Meet K. S. Brooks

Interview with K. S. Brooks, author of Postcards from Mr. Pish, The Mighty Oak and Me, Mr. Pish’s Woodland Adventure (2011), Lust for Danger, The Kiss of Night, & Night Undone (2011)
Watch the trailers and read excerpts at Blazing Trailers.


Why don’t you begin by telling us a little about yourself?

I love shooting rifles, eating good croissants, and listening to an eclectic range of music. When I’m not speaking French to the animals in my yard, I’m writing educational children’s books and action/adventure suspense novels.

Do you have another job besides writing?

Nope! I’m lucky enough to be writing full-time, albeit I’m on food rations.

Tell us a bit about your latest book, and what inspired you to write such a story.

Postcards from Mr. Pish was inspired by our move from Maryland to Washington State. I’ve always been an advocate of outdoor learning, and I thought that showing kids really cool places through the eyes of a dog might inspire them to drop their video games and go outside.

Did your book require a lot of research?

Postcards from Mr. Pish did require a lot of research. Since my children’s books have been classified as educational and even used in schools as text books, I feel I have a responsibility to make sure everything in them is completely accurate.

What is the funniest/most embarrassing/scariest story from one of your books signings or events?

I had been bitten by a spider, went toxic and managed to drive myself to the emergency room. A nurse found me in a chair, unconscious in the hospital lobby. The doctor wanted to keep me for two days, but I was doing a signing at Barnes & Noble and begged them to let me go on the promise I would return after the event! Later that day, I sat at the entrance to the B&N store with all my wares, white as a corpse, sweating profusely, and sporting lots of IV marks on my arms. Needless to say, it would have gone better if I’d been selling horror books. I returned to the hospital that evening.

If you are a world builder, what is your favorite part of creating these worlds?

I’m not a world builder. I envy people who can do that. I write faction, putting fictional characters in real places and events.

What would you tell aspiring young writers about the publishing business?

Don’t write for the money. Write for the love of writing. The publishing business is unforgiving and nearly impossible to break into. You have to be tenacious, and you should be good. Hone your craft, and never give up. Start building your resume as early as you can. You’ll be glad, later, that you have the credentials to show off.

Do you get along with your muse? What do you do to placate her when she refuses to inspire you?

I have about 20 books in my head that still need to be written. When I finish those, I’ll let you know what happens.

They say authors have immensely fragile egos… How would you handle negative criticism or a negative review?

A story is like a person and just like people, not everyone is going to want, like, or think it’s that you or your story are that great. You can’t take it personally. With that said, I’d probably be annoyed and want a voodoo doll of the reviewer who trashes my work. Eventually, someone somewhere will not like what you’ve written. Those are the odds. I dread the thought of a bad review but I hope I’d learn from it and become a better writer.

When writing, what themes do you feel passionate about?

For my children’s books- Outdoor learning & literacy. Getting kids outside. Teaching them about nature. For my suspense novels – justice; ecology; human frailty.

Have you ever suffered from writer’s block? What seems to work for unleashing your creativity?

I only had writers’ block once. Then I stopped being afraid.

Technically speaking, what do you struggle the most with when writing? How do you tackle it?

I use the formal “had not” “you are” “could not” all the time. I constantly have to go back and convert them into contractions (depending on the sentence) because it interrupts the flow and makes it very choppy. I have no idea why I do that.

What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

I learned a lot about improving my style and building suspense from the great Warren Murphy. I also got wonderful advice about the industry from Marcia Yudkin: (paraphrased) “Find an agent is like finding the man of your dreams. It’s going to take time to find the right one, but he’s out there.” My best friend’s words, however, are the ones I hear while writing. “stay true to the story,” she told me.

Do you have another book in the works? Would you like to tell readers about your current or future projects?I’m currently working on the sequels to Postcards from Mr. Pish Volume 1 and Lust for Danger. The sequel to The Kiss of Night is entitled Night Undone and I’m waiting for my galley proofs on that. Mr. Pish’s Woodland Adventure is also just about to go to press.

Where do you find ideas for stories?

Everywhere and anywhere. I actually just wrote a guest blog about that entitled “Inspiration? Phooey!” just because all it really takes is being open to ideas.

Do you have a website/blog where readers may learn more about you and your work?

I have quite a few:

http://www.ksbrooks.com
http://www.mrpish.com
http://ksbrooks.wordpress.com
http://authorksbrooks.blogspot.com

Meet Stanford Friedman

Interview with Stanford Friedman, author of God’s Gift to Women
Watch the trailer and read an excerpt at Blazing Trailers.

Do you have another job besides writing?

I’m the Senior Research Librarian for Conde Nast.

Tell us a bit about your latest book, and what inspired you to write such a story.

The book actually started as a colletion of poems I’d written over the years. I bashed them into prose and hung them on the framework of a historical event: the 1995 New York City Marathon.

How would you describe your creative process while writing this book? Was it stream-of-consciousness writing, or did you first write an outline?

A little of both. There are a lot of characters and a lot of locales so I had a basic outline of where the protagonist was at any given time, and when each character appears. That said, most morning I would wake up early, down some coffee and let my subconscious loose on a given scene.

How do you research?

Many people have asked me if I ran the marathon to research the book. No way! I actually took a bus tour of the route, and relied on newspaper articles as well.

Tell us five random things about yourself.

I am a two-time champion of the ESPNZone Ultimate Couch Potato contest
I have a collection of moist towelettes
I have an MFA in Poetry from Columbia University and an MLS in Library Science from Rutgers
My first steady job in NYC was working on the loading dock at The New York Times.
I once spent a summer portraying a bloodletter at a Renaissance Festival.

When do you get your best ideas and why do you think this is?

I’m a big believer that my subconscious does most of my work. So, my best ideas either come in the morning when my brain is still sleepy, or after a few days of having the germ of the idea kicking around my head without having really concentrated on it.

Describe your working environment.
In bed, with my laptop, in my tiny studio apartment a few blocks from Times Square.

When it comes to writing, are you an early bird, or a night owl?

Early bird. My brain is too worn out by night time to be of any literary usefulness.

Do you have a website/blog where readers may learn more about you and your work?

The website for my book is: www.stanfordfriedman.com
A page with links to much of my other writing can be found here: https://sites.google.com/site/stanthology/

Meet DV Berkom

Interview with DV Berkom, author of Bad Spirits
Watch the trailer and read an excerpt at Blazing Trailers.

Why don’t you begin by telling us a little about yourself?

I grew up in the Midwest, received my BA in Political Science from the University of Minnesota, and promptly moved to Mexico to live on a sailboat.

Several years and at least a dozen moves later, I now reside outside of Seattle, Washington with my sweetheart Mark, an ex-chef-turned-contractor, and write whenever I get a chance.

When did you decide you wanted to become an author?

I wrote my first book at seven. It was a parody about the joys of house work.

Tell us a bit about your latest book, and what inspired you to write such a story.

Here's the blurb for Bad Spirits: Kate Jones is on the run with a backpack full of money, intent on finding her way back to the United States from Mexico. Unfortunately, a ruthless drug lord named Salazar is just as intent on finding her, retrieving his stolen money, and making her pay for ever having left him. Is there anyone she can trust?
I was inspired to write Bad Spirits after reading about the escalating drug violence in Mexico. That, and I like to blow things up.

How would you describe your creative process while writing this book? Was it stream-of-consciousness writing, or did you first write an outline?

Pantser, all the way.

Did your book require a lot of research?

Yes. It was tough. I traveled to Mexico and ate fabulous food while soaking up atmosphere. Then, I was lucky enough to work with a retired DEA agent out of Dallas on the details, and he put his stamp of approval on the story.

Why do you write?

I can't sing.

Who are your literary heros and why?

Definitely Auntie Mame. That woman could throw a party.

What would you tell aspiring young writers about the publishing business?

Develop a thick skin. Put your work out there. Revise, revise, revise. Don't write drunk. Or text.

Do you belong to a critique group? How has this helped or hindered your writing.

I owe a lot to my fabulous critique group. Where else would you hear someone say "You can't kill someone like that. You need to do it this way…"

What so you see for the future of publishing and ebooks?

The sky's the limit. It's an exciting time to be a writer!

Tell us five random things about yourself.

I used to teach Feng Shui classes. I am an award-winning photographer. I've lived in Alaska. I've been to all 50 states. I like cheese.

What type of writer are you—the one who experiences before writing, like Hemingway, or the one who mostly daydreams and fantasizes?

Definitely Hemingway. Live an exciting life- you'll have a lot to write about.

Do you get along with your muse? What do you do to placate her when she refuses to inspire you?

Yes. Margaritas.

They say authors have immensely fragile egos… How would you handle negative criticism or a negative review?

Kill the critiquer/reviewer off in my next book.

As a writer, what scares you the most?

Brown outs.

Have you ever suffered from writer’s block? What seems to work for unleashing your creativity?

No. Free time!

Technically speaking, what do you struggle the most with when writing? How do you tackle it?

Plausibility. I have a critique group who will kick my a$$ into next Tuesday if I go off on some wild tangent
What is(are) your favorite book/author(s)? Why?

Carl Hiaasen. His characters are hilarious!

Do you have another book in the works? Would you like to tell readers about your current or future projects?

The next book in the Kate Jones Adventure series is titled, DEATH RITES, and will be available by the end of July. I'm editing the fourth in the series now, tentatively titled, TOURING FOR DEATH, due to go live in September.

What book do you wish you had written and why?

Harry Potter. She has a castle.

Where do you find ideas for stories?


EVERYWHERE!

Do you have a website/blog where readers may learn more about you and your work?

http://www.dvberkom.com

Meet Ashley Brooke

Interview with Ashley Brooke, author of: Submission (First novel in the Beautiful Liars saga)
Watch the trailer and read an excerpt at Blazing Trailers.

Why don’t you begin by telling us a little about yourself?

Other than the fact that I’m a hopeless romantic (smiles). I’m very girly, friendly, and laid back. I can be a little shy when I first meet you, but the moment you get to know me, you’ll find that I can have a very slick mouth.

When did you decide you wanted to become an author?

After watching the first Twilight movie. Despite the fact that the story is based on werewolves and vampires, the romance is something that can actually be obtained in real life. Reaching the world globally with entertainment and a small dose of inspiration has been my childhood dream. I just didn’t know how to achieve that goal until my junior year of high school.

Were you an avid reader as a child? What type of books did you enjoy reading?

I certainly was. I was pretty diverse with the books I read. For about five years I read mystery books, and then later found interest in romantic fiction. I guess that’s why I enjoy writing romantic suspense (smiles).

Did your book require a lot of research?

“Naked” the second novel in the Beautiful Liars saga did. I really wanted to make sure I went into depth as far as the male and female sexual responses were concerned. I wanted to do more than just describe what the characters were doing with one another in bed. I wanted the reader to be able to understand what was actually happening and why the characters felt the way they did about one another during those “sensitive”.

When did you start writing? Relate an anecdote from your earliest writing years..

I was about seven years old when I began writing. Throughout my adolescent years, my mother had always told me that sex was a big “no no”. Even though I was only seven, I’d had a very curious and somewhat creative mind when it came to the art of romance, so, when no one was looking, I would take out my minicomputer and write short love stories on it. As soon as I was done, I’d erase everything I’d written for fear of someone seeing it.

What would you tell aspiring young writers about the publishing business?

Never take away from the story you originally wrote and are passionate about, because no one publisher is the same. If one publisher rejects your work, chances are the next one won’t.

If you could talk to any fictional character, who would that be and what would you say?

I would talk to Carrington, a fictional character in the Beautiful Liars saga. If I could say anything to him, it would be “You’re all mine.”

Tell us five random things about yourself.

I love to dance. I hate the sound of people “smacking” while eating. My favorite vegetable is okra (especially when it’s fried). I love to put bows and burettes in Kelly’s (our little puppy) hair and I love to crack jokes.

Are you a disciplined writer? Very much. It’s all about deadlines and quality for me.


Have you ever woken in the night with the need to write? If so, how do you deal with this urge?

Not exactly. I usually wake up and think, “Ooh! That’s a good idea! Let me right it down before I forget.”

Do you have a website/blog where readers may learn more about you and your work?

I do have a blog, but it’s not dedicated to my work. It’s dedicated to answering general and personal questions, even the most embarrassing ones. http://ashleybrookeeroticromance.blogspot.com

Meet Sally Franklin Christie

Interview with Sally Franklin Christie, author of If I Should Die.

Watch the trailer and read an excerpt at Blazing Trailers.

Why don’t you begin by telling us a little about yourself? I want my tombstone to say “I told you I was sick.”

I am a daughter, sister, mom, wife, grandmother, artist, photographer, researcher, organizer for social change, homeschool teacher, eaves dropper, and the list goes on. I also write.

I like to give my topics a unique slant. I live my life with unusual physical challenges and write from a skewed point of view. I believe that Life is a Story and it is my job to Tell it Big.

When I visit the local cemetery, it is not the date that intrigues me, it is what happened during the dash that comes between a person’s coming and going.

When did you decide you wanted to become an author?

I’d like to say I was born with a fountain pen in my hand or that I wrote my first story in the third grade. I remember the wide ruled paper with a big space at the top for illustrating the story below. What did you do on your summer vacation. But, my first visit with writing was a self absorbed diary I used to feel sorry for myself in high school. I wrote some short fiction in college. I wrote more during a really bad relationship. Then one day I saw an ad for a correspondence course in writing for children. In 1994, I began to learn the craft. I went on to become a ‘professional student.’ I sold some articles and wrote for newsletters. I’ve written four or five novels and don’t know for sure when I ‘became’ an author.

Do you have another job besides writing?

I am a Marketing Manager for Damnation Books and Eternal Press. I also moderate at The Writer’s Chatroom. I began my work-a-day life as a student in college where I made my party money working in the library, cancelling government documents and later became a police dispatcher. I suppose it was inevitable that I would at some point begin to tell a story.

Were you an avid reader as a child? What type of books did you enjoy reading?

When I was a kid, all I wanted was to be as old as my brother. He learned to read and color inside the lines. I could hardly wait. Reading was natural for me. Reading is something I did to pass the time. It was something I could do during long hospital stays.

I used to sneak into the library during a semester in high school when for some reason I was not assigned to a class or study hall for a period right after lunch. To access the library we needed to sign in at the study hall room. To avoid having the error discovered I would sign up for the next hour and go ahead and access the library early.

Why do you write?

I write as an effort to thank all of the authors who came before me. They let me escape to places I will never see. The allowed me to experience physical and mental feats that I would never do. They gave me information. Entertained me. Gave me building blocks. I write because they did it first. I want to take my reader on a journey, too. I write because someone else cared enough to give me something to read.

What would you tell aspiring young writers about the publishing business?

Writing your book is just the first step. After the letter of acceptance comes cover art, editing, more editing, marketing, formatting, editing, marketing, the behind the scenes things that happen to your book on the way to the virtual and real bookstore shelves is a long and winding road. When your book is accepted it is no longer yours alone, the publisher is betting on you, that you wrote something that is going to sell. They are investing in you as they assign editors, cover artists and jump the hoops of getting it ready for consumption. It is a business and it is also a commitment.

What other types of artistic talents do you have?

I paint landscapes, take lots of photos and crochet. In my WIP, work in progress, two of the main characters are photographers and I took an adult ed class to research. Photographers use the same things in a writer’s kit, scene, feeling, theme and composition. Painting is very satisfying because it is hard to be anything but creative during the process. Crocheting is all about following a pattern and building up to the whole. I don’t know if these are talents but they are creative outlets.

What is(are) your favorite book/author(s)? Why?

Wuthering Heights is one of my favorite books, I wrote a thesis paper about why Heathcliff, a dark and brooding character was a hero. Dr. Starr gave me an A-. Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird really goes to the heart of ‘life is a story.’ My third favorite book is by Stephen King, The Stand. The Stand is rich in character and it is where I was introduced to the idea that those who survive an initial catastrophe may not have the skills to survive the aftermath.

What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

The president of the Women’s Writers Guild sent me a postcard with my membership that said, “Life is a Story – Tell it Big.” I took that to heart and used it as the foundation of my blog.

Where do you find ideas for stories?

I get story ideas from dream fragments. I also like to watch people in parking lots and assign or make up back stories for them. It sounds like a creepy game of “what if,” but I think most authors do this in way or another. My own back story include a highly functional family life, all things considered and I have many things to draw from random childhood events.

Have you ever woken in the night with the need to write? If so, how do you deal with this urge?

Drugs. Zolpidim. Seriously. What I write during the intervals between repeating dreams is illegible. Without drugs I am alert most of the night.

Do you have any recurring dreams or nightmares?

I’m losing control of my car. My teeth are turning cold and falling out. I’m smoking. I have totally forgotten to attend a college class.

The car dreams began when I was a kid. Back in the olden days a parent could leave a kid or group of kids in a car for huge blocks of time. I remember a town in southern Illinois with very steep hills. I always feared the car would begin to roll. Now, that I can drive, I dream all sorts of scenarios related to losing control of my car. A computer voice intruded one dream and advised I was about to experience a head on collision.

Teeth dreams began when I was living a totally day to day sort of life with my daughter and her dad. My teeth turn cold like porcelain and just sort of begin to fall out. I’ve heard this is common to people with self esteem/image problems. Whatever the cause, it disturbs me deeply.

I used to smoke and I loved it. So much, I have a short story I’ve been shopping around for years called, Smokers. I quit in 88 and oh, how I miss it. In my dream, I have forgotten how quickly I got hooked on those things the first and second times and I have no memory of quitting. Just recently, I smoked ten cigarettes at our local Mc D’s. Dr. Oz was there dancing and breaking out in a very bad rash. I could not believe my son and husband who were also there and did not stop me.

I’ve gone on too long about the dreams I have, so you’ll have to make up a reason for my last reoccurring dream.

Interview with Michael Murphy, author of Scorpion Bay. Read an excerpt and watch the trailer at Blazing Trailers.

Why don’t you begin by telling us a little about yourself?

Good, there’s very little to tell. I’m a mystery/suspense writer from Arizona. I’ve been writing novels for eleven years. When I’m not placing quirky characters in desperate situations, or conducting novel writing workshops in book stores and libraries around the state, I raise five chickens in our backyard.

Were you an avid reader as a child? What type of books did you enjoy reading?

I read Gone with the Wind, all 1,037 pages when I was nine, if that gives you an idea. Yes, I was a geek, and suspect I still am.

Tell us a bit about your latest book, and what inspired you to write such a story.

Scorpion Bay follows a Phoenix television news reporter whose life is shattered when his wife is killed in a car bombing along with a key witness in a criminal investigation. When local authorities seem to lack the courage, Parker Knight goes after the key suspect, a powerful Arizona Biotechnology industrialist. Hiding his well-known identity behind a black outfit and motorcycle helmet with a dark shield, he rides a high tech motorcycle seeking answers. When he comes to the aid of a woman being attacked at Scorpion Bay, the press dubs the unknown hero The Scorpion Bay Vigilante. his quest is complicated by the press, including an ambitions female co-worker. With his best friend, Justin, and Justin’s brassy new girlfriend, Parker discovers a link between a powerful drug cartel and biotechnology. But he hasn’t figured everything out. It isn’t until four people are killed in a deadly shootout, that he puts the pieces together.

I was inspired to write the story by visiting a Phoenix news station. I had been wanting to write a mystery/suspense novel set in the Phoenix area. While at Lake Pleasant, north of the city I learned they were building a new marina at Scorpion Bay. Immediately, I had a title. The rest fell into place.

Did your book require a lot of research?

Since it doesn’t take place in a fictitious locale, I had to be meticulous in describing Phoenix. Did a lot of driving visiting places I hadn’t been in awhile. The research at the television station was very interesting. I learned they don’t use cameramen, for example. The cameras are remotely controlled in a control room.

Who are your literary heroes and why?

My two literary heroes are Nelson DeMille for his humor (I met him at a book signing and he’s delightful) and Dennis Lehane for the depth of plot and characterizations and the inevitable twist at the end. My books tend to be suspenseful with twists I hope the reader doesn’t see coming and there’s always humor, because I appreciate the absurdity of life. And laughter is the best medicine.

If you could have any vice without repercussions, what would it be? Seriously? Just between you and me?

What is your favorite part of creating new worlds?

Without a doubt, the heroes and villains. As I see it, setting and story is really secondary to how the setting and plot impact the main characters.

Who was your mentor?

I have two mentors and wonderful writers who taught me ninety percent of what I know about writing, Vijaya Schartz and Toby Heathcotte. I not only learned about writing from them, but I learned the importance of helping other writers perfect their craft. That’s a real kick for me, my only real vice.

Michael Murphy
Scorpion Bay coming April 2
www.mjmurphy.com

New Review and Excerpt--Burgher and the Woebegone

Burgher and the Woebegone, by Kim Chatel, is an Editor's Choice at Midwest Book Reviews!

Read another excerpt and watch the animated trailer at Blazing Trailers.

Reviewed by Midwest Book Reviews:

"Burgher and the Woebegone" is a choose-your-own-adventure-script illustrated chapter book written to delight and enchant children ages 8-12. Burgher is gnome, another name for an "ugly elf." Burgher lives in a blasted apple orchard, with slugs and fungus. He hates spring, green growth, birds, bees and butterflies. His nemesis is the persistent and cheerful Apple Tree Man, who offers sunshine, blossoms, and fresh life to Oxtail Orchard. Kids get to help Burgher make different choices in his story, finally arriving at a way to bring renewal and fresh life to Oxtail Orchard. "Burgher and the Woebegone" is an empowering book for kids to help create, filled with nudging humor and unique black and white comic commentary.

Excerpt:

Burgher had learned through his many inventions that first ideas are usually best. So, when he came home with his treasure of beaver teeth, he went back to his chalkboard and found the drawing of his wooden horse ax.

Carefully, he rebuilt the tall structure, the long neck and winch tail. He climbed onto his step stool and fastened the beaver teeth to the head with slug-slime superglue. Then he climbed back down and turned the winch. Up went the head. Back stretched the neck. He flicked the switch and the horse head went FLING! in a perfect, smooth arc.

Jonny Gold waited for Burgher at the garden gate. He laughed when he saw Burgher’s disastrous invention remade. Burgher said nothing. He pulled his machine out of the garden gate and down the lane.

“Whoa! Wait up, ol’ boy!” said Jonny. He stayed a few steps behind Burgher to avoid the rain cloud. “Come on. You’re not still bent on chopping the Queen, are you?”

Burgher trundled down the lane. The rain cloud huffed and puffed to keep up. Burgher let rain drizzle into his eyes. The buds were now fat and green on every tree in the orchard. Blossoms were next. Putrid, pink blossoms. He didn’t have much time. After blossoms came caterpillars, then . . . butterflies.

He had to stop the butterflies from coming. Now.

As usual, Jonny Gold had a parade of forest creatures behind him. The squirrels chattered to the rabbits about Burgher’s new killing machine. The rabbits nattered at the chipmunks who chattered to the deer who told the beavers who called to the crows.

By the time Burgher reached the Queen’s clearing, all the creatures of Oxtail orchard had gathered to witness the fall of the Queen. Squirrels, mice and rabbits watched in silent horror as Burgher readied his killing machine. A large buck pawed the ground, watching. A doe and two fawns hid behind his great rack of antlers. The beaver family scurried up. Mrs. Beaver’s new toenail necklace shone in the sunlight.

They had all seen Burgher’s contraptions fail so many times that no one intervened as he set up his contraption beside the tree. He patted the long wooden neck like a favorite horse. It was magnificent. He winched the winch. Up went the head. Back went the neck. The old beaver teeth glowed yellow in the sunlight. Nothing made of wood could withstand those teeth. When Mr. Beaver saw Grandpa’s teeth, he pushed his way through the crowd and confronted Burgher.

“Now see here.” He thumped his tail in anger. “You can’t be doing this . . .”

“Leave it,” said Jonny Gold. He laid a gentle had on Mr. Beaver’s shoulder.

“But . . .”

“Leave him be,” he repeated, and Mr. Beaver went back to the crowd.

Mrs. Beaver put her head on his shoulder and sobbed. “Oh my! Oh my!”

Burgher heard none of this. He was mesmerized by the Queen. His sight was filled with her golden boughs. He remembered another time, a happier time with Katy and a picnic right on that spot. The storm cloud rained and thundered, but Burgher ignored it too. The rain trickled into his eyes, into his ears and mouth. He sniffled.

Now, I’m going to interrupt here, dear reader, because you need to make a choice. Should Burgher cut down the Queen? Choose wisely. Destinies have a funny way of working out. Sometimes the way to happiness is through the door marked ‘Misery.’