Make-Believe Mondays With Angie Fox

Today on Make-Believe Mondays, my guest is Angie Fox.

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

Angie: I just finished the second book in The Accidental Demon Slayer series. It’s tentatively titled The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers, after the popular book, The Dangerous Book for Boys. My heroine is desperate to learn how to be a better demon slayer and let’s just say things get out of hand rather quickly.

Debra: I imagine it would. Like the ghost busters there probably aren't many people lined up for that job.

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?

Angie: I read as much or more as I write. My favorite genres are paranormal, historicals, light contemporaries and cozy mysteries. I think appreciating the work of other writers helps me realize that maybe a particular scene or character that I’m having trouble with isn’t such a huge deal in the grand scheme of things. After all, I’m sure these authors have had to battle with a character or two and look how well their books have turned out!

Debra: Yes, I so agree. And it helps to talk to other authors as well, to see that we aren't alone in our challenges.

Angie: I also have two small children and spend a lot of time outside with them, appreciating crumpled up leaves and various blades of grass, chasing down rollie-pollies and wondering why the sky is blue and how come trees grow in dirt instead of on the sidewalk. I’ve yet to satisfy my daughter with an answer on that last question.

Debra: There's something about seeing the world from a child's eye view that brings everything into focus, isn't there? Somehow adults lose that, unless they go looking for it again.

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

Angie: Yes. I’m a big believer in following my story in new directions, because if I’m enjoying the surprise, chances are my readers will too. When I sat down to write The Accidental Demon Slayer, I had no notes about a sidekick for my heroine. But in the second chapter, when she’d learned she was a demon slayer and all hell was after her, she took comfort in her dog. As I was writing, I thought, “This is a sweet moment. How do I throw her off?” Simple. I made the dog say something to her. Nothing big. After all, he’s only after the fettuccine from last week. And he knows exactly where my heroine can find it (back of the fridge, to the left of the lettuce crisper, behind the mustard). It amused me, so I did it. Thanks to her unholy powers, my heroine can now understand her smart-mouthed Jack Russell Terrier. I had fun with it. In fact, I suspect Pirate the dog is my editor’s favorite character. I wouldn’t have been at all surprised if Pirate helped talk my editor into buying The Accidental Demon Slayer.

Debra: As a dog lover I am now doubly intrigued. Wouldn't it be fun to have a talking dog?

Angie: 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?

Debra: Not exactly dreamed, but I did think of the idea for this book at about 3:30 a.m. as I fed my infant son. I was the only one awake in the house (he promptly fell asleep as he ate) and since he was a newborn and I was waking up with him every 2-3 hours, I’d say my world felt a bit hazy at that time.

Debra: Hmm, maybe there is something about that haze which was similar to a dream state?

Angie: I’d do a lot of thinking about books I’d read or books I’d like to write. When I had an idea, I’d jot it down for the morning. Usually, when I woke up the next day, I wouldn’t be able to make heads or tails of my notes. But then one morning, I saw this idea: “What about a preschool teacher who is forced to run off with a gang of geriatric biker witches?” And I thought, “Hey, now that might be fun!” Five months later, I had the completed manuscript for The Accidental Demon Slayer.

Debra: Fascinating.

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

Angie: I think I’ve read every Nancy Drew book at least once. I also loved Encyclopedia Brown and a series called The Mad Scientists’ Club.

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?

Angie: I think I’d write the paranormals I’m writing right now. I just love creating new worlds and the characters that inhabit them. I can’t think of a better way to go.

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?

Angie: My characters had to take bigger chances, have more to risk and lose. It’s easy to say, but a hard thing for a writer to do. It’s a vulnerable, risky place to be. I knew my story was big enough to sell when instead of ending my writing sessions thinking, “I hope that’s good enough to impress an editor.” I ended them thinking, “No. I did not just write that. I did not just make my character defend herself with a toilet brush and a can of Purple Prairie Clover air freshener.”

So my advice to other writers would be to write big, dream big and enjoy the ride.

Debra: Excellent advice.

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

--------------------
Debra's News/Debra is Watching:

Last week was like a dream (well actually it was a dream come true) with the release of my first novel, A Desperate Journey, from Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

It is now available in eBook form and will be out in print March 31, 2009.

buy my book here

visit my website

Make-Believe Mondays Announces The Release Of Debra's First Novel

Today I am thrilled to announce the release of my first novel, A Desperate Journey, published by Samhain Publishing on July 22, 2008.

A DESPERATE JOURNEY
ISBN: 1-60504-074-6
Length: Novel
Price: 5.50
Publication Date: July 22, 2008
Cover art by Angela Waters

Sometimes a journey of the heart is the most dangerous journey of all.

Sally Wheeler learned the hard way that men aren’t always what they seem. Now she will stop at nothing to track down the bigamist husband who stole her child and abandoned her on their failing Kansas farm. Even if it means traveling with a handsome maverick who could change her mind about men.

Free after spending seven years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, Rob Truman aims to balance the scales of justice on the man who sent him there—Luke Wheeler. His quest doesn’t include falling for the one woman who will lead him to his quarry, but Sally’s courage in the face of her fear touches his soul.

Through dangerous days and nights on the trail, neither Sally nor Rob can ignore their growing feelings for each other. Yet both are haunted by the poor judgment that, in the past, led them down the wrong road. Love—and trust—are luxuries neither of them can afford.

But as the bullets start flying, love may be all that saves them—and Sally’s son.

***************************

Today, Tuesday, July 22nd 2008

I am blogging over on
Samhain Weblog

and celebrating the book launch in a live internet book launch over at
the Samhain Cafe

from 10:00 to 1:00 am Eastern
and again from 3:00 to 5:00 pm Eastern
and 7:30 to 12:00 pm Eastern

Come and join me!

*************************

I have a new website
www.debraprmley.com

My publisher is
Samhain Publishing

And this is where you can purchase my book
My Books And More

Make-Believe Mondays With Debra Parmley

Today on Make-Believe Mondays, I am simply introducing myself. My first novel, A Desperate Journey, is being released July 22 by Samhain Publishing as an eBook.

Next week, instead of an author interview, I will provide links to my new website (which will be up soon), my publisher, and the site where you can purchase the book. Then we will return to the regular schedule of author interviews. But this week, I simply want to answer the same questions I've been asking my author friends for the last three years. Everyone receives the same questions, yet each interview is as unique as a fingerprint. It's one of the reasons I so enjoy hosting this blog.

Since I am interviewing myself, I'll simply list the questions and answer them.

1.) First, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.

I'm polishing a contemporary romance which is almost ready for submission. It's the story of a widow whose husband is killed by a random act of violence. She cocoons herself, allowing her world to shrink in upon her in order to feel safe. Then she wins a Caribbean cruise and meets a man who is a hell fighter. (The men who put out fires on oil rigs. There is also a John Wayne movie by this name.) The last thing she wants is to fall in love with a man who lives so dangerously. Yet she does and he teaches her to face her fears. He sees the woman she really is, deep inside.

This was actually a story I wrote some time ago, but I have found that having gone through the editing process to prepare my first novel for release, I learned so much that all the previous manuscripts now need some fine tuning.

I also have seven other manuscripts in various stages of development. Historical romance, paranormal romance, contemporary romance and a fantasy.

2.) 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?

I am constantly filling my cup with experiences. I am a world traveler, not a tourist. I like to eat where the taxi driver takes his family, to listen to local musicians, hear or read the folk tales, visit the historic sites, understand the people to the best of my ability. I want to see the local artwork, not the gift shops. I want to experience life, not simply observe. Though I have closed my travel consulting business I will always be a world traveler, a life traveler.

Nature fills my creative cup. I like to watch clouds, to wiggle my toes in the sand as the ocean washes over them, to snorkle above a coral reef, to listen to birds singing in the trees. I love the scent of the Tiare flower of Tahiti as it drifts on the breeze. Every sense fills my creative well.

I also like to play the "what if" game of imagination and to play with words. Play is an integral part of staying creative. I dance. I read widely, across genre. I listen to music of all kinds, I enjoy theatre and art museums. Sometimes I color with crayons. I blow bubbles. I enjoy being silly, and I look for the joy in each day.

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

I am a character driven author rather than a plot driven author and always begin with the heroine. She is in a situation and something changes for her. As I write, just around chapter three, I start to get a real good picture of who she is and will usually begin to hear her and know what she would and wouldn't do, and how she will react to people and events. Usually this means my first three chapters will either be entirely re-written or scrapped. This is what happened with my first novel, A Desperate Journey, once Bobbi Smith told me the story really began in chapter three. I revised it, entered it in the American Title II contest and Dorchester Publishing selected me as a finalist. If I had not carved those first chapters out, this story would never have made it to publication. After writing the second novel, I realized this three chapter mark was my process. It has held true for every story I have written so far.

4.) 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?

I love to play with words. For the fantasy I am working on I have created a world and fantasy creatures which needed their own unique words. This is where I am most playful with language and one of the things I enjoy about writing fantasy.

5.) 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?

For the past three years I have been fascinated with dreams and the subconscious. Many times something I dream will end up in my fiction. I now keep a dream journal by my bed to try to capture the imagery down before it flits away, but this is tricky as so often I can't remember everything.

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

As a child I devoured books, even took them out to the playground at recess. I read quickly so I would get my work done and then open a book and read while the rest of the class caught up. Favorites were Nancy Drew, Alice in Wonderland, Anne of Green Gables, The Boxcar Children, Pippi Longstocking, Island of the Blue Dolphins, Robinson Crusoe, fairy tales both Grimms and Hans Christian Anderson. Sleeping Beauty was a favorite fairy tale and I named all my dolls Aurora.

7.) 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?

I am playing with the idea of a poem-story where the story is made up of a series of poems. I also am working with an unusual structure to my fantasy novel but as it is not finished yet, I'm unable to explain it here.

8.) 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?

Just this. Our dreams come from deep within, and we must follow them. We must guard them from those who would tug on them and hold us and the dream down. We must take risks and try again and again when we fail. And we must never give up. Dreams do come true, we can reach those mountain tops that seem so far away at first and when we do, the view from the top is simply stunning. The feeling is beyond wonderful. The joy is indescribable.

Next Tue I will be celebrating the release of my first book from yet another mountain top with great joy and a bit of the bubbly. Perhaps you might hear the echo of the champagne popping from far away.

I would like to thank each of you for joining me on Make-believe Mondays to share a little bit of the magic of writing.

Make Believe Mondays With Alison Mackie

Today on Make-Believe Mondays, my guest is Alison Mackie. Alison writes tales about the Gypsies, or Romani.

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

Alison: It’s a continuation of The Gypsy Chronicles, entitled ‘The Big Trick’ and its a cautionary tale warning of the dangers of pornography. The tales are related with a folksy raised brow, old world charm and in the same spirit of innocence as The Gypsy Chronicles but because of the subject matter I am introducing a few unsavory characters… Senor Balderamo is the village purveyor of porn and his leading lady, Roxana el Rojo, the most immoral woman alive on Earth. Balderamo is determined to acquire one of Tzigany’s charmed Matrimonial beds but of course Tzigany does not sell to demented sex fiends; to do so would diminish the currency of his imagination. For no sum of money will he sell his charmed Matrimonial beds to anybody except for those for whom they were created: Newlyweds.

“Now that I have seen it, I shall not soon forget! I must have that bed!” cries Balderamo, and it is not long before Balderamo steals Tzigany and Gitana’s own Matrimonial bed. The Big Trick centers around getting the bed back. In the process, my Gypsies have a very important lesson to teach Balderamo and Roxana el Rojo about the true nature of love, and the dangers of abusing ones ‘creativity.’

Debra: I can't wait to read this one! Such an intriguing tale!

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?

Alison: I listen to great Gypsy music! Works like a charm. I watched the Spanish Sequence of Tony Gatlif’s musical documentary Latcho Drom hundreds of times whilst writing The Gypsy Chronicles. Like magic, the music charmed my words, deepening their meaning. Some of the characters leaped from the film right into the pages of my tales! With The Big Trick, I find myself listening a lot to the great Gypsy musicians featured in my top friends on Myspace. Each one inspires my words.

Debra: Thank you for sharing the Gypsy music on your MySpace page. I have enjoyed listening and dancing to it (as you know I also belly dance) and I find it is such a passionate music.

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

Alison: I feel them long before I see or hear them. The waggle of Tzigany’s brow and his swaggering playfulness delights me, and it is always the sensation I wish to convey. The rest (physical attributes) are details. Upon the silver screen of my imagination I see Tzigany as Benecio del Toro and Gitana as Catherine Zeta Jones.

Debra: Alison, you are the first author to have mentioned feeling your characters first. This is fascinating.

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?

Alison: All the time. But invented words are very tricky to use. Once I invented a charming euphemism for a man’s dangly bits: His himminess! I treasured the word for its originality and was very dear to me, this word. I never used it however, because it called too much attention to itself. Like a speed bump, a wrong word can stick out in such a way that it interrupts the reader’s attention. Invented words are fun, but tricky to pull off.

Debra: Yes, they are tricky. And any euphemism for a man's "dangly bits" is a bit tricky to pull off as well. ;-)

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?

Alison: It happens at 4:00 a.m., dream gazing at the computer screen. Words and rich ideas find me in this state and create within me a wholly satisfying writing experience. By six a.m. I am fully awake, in a different state of mind, and the writing reflects this.

Debra: For me it is 3:00 a.m. If I'm to receive any sort of message, or creative surge in the wee hours, that would be it. If it is strong enough, it will wake me. There is something about those early morning hours....

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

Alison: Pippi Longstocking. I was massively impressed by indifference to conventionality. I wore braids in honor of Pippi and slept with my feet on the pillow too!

Debra: What fun! I loved Pippi. Poured over that story again and again.

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?

Alison: Oscar Wilde once remarked “Nothing succeeds like excess” and I keep this firmly in mind as I write. I rise to the occasion of my imagination, but always with a desire to please the reader. If I could be as wild as I please perhaps I would add to my book holographic images instead of plain illustrations or scratch and sniff areas enabling readers to smell the perfume worn by the characters. Things to deepen the sensory experience.

I invite you to enjoy the Gypsy musicians on my Myspace page:

www.myspace.com/lacafedealegria

Debra: I love the idea of adding sensory experiences to the reading.

Alison, 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, you may enjoy the gypsy music on Alisons site as much as I do. Be sure to visit and say hello.
-------------------
Debra's News/Debra is watching:

Lately one of the things I have been watching is the countdown on my MySpace page to celebrate the release of my first novel. Today though, I returned home from a holiday weekend away to realize the counter has a problem. So I'll have to straighten that out if I can. Final line edits approval should happen any day now. My new web designer is working on the website. I am planning a few online events to celebrate the release of the book.

A Desperate Journey will be available July 22, 2008. Not long now!