Make-believe Mondays

Make-Believe Mondays takes a short break this week

2010-08-30T14:29:00.001-05:00

Make-Believe Mondays is taking a short break this week while I iron out some details such as why my website is down. Emails sent to me at debra@debraparmley.com are of course not coming in while this problem exists so if you have emailed me about being interviewed on Make-Believe Mondays please be patient.

Next week interviews resume and on Sept 6th my guest is Julia Knight.

Thank you for your patience.

Debra

Make-Believe Mondays With Fiona Jayde

2010-08-23T15:33:00.001-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Fiona Jayde.

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?

FJ: I actually am very active in "filling my cups" :) I call it input and output (I'm a web geek) and I'm very conscious of keeping the ratio at an equilibrium.

I'm an avid reader which is a constant source of inspiration. I'm also a huge fan of NETFLIX - which is terrific not only for ideas but also for research. I gorge on all sorts of things - from documentaries about priceless art which disappeared in WWII to my current fascination with The Tudors.

Debra: Input and output. I like that. :-)

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

FJ: Yes - very much so! This usually happens at the end of the first draft - just in time for revisions! (This is sometimes hard because those same characters try to take over and deviate from the plot - and the control freak in me, well, freaks!

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?

FJ: I have - though I cheat:) Being bilingual in English and Russian, I often combine Russian translations of words into new ways to come up with a new word. This really helps when naming planets or ships or technology parts or not-yet-discovered metal ores.

Debra: Oh yes, it would. How fascinating!

As a child did any particular book or author pull you into their imaginary world?
FJ: My parents were very clever in getting me to read - they read aloud the Wizard Of Oz until they got to the middle of the book and then told me to read the rest myself. The Russian version of the Wizard of Oz is actually part of a series of books (the last one being about Aliens coming to kingdom) and I absolutely loved the fantasy world that the author had created. I consistently re-read those books as I grew up - in fact I still have them in my library:)

Debra: Now I'm wishing I could read Russian so I could read those as well.

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?

FJ: I think dreams and imagination is really only 50 percent in creating fiction. I know a number of people who are wildly imaginative, insanely creative - but who don't really get things done. Creativity and talent is one thing, but discipline is really what ends up making good fiction. The "Butt in seat" syndrome:)

Debra: Yes, so very true. Otherwise we'd all be staring out the windows daydreaming instead of sitting in front of our computers. :-)

Fiona Jayde, 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 please visit www.fionajayde.com

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Debra's News/Debra is Watching:

It's been a busy week and this week promises to be busy as well with remodeling of the livingroom almost done. This is the part I do, the furniture and window coverings, lighting and decorations. I'm loving the new hardwood floors and wondering why anyone would want carpet in the main rooms. Going with a more open, less cluttered look. Clean, open, airy and organized. I'm getting organized in many areas of my life, including my writing as well. I believe I'll be more productive that way.

The agent search continues. I have a partial out with one agent and plan to send out more very soon.

Authors of fiction who wish to be interviewed on Make-Believe Mondays please use the form on my website

www.debraparmley.com

or email me.

Make-Believe Monday with Mary Eason

2010-08-16T12:27:00.004-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Mary Eason.

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

Mary: Standing On The Edge Of Goodbye is an inspirational romance about second chances. Matt Stevens is finished with life. Grieving the death of his son, Matt withdraws from humanity, sequestering himself in a mountain cabin far from the reaches of anything human-anything that may remind him of the life he can no longer have...that is until Kate Alexander arrives on his doorstep and begins to strip away the bitterness he carries in his heart.
Running from an abusive ex-husband who tried to murder her, Kate Alexander's life is turned upside-down. Learning of her grandmother's death-the only woman who ever believed in her-is almost Kate's complete undoing, especially when the devastating news comes from a man so lacking in human emotion he may as well be a robot. Yet, Kate is drawn to Matt Stevens in a way she's never before experienced. Could there be more to this unlikely friend of her Grandmother's-something beyond the cold surface he presents to the world?

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?

Mary: By reading. I love to read. It not only ignites my creative juices, but it helps me to relax and unwind.

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

Mary: When I first begin a story, it starts with a basic idea that might come to me in a dream or from something I’ve read or head on TV. From there the characters begin to come alive along with the storyline. I usually simmer on a new book idea for a few days to get the backbone of the story mapped out in my head. And then, well then the characters take over and it never ends up like I expected.

Debra: That's part of the fun of writing, I think. The way characters and stories can surprised you.

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?

Mary: No, I cannot say that I’ve played with words. In some of my romantic suspense stories, I have taken certain liberties with law enforcement procedures and protocol, but that’s entirely different.

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?

Mary: Definitely. I’d say about 80% of my stories come to be in dreams. Many times, I’ll dream most of the story that ends up becoming a book.

Debra: How wonderful to have such a vivid dream life. Some of the best stories have come from dreams.

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

Mary: I was a huge Victoria Holt and Phyllis Whitney fan growing up. They’ve definitely influenced my romantic suspense writing.

Debra: Oh I was a fan too. :-) Devoured their books

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?

Mary: Its funny you should say that because that’s pretty much my process for getting a new book typed. I start with my idea then allow myself to simply write. I don’t worry about boundaries, or genres or pleasing anyone but the characters in my head.

Debra: Awesome to be writing with complete freedom.

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?

Mary: I believe that as a writer, my next book is limited only by my imagination. And there’s nothing more intimidating or exciting than sitting down in front of a blank computer screen and writing those first few words that later become the story of your dreams.

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

Mary: Thanks for allowing me to spend time with you and your readers.

Debra: It's been a pleasure.

Readers can visit Mary at

www.maryeason.com

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Debra's News/Debra is Watching:

Continuing revisions on the novella, also planning to submit to another agent on my list of preferred agents this week. While it is not true that once you are published you'll never get another rejection letter, I have had two of the nicest ones I've ever received from agents recently. It's important that I match up with the right agent for me, so I am far from discouraged. The letters tell me that it's more about finding the right match that it is about my writing or this story. And the right match is worth waiting for.

What else is new? Lately I've been getting emails from various people wanting writing advice, so I decided to post in the notes section of my facebook fan page. I'll do that every so often and pick topics which relate to the questions I'm getting.

And I also have some spots on the Make-Believe Mondays calendar to fill. If you are an author of fiction you can request an interview using the form on my website,
www.debraparmley.com
or by sending me an email.

Until next time,

Love and Light,

Debra

Make-Believe Monday with Anne Calhoun

2010-08-09T17:34:00.008-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Anne Calhoun.

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

Anne: I've just finished another set of revisions to a contemporary romantic suspense I began in 2007 and set aside for months at a time to work on other projects. The hero is an undercover cop and the heroine owns the bar he's sneakily managed to get a job in because he suspects she's working with a gang to run drugs and guns. She's got secrets, of course, but working with a drug lord isn't one of them. ;-) This is a straightforward romantic suspense, emphasis on romantic, and a departure from my more familiar work in the erotic romance subgenre. I'm also in the middle of a single title length erotic novel with a secret lover theme. I tend to work on a project, set it aside, work on something else, come back to Project A, repeat ad infinitum until I reach "done" and submit the book somewhere.

Debra: Now I'm wondering what secrets she has, of course. ;-) That is my writing process as well. From one to the other.

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?

Anne: Very good question. I asked an author I really, really admire this question at a recent conference and she said, "I'm not. I want the summer off to be with my kids, so right now it's work, work, work." I'm not in her position (multiple contracts with multiple publishers) so I can rejuvenate at will! To keep my cup filled I read outside the romance genre. I'm a huge fan of Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan series. My editor introduced me to Connie Willis and I've become the Ambassador of Connie Willis, talking her up to anyone I know, because her books are so thought provoking and well-written. The same goes for Laurie R. King, Mary Doria Russell, Geraldine Brooks...smart, women writing smart, smart books. Basically I graze on whatever fiction or non-fiction catches my interest. I see a writer's brain as a big compost heap. If I put in good stuff (meaning writing that is above, way above, my own writing level and from a variety of sources - other genres, newspapers, magazines, movies, TV shows, life in general) and let it sit, occasionally turning it to add oxygen and microbes/chocolate, I'll get good compost (meaning good ideas, dialogue, metaphors, language, etc) back out. It's a slow process.

Debra: What a great way to explain it. Yes, if we want to get the good stuff to come out, we need to put the good stuff in. It's all fodder for the page. :-)

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

Anne: My characters come alive through dialogue. When they start talking at inconvenient times - the grocery store, the car, church - they're coming alive in my brain. But I often don't know them well until I've been through several drafts of the book, beginning to end. I think Jenny Crusie said she writes fifty to a hundred drafts of her books. I'm not quite there, but it's close. I need to see and hear them in multiple situations before they and, more importantly, their interactions with the other characters, become clear to me.

Debra: Wow, fifty to a hundred. That's a lot!

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

Anne: Yes, although perhaps not children's books. I remember being completely enthralled by Terry Brooks' Shannara series, as well as the Dragonlance books, the early ones, but I was a teenager when this happened. The books that really did this for me, thought, were the early Clive Cussler books - Raise the Titanic and Night Train. But, without a doubt, the very first time this happened was with Kathleen E Woodiwiss's A Rose in Winter. That book was serialized in a women's magazine in the early '80's and I read the magazine version, then went to the library and got all her books. I was perhaps ten or eleven at that point, probably too young for the content, but for better or worse, my parents never censored my reading material.

Debra: It's nice to have parents and librarians who don't censor the reading. So often a child's reading level will be way above their grade level. And so often those readers grow up to be authors. So you were drawn to romance at a very early age!

Anne: I've always been captivated by the romance element in fiction/movies (not Cussler's though, LOL), and it's why I'll watch the first Bourne movie over and over, but couldn't care less about the next two. When Marie dies minutes into the second movie, I was like, "WTF is that all about?" I kept watching at that point only for Matt Damon eye candy, and Joan Allen's wonderful performance. At my sister's urging I recently watched Battlestar Galactica on DVD. About halfway through the fifth season I emailed her and said, "If Starbuck and Apollo don't end up together, I'm going to be pissed!" She wrote back and said, "This is not a series specializingin happy endings, Anne." That's all she said. My sister = voice of reason. I realized then that I'm hardwired to search for the HEA (happy every after), even in the most desperate of situations. That said, BSG is one of the best TV series I've ever watched (after The Wire) and I can't recommend it enough.

Debra: Sisters are great for that, aren't they? :-) And now I am going to have to search for that series because I've never seen 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?

Anne: Questions like that make my brain shut down! I have a terrible time suspending disbelief. I watch actionmovies and think, "Yeah, that's just like my life. Yup. Every week some guy comes into my supermarket and takes everyone hostage, then falls in love with the FBI agent sent to bring him in before they team up to use fifty crates of ketchup, a bottle of vinegar, and a tube sock to blow the entire strip mall to kingdom come." It's TERRIBLE! I'm completely unable to enjoy just about anything produced in Hollywood today, LOL. That's why I loved The Wire to the point of watching it back to back to back the night the DVDs arrived from Netflix, and dreaming about the characters. But when a fictional work does grab me, a la BSG, I am completely and totally there.

Debra: :-) LOL I dislike grocery shopping so much that, well it's probably a good thing that doesn't really happen at our supermarkets or I'd never go. Well unless they were going to blow things up with ketchup. LOL Now that might make it worthwhile. ;-)

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?

Anne: Imagination's a funny thing. One book I frequently recommend to creative folks is Twyla Tharp's The creative Habit. In that book she talks about creative DNA, about the way we use our chosen art form to say something about the world. I see happily ever afters, and that's just the way I am. (Interestingly/FWIW I don't see them in real life. Fall in love/get married or don't. Makes no difference to me. But in ficiton...don't pull the rug out from under me, and make me believe the HEA is real, heart-felt, and life-long.) We all have our own creative DNA, and I think we do our best work when we honor that and apply ourselves diligently to bringing that vision out to the best of our ability.

I also believe that while some of our creative instincts are deeply embedded, we will grow and change as artists. I love to see my favorite authors trying something new because it tells me they're growing as people. I may not like their new endeavors, but the artist side of me is happy they're putting stuff into the compost heap and getting rich new earth out.

Debra: Another great book to be added to the to be read list. Thank you! And Anne, I want to thank thank you for joining me here on this Make-Believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers. May your compost heap always be full of good things and rich new earth to write with.

Readers may visit Anne at
www.annecalhoun.com
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Debra's News/Debra is Watching:

This weekend I was in Atlanta where my friend Amani put on a wonderful bellydance workshop with the marvelous Mahoumed Reda. It was one of those experiences of a lifetime and reminded me how much joy there is in the dance.

I believe life is meant to be danced, lived and written about.

And in the news? One of the things which came through my Twitter while I was away dancing was the news re:Dorchester Publishing Update.
This is also the business model for my publishing house, Samhain. Books are released first as e-books then six to eight months later in trade paperback.

I've believed for some time that books are in more forms than most publishers can afford to keep producing. We have hardbacks, mass market paperbacks, trade paperbacks and e-books. Last year I was at a writers conference having this exact conversation and I remember saying I believed at least one of the forms is going to fall away. Will it be mass market? I don't have a crystal ball, but it's kind of looking that way, isn't it?

So what is an author to do? Well, life is a dance and in this dance the music keeps changing. We don't control the music. It does no good to stand around complaining about the music. And standing around isn't really living. We can only control how we dance to it and what partners we dance with. But if we keep dancing and living and writing...if we do that we may just find joy in the dance.

www.debraparmley.com

Until next time keep dancing.

Love and light,

Debra

Make-Believe Monday with Teresa Noelle-Roberts

2010-08-02T12:42:00.004-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Teresa Noelle-Roberts.

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

Teresa: Manuscript? Singular? If only my brain was that straightforward.
First there's the brand-new book, Foxes' Den, which is the second work in the Duals and Donovans series from Samhain.

As for works in progress, I'm writing two paranormal series for two different publishers and have installments for each underway.
For Samhain, I'm working on the next book in the Duals and Donovans series, which includes Lions' Pride and Foxes' Den. The third book, tentatively called Shamans' Sanctuary, stars the sexy cousin of Rafe, one of the heroes from Lions' Pride. It has duals (my version of shifters), Native American shamans, evil sorcerers, a broken-hearted female cop who discovers her shamanic gifts, and guest appearances by the three main characters of Lions' Pride.

For Phaze, I'm winding up the Seasons of Sorania Cycle of slightly kinky fantasy romance (Lady Sun Has Risen, Rain at Midsummer and the forthcoming Threshing the Grain) with The Longest Night. It's a holiday story with a twist, set during this culture's version of Yule or Winter Solstice celebrations. What would you do if a sexy naked satyr stumbles into your house, desperately in need of your help, while you're getting ready for the holidays? Laeca soesn't quite tie a bow on him, but it becomes clear the gods have sent them to each other as a gift.

And if two paranormals aren't enough, I'm also working on a sexy contemporary comedy with my coauthor Dayle A Dermatis. We write together as Sophie Mouette.

Debra: Quite a few in the works then. One good thing about having so many is that it helps prevent writers block. You can always go work on a different one when the first one starts to slow down.

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?

Teresa: If I could, I'd travel constantly. Being exposed to new places, especially ones with beautiful scenery and/or a rich history, always sparks my creativity. Since constant travel isn't feasible on a writer's budget, I explore the area where I live with a fresh eye whenever possible. A walk in the woods, a trip to the beach, a visit to some historic spot, be it Plimouth Plantations, a museum or an old factory or cemetary, can all spark something inside me. What comes out of those visits may have no obvious connection to where I've been.

I also find that various forms of creativity feed one another. In addition to writing, I belly dance, garden and cook seriously and also knit and take photographs, both with more enthusiasm than skill. The physical challenge of dance, the multi-sensory experience of cooking and gardening, and the visual and kinesthetic aspects of knitting and photography all seem to help the writing. Needless to say, I also read omnivorously.

Debra: As a former travel consultant who has visited many countries I can attest to that. Travel expands the mind and feeds the soul. I also spend some time as a professional belly dancer and know well the challenge of dance, but also the joy and how it feeds the soul. :-)

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

Teresa: Even as a child, I read anything I could get my hands on, so I could ramble about this question for pages and pages. But I'll spare you all by focusing on one book.

T.H. White's The Once and Future King, a retelling of the King Arthur legends, has haunted me for years. The first section, The Sword in the Stone, is about Arthur's boyhood and is light-hearted enough it was made into a Disney cartoon. I'm not sure my mother realized for years that I kept reading after the story becomes dark and twisted and tragic. I think the book may have influenced me more as a writer than books I reread more often. White takes a familiar story, reinterprets it through a contemporary lens (World War II, in his case), and makes even the villains well-rounded, with understandable motivations. I'm not by any means as brilliant and scholarly as White, but I think he influenced the way I look at mythology and legend as source material-and at my tendency to put wordplay and humor into even tense scenes.

Debra: It's a beautiful thing how one book can influence a life. The magic and power of words and how words and stories stay with us. What a wonderful craft we practice. :-)

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?

I frequently dream in print and can see finished stories and poems on a page in front of me. Alas, when I wake up they're gone!

I have the first few chapters of an urban fantasy involving a djinn, a graduate student and the struggle for control of oil in the Middle East that grew out of a dream. I'm a bit daunted by the degree of research I'd need to make the book work, as it would weave in a lot of fairly obscure follklore and classical Arabic poetry as well as contemporary politics.

Debra: Oh but if you were to write that one.... Well if you do, be sure to let me know as I'd want to read it.

Is there anything else you'd like to share with our readers?

Teresa: You can catch more of my rambles at
www.teresanoelleroberts.blogspot.com or friend me on Facebook. I'm there as Teresa Noelle Roberts. My website is www.teresanoelleroberts.com", but I'll warn you it's perpetually under construction.

Teresae, 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:

I will be away for several days this week visiting the Atlanta area, combining my love of travel with my love of belly dance and of course my writing. Will share my adventures over on the facebook fan page upon my return.

The contemporary romance is out to two agents and fingers crossed. The novella is under revision and I am still doing research for the medieval romance. Last week I went over the manuscripts I'd started to choose one to finish next and the novella won because it was the closest to being done.

And of course trying to stay cool in the Memphis heat. It looks as if August is going to be a hot one.

Sign up over on my website for my newsletter and a chance to win an ebook. Newsletters will go out once a month starting in October.

www.debraparmley.com

Until next time, stay cool and enjoy the rest of your summer

Love and light,
Debra

Make-Believe Monday with Kimberly Troutte

2010-07-26T11:58:00.003-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Kimberly Troutte.

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

Kimberly: My newly released print book, Catch Me in Castile, is a paranormal romantic suspense set in Spain. It’s about a woman battling Anxiety Disorder who finds comfort in the healing arms of a Spanish doctor—until a fifteenth-century ghost warns her that being with the man is dangerous, possibly even lethal.

The manuscript I am working on right now is about a woman and her son who are hiding for their lives in a quiet offbeat town until the boy becomes famous from an ear surgery that allows him to hear God.

Debra: Fascinating. I have to wonder if the ear surgeon would then be swamped with requests for that same surgery.

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?

Kimberly: That’s beautiful, isn’t it? I’ve had the opportunity to hear Mr. Bradbury speak several times at the Santa Barbara Writer’s Conference. He is such an inspirational man, so full of encouragement for writers.
I keep my cup filled by playing with my kids. I have two boys who challenge me, make me laugh, keep my feet grounded, and my heart soaring. We hike in the mountains together, swim, boogie-board, dance, go to the river and try to catch polly-wogs.
Life is always exciting with two boys.

Debra: How fortunate you are! I always wanted to hear him speak but never had the chance. So I look for his writings and as I collect quotes, well this is one of my favorites. It is very beautiful.
My two sons are grown now, but I remember those days. Polly-wogs make me smile. :-)

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

Kimberly: Yes. It’s thrilling when this happens. And a little exhausting. I tend to be able to “hear” my characters best when I’m in bed, everyone else is asleep and I am starting to drop off. All of a sudden dialogue pops in to my head and I know if I don’t get up and write it down, I’ll lose it in the morning. When I am deep into writing, I will usually be up typing until 1:00 in the a.m. It is amazing when the characters take shape. And many times they will change the story once I know them a little better. This makes it fun for me and adds twists and surprises that I never anticipate.

Debra: The people in your stories must be night owls. :-) Mine are too. They refuse to speak before 10:00 am, ever. lol

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

Kimberly: As a kid, I read all of my dad’s hand-me-down books. I was enthralled by novels that where set in exotic locales, like those written by James Clavell, Leon Uris, and Pearl S. Buck. Anya Seton wrote a book called Green Darkness that took place in the past and present and made me want to write something similar when I grew up.

Debra: Now there's another book to add to the to be read list. Thank you.

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?

Kimberly: Imagination is like magic. It creates new worlds, new lives, intricate stories. Imagination is what allows a writer to play the “what-if” game. For Catch Me in Castile I had a lot of what-if questions. What if a woman who thinks she is losing her mind is the only person who can see a 15th Century ghost? What if that ghost tells her she is in danger? Imagination is the key.

Debra: So very true, Kimberly. Excellent thoughts to leave us with. Imagination is the key.
Thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to talk about imagination and creation and to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.

Kimberly: Thank you for having me!

Debra: It's been my pleasure.

Readers please visit Kimberly at

www.kimberlytroutte.com

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Debra's News/Debra is watching this week:
I'll be uploading pics from various author events onto Debra's facebook fan page
Thank you to everyone who made the switch over from my personal page to my fan page. I simply don't have time to keep up with a personal page (which is one reason I shut it down) and the pubic pages and still have the time I need to write. And really, the writing needs to come first. :-)

So how is the writing coming along? Well there's a completed manuscript waiting for the right agent to fall in love with it so it can find a home. Then there are the uncompleted manuscripts which are calling to me even now.

www.debraparmley.com
This fall there will be some changes to the website and I plan to start sending out a monthly newsletter.

Debra on MySpace
Here you can find some photos from my travels around the world. I'll add to those periodically.

But for now, I am off to write!

Until next time, stay cool and enjoy your summer. Each day is a gift.

Love and light,

Debra

Make-Believe Monday with Meg Benjamin

2010-07-19T07:30:00.001-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Meg Benjamin.

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

Meg: My fourth Konigsburg book, Long Time Gone, was just published by Samhain Publishing on July 6. It’s the story of Erik Toleffson, a reformed bully and petty criminal who’s now the chief of police. Obviously, he needs to prove himself. Here’s the blurb:
A future with the woman of his dreams is within his grasp…if the past will stay that way.
Konigsburg, Book 4
Erik Toleffson wasn’t looking to become Chief of Police. He’s got enough trouble trying to rebuild his relationship with his three brothers who, until just recently, ran the other way when he approached. He’s not the bully they grew up with, but bad memories are tough to overcome.
Morgan Barrett is as worn out as a vat full of crushed grape skins. She never planned to run Cedar Creek Winery, but there’s no one else to shoulder the load as her father recovers from an injury. All she needs is a little sleep. Just a five-minute nap in the booth at the Dew Drop Inn…if that guy across the bar would stop staring at her as if putting her head down on the table is a crime.
After Morgan yawns in Erik’s face, there’s nowhere to go but up. With time, though, their relationship warms like a perfectly blended Bordeaux. Until the shady mayor digs into Erik’s past and dredges up information that could drive a permanent wedge between him and his brothers—and sour any chance of a future with Morgan.
Warning: Contains hot sex with mango sherbet, crooked politicians, yuppie bikers, Bored Ducks, and a Maine Coon Cat with attitude.

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?

Meg: I think it’s important to read while you write, and not just people who write the same things you do. For example, I love mystery writer Jane Haddam, who’s about as unromantic as you can get. But she’s an absolute whiz at creating characters, particularly villains who are awful people but still fascinating in their own right. I’ve learned a lot from her, and from wonderful prose stylists like Sarah Smith, James Lee Burke and Eloisa James. I’ll never write like they do, but I love to read their books just to experience their style.

Debra: Oh, I agree. I'm believe authors should read as widely as possible. Good writing is good writing, whatever the genre.

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

Meg: I’m a total planner—I need to have most of the plot worked out in advance (although I find I always veer off into unexpected areas no matter how much planning I do). I plan the characters too, but people are always a lot harder to pin down. As they talk to each other, I begin to get to know them, and I find myself thinking “Wouldn’t it be interesting if he did this?” or “Why would he feel like that?” As the characters become characters, that is, as they become people, they start to move in directions I never planned—and that’s a lot of fun!

Debra: It's great when those characters come alive and start driving the story. Of course not being a plotter or planner I like that part. lol I've always wondered how authors in the other camp felt about it when it happens.

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

Meg: I loved the Narnia books when I was a child, and a book called Half-Magic about a family of children who find a magic coin, only it only provides you with half of what you wish for! Both of these series start in the real and work to the fantastic, which is my favorite way of doing things.

Debra: Oh I must look for Half-Magic. Hadn't heard of that one. Loved Narnia as well.

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?

Meg: Imagination doesn’t necessarily have to be wild—I’m working on an urban fantasy that takes place here in the foothills suburbs of Denver. Sometimes it’s more fun to take something familiar and everyday and see what happens when you introduce a foreign element that shakes everything up.

Debra: And that's where most good stories begin. On the day the shakes everything up.

Meg, 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 visit Meg at
www.megbenjamin.com
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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

Continuing the agent search this week I will be sending out the contemp manuscript to a few agents. Tidying up the word files and the hard copy files this week as well. Had no idea I had so many stories started. Files constist of novel length manuscripts started, one novella which needs to be completed, short stories I wrote several years ago and hundreds of poems. I'm always writing something and should have the files better organized. I'm finding random bits of writing tucked into files and yes even once piece written on a napkin. Now it's not that I think every little thing I've written must be saved. Oh no. In fact the second half of the manuscript I'm now sending to agents had been tossed out and completely redone. That's half a book. But the thing about these bits of writings is that they contain story ideas, character ideas, etc. and those I do not want to lose. So I guess I've become a bit of a paper pack rack and something must be done about that. At least getting it all into files where I can find what I'm looking for when I want it in hand.

www.debraparmley.com

Make-Believe Monday with M J Frederick

2010-06-28T13:24:00.004-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is M J Frederick.

Welcome M J! First, please tell us a little bit about the manuscript
you’re working on now.

MJ: Thanks so much for having me! I love talking writing! Right now I’m revising a straight contemporary romance which combines a friends-to-lovers element with a road trip from Minnesota to Seattle during a snowstorm. I’m having so much fun building the tension! I’m also playing with the plot of a new romantic suspense that takes place on a cruise ship. I hope to start working on that one later this week.

Debra: It's a pleasure having you here. Road trips certainly have a way of bringing people together or pushing them apart, add a snowstorm and it just intensifies. I have a completed contemp set on a cruise ship also, which I'm sending out to agents currently. I'm partial to romance on the sea from all the trips I took while working as a travel consultant. Bet that one will be fun for you to write!

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?

M J: My very favorite thing is to go to the museum. It’s free on Tuesday nights, and when I’m there, I just want to grab a pen and notebook and start writing. It’s nothing in particular that I see, but the atmosphere fills me up. Also, going to historical buildings. Here in San Antonio, we have the Alamo and the missions. Those always light a spark in me.

Debra: Wonderful ideas all!

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

M J: If they don’t, I know I have a problem. If they aren’t real for me, I worry they won’t be real for the reader. Sometimes it’s that I haven’t spent enough time with them, or didn’t do enough to develop their personalities. When I first started writing, I wasn’t writing every day so I spent a lot longer thinking about my characters. I had characters set in a certain town near my grandparents’ place and now every time I drive through that town I think of those characters! I really should revisit that story….

Debra: Oh, yes, it sounds as if they are calling to you.

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?

M J: How funny you should ask. Beneath the Surface, my July Samhain book (in print July 6!) came from a dream. I dreamed of archaeologists working in the jungle and being kidnapped by guerillas. I fully intended to write that book, but the dh pointed out it could get pretty gritty, especially for the heroine. Around that time, one of the cable stations started playing the movie Twister a lot. I was drawn into the reunion aspect of the story, and Beneath the Surface took off from there.

Debra: Fascinating. Hmm maybe there are two books emerging from your dream. Dream worlds can be so rich and vivid.

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

M J: Trixie Belden! I recently rebuilt my collection. I loved the friendships of those novels, the adventures, the different settings. I wanted to be Honey Wheeler so bad. Then there were the Little House on the Prairie books, which weren’t imaginary, I guess, but I loved traveling back in time to her world (as long as I could eat Double-Stuff Oreos while reading them!)

Debra: Oh, I wanted to be Honey Wheeler too. (And don't tempt me with those Double-Stuff Oreos now, or I'll be in trouble.) lol

M J 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 please visit M J at
www.mjfredrick.com
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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

I'll be chatting more on my Facebook Fan Page, as I close my personal page. Soon there will be pics from writing events I've attended (and yes some of those handsome cover models) as well as talk about the writing life. Stay tuned.

I'll be writing this week on Tue and Wed most of the day. Also plan to get a partial of the contemporary romance in the mail to an agent I've had my eye on. ;-) Wish me luck!

www.debraparmley.com

Until next time, stay cool in this summer heat and have a Happy Fourth of July!

Love, light and joy,

Debra

Make-Believe Monday with Christine Price

2010-06-21T13:37:00.004-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Christine Price. Christine, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.

Christine: Well, my new work (due out in September from Carina Press) is a horror-romance hybrid, which focuses on a young man with psychic powers who falls into the clutches of a mad scientist, only to find love in the most unexpected place.

Debra: How exciting to be one of the first authors at Carina Press! Congrats! It sounds like an exciting story.

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 draw inspiration from a LOT of different places. Whether it’s a particularly memorable episode of The Tudors or a good book, I seem to be unable to stop myself from suddenly getting a trillion ideas racing through my head all at once. The only problem with that is that it conflicts with my attention span, which is roughly that of a goldfish. I always have a half-dozen serious projects going on at once, and another dozen waiting for my attention on the backburner.

Debra: The Tudors, hmm I need to check that one out. Thank you. It's nice to have more than one project going. I'm a firm believer in that and suspect it prevents writers block. Because if one story frustrates on any given day there's the option to jump over to the other one!

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

Christine: Characters for me are interesting. I tend to come up with small snippets of dialogue first. From there, I start wondering what sort of person would actually SAY the stuff that’s suddenly appeared on my screen. From there, it just tends to escalate. When they really start showing up for me, though, is when I find a song that reminds me of them. Take one of my newest characters, Matt. I love him to death, and a large part of his character was developed while I was listening to “Falling For the First Time” by the Barenaked Ladies.

Debra: Fascinating. I've been doing these interviews for four years now and you're the first author to say this about songs.

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?

Christine: Absolutely! One of my first passions was high fantasy, and I spent a whole year working on a project that needed about three different unique languages (all of them to come up with a way to say ‘zombie’ strangely enough). I’ve never gone so far as to actually create an entire language (the prospect terrifies me), but I think that every good fantasy writer has the ability to develop something unique to their world, and often that defies the languages that already exist.

Debra: Yes, so true. Hmm you have me wondering how many different ways there are to say zombie now. :-)

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?

Christine: I’ll be honest: the entire premise for Soul Bond was based on a dream. As I recall, the dream actually started out on a pirate ship, but Julian and Ellis were very definitely there. When I saw the open call Samhain had going on for space opera, I knew that it would work. I think I remembered three things from the dream besides the characters. Something about a ring, a sacrifice for love, and a long-awaited reunion. It was probably the most vivid dream I’ve ever had.

Debra: Wonderful! Some very good books have come from the author having a vivid dream.

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

Christine: For me, it was more like which mundane task could pull me OUT. If I had to pick one particularly influential author, however, I would have to say that Patricia C. Wrede’s Enchanted Forest chronicles were the whole reason I got turned onto fantasy in the first place. Her character Cimorene was the first strong female character in a fantasy series that I’d ever read about, and I felt like I could relate more to her than any of the male heroes that had come before her.

Debra: Another to add to the to be read list then. :-) Thank you.

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?

Christine: What a fantastic question! I don’t know what the book would look like, but it would definitely have hot men kissing. All kidding aside, I think it’s important for any writer to just write what they love. Reader expectations and categories are absolutely important, but passion is what ultimately breaks through.

Debra: Thank you! This is so very true.

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: A long time ago, I heard that the most effective brainstorming sessions cannot have anyone say ‘no’ or claim that something is silly. I apply the same thing to my writing. My imagination gets triggered by the weirdest things, and as long as I sit back and enjoy the ride, instead of resisting it, it never lets me down.

Debra: Good advice. 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 can be found haunting her blog at
www.christinepricewrites.com and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CPriceIsWrite. Her first work, Soul Bond, was released last month

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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

The weather here in the Memphis area has been getting up to 100 and this sort of weather always has me slowing down to that southern summer pace. Sitting and sipping a glass of something cold while observing people is one thing that feeds this writers creative cup. Like Christine, I have multiple projects started, though I tend to only mention the one I'm working full steam ahead on. This week I'll be pulling them out, looking them over and deciding which one calls to me the loudest. I'm still researching for the Scotland set medieval and continuing the agent search with the most recently completed manuscript, so in the meantime I need to use the writing muscles again until I'm ready to jump start the medieval story. This is the beauty of having more than one project waiting in the wings.

you can find me any number of places such as

www.debraparmley.com
Debra's facebook fanpage

Till next time, stay cool and remember to drink plenty of cold liquids.

Love and light,

Debra

Make-Believe Monday with Tina Donahue

2010-06-14T15:18:00.000-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Tina Donahue.
Tina, welcome.
Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?

Tina: Generally by page five of the story my characters take over and I’m just an observer, recording what’s happening. It used to be page 50, but the more I write, the quicker the characters begin to come alive. I’m still hoping that they will someday take the reins on page 1, making things very easy for me.

Debra: Wouldn't that be wonderful? Mine haven't ever done that before chapter three. It would certainly make the re-writing easier.

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?

Tina: I’ve played with places that way. I wrote a paranormal a long time ago where I created a new universe for the lovers. It was a lot of fun and I thought it would be easy plot-wise because there weren’t any rules like in the real world. I learned quickly, that wasn’t true. If you give your character the ability to let’s say walk through walls on page 20 and then on page 50 he needs to escape the villains, but you don’t want him to (in order to build tension/suspense) you have to figure out why he could walk through walls at one point but not at another – kind of like Kryptonite stopping Superman. So even make-believe worlds have a ton of rules in order to make sense.

Debra: Sometimes I think the make-believe worlds are harder because of that. With the ordinary mundane world we already know the how and sometimes the why of things.

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

Tina: I still recall reading “Mystery in Old Quebec”. To this day, I can see the peeling wallpaper in the room in my mind and the way the firelight flickered over the furniture. I got so hooked on the story and imagery, everything else faded away.

Debra: That's a lovely image. It's wonderful to be pulled into a world.

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?

Tina: The paranormal I was speaking about earlier. I actually rewrote the history of mankind in it, beginning with creation. Maybe someday I’ll go back, polish the ms up and see if it sells.

Debra: Yes, I think if it calls to you, then you should! Tina, 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 visit Tina at www.tinadonahue.com

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Debra's News/ Debra is Watching:

I've been away for a few weeks. Celebrated my birthday with a birthday luau, been researching for the Scottish historical romance I'll soon be writing. Not quite ready to start that one yet, so I'll be working on some of the other stories I've started to keep the writing muscles in shape as well as submitting one of my completed novels to agents. The great agent search is on and this takes time to find a good one.

It's been up in the 100's today here in the south. Till next week, stay cool, stay safe and healthy.

Love and light,
Debra

www.debraparmley.com

Make-Believe Monday with Tarra Blaize

2010-05-24T08:51:00.002-05:00

This morning on Make-Believe Mondays I'd like to welcome Tarra Blaize.

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?

Tarra: By reading what has poured out of other writers’ cups. Nothing motivates me more than reading a fantastic book. I love being pulled into another story where I can forget everything in my world because I am so intent on another one. When I reluctantly have to leave that haven, it makes me even more determined to try to create my own version for other readers.

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

Tarra: Once my characters hit their first barrier, the way they react ends up defining them more than any hypothetical thinking on my part. I really try to let the characters write themselves, because whatever flows in my writing will hopefully translate best with readers when they read it. Failure is not about falling, but failing to get back up. The strongest method to bring a character to life is to throw his or her worst nightmare into their path… and make them find something inside of themselves to overcome the odds.

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?

Tarra: I laughed when I read this. I had total writers’ block with this novella, until I had an incredibly vivid dream that, with some reshaping and editing, turned into the first few scenes of the Break. In the dream, I got to be an undercover spy who was experiencing agony at being forced to betray a demon who had captivated emotions in ways that should have never happened. This character, of course, became my heroine Layla, and the demon became Gethin. I should note that this rarely ever happens to me, but I’m so grateful that it did!

Debra: It's a wonderful thing when it does happen. :-) Imagination can be so strong and fully present in our dreams.

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

Tarra: I was a total bookworm even as a child, and always had at least three books on hand: one that I was currently reading, another for when I finished my current one, and the third should I finish the second one as well! One of the books that shaped me early on to love romance is Gail Carson Levine’s Ella Enchanted, a retelling of Cinderella. If you haven’t read it you should – it’s for all ages, just like any brilliant young adult novel!

Debra: I'll have to add that one to my list!

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?

Tarra: I cannot imagine fiction without imagination or dreams. Let alone the author, but for readers, is this not integral to your reading experience? As a writer, my job is complete if you can walk away after reading my story, but not walk away from the story. I hope that whatever I’ve written entertained you so well, that your imagination keeps working even after the last word, and you dream the “what if…” of putting yourself in my characters’ shoes. My goal is to provide an alternate reality, and I cannot do that successfully if I fail to stimulate your creative side and sense of wonder as well.

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

To learn more about Tarra and her books visit Tarra's website www.tarablaze.com
st Samhain
or Amazon Angels and Demons

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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

Currently I am researching for the Scottish hstorical romance I'll soon be writing. It will be set in the 12th century. I was able to see the new Robin Hood movie last week (which was wonderful) and I believe that counts as research too. :-) Such pretty gowns made me want to start sewing and the archery made me anxious to get out my new bow and learn to use it. Perhaps this weekend.

debraparmley.com

Make-Believe Monday with Brad Parks

2010-05-17T14:47:00.004-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Brad Parks. I first met Brad at the Romantic Times Book Lovers convention in Columbus OH at the big book signing where we were seated next to each other. He has a great sense of humor which made the signing all the more fun.

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

Brad; It’s the third book in my mystery series with St. Martin’s Press, which features the adventures of Carter Ross, the sometimes-dashing investigative reporter. This one won’t be out until 2012, so I don’t want to get people too excited – it would feel like a big tease – but right now I’ve got Carter trapped in a car with a homicidal maniac on a deserted road in the middle of a thunderstorm. It’s not looking too good for our hero. But I can confirm he managed to make it alive out of the second book, EYES OF THE INNOCENT (due out early 2011). So maybe he’ll find a way to escape this time, too.

Debra: Okay, too late. I want to know how he gets out of that mess! But it's okay, a little bit of teasing is allowed. :-)

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?

Brad: I used to be a sportswriter, and am therefore a fan of sports movies. In one of the great all-time baseball movies, Bull Durham, the grizzled veteran catcher, played by Kevin Costner, gives the wild young pitcher, played by Tim Robbins, his first piece of advice: “Don’t think. It can only hurt the ballclub.” That rather neatly sums up my feelings about creativity in two ways. One, I try not to think about creativity very much – not how it works, why it works or what makes it work sometimes and not others. I’m afraid I’ll jinx myself. And, two, my most creative thoughts come when I’m not thinking actively about being creative – when I’m driving a car, doing the dishes, or doing something else that is keeping my mind minimally occupied. There’s something about keeping your conscious mind a little bit busy that allows your subconscious to bust out and do what it does naturally.

Debra: Yes there is something to that. The subconscious is key, I believe. It's a bit like trying to remember someones name and trying so hard that it won't come, then you go off to do something else and voila. There it is. So true.

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

Brad: Before I wrote a lot of fiction, I’d occasionally find myself watching some famous author being interviewed. Inevitably, he’d get asked, “Well, famous author, how do you know what comes next in your books?” And the famous author would reply, “My characters tell me where the story needs to go.” And I’d always think, “Yeah? Do your characters tell you you’re a nut bag, too? Because that’s what you sound like right now.”

Then there I was, writing my first Carter Ross novel (FACES OF THE GONE, which came out last December). I’m in the middle of this scene where Carter, in his quest for a certain piece of information, has to smoke marijuana with a bunch of gang members so they’ll know he’s not a cop. Now, Carter is a pretty clean-cut guy who tried pot once or twice in college and never touched it since. Nevertheless, he tokes up, the gang members tell him what he needs to know and I’m thinking that’s going to be the end of it. It’s time for the next scene, right? Except when I tried to make Carter rise off the couch, he started tugging on my sleeve and giggling. “Dude,” he said. “I can’t go anywhere. I’m stoned out of my mind.” I shook my head and said, “Come on Carter. You can’t just sit on the couch for the next three hours. It’s boring and this book is supposed to have a lot of action in it. Let’s go.” Carter refused to move, so I made him get up anyway, and the next thing I knew he was stumbling all over the place, crashing into walls and… well, you get the point. It turned into one of my favorite scenes (you can read it at http://www.bradparksbooks.com/faces-of-the-gone2.php) and it established something I have come to accept as a fiction writer: My characters do tell me where the story is going to go, I just have to make sure I’m listening.

Debra: Now that is a great story to illustrate this point. I always find it interesting when an author is reluctant to say they hear their story people. It probably has to do with not wanting to sound crazy. But then some will say the voices in my mind tell me.... and that one makes me smile too. You've managed to cover both aspects quite well.

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?

Brad: My stuff is pretty well grounded in reality. So, no, I haven’t created anything like that. But I certainly wouldn’t be averse to it. The point of language is to communicate meaning. As long as the reader is getting meaning out of the invented word? I say inventimicate all you want.

Debra: Inventimicate is a good 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?

Brad: My dreams are, by and large, much too freaky to turn into a book. I fear some psychoanalyst would read it, interpret it, and insist I was a danger to society who needed to be institutionalized.

Debra: Though if you ever got the urge there's always the use of a pen name.

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

Brad: I mean, who didn’t see themselves living in a giant peach with Roald Dahl? Or feel the intense desire, thanks to Beverly Cleary, to pull the boing boing curls of a girl named Susan? But I think my favorite book as a kid was GENTLE BEN by Walt Morey. It’s about a boy from Alaska who adopts a grizzly bear. I must have read it twenty times. I wanted to have a pet bear so badly I would actually fantasize about my family taking a trip to Alaska and stumbling upon an orphaned bear cub. (Then I grew up, hit puberty, and started fantasizing about other things… I also read that Alaska has way more guys than women and realized that really wasn’t going to be the place for me if I ever wanted to get a date).

Debra: I remember that book! Haven't thought if it in years though. You're the first to mention GENTLE BEN which now that I think of it, is amazing. Because it's a very good book.

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?

Brad: Well, I think it would be a book about a boy wizard who goes off to a boarding school for other young wizards and then… what? That’s been done already? Aw, shucks.

Debra: Yeah, darn it. If you'd only been faster with that one. :-)

Brad: No, seriously, I’m actually thankful for reader expectations. It gives me some kind of guide. Otherwise, I’m like a horse without blinders – all skittish and distracted, looking around at everything instead of focusing on the task ahead of me. Besides, the chief expectation for a mystery writer is that the crime gets solved at the end. And, really, that’s not too onerous. I feel like I still get plenty of imaginary rope with which to hang myself.

Debra: Yes there's still plenty of room (or rope) for the imagination to play within a mystery world.

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?

I recently spoke to a group of middle schoolers who were taking a year-long writing class. I wanted to demystify the writing process for them a little bit, so I talked about how I approach a new book: Basically, I start with characters who have a problem they need to solve. So we worked together to invent some characters and then began brainstorming a plot. It was amazing the way their minds’ worked. Sure, some of what they came up with was pretty derivative – obviously drawn from whatever television shows they liked. But some of it was really original and just, well, out there, in ways both good and bad. It was so far out there that the teacher, who was doing her best to keep them on task, began reigning them in a little bit. And I don’t blame the teacher, who had to maintain some semblance of order in the classroom. But it did strike me that the young brain was this incredibly fertile thing, capable of sprouting all these wonderful, wild ideas; it was only the grown-ups who needed things to fit into a neat box. So it’s made me mindful of sometimes going back to my own middle school self – minus the braces and awkwardness – and channeling some of that great craziness.

Debra: Oh, now that is a beautiful story and message to share. Thank you for adding that one. And thank you for joining me here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.

Visit Brad Parks’ website www.BradParksBooks.com
and Brad Parks on Facebook. You can also follow Brad_Parks on Twitter.

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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

Last weekend I went to an SCA medieval reinactment event called Crown List which is where they fight for who will be King and Queen. It was great fun and I enjoyed the pageantry, the fighting and the medieval feast. Just enjoyed it while absorbing it all in for the medieval romance I will soon be starting. This is my research and planning period for the story.

I'm also sending my contemporary romance out to agents this week as the great agent search is on. Otherwise this will be a quiet week and I find I'm needing one of those. Those are important too, to recharge and refill the creative cup.

www.debraparmley.com

Make-Believe Monday with Roland Mann

2010-05-10T11:16:00.006-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Roland Mann.

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

Roland: The working title of my current project is The Interns. It came about because I enrolled in the MFA in Creative Writing at Spalding University. I already had 25,000 words of a book I was working on, but the program strongly suggested students produce new material. I’d actually written the very first “scene” as a comic strip that I wanted to pitch to a local newspaper. It didn’t happen, but the scene remained in my head. When I began to generate the pages for the MFA program, that scene popped into my head and became the first three chapters. The story itself is about a young superhero who’s finished his time at The Academy and is assigned to do his Internship. He’s assigned to a small town in the South and things don’t work out the way he imagined they would, being a superhero and all.

Debra: The story sounds very intriguing. Also, those stories that won't let us go, well I think they need to be written and so often turn out to be the best ones an author will write.

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?

Roland: I love Ray Bradbury. In fact, he’s part of my answer to a following question! J Personally, I think creative people are filled by everything around them, and I mean everything. Though some might try to tell you otherwise, authors/writers can’t remove themselves completely from their work. No, I’m not trying to suggest that when you read a book, the author is the main character, but a part of that author and who he is, is in the work somehow. That said, some of the things I do: obviously, I read a lot. Currently the stuff I’m reading is all for school, but it’s a pretty big load—not that I’m complaining. It’s better than working math problems! Another thing I do is eavesdrop. No, not the illegal kind, but the kind where when I’m out and about, I listen to people. Cellphones have helped that “research” aspect for writers tremendously. Give most people a cellphone and they become oblivious of their surroundings and speak at volumes louder than normal. You can get really good bits of dialogue that way!

Debra: Oh, I love him too. His work and his words of advice are true gems. And I agree with you about removing ourselves from the work. We can get distance but it's still authorial voice coming through at least in good stories it is. And math problems? Shiver. Anything but those. lol. Eavesdropping is a tremendous source. Perhaps everything an author encounters is potential fodder for the page. I'm now thinking I should pay more attention to people on cell phones. :-)

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

Roland: That’s a cool question. Y’know, I think it’s kind of like our relationships with “real” people. The longer you spend with them, the more time you invest in them, the better you know them. I think that may be why series are so popular—you’ve invested yourself reading one book, so that when the 2nd (or 3rd or more) book comes out, you already “know” that character. I feel that’s why television series are popular and why new ones are hard to get going. To answer specifically, I felt I really knew Caleb (the main character in The Interns) after I’d finished chapter 6, and then revised the entire chaps 1-6.

Debra: Oh thanks, Roland. :-) That's a great way to explain it. Perhaps our story people become more real the more we get to know them as authors and as readers, then they become less like characters.

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

Roland: The first one I name may not be exactly what you or your readers anticipate. For me, the first to suck me in was Stan Lee, the man that created or co-created half of the Marvel universe. As a kid, I didn’t really like to read—had no interest in it. Mom, being the good mom she is, sought a way to get me more interested in reading. She introduced me to comic books and the Marvel Universe. I fell in love with the characters almost immediately. Those comics led me to explore other work, and I found writers like HG Wells, Ray Bradbury and Jules Verne.

Debra: I wonder how many children enter the world of reading through comic books? Bless all the mothers like yours who encourage their children to find a route into reading that they enjoy. That story world of imagination, there's nothing like it. The world of story is such a magical place, whether the route to it is a comic book, a hardback or audio book,or lately an e-book or graphic novel. The story world is where the magic is and I'll never understand why people fret so over the route into it.

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?

Roland: I told you about the book I’m working on, but I would also like to tell you about the one that will be out in just a matter of days. If you had the chance to re-do part of your life, would you? Even if it meant dying earlier? Buying Time is a book that explores this very thing for two men, who purchase part of their past and attempt to relive it. When I get the book in my hands, I’ll announce it on my blog www.rolandmann.wordpress.com and let folks know how they can get it. Thanks for having me here!

Debra: Roland it has been a true pleasure. 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 may find Roland at
www.rolandmann.wordpress.com
www.facebook.com/rolandmann
http://rolandmann.wordpress.com/projects/buyingtime/

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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

I'm home from the Romantic Times convention in Columbus, OH and pictures will soon be up on my website. www.debraparmley.com

There has been a lot going on during the convention and beyond. Here in the mid-south, there has been terrible flooding. Millington, TN is only 20 minutes from my house and to drive home I had to come through Nashville which also had terrible flooding. I'm happy to report that my home is fine as are family members and friends. Some of my friends have lost their homes to flooding and the relief and repair efforts continue here.

My second novel is complete and this week I begin the search for an agent. I will also start playing with the beginning of a new novel, which means exploratory writing, research, imagining....
....one of my favorite times is the beginning of a new novel, when anything I can imagine is possible.

Until next time, stay safe and healthy and hug your loved ones.

Love and light,
Debra

Make-Believe Mondays rests while I head to the Romantic Times Convention - author interviews will resume May 10th

2010-04-19T15:42:00.011-05:00

Make-Believe Mondays will take a small rest while I head to the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention in Columbus, Ohio. I will be heading to Ohio this weekend and driving back on Monday May 3rd. Make-Believe Mondays author interviews will resume Monday, May 10th.

I'm very pleased that the conference is being held in Columbus, Ohio this year, because it is where I was born! And this will be my first book signing in Ohio, something I have looked forward to with the release of my first book, A DESPERATE JOURNEY.

Here is a partial list of places you will find me in Columbus:

If you are not attending the conference, but live or work in the area this event is open to the public for a small fee of $5.00 at the door.
SATURDAY MAY 1st :11:00 AM - 2:00 PM GIANT BOOK FAIR

Where can you meet your favorite authors, get your pic taken with them or a cover model, or get a sneak preview to what's coming out in the wonderful world of women's fiction? At the one and only RT Booklovers Convention Book Fair! Over 300 authors will autograph books, posters and bookmarks, and you can bring your favorite "keeper" books to have your fav author sign them!!

For those bringing collectibles and "keeper" books, we will clearly label the books for you, so as not to mistake them for new books!

All registered attendees will enter 15 minutes prior to the public opening.

The location is:
Hyatt Regency Columbus
350 North High Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215
USA
800 989 8816

And of course who could miss the Mr Romance contest, which has launch the careers of so many cover models?
SATURDAY May 1st: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM MR. ROMANCE COMPETITION

Past winners of the Mr. Romance competiton and their covers

Can there be that many gorgeous guys in one place? Who will the next Mr. Romance be? Come help us choose the lucky guy who will win a cover shoot with romance giant Dorchester Publishing.

Also, if you are attending the conference, I'm pleased to have my own panel this year:
WEDNESDAY APRIL 28th: 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM HEALTH AND WELL-BEING:WRITERS BREAK-
- THE MIND BODY CONNECTION

Spending hours at the computer can create stiffness, aches and pains. Using skills she learned as a professional belly dancer, Debra Parmley will teach you how to apply yoga and dance movements in your daily writing routine to stay limber, relaxed and in the flow. Panelists: Debra Parmley

Other news:
I'm pleased to announce that my contemporary romance was completed just yesterday. There's a certain satisfaction which comes from typing THE END. Now I am ready to find the agent who is the right match for me. Also finishing up the western novella which I promised my editor and I am thrilled that she will be attending the conference as well so I'll get to meet her in person. All good things. :-)

For those who can't attend the conference and wish to follow me on Twitter, here's where you'll find me. If there's anything you'd like me to report on, send me a tweet and I'll do my best.

And for those who wish to follow this Make-Believe Monday blog, I just added a clickable link for that off to the tight hand side of the blog. Following always makes me think of that song by Genesis. "I will follow you, will you follow me..." Just one of those things that makes me smile. :-)

Until next time...

Love and light,

Debra

www.debraparmley.com

Make-Believe Monday revisits the very first interview hosted here with Lucy Monroe

2010-04-12T12:32:00.008-05:00

Today I thought it would be fun to re-run the very first interview I did here on Make-Believe Mondays, back in Jan, of 2006. As you can see the questions have remained the same. Over the years I've interviewed hundreds of authors and you can find them all in the archives.

So now....the very first interview revisited:

I'm thrilled to introduce my dear friend and mentor Lucy Monroe on our first Make-believe Monday.

Lucy writes wonderful romances filled with heroic men and modern women and she writes for three publishing houses. Berkley Sensation, Harlequin Presents and Kensington Brava. On my most recent visit to her website I counted 51 books!

She truly is an amazing author, so let's find out what she has to say about creativity and imagination.

Mark Twain said, "You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." How do you fill your creative well to keep your imagination in focus?

Lucy:For one thing, you can't stay creative if all you do is create. So, taking time off from creating is a must for me...just not an easy thing to do. I also love to read magazines...not gossip rags (yuck), but stuff like "The Smitsonian", "Architectural Digest" and "Harper's Bazaar", etc. I've just recently taken up knitting and a rousing game of Perquacky with my family can be very creativity enhancing. I also read tons, both fiction and nonfiction, but romance is my favorite. I re-read my favorite authors over and over again and I think that helps me write better. Learning in cockpit as they say. But it fills up my creative well to sip at someone else's.

What a lovely thought. I can just picture authors visiting each other and dipping down to gather that cool clear water before sipping. Creative works can nourish the soul that way.

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

Lucy:Usually before I ever type the first word in their story, but sometimes they are nebulous beings that only become concrete after I've really settled the first 50 or so pages of their stories. They always do become concrete and very real to me at some point in the process though.

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?

Lucy:I get lots of story ideas from dreams and find that I dream more vividly (and remember my dreams better) when I'm not writing. So, clearly, I've got to get better about taking time off if I want more story ideas to buzz around inside my brain. My agent calls it thinking time...for me, it's dreaming time.

Lucy, thank you for joining us and sharing a glimpse into the creative life of an author. May your dreams be plentiful and your well always full.

To learn more about Lucy and the many stories she's written, visit www.lucymonroe.com
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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

This week the mad dash is on to get ready for the Romantic Times Booklovers convention. I've a manuscript to finish, gift bags for booksellers to make, promotional materials ordered and waiting for them, costumes to plan and a schedule to finalize. I'm thrilled that it will be held in Columbus, Ohio this year because Columbus is where I was born. My parents still live about an hour away and my sister and her family live in the area as well, so it will be nice to be able to visit with my family again.

On Wed April the 28th from 2:30 to 3:30 I am teaching a panel all my own which I am very excited about. It's the first time I will be offering this one.

HEALTH AND WELL-BEING:WRITERS BREAK-- THE MIND BODY CONNECTION

WEDNESDAY: Spending hours at the computer can create stiffness, aches and pains. Using skills she learned as a professional belly dancer, Debra Parmley will teach you how to apply yoga and dance movements in your daily writing routine to stay limber, relaxed and in the flow.
Panelists: Debra Parmley

If you will be attending I would love to see you there!

www.debraparmley.com

I've added a link on this blog today where you can click to subscribe and follow. Thanks for reading! Comments are always a surprise and a joy.

Love and light, until next time,

Debra

Make-Believe Monday with Josephine Templeton

2010-04-05T12:12:00.013-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Josephine Templeton.

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

Josephine: I’m actually in-between manuscripts. I just finished Scorned, which is currently under review with a publisher. It’s about a fallen angel who has been fighting her way back into Heaven for thirty human years. After thousands of years in Hell as Satan’s girlfriend, Angelle turns her back on her fellow fallen angels, choosing the path to redemption. She must atone for her sins and lead to salvation the same number of souls as she led to damnation, fighting vampires and demons along the way. All is going as planned until Jack, the first human male that sends her lust-meter into orbit, enters her life. Now she must decide if it’s lust or love she feels for this ruggedly handsome man, but when he becomes the target of a vampire bride, she fears she’ll never get the chance to find out.

Debra: Ah it's never too late to atone and start a new life. I wonder if she'll become human for him.

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?

Josephine: I read the genre I write in as much as possible, and as I’m an avid movie fan, I stay on-top of the new paranormal movies as much as possible. I also watch a lot of television shows such as The Vampire Diaries, and I will always have a special place in my heart for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the spin-off, Angel.

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

Josepine: When they begin to invade my dreams, I know I’m in trouble!

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?

Josephine: I’m a big time dreamer, and yes, a lot of scenes are inspired by them.

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

Josephine: V.C. Andrews drew me in as a pre-teen, and I discovered vampires in my senior year when my thesis was on Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

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?

Josephine: Follow your dreams because you never know where they are going to take you!

Debra: Josephine, 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 may visit http://josephinetempleton.tripod.com/to learn more about Josephine and her works.

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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

Last Saturday I spent a lovely day in Blytheville AR, where I signed books at That Bookstore in Blytheville. I also test drove a 2008 Toyota Camry Solara convertible and decided to buy it! I've always wanted a convertile. Enjoyed meeting the owner of the hardware store on the town square and sat in a 1920's convertible to have my picture taken (and to check it out for the 1920's set novel I'm planning to write) and even had berry pie at a local restaurant. Everyone in town was so friendly and it's a nice little bookstore. It was a lovely day and a wonderful memory made.

Next Saturday April 10th I will be signing books at Applegarth Books in Millington, TN from 4:00 to 5:00. Applegarth Books is celebrating their one year anniversary and I'm thrilled to be asked to be a part of that. Please do come by and visit if you are in the area.

www.debraparmley.com
Continuing to finish the edits on the manuscript and feel The End getting closer and closer. It's a very good feeling. I plan to have it done before the Romantic Times convention which is at the end of April. More on that next time.
Till then, hope you're all enjoying the lovely signs of spring!

Love and light,
Debra

Make-Believe Monday with Philip Athans

2010-03-29T10:55:00.000-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Phil Athans.

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

Phil: I’ve recently put to bed The Guide to Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction for Adams Media. It offers easy to read advice and inspiration for genre authors of all levels, but is geared a bit more for the aspiring author. I managed to pull together interviews with a number of major authors in the field. Advice, encouragement, anecdotes, and even warnings from those colleagues are scattered throughout the book. Contributors include some of the best-selling authors currently working in the fantasy and SF genres today (R.A. Salvatore, Terry Brooks, Kevin J. Anderson), critically acclaimed newer authors (Paul Park, J.M. McDermott) and even other editors (Lou Anders, John Betancourt), agents and critics.

Though I have a part of me that’s always been a bit skeptical about “how to” books in a subject I hold as sacred as I do the written word, the advice is geared toward the specific demands of the fantasy and science fiction genres. I honestly don’t think any book can teach you how to be a storyteller, but there are certain peculiarities to genre writing that can be learned, and should be if you want to appeal to genre readers. I hope the book will teach you how to build the “skin” that covers the essential spirit of any novel: a story well told, a clever turn of phrase, and a heartfelt universal truth.

Debra: One of the things I have always appreciated about my author friends is their willingness to share what they've learned, what they know of the writing craft and what it takes to craft a compelling story. Storytelling is a craft and I've always viewed the passing along of such knowledge as a way of showing respect for that craft along with thankfulness for the lessons learned and the mentors who helped along the way.

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?

Phil: It may sound like a cop-out answer to say, “I’m inspired by everything,” but I expend a considerable amount of energy trying to do just that. I think a writer should be a sponge, literally and liberally soaking up anything you gather in from any and all of your five senses. There’s nothing that can’t end up in a book, from ancient religious scripture to the often impenetrable mumblings of reality show contestants.

In particular I’m drawn to the creative output of others. Inspiration for a story, a character, or a whole fantasy world can be drawn from any combination of any number and variety of sources, including history, mythology, and current events. But reading other fiction, inside and outside the genre you tend to write, is essential to any fiction writer. Movies and (quality, scripted) television also inform my writing, especially in action scenes. The movies have really been dialing up the stakes on the action set-piece and any author of fantasy and SF in particular should be watching those movies and taking advantage of the written word’s lack of a special effects and stunt budget to spark wilder flights of creativity. Bigger isn’t always better, but smaller isn’t always better either. In the book I encourage authors facing a blank page at the beginning of an action scene to ask themselves: WWJCD? What Would Jackie Chan Do?

Debra: Not a cop out at all. And I like your Jackie Chan question. :-)

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?

Phil: That sort of thing is an absolutely essential skill for fantasy and SF authors. Fantasy readers in particular are drawn to plausibility, not realism, so the adventures of Jim’s trip to Chicago is inherently less interesting to a fantasy reader than Huirdon’s journey across the Sandwastes of Chyren. I’ve always stopped well short of the hyper-immersive Tolkienesque steps of first inventing the language, but what you call something can tell a reader an awful lot about that thing in a single word. In The Guide to Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction I give the example of a political office: If the Foreign Minister of a fantasy realm has set out on a program of genocide against gnomes, we’re not certain right away of that’s something he’s doing on his own or is part of his job description—is he evil and grossly overstepping his authority, or is the realm itself institutionally genocidal? If the character’s title is Minister of Gnome Eradication we instantly know that this is a government purposefully and openly organized with the goal of gnomish genocide. The author’s decision in that one naming convention builds his world in very specific ways, without pages of dry exposition.

Debra: Yes one word can change everything. As you've shown one word can explain so much.

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?

Phil: I have no spiritual, metaphysical, or superstitious component to my life at all, so I think most people would expect me to dismiss dreams as random firings of neurons without any particular significance, but that’s not at all the case. Though dreams are indeed, more or less, the result of the random firing of neurons, they’re my neurons, bent to my collection of memories, my emotional and psychological tendencies, my hopes, fears, and so on, so the result of those random firings can be of great personal significance, and no serious writer of fiction should ever ignore any moment of great personal significance.

There’s a scene in my novel Whisper of Waves in a which a ship is transported through a magical portal but something goes wrong and the ship emerges a hundred feet in the air, and crashes to the sea below. I dreamed that before I ever started writing the novel and had it in mind from the moment I started thinking about that story. The published scene is pretty close to the dream experience.

Several years ago I wrote a screenplay that, like the overwhelming majority of screenplays written by anyone, remains unproduced. It’s called Every Two Years, a Spider, and concerns a woman with the pathological compulsion to have children then intentionally poison them with the bite of the black widow spider. “Inspired,” if such a noble word can be invoked for such as this, by stories that were all over the press at the time of mothers murdering their own children, it’s a disturbing, tense little piece that I gave up on at least five time as I was writing it—because it was giving me nightmares.

At first it seemed as though my own brain was rejecting the writing of this script, but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed that what I was really trying to do, subconsciously, was deal with it in some way, compartmentalize it, cleanse my mind of it. And the dreams only got worse when I wasn’t writing it.

I also sometimes have dreams that I’m not actually a part of. It’s as though I’m watching a movie play out in my head. These I struggle to remember. I still recall in detail a vivid dream that was a complete story laid bare, and one I’m still circling around writing. It’s almost like writing the novelization of a movie you only sat through once—ten years ago. Not easy, but . . .
If you ever see my name on a novel entitled Ghosts of Camelot, that was the dream—scene for scene.

Debra: I would love to see your name on a novel entitled Ghosts of Camelot. And the movie 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?

Phil: Ultimately I think it would be a story about how much we all do to stand in the way of our own happiness. I wonder if it’s possible to encourage—even force—people to stop and think about all the things they do, think, and feel that’s weighing them down, making them unhappy for no other reason than “I was raised to believe . . .” or “I’m offended by . . .”

When has being offended by someone else ever made your life better? When has hating someone, stopping someone from doing something that causes no injury to anyone but people who’ve decided to be offended made the world a better place? There always seems to be something we’re all up in arms about—gay marriage in America, for instance, or state-sponsored health care—and in the end we eventually get over it and move on to being offended by something else.

Maybe I could write a historical fantasy that makes it clear that, ninety years ago, millions of Americans were deeply offended by the idea of women voting, or that the year I was born (and I’m not that old) there was such a thing as “Whites Only” restaurants. Human behavior is like the stock market, it fluctuates wildly but over the very long term it trends up.

Oops. Was I being hopeful just then?

Debra: Yes, Phil. You are perhaps more helpful than you know and I have quite enjoyed this interview. 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 here is a little bit about Phil:

Philip Athans is the New York Times best-selling author of Annihilation and nine other fantasy and horror novels for Wizards of the Coast. Born in Rochester, New York in 1964 he grew up in suburban Chicago, where he published the literary magazine Alternative Fiction & Poetry. He now resides in the foothills of the Washington Cascades, east of Seattle.

You can follow him on Twitter: @PhilAthans
and on the blogosphere at: fantasyhandbook.wordpress.com
and read his blog novel at: completelybroken.wordpress.com

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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

This coming Saturday I will be signing books in Blytheville, AR at That Little Bookstore Saturday April 3rd from 1:00 to 3:00. Come by and join me for tea and conversation. I love to meet readers!

www.debraparmley.com

Make-Believe Monday with Jackie Gamber

2010-03-22T13:49:00.005-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Jackie Gamber.

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

Jackie: Debra, I’ve begun the editing phase of a time travel/historical novel surrounding two of history’s most influential and mysterious people: Adam Worth (the real-life inspiration for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s ‘Moriarty’, and Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire. Though the two were born nearly 100 years apart, and are connected in history only by way of a single painting, my novel tells the story of how they met and fell in love. It is the story of “what really happened”.
In addition, I’m writing on the second volume in my Leland Dragons series.

Debra: So you're venturing into romance then. My favorite genre. :-)

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?

Jackie: Much of my favorite kind of writing involves characters from places created only in my imagination. I have, on occasion, created languages as well, which is a lot of fun, although I’m careful not to overdo it. A splash of unknown language between two characters can add realism; too much is overwhelming. But I enjoy naming characters, as well, with phonetically-friendly but unusual sounds. My fantasy novel, Redheart, takes place in Leland Province, where dragon names are something of a Native American feel, and human names seem almost familiar.

Debra: Just a splash, dears. (Writing can be so much like cooking.)

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

Jackie: My first experience with a story that involved characters from another world—a wizard and a witch—was The Frightened Forest by Ann Turnbull. In the story, a girl visits her cousins in an unfamiliar town, and upon meeting a dare to walk alone through an abandoned train tunnel, she accidentally releases a witch who had been imprisoned in the dark. I was enthralled by the tale, but had no idea at the time that it was a “fantasy”. My love for that book definitely shaped the kind of stories I write today.

Debra: Ah, now that's a new one that hasn't come up before. I'll have to look for it.

Jackie, thank you for visiting Make-Believe Mondays this week to talk about imagination, creativity and dreams.

Readers may learn more about Jackie and her books by visiting
www.lelanddragons.com and www.jackiegamber.com

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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

Last week I attended Gulf Wars in Lumberton, MS where I sold some books, slept in a period pavillion (primitive camping at this site) and soaked up the atmosphere and experiences to use in the medieval romance I am planning. Just got in Sunday so this week is going to be spent getting caught up on things after having been away.

This coming Saturday I will be at That Bookstore in Blytheville signing books from 1:00 to 3:00. If you are in the area do stop in for tea and to say hello! I love making new friends and meeting readers.

www.debraparmley.com

Make-Believe Monday with Rosemary Jones

2010-03-15T10:50:00.007-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Rosemary Jones.

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

Rosemary: I’m always working on multiple projects. Right now, one project with a firm deadline is a short story requested for a fantasy anthology. The other is a new idea that started last year with a rejection from an editor. I had been asked to outline a potential trilogy but the project never happened. I was looking at my notes and thinking that I liked certain characters but I wanted to go in different directions than the original outline.

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?

Rosemary: I read. Constantly. I don’t think I could be a writer without being a reader first. My newest electronic toy is an e-book reader that lets me check out books from the library. It makes grabbing a little extra reading time so easy – I can always whip it out on the bus or during a break in the day.

Debra: Yes, how could anyone create books without loving books? Writers must read. In all the interviews I've done here on MBM, you're the first to mention eBooks as a way to feed your creative well.

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

Rosemary: If I’m writing about them, they are already alive in my head. Perhaps because I spend much of my outlining time pondering how people would be reacting in the plot situation, what type of person is being called upon to deal with graveyard ghosts, and so on. All my novels have started with a very specific person in my head: I can’t get started until I know who I’m writing about. For me, fantasy simply doesn’t work if the characters aren’t alive with all the quirks and wonderful flaws that real people have. In Crypt of the Moaning Diamond, I knew the leader of the Siegebreakers was a forthright young woman with a quick temper and a rather messy look. Which meant sparks had to fly when she came up against the very polished and proper Captain who hires her mercenary band. In City of the Dead, the heroine is younger, still seeking her place in the world, and somewhat plagued by having too much family. She lives at home, and the entire family is involved with maintaining the city’s haunted graveyard, and she wants to find another career. Except she is very good at dealing with ghosts, ambulatory skeletons, and the wizard who shows up at her doorstep.

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?

Rosemary: I play word games all the time in my stories, but more with names. All the uncles in City of the Dead have names that mean wisdom. In Crypt of the Moaning Diamond, my heroine is named Ivy, an odd choice for the daughter of a druid (ivy chokes trees) except her name is a symbol of her parents’ arguments: her mother picked a name sure to annoy her father. These games remain deep background, as long explanations always get cut out of the final versions. But I know why those names exist and they influence how those characters act.

Debra: Oh, that is fascinating. And this is a good example for new writers of how you trim backstory. Sometimes you need that backstory to write your way into the tale, but it doesn't mean you leave it there.

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?

Rosemary: I daydream certain pieces. So if you see me just sitting under a tree somewhere, staring up at the leaves, I’m not sleeping on the job. I’m thinking up a scene.

Debra: Bless the daydreamers for they are the story tellers of tomorrow. And give thanks for the trees who have watched over the and given root to those dreams. It was one of my favorite things to do as a child, that scene just as you described.

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

Rosemary: Dozens. I collect and read children’s books to this day and ended up co-authoring the Encyclopedia of Collectible Children’s Books. Off the top of my head, my big favorites as a kid in fantasy and science fiction were: L. Frank Baum, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Alexander Key, Andre Norton, Ursula K. LeGuin, and various volumes of fairy tales. These days, on my YA shelf, authors whose work I purchase immediately are J.K. Rowling (I came to Harry a little late, about three books into the series, and then gulped the lot as quickly as they were published), Kenneth Oppel, Philip Reeve, and many more. It is obviously impossible for me to stick to just one name in a question like this.

Debra: What a marvelous list you have provided.

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?

Rosemary: Take the journey that you want to dream about, but take time to think hard about the question: “what would a human being really do in a situation like this.” So much fantasy written falls a little flat because we turn the protagonists into these impossibly wise, strong, and basically overpowered superheroes. Going back to the very first fantasy novel, Homer's Odyssey, Odysseus catches our hearts because he is such a flawed and often weak man. He can’t help boasting, even when it gets him into trouble. He loses his temper. He makes mistakes. But he also figures out how to overcome his magical and mythical opponents because he has the most compelling quest of all: after ten years at war, he wants to go home and see his wife and child.

Debra: Excellent advice. Readers please visit Rosemary at
www.rosemaryjones.com

Rosemary, thank you for joining me here on this Make-Believe Monday.

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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

This weekend I had a lovely dinner with my publisher who was in town for convention. It was another first and a fun night I will always remember. I'm looking forward to the Romantic Times convention at the end of April where I'm hoping to meet my editor for the first time face to face.

This week I am also getting ready for Gulf Wars which is an SCA event (medieval reinactment) and I will be attending Wed the 17th to Sun the 21st. My books will be available in Merchant Rose at That Special Touch, booth 85, from Wed. evening until Friday evening and I'll be around to sign them.

I'm very excited to be staying in a period pavilion tent for the first time and this and other experiences will likely make their way into the medieval story I plan to write soon. So it's going to be quite the busy week.

Check my website for book signings and other events
www.debraparmley.com

Love and light,

Debra

Make-Believe Monday with Stephen Zimmer

2010-03-08T06:00:00.004-06:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Stephen Zimmer.

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

Stephen: Right now, I’m working on a couple of fantasy short stories for a pair of anthologies being developed by two different publishers, as well as working with my editor on polishing up the 2nd book in the Rising Dawn Saga (the sequel to The Exodus Gate). We have a release party for this book coming up at Hypericon in Nashville, which takes place June 4-6. I am very excited to be launching the new book there, as this year’s guest of honor is no less than Ramsey Campbell!

Debra: Oh, that's exciting! There's nothing quite like that book release party and holding it in your hands. (And for those who are in my stomping grounds in the Memphis area, Stephen will also be at Midsouth con.)

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?

Stephen: Music, dreams, experiences, travel…a good number of things go into my pools of inspiration. It is not any one single thing, but rather a broader process by which my inspirations emerge from a range of sources.

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

Stephen: Absolutely. I get into a rather strange zone when I write, and it is as if I am writing down what I perceive, telling the story as it is played out within some sort of inner level of perception. Sometimes it is actually quite jarring to come out of a long writing session! I hope that doesn’t sound too crazy!

Debra: Doesn't sound crazy at all to me. I forget to eat and drink when I get into that zone. Then my husband will say what's for dinner, and it takes a moment to register where I am and that it is indeed time for dinner. Good thing we both like pizza. LOL

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?

Stephen: I often have fun with words, sometimes even using international languages to name something. In Crown of Vengeance, I have a very formidable group of woodland creatures called the Jaghuns, which derives from the German for Jaegerhundt, or hunting dog! Similarly, the Unguhur, who live in the great caverns below the surface, have a name derived from the German word for monster.

Debra: This is fascinating! I love knowing a words origins.

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?

Stephen: Dreams are very powerful sources of inspiration, especially as you can experience many things that are not possible in the physical world, whether that be flying, walking under water without scuba gear, encountering dragons or monsters, and much more. I have far too many images to mention that have ended up having strong influences in my books. Visions of the Abyss, heavenly realms, and Purgatarion (in the Rising Dawn Saga) rely heavily upon such dreams. My concepts of the demonic and angelic derive from my dreams. The Elder from the Fires in Eden Series are another strong example, as are the An-Ki shape-shifting race of the Rising Dawn Saga. I’ve been able to get a very first-hand perspective of many things!

Debra: Anything is possible in a dreamscape and maybe that is why they fascinate me so. I'm glad you're able to capture them on paper. That is the tricky thing to do.

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

Stephen: My mother read me J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Hobbit when I was seven, and not long after that she got me the Chronicles of Narnia. It definitely had a profound influence on me, and set me on a fantasy voyage that has no end in sight!

Debra: Bless your mother, and all mothers who expand their children's minds this way.

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?

Stephen: Honestly, it would be doing the stories that I am doing right now, within my epic fantasy series. Epic fantasy is what I love the most, whether the tale is set in past, present, or future settings!

Debra: I'm always pleased to hear an author say that. It means the stories they are meant to be writing are being written!

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?

Stephen: For me, dreams are a huge source of inspiration, and I have gotten many ideas and concepts for creatures and environments directly from dreams. The Elder from the Fires in Eden series, as I mentioned earlier, is one such example. I often have very powerful, very lucid dreams of a fantastical nature, sometimes dark-edged, and I am very happy when I wake up and am still able to remember the content of these sometimes harrowing, sometimes thrilling, and always unpredictable excursions.

Debra: Stephen thank you for a sharing your dream world with us and for visiting Make-Believe Mondays to share a bit of the magic of writing with our readers.

Visit Stephen at:www.stephenzimmer.com
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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

Friday I guest blogged over on Lucy Monroe's blog about Hot Springs, where I plan to set a novel.

I'm hard at work on the manuscript in progess and will soon be sending it to a few selected agents. After some bumpy patches the writing is smoothing out nicely.

Updates for book signings and conferences I'll be attending are on my website calendar:
www.debraparmley.com

Authors interested in being interviewed on Make-Believe Mondays may fill out the form there or email me at debra@debraparmley.com.

I'm enjoying my friend Gerri Russell's blog Knightly Musings and getting ready for an SCA event called Gulf Wars. I enjoy medieval reinactment and this is where we go camping for a few days and live in the re-created world. Still gathering material and researching for the medieval romance I plan to start. (Yes, I like multiple stories to work on. Probably it's the Gemini in me.)

Anyone else noticing the daffodils peeking their heads up? Spring is on its way!

Love and light,
Debra

Make-Believe Monday with Sandra Sookoo

2010-03-01T13:31:00.011-06:00

Today my guest is Sandra Sookoo.

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

Sandra: The book I’m currently writing is the third in a trilogy. It’s a blend of paranormal and fantasy, with a bit of historical thrown in. The heroine (Mona) was the secondary character in the previous book and the hero (Braeden) was one of the villains in that book. It’ll be interesting for me to discover how these two will work together and how they’ll both redeem themselves.

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?

Sandra: Oh absolutely! That’s part of the fun of being a writer. In THE ART OF FANG SHUI (the first book in the trilogy I spoke of) I created a world based around eight “realms”. Of course, once I created the world, I needed to populate it with different beings. It’s important in world building to remember to create a history and mythology that you’ll remember throughout every book in that series. This way, it’ll be more believable and comfortable for the reader.

Debra: That title tickles me, it's playful and fun and makes me want to read the book! And if you've had fun writing it, that usually plays through into fun for the reader 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?

Sandra: Occasionally I’ll dream about my characters and scenes. More often than not, the next scene or bit of dialogue will come while I’m doing ordinary things like the dishes or making supper. Sometimes, I’ve woken up in the middle of the night knowing exactly what went wrong in a scene and how to fix it. Sometimes I’ll write it down. Other times I’m just too tired to reboot the computer LOL It’s funny how dreams work. I can go to bed hoping I’ll dream out the next sequence in a book. It doesn’t always work that way.

Debra: There is something about doing the dishes, or ironing or taking a shower that gets the creativity flowing, isn't there? That middle of the night waking can be problematic if we can't catch it down on paper somehow. So frustrating when it slips away. Dream journals help but not every time.

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

Sandra: I really loved Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables series. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read those 8 books and everything else she’s written. I spent every bit of my free time growing up at the library, reading there all afternoon then finally checking out 10 books or so to go home and read more. Getting lost in books was the only escape from those not quite so idyllic days. Eventually, I moved on to fantasy stories about wizards and elves, mostly by Terry Brooks. That’s probably what sparked my love of things not quite human.

Debra: Ah yes, Anne was one of my favorites too. It's only recently that I started reading fantasy so I have plenty of catching up to do! Haven't tried Terry Brooks yet but he's on the list. :-)

Sondra, 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 may visit Sandra at:
www.sandrasookoo.com
Paranormal Romantics blog
Believing is Seeing blog
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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

Last weekend I traveled to Hot Springs, AR with my husband to celebrate our 29th wedding anniversary. We stayed in the historic Arlington Hotel and Spa. I'll be blogging about the trip this Friday, March 5th on Lucy Monroe's blog.

Today I was interviewed on the Damsels At The Gate blog.

I've been updating the calendar on my website with book signings and conferences for 2010. Also added a list of authors who have been mentors for me on the links page. Will be adding more things this week as well.
www.debraparmley.com

I'm almost done with the revisions for the contemporary romance and will be submitting to agents before the end of March.

Love and light,
Debra

Make-Believe Monday with Lisa Campbell

2010-02-22T06:00:00.008-06:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Lisa Campbell

Lisa: Please accept this lovely bouquet of virtual tulips. It's my way of thanking you for having me on your wonderful blog! Aren't they gorgeous? I had them flown in from Amsterdam early this morning~

Debra: Thank you, Lisa, they are beautiful! So bright and cheerful too. I was just thinking the other day how ready I am for spring.

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

Lisa: If you could see my desktop icons right now, you’d count at least six stories in progress. In addition to writing historical romance, I also write paranormal erotica under my pen name Marie March. It usually makes for an interesting day, as I often skip from my medieval Highland clans, to post-Napoleonic England, with a stopover in present day Eastern Europe where all sorts of evil activity abound. There are days where I happily do away with two or three villains at a crack---it's very cathartic.

Debra: Yes, I can see how that would be! Also a good way to never be stuck on a story then falling into writers block.

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?

Lisa: Booze and lots of it---hey if it was good enough for Hemingway, it's good enough for me. Okay, that's not true. While I do take a nip every now and again, I'm nowhere near boozehound status. So, how do I keep my creative cup filled? Well, I'm a voracious reader and avid eavesdropper! I once made it a goal to read every book in the fiction section of our local library. Unfortunately, I moved to another state not long after (whew!). Really though, I glean a lot from newspaper articles, magazines, ads, and random conversations. For me, sparking ideas has always been the easy part; focusing on just one idea is my biggest challenge.

Debra: Well, your way will be a whole lot healthier than following in his footsteps so I'm glad to hear it. I have to wonder how many books were in that library. :-)

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

Lisa: All too often my characters decide to change the story in mid-stream. This is the main reason I have never written an in-depth outline. Just when I think I have a handle on the story's outcome, one of my main characters', usually the hero, changes the plot in midstream and I have to go back and revamp the whole premise. This happens every time I begin a new manuscript. I know it's going to happen, I'm just never certain when it'll transpire. I could be in the story by five or six thousand words and end up salvaging a few pages. It is quite annoying.

Debra: Yes, it certainly makes more work for us when that happens! The hero has to take charge and determine his own fate I suppose.

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

Lisa: I read every Agatha Christie, I could find---Miss Marple being my favorite of her sleuths. I also couldn't get enough of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Daphne Du Maurier and Dashiell Hammet. However, Agatha Christie captured my imagination with the well-crafted contradictions between Miss Marple's cunning, methodical mind and her proper demeanor, which is the hallmark of the quintessential British matron. I mean, who else could get away with investigating a murder before breakfast and neatly solving it by teatime?

Debra: Miss Marple made it look so easy didn't she?

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?

Lisa: Interesting question! Hmm…possibly an epicurean mystery with an alternate universe made entirely of dark chocolate where the Queen of Torte banishes all milk chocolate. When suddenly, a Hershey's kiss is found in the very same antechamber where the Duke of Cadbury and the Lord of Lindt are fighting over Lady Godiva's hand. In moments the galloping gourmet descends on the trio and---well, I'll save the rest for another day.

Debra: Oh now you've made me hungry for chocolate! Luckily my husband gave me a bar of Lindt dark intense orange the other day. (It has pieces of orange and almond slivers.)

Lisa, thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers. I must be off to find that chocolate bar now.

Readers please visit Lisa at

Historical Romance site: lisacampbell.net
Paranormal Erotica Romance site: www.myspace.com/mariemarch
and her blog Damsels at the Gate: www.damselsatthegate.blogspot.com where Debra's interview will appear soon.

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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

I was pleased to be invited to attend the Book Blogger and Publishing Online Conference because of this Make-Believe Mondays blog. To learn more about the conference visit www.romanceinthebackseat.com/bbpcon.html

This is a two day online event that will feature Blog Talk Radio Discussion Panels and open Forums for more inclusive debate on subjects raised. Attendees can listen to panels live or using the links provided at a later more convenient time. The Forums will remain open and those speaking on the panels will be in the forums afterward to answer questions. The Forums will be held in a private Ning for the Conference.

Here's an idea of the time frame.

Friday March 19th

11:00 - 11:30 am EST - Opening Radio Show
What Panels will be going on. How the Conference is set up and works.
12-1:30pm EST Panel 1
2-3:30pm EST Panel 2
1 hour break - Publisher Forums - Publishers can Schedule a Live Q and A Forum
4:30 - 6pm EST Panel 3
6:30 - 8pm EST Panel 4
End of the day - 9pm EST Forums - close - no longer monitored.

Saturday March 20th, 2009

11:00 Forums Open - Publishers Feature
12-1:30pm EST Panel 1
2-3:30pm EST Panel 2
1 hour break - Publisher Forums - Publishers can Schedule a Live Q and A Forum
4:30 - 6pm EST Panel 3
6:30 - 8pm EST Panel 4
End of the day - 9pm EST Forums - close - no longer monitored.

I'll be posting more about this and other events on my schedule for 2010. For more about what's going on visit www.debraparmley.com or my fan page on Facebook

This coming weekend my husband and I will be celebrating our wedding anniversary with a couple nights in Hot Springs, AR. I'm really looking forward to a little R & R and to stepping back in time at the Arlington Hotel. Hot Springs is a very romantic city and full of inspiration for this romance novelist. :-)

Until next time
Love and light,

Debra

Make-Believe Monday with Stephanie Cowell

2010-02-15T21:59:00.005-06:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Stephanie Cowell.

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

Stephanie: It’s based on a true nineteenth-century romantic love story. I am fascinated with the relationship between men and women, the wonderful courting period when they are not quite sure if the other one is really interested, and then the complexities of love after marriage. The complex balance of life and how love travels through that! But my next novel is coming out very soon (Claude and Camille) so I feel very torn between the bohemian world of the struggling impressionists and this very different English world.

Debra: Yes, this fascinates me too and I'm intrigued by your struggling impressionists.

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?

Stephanie: Well of course the creative cup isn’t always full; to slip into another metaphor, creativity has to go fallow like a field in winter but under the earth things are stirring. Often my great creative bursts come after a very dull period when I think I will never put a noun and verb together again. The best thing to restore myself is long walks, and watching old movies I love (some of my DVDs are almost worn out I think!) and just lie around on the sofa. Sleep, wander aimlessly in the park or museums. Sit by the Hudson River.

Debra: I quite like your metaphor. What a wonderful gift to yourself and your muse, that permission to wander.

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

Stephanie: Characters come alive for me from the beginning, but I see them more clearly as the drafts go on. I have to shape them so that they are clear for the reader. It is plot which comes last for me.

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

Stephanie: Oh absolutely! My four favorites were A Little Princess, The Secret Garden, and a beautiful shorter book (and beautifully illustrated) called Petite Suzanne by Marguerite De Angeli and of course Heidi. I still love them today. The great author Madeleine L’Engle was my mentor and friend and once when we were together, we started to talk about A Little Princess; we were like two little girls, talking about the story, and quoting the final great scene where the poor waif Sara is discovered. We quoted it line for line. Madeleine was near eighty at the time. I still feel thrilled by the story. I read all four books when I am very weary of things; I curl up in bed like a child and read them.

Debra: Oh, what a lovely story of your time with Madeline L'Engle. Thank you for sharing it here and for sharing the glimpse into your life and the boosk which feed your soul.

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?

Stephanie: I seem to be making a small specialty of writing about historical artists and writers and musicians. I find it fascinating to create the ordinary life of these people. I wander in museums and see objects and try to write them into the story. When I was writing about the young Claude Monet, I had to go down to the river and watch the light change every day and the many colors of the water. I think I’d say, try to see the everyday world through the eyes of your characters. I escaped into other worlds as a child because I felt I really could not express who I truly was in my own world, and I guess that is the main reason anyone becomes a writer. Everyone has special worlds inside them, a unique way of seeing things and stories to tell. I am always enriched by the worlds within my fellow writers! They can write things for me that I would not think to write!

My web site is www.stephaniecowell.com and my blog Everyday Lives of the French Impressionists is everydaylivesfrenchimpressionits.blogspot.com. My new novel Claude and Camille: A Novel of Claude Monet will be published by Crown on April 6th, 2010.

Debra: And what beautiful worlds you have to share with us as well, Stephanie.
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:

Authors wishing to be interviewed on Make-Believe Mondays, please email me at debra@debraparmley.com or visit my website www.debraparmley.com and fill out the form online.

Upcoming events:

I have been invited to be a part of the first Book Bloggers and Publishers conference March 19th to 20th because of my Make-Believe Mondays blog, which I've been doing since 2005. I'm looking forward to being on panels there.

One of my panels/workshops has been accepted for the Romantic Time convention in Columbus, OH the last weekend in April. As Columbus is my birthplace and I still have family there I'm quite excited about traveling there this year.

More details on these and other events to come. In the meantime I continue to work on my novels, with the occasional book signing as time allows.

Love to all,
Debra

Make-Believe Monday with Velda Brotherton

2010-02-08T12:29:00.005-06:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays, my guest is Velda Brotherton. I met Velda at the Ozark Creative Writers Conference which is held every year in Eureka Springs, AR.

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

Velda: Happy to. A few years back I wrote a mystery that I hoped would be a series. Then I became caught up in works on contract and set it aside. This story, I find now is too blah for today's marketplace, so I'm rewriting. Working title is Katt and Mouse.

My main character, Charity Katt, has come home to close down her brother Willie's Detective Agency in Wichita, Kansas. She's a channeler and performs a bit of magic occasionally, never having settled down in one place. At home, she finds her dead brother's ghost "living," and a request from an old friend of his whose father was murdered several years earlier. Her brother Willie urges her to take the case and offers his ectoplasmic assistance. Reluctantly, because she is curious about this famous man who has been in hiding, she decides to "consult" with him about the murder of his father. This leads her into a bizarre adventure in which her abilities are challenged to the limit to save her own life.

I'm having a lot of fun changing the old dull story into what I hope will be a salable mystery series.

Debra: And if you're having fun with the story that will come through. It sounds like a fun story.

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

Velda: Most definitely. That occurs along about the third or fourth chapter. I'm so attuned to this happening, that I'm thoroughly prepared at that point to begin anew with my "alive friends" now able to act and react the way they should. I prefer this way of getting acquainted to making up pages of characterizations before beginning my story. It helps me create characters who are capable of handling everything I'm going to throw at them throughout the book because the story has begun to spin away in my head by the end of three or four chapters, and I know what it will take for my characters to survive.

Debra: It's similar for me. Chapter three is when my story comes to life and so often those first three chapters are either rewritten or the first two I just carve away. I wonder how many authors also find this to be true of chapter three? Would love to have a poll some time to find out.

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?

Velda: Besides fiction, I write a lot of historical nonfiction based on people who have long gone into the next world. I find many times they actually talk to me, especially when I visit their homesite or grave. I once carried on a long conversation with an 11 year old boy who had been buried more than a hundred years. I find cemeteries to be very peaceful and conducive to this type of visits.

My fictional characters are often then based on some of these real people I've chatted with. I used to think I might be a bit crazy, until I learned many writers do the same thing. I recall one day I sat down at my dining room table to drink a cup of coffee and began to gaze out the window into the valley below, it's stream flashing in the afternoon sun. I actually left my body and began to live an imaginary story that was taking place in that valley. I was totally surprised to come back to myself and see it was dark outside and several hours had passed. My coffee was cold and I had cramps from sitting so long in one position. I no longer think I'm crazy. I'm just another of those writers so immersed in the worlds I write about that it comes alive. It's best, however, to be sitting at my computer when this happens so I can record everything as it is at first look.

Debra: I wonder what would happen if every child grew up thinking that the things unique about them weren't crazy but simply made them unique and special. I keep hearing adults say this and have to think something happens between childhood and adulthood to make them think so. Of course if you said something happened in your dreams no one thinks that is crazy. Can get away with more saying it's a dream or daydream.

Velda: While I do dream a lot, my imagination creates much more interesting worlds than my dreams, which are disjointed and frankly not very interesting.

My website is www.veldabrotherton My blogs are vbrotherton.blogspot.com and veldabrotherton.blogspot.com

Velda, thank you for joining me here on this Make-Believe Monday.

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Debra's news/Debra is watching:

Well,currently I'm watching the snow outside my windows and wondering if we'll get more or get ice which they're calling for. If we do and the yoga studio I work at closes down, I'll have the evening free and will work on the manuscript. I make my snow days into writing days which to me is both work and play. :-)

Stay warm and drive safely if you have to go out!

Love and light,
Debra

www.debraparmley.com

2010-02-01T10:14:00.008-06:00

Today my guest on Make-Believe Mondays is Clinton Foster.

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

Clinton: Well, I have just this last year published a novella, Willing to Believe, detailing the profundity of true love and what it takes to keep that love alive, especially in the absence of the other. Also, As part of the NaNoWriMo contest, I completed a semi-biographical piece, By the Wayside, about a little girl, abused at the age of six, and the hardships of her life as the years pass, when no one wants to believe her because to listen to what she has to say would be too inconvenient, too troublesome. I had intended to write this for some time, but as the contest requires the writer to write 50,000 words in 30 days, I used the challenge to take a break from my current manuscript. I concluded the book at just under 90,000 words.

Just now, I am readying to finish Namesake, a historical drama set just at the outset of World War One. The story concerns a poor family in an impoverished coal mining and farming community. As war looms and a drought strikes, the town roils in strife as the two major employers are both Germanic and the wages they offer to their workers seem to be aiding the enemy. The plot intricacies are as complex as John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, but the story line is as personal as James Herriott’s non-fiction. I hope to have it released by mid-spring of this year.

Debra: Quite a few writers enter the NaNo WriMo every year and I always wonder what the end result of that is for them. I started to do it this year but then decided I'd better concentrate on the novel I was revising and since NaNo is supposed to be for new writing it didn't fit my time frame or needs. But, maybe next year. It's interesting to know you did indeed get a whole novel out of the experience.

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?

Clinton: I day-dream a LOT! I love to stare at the stars and the moon, especially. As a child, I would spend hours on the front porch in the evening, summer and winter alike, just staring at the moon, wondering of the other people throughout the world looking at the moon at the very instant. I wondered whom they are, and what they were doing. I was curious to the details of their lives. Why were they looking at the moon, was it a quick glance or a prolonged scrutiny? Were they wondering about me? I would make up names and places and reasons and what they had done that day and what their plans were for the morrow. I still do that to this day at times. I also like to watch and listen to people, their word choices, their mannerisms and the like. The only problem with that, however, is if you find an interesting subject, your notes have to be made quickly in your mind - women think you are ogling them, and men get accusatory, if you watch one subject too long. A quick glance, a sharp eye, helps to increase your imagination as you try to fill in the blanks.....

Debra: Oh, that pull of the moon, I know it well. :-) Yes, it wouldn't do to let a woman think you were ogling her or to rile a man that way. The opposite is true for a woman writer. To let a man know you are watching him could bring unwanted attention your way.

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

Clinton: A funny thing, a writer friend of mine e-mailed me one morning saying she was so mad at her characters she was ready to break up with them and have them suffer a purposeful but horrible death. The evening before her character had done something entirely out-of-character. I know how that feels. When I begin a story, I generally know where it is going, but not always. I plan to take the story from point A to point Z, but occasionally anywhere between point B and Y you find yourself veering way off course to a thousand unnamed letters of a non-existent alphabet, just to work your way back to Y to finish with Z. I like that, it makes the writing interesting. There have been many times I have found myself dumbstruck as to how I can continue the intended story with what my characters have just done. It is at these moments I just walk away from a project and let it simmer. It is during these breaks that I suddenly "brainstorm" with these ideas out of nowhere as to how to continue the story on its course, or conjure a new plot course which is in keeping with the story intent, if not the original story line itself. Generally speaking, when I write, I consider myself to be the first to read my work, as I am open to every possibility of the story, just as a reader picking up the book for the first time would be.

Debra: Ah, but when you become frustrated with your characters, then you also know they have become more real and not simply some puppet figure. Your friends characters were probably full of life, though frustratingly so. I too, am a seat of the pants writer, not a plotter, but I have also heard those who simply must plot first say that their stories also tend to take new routes as they write.

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?

Clinton: Once in a while I do, when I know the word I need is the right word but its context would appear misapplied to linguists, I use it anyway. A writer’s first job is to write for his or herself and the readers, linguists be damned! Also, I create onomatopoeias when needed, if the word I write makes the precise sound that no other word might suggest, I’ll do it. But, all these devices, meant to accentuate a work, I try to use seldom and very sparingly, as too much of it would distract a reader from any piece.

Debra: Perhaps we should consider ourselves lucky that the average reader is not a linguist and simply wants to read a good story. I feel that way and happy I am that I'm then able to play with my stories and with the words within should I choose to.

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?

Clinton: I do not recall any given example, but I have had ideas I have toyed with for a while and abandoned, only to find ten years later in someone else’s book or in a movie.....

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?

Clinton: One project I have considered off and on for the longest but have no intention to write would be a personal history of the world. Beginning from the earliest prophets - or maybe even earlier, I don’t know – I would lead one character to the point where he or she meets the next character, being the most profound impact on his life, and as the next character’s story is told, it would conclude the story of the previous character. I would highlight one character through each generation, and thereby in snippets elaborate on the whole of world history through the ages until the present day to conclude with a "forecast" for the future. I haven’t thought it through in too much detail because the one thing I’m certain of, is that it would have to be an elaborate and time-consuming work. Too it would require an ungodly amount of research. So, there’s an idea for any ambitious writer looking for a subject.

Debra: With so many cultures in the world and such rich histories within each culture, I'm not sure any one person could live long enough to do it. Though it would be fascinating if they could.

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?

Clinton: Write, write, write! Read everything, from kindergarten books, to romance, to medical journals, to magazine ads! Read! Write! Keep going, and my very best to all in their endeavors.

Also, please visit my website
www.clintonfoster.com. Leave me a message and sign the guest book. I’d love to have you. Thanks.

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

Clinton: Thank you Debra for this opportunity to promote my work.

Debra: It's been my pleasure.

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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

This Saturday I will be at Davis-Kidd in Nashville, TN signing books at 2:00 p.m. with Imagicopter I would love to see you there!

www.debraparmley.com

Make-Believe Mondays With Yolanda Sfetsos

2010-01-25T06:00:00.000-06:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays, my guest is Yolanda Stefsos.

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

Yolanda: At the moment, I’m actually between manuscripts and working on revision for several projects. One is a YA futuristic, the other is the last installment for a trilogy I have contracted with Damnation Books, and I’ve also finished the revision for a follow up to Wither. It doesn’t have a set title yet but it’s a Sci-Fi, and although Colt and Brynn are in it, the next story is all about Ace.

Debra: Wither is such an interesting title, I'm curious what the follow up will be titled.

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?

Yolanda: The best way to keep my creative cup filled is to keep telling stories. Of course, every now and then I also need a little break, especially after long bouts of revision.

I also make sure that I keep reading in a variety of genres, listen to plenty of music, watch my favorite TV shows – Dexter, True Blood, Supernatural, Castle, Burn Notice – and go for walks. I get flooded with a lot of creative ‘stuff’ when I go for a walk.

Debra: It's so important for a writer to read widely and there's something about a walk when you get stuck on something.

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

Yolanda: Usually, as soon as the idea starts to build inside my head, the characters come alive. They’re very persistent and once their story begins to take shape, they won’t leave me alone. :)

With my story Wither, as soon as Colt and Brynn’s separate stories intertwined, I could see, hear, and feel the core of the tale they had to tell. Of course, with each draft, a few things changed but the core of who they were and what they wanted was there instantly.

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?

Yolanda: Oh, yes, this has definitely happened to me. Dreams are strange things. Sometimes they’re vivid, other times they fade moments after waking. And usually they don’t make any real sense, but there is that rare occasion where I might wake up with a small fragment that worms its way into a story.

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?

Yolanda: I think imagination is a very powerful thing and I’ve spent a lot of my life lost in mine.

Also, I love to hear from my readers, so don’t be shy and drop me a line.

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

Yolanda: Thank you very much for having me. It’s been a lot of fun.

Debra: It's been a pleasure.

Readers please visit Yolanda at
www.yolandastefsos.com
ysfetsos.blogspot.com
twitter.comyolandasfetsos

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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

Two weeks ago I started working part-time at a yoga studio in Memphis. I'm enjoying the new job, and beginning to practice yoga again. One of my goals for 2010 is to create harmony and balance in my life. Mind, body and spirit. So this job is perfect for working toward that goal and for allowing time to do the occasional book signing (I plan to do this once a month) as well as time to work on my manuscripts. I'm happy to report that I'm feeling much better after the accident and it's good to be back here doing the Make-Believe Mondays interviews which I enjoy.

Lining up some book events for 2010 and will be adding them to my website soon.
www.debraparmley.com

I will be at Davis-Kidd in Nashville on Feb. 6th for a signing at 2:00 p.m. More details later.

You can also find me on Twitter and I have a fan page on Facebook www.facebook.com/pages/Debra-Parmley/".

Make-Believe Mondays will resume Jan 25th

2010-01-19T01:09:00.002-06:00

Make-Believe Mondays has had no posts since December 7th because on Dec 8th I was in a car accident, totalled the car and was not feeling well. But I am fully healed now and ready to resume the interviews beginning next week, Jan. 25th. Thank you for your patience and the private emails of concern.

Love and light,

Debra

Make-Believe Monday with Juniper Bell

2009-12-07T10:00:00.003-06:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Juniper Bell.

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

Juniper: First of all, thanks so much for having me on your blog! I’ve read so many fascinating things from other authors here. It’s an honor to be here!

Debra: Thank you, Juniper. It's a pleasure to have you here.

Juniper: My first Samhain book, “Doll,” is coming out on December 15 – it’s a contemporary erotic romance. Here’s the blurb:

Even a plaything can be pushed too far…
Chloe Barnes thought her marriage to a wealthy politician would be the stuff of fairy tales. Instead, he took advantage of her naiveté and used her as a plaything to fulfill his twisted sexual needs. Ten years is enough. She returns to Bellhaven Island to sell the summer cottage she inherited, hoping the money will buy her freedom—and custody of her daughters.

Fisherman Dustin McDougal never forgot the childhood crush he once had on the fairy-like Chloe. The woman she’s become has a haunted look that brings his feelings back, stronger than ever…with a mature edge. Along with all his protective instincts.
Their passion blows stronger than a Maine nor’easter, awakening Chloe to the joy of true love. Yet it may not be strong enough to free her from the past…

Debra: Congratulations on your first Samhain book.

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

Juniper: Oh, definitely. One of the joys of writing is getting to know my characters. For me, they start out as little wisps of a thought, or an impression, or maybe an image. The more I write, the more they start to move through time and speak and interact with other characters, the more I understand them. The first draft, for me, is a “getting to know your characters” draft. When I go back for a second draft, it’s hilarious to see the things I wrote that I now KNOW my characters would never do or say!

Debra: Those little wisps can be so tantalizing as they draw us in to write. Maybe that is where the magic starts to happen.

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

Juniper: I was obsessed with the Chronicles of Narnia. Totally obsessed. I was convinced I could find a way into Narnia if I looked hard enough. My family lived in England for one summer and my sister and I used to roam the countryside, poking into old barns and searching for a portal into Narnia. (I’m pretty sure we never told our parents about that!) Later, I became convinced I was Jo March from Little Women in another lifetime.

Debra: What fun you must have had searching for it!

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?

Juniper: Imagination is one of my favorite topics. I don’t think it’s limited to “creative” people. Everything starts with imagination – not just books, but inventions, civilizations, gadgets, cars, houses, chia pets, everything. To me, imagination has a spiritual aspect. We can’t really control it. We have to respect its mystery and power, and have faith in where it’s leading us. I don’t know why my imagination expresses itself in books (especially erotic romance!) but for some reason that’s what I feel drawn to do. Whoever you are and whatever you do in life, respect that incredible blessing of imagination we’ve been given. And enjoy it!

Debra: Yes, imagination, that creative spark is the beginning of everything. And there is something very spiritual about the source of all things. Excellent thoughts to leave us with.

Juniper, 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 please visit Juniper at JuniperBell.com and authorjuniperbell.blogspot.com

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Debra's News/Debra is Watching:

Well this week I started a job working as a courier. So I plan to post the Make-Believe Mondays interviews late Sunday night for Monday morning. Just a bit of juggling going on here.

www.debraparmley.com

Make-Believe Monday with Erin Nicholas

2009-11-30T11:06:00.007-06:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Erin Nicholas.

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

Erin: My current work in progress is the sexy, contemporary third book in a three-book series following a set of siblings. The first book, Just Right, will release in April. The manuscript I’m working on now is about the youngest sister who’s been in love with her brother’s best friend for years. He’s a lot older than her and her brother knows way too much about his wild past to be comfortable with letting his little sister be with him! Still he can’t leave her alone and the heroine isn’t above using every weapon in her arsenal to get what she wants!

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?

Erin: Great question! Some days it’s harder than others, isn’t it? I read, read, read, for one thing! My children and husband also help. They love the stories mom makes up for them at bedtime (after writing steamy love scenes, it’s a great stretch for me to have to make the stories rated G J). I also think my “day job” keeps me constantly creatively revived. I’m a physical therapist, so can satisfy my scientific “left brain”, which seems to allow my creative “right brain” to recharge! Plus, working with people all day every day gives me lots of great chances to be inspired and rewarded!

Debra: Yes, it can be. Writing can be isolating. Reading is so important as is getting out among people.

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

Erin: Absolutely. Actually, until that happens I feel like I need to get to know them better! They pull me into conversation a lot in the shower and in the car… the only two places I’m ever truly alone! J

Debra: Alone time is essential to the writing life.

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?

Erin: I write contemporaries, so I haven’t come up with a language (yet! J), but I do play with words in creating and getting to know my characters… giving them phrases they use a lot or a way they speak. Some of my favorite authors are brilliant at that! I also constantly create places. I love the small towns of the Midwest and many of my books are set in fictional towns I’ve created from bits and pieces of towns I know and love. I also have multiple characters and stories that involve the medical field (my November release is about a physical therapist!) and so I create the hospitals where they work, which is again, bits and pieces of the places I’ve worked myself!

Debra: Being a midwest gal myself, originally from Ohio, I can relate to your fictional towns. :-)

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?

Erin: I have dreamed scenes or a premise before and that’s like finding a winning lottery ticket without spending the money! I mean, wow, I’m sleeping rather than staring at a blank screen and suddenly this idea is just there? How great is that? More than that, though, is when my characters show up in my dreams. Not always in the context I’ve put them in on the pages, but mixed in with my real life. It’s kind-of fun and I take that to mean that I’ve gotten to know them pretty well by that time!

Debra: Yes, it is like winning the lottery! When the stories show up in your dreams you know you were meant to write them.

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

Erin: Oh, absolutely! My dad was an English teacher before he became a high school Principal (yes, my high school Principal! J) and he introduced me to the original Alice in Wonderland (not the Disney version), A Wrinkle in Time, The Lord of the Rings, the Chronicles of Narnia… oh, wow, talk about fabulous worlds!

Debra: What an awesome dad to give the gift of stories. I'll bet he is proud of you.

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?

Erin: I love the fact that it seems more and more the world of romantic fiction is just wide open! I think the only limitation is… me! J

Debra: So much truth in that one. "the only limitation is me" So true.

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?

Erin: I think that dreams and the imagination allow us to do two really huge things: hold on to the “what could be” in life and connecting with others. Fiction, at least the fiction I love J, is about the good things: love, triumph over adversity, bravery, faith, truth, justice, sacrifice, loyalty… the things that we all really want and deep down have to believe in to keep going. It is absolutely amazing to me that not only can a writer create something purely from within them, but once it’s out there in the world it touches others and they learn from it and it lifts them up and entertains them. It’s such a hard thing to explain, but it’s so fantastic the way our souls can speak to and touch each other!

Debra: It is something of a miracle the way stories can touch lives, isn't it?

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

Erin: Thanks for letting me share a Monday with you!

Debra: You're quite welcome! It's been a pleasure.

Readers can visit Erin at:

www.ErinNicholas.com
ninenaughtynovelists.blogspot.com
groups.yahoo.com/group/ErinNichloas

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Debra's News/Debra is watching:
I took last week off to visit relatives over the holidays and got to meet my beautiful niece Maggie who was only one week old.

This week is for catching up on things and getting back to the two manuscripts I'm working on.

I'll be out in Vegas Dec 16th to 22nd to visit my youngest son and really looking forward to seeing him again.

www.debraparmley.com

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-23T11:32:00.002-06:00

There are so many things we have to be thankful for. Some of the things I'm thankful for this season are my new niece who I'll get to see the day after Thanksgiving (as well as the rest of my family), the trip we have planned to see my youngest son just before Christmas. He lives in Vegas so I don't get to see him often. I'm thankful for loving friends and family and for good health.

I hope that you have many things to be thankful for this season.

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Love,

Debra

Make-Believe Mondays is on break this week for the holiday but will resume 11- 30 -09
www.debraparmley.com

Make-Believe Mondays with Shelley Munro

2009-11-16T11:47:00.008-06:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Shelley Munro.

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

Shelley: I’m currently working on book nine of my Middlemarch Mates series about a feline shifter community living in a small country town in New Zealand. My work-in-progress features two tiger shifters, although most of the shifters in the community are black leopards. The series starts with Scarlet Woman. Actually, each time I return to my Middlemarch series it’s like meeting up with old friends. This particular story features Ambar, the sister of the hero in CatNap and she’s starting to experience freedom after her very strict parents died in a motor vehicle accident.
If anyone is interested in the idea behind the story they are welcome to visit my website for photos of the real town, how I came up with the idea for the series and also a free PDF booklet which shows the family trees and the connections between the different stories in the series.

Debra: That sounds fascinating. Tigers are my favorite big cats. Readers can find all your websites listed at the bottom of this interview.

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?

Shelley: One thing I’m not short of is ideas so I must be doing all right with keeping my creative cup filled. I’m constantly reading—anything from newspapers and magazines to books in various genres. I read lots of non-fiction titles as well. I watch current movies and television shows—they’re always great sources of ideas and a way to relax away from writing. My favorites at the moment are The Mentalist and True Blood.

Writers spend a lot of time alone during the writing process, and I think it’s very important to get out and interact with the rest of the world. Watching other people go about their business is always fascinating and a way to stimulate the imagination and get ideas. I really enjoy people watching at the mall.

And finally, I love to travel and always return home recharged and full of ideas, ready to start writing again.

Debra: I agree with all these points. It's a balance I think. A writer needs to be alone to write, but we also need to interact with people. And I firmly believe that everyone should travel. If everyone left the country they were born in and traveled even once to another country we'd live in a much different world.

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

Shelley: An English author, Enid Blyton was one of my favorites as a child. She is well known for her Noddy series, but she also wrote children’s mysteries such as the Famous Five series plus stories full of magical elements like wishing chairs, fairies, goblins and toys that come to life. I write contemporary and paranormal stories usually strewn with bodies. I think Enid Blyton is directly responsible for the direction my writing has taken.

Debra: I am not familiar with her, but Shelley has kindly provided a website link.
www.amazon.com/Enid-Blyton

Shelley: I was also very keen on Hugh Lofting’s Doctor Dolittle series about a doctor who treated talking animals.

Debra: Oh yes, I recall being fascinated with the animals in that one.
Shelley, thank you for joining us here on this Make-Believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.

Shelley: Thanks so much for having me here today, Debra.

Readers can visit my website at www.shelleymunro.com or my blog at www.shelleymunro.com/blog
www.shelleymunro.com/for-readers/behind-the-scenes
www.shelleymunro.com/for-readers/behind-the-scenes

Debra: It has been a pleasure.

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Debra's News/Debra is Watching:

www.debraparmley.com

Make-Believe Mondays With Carolan Ivey

2009-11-09T08:00:00.000-06:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Carolan Ivery.

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

Carolan: I have two main projects right now. Book 3 of my “Legends” series of paranormal romances should be number 1 on my agenda, however a family trauma earlier this year got me sidetracked. I decided to take a break from it and delve into some new creative territory to recharge my batteries. It’s a short erotic romance piece set in the Yucatan. I traveled there last spring and while Cancun proper didn’t exactly thrill me, the surrounding countryside is saturated with the kinds of legends and history that sparks my imagination.
Book 2 of the Legends series, A Ghost of a Chance, is available now in both ebook and print.

Debra: Sometimes we need a little break to rest and allow the creative urge to well up again. Cancun is rather touristy. Any time you can visit Mayan ruins though, there are always legends and quite a bit of atmosphere.

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?

Carolan: Travel! We’ve been lucky to have the opportunity to travel all over the United States, mainly to see our treasured wild and historical sites. My husband’s career with international companies has also allowed us explore parts of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Britain, France and Germany. We’re castle geeks. J
I’m also a firm believer in occasionally getting out of your comfort zone. For example, guns scare me, but a friend of mine took me target shooting and not only was it an education, I found myself enjoying it.

Debra: Ah, you're a kindred soul I think. I used to work as a travel consultant. Haven't made it to Wales, Britain or Ireland yet, but they're on my list. There's nothing quite like visiting a new place for the first time. Target shooting is on my to do list too. I'm determined to get over my fear of guns.

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

Carolan: Yes, but it’s almost never in the first draft! Somewhere during the second or third revision stage, my creative process is in full gear and that’s when I hear the characters carrying on full conversations in my head. In fact, I know a book is really finished when I stop hearing them. It’s eerie, and a little lonely when that happens.

Debra: Yes, then you know the book is truly done.

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?

Carolan: In general, I don’t remember my dreams. So it’s possible I’ve dreamed a scene and it emerged later from my subconscious.

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

Carolan: I was a horse nut growing up, so my go-to authors were Marguerite Henry, Walter Farley, Dorothy Lyons, Will James, Stephen W. Meader and Jo Sykes. As a child I often had trouble falling asleep, and I entertained myself making up long, involved stories in which I interacted with the characters of the books I loved.

Debra: Yes, I wonder how many of us have imagined ourselves in the stories we read, right along with the characters.

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?

Carolan: Interesting question. So far I’ve been blessed to write exactly what I want to write, blending sub-genres and stretching out of my comfort zone to my heart’s content.

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

Carolan: Thank you for having me!

Debra: It's been a pleasure. Readers can find out more about Carolan at

www.carolanivey.com and
samhainpublishing.com

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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

Last week I was down with bronchitis, but I'm happy to report that I'm up and about this week, doing much better. I signed up for Nano, which is sort of a write-a-thon type challenge for writers. The idea is that you write as fast as you can without editing all through the month of Nov then in Dec you edit the novel. Fast way to a finishing a novel I have been told. This is my first time to try it however.

I'm also working on the 2nd manuscript to get the revisions and edits done. Seem like I keep reporting that, doesn't it? Well, it does take time to finish a 300 to 400 page manuscript. Now if we could only write them as fast as you can read them.

I'm also doing a little exercise where I find one thing to be thankful for each day in November. Why should we wait for a national holiday like Thanksgiving, right? It wasn't my idea and I don't know where it originated but I like it. There is always something to be thankful for.

Love,
Debra

Visit my website
www.debraparmley.com
I'm planning to redo the photo section a bit as time allows and there may be other changes.

Make-Believe Mondays on Break This Week

2009-11-02T18:46:00.002-06:00

Make-Believe Mondays is taking a break this week to allow me to rest and recover from bronchitis. I hope to resume interviews next week.

Thanks

Debra

Make-Believe Mondays With Julia Knight

2009-10-26T08:00:00.006-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Julia Knight.

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

Julia: Well I’m working on two at the moment. One’s an historical erotic romance, with pirates. The other is the third and final installment of my Oathcursed series (book 2 is released by Samhain in January)While we’re still following the heroes and heroine from the first two – Hilde, Hunter and Ilfayne – other characters are coming along to complicate their lives. Nerisse is a rather willful girl – thoroughly spoilt, but overly protected by her father, who has good reason to believe someone will take revenge on him through her. When the chance comes for Nerisse to escape and live a little, she grabs it with both hands – only to find out her father was right. As usual there will be big dollops of romance to offset the adventure!

Debra: Pirates, did you say pirates? :-) I'll bet they are fun to write about. Adventure and romance, what could be better?

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?

Julia: Reading widely and daydreaming. Reading, to see what works, what doesn’t, what’s already been done to death. And daydreaming scenes, playing them as movies in my head, with all different possibilities tried out. I could spend all day doing that.

Debra: Yes, the already been done to death part can make it difficult. Thankfully that daydreaming imagination can vanquish that one.

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

Julia: Oh yes – they talk back to me all the time, the monkeys. Usually it takes me a few chapters to get a feel for them. Then they’ll be somewhere with something nasty happening to them (I do so like to torture them) and all of a sudden they’re saying ‘There is no way you’re getting me to do that! I’d do this instead.’ One reason I don’t outline – the characters always end up pulling me in different directions to the ones I’d envisaged.

Debra: Sometimes character are like unruly children that way. Outlines are too much like rules to be broken.

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

Julia: The first one I really remember grabbing me was an old book about King Arthur – you know the ones that had colour plates and gold edging on the pages? I grew up with the Pig Sty Prince, the White Dragon and the Red, the Fairy Hunt. All evocative, romantic ( in the literary sense, not the genre sense) stories. They took me to another place, and I don’t think I’ve ever been quite so entranced by any story. I still have that book – it’s one of my son’s favourites.

Debra: Yes, I remember those! And the color plates and gold edging made the physical book as romantic and enticing as the stories.

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

Julia: Thank you! It’s always fun seeing new types of questions.

Visit Julia at
juliaknight.co.uk
juliazknight.wordpress.com
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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

I've been hard at work on the contemporary romance and hope to be submitting it very soon. Then will turn to finish the western historical romance. (Not a sequel to A Desperate Journey, but a story that is very different.)

What are you doing this Halloween weekend? I will be attending Gatalop. Gatalop is held in Fort Gaines on Dauphin Island close to Mobile, AL. It's an SCA event. (SCA is the medieval reinactment group I'm a member of.) My group is staying inside the fort. The fort is believed to be haunted, so if I see any ghosts, I will come back and tell you about it! ;-)

The site is open to the public from 9:00 to 5:00 and I will be there in the merchant area selling my books.

www.debraparmley.com

Until next Monday, Happy Halloween and Happy Samhain!

Love,

Debra

Make-Believe Mondays with Meg Allison

2009-10-19T11:13:00.004-05:00

Today my guest on Make-Believe Mondays is Meg Allison.

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

Meg: The novel I’m working on now is the second book in the Sentinels series. It tells the story of empath Samantha Bays as she meets the man of her dreams. But her hero is under a lot of stress since he recently started drawing the murder scenes of a serial killer. It combines my favorite subgenres of paranormal and suspense, of course with a heavy dose of romance along the way.

Debra: And an empath would be able to feel what the hero was feeling. Very interesting.

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?

Meg: I find the best way to keep my creative cup filled is by taking a break from writing now and then. I recharge by getting out of the house, sometimes going for a walk. I also listen to music -- most of my best ideas are inspired by song. Often, reading some of my favorite authors also helps get the ideas flowing.

Debra: Yes, fresh air and a walk can clear the mind and provide inspiration. And autumn is such a lovely time of year to walk.

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

Meg: I’m usually able to at least visualize my characters from the very first scene. As I get deeper into the story, I can hear the dialogue and thoughts in my head. I find I really have to get to that point for my stories to really come alive.

Debra: Yes, until we can hear them they're just characters on a page. Maybe writers are unusual in that we want to hear voices in our heads. :-) That means the story has come alive.

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

Meg: Thanks for sharing your blog with me! I enjoy talking about writing and the whole process. There’s nothing more satisfying than being able to bring my characters to life and share them with readers.

Visit Meg

www.megallisonauthor.com
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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

On Saturday I signed books in Jackson, MS with Imagicopter. Now I am taking a break from signings and will be focusing more on writing and submitting. My next signing will be in Nov. and you can find it on the calendar on my website.

www.debraparmley.com

Thank you to everyone who told me the website isn't coming up. I'll let my webmaster know and she'll fix it. You can get there on the second click, but the first time its sending an error message. Thank you for your patience and thank you for telling me there was a problem.

Make-Believe Mondays with Judi McCoy

2009-10-12T13:52:00.003-05:00

Today my guest is Judi McCoy.

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

Judi: I’m working on book three in my new dog walker series. Book one, Hounding the Pavement, came out in March 2009 and it’s a brand new direction for me. I call the series romantic mystery, but I sure the term has been used before—if not I’ve coined a new genre.

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?

Judi: I have to admit, with the new series, keeping the cup full is easy. My characters are unique (a NYC dog walker who understands what her dogs are thinking/saying and the dogs who converse mentally with her in return) so there are plenty of situations I can put them in for fun and excitement.

Debra: It would be hard to resist a talking dog. What fun. Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?

Judi: I think about the idea/plot for a new book, then come up with the heroine and hero. When I created Ellie, my dog walker, she was fully formed in my head. Once I named her, Ellie’s voice rang out loud and clear. It was the same with Detective Sam Ryder, Ellie’s sometimes love interest, sometimes adversary. The real fun was creating personalities for each dog she walks. Rudy, Ellie’s own dog was easy because he’s exactly the way I imagine my real life dog, Rudy, to be. The others were carefully thought out so that each dog would be an individual.

Debra: It sounds like a fun series. Do you have anything else you'd like to share with our readers?

Judi: Hounding the Pavement, the first dog walker book, was released March 2009. ALL royalties received by the author for this book will be donated to Best Friends.org the largest ‘no kill’ animal shelter in the US. Situated in Utah, Best Friends cares for dogs, cats, birds, goats, horses and other abused animals. Each breed of animal has their own compound and are worked with to be rehabilitated and adopted out, but if that doesn’t happen the animal can live on the sanctuary for the rest of its life.

The television series, Dogtown, on the National Geographic channel, comes out every Friday immediately after The Dog Whisperer.

BEST NEWS: Hounding the Pavement was recently sold to CBS Productions to be made into a weekly.

Judi, thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers. It's been a pleasure.

Readers can visit Judi at www.judimccoy.com

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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

I just returned from a great little regional conference, the Ozark Creative Writers, which is held in Eureka Springs, AR every year.

I'll be in Jackson, MS this Saturday signing books at the Eudora Welty library. More information on that event and other appearance is listed on my website.
www.debraparmley.com

Today I'm catching up on being away for the past four days and then tomorrow I'll start back to work on the manuscript.

Come back and visit next Monday and till then keep reading, keep writing, keep smiling. :-)

Debra

Make-Believe Mondays with Renee Wildes

2009-10-05T12:45:00.007-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Renee Wildes.

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

It's set in my Samhain Publishing "Guardians of Light" world. I'm tentatively calling it "Dust of Dreams" and I hope it ends up being Bk 4. The hero Benilo is an elven spirit healer (he has a teeny part in Duality and pivotal role in Hedda's Sword). The heroine Pryseis is a rebellious dream faerie. They work together to stop a goblin child's magic-influenced nightmares from spreading to everyone and starting a war.

Debra: The idea of nightmares being able to spread is intriguing. I'm wondering how they spread and how to stop them. Stories about the fae are always so fascinating.

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?

Renee: I do a lot of reading & watching old movies. I love art, scrapbooking, horseback riding through the woods and playing with my kids. One of our favorite games is "What if?" or serial stories - one of us starts, stops at some cliffhanger point and the next person has to then pick up whatever thread got dropped. Can be a LOT of fun (as is also useful at writer's meetings/parties)!

Debra: Story games are so much fun, especially if the writers write in different genres. This subject came up just the other day at lunch. Somehow it keeps re-appearing this week.

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

Renee: I usually start a story with a vision of the character:

Duality was a red-haired woman kneeling in a burning room. (When I realized she STARTED the fire I had to know more!)

Hedda's Sword I was trying to figure out who to pair Cianan with (an elven version of the ultimate ladies' man) and my evil red dragon muse whispered "assassin nun." And there she was - Brigitte Nielsen, complete w/sword!

Lycan Tides I've always been facinated w/selkies, and I got a single mom living in a lighthouse!

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?

Renee: I write fantasy romance, so everything I write is make believe. I base imaginary places on real places, use historical weapons, mix real creatures with mythological beasts. Medicines are part real herbs and some made-up (telgara bushes, waxroot, relag & garelbark tea, dreamwine, drenieval whiskey). I make up the names of gods and goddesses. Then I thow in things like talking horses, sentient jewelry & vemonous mermaids - I even have swear words in different languages:

DRACKEN RUE - elvish

DREK - dragon

VARDEN - selkie

LURSA - faerie

Debra: Fascinating! To learn more, we'll have to read your books. :-)

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?

Renee: Writing is part IMAGINATION & part RESEARCH. Take enough of the real world to make your story seem well-grounded, but add enough of a twist to make it fresh and new and exciting. Don't ever be afraid to reach, to stretch it just a bit more. And don't be afraid of the dark - the best stories are those where good/light triumph over evil/darkness! The light always shines the brightest against the dark!

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

Renee: Thanks so much for having me here today, Debra! It was fun! Anyone who wants to find out more about my worlds can check out:

website: www.renee.wildes.net
Samhain Publishing author page
blogs: reneewildes1.wordpress.com
guardiansoflight.wordpress.com

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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

Thursday I'm headed to Eureka Springs, AR to the Ozark Creative Writers where I'll be signing books on Friday and Saturday.

I'll be sending tweets from the writers event and my Twitter feeds into my home page, so you can follow even if you don't wish to get a Twitter account.
www.debraparmley.com
You'll also find my calendar with upcoming appearances for the rest of the year. I'll be winding that down soon in order to get more writing done.

Make-Believe Mondays with Jenna Ives

2009-09-27T22:49:00.006-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Jenna Ives.

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

Jenna: The premise of my September 29th Samhain release “The Initiation Of Isabella” is this: what if a case of mistaken identity allowed you to experience your wildest sexual fantasies? Would you be daring enough to indulge? In the case of my heroine Isabella Tallin, her decision literally changes her life.

Debra: That's quite a question! I wonder how Isabella will handle that and what will happen to her? Readers, we'll have to wait till tomorrow when the book releases to find out.

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?

Jenna: First of all, can I say that I love, love, love Ray Bradbury? I saw him recently in Pacific Palisades, CA, at an event, and I was so tongue-tied I couldn’t even tell him how much I admire his writing. Reading his “Martian Chronicles” is one of my most vivid childhood memories, and my first three manuscripts were sci-fi -- no doubt because of his influence!

As for my ‘creative cup,’ I don’t have any problem keeping it filled J There are any number of things that spark story ideas for me: a snippet of overheard conversation, a newspaper article. In fact, my Samhain release “The Initiation Of Isabella” was inspired by my nightly cocktail sipped on my balcony overlooking the Pacific Ocean and asking “What If…”

Debra: He really is wonderful and I would love to hear him speak. That "What If" question can be the start of so many good stories and it's so much fun to play the what if game.

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

Jenna: I must admit it IS scary when your characters start to talk to you in your head, but then again, that’s the point when you know you’re a real writer, LOL!

Debra: Yes, when those characters come alive and start talking it can feel a bit otherworldly. But then it is another world. ;-)

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?

Jenna: Ironically, one of my dreams became a storyline in a YA novel in which the heroine dreams my dream, but that story hasn’t sold yet L But yes, it *does* happen!

Debra: Perhaps it will soon. :-)

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

Jenna: Even though my new Samhain story “The Initiation Of Isabella” is a contemporary erotic romance, see my answer on Ray Bradbury, above, LOL! He is The Man!

Debra: Yes, he is. lol

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?

Jenna: Imagination is a writer’s greatest asset. When you let go of the ordinary world and let your imagination soar, that’s when inspiration invariably strikes. As someone once said, “As the mind calms, the eyes see more clearly.” Free yourself, and see what happens!

Debra: That's a very good quote and excellent advice.

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

Jenna: Thanks so much for having me here today! I’m so excited that my first Samhain story, “The Initiation Of Isabella” releases on September 29th, and is part of Samhain’s sexy Binding Ties bondage anthology. You can read an excerpt at www.jennaives.com and register to win a Bondage Kit by sending an e-mail to: bindingties-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Winner will be chosen on October 29.

How about you? If a case of mistaken identity offered you the opportunity to fulfill your wildest sexual fantasies, would you be daring enough to indulge??

Debra: That's quite a question to leave our readers with. So, readers, how about it? How would you answer?

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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

This week I am writing and resting up for the Ozark Creative Writers in Eureka Springs Oct. 8th to 11th. Between now and then I need to finish the manuscripts and get them ready to submit to a few agents.

www.debraparmley.com

Make-Believe Mondays with Allan Gilbreath

2009-09-21T12:13:00.011-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Allan Gilbreath.

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

Allan: Currently, I am working on "Final Kiss" which is the next installment in the Galen series. I have also begun work on a speculative piece called "What's a Modern Demon to do?"

Debra: That's a good story question which raises all sorts of questions in this readers mind. So many possibilities there.

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?

Allan: My creative cup overfloweth. I have no shortage of projects that I want to get done. I just don't have enough time.

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

Allan: I have actually lost arguments with my characters. Since we spend so much time trying to figure out what we want them to do next, it is very easy to fill in all the missing parts and get to know the personality of your creation very well.

Debra: Those arguments would be fun to witness I'd think.

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?

Allan: I have in a couple of fantasy projects. I find it convenient to create the place, but you really have to keep up with your own details.

Debra: And with a fantasy world there can be so much to keep up with.

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?

Allan: Absolutely, I find that dreams can be a wonderful inspiration for new works.

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

Allan: Jules Verne and Edgar Allan Poe let me explore aspects of the world (real and imaginary) hidden to most people. They showed me everything from innovation to dismay and how a host of feelings could exist in a single person.

Debra: That host of feelings is what can make a character come to life.

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?

Allan: To be honest, I am exploring that at some level in everything I write.

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?

Allan: The imagination is an amazing gift. It can solve problems or let you explore the heavens. It allows writers and readers to connect in an incredible way and share entire universes.

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

Learn more about Allan and his work at
Kerlach.com/allangilbreath
and
Allan on MySpace

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

I was in Little Rock Saturday signings books and now I am taking a little break until Oct. 8th to 10th when I'll be in Eureka Springs at the Ozark Creative Writers signing all weekend. You can find my calendar on my website and follow me on Twitter if you wish. Sign up for my newsletter and you may win a free ebook!

www.debraparmley.com

Finishing out this month I have two manuscripts to finish and get out the door so
I'm also writing as fast as I can in the Unleash Your Story Write-a-thon which raises funds for Cystic Fibrosis. Go to
UnleashYourStory.com
to learn more. Every $5.00 donation adds up and we appreciate your support! Those who donate can also win free books! Check it out!

Now, for those who have been waiting for the winner from last weeks contest with Jeanmarie Hamilton.....the lucky winner is .....Kaitey Benoit....
please email me debra@debraparmley.com and we will get your prize out to you.

If you enjoy games, contests and free books
I'm one of twenty authors in a treasure hunt where you can win free books! Roaring twenties, twenty authors and over twenty prizes! Go to
CiarCullen.wordpress.com
to play along and good luck!

Until next week, have a beautiful Monday, a lovely week and remember to smile!

Debra

Make-Believe Mondays with Jeanmarie Hamilton

2009-09-14T11:19:00.010-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays I'm pleased to introduce my AT2 Sister, Jeanmarie Hamilton.

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

Jeanmarie: Debra, thank you for having me here today. I just finished working on back cover blurbs for MOONLIGHT DESPERADO. I received a contract last week from Siren-Bookstrand for the novella.

Moonlight Desperado takes place in central Texas after the Civil War has ended. The story was inspired by a family story about my great great grandmother who was told by raiders one night to bring out all her bedding for them to sleep on in her yard. She was alone at the time, her husband away on business. The next day they came back and demanded the money from the safe while threatening her at gunpoint. I changed the story, a little, and the characters. My hero is a werewolf, as are all the raiders in this story. I had fun writing it.

Debra: It's a joy to have you here! I get excited every time one of our sisters sells a book and is able to come do an interview. (Jeanmarie and I were the only ones in the contest with western historical romances which at the time people were saying were hard to sell. So I'm especially excited for her.)

How exciting to be able to bring your great great grandmothers story into your fiction in a way that a part of her can live on!

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?

Jeanmarie: My characters help in that regard. After I've finished a story and sent it to a publisher, I think about the stories I have waiting to be written, and the characters let me know which one I want to write next. The characters with the strongest pull usually lure me to finish their story, unless an editor has asked for a different story. I also find my decision on which story to work on next is often made according to an editor's or publisher's story needs. Whichever, the characters and the story take over from there.

Debra: Things change once you have an editor. There's a bit more direction as to where to go with the next story. But ultimately the story must take over in order to come alive.

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

Jeanmarie: My characters usually come to my mind already formed. The hero or heroine always has a problem to take care of, and they're emotionally involved in finding a solution. They voice their emotions in no uncertain words, and then their story evolves.

Debra: Sometimes quite loudly I'll bet.

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?

Jeanmarie: I write western historical and contemporary stories. So my words center around the language of the times. Although I haven't come up with new words, I have spent hours researching for words the people in my stories would use. It takes hours for me to decide on the right names for my characters. I can't imagine how many hours it would take to come up with new words. Could be fun though.

Debra: Names are so important. Yes, creating new words can be fun. Even just a pet name for someone.

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?

Jeanmarie: I once dreamed an entire western story. It was quite a sweeping story. Then one day I was watching an afternoon movie, and it turned out to be the dream I'd had. I believe the old movie was the Jubilee Trail, which was originally a book! So I don't trust my dreams for new stories. Sometimes my characters will appear in my dreams and tell me the answer to a problem I'm having with some part of the story. That's always helpful.

Debra: I'll bet you were surprised. lol The movies we watch and the books we read can influence our writing so it's good to be careful.

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

Jeanmarie: My mom read us kids the Raggedy Ann books, and some fairy tale books. She also read the Oz books to us. When I started reading for myself, I started with the Oz stories, then the Little Women books, and finally fell in love with The Black Stallion and all the stories by Walter Farley. I have to say that I loved his stories the best.

Debra: Your mother made good choices of reading material. Bless all those mothers who read to their children every night. Who knows what budding authors are out there?

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?

Jeanmarie: I have to say that I'd probably write the historicals and shapeshifter stories I'm writing now. They incorporate things I love, horses, places I love, strong men and women, and mythical beings, shapeshifters.

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?

Jeanmarie: I once heard Ray Bradbury speak at a writers conference. He talked about writing down his dreams immediately after rising from his bed. I have to be quick to do that because my dreams disappear fast when I'm awake. Another thing he said that still inspires me, is to write, and write what you enjoy writing. I've always been a bit of a rebel. What I enjoy about writing shapeshifters is the freedom it gives me to develop my characters and to break some genre rules, if needed, to define my alpha characters.

Debra: What a great experience to hear Ray speak. (Well you know I think he's awesome both as a writer and writing mentor to others.) Thank you for sharing his wisdom with us and for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.

Jeanmarie: I've had a great time. Thanks for inviting me. If you'd like to visit my web site, here's the address:
www.Jeanmarie Hamilton.com

Readers please visit Jeanmarie's website to learn more. Also, Jeanmarie is giving away a copy the anthology Northern Roses and Southern Belles which has one of her stories in it. There are 6 authors in the anthology from The Wild Rose Press and they are all members of the Scandalous Victorians.

Leave a comment to win a copy of the ebook!

I'll contact the winner next Monday.
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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

My website has been added to and updated www.debraparmley.com with a Twitter feed on the home page (I Twittered from Heather Grahams Writers for New Orleans on Labor Day weekend) as well as a section on the home page of my book signings and appearances.
I also have a section where you can sign up for my newsletter and I'm giving away a copy of the ebook version of A Desperate Journey to one lucky subscriber who signs up in the month of Sept.

I'm also writing as fast as my fingers can type in a write-a-thon called Unleash Your Story which raises funds for Cystic Fibrosis.

And this coming Saturday I'll be in Little Rock, AR at Words Worth Books signing A Desperate Journey from 3:00 to 5:00 pm. You can find a map on my website.

Till next time, have a beautiful week and keep reading!

Happy Labor Day!

2009-09-07T13:05:00.002-05:00

Happy Labor Day!

Make-Believe Mondays is taking a break to celebrate the Labor Day holiday. We will resume next week.

Visit
www.debraparmley.com to keep up with Debra's news (now also on Twitter) and I will be signing books in Hernando, MS next Saturday from 5:00 to 6:00 pm. Details and a map are available on my website as well.

Make-Believe Mondays With H David Blalock

2009-08-24T15:48:00.006-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays, my guest is H David Blalock.

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

David: Thanks for the chance to talk to your audience, Debra. Always great to be able to connect with new readers.

I just completed the manuscript for EMPEROR and submitted it to Sams Dot Publishing for consideration. That is the second in a series of three stand-alone titles with a common theme: ASCENDANT, EMPEROR, and DEITY. ASCENDANT appeared in March, and I'm hoping Sams Dot will accept EMPEROR in time to appear by March of next year. Meanwhile, I am working on several other manuscripts. HIGH KINGS is a time-travel novel, ANGELKILLER is a horror/thriller, and THE BOATHOUSE is a secret-society novel. I work on all three simultaneously, so I don't get “burnt out” on the stories.

Debra: Oh, you're quite welcome, David. It's a pleasure having you here.
Fingers crossed acceptace and pub dates all fall into line.
That's an excellent way to prevent burn out and writers block.

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?

David: I do a lot of people watching, observing how people react to ordinary situations and then postulating how they might react to extraordinary situations. I also read as often as I can, usually authors from the mid-twentieth century, before the advent of mass market paperbacks. Their ideas were so innovative for their time, groundbreaking even, that just by soaking in their work I feel inspired.

Debra: People are fascinating. So many characters and stories can come to mind when watching them. An there's nothing quite like good writing to inspire.

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

David: Yes, usually before they ever hit the page. I find it difficult to write a character into existence. They have to already have “spoken” to me before I start the story. I need to know who they are and how they act in order to describe them properly. I have tried creating characters on paper, but that never seems to work for me.

Debra: That never works for me either. I have to close my eyes and see them and hear them.

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?

David: Well, writing fantasy you kind of have to make up words – names, terms, language. There is an art to that too, though. I think that fantasy readers have certain expectations about names in fantasy stories. You couldn't call your magic-using hero “Fred”, for instance, unless you were writing a comic piece.

Debra: Yes, true and it very much is an art. Well, there'd have to be a very good reason for calling him Fred. (Or her.) 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?

David: Actually, the entirety of the three-book series is built on a framework of stories that came in dreams over about a three year period in the early 1970s. From that background material, I was able to cobble together a coherent storyline and produce what I personally believe is a thought-provoking, perhaps even a little controversial, set of works.

Debra: Fascinating!

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

David: The most influential author for me as a child was actually Robert Heinlein. I started out as an avid science-fiction fan, in love with the science as much as the fiction. As I grew older I became interested in the freedom afforded writers of fantasy such as Lin Carter and Frank Laurie. I had been writing since I was a boy, and from that point forward I found myself more drawn to fantasy, although I never lost my love for science-fiction.

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?

David: Wow, that's a tough one. You see, much as I hate to admit it, I don't write for an audience, although I know I should. I write to tell a story and hope the audience will come along for the ride. I may never be famous because of that, but it makes the process so much more satisfying personally.

Debra: Oh, I don't know. I think sometimes when an author writes for an audience, the works shows it. Especially if they write beyond their enthusiasm for the story. The best combo is writing what you love and the market loving what you write. Then you can happily make a living doing what you love. The market seems to drive everything else though. So I think it's good for upcoming writers to see other writing focusing on work that they love.

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?

David: Imagination is the heart of creative writing, without which it couldn't exist. It's the greatest pleasure a writer can have to have related an idea, a concept, a belief, intact and whole from themselves to another person and to have that person understand it, whether as simple entertainment or something more. Creative writers have often been prophetic in their ideas. Arthur C. Clarke predicted satellite communication. Jules Verne predicted use of the submarine outside the battlefield. H.G. Wells predicted the use of the aircraft in the battlefield... the examples go on and on, and not just in science-fiction. In the years to come, when people look back on the literature of our time, I would like them to see a fullness of ideas and hopefully a wisdom that would compare favorably with that of those men.

Debra: Yes, there is no other pleasure quite like that one.
I wonder who the next Jules Verne or H.G. Wells will be?

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

David: Thanks Debra!

Debra: You're quite welcome.
Readers please visit David at his

Personal Website: http://ThranKeep.com
Personal Blog: http://hdavidblalock.blogspot.com

and visit the new group he just formed
http://sites.google.com/site/imagicopter

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Debra's News/Debra is Watching:

Last week I got together with my web designer and made some changes to my website. I'm quite pleased with it and though there are a few more things to add, like video from my book launch, it's almost done.

www.debraparmley.com

A future project in the planning stages is a book trailer for A Desperate Journey.

This weekend I will be in New Orleans at Heather Grahams Writers Weekend. If you are in the area, the book signing is Saturday from 11:30 to 2:30. Come by and say hello!

Make-Belive Mondays With Mel Francis

2009-08-24T14:57:00.009-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays I'm thrilled to be able to introduce my friend Mel Francis. Mel has her first book out!

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

Mel: Well, I’m playing with an idea for a 3rd book in the Bite Me! series and I’m also working on a new series that is super secret…I could tell you but then…well, you know.

Debra: Yeah, you'd have to kill me.

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?

Mel: The beach always fills me up, but unfortunately I don’t get to go that often so I make due w/ the bodies of water I have available to me like the river or the lake. I have been known to take pictures and just walk to help refill my creative well.

Debra: Water is so restful and soul filling and there's something about just going for a walk.

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

Mel: I can’t start writing until I believe the character is real. They talk to me before the story ever begins. More often than not, I have a character and no story. The more they talk, the clearer their story becomes to me.

Debra: I like the way you put that. We really do need to believe in our characters.

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?

Mel: Well, when you write Urban Fantasy/Paranormal you almost always have to play with language. In Bite Me! many of my vampires drink blood from a “Hemoshake.” I’m pretty certain I made that word up. J

Debra: Yes you do! "Hemoshake" is a pretty cool word.

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?

Mel: I just recently had a dream that I know will end up in my new WIP. I’ll give you a hint, Warring Turtles. And no, not of the Teenage Mutant Ninja variety.

Debra: Ooh fun! Guess I'll have to wait and see.

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

Mel: Three books from my childhood were very important to me. 1) A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle 2) Deenie by Judy Blume and 3) when I was a teen, Shanna by Kathleen Woodiwiss

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?

Mel: As a kid, if you would ever have told me I would get paid to make stuff up, I would have laughed myself silly. Now I think it’s the best job ever. So encourage the kids to daydream, you never know what can come from it!

Debra: So very true! Somewhere there's a kid out there daydreaming who is filled with so much potential. Or perhaps thousands of them! Maybe some of your YA readers even. ;-)

Mel, thank 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 Mel at
melissafrancis.net

www.haveyoubeenbitten.com

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Debra's News/Debra is Watching:

Last week I joined a new group formed by my friend H. David Blalock, called Imagicopter. The launch was on Saturday at Davis-Kidd in Memphis, TN and I attended as a surprise guest. I will be joining them at future signings around the mid-south. To learn more about our group visit
imagicopter

www.debraparmley.com

Make-Believe Monday With Frank Tuttle

2009-08-17T09:41:00.007-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Frank Tuttle.

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

Frank: The manuscript I’m working on now is called ‘The Banshee’s Walk.’ It’s a Markhat novel – a very long Markhat novel. This one is set just outside of Rannit proper, and there may or may not be a banshee involved. But I’m not saying.

Debra: Well I guess I'll have to read it to find out. Very intrigued by your banshee.

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?

Frank: I read a lot. I try to read things that are completely alien to whatever I’m working on. If I’m writing a gentle kid’s story, I try to pick up ultraviolent zombie fiction. For Markhat, I try to read hard SF. I also just shut my eyes and listen to Pink Floyd and let my mind drift. Although I had to stop doing that while driving, after the incident with the petting zoo.

Debra: LOL Well my hubby has turned out the lights while driving at night just to see better but I've never known anyone to drive with their eyes closed. You must be quite talented. lol And now I want to know what happened with the petting zoo.

Ahem. Okay. Back to the questions. Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?

Frank: Oh yes, but Dr. Phelps says I should ignore them, ha ha. Truly, I hear every bit of dialog, and I hear it spoken in the character’s voice. Especially Mama Hog’s. She cracks me up, and sometimes I honestly wonder where the things she says come from.

When I’m writing the Markhat stories, which are told in first-person, I hear Markhat’s voice as I type. It’s almost as if I’m just transcribing an audio program, when the session is going really well. I know that sounds strange but that’s how it is.

Debra: I love that name, Mama Hog. And I don't think that sounds strange at all. Dickens used to carry on whole conversations with his characters and sometimes become that character for a while.

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?

Frank: Oh yeah. I love making up names – proper names, place names, you name it. The huldra, from “Hold the Dark?” I knew when I started writing the story something called a huldra would play a big role, even though I didn’t know just what role until it actually made its appearance.

Sometimes I sneak in local place names – Pot Lockney, Yocona, Britney Woods – but usually I make them up. And not just any made-up word will do. There’s a feel and a sound that just has to be right. I keep lists of nonsense words, lol. Just because some of them sound so cool.

Debra: Just the sound of it is cool. Huldra. Yeah I like that.

The feel of a word in your mouth as well as the sound. Definately.

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?

Frank: Not really. I daydream stuff up all the time, but my actual sleeping dreams always seem to center around being stranded on a desert island with the Pussycat Dolls, and that’s really hard to work into most of my stories.

Debra: Oh but what a fun fantasy for you. ;-)

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

Frank: Everything I read did, lol. I suppose Tolkien had the biggest impact, with L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt’s ‘Enchanter’ series a close second. And another assorted dozen right on their heels – Niven’s Ringworld, Zelazny’s Amber books, the list is pretty long. I read everything I could find, from Amber to Xanth.

Debra: I wonder if all children who devour books end up writing? Maybe soaking up so many words and worlds creates a surplus of them in our minds which then has to go somewhere.

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?

Frank: I’d like to think that it would be what I’m writing now, with Markhat. He’s a wise-cracking private eye in a world where vampires and Trolls mix with magics and mayhem. And now I’m throwing romance into the mix. I probably can’t get much wilder than that!

Debra: I like your mix, Frank. Mixing it up is always fun.

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?

Frank: I guess my only message would be this – BUY MY BOOKS. Seriously. I’m begging you here.

Debra: LOL You crack me up. You really do.

Frank: Just kidding. The only message I have is for readers to keep reading. There are so many other pastimes out there, competing for our attention. You could be playing a video game right now, or watching YouTube. And that’s fine, both activities have their place. I’d just hate to see reading fall away over the course of the next century, as video and other media make it easier for us to retire our own imaginations in favor of flashy graphics. And buy my books. Yeah. That too.

Debra: Yes, I agree. And buy Franks books! LOL

Frank, 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 have a chance to win a copy of Dead Man's Rain, thanks to our awesome editor Beth. Leave a comment for Frank and I will announce the winner next Monday.
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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

My father is down from Ohio to visit this week, so I'll be running around town with him enjoying his company. Mostly working on the PR and marketing end of writing. Then next week will be back to the pages. I don't get to see him often so I'm making every moment count.

www.debraparmley.com

Thank you to everyone who came out to Saturdays book fair and thank you for buying my book! It is still a thrill for me each time I sign another book.

This weeks winner of Dead Man's Rain will be announced next Monday.

Last weeks winner is..........Candice!
email me at debra@debraparmley.com so we can send it off to you and thanks for commenting!

Make-Believe Mondays With AE Rought

2009-08-07T00:02:00.012-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays, my guest is AE Rought.

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

AE: Well, Debra, I have more than one manuscript going right now, so I'll give you a quick run down of the major attention getters:

Beau and Laney, the sequel to Slade and Kally, is set on the Fourth Moon ranch in Hulett, Wyoming. Beau is a driven, strong minded character who knows what he wants and how to go about getting it. Laney is under her parents' thumb, and is struggling to make a life on her own. Add a jealous almost ex-boyfriend and meddling ex-girlfriend into the mix and you've got tension, steam and more than a few laughs.

Systemic is a genre blending story, mixing sexy scenes with the ick and gore of a zombie flick. Kat, the heroine, is a survivalist who falls for a man she meets on her night out. Jared is the sexiest nerd she's ever met, an immunologist on the trail of a miracle one-time immunization shot that, once tampered with by a jealous female, causes the entire lab to fall one by one and become zombies. Kat saves the day with her trusty Sig Sauer and an arsenal of ammunition and one liners.

Vengeance Eclipsed is the continuing story in my urban fantasy series that I'm shopping to agents. The series mixes werewolves, werecats, vampires and Mixed Martial Arts in a kick ass, fast paced ongoing tale of a hybrid, her struggles to get revenge for the life she's been forced to live and the sexy werecat cage fighter who distracts her.

I'm also writing two erotic tales under my sassy southern penname.

Debra: Your projects are quite varied! The western is intriguing me. (One might guess I have a thing for westerns and for cowboys.)

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?

AE: I have playlists for each manuscript that I have playing while I write. I also switch my desktop wallpapers to sustain the mood. Heck, I even have crystals and incense. And, when the old writing battery gets too low, hubby and I spend some time by one of our favorite water sources. There are some picturesque lakes, ponds and rivers here in Michigan. I always coming away feeling refreshed and recharged.

Debra: The playlist idea is a good one. Switching wallpapers, that's unique. So your entire writing environment is geared to that particular manuscript you are working on. I just might try that.

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

AE: Oh, definitely! One of the characters in my urban fantasy series actually talked me out of killing him off and into setting him up with the heroine's best friend. He's a smooth talker. Most of my other characters grow their own voice and personality as I write, by the second or third chapter.

Debra: Oh my, he is a smooth talker! LOL I just love that!

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?

AE: Yes, I did. In my creative writing class at Grand Valley State University, during our poetry session, I created a couple words. Big fun. My favorite created phrase was screeling, a combo of screeching and squealing.

Debra: It is great fun! And so many writers have played this way with some fascinating results.

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?

AE: Not really. I have images, snippets of scenes come to mind doing mundane tasks when my brain might've been kind of dozing, but I was physically awake. A lot of scenes come to me when I'm in the shower. Once I had the hubby grab a notebook and take dictation.

Debra: Now that's a good hubby!

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

AE: I loved fantasy when I was in school. Mom bought me The Hobbit in junior high and I was hooked after that, a huge, huge Tolkien fan--also a big sucker for Carole Nelson Douglas and Stephan R. Donaldson.

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?

AE: Well, Systemic is probably the craziest combination I've toyed with yet, melding horror and romance and some humor. Vengeance Moon was fun, very dark and gritty, and I loved immersing myself in that after Slade and Kally's light, sweet atmosphere.

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?

AE: Other than love, there is no greater gift than imagination, in my mind. Vast, wonderful worlds, unknown creatures and magick untapped exist in the realm of imagination, ones not yet shared by those dreaming them. If mine ever fails, I want someone to take me out behind the shed and put me out of my misery.

Debra: If imagination fails, we're all in trouble.

AE, Thanks so much for visting here on Make-Believe Mondays to share a bit of the magic of imagination, creativity and dreams.

Readers, you have a chance to win a copy of AE's ebook! Our lovely editor Beth, has donated a copy. Isn't she awesome?

Just leave a comment here on the blog and I will announce the winner on the following Monday!

Vist AE at
www.aerought

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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

This coming Saturday I will be at the Book Fair at Books and Beauty on Covington Pike in Memphis, TN from 10:00 till 2:00 signing and reading from my book, A Desperate Journey. I'll be reading at 12:30. If you are in the area, stop on by and say hello!

www.debraparmley.com

Here on Make-Believe Mondays we will have contests for our readers to win free books! To win all you need to do is leave a comment and I will announce the winner on the following Monday!

Next Monday my guest is Frank Tuttle.

Today on Make-Believe Mondays, tips from my editor, Bethany

2009-08-03T14:46:00.003-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays I'm taking a little break in order to re-direct you to the Samhain blog. My editor, Bethany Morgan, has posted tips over there. So this one is for all my writer friends.
tips from editor Bethany Morgan

I may from time to time take a break from our regular author interviews to introduce an editor or two. Maybe post some tips.

There are a few things in the works to change things up a little here, just for variety, but I will continue to offer author interviews here. Just adding a few little surprises.

Till next week, happy reading and happy writing!

Debra

www.debraparmley.com

Make-Believe Mondays With N. D. Hansen-Hill

2009-07-27T11:16:00.005-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is N.D. Hansen.

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

N.D.: I'm actually working on 5 books at the moment, Debra: a Regency romance about a woman with dowsing abilities, but she's gifted at seeking gemstones and metal objects in the ground instead of water or oil; a mainstream SF thriller about 3 archeologists who know far more about their "finds" than they should; a gargoyle book where the gargoyles come from another world; a paranormal romance where the heroine is struck by lightning then develops an ability to see ghostly, and ghastly, animals; and a fantasy about a spelunker who encounters more than rocks in a cave.

Debra: They all sound very intriguing, especially the spelunking. Could be just about anything hiding in a cave.

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?

N.D.: I read heaps of non-fiction, actually, plus I've studied the sciences (plant pathology/virology specifically), and am now studying archeology. New ideas constantly pop up. It's just a matter then of binding them together into a cohesive whole .

Debra: And with your background, the fiction is bound to be more plausible.

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

N.D.: Usually, as soon as I describe the first scene, or the dialogue begins. For me, it's more a matter of place and action than looks. Someone may have long legs or wispy hair, but it's the action that really matters to me—that defines my characters.

Debra: Action defines character and keeps the stories moving, so true.

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?

N.D.: Always, but most often in my fantasies! My editors always catch them, and then I have to explain why and how. I frequently have my characters speak in other languages, too, that I translate as I go along.

Debra: What fun! We readers do need that translation.

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?

N.D.: I sleep so soundly that even if I were to dream a scene, I'd never wake up to write it, LOL! That said, I have several writing friends who dream entire scenes or manuscripts, then rush to capture the gist of them before they vanish! Wish it were that way for me!

Debra: LOL In three years of doing these interviews, you're the first author to tell me that! At least you wake well rested. :-)

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

N.D.: There was a book about a blind boy who wanted to give the best gift in the whole world to a princess. He was poor and had nothing so he grew her a strawberry in his garden. It was the finest gift the princess received, and made her cheeks and lips grow rosy with joy. I loved that book!

Debra: Oh, that sounds like a sweet story. I wonder if any of our readers know the title of 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?

N.D.: The kind of story I already write, except the only romances I would scrawl would be historicals. To be honest, I don't really enjoy writing romance as much as fantasy or sci-fi.

Debra: Hmmm....well there's much more cross over than there used to be. Hopefully that helps.

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?

N.D.: A core of realism and quality research underlies imagination. To make the story believable, it's important to embed it with a sense of the real, the here and now. Make it plausible, and both you and your readers will enjoy it far more.

Debra: And you do just that! N.D.thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.

N.D.: Thank you so much, Debra, for inviting me to blog with you! I've really enjoyed it!

Debra: It's been my pleasure!

Best wishes,
Norah/ND/Melody

www.NDHansen-Hill

www.MelodyKnight.com

www.myspace.com/ndmanuscripts

www.twitter.com/writingfool

www.facebook.com/nd.hansen.hill

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Debra's News/Debra is Watching:

Well I am loving my new library writing day. On Thursdays I go to the library and write from 9 to 5 and stay away from phones and internet. (Which means turning off my iphone until I am done working.) It's my new favorite day of the week.

Of course one day a week is not enough for a romance novelist to get her books written, so must write on other days too. Thursday just happens to be my day to retreat from the world to write. Other days of the week I write at home.

I've been seeing lots of movies lately. They feed my creative cup. Recently I've seen the new Harry Potter, Casablanca at the old Orpheum theater in Memphis, and Angels and Demons.

www.debraparmley.com

My next scheduled book signing and reading is Aug. 15th at Books and Beauty in Memphis TN. Books and Beauty is a unique Beauty Salon that is also a book store! More details as that event gets closer.

May you have a merry Monday!

Love and light,
Debra

Make-Believe Mondays With Meg Benjamin

2009-07-07T10:13:00.011-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest it Meg Benjamin.

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

Meg: Well, Wedding Bell Blues is being released by Samhain Publishing on July 21. It’s the story of a disastrous wedding—the hero and heroine are the best man and maid of honor who are trying to keep the whole thing from imploding. Here’s the blurb: Janie Dupree will do anything to make sure her best friend has the wedding of her dreams, even if it means relinquishing what every bridesmaid covets and never gets—the perfect maid-of-honor dress. Problem is, family drama as tangled as a clump of Texas prickly pear cactus threatens to send the skittish bride hopping aboard the elopement express.

Janie could use a hand, but the best man’s “help” is only making things worse.

Pete Toleffson just wants to get through his brother’s wedding and get back to his county attorney job in Des Moines. He never expected to be the engineer on a wedding train that’s derailing straight toward hell. Janie’s the kind of girl he’d like to get close to—but her self-induced role as “Miss Fix-It” is as infuriating as it is adorable.

If they can just fend off meddling parents, vindictive in-laws, spiteful ex-boyfriends, and a greyhound named Olive long enough to achieve matrimonial lift-off, maybe they can admit they’re head-over-heels in love.

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

Meg: Oh yeah. In fact, hearing the characters’ voices is really important to me. After I’ve worked on a story for a while, I can begin to tell myself, “No, so-and-so wouldn’t say that.” Which means I have to sit down and think about just what she/he would say under those conditions—hearing their voices, in other words. Seeing them is harder. I sometimes begin a book by finding pictures that look like my people. I don’t create collages, like some of my friends, but I do collect pictures to look at, at least initially. I also sometimes have actors in mind, but that can be tricky because I sometimes end up thinking of characters those actors have played who may be very far from the characters I’m trying to create.

Debra: Usually I see my story people before I hear them, so we're opposites on that. But I've tried using photos too.

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

Meg: I was one of those kids who loved folk tales and fairy tales. My mom read me Hans Christian Andersen, the Brothers Grimm, and the Arabian Nights. I also loved the Alice books and Oz. And when I got older I read most of the Narnia books, too. I also loved an obscure bunch of books by an author named Edward Eager called Half Magic, about a family of children who found a magic coin that could grant wishes, but only half of what they wished for. They spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to wish for twice what they really need and then end up with weird results (duh!).

Debra: All wonderful tales. I'd love to read Half Magic. Maybe there are still copies floating about.

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?

I think it’s important to remember that creating ordinary, “realistic” worlds also requires imagination. Being creative isn’t limited to imagining alternative worlds—imagining the everyday world takes creativity as well. After all, we’re not really dealing with “reality” here; it’s what I think of as “reality 2.0”. We’re not actually dealing with what people “really” do or think or say; rather, we’re dealing with what they do or think or say in this neat little microcosm we’ve created for them. It’s not real life—it’s life reimagined.

Debra: So very true. Life reimagined.

www.megbenjamin.com

megbenjamin.wordpress.com

Debra: Meg, 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:

Thursday is my new favorite day of the week because my new schedule is to go to the library and write on Thursdays from 9 to 5. This is a time when I do not answer emails or phone calls (even with the iphone) And the writing is going very well.

www.debraparmley.com

Make-Believe Mondays With Dana Marie Bell

2009-07-05T23:37:00.008-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Dana Marie Bell.

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

Dana Marie: I’m currently working on two different manuscripts, a holiday story entitled Sing We Noelle and the first of the Pennsylvania Shifters, Bear Necessities. I’m hoping to have Sing done by the end of July. It’s based in the world of The Gray Court, the world of Dare to Believe. Bear Necessities will be the first full-length shifter book set in the world of the Halle Pumas, and will be the beginning of a more multi-shifter world involving foxes, bears, wolves, coyotes, etc. I’m looking forward to getting back to my shifters!

Debra: What fun! Foxes and bear and wolves, oh my! (Couldn't resist that 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?

Dana Marie: I’ve dreamed entire books! I had a sci-fi dream that I’ve written down, and it’s turned into the outline for a book I’m tentatively calling Stern Negotiations. I actually dreamed it from beginning to end. When I let my husband read it he got all excited and started talking about how I could work the science, which let me know I had a good idea on my hands.

Debra: Oh that is excellent, especially that you were able to capture it all on paper. Dreams can slip away so easily.

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

Dana Marie: J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia were favorites of mine. Isaac Asimov and Andre Norton were also favorites. And I got my love of romances from Louisa May Alcott and Barbara Cartland. (Which probably explains why I write paranormal romance.)

Debra: Yes, it does!

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?

Dana Marie: Imagination is the most important part of creating fiction; well, that and the common sense to know when to rein that imagination in. (“Seriously! I TOTALLY think Lion-O should have a Thundercat lightsaber. Oh! And he should have a Power Ranger’s ‘zord powered by the Elfstones of Shannara! Why not? Really? It’s too much? Damn. There goes that idea.”) Dreams are a great jumping off point, but it’s imagination and sweat that bring a story to life.

Speaking of imagination, I have the start of a new series coming out July 28th through Samhain Publishing: Dare to Believe, the first of The Gray Court novels. It’s the beginning of my take on modern fae (sidhe, poukas, leprechauns, etc.) and began, of course, with a healthy dose of imagination.

Debra: Oh but Lion -O should have that lightsaber! LOL Yes, well, I see what you mean. Imagination and sweat, yes, those are the two pillars that hold the stories up so that they can become books. Both are equally as important, I believe. One without the other and the work becomes lopsided.

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

Dana Marie: Thank you for having me!

Debra: It's been a pleasure.

Readers please visit Dana Marie at

www.danamariebell.com
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Debra's News/Debra is Watching:

This week I will be hard at work on revisions to the manuscript so it can be ready to ship out the door soon. I'm getting impatient for it to be ready and that's a good thing because that creates the drive and push which gets things done.

Part of my new routine is to spend Thursdays at the library from 9 to 5, writing. During that time I do not take phone calls or emails, even with the iphone. It's my writing retreat day and this will be my routine from now on unless there is an emergency or I am traveling.

www.debraparmley.com

Make-Believe Mondays With Leslie Dicken

2009-06-29T10:00:00.000-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Leslie Dicken.

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

Leslie: I’m actually going back and forth between two. One is a dark, paranormal historical and the other is an urban fantasy or, uh, contemporary paranormal? LOL! Don’t always know where these stories fit in the subgenres. I tend to write dark, scared heroes and unlikely heroines. We’ll see which one I finish first!

Debra: So it will be a surprise to you 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?

Leslie: I read - all sorts of genres and romantic subgenres. I also make jewelry, which fills me creatively in visual and visceral ways. And for the ultimate in clearing the mind, I’ll do gardening/yard work.

Debra: There's something about moving the body that does it for so many writers. So many times a writer is creative in other ways 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?

Leslie: Yes, two of my books had their premise based on dreams. Both futuristic books I wrote for Samhain as Jordanna Kay originated as dreams. THE PRICE OF DISCOVERY was conceived after I had a dream about a beautiful Victorian-style house in the middle of nowhere. Who would live there? Why would it be out there? For my novella, TABOO, I never forgot a dream I had many years ago of two types of people who had evolved to suit their particular niches on a distant planet. I kept mulling it over, wondering how they got to that planet and what would happen if those two separate peoples interacted....and what if they fell in love?

Debra: Ah, that "what if" that is the source of every story....

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

Readers please visit Leslie at

www.lesliedicken.com
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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

Well I am moving a little slow today after the big camping weekend. The heat index was 111 and this was a primitive camp site so there was no electric or water. I survived it, managed to have fun and now have even more to write about when the situation calls for it. Nothing like wearing a medieval gown in the heat of the day and feeling the sweat roll down your back.

I'm enjoying the a/c once again and will be back to the writing once the laundry is caught up tonight and everything is shaken out for spiders.

www.debraparmley.com

Make-Believe Mondays With Jane Lovering

2009-06-22T16:17:00.010-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays, I'm pleased to introduce Jane Lovering.

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

Jane: Well, at the moment I’m sweating over two manuscripts (it’s messy and I have to keep mopping, but at least I’m working). The first is called Unconventional Behaviour, and is about a woman being whisked away to a Sci-Fi convention by her best friend. While she’s there she meets the star of the show, a man she’s had a crush on for ages… but things are never that straightforward, are they? Last time I met a man I’d had a crush on for ages, he ran away. Maybe I shouldn’t have done that face at him, but..sigh, too late now.

Debra: Oh those crushes, they certainly can be surprising. lol

Jane: The second WIP is a Very British vampire novel, called Dead Run. It’s set in York, my hometown, and the vamps are menacing, sinister and very well dressed. They spend a lot of time driving Ferraris and being terrible posers, and they have no desire to find their Soul Mates because they’re having far too good a time shagging everything that moves, thank you.

Debra: Of course finding ones soul mate would put an end to those good times! lol

Jane: I’m flitting between the two, because one is very down-to-earth and features a sensible heroine getting involved in circumstances beyond her control, and the other…oh. Now I come to look at it, both heroines are sensible. Bother. Oh well, too late to do anything about it now. Just have to hope no-one notices all the sensibleness. To be fair, there’s also a lot of bonkersness going on too.

Debra: Oh but it's fun when the sensible ones fall in love. Fun to watch them.

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?

Jane: That’s something I rarely have to worry about. I’m more concerned about my creative juices spilling out and staining the carpet or letting the crumbs of the HobNob of imagination (recently dipped into the cup of creativity, and therefore slightly soggy) drop onto next door’s poodle of despair.

I don’t have time to worry about it, I guess is the answer. I’ve got five kids, a husband, a job, two dogs, four cats, two rats and athlete’s foot. Writing novels is what I do to stop myself from running around the house yelling about the mess and waving a saucepan in a threatening manner. Ideas I’m not short of. Time and space to write them up… that’s what I’m lacking.

Debra: With such a lively household it's no wonder your creative cup never empties out!

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

Jane: The Amazing Mr Whisper, by Brenda Macrow. I read that book so often that the cover fell off, which was a terrible blow for the local library, from where I’d borrowed it. The story of a magical tutor (hey, I’m British, we all have tutors and governesses over here), who taught the children in his care to use simple magic. I loved that book! It was kind of like Harry Potter, without the sex, drugs and violence. I wouldn’t say that this book made me ‘want to write’ – that was later books, where people supposedly lived real lives without ever going to the toilet or having a bath, which made me desperately want to write realistic stuff – but it filled me with an innocent kind of longing to live that life. Oh, and he was rather sexy, as I remember, Mr Whisper. Or maybe I was just at that age…

Debra: The title alone is enough to intrigue me. It sounds like a wonderful book! And anyone named Mr. Whisper must be simply marvelous.

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?

Jane: Yes. Keep reading. And not only because it’s the only way I’m ever going to be able to afford to build that stable block, but because stories are essential. Anything that takes us out of today, away from those bills that need paying and that shopping that needs doing, and transports us to a world where maybe – just maybe – everything we’ve ever wanted could become real. Oh, and if that ever does happen, just remember one thing -

Johnny Depp. I saw him first.

Debra: Jane thank you for visiting with us here on Make-Believe Mondays to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.

Please visit Jane at www.janelovering.co.uk/

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Debra's News/Debra is Watching:

This week I am getting ready for another medieval weekend with the SCA, called Border Raids. I plan to take along a notebook and squeeze in a bit of writing. We'll be camping and I hope the nights are a bit cooler. It's been passing 100 and the heat index has been around 110.

Also revising the work in progress this week. There are some pics from the book signing at my beauty salon, A Clientage, which will be up on MySpace and Faceboook this week.
www.debraparmley.com

Make-Beleieve Mondays with Amy Ruttan

2009-06-15T09:01:00.001-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays I'm pleased to introduce Amy Ruttan

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

Amy: Right now I am working on the final book of my Enchantress series, Enchantress The Valkyrie. I NEED to get it done before my third child is born, and he’s coming June 26th 2009. LOL. It’s not the deadline from my publisher it’s the deadline from the tenant in my belly which is driving me to get the words done. I’ve done the tally, I’ve written over 200,000 words since January 2009. Mind boggling for me, anyways I digress, Enchantress The Valkyrie it’s set in Saxon England, but has some fun paranormal elements to it. My Enchantress series has characters with magical powers. This is a story about Rowena, she’s recently widowed, no kids, and her husband’s brother is coming to claim her so he can keep her dower lands. Thing is her keep is attacked by Vikings, and as she helps her household escape, she is stuck and she dresses herself up as a young boy to escape rape. The hero Galen decides to sell the “boy” as a slave, but he finds himself strangely attracted to him. This infuriates him to no end. It’s proving to be a very fun book to write. I think I’m subliminally torturing my DH through my poor hero. Not a book to write in the third trimester to be certain. LOL!

Debra: Wow, now that's a deadline! Congrats, btw. :-) That does sound like a fun book to write. Hmm I wonder what kind of scene you would write if you were going into labor? Or right after? lol

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?

Amy: I love to read and I love movies. Comedies especially. Music also restores my creative muse as does car trips. I love to take day trips in the car. My kids also help revitalize me. I love spending time with them. I love that I have a job now where I can spend time at home doing what I love and being with my kids. Another cup filler is my local RWA chapter The Toronto Romance Writers, the support and comraderie is a definite cup filler. I always feel revitalized and jazzed coming from one of the meetings.

Debra: It's a beautiful thing when spending time around other writers does that. They "get" us like no one else can. Car trips are wonderful and it's the perfect time of year for them. Picnic on the seat and off to wherever the road takes you.

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?

Amy: I dream up whole books. I call these blessed dreams Plot Monkeys. Kind of like the flying monkey’s from the Wizard of Oz but cuter. ;) Dreams often play an important role in my writing. My Enchantress series came from a dream I had after having my first child back in 2003. I had a dream of a fey woman with long red hair running through the forest, graceful and beautiful and being chased by a very handsome warrior. I knew from the dreams they were enemies but were going to be thrown together. Of course these two became Edwin and Aislinn from Enchantress The Fey.

Debra: Plot Monkeys! I love it! Can just see them. :-) Childbirth and creativity also go together, sometimes in unusual ways.

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

Amy: It’s a trifecta tie between Laura Ingalls Wilder, Lucy Maud Montgomery and Roald Dahl. I love the history and romance of the Anne Series, the wanderlust of Pa Ingalls and Laura’s adventures in the frontier and Roald Dahl’s kookiness. His stories were so dark and eerie it really set my fertile little mind off, and because of these three writers I read voraciously as a child. I was always reading “above” my grade. I had a huge imagination and books were one of the ways I fed it.

Debra: Trifecta, yes. I could not choose one over the other either.

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?

Amy: Ooh I have no idea. Working in e-publishing is quite freeing and the publishers are more apt to take a risk on things traditional publishing houses won’t. I think for me I would like to write an epic set on a distant world. A real Sci Fi for my father. One day when I have time I may try. LOL.

Debra: So true. We have much more leeway in e-publishing. Seems like the traditional publishing houses are watching them though and trying to catch up. Look how many have now added e-books.

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

Amy: I love to hear from readers contact@amyruttan.com

And my website www.amyruttan.com

Thanks for having me! J

Debra: It's been my pleasure.

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Debra's News/Debra is posting:

Well it's been a couple weeks since I reported in and did an interview. What's been going on?

Let's see....I had a birthday day with about thirty friends, which was awesome!

Chipped a tooth eating an almond. (Be careful with those hard little nuts.)

Had a book signing at my beauty salon which was so much fun! Hair dryers going and ladies getting their nails done. There was a constant flow of people having books signed and visiting. I had a blast!

Then Friday a tornado came through Bartlett, TN. We're fine, just lost a few tree lines and power. Internet came back up last night.

So, I'm happy to report today is quiet, the rest of the week is likely to be quiet. Which is just what I need to get some writing done. I've had enough excitement for a while.

www.debraparmley.com
Posted a few new pics on my www.myspace.com/debraparmley and Facebook from the book signing. Updates are coming on my website, I'm just not sure when.

And now back to the manuscript under revision................perhaps next week I'll talk a little about it.

Make-Believe Mondays with Judi Fennell

2009-06-01T00:00:00.001-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays I'm pleased to introduce Judi Fennel.

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

Judi: Currently, I'm finishing up the third book in my Mer series, Catch of a Lifetime.

In Over Her Head, which comes out in June, is the first book in the series. It's the story of a merman named Reel, and a woman who's afraid of the ocean. Having seen JAWS at a young age, I can totally relate to Erica's fear. When she accidentally gets shot and wakes up under the water, she thinks she's died and gone to hell, so talking fish and a merman are to be expected. It's when she realizes that she's not dead that she really starts to freak out. Then The Oceanic Council sends her and Reel off on a search for missing diamonds and all her fears of the sea start to come true. Sea monsters, deadly sharks, barracuda... Erica can't wait to get back on land. Toss in a couple of nights with Reel on a deserted island, however, and she might just change her mind.

Debra: I can't wait to read this series, Judi. I confess to being a bit phobic of water myself. Though I did learn to swim in college and can swim anywhere with a life jacket (and now love to snorkle), the phobia is still there.

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

Judi: My characters usually start talking to me before I start the story. They are the ones who dictate to me and if I try to write something in a way they don't want, they let me know.

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?

Judi: I always play with words: puns, plays-on-words, double entendre, clichés... you name it, I use it. But I like to put twists on it. Since I'm creating an undersea world with its own set of rules and hierarchy and mythology, plus the fact that I pull on several known mythologies, I did take several words and join them to create a new word for the world. Selinos means "years," based on thirteen moon cycles (since they live under the sea, their lives are governed by the moon) in my Mer language and it's a combination of:

(σεληνη) pronounced sel-ay-nay selanay (moon)

ετος) pronounced eh-tos atos (year)

I also take common expressions and make them "Mer friendly." S-O-B, for example, becomes S-O-M (Son-of-a-Mer) or, Son-of-a-Sandpiper, depending on who's saying it. Task at hand becomes task-at-fin, etc. That, to me, was also part of the fun of creating this world.

Debra: These are not only fascinating, but playful and fun! Thanks for sharing them.

Judi: As a child did any particular book or author pull you into their imaginary world? I was a voracious reader (and still am, deadlines notwithstanding). I loved the worlds of L. Frank Baum (The Wizard of Oz series), Hugh Lofting (Dr. Doolittle), as well as all the Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys/Bobbsey Twins books. I loved Dodie Smith's 101 Dalmatians and the sequel, Twilight Barking, the hilarity of Freaky Friday, and Dorothy Wisbieski's The True Story of Okee The Otter. I always wanted to have a pet otter, but since that's not exactly a viable thing, my husband did sponsor the river otters in my local zoo a few years for me as a Christmas present. Talking animals, magic and adventure were my focus; toss in a love of romance starting in eighth grade, and I really had no choice but to write what I write.

Debra: Great stories! And what a sweet thing for your husband to do!

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?

Judi: Exactly the ones I'm writing. I wrote this story for me; the fact that others have loved it has been a blessing. I let my imagination run (swim?) wild with this one and the fact that I am writing more in the series just means I can live in that world and explore all the possibilities. That's the beauty of the romance world - you can go anywhere with it.

Debra: This is what I love to hear an author say when I ask this question. I really believe it's how the Harry Potter stories are born. Letting the imagination go and running with it.

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?

Judi: Okay, here's one for you. Rocky Horror Picture Show (ah, the 80s...) "Don't dream it, be it." Who would have ever thought that my "little talking fish story" would spark a whole world--and a writing career? No one was writing it because no one had thought of it. Don't not try something because it hasn't been done. Don't not read something because it sounds a little off the beaten path. Who knows where your imagination can take you if you don't give it a chance?

Debra: Exactly! (I have to admit this answer gave me goose bumps.) And I love that quote.

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

Judi: It's been my pleasure, Debra. Thank you so much for having me.

Debra: You're quite welcome, Judi. It's been fun!

Judi: I'd like to let your readers know that they can register to win one of three romantic beach getaway packages to celebrate the release of each of my books. Because In Over Her Head and Wild Blue Under take place off the coast of Ocean City, NJ, the Atlantis Inn Bed & Breakfast (www.AtlantisInn.com, talk about the perfect name!) is offering two weekends. The Hibiscus House (www.HibiscusHouse.com) in West Palm Beach, FL, is the third package since Catch of a Lifetime takes place off the eastern coast of Florida. Please stop by my website www.JudiFennell.com to register to win.

Debra: What awesome prizes. It doesn't get much better than that! Be sure to visit Judi and register to win!
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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

This week I'm making plans/getting ready for my birthday party which is next Saturday. (Birthday is actually Sunday.)

Continuing to work on the manuscript and plan to have it ready to send out by the end of June, if not before.

Also planning for a book signing at my beauty salon, A Clientage, on Thursday June 11th from 3:00 to 9:00 pm. You can find the invitation on my home page:

www.debraparmley.com

My website will be updated soon with pictures from the book launch party, from the RT convention in Orlando and a few other things. So stay tuned...

Make-Believe Mondays With Maria Geraci

2009-05-18T12:35:00.008-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays I am thrilled to introduce everyone to my American Title II sister, Maria Geraci, now that her first book is out!

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

Maria: I’m working on a proposal for the third Bunco Babes book. It’s tentatively titled Bunco Babes Back in Action and features the characters I introduced in my first two books, as well as a new protagonist. It’s not sold yet, but keep your fingers crossed for me!

Debra: I will cross all fingers and toes for you!

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?

Maria: I’m always reading, watching films, being inspired by the real people and events in my life. You know the old saying ‘truth is stranger than fiction’? Well, it’s true! I find inspiration in the everyday things that make our lives so important- family and friends.

Debra: Yes, that's so true! Lately I've been completely revising one of my manuscripts because of life changes and events, which makes me glad that one hasn't sold yet. And I love old films too. In Memphis there is a summer film series at the Orpheum which starts this Friday and I'm planning to go see Breakfast at Tiffanys. One of my favorites.

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

Maria: Definitely. It’s faster with some characters than others, but there’s always a sort of ‘aha’ moment when I feel that I truly “know” a character. Some characters of course, try to take over the story. They’re the ones you have to watch out for and probably the most fun to write.

Debra: Yes, I know just what you mean. I have to wrestle my secondary characters sometimes because they like to steal scenes. That's better than killing them off, I am learning. lol

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?

Maria: Oh yeah. One of my secondary characters in my Bunco Babes books is Cuban-American (like me). Pilar is always making up words that you won’t find in Webster’s Dictionary. Sort of like her own version of Spanglish. For instance, she refers to text-messaging as ‘tex-mexing.’ That’s a line I totally stole from my sister, by the way.

Debra: Ooh I love that! 'Tex-mexing' Your sister sounds fun and I like the name Pilar.

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?

Maria: I can’t say that I actually dreamed a scene (although I’m sure I probably have and just don’t remember it), but I definitely daydream scenes all the time. When I’m in the middle of writing a scene (which could take up to 2 weeks for me) I’ll be thinking of it constantly, and then at the most obscure moment- like while waiting in line at the grocery store- the perfect piece of dialogue will come to me. It’s like I’ve been subconsciously working the scene out in my head and the answer will come at the strangest time and place.

Debra: Yeah the subconscious is funny like that. At the grocery, while driving, or at the sink with hands in the soapy dishwater. Then it's oh shoot where's a pen? lol

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

Maria: I loved Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. I think I read that book a dozen times. I was drawn by the strong female characters and the historical time period that I found so fascinating.

Debra: Oh, that's one of the best.

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?

Maria: I think I would write some erotica. Something really crazy and out there, but honestly, I’d probably be too embarrassed by what I came up with to ever show it to anyone!

Debra: lol You are so funny. (Course if you wrote it under a different name like so many authors do, no one would know it was you!)

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?

Maria: I think one of the most important things while writing is to always let the characters tell the story. While plotting is good (and necessary) don’t let a plot become so rigid that you miss the spontaneity that happens during the creative process. Sometimes our characters really do know what’s best.

Debra: Excellent advice, Maria. Thank you for joining me here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.

Maria: Thanks for having me!

Debra: My pleasure!

Maria: I’ve always wanted to be featured on Make believe Monday!

Debra: And I've been waiting for the day your first book would come out so you could visit!

Readers please visit Maria at
www.mariageraci.com

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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

www.debraparmley.com

Make-Believe Mondays with Shiela Stewart

2009-05-11T09:06:00.000-05:00

Today my guest on Make-Believe Mondays is Shiela Stewart.

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

Shiela: Right now I’ve just finished writing the last book in my Darkness series, Surviving the Darkness. It’s the eighth book in the series and for now, the Darkness series is done. For now. I may very well revisit Jacob’s Cove in the future and tell more vampire tales. What is the Darkness series, you may ask. Let me tell you. The Darkness series is a tale of a group of humans and vampires who are fighting to keep the city of Jacob’s Cove safe from vampires after the sun is blotted out during a ritual to bring forth the vampire king. With each book, the story continues, bringing love to the heroes and heroines amongst the darkest of times while they try to bring the sun back.

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?

Shiela: It’s funny you should mention this. A lot of my books have come from my dreams. Though, very rarely are they romantic. Most of my dreams are scary such as the dream that that helped spawn my Demon series (yet unpublished).I usually take the dream, add some key points, fill in the plot and add a romantic aspect to it. Sometimes all I’ll have is a short dream scene but it’s enough to get my mind rolling to create a story.

Kidnapped, my first novel published came from a dream I had where a woman was held captive and thought it was a joke so she didn’t really take it seriously. I took the idea and rolled with it. Secrets of the Dead came from a dream I had of a vicious ghost holding a guy hostage in a house, tormenting him. When I woke, I took the idea and changed it around to have the hero possess the ability to communicate with the dead investigating a supposed haunted house with near dire consequences.
I have a vivid imagination.

Debra: It sounds like your imagination is quite busy when you are dreaming. All it takes is a short dream scene to spark a story. Our dream lives can be so rich and vivid with detail.

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?

Shiela: Actually, I have created something like this. The story is called Mind over Madness and it’s about a young man, sixteen, desperate for his father’s attention ends up murdering a family. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t account for the fact that he might be seen and ends up going on the run. While trying to stay one step ahead of the police he meets various people, including a talking cat. He’s having the time of his life, getting into bars without ID, sleeping with several women and coming out the victor in several fights against men twice his size. Yet all the while a little voice inside his mind keeps reminding him of the family he killed. When he wakes up in his own bed, he laughs it off as having been a wild dream only to find the cops waiting for him outside his house. It’s one of those stories a reader would think had been created by a stoned author. LOL
It has yet to be published.

Debra: I won't ask if you were when you wrote it. LOL

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?

Shiela: If there is a story swirling inside your mind, write it down. It may never be published, or it very well might be the next New York Times best seller. If you want to write about a talking bunny who falls in love with a woman then finds out he is actually human and needs the woman to break the spell, then go for it. You never know who will want to read it. J
Write what interests you and don’t let anyone tell you it’s not right.

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

Shiela: Thank you for the wonderful interview!

Debra: You're quite welcome. It's been fun.

To find out more about Shiela and her books, go to
www.shielasbooks.ca

Here is the list of Darkness books already released.
Seducing the Darkness. Desiring the Darkness. Embracing the Darkness. Charming the Darkness. Tempting the Darkness. Soon to be released, Penetrating the Darkness. For more information on the Darkness series go to
www.shielasbooks.ca/TheDarknessSeries.htm

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Debra's News/Debra is Watching:

This week I am working hard on revisions to my contemporary romance.
Planning a book signing in Bartlett TN for June as well.

Watch my website for photos from the RT convention and other updates.
www.debraparmley.com

Authors who wish to be interviewed on Make-Believe Mondays, please use the registration form on my website. Thanks!

Make-Believe Mondays with Missy Jane

2009-05-04T00:01:00.001-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays, my guest is Missy Jane.

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

Missy: My current Work In Progress is a sequel to They Call Me Death, about Andor’s daughter Emily. In Death, he is searching for her and reveals that she is thought to have been kidnapped. They are Golden Eagle shape shifters, but Emily’s mother is human so she has quite a few issues to work out both internally and with the prejudice against shifters in her world.

Debra: Now I'm curious as to whether she has been kidnapped and by who. ;-)

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?

Missy: By reading a lot. I believe most of the authors I admire inspire me. Also my children are such a wonderful resource, I don’t think I would be doing this if it weren’t for them.

Debra: Yes, children are a wonderful treasure, especially the way their imaginations simply take off and fly.

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

Missy: Absolutely. I joke about hearing voices in my head, but that’s not far from the truth. It might not be an actual voice, but my characters definitely invade my thoughts to the point where I HAVE to write to get them to leave me alone.

Debra: You've described it very well. Characters and stories certainly can be persistent, somewhat like children if they think we've ignored them too long.

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?

Missy: Yes. I have a few fantasy novels I’m working on and one in particular involves many different species that came straight from my imagination. A few of the names just popped into my head out of nowhere, and I even googled them to make sure I wasn’t accidentally plagiarizing. When it comes to language, I’m definitely not in league with Tolkien, so I tend to revert back to Latin.

Debra: I'm not sure anyone will ever match Tolkien. And things that come straight from our imaginations are usually the best things.

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?

Missy: Probably something along the lines of what I’ve already written. When I began writing I wasn’t even reading Romance yet. Most of my WIP and They Call Me Death, were written without any consideration for genre, or even audience. I was writing for myself and still do that for the most part. I’m an avid reader and if I wouldn’t want to read it I’m not going to write it.

Debra: Then you'll stay true to yourself and never veer off course. That's a very good rule.

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?

Missy: The possibilities are endless and a writer is truly only limited by his/her own imagination. There may be a lot of books that are similar because they’ve all been inspired by the same stories, but no two are exactly alike. It’s the subtle differences that make reading such a wonderful experience.

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

Missy: Thanks for having me!

Ms. Missy Jane is the alter ego of a Texas mother of four who has been married to the same wonderful man for thirteen years. About five years ago Missy finished reading a book by Mercedes Lackey and thought "Now, what if..." and a monster was created. Missy now spends most of her time lost in worlds of her own making alternately loving and hating such creatures as vampires, shape-shifters and gargoyles (to name a few). When not writing, she spends her time reading, taking photos of her beautiful daughters and training her husband to believe she's always right. Excerpts from Missy's work can be found at
www.missyjane.com
Missy’s first book, They Call me Death is available from Samhain Publishing

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Debra's News/Debra is Watching:

It was a busy twelve days in Orlando and RT was wonderful as always. Things just get better and better every year! I am already looking forward to RT 2010 which will be in Columbus, OH, not far from my hometown, Springfield, OH. (So you can pretty much count on me being there next year.) ;-)

It was such a joy to be teaching and such a pleasure to meet so many new friends at RT. Can't wait to see everyone's photos.

Flew home on Monday and planned to do a Make-Believe Mondays interview, but my ankles were so swollen I called my Dr. on the way home from the airport. He called in a prescription and got me in to see him the next day. They ran tests, one a scan of my veins, worried I had deep vein thrombosis. I'm happy to report all is well, the swelling has gone down and I'm fine. I try not to miss a week here with the MBM interviews but sometimes things happen. Anyway, it's good to be back!

Check www.debraparmley.com for future book signings and updates. I'm planning to set up a newsletter soon as well.

Authors who wish to be interviewed can find a form on the website as well. I schedule as far as a year out in advance.

Here is the lineup for the next five weeks:

May 4th - Missy Jane
May 11th - Shiela Stewart
May 18th - Maria Geraci
May 25th - Amy Ruttan
June 1st - Judi Fennel

Make-Believe Mondays with Alisha Rai

2009-04-20T07:00:00.000-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Alisha Rai.

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

Alisha: I’m always juggling two or three works at the same time, but I’m really trying to concentrate on Rana’s (Devi’s sister, from Glutton for Pleasure) right now. Otherwise it’s too tempting to try to avoid it every time I hit a roadblock. I plotted all three sister’s books out at the same time, so theoretically, the next two should be easy to write. Unfortunately, Rana is a troublesome wench, so its been a bit rough. Stay tuned, though. I’m determined to give her a story that’s worthy of her.

Debra: And determination is certainly one thing every author needs. I juggle more than one manuscript also and it took me a while to realize that was one reason for it. (Well it can't be writers block or procrastination if we are still writing, right?) LOL Sometimes truth hurts. Especially when it comes to writing practices. So tempting when getting stumped on one manuscript and being determined to keep writing. Which can be a good thing if you don't let it side track you and you make sure to return to the first one. ;-)

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

Alisha: Absolutely. I’ve learned that the best cure for writer’s block, for me, is just to mark off at least an hour and start writing something, anything. About twenty minutes in, the characters start becoming real and I get lost in the story and their lives.

Debra: Exactly. Even if you can only begin by writing...I am so frustrated with this story right now. It doesn't matter what the thing is, the physical act of writing breaks that block, at least for me.

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

Alisha: Oh gosh, I don’t know if I could pick a single book. As a child, I devoured every printed thing I could get my hands on, including cereal boxes and pamphlets from solicitors. Madeline L’Engle is still a comfort read for me, though. I think A Wrinkle in Time was the first book I read where I was just as caught up in the sweet romance as I was in the story. Ooooh, and I had a massive crush on Meg’s twin brothers, who had their own novel, Many Waters. I know, I know, I’m a bit of a dork J.

Debra: Oh no, such labels don't apply to those of us who imagine. I think imagination erases all dorkiness. ;-) We should all allow our imaginations to play a bit more. Life should be fun! LOL

Alisha, thanks for joining me here on Make-Believe Mondays to celebrate imagination, creation and dreams and to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.

Visit Alisha Rai at
www.alisharai.com
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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

I'm here at the RT Convention in sunny Orlando.

ere are the panels and other events I am scheduled for at the convention. If you're attending, be sure to come up and say hello! I love meeting new people.

Sun. April 19th: 5:00 meet & greet dinner
Mon. April 20th: 2:00 - 3:00 Characterization with Diana Groe and Pat Simmons
Tue. April 21st: 11:00 - 12:00 Submitting with Jade Lee
2:15 - 3:00 Query & Synopsis
3:15 - 4:00 Rejection with Aleka Nakis, Susan Yarina, Kathy Love
Wed. April 22nd: 10:30 - 11:30 Resurrecting the Muse with Gerri Russell
3:30 - 4:30 Samhain Soireee Bookseller party
Sat. April 25th: 11:00 - 2:00 Book Fair (where I'll be signing my first novel, A Desperate Journey)

There are plenty of other events I'm planning to attend, but these are the places you're certain to find me.

I'll be out of town April 15th through April 27th, but Make-Believe Mondays will continue.

Keep watching my website www.debraparmley.com for photos and video from the book launch and for pictures from the RT convention in Orlando.

Make-Believe Mondays with Patricia Snodgrass

2009-04-13T18:42:00.009-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays, my guest is Patricia Snodgrass.

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

Patricia: The story I’m currently working on is entitled “Love Fiercely.” It is set in the distant future aboard a spaceport and focuses on the lives of the medical examiners and their families who reside on the port. Not only is there a medical mystery to solve, there’s a mystery of the heart to solve too. Jerrod’s humanoid finacee Kitra is undergoing changes that he cannot begin to understand. That’s all I’ll say for now.

Debra: I like the title. That's something we all should do, when we find that special someone. Love fiercely and with the whole heart.

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?

Patricia: I love Ray Bradbury and he has been an influence in my writing since I was young. How I keep my creative cup filled is not difficult. I love to learn new things, which I think is vital in a craft such as writing. I am always seeking new venues for my writing, trying new genres, experimenting with grammar (as much as the editors will allow, ha!) and language. When I find those times when my creative cup seems empty, I find other things to do, such as paint, crochet, do beadwork and gardening. Taking long walks with the dog and enjoying fresh air and sunshine. And of course there’s the need for the odd road trip, which I’m currently craving.

Debra: Oh, I'm craving a road trip too, but it's soon to be satisfied by flying to Orlando on Wed. :-)
There is something about travel, or simply moving along when seems to feed the writing.

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

Patricia: Yes, that’s when I know I’m really in the zone when it comes to my writing. When I feel as if I’m sitting back and simply dictating what the characters are doing, seeing, feeling, etc, that’s when I know the story is going to be good. I love it when this happens. I’m never sure if a story is coming together well if I have to drag it along myself. It’s so much easier when the characters come forward and tell their own stories. My niece who has a degree in psychology told me once that I wasn’t normal. I laughed and said, define normal.

Debra: Oh, who wants to be normal anyway? I think all writers have a touch of eccentricity and I think we ought to embrace that part of ourselves and just be. My writer friends are eccentric, fascinating people, and I love them just the way they are. Besides, it's our differences that make people interesting. And I know just what you mean about trying to drag a story along by yourself. It never goes well for me when I do that.

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?

Patricia: Yes, I love playing with language. I sometimes collect languages the way some people collect butterflies or rocks. And sometimes I make up my own words. For example, I sometimes use the nonsense word ‘hucked’ to describe someone sobbing so hard they start hiccupping. Sometimes, my characters come from different cultures and have different languages. One character I wrote about was Cherokee, and she spoke the language. Today, when I was writing about an Afghani war veteran, she spoke in the Afghani language of Pashto. I didn’t even know Afghan had so many languages.

Debra: Hucked is a good word. Playing with language can be so much fun. Now you've made me curious about Pashto.

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

Visit Patricia at
patriciasnodgrass.bravehost.com
bluedelirium.blogspot.com
redroom/member/bayougoddess

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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

This Wed. I'm flying to Orlando to spend some time with my dear friend Marie before the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention begins.

Here are the panels and other events I am scheduled for at the convention. If you're attending, be sure to come up and say hello! I love meeting new people.

Sun. April 19th: 5:00 meet & greet dinner
Mon. April 20th: 2:00 - 3:00 Characterization with Diana Groe and Pat Simmons
Tue. April 21st: 11:00 - 12:00 Submitting with Jade Lee
2:15 - 3:00 Query & Synopsis
3:15 - 4:00 Rejection with Aleka Nakis, Susan Yarina, Kathy Love
Wed. April 22nd: 10:30 - 11:30 Resurrecting the Muse with Gerri Russell
3:30 - 4:30 Samhain Soireee Bookseller party
Sat. April 25th: 11:00 - 2:00 Book Fair (where I'll be signing my first novel, A Desperate Journey)

There are plenty of other events I'm planning to attend, but these are the places you're certain to find me.

I'll be out of town April 15th through April 27th, but Make-Believe Mondays will continue.

Keep watching my website www.debraparmley.com for photos and video from the book launch and for pictures from the RT convention in Orlando.

Make-Believe Mondays With Donica Covey

2009-04-06T14:23:00.017-05:00

Today on Make-Believe Mondays, my guest is Donica Covey.

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

Donica: I have two projects in the works right now. The first one is Hunting Mickey, the next book in my romantic suspense series Gateway Guardians. This series centers on a team of DEA agents based in St. Louis and chronicles their battle in the war on drugs, specifically targeting the evil drug lord Ramiro Gonzalo Sancho Rivera.

The second project is Ember’s Flame, book three in my Elemental Desires series. This series spotlights each of the four Duile sisters. Amazing, talented ladies who just happen to be witches. Out of sheer boredom, they come up with a challenge: A contest to win the love of a mortal man. Being they are witches of the elements, their mortal must deal with their specific element. The first two sisters Maryna and Storm (water and air element respectively) have already been released. Now I just have to complete Ember and Tara’s tales.

Debra: St. Louis is an interesting city to visit and has a rich history. I'm surprised there aren't more books set there. And your witches sound 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?

Donica: I have to sometimes force myself to ignore logical boundaries and let my imagination take flight or else the characters get constipated and no amount of muse-lax breaks up the flow.

Debra: Yes, sometimes imagination needs to carry a Nerf baseball bat to whack logic on the side of the head a little so we can write. ;-)

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

Donica: From the moment of conception. For me the characters are alive. They sit beside me, talk to me, annoy me, and cajole me. It’s when they stop talking and disappear that I have a huge problem.

Debra: Oh...yes. It's never good when they go quiet.

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?

Donica: I love to play with words. In my fantasy novel Dragon’s Angel I took words from Old English and used them to name different tribes of the inhabitants from the world of Grogan. For example…I chose to name one of my tribes the Brimborions. I just love the word Brimborion—kind of catchy, yes? The word Brimborion means a thing without value or use. But my tribe is far from the definition. They are hardworking, loyal and honest.

Debra: Oh, I like that word too. It's so much fun to play with words.

For some writers, dreams play a role in creating fiction. Has this been true for you?

Donica: Definitely.

Debra: Have you ever dreamed a scene or an image that later wound up in one of your books?

Donica: Almost every book has one or more such scenes.

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

Donica: Of course! L. Frank Baum. J.R.R Tolkien, CS Lewis, Lewis Carroll, Edgar Allen Poe. All are my favorites.

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?

Donica: I do have one work that is in sort of a limbo because of the graphic content. It’s suspenseful, horrifying, nerve-wrenching and heartrending. But because of the graphic content due to the evil nature of one of the characters it’s been rejected. So…this book would be the one to shoot the moon with.

Debra: Sounds like it's way outside the usual parameters.

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?

Donica: Just my thanks for spending their time with me today and I hope they’ll pop into my website, www.donicacovey.com or my blog, donicacovey.blogspot.com and say hello. Or they can friend me on Face Book, Donica-Covey on Facebook I also have a YouTube channel for my book trailers: Donica Covey on UTube

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

Donica: Thank you for having me!

Debra: You're quite welcome. It's been a pleasure.

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Debra's News/Debra is Watching:

The book launch last Thursday was wonderful! One of the greatest days of my life and one I will always remember.

Today is the day I promised to announce the winner of my book launch celebration contest - the prize, a candle in the shape of a wing, which you can see on the previous blog post.

I've been waiting for my husband to come home to draw from the names. So we now have a winner!

The winner goes by the screen name: lastnerve. Congratulations and may your dreams take flight as mine has!

Please email me at debra@debraparmley.com with your address so I can send it out this week before I head to Orlando for the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention.

I will be in Orlando from April 15th to the 27th. If you are attending, come up and say hello! I love meeting new friends.

www.debraparmley.com
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
And here is a message from my AT2 sister, Theresa Myers.

Hi,

Can you please let your blog readers know?

I promised that I wasn’t fooling around! Today I’d like to announce the two winners for my month long blog tour contest. If you commented on one of the blogs I was at, like Vampire Wire, Patricia’s Vampire Notes, the Harlequin Paranormal Romance Blog, or Make Believe Mondays, you were entered to win.

The two winners are: Kim Giardna who’ll be getting both a $20 gift certificate to Wicked Wines Online (where she can indulge in either red Vampire Vodka or other Vampire Winery offerings) and a copy of Salvation of the Damned.

MelJPrincess, you’ve won those snazzy customizable chrome fangs and a copy of Salvation of the Damned.

Congratulations to you both!

Theresa Meyers
President, Blue Moon Communications
bluemooncomm@aol.com

Make-Believe Mondays Announces Debra's First Book Launch!

2009-03-31T23:30:00.002-05:00

Make-Believe Mondays is taking time out from interviews this week to announce the print release of Debra's first novel. A Desperate Journey is now available in print and the book launch party is set for Thursday April 2nd.

If you are in Memphis, TN on that date, I would love for you to join me.

Wed, April 1st, I will be over at the Samhain Cafe, posting excerpts and chatting from 12:00 pm to 12:00 am. Stop by and say hello!
Samhain Cafe

And, I have a contest going this week. Everyone who leaves a comment here on the Make-Believe Monday blog from Tue. April 1st to Sunday April 5th will be entered into a drawing for this beautiful candle. For the longest time I have dreamed of seeing my book in bookstores and now that this dream is taking flight, this candle symbolizes that for me. Thank you for celebrating with me and may all your dreams take flight too.

debraparmley.com

Regular author interviews will resume next week and I will announce the winner of the contest on Monday.