. So my message to readers is to keep on reading and not just that, but to pass on the joy to others. Encourage literacy; it will open up fantastic worlds for everyone.

Debra: The Neverending Story is a wonderful story. It is part of our job as authors to keep stories and story telling alive. When I travel I always hand off the paperback I've been reading to someone, either in the airport or the plane (flight attendants actually love this) or to people I meet. I feel like it's a way to keep them spreading.

Margay, thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.

Margay: Thank you so much for having me here. You can find me at
margayleahjustice.com, where I share excerpts from my book, Nora's Soul, which is now available on Amazon.com. I love reader interaction and always try to answer comments left on my blog, so stop by often if you have a question you want answered.

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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

Angela James, executive editor at Samhain Publishing (my publisher) has a contest going where you can win the new Kindle ebook reader. nicemommy-evileditor

This week I'm going to have the Amazon link added to my website, www.debraparmley.com now that my book is available in Kindle form.

And because everyone seems to enjoy photos of my travels, I'm adding more photos to Debra on MySpace which is where you'll find pictures of Scotland. I'm kicking around ideas for a Scottish historical romance. Revising a contemporary romance to prepare it for submission and decorating my house for the holidays.

Monday, December 01, 2008

Make-Believe Mondays with Debra Parmley and Gerri Russell


Welcome to Make-Believe Mondays! Every so often I look back over the interviews from the past and think about how far we've come. I've been doing these interviews since Jan. 9th 2006 and coming up soon on the three year anniversary. (Which I will be celebrating...more on that later.)

What started it all was the American Title II contest, when I needed a website and then a blog, before I was even published. Make-Believe Mondays was born and it has been a great joy in my life. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Today I thought I would re-visit one of the earlier interviews with my dear friend, Gerri Russel. This is from January 1st, 2007. What a difference a year can make in the life of an author. More on that after the interview.
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Jan. 1, 2007

First I'd like to wish you all a Happy New Year! It's hard to believe it's been a whole year since I started Make-believe Mondays. Your response has been so strong that I have decided to continue this blog for many years to come. Monday is always a difficult day of the week, returning to work after an enjoyable weekend and it is my hope that this blog brings a smile and a good start to your work week. Thank you for making us a part of your Monday.

Today is also a very special Monday because today my friend and ATII sister Gerri Russell, winner of the American Title II contest is here with us on Make-believe Mondays. This is a day all the ATII sisters have been waiting for and I'm thrilled to be able to announce that Gerri's book The Warrior Trainer hits the bookstores tomorrow!



Gerri, for some writers, dreams play a role in creating fiction. Has this been true for you? Have you ever dreamed a scene or an image that later wound up in one of your books?

Gerri: The kind of dreams that play a role in creating fiction for me are not the kind you have while you're asleep. I'm an active dreamer. One thing I have always been grateful for is that my mother, and other very influential people in my life, never set limits for me. I was never told I had to be any certain thing--only my own dreams could hold me back. So I grew up dreaming big dreams. And definitely one of those dreams was to become an author.

I feel that it is our dreams that give our lives focus and drive. I've had the desire to become an author for so many years, and have actively pursued that goal for the past thirteen. Finally seeing that dream become reality with the publication of my first book, The Warrior Trainer, has been one of the most amazing moments of my life.

Many people have asked me lately, "where will you go from here? What's your next dream?" I would have to say, the next big dream is to have a career as an author and to keep writing stories that touch people's hearts, fill their lives with joy, or bring them hope during difficult situations.

Debra: Gerri, you're an inspiration. You've achieved a dream and your story will motivate hundreds of authors to follow their dreams of being an author. I'm sure you'll achieve every one of your goals.

As a child did any particular book or author pull you into their imaginary world?

Gerri: I grew up reading everything and anything I could get my hands on. Favorites of mine will always be the classics: J.R.R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Shakespeare, Jane Austen, but also when I was younger I used to devour mysteries featuring Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. I'd say my reading tastes now are very eclectic at best! I'll read science fiction, and romance, and murder mysteries, and autobiographies with the same passion.

Debra: If there were no categories for books, no reader expectations to meet, and you could create the wildest work of imagination that you could think of what kind of story would that be?

Gerri: If there were no rules but those dictated by the imagination, I'd probably be writing what it is I write now. As a writer, I've evolved over the years to write about characters who are trying to figure out who they are. Mix that with a bit of the mystical and a bit of legend and a bit of fantasy, and that's the kind of story you'll get from me.

Debra: And that is a story I can't wait to read. I'll be first in line at my local independant book store tomorrow!

Gerri, thank you for visiting us here on Make-believe Mondays to share a bit of the magic of writing with our readers.

You can find Gerri on the web at www.gerrirussell.net or at www.blogspot.titlewave.com

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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

What a difference a year can make. Gerri now has three books out in her series. The Warrior Trainer, Warrior's Bride and Warrior's Lady (which is available now as a pre-order)

I am also thrilled to announce that my first novel, A Desperate Journey is now available to pre-order the print edition!

click here to pre-order A Desperate Journey



I've been burning daylight and candlelight to finish my novella in time for the Dec. 1st deadline today! I had to have 24,000 words along with a 2 to 5 page synopsis. Samhain issued a call for westerns for an anthology so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to write one. There is just something about a cowboy, isn't there? ;-)

Today I submitted my novella to Samhain with fingers crossed that they like it enough to buy it. It's the first time I ever wrote a novella and I found I enjoyed it very much. I got my start in fiction writing short stories. This falls somewhere in the middle and is a totally different feel than writing a novel or a short story.

Murphy's Law being what it is that everything shall happen at once, it is also my turn to blog over on Title Wave and that blog will be up shortly, once this one is posted.

This week I plan to catch up on some much needed sleep, as well as other things I got behind on in order to get the novella done. There are the Christmas decorations to put up, the house to be cleaned (and I am told there is not much food in the house) and I am looking forward to relaxing each evening with a good book.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving from Make-Believe Mondays

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Make-Believe Mondays is on holiday this week and will resume next Monday.

I would like to take this time to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.

There are so many things to be thankful for, even when times are hard. Each day is a chance to find something new to be thankful for. What are the things you are thankful for?

This morning I am thankful for fresh air, breath, the ability to wiggle my toes, leaves which fall to feed the earth and the coming spring, time to be able to write my novella and those friends and family who understand why I need that time.

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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

This week I am working hard to finish the western novella to meet a Dec 1st deadline with Samhain Publishing. Every so often they put out a call for submissions.It's the first novella length fiction I've ever written and I am enjoying it immensely.

If you're browsing the net this holiday week, here are some of my sites:
www.debraparmley.com

Debra on MySpace

Debra's fan page on Facebook

Debra's poetry blog, Write Around The Corner

See you next week and have a blessed holiday!

Debra

Monday, November 17, 2008

Make-Believe Mondays With J.K. Coi



Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is J.K. Coi.

J.K. first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.

J.K.: Having recently finished my third book in the Immortal series, Dark Immortal (due for release in the new year), I have turned my attention to the fourth book, Forever Immortal.

This series is about a band of immortal warriors charged with the responsibility of keeping the world safe from demons. Book 4 is about Gideon. He’s one of the newer Immortals, and one night his inexperience in the face of a very dangerous demon cost the life of an innocent human bystander. It’s a mistake that will torment him for the next five years.

Lyssa James just wanted to go out on the town and leave behind thoughts of her dead-end job and obnoxious ex-boyfriend for a while. What she got instead was a first class ticket to a demon hell dimension where she’s been trapped for five long years. Finally, providence intervenes, giving Lyssa access to the very portal that had swallowed her whole and taken her life. But when she comes out the other side, she finds herself facing the same Immortal that botched her rescue five years ago. Now, if only she was still human instead of the very thing Gideon’s sworn to destroy. Demon.



Debra: Ray Bradbury said, “We are cups, constantly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.” How do you keep your creative cup filled?

J.K.: That’s a good question. I think it helps to try and take a break every once in a while. When I finish a book I like to let it simmer for a while before I go back to read it, or before I start another one in that same series. During these in-between times I do a lot of reading and I work on my stained glass projects. I might start writing again, but I’ll likely choose to do something that isn’t related to what I’ve just finished. For example, when I finished writing book 2 of my series I got right back into the chair and started writing The Trouble With Destiny. I could do it because they’re very different stories (although they are similar in genre), but I couldn’t have started another Immortal book at that time.

Debra: Yes, I agree. It makes the editing process much smoother too, if you've had a break from the story and characters. And one of the nice things about writing in more than one genre is you can give one a rest while working on the other.

Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?

J.K.: Definitely. I think it takes me about 25,000 words to really figure out my characters—which means I usually end up going back and fleshing out the beginning a little more afterward—especially since I don’t write very detailed outlines. I kind of like to figure things out as I go along, and that goes for my characters as well. But once they have been nattering around inside my head for a while, then things really get interesting. They start talking to me more clearly, demanding things and arguing with each other. The trouble comes when they stop talking, either because I haven’t been listening closely enough or because the “real” world has gotten in the way and I’m feeling the stress.

Debra: For me it is chapter three. They all start showing up around that time. One of the things that makes it fun is having a character surprise me. Silent characters usually means the story is stalled for some reason.

For some writers, dreams play a role in creating fiction. Has this been true for you? Have you ever dreamed a scene or an image that later wound up in one of your books?

J.K.: I can’t say that I’ve dreamed a scene for my books because I’m a very deep sleeper and I don’t often wake up remembering my dreams. But I do daydream a lot. More than I should, and I do keep a pad of paper beside the bed because I’ll often be thinking of my story before I fall asleep and there are a number of times I’ve had to write something down so that I don’t forget it in the morning.

Debra: Daydreaming is good too. :-)

As a child did any particular book or author pull you into their imaginary world?

J.K: I loved the Narnia books when I was young, as well as The Lord of the Rings. Those fantasy worlds called to me, and it might be one of the reasons why I’m drawn to writing about the things that I do.

Debra: Is there anything else you would like to add about the role of imagination and dreams in creating fiction? Any other message for our readers?

J.K.: Just that I’m positive the two go hand in hand. I don’t think that you can have good fiction without a healthy dose of imagination and dreams. We have to bring that magic into every manuscript. That’s what makes the really awesome books stand out for our readers.

Debra: Well, you know I agree completely with that. :-)

J.K, thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.

J.K.: Thank you very much! This was a lot of fun and I appreciate the opportunity to meet your readers. Here is my pertinent book and contact info and I hope to see you again soon!

The Trouble With Destiny is now available!

Books 1 and 2 of the Immortal Series are also available. Get My Immortal and Immortal Kiss from Linden Bay Romance directly, and other major e-retailers online. You can also buy print copies of the books from your local stores.

Please visit me at my website for more information about upcoming books, chats, interviews, reviews, and all things Immortal: www.jkcoi.com I’m also on MySpace: J.K. on Myspace and I blog at www.jkcoi.blogspot.com

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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

This week I am working on my new western novella, trying to meet a Dec. 1 deadline with Samhain with fingers crossed that they will choose mine.

Over on Title Wave my AT II sister Maria is blogging about the American Title V contest and you can see the contestants there. Was it only three years ago that we were in the contest, excited, nervous, not sure how to promote ourselves, wondering who would win that publishing contest? So much has happened since then. Now I am a published author with my first book in print March 31, 2009. Dreams do come true. Be sure to check out this years contestants and vote. Help these aspiring authors make their dreams come true.

www.debraparmley.com

Monday, November 10, 2008

Make-Believe Mondays With Vijaya Schartz



Today on Make-Believe Monday my guest is Vijaya Schartz. Vijaya and I met last year when we roomed together at RT and I couldn't have asked for a nicer roommate. So I am very pleased to be able to introduce her here today, which also happens to be the release day for A Desperado For Christmas.

Vijaya, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.

Vijaya: The art of writing is about re-writing, and I'm currently polishing the first book of a series titled THE CURSE OF THE LOST ISLE. It's a medieval fantasy, and the first book, PAGAN QUEEN, is set in Scotland during the early Viking invasions. My heroine is related to Morgane the Fae, wants to rally the many tribes of Alba against the invader, while fending off the persecutions of Charlemagne's bishop, who consider her anathema. On top of all that, she is plagued by a faery curse. The phenomenal amount of research was fun. But now I'm just refining the characters and the story. Since I wrote this a while back, as I rewrite I find myself fascinated by the degree of evil I can generate in my villains. I've been told that before, but it's scary sometimes.

Debra: Medieval times are one of my favorite time periods and Scotland tops the list for top ten favorite places I have been. I am really looking forward to reading this one.

For some writers, dreams play a role in creating fiction. Has this been true for you? Have you ever dreamed a scene or an image that later wound up in one of your books?

Vijaya: Boy, have I ever! I keep pen and paper on my night stand just for that purpose. Whatever comes to me in dreams is usually brilliant, whether it's a title, a high concept, a story line, or the start of a scene. But I go one step further. Whenever I experience a block in my story, I go to bed with a question or pray for a solution in my mind, and Lo. In the morning, I know the answer. Sometimes it comes through vivid dreams, sometimes I wake up hearing the words, and sometimes I just know what to do, or how the story should go. But each time that happens, it's an enlightening experience. Then I wonder, Why didn't I think of that earlier?

Debra: The best things do seem to come to us in dreams. Without that pen and paper they drift away though. I've learned to do that too, and hurry to scribble it down.

If there were no categories for books, no reader expectations to meet, and you could create the wildest work of imagination that you could think of what kind of story would that be?

Vijaya: In my writing career, I have always mixed categories, and even radically opposed genres. When my first book came out, Ashes for the Elephant God, no one knew where to place it on the shelves. Adventure? India? Reincarnation? Paranormal? New Age? Romance? It was a bit of everything. Since I wasn't aware of the rules, I wrote the story of my heart, and it sold, and it won awards.

Debra: It is wonderful when that happens. I think sometimes the book of the heart is a thing meant to be and the creative energy within that writing must be immense. The nice thing about sharing this is, it can give encouragement to others who are writing that book of the heart. I'm so glad you shared that.

Vijaya: Then I learned that there were rules, but I looked for publishers willing to push the envelope and break these rules to create mixed categories. I published a number of Science-Fiction romances with kick-butt heroines, evil aliens, paranormal powers, in a suspenseful romantic story. Agents tell me my stories are a tough sell, but I stick to my guns, because my readers are fiercely loyal, and in the end, they are the ones I want to please.

I enjoyed this Make-Believe Monday. You can find out more about me at www.vijayaschartz.com and you can look for my new release from Sapphire Blue Publishing, A DESPERADO FOR CHRISTMAS. The story is about a rookie Border Patrol Agent, Kaitlin Harrington. She hates Christmas and all men, since her lover jilted her, and she lost her unborn child on Christmas Eve. This year, she guards the Mexican border in southern Arizona, but little does she know that her life is about to change forever. No amount of training prepared Kaitlin to arrest the gorgeous desperado who challenges her. His name is Miguel, and on this dangerous adventure through the Arizona desert, on the most magical of nights, anything can and will happen...

Thank you, Debra, for the opportunity to share this blog.

Debra: It has been my pleasure, Vijaya, and happy release day!
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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

Now that my galleys are finished, I'll be back to work on the new western this week.
www.debraparmley.com

Tuesday update!!
I have an interview and I am blogging over on Diane Craver's blog today. Come on over and say hello!
www.dianecraver.com/blog/

Monday, November 03, 2008

Make-Believe Mondays With JoAnn Smith Ainsworth



Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is JoAnn Smith Ainsworth.

JoAnn, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.

JoAnn: I’m writing book two of a three-book, plot-driven, paranormal suspense series. Five psychics assigned to the U.S. Navy) hunt WWII Nazi spies on the East Coast. The hero is the skeptical Navy commander in charge of setting up the project and the heroine is the clairvoyant WAVE assigned to oversee the business office. Each psychic has a unique skill to bring to the mix (clairvoyant, medium, crystal ball reader, laying-on-of-hands healer, and seer of ghosts).
In the first book, they use their psychic skills to uncover two spies. As the book develops, they get to know one another enough to accept that each will watch the other's ‘psychic’ back.

The second book brings in black magick, Pennsylvania Dutch hex spells and pow wowing. The psychics must reach beyond their individual skills and unite as a group to fight and uncover a baffling barrage of occult magick. The reader learns that the heroine is a direct descendent to a Black Dutch ancestor from Bavaria, Germany, who has a powerful book of counter spells to drive back the evil directed at the U.S. Navy psychics by Hitler's occult group.

In book three, the hero and heroine travel to wore-torn London to retrieve the book of counter spells, which was smuggled out of Bavaria as Hitler was increasing his control on the country. What they don't know is that their supposed friend who accompanies them to England is working for Germany. He has orders to kill them if they get too close to Hitler's secrets or find the book of spells.

A romance between the heroine and the hero develops slowly over the course of the three novels.

Debra: Over the course of three novels? How very interesting. Keeping that suspense going as well.

Ray Bradbury said, “We are cups, constantly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.” How do you keep your creative cup filled?

JoAnn: My ‘creative cup’ comes with the editing of the manuscript. That’s the time when I cut away the excess and choose the right word to convey the emotion of the character.

I write for ear and eye and feeling. The words have to look good on the page. The ear has to enjoy the way the words sound when combined. I need to feel the action’s drama. When I accomplish this, I have a big smile and my ‘creative cup’ is satisfied.

I’m a pragmatic person and never worry about keeping my ‘creative cup’ filled. I also never worry about writer’s block. If it happens, it’s like the 24-hr. flu. I put the manuscript away for a day or two. When I look at it with fresh eyes, I know what to do – especially because I have all plot points, character development, and an outline of the novel finished before I ever write a word on the story.

Debra: Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?

JoAnn: I started my career as an author by writing romances, which are character-driven stories. My H/H characters have to come alive for me before I can write their story.

‘Coming alive’ happens at different times for my characters. Secondary characters sometimes come alive because of their interactions with the plot. With my heroine and hero, I think about and research their time period (I write historicals) until they become three-dimensional in their settings. Then I start writing, and not before.

Debra: I am beginning to think every character is different in the way that they come alive. Those secondary characters can be just as vivid.


Is there anything else you would like to add about the role of imagination and dreams in creating fiction? Any other message for our readers?

JoAnn: I’m an example of never giving up on your dream. I’m a senior citizen who plans to write novels for the next 15-20 years. When I decided I wanted to use my education to become an author to supplement my social security and keep me active and alive after retiring as a database administrator, I had a ten-year plan. My employer unexpectedly went out of business in 2003 in the aftermath of the dot.com bust. I suddenly found myself without a job and in early retirement. I could have decided that my world had fallen apart and why bother, but I stuck to my dream and accelerated my writing process.

Uncannily, it ended up being the ten years of writing that I envisioned. I sold OUT OF THE DARK and MATILDA’S SONG last year to Samhain Publishing, Ltd. These novels are e-released and will be in print in bookstores in 2009.

My most recent excitement as an author was to find I am being sold in Britain by Libresco (iliad e-book reader) for ₤2.25, and by Amazon-UK and FantasticFiction.co.uk. I wonder what the British will have to say about an American writing novels set in 1120 A.D. England!

To read reviews for OUT OF THE DARK and MATILDA’S SONG, please go to www.joannsmithainsworth.com/reviews

Debra: JoAnn, thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.

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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

Today was my turn to blog over on Title Wave Changes are coming there. Keep watching. ;-)

This week I am working on galleys for A Desperate Journey, which are due this Friday. Once that is done, I'll be back to working on my the new western.

One of my friends from RT, Andrei Claude, has started a new blog.
in-a-mans-world This is one I won't want to miss. Check it out!

www.debraparmley.com

Monday, October 27, 2008

Make-Believe Mondays With Maiia Strong



Today on Make-Believe Mondays, my guest is Maiia Strong.

Maiia, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.

Maiia: The one that's in the writing stage right now is an f/f fantasy romance. I'm not sure yet if I'm telling the right story, though, because it's positively giving me fits. The characters are very clear in my head, but I'm having trouble with the setting. I think I need a trip to a Kona coffee plantation in Hawaii to really get it nailed down. That's a business expense, right? ;-) I usually have a very strong sense of place, but this one's been a big challenge for me so far.

Debra: Oh, yes, that is a business expense. There are also some very good dvd's of Hawaii on the market. I used to watch travel videos when I ran my travel agency and was addicted to the travel channel. But there is nothing like being in a place and catching the scents of the flowers, or the sea, tasting the food as they prepare it, watching the way the sun rises and sets upon the land, and listening to the voices of the people, a music all their own.

Ray Bradbury said, “We are cups, constantly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.” How do you keep your creative cup filled?

Maiia: What a marvelous quote! I love Ray Bradbury and I wish I had an answer to the question. Hmmm... The best I can say is by reading. There is inspiration everywhere around us in the world, but I find that unless I'm reading, I have trouble pinpointing that inspiration and getting it onto the page myself.

Debra: I collect quotes and it's one of my favorites. The answer is as individual as each author I speak to, and this is one of the reasons I still enjoy doing these interviews. Been doing them three years now and each is unique.

Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?

Maiia: Absolutely! Sometimes it's right away, other times it can take a while, but for the most part my characters are very real people inside my head--as disturbing as that sounds. LOL. The best part is when a character does or says something completely unexpected. I'm a pantser by nature, so it's not at all unusual that I don't know what happens next until I write it, but there are still times where characters can genuinely surprise me. It's quite delightful!

Debra: It sounds disturbing to people who don't write I suppose. LOL I write by the seat of my pants too, though I think ahead a little to what might happen. It's wonderfully delightful, isn't it?

Some very famous authors have played with language, creating words for people or places that no one has ever heard of. Have you ever played with words in that way and if so how?

Maiia: I love language. Always have. I've been a Shakespeare geek for as long as I can remember, and he was certainly one for making up words: incarnadine and multitudinous, to name the two that leap immediately to mind, and that's in just a single line in a single play! There are so many luscious words that he created out of what he knew in order to say exactly what he needed to say. I'm no Shakespeare--no one is--but that doesn't stop me playing. The primary universe I write in is pseudo late-medieval/early renaissance so I've had great fun trying to come up with slang terms that fit that world while still being obvious in their meaning based on their context. Although I also cheat sometimes and take words from my "Forgotten English" calendar. ;-)

Debra: Oh, I love Shakespeare too. Most of my favorite authors played or play with language. Multitudinous is a marvelous word. I believe that must be the word of the day today. Multitudinous. :-)

As a child did any particular book or author pull you into their imaginary world?

Maiia: Oh man, what author didn't? I was a voracious reader as a kid. I read Madeleine L'Engle, Susan Cooper, Ray Bradbury, Alan Garner, J.R.R. Tolkien, Isaac Asimov, Andre Norton, Anne McCaffrey, William Sleator, Lois Duncan... The list is enormous and I could go on for days. I think the ones that drew me in deepest and left the most lasting impressions were Cooper and Tolkien. I've long ago lost track of how many times I've read The Dark is Rising Sequence and The Lord of the Rings over the years. (To this day, I buy every Susan Cooper book that comes out. I will be devastated when she passes away.) Those two series are quintessential works for me and absolute must-reads. And then I hit middle school and dove head first into Evelyn Waugh. Go figure. But Brideshead Revisited is one of the best books ever written. Easily Top 10. Don't argue. You know I'm right. ;-)

Debra: I won't argue with you. :-) And thank you for sharing Susan Cooper. I have never read her books. So there's another for me to add to my list. Now if only the to be read pile weren't so tall. (Well, I should say piles. They are in almost every room in the house.) LOL

Maiia, thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.

Maiia: Thanks for the opportunity to visit. I had a great time!

Debra: I am so glad! It's been fun for me too. :-)

Readers please visit Maiia at
Website: www.maiiastrong.com
Blog: maiiastrong.blogspot.com

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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

This week I am working on galleys, as well as the new western I am writing. It's a busy work week I have planned, nose to the manuscripts, and I love every minute of it.

www.debraparmley.com

Monday, October 20, 2008

Male-Believe Mondays with Mima



Today, on Make-Believe Mondays, my guest is Mima.

Mima, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.

Mima: I have twelve manuscripts in my wip file. A year ago this would have sent me into a gibbering pile of drool. I’ve really grown as a writer this past year, my first as a professional.

The two I’m most focused on right this second are a paranormal contemporary with a chick lit feel titled Deep Water and a dark, dark, dark gladiator-style futuristic currently called Torpor. In both cases, it’s the heroines that really excite me, although of course creating heroes worthy of them is also fun.

In terms of editing, I’m officially working on a feline shapeshifter anthology, Half-were House, at Liquid Silver Books.

Debra: I know just what you mean. Not long ago I listed the various works in progress I had going and was quite surprised at how many I'd started. My muse is a giddy child who wants to play more than one thing and I have to learn to tell her, this one today and if you are good we'll play that one tomorrow. ;-)
Great titles, BTW.

Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?

Mima: If they don’t, I drop that story. I can’t write unless the characters are real to me. Plus, I have a trick where I put a little bit of me (mostly my problems) into my heroines. So Amaya (Alpha Within) had my yearning for the exotic, KarRa (Wild Within) had my bitterness over betrayal. When even one line in a critical scene is autobiographical, it helps make the women real to me. I can pull on that emotion so much easier.

Debra: My guess is, this is true of most of the better fiction out there. The author has to put bits of themselves or things they've seen and experienced for the stories to even come close to holding truths. It's a good idea to drop the ones that don't seem real.

Some very famous authors have played with language, creating words for people or places that no one has ever heard of. Have you ever played with words in that way and if so how?

Mima: Well, when you write scifi and fantasy, your options just pretty much are limitless. Then you get to play in the world of Let’s Make Shit Up. I think it’s helpful if you choose terms that sound plausible in our world, and just twist them in unique ways. The terms “elite” and “craft,” for example, carry specific connotations, but you don’t want to be trite. I like to try to use those common words, but invent new definitions for what they are and how they function in my non-earth worlds.

I have a series at Samhain where there are Singers and Elite. Singers can work aspects of the natural world with psychic powers, and Elite are cybernetic, technologically-enhanced humans who can also manipulate the physical world. My Bonded series at Liquid Silver has a world where everyone can manipulate one of six elements. This ability is called “craft.”

Debra: I've always been interested in this word play when authors create worlds. We certainly see more of it in fantasy and sci-fi than anywhere else. There's a certain freedom allowed authors of those genres.

As a child did any particular book or author pull you into their imaginary world?

Mima: Alice in Wonderland and The Secret Garden were two classics I read young, and they had a HUGE impact. When I was older, books like Jacob Have I Loved, Island of the Blue Dolphins, and A Ring of Endless Light were probably read, oh, about 100 times. I liked the depressing stuff because I was DEEP. (snicker)

On a lighter note, the series I was most into was the Choose Your Own Adventures. And then I discovered Harlequin in high school and was pretty much locked in on happy endings.

Debra: Alice in Wonderland and Island of the Blue Dolphins were two of my favorites too. I was actually thinking of Alice and Wonderland just the other day and wondering how it would read now that I'm an adult. :-)

If there were no categories for books, no reader expectations to meet, and you could create the wildest work of imagination that you could think of what kind of story would that be?

Mima: That’s the beauty of epublishers. They give you this freedom, because there are more readers out there who don’t require expectations than NY thinks there are. I already have written my wildest flights of imagination, and now can’t imagine writing anything else. I suppose the most genre-busting story I’ve written is In Service, a scifi-action-erotic-intrigue-romance out at Loose Id.

Debra: Mima, thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.

Mima: Thanks so much Debra! I invite readers who want to see my title list, latest news, reviews, and excerpts to visit
mimawithin.com

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Debra's News/Debra is Watching:

Galleys for A Desperate Journey are in! They just came in this weekend and that is another exciting first for me to celebrate.

I'm also at work on a new western and beginning to plan my conference and book signing schedule for 2009. Once I'm done, I'll post the calendar events on my website.

debraparmley.com

Monday, October 13, 2008

Make-Believe Mondays With Christine Norris



Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Christine Norris.

Christine, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.

Christine: I’m so excited about this because I just finished it! Well, the “first” draft, which has been tweaked a little as I wrote it. It’s the third book in the Library of Athena series. Megan and all her friends are back, and dealing with a new problem and a new enchanted book. This one is set in Ancient China, and it’s got all the same adventure and magic the first two have. I don’t want to give too much away, because I never know what’s going to change between the first and final drafts.

I’m also really excited that the first book of the series(The Crown of Zeus)is coming out in paperback later this year!

Debra: That is exciting! Something well worth celebrating.

Ray Bradbury said, “We are cups, constantly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.” How do you keep your creative cup filled?

Christine: I watch a lot of movies, read a lot of books. Really, I’m always looking for new stuff to read. I call it Feeding the Muse. She’s a hungry girl.

Debra: Feeding the Muse, I like that. Mine must be a teenager, because she is always hungry and very curious and experimental.

As a child did any particular book or author pull you into their imaginary world?

Christine: I’ve always been a reader. Madeline L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time books were well-worn in my house. I must have read them a dozen times. I don’t have those copies anymore, but I should replace them. I’ve done that with a few favorites, like The Westing Game and The Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. That one was just re-published last year, so of course I bought a new copy.

Debra: There is something about holding a well worn book, they are so loved and familiar. It can be hard to let those go for the new replacement.

If there were no categories for books, no reader expectations to meet, and you could create the wildest work of imagination that you could think of what kind of story would that be?

Catherine: Isn’t that what I’m doing now? Well, since I write Young Adult, there really aren’t many expectations to meet except for those that come with a good story. I don’t necessarily need a HEA, or need to follow those ‘rules’ that seem to come with Romance. I’ve gotten some good reviews for the previous Library of Athena books, and several have said they’re very different kinds of stories from other stuff out there for YA Fantasy. Which is good! I don’t want to be just another magic wielding, dragon-riding, vampire-using writer.

Debra: Well, that is what I hope every author is able to do, because it means they are free to imagine and create. And that is where the best fiction comes from, in my humble opinion.

Is there anything else you would like to add about the role of imagination, and dreams in creating fiction? Any other message for our readers?

Christine: Just that if you can dream it, you can write it. I have some ideas floating in my head for stories outside the series, and I’m playing around with them, mostly still in my head, but they’ll be making the move to paper soon. They’re odd, but that’s what makes them wonderful.

Debra: Odd is wonderful, isn't it? The unusual, the unique can be so much fun.

Christine, thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.

Christine: Thank you for having me!

Debra: My pleasure.

Please visit Christine at
www.christine-norris.com
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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

This week I am working on the new western, while planning the book release party for A Desperate Journey, which comes out March 31, 2009.

Please visit my website at
www.debraparmley.com

Monday, October 06, 2008

Make-Believe Mondays with Claire Delacroix


Today on Make-Believe Mondays I'm thrilled to introduce my friend from RWAonline, Claire Dleacriox.

Claire, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.

Claire: Right now, I’m working on the third book in this new future-set fantasy romance series with fallen angel heroes. The world of these books is a gritty place, it’s post-nuclear and pre-Apocalyptic, and essentially the angels are volunteering to sacrifice their wings in a last ditch effort to save humanity. Each hero takes a mission to fulfill on earth – his idea is that he’ll regain his wings when the quest is complete, but love seems to change their minds! The first book in the series is out right now (October 2008) and is called FALLEN. It’s had some terrific reviews and has a gorgeous cover – you can read the back cover copy and an excerpt on my site:

www.delacroix.net/fallen

The second book, GUARDIAN, comes out next October and the third – the one I’m writing now – will be out in October 2010.
The challenge in writing these books, set in such a different world, is finding different facets of that world to explore in each book. I’m having a great time with the series, although each book comes together more slowly for me.

Debra: Claire, I've always been fascinated with angels and I'm thrilled you are writing this series. I am ordering the first one today. Can't wait to read it!

Ray Bradbury said, “We are cups, constantly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.” How do you keep your creative cup filled?

Claire: I’m a big fan of Julia Cameron’s book THE ARTIST’S WAY – I do my morning pages daily and my artist date every week. For me, playing with colour seems to help me to solve problems in books or figure out what comes next in the story.

So, my artist dates usually revolve around the pursuit of colour and new images – I’ll go to an art gallery or a museum or a guild store and look at the displays but not read the explanations. I visit stores that sell colourful and beautiful things – tile stores, fabric stores, bead stores, yarn stores – anywhere that there’s an avalanche of colour. I also like to walk - in busy cities, in different neighbourhoods, in the woods, on beaches – I think it’s healthy to explore new environments.

Invariably I bring souvenirs home with me - balls of wool that I’ve bought or pebbles from the beach or magazines from the thrift store - but those give me items to play with once I’m home again. Beach pebbles can be arranged in the garden, for example, or around a potted plant. Sometimes I make collages, just to play with the colour and shapes. I try to play a bit with texture and color every day as visual stimulation seems to encourage my words to flow.

Debra: You were the first person to tell me about Julia Cameron's book, and I am ever so thankful to you for that. It is excellent.

Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?

Claire: Yes. It happens in two phases. There’s a point right when I begin the book that I can hear them talking. I feel at this point like a landlady eavesdropping on the new tenants (they’re in the rental apartment in my imagination). That gets me started and is usually a very exciting point.

Then, when I’m about 100 pages into the manuscript, there’s a bigger challenge – that’s when they get opinionated. Often, they don’t like the story I want to tell and either modify it or have an entirely different story that they’d like to live. This is both exciting – because the characters have become real – and irritating – because I don’t really know what they’re up to yet and because they often have better ideas than I do – but it always works out well in the end.

If they don’t start arguing with me, then I worry.

Debra: Oh, what fun! I like the eavesdropping idea. Silent characters make me nervous. It usually means I have taken them somewhere they don't want to go and they just haven't told me yet. Stubborn arguing characters are good. Well, I like your endings. :-)

For some writers, dreams play a role in creating fiction. Has this been true for you? Have you ever dreamed a scene or an image that later wound up in one of your books?

Claire: I frequently use dreams in my work, or more accurately, use the energy of dreaming to create my work. One of the challenges in writing a work of fiction is to ensure that it’s not predictable. One of the ways to avoid predictability is to put characters into very challenging situations, situations in which there appears to be no way out.

The problem is that sometimes I don’t know the way out either! But there always is one and I’ve learned to trust in that, that I wouldn’t have thought of the situation if it couldn’t be resolved. And often, I find the solution in dreaming.

Here’s how:

If you fill your mind with a question or a problem before you go to sleep, you will often dream of the solution. Before you fall asleep, think about the question or problem. Examine it from all sides. Think of all the variables that created it and all the things that need to come out of it. Roll it around in your mind so that it’s the only thing in your thoughts and do this until you fall asleep.

When you wake up in the morning, probably 8 times out of 10, you’ll know the solution. You might remember the dream and you might not. You might “remember” the solution shortly after you awaken – the shower is good for this, in my experience – but it will come to you before you sit down to work. If not, repeat the exercise the next night. It seldom takes me two nights to find a solution and never takes three.

It works for questions other than “what comes next” in the book, too!

Debra: Oh, thank you, Claire! I am going to make that a new practice. What an excellent way to problem solve. (For more than the creation of fiction, I am thinking.)

If there were no categories for books, no reader expectations to meet, and you could create the wildest work of imagination that you could think of what kind of story would that be?

Claire: I think that book is FALLEN! I wrote FALLEN when I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. The historical market had slowed down a lot and I wasn’t even sure that I wanted to write more medievals anyway. I felt restless and ready for a change. The problem was that I was already writing contemporary romances as Claire Cross, so I didn’t know exactly what else I wanted to do.

Then this character marched into my office. She said her name was Lilia Desjardins and I had to help her get something done. Gid, her estranged husband, was dead, and the cops thought it was an accident but Lilia knew better. She thought Gid had been murdered and was going to find out the truth, no matter what the price.

I assumed she was crazy in love with Gid, but no, she told me she owed him this, that finding justice for him was the least she could do for him. I was intrigued.

I was even more intrigued when Lilia headed straight into danger – what a dangerous world she inhabits! - and met a very yummy cop. Was Adam Montgomery her friend or her foe? He certainly had a bunch of secrets…

Debra: And now I am wanting to know what those secrets are ... ;-)

Is there anything else you would like to add about the role of imagination, and dreams in creating fiction? Any other message for our readers?

Claire: I think we all need to remember that we are creative beings. No matter what you do to make a living or how you pass your time, you’re creative. The thing is that when we allow ourselves to be creative, when we explore creativity in our lives in any way, we feel more vital and alive.

We’re happier.

Remember that problem solving is an expression of creativity. The ability to look at any situation and find a solution no one has considered is creative. The ability to get any number of people working together productivity is an exercise in creativity. You don’t have to be an artist in your working life to be creative. Expressing yourself in your home, in your garden, with your décor, personal style and even your cooking is all creative. There are many kinds of creativity, and each one is just as valid as the others.

So, don’t dismiss yourself as “not creative”. Do something that only you can do, or do something in a way that only you would think to do it. Let yourself play, and you’ll probably feel a bit lighter for it.

Debra: Such beautiful and encouraging and empowering words. Claire, thank you so much for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers. I knew it would be a treat.

Claire: Thanks, Debra, for having me!

Debra: It's been my great pleasure.

Please visit Claire at

Visit Dragonfire online at www.deborahcooke.com
Visit Château Delacroix at www.delacroix.net
Visit Claire Cross online at www.clairecross.com
Blogging weekdays at www.delacroix.net/blog

Monday, September 29, 2008

Make-Believe Mondays With Lyn Cote


Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Lynn Cote.

Lyn, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript
you’re working on now.

Lynn: This year I'm writing 3 books-the second and third of my new "Texas Star of Destiny" historical (inspirational) series for Avon Inspire. And the second in my "Gabriel Sisters" series for Love Inspired Historical.

The Texas series covers the years 1821-1848 in of course Texas. And I have 3 heroines that exemplify the three types of non-Native women in Texas at this time.

• Dorritt is a Southern spinster who comes to Texas with her family in the first wave of angloamericanos.

• Alandra is a Spanish lady whose mother was a mestiza of mixed Spanish and Native American blood.

• And Mariel is an immigrant who flees Germany in the 1840's during political revolution.

My Gabriel Sisters are Quaker women in the mid-nineteenth century who are passionate about improving the life of others. Verity (HER CAPTAIN'S HEART out in 12-08) goes South in 1866 to open a school for freed slaves. Felicity, the manuscript I'm writing in 2008, opens an orphanage for the orphans left by the Civil War and their sister Mercy becomes a doctor.

As you can see, I like to write about strong women who are not only shaped by their times, but are active in shaping their times and moving into a better future.

Debra: Yes, and it's one of the things I like about your books. Well, and of course I do have enjoy a good western.

Ray Bradbury said, “We are cups, constantly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.” How do you keep your creative cup filled?

Lyn: I read a variety of books in various genres and I watch movies that I deem especially creative. It's interesting that I love to read fantasy and paranormal but I'm unable to write fantasy.

I've benefited from reading JK Rowling's Harry Potter books, Tolkein's Lord of the Rings trilogy, and watching the Buffy series. I find fantasy excites my imagination and my passion for writing about the battle of good vs. evil which is so important to my novels. My heroines are what I call "passionate participants in their times"—just like Harry, Frodo and Buffy.

But I find that recreating a time that has been forgotten is my métier. I dislike historicals that just add long dresses to a contemporary story. I try as best I can to take my reader back into the past.

Debra: Yes, I agree with that. I think if you're going to write about a time period, the research is very important. Knowing what is happening in the year you are writing about, whether you use it in the story or not.

Lyn: BTW, Ray Bradbury and I share the same home town, Waukegan IL! We went to the same high school—40 years apart but the same building!

Debra: How fascinating! And I would say they trained you both well.

Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?

Lyn: I find Tami Cowden's book on the Hero and Heroine Archetypes as a good launching point. Once I figure out which archetype or combination of archetypes my hero and heroine are, I find they begin to "live and move and breathe." And their story begins!

Debra: Thank you, Lyn. I haven't read that one yet.

And thank you for visiting Make-Believe Mondays, to share a bit of the magic of writing with our readers.

Please visit Lyn Cote at
www.LynCote.net

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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

This week I've been resting up from our trip out west. I've up and about and feeling much better. Those two days in bed gave me plenty of time to think about all that I saw and experienced out west and I've come up with a new idea for a western historical novel. The western theme seem to have continued this week as I attended a rodeo Friday night and a hispanic wedding Saturday night. Sunday I started writing that new novel. It's always exciting to begin a new one.

www.debraparmley.com

Monday, September 22, 2008

Make-Believe Mondays with Misty Evans



Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Misty Evans

Misty, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.

Misty: So glad you asked! I’m working on the second book in my series of Super Agents. The first book, OPERATION SHEBA, introduces Julia and Conrad, partners and lovers in a game of high-risk espionage and is due out September 9th. They show up again in the second book, but in this story you also meet Lawson and Zara who have to stop a mad scientist from starting a world-wide plague.

I’m also editing my paranormal comedy that won Samhain’s Tickle My Fantasy Contest, WITCHES ANONYMOUS. This story is about a bad witch trying to get away from Lucifer and become good. She gets mixed up with the original Adam (who’s back on Earth for a redo) and the angel Gabriel.

Debra: Oh, they both sound like fun reads.

Ray Bradbury said, “We are cups, constantly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.” How do you keep your creative cup filled?

Misty: Quiet time. When my twins were born, I learned how fast I could burn out, not just creatively, but mentally, physically and emotionally, if I didn’t find a few minutes every day to myself. My imagination is always active, but time to meditate, read, work in my herb garden, or simply sit out on the patio and look at the stars feeds my creative muse better than anything else.

Debra: Meditation is something I've been meaning to incorporate into my life on a daily basis. Yes, time to ourselves, quiet time, is so important.

Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?

Misty: The moment they enter my mind! My muse watches reality TV in my brain.

Debra: LOL What a fun image!

Some very famous authors have played with language, creating words for people or places that no one has ever heard of. Have you ever played with words in that way and if so how?

Misty: Creating a fictional world of Eden for WITCHES ANONYMOUS was great fun and I played with words, language and especially the theme of good versus evil. Amy, my bad witch who is trying to go good joins a Witches Anonymous group – great fodder for playing with words right there. I wrote the other characters—Lucifer, Adam and Gabriel—with unique personalities that differ from the traditional ones our culture has instilled in us, so again, I messed with wording and language to make them believable.

I also had fun making up spells for Amy. For example, the Atomic Sister Slave spell—any time your sister steals your boyfriend or your stash of chocolate, you can turn her into your slave for twenty-four hours.

Debra: Oh, now that is a good spell to have. LOL

For some writers, dreams play a role in creating fiction. Has this been true for you? Have you ever dreamed a scene or an image that later wound up in one of your books?

Misty: Yes, several times. Dreams are another form of muse for me. In Operation Sheba, Julia dreams about a man chasing her through a carnival before he draws a gun and kills her. That dream is based on a recurring nightmare I had in my twenties. To this day, it’s still a visceral experience for me to remember it. In Julia’s version, I had her realize at the last second that the man is Conrad. On one level it symbolizes the fact that he’s betrayed her in real life. On another, it symbolizes her fear of being a victim.

Debra: That is fascinating. Recurring nightmares are a terrible thing to have, though. I'm glad you're no longer having them.

As a child did any particular book or author pull you into their imaginary world?

Misty: Just about every book I read. J Charlotte’s Web, Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, Laura Ingalls, Nancy Drew, the list could on forever. Even now, I read kids books and YA. My boys and I are currently digesting the City of Ember series together. I can’t keep up with all the great YA authors, there are so many.

Debra: If there were no categories for books, no reader expectations to meet, and you could create the wildest work of imagination that you could think of what kind of story would that be?

Misty: Probably exactly what I write now, suspense with a side of humor. I’d like to explore darker characters, especially female ones, but not in a paranormal context. I like real-life women who have dark sides, like Holly Hunter’s character Grace on Saving Grace.

Debra: Is there anything else you would like to add about the role of imagination, and dreams in creating fiction? Any other message for our readers?

Misty: Think of yourself as a compass. All points on the compass send and receive creative energy. If you find one point isn’t working for you or is stifling your creativity, turn yourself a different way and be open to something new.

Debra: What a beautiful image and a good way to explain creative energy!

Misty, thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.

Misty: Thank you so much for having me!

Debra: It's been a pleasure.
Readers please visit Misty at

www.readmistyevans.com
and
groups.yahoo.com/group/MistyEvansSuspense

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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

I just returned home after a 2,100 mile drive from Las Vegas to Memphis. Got in late last night. It was a beautiful trip. We went to the north rim of the Grand Canyon, stayed in Kanab Utah at the Parry Innn, where the movie stars used to stay and we visited a movie set, we stayed in Alberquerque, NM where we visited the old town and Oklahoma City where we saw the Cowboy Hall of Fame. It's quite a long drive though and we made it in 4 days. I'm having trouble with my swollen ankles so the doctor has put me on bed rest for two days, which is why this is posting so late on a Monday. (And I really should be in bed right now.)

So it's going to be a quiet week for me. I'll post pictures and tell about my trip over on myspace once I have rested up.

www.debraparmley.com

Monday, September 15, 2008

Make-Believe Mondays With Kelly Jamieson



Today on Make-Believe Mondays our guest is Kelly Jamieson.

Kelly first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.

Kelly: The manuscript I’m working on now is different for me because I’ve included elements of paranormal, which I’ve never done before. It’s about two undercover agents who end up working together, posing as a couple. The female agent, however, has her own agenda and her own special abilities which the male agent has a hard time accepting.

Debra: Ray Bradbury said, “We are cups, constantly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.” How do you keep your creative cup filled?

Kelly: I don’t think I do anything consciously. I think to keep the creative cup filled you just have to open yourself to everything around you.

Debra: Absolutely!

Kelly: I read a lot (A LOT!) and I read all kinds of things. I get ideas for stories and characters from the newspaper, news magazines, Cosmo magazine(!!) and from talking to people - friends, family, co-workers, acquaintances. Having new experiences and traveling, or just people watching always spark something in my imagination.

Debra: Travel always does that for me too. :-)

For some writers, dreams play a role in creating fiction. Has this been true for you? Have you ever dreamed a scene or an image that later wound up in one of your books?

Kelly: Dreams drive me crazy! I have had dreams where I’ve had the BEST idea for a story – absolutely, incredibly ingenious. Then when I wake up I can’t remember it. Not a thing. So truthfully I don’t think I’ve ever actually incorporated anything from a dream into one of my books.

On the other hand, insomnia is my best friend and worst enemy! Many nights I can’t sleep and I don’t know whether it’s because I’m writing a story in my head, or if I’m writing a story in my head because I can’t sleep, but I have done a lot of “creating” while lying in bed wide awake in the middle of the night.

Debra: I have insomnia too, but then I'm a night owl. Many times I am up late, writing. If we could just channel our dreams onto the page that would be amazing I think. There is nothing like a ride through the imagination.

As a child did any particular book or author pull you into their imaginary world?

Kelly: I read voraciously as a child. This may date me, but I started reading Bobbsey Twins books as a young girl. Those really pulled me in because they always traveled to exotic locations, and by the time I finished grade school I felt like I’d been around the world! Another author who really pulled me in as a girl is Lucy Maud Montgomery and her Anne of Green Gables books. I loved those stories so much, and in fact the story of Anne and Gilbert was probably the first romance that drew me in!

Debra: I read those too. No, I don't think it dates you. Good fiction lasts throughout the eras.

If there were no categories for books, no reader expectations to meet, and you could create the wildest work of imagination that you could think of what kind of story would that be?

Kelly: I think I’m already doing that! I don’t think about reader expectations and (this is a problem for me) I don’t think about categories when I’m writing. This leads to problems selling my books because they apparently don’t fit in to categories easily. And it’s not that I’m writing any crazy fantasy – I just like writing about real lives and real problems, and real mistakes people make, but I’m told you can’t put a married heroine into a romance, and you can’t have adultery in a romance even though those are real-life situations people have to deal with.

Debra: Well.....I put a married woman into a romance. And it sold. It's going to be a thrill to see it in print come March. Of course her husband was a cheat, a liar, a bigamist and their marriage wasn't legal. LOL So I threw a whole bunch of things into the mix, but life is like that. Not always so clear, but lots of murkiness. It drives me nuts to hear those can'ts. Makes me want to try doing it just to see if I can pull it off.

Kelly, tThank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.

Please visit Kelly at
www.kellyjamieson.com
and
building-castles.com

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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

Waving to everyone from Las Vegas where I am vising my youngest son. I'll be away until the 22nd. Driving back and stopping to see the Grand Canyon on the way, as well as the Cowboy Hall of Fame. It's only a 1,600 mile drive home to Memphis. I'll be writing in my journal and taking plenty of photos. And who knows? Maybe I'll get an idea for my another western. This week I am soaking it all in, feeding that creative well.