Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Review for Fae Books: Shifting Pride by Laura Diamond

Hey, folks! Got another review done for Fae Books, and I wanted to share it with you all! This time around, we ventured into the were-world with Shifting Pride, by Laura Diamond.




"Curiosity brings out the Kitty...

Sixteen-year-old Nickie Leone has proof her father is still alive. His watch arrives in the mail, with a note telling her to “keep it hidden,” and her curiosity is piqued. She obeys the request, even keeping it hidden from her mother. But when an email from her father disappears before her very eyes, she begins to question her own sanity.

And things get even more complicated when she meets Xavian Katz, the blue-eyed, blonde hottie whose contagious smile and ridiculous sense of humor make her want to tell him all her secrets. But there’s a current beneath his charm that she can’t quite read. He’s hiding something.

When Nickie grows pointed ears and whiskers…and then a tail!...Xavian (who always seems to knows the right time to be around) seems unsurprised. He’s a shapeshifter too, a coincidence that Nickie can’t deny or ignore. She needs his help to master her new abilities, because her father’s rival, Derek, wants her to join his tribe. The last thing she wants is to be under his rule, but Derek’s got something to do with her dad’s disappearance—she knows it. And maybe letting herself be captured is the best way to find out…"



Nickie might think she's a normal teenage girl, but the building evidence in the first few chapters of Shifting Pride lead to the revelation of a world within our own that is both terrifying and exhilarating. And Nickie gets dragged right into the middle of it all. Before long, the fur is flying and Nickie is fighting for her life and on the hunt for the father everyone else thought was dead.

I have to admit, I really liked this book. The tension throughout the story kept building and building, keeping the reader intrigued and flipping pages at light speed to get to the next scene. There were a couple of instances where the pace lost a tiny touch of steam, but I really don't think it impacted the story overall, which was fast-paced and action packed. The subtle hints at Nickie's impending transfiguration is excellent. Oh, and never before has a book caused me to develop a food craving, but now all I want is tuna!

There were a couple of inconsistencies in the voice and tense of the story, and the board game they're playing is described as a movie-themed board game, most of the descriptions sound far more like Monopoly than a movie style game. For me it was a little distracting and I had to go back and reread it, but it was still not so overwhelming that it took away from the story.

I would have liked to have seen a little more tension when the two foes faced off, but it was still a very enjoyable read. I actually lost myself in the book so much so that I managed to read a hundred pages in an hour, and didn't even realize I had made that much progress. I love it when a book can keep me engaged so much that I lose time in my day.

Overall, I would give Shifting Pride 4/5 stars. I really enjoyed the book, and would recommend it to any Young Adult fans or fans of Paranormal/Fantasy stories.

Reviewed by Ash T of Fae Books (www.faebooks.co.uk)

Monday, March 25, 2013

Getting Published 101



So you wrote a book? Congratulations! Now comes the hard part-getting your book into the hands of readers. And the first step to doing that is to make your book available to the public. In other words, you gotta get that book published!


Nowadays, the author has options on how to get their book published, and the one that's quickly rising in the charts (courtesy of the ever-evolving technology of eReaders and tablets) is self-publishing. Believe it or not, self publishing a book is a lot easier than it used to be, and it's really making the publishing houses sweat. But if the thought of going at it alone makes your heart rate fly off the charts, or if you simply don't know where to start, you've come to the right place. I have some insightful tips to help you publish your great accomplishment with minimal hassle!


The Finishing Touches


Regardless of what method of publishing you choose, the first thing you want to do before taking any further steps is to set the book aside and walk away from it for at least a week, if not longer. Why? Because your next step is to edit and revise your book, not just once, but several times over, and you are going to want a pair of fresh eyes to examine it. Before you ever take the next step you want to polish that manuscript until you can see your reflection in HD staring back at you. The very last thing you want is for the first page of your book to have an error, because whether it’s a reader, a reviewer, or a potential agent/publisher, if it’s not as perfect as it possibly can be, you’re never going to get the results you want-sales. Once you have edited it several times and have decided it’s finally perfect, give it to a few other people to edit, then revise two more times. (A word of advice-if you have the budget, hire a professional editor or copywriter, because it is more than worth it!!) Then you should be ready to take it to the next step.


Trad Publishing


If you’re interested in going the traditional publishing route, you want to start working on your query letter. If you’ve never heard of a query letter before, it’s basically like a letter of interest combined with a resume and cover letter, and for many authors, it is the most daunting and horrifying task of all. Imagine taking the ACT’s, the SAT’s and having the biggest job interview in your life all rolled into 3 or 4 paragraphs. It’s scary and it’s hard, but it’s the hardest part of getting a traditional publisher to accept your book. You can either query agents to represent you and your work or you can now query many publishers without an agent. However you choose to query, you should still do a lot of research on query letters, read examples of successful ones and unsuccessful letters, and start drafting the query.

But for now, we’ll skip over the query letter and trad publishing route, because if you’re here, it means you’re probably already considering self publishing and Publish On Demand (POD) publishing. If you only want to publish an eBook and don’t want your book available in paperback, skip this next section and head down to the eBook Publishing section. If you’re interested in paperback, read on, my friend!


POD for Paperback Books


Okay, so you wrote a book, you painstakingly spent hours, days, weeks, maybe even months editing and revising it, you paid for an editor or had several reliable sources who are “Grammar Nazis” or who otherwise ridiculously excel in the art and rules of writing have their hand at the manuscript, and you honestly don’t think you could edit another word. In fact, you may be at the point where the idea of writing anything-even signing that stupid little electronic credit card machine at the grocery that never looks anything like your real signature-is a torturous nightmare. Good, you’re right where you’re supposed to be.

The next thing you’ll want to do is decide on a POD platform. Personally, I use CreateSpace, which synchs up with Amazon and the platform for the Kindle (which we’ll discuss later!), however a lot of folks have opted for other platforms, such as Lulu. I have no experience with other platforms so I cannot speak to the quality, options, interface, or any other feature of the other platforms. But I have used CreateSpace, and I personally enjoy it. Everyone will have their own preferences, though, so it’s important that you do the research and decide which is best for you. CreateSpace seems to be the choice of many, and for the sake of my knowledge, we’ll use CreateSpace when dealing with the POD process.

First things first, go to www.createspace.com and set up a new account with them. You’ll need this account to manage your titles and whatnot. Once you have your account set up, you can upload a new title. Here, you’ll start the step-by-step walkthrough of getting your book uploaded. Fill in the title of your book (don’t worry if you haven’t fully decided on a title, this can be changed before you submit it for review) and a little other basic info.

The great part of CreateSpace is that it literally holds your hand and walks you through getting it all setup. You’ll upload your manuscript in PDF or Word format, and once it’s uploaded (be patient, it takes several minutes to upload) you can proof it online. Meaning you can see what it’s going to look like in print. You’ll get some hints on your margins and bleed, but I highly recommend you utilize the online previewer so you can see exactly how your book will appear to the reader in print. There is a template you can download in word format that will help you greatly with formatting the manuscript, though it does take some work to get used to it. Keep in mind that the template uses the page break at the end of every chapter. I had to turn on all characters in order to find out that little detail! You’re still going to have to tweak it, but it will get your margins correct and give you great bones to work with. I just pasted my entire manuscript (prologue through epilogue) into the space allotted for the first chapter, and deleted the rest since I use page breaks in my manuscript.

The fun part comes when it’s time to design a cover. If you hired an artist/illustrator, make sure you haven’t shoved them off to the side, as you may need him or her to adjust the image a bit! You can also create a cover for your book using their free images and pre-made cover templates, so even if you’re not an artist, your book won’t be naked.

CreateSpace steps you through the process from beginning to end, and the only part you really have to do is input the information, write up the blurb, upload the images, and set the pricing. With my first book, I started the process and had my book on sale within 48 hours, and that’s with CreateSpace having to process everything. It’s a very simple process, but if you get hung up, there is a community to help you and the CreateSpace team will help you too.


eBook Publishing


Whether or not you do physical books and eBooks or just eBooks alone, you’re going to become great friends with Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). This is the website where you will upload your formatted book to be published on Kindle. Now, if you went through CreateSpace (and possibly other POD platforms) they gave you the option to download the Kindle-ready file. If you waited until everything was processed and your book was on sale through the POD platform, then you were given the option to upload from CreateSpace straight to KDP, along with the front cover, taking the work out for you. If that’s the case, then your work is minimal.

Well, really there’s not a lot of work involved either way. But once again, the first step is getting your account set up and ready to go. That way you can log in and upload the file. To begin, click on “Add New Title.” The first thing you’ll see will ask you if you want to enroll the book in KDP Select. This is totally optional, I will not tell you what to do here, but what this does is makes it so you’re not allowed to upload the book in any other digital format (including excerpts for blogs) in exchange for being able to have 5 days within the 90 day enrollment period for which you can use to give your book away free. I tried this for both books, and have learned that everyone has a different experience. Some people have had tremendous success with the free days, other people have found that it only inhibits them from selling on the Nook or other eReader devices. The choice is yours alone, so I recommend researching it on your own prior to making the decision. You can always choose to not enroll at the time you upload your book and enroll later down the road, giving you the opportunity to research while your book is already available. The only catch is that you can’t pull your book out of the program until after the 90 day enrollment period ends, except in instances where you cancel enrollment within the first few days (forgive me, I can’t remember how many, but I want to say ten) or before your first free day, whichever comes first. So again, this is a choice only you as the author and publisher can make.

Moving along, you’re going to input the details again, including the blurb/description, upload the front cover and the formatted file, and verify your right to publish the book. If you don’t have a formatted file, there’s a little option that says “Help with Formatting” that may come in handy. You can also convert files from one format to another using a file conversion tool. They’re free online, I use www.convertfiles.com, but there’s no shortage of websites that will do the work for you. Of course, when you upload the book, you can check it out on the Kindle Preview tool, however I’ve come to learn it does not always look like what you see in the previewer. This part gets a little tricky. Have you ever downloaded a book on your Kindle or Nook (or other eReader) and found that the pages are kind of wonky? Like a chapter will end and another begin on the same page, breaks aren’t in the right places, and so on? Yeah, formatting it to fit every single eReader is difficult, to say the least. Are you going to get it perfect every time? Maybe. But you’re really a master at your craft if so.

After you upload your file, you’re satisfied with the cover and the file, the next section lets you set the price and select what your royalties will be for each book sold. This is vitally important, because if you price your book too high, nobody will be able to afford it, and if you price it too low, some people may think it’s not worthy of a higher price tag. As a general rule, the eBook copy is going to be a lower price than the paperback (if you have one), so do keep that in mind, too. After everything looks good, click “Save and Publish” to complete the process. It typically takes around twelve hours for everything to process and to see your book available from Amazon’s Kindle store, but that’s really all that you have to do. Everything else is marketing and promotion, but that’s another blog post for another day.

After you upload your files and are waiting for KDP to publish your book, you should also consider publishing it on the Nook by Barnes & Noble, too. Of course, only if you didn't enroll in KDP Select, otherwise you can get into a tiny bit of trouble for that one. But it's a very similar process, the only difference is the company, the device, and the types of files you can upload. But again, that's where a file converter comes in really handy! Having your book available for purchase on different devices (while not enrolled in KDP Select) is a good way to reach people who may not have a Kindle, so check out PubIt! to get your book available for Nook devices too.



That's It?


By no means is this the most comprehensive article or blog post you’ll find on how to publish your book, and I encourage everyone considering self-publishing to research extensively on the topic. There’s a plethora of information at your fingertips, and it can only help you to familiarize yourself with the process beforehand so there’s fewer surprises and obstacles during the publishing process. But is this really all there is to self-publishing a book? Yeah, pretty much!





See, told you there was no reason to freak out!









I hope you find this post helpful. Make sure you check out future blog posts on the subject of publishing for information on traditional publishing and other helpful tips!

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Rogue Alliance - Free Weekend! 3/23-3/24



This Weekend Only, Rogue Alliance by Michelle Bellon is Free!!!





5 Stay Rated Adult Crime Suspense with Paranormal Elements!!

Buy Link

Book Description 
Trying to escape a horrific past, Shyla has immersed herself in life as a tough, sassy cop in the bustle of LA. When the case of a lifetime takes her back to her hometown of Redding , she is thrown into a world of organised crime, deceit, and bitter reminders of her childhood.

As Shyla’s path crosses that of Brennan, an unwitting and troubled sidekick to the ringleader she’s intent on taking down, she is forced to re-evaluate everything she believes about herself, her job, and what she knows about right and wrong.

Can she face the demons of her upbringing and learn to trust again? Her life will depend on it.

Praise
 “Bellon gives a whole new twist to the vampire story!”…”This book was fantastic…I could not put it down…”

Excerpt
He faded in and out of consciousness. Sound, light, and movement blended together until he couldn’t tell one from the next. Coherent thought was impossible; fragments of ideas filtered in then slipped through the sieve of his mind. He was weak, dehydrated, and starving.

The one consistent concept he was able to grasp was his name. Brennan Miles. The name he had given himself. Simple, strong, normal; all qualities that he longed for. He no longer remembered his real name, just as he no longer remembered anything before he’d come to the institute.

The few who had ever met him took one look at his stocky build, and thought he looked plenty strong. He could see it in the way they looked at him with a mix of awe and fear. But he wasn’t strong in the way that he wanted to be. At the moment, he wasn’t even physically strong. They’d kept food and his supplements from him for over seventy-six hours - the longest period to date. Water was the only offering and even that had been the bare minimum. They wanted to see how powerful his need would be when triggered.

He had seen how intense his need could be and what it could drive him to do. All those other times, though, he had been in prime condition - healthy and agile. In his current state, he doubted he would be able to lift his head, much less give in to the power of his unnatural instinct. The doctor would be disappointed.

Serves him right, he thought.

Brennan heard the swish of the door open and close. His acute sense of smell instantly recognized the scent of Doctor Shinto and that of a stranger. Repulsion and hate flowed through his veins. The voices of his visitors drifted in and out. They spoke about him as if he weren’t there. He was just an object, an experiment. He wanted to lash out and crush the doctor. He wanted to give in to his need here and now, but with his ankles shackled and his wrists bound, he would do no such thing. Even if he had been unrestrained, he doubted that he could stand up, let alone end Doctor Shinto’s unconscionable life in his current condition. Instead, he let his head loll against the back of his chair and listened to the conversation at hand.

“Don’t get too close, Mr. Champlain. He can smell us. I don’t want him to be tempted.”

“Tempted, huh?” Champlain said, “he’s restrained and looks to be half dead. What threat could he be?”

Dr. Shinto spoke methodically. “He’s been without supplement or food for over 3 days. He’s had only 50ccs of water daily. He is extremely weak and dangerously dehydrated and will go into hypovolemic shock if he doesn’t get what he needs very soon.”

His voice was devoid of concern. The only inflection was a breathless excitement revealing the delight he took in his work.


Saturday, March 23, 2013

I Am a Humbled Author, And it's All Your Fault... ;)

So, I simply have to share this.

I put my book, Daughters of Night: Possession on a free promo for a day, and with the help of a few websites letting folks know that it was free, I expected a couple hundred downloads. What I never anticipated was the unbelievable response my book received. As of the time I'm writing this (8:30pm EST) we're sitting at 604 downloads, and still climbing.

To say I'm amazed and excited would be two very large understatements. I never dreamed my book would reach 400 people in a single day, but to see it blast through 600 downloads with no sign of slowing is both exhilarating and incredibly humbling. This means that not only do I have a book worthy of people reading, but I have the most amazing friends and followers on the face of the planet.

And it's because of this radical turnout that I've decided to put together a prize pack that I'll be giving away via a rafflecopter giveaway. I don't yet know what's going to be in it, but I'm going to put something super awesome together as my way of saying thank you to everyone who downloaded the book, shared the links, tweeted and retweeted, told people about the promo, and helped out in every way.

For those who read the blog, here's your chance to have your voice heard! Feel free to comment below and tell me what you would like to see in the prize pack-within reason, of course. I'm not a magician! (Although that would be pretty cool!) So let me know your thoughts below and I'll do whatever I can do!

Oh, and for those who haven't downloaded it but want to, there's still a little time left, so get your free copy on Amazon before the night is over.




Review: The Escape of Princess Madeline


Hello, lovelies! I have another Fae Books review for you! I recently reviewed The Escape of Princess Madeline, by Kirstin Pulioff. Check it out here and at Fae Books Blog. Enjoy!!




The Kingdom of Soron is known for many things, its rolling landscape, haunting history, fiery sunsets, and its beautiful princess. Princess Madeline woke on her sixteenth birthday to realize that her future had been planned out, a life of privilege, royalty, and boredom... a life with a husband and knight champion that she did not choose. Using her charm, strength and stubbornness, she defies the King, determined to keep her freedom. Freedom quickly turns to disaster as she finds herself seized by a group of wandering bandits. With the kingdom in turmoil; her Knight Champion, a group of suitors, and the exiled wizards join forces to rescue her. Follow Princess Madeline in this adventure full of twists and turns as she finds freedom and love.




At first glance, The Escape of Princess Madeline did not sound like a story I would typically pick up to read. But I’m glad I did. 

The story opens with the birth of a princess and the death of a queen. The reader is made to feel the king’s grief and anguish at the loss of his wife, and it sets the scene for the king’s behavior throughout the rest of the story. The author does a great job of opening the story and grabbing the reader early on.

The story then moves ahead to what would be present-day, and Princess Madeline is to attend her ball to choose a suitor among the princes of the country. The only problem is, she isn’t ready to settle. The author brings you inside the mind of the terrified and immature princess as she finagles a way out from under her father’s thumb and out on her own. But freedom comes with a hefty price-one that she wasn’t even aware of-and she questions her need for freedom.

Luckily, her Knight Champion has already been selected and is on the hunt to find and return the princess to safety. But devastating news rips through the kingdom, and it’s up to her Knight Champion to save her. But Princess Madeline’s future may not end up the way she had hoped.

Honestly, this author did a phenomenal job. There were only a couple of suggestions I would make, and they are based on my personal taste and very minor things. One is that the time and place is not really set, though it is implied. I would have liked to see the time period and location be set toward the beginning, but again, that’s just my preference, and in no way do I feel it hindered the story. The forest scene was a bit harder to follow, since the voice of the story floats between Madeline and her Knight Champion. Again, I ultimately don’t feel it did any damage or took away from the story, it was just a little hiccup.

The book seemed to be written to appeal to a slightly younger crowd in the Young Adult genre, but has enough elements that I think many age groups could easily enjoy this story. It’s a quick read, fast paced, and a page turner. It was fun to see the transformation from child to woman in Princess Madeline, and while I don’t want to give away any secrets on the ending, I was pleased with how it left the opening for a second book, turning this into a series. Many kudos to the author for a wonderful read. I gotta give it 5 stars. Well done, Kirstin!

Reviewed by Ashley T of Fae Books (www.faebooks.co.uk)

Friday, March 22, 2013

Author Interview: Mike Reeves-McMillan

We are on a ROLL with interviews lately! Today we get to welcome another brilliant author to the Drunken Space Penguin, Mike Reeves-McMillan. Mike is the author of Realmgolds, a steampunk fantasy book, and the first book in the Gryphon Clerks series. Let's get started with a quick bio from the author!

"Mike Reeves-McMillan lives in Auckland, New Zealand, surrounded by trees.
He’s almost certainly the world’s only steampunk-fantasy author who holds a master’s degree in English, a certificate in health science, an Advanced Diploma of Hypnotherapy and a certificate in celebrant studies (rituals for transition through crisis). He's worked as an editor for a major publishing house, which is just one of the reasons he has no interest in being published by a major publishing house."



Fantastic! Now, on with the interview!!


DSP: For starters, tell us a bit about you, we like to get to know our authors as a person!

Mike: I live in Auckland, New Zealand. One of my favourite things to do (other than writing) is to take my kayak out on some of the beautiful bays and streams we have hereabouts.


DSP: Nice to meet you! So tell us, where did you find the inspiration for your most recent book?

Mike: Realmgolds turned up unexpectedly when I was writing another story set in the same time period, but in a different location and with mostly different characters. (That story will also come out some day, when I've sorted it out properly.)


DSP: So, do you have any kind of ritual for writing? Such as, you have to write with music on, or you can only write when you’re completely alone, etc

Mike: I've become a lot less precious about having to write under certain conditions. In my day job, I write complex software specifications, and in a noisy project room where people are always interrupting you to ask you questions, you learn to write regardless.


DSP: Who is your favorite character in your book, and why? How about the character you had the most trouble with?

Mike: I have two favourites. The protagonist is a young man named Determined. He loves books, like I do, and he really wanted to be a history teacher, but he has to step up and become the leader that nobody expects him to be. My other favourite is his main ally, Victory. People talk about writing “strong female characters”, and what they usually mean is either “headstrong women who keep doing stupid things they have to be rescued from” or “funny-shaped men who occasionally talk about shoes but mostly just shoot things”. Victory is neither of those. When she comes into a room, everyone straightens up and looks busy. I had to work hard to make sure she didn't take over the whole book.

The one I had the most trouble with was the antagonist, who's a rabble-rousing bigot. I never really wanted to get into his head for some reason.


DSP: Now, when you sit down to write a book, a paragraph, or whatever you‘re working on at the moment, do you just sit down in front of the computer, or do you need an outline of some sort? Is there any other prep you need in order to organize your thoughts either before you write or in the process of writing?

Mike: I'm in transition from being a pantser to being more of an outliner. I have a synopsis for the book I'm working on at the moment, the next Gryphon Clerks book, which is something I've never done before. I have arcs written down for the characters, using the Dan Wells Seven-Point Structure. And usually before I sit down to write, I have some of the scene already written in my head. I fill in a lot of detail in front of the keyboard, though, and it often goes in directions I didn't expect.


DSP: Do you foresee any more books to continue this story? If so, do you think we can get a taste of what’s to come?

Mike: Oh, definitely. I currently have synopses for two more books and concepts for a couple more after that. The one I'm working on now, Hope and the Clever Man, deals with a character who's mentioned in the first book, though he never appears, and several other characters who aren't mentioned, but without whom the events of the first book would have gone very differently. The first book is at the high political level, and the second zooms down to the people who make the wheels go round.


DSP: Other than this most recent story, do you have any ideas for different books that might be published in the future? Care to give us a teaser?

Mike: One of the concepts I have is for a military skyship that is sent on a mission to scout out air routes for trade. It's kind of a steampunk Star Trek. I've written a short story which will probably be the prologue, and the characters are a lot of fun. There's a brusque female captain of humble origins who's clawed her way up through sheer determination, and an aristocratic heir who got his commission because of who his mother knows, for example, so the conflict is baked right in.


DSP: Who is your greatest inspiration to write? What person makes you believe in yourself, and how?

Mike: I'm inspired by several people who are making a living as indie authors. Lindsay Buroker, for example, and Debora Geary, who writes wonderful stories that break all the rules and sell like nobody's business. At one point she had four of the top five slots in the fantasy section of the Kindle store, and some guy called George R.R. Martin was number six.


DSP: Do you have any aspirations to be similar or comparable to another author? Why?

Mike: I'd like to be where Lindsay Buroker is, not only because she also writes steampunk fantasy and it's ranking well on Amazon, but also because she's very smart and professional. I first picked up her books because I was impressed with the sensible, well-written articles on her blog.


DSP: What has been the biggest high since becoming a published author?

Mike: It's great to have someone, especially someone who's a fellow author and knows a good book when they see one, tell you that they're a fan and promote your work without even being asked. That's happened a couple of times.


DSP: Have you named the computer you use for writing?

Mike: Never thought of doing that. It's a Macbook, so maybe I should call it Steve.


DSP: Has becoming an author changed you, or the way you think about certain things? If so, how?

Mike: Oh, yes. You pay attention to the world differently. I'm always thinking about any unusual thing, or even everyday thing, “How could I use that in a story?” Because I'm writing books set in a secondary world, not our world, it's a fun puzzle to translate something I see into that other world's terms. The other day I was walking past some musicians doing a sound check for a street festival, and by the time I was out of earshot I'd come up with a style of music called Heart and Bird and had the beginnings of two minor characters and a subplot.


DSP: What is your greatest fear about being an author?

Mike: I have two equal and opposite fears. One is complete obscurity. The other is becoming so famous that it cuts me off from people. I don't think either of those is going to happen, though.


DSP: Which of the characters in your book do you feel is the most like yourself, and in what way?

Mike: Determined, my main character, is always happiest in a library.


DSP: From the first word to the moment it became available for purchase, how long did it take you to write and publish this most recent novel?

Mike: Sixteen months. Remember, it arose out of another story entirely, so I'm counting from when I started that one. Can I point out that with traditional publication, it can quite easily take longer than that from acceptance to publication? And in my case, that includes a couple of months of back-and-forth with a development editor, because I don't want to rush out some half-baked early draft.


DSP: What are your thoughts on string?

Mike: I have various string theories. But I can't tell you how long a piece of it is.


DSP: Do you have any talents you haven’t shared with us?

Mike: I practiced for a while as a hypnotherapist. (That feeds in to some of the magic in the book.)



Awesome interview!! Let's hear a bit about his book, Realmgolds.





The Human Purity movement is growing in power and influence in Denning, attacking dwarf businesses and caravans and inciting popular rebellion, with the passive or active support of many of the ruling Golds.
Opposing them almost alone is the Realmgold, a young man named Determined. His problem is that, even though the Realmgold is meant to be in charge, nobody is paying much attention to him.
 
Victory, who rules neighbouring Koskant, would love to support Determined, but an ancient magical treaty between their realms means she can’t send in her troops, her skyboats or her pressure guns. What she can do, though, is share a new magical communications technology – and her elite corps of Gryphon Clerks…





And now, for an extra special treat, an excerpt from Realmgolds:



A small dwarf caravan wound its dusty way towards the Thunder Gorge dwarfhold in the northwest of Denning. Its members, six mules, four gnomes, the dwarf in charge, and a centaur guard, had pushed hard to get to the hold before dark, but they weren’t quite going to achieve it. The night was drawing in, and the mules would soon be stumbling on rough patches of the poorly-maintained road. The small caravan’s centaur guard was known, like all centaur caravan guards, as Muscles, though his given name was Tree. He looked away to preserve his vision as Pack of Sevenhills, the dwarf, lit the travel-globes on each beast’s harness, assisted by his gnome leader, Pot.

Muscles was picturing being beside a warm fire with a drink in his hand and out of his leather barding when he heard a ruckus from up the road. He came alert despite his weariness, and quickly strung his bow, then held it low by his side.

“Just drunken locals, by the sound,” said Pack.

“Maybe,” said Muscles. “I’m taking no chances. Things are going to get ugly down here at some point.”

Rounding a corner, they came upon a small mob of humans. They showed signs, as Pack had said, of drunkenness, but the light of burning torches mingled with the yellowish magical light of Pack’s travel-globes, and there were a surprising number of farm implements for the time of evening.

“Well,” said a human near the front of the group, “what have we here?”

“Looks like de-gen-e-rates,” slurred one of his companions, who was eyeing the mules and their burdens.

“Three-fingered degenerates and a half-beast,” agreed the first. “What do you say, boys?”

“Purity!” shouted the mob raggedly, waving their farm implements.

“Let’s get them!” the second human cried out, and they fanned out and began a ragged charge, chanting “Pu-ri-ty, pu-ri-ty” and lowering their implements like spears or raising them like swords, depending on the length of the shaft.

Muscles’ bow came up, an arrow from the quiver on his back met it, and he drew and fired in less time than it takes to blink. The first speaker, apparently the leader, fell with a cry, Muscles’ shaft protruding from his left shoulder. Almost before he hit the ground, his yes-man got the same treatment.

A couple of nearby humans faltered, seeing their two spokesmen fall. One took to his heels, and the other stumbled back and fell on his buttocks with a grunt, then, after a moment, started crawling away. Most of them, though, were too fixated on their attack to notice (and too drunk).

A third human fell to an arrow — a big man with a reasonably sharp pickaxe — before the six who hadn’t yet fallen or fled reached the little caravan.

Muscles reared, and gave his war cry. He had trained the mules well, and they swapped end-for-end and began to kick out at their attackers. One, propelled by hooves, flew through the air like a sack full of straw, struck the ground heavily and lay still. Another, faced with Muscles’ own hooves windmilling in his face, covered his eyes with his forearms and stumbled backwards, where he tripped over the big man’s body and fell down. He continued to cower as Muscles hauled his broadsword from its straps on his back, next to his quiver, and decapitated a hayfork. The hayfork’s wielder dropped it hurriedly and began backing away.

The fight had lasted perhaps sixteen heartbeats so far, and eight of the eleven were out of action. The remaining three, though, had surrounded the little knot of unarmed gnomes gathered around Pack and were beating on them with their implements. Pot fell, bleeding from his head.

Muscles bellowed, sounding more like a bull than a stallion, but there was a mule bucking between him and the gnomes. He reached over it with his long, muscular arms and slashed at the shoulder of the nearest man, at the fullest extension of the broadsword. The man blocked clumsily, but effectively, with his mattock, and it clanged.

The startled mule bolted, and Muscles surged forward and swung the flat of his blade from right to left, knocking one man out with the blade itself and a second with the sword’s grip and his large hand.

The third, the mattock man, heaved his improvised weapon up above his head preparatory to bringing it down at Muscles’ enormous chest. While Muscles appreciated his courage, he didn’t appreciate his intent. He caught the mattock on his blade with a thud that shuddered through the human’s hands, and kicked him precisely in the solar plexus with a heavy hoof.
Muscles surveyed the area. A couple more humans had fled, several were groaning more or less quietly, and three lay terminally still. The gnomes and Pack were looking stunned, a couple of them literally. Pot was sprawled at Pack’s feet, and even before Muscles bent and checked, he knew he wasn’t ever getting up again. He sheathed his sword, lifted the gnome and tucked him into one of his empty saddlebags.

“Careful!” said Pack.

“Not much point in being careful with him now, I’m afraid,” said Muscles. “Who else is badly hurt?”

There were a couple of broken arms, some bruises and a nasty concussion. Muscles scooped up the concussed gnome, rallied the others and double-timed them, with the remaining mules, in the direction of the dwarf hold. Pack was inclined to protest at leaving one of the mules lost in the darkness, but Muscles was in command under conditions of threat, and the caravan owner was overruled. “We don’t have time to look for it,” said the centaur. “Either it turns up or not. Our concern now is to get behind stone before those humans come back with reinforcements.”



Excellent! If you want to get in touch with Mike or buy his books, check out the following links!


Blog: http://csidemedia.com/gryphonclerks
Email: mike@csidemedia.com
Google+: http://gplus.to/mikerm
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BVR3JFY



How exciting! This has been a blast, and The Penguin and I have really enjoyed having Mike join us today. We wish you nothing but the best for the future, and look forward to having you back again! Thanks for the opportunity, Mike. 



Thursday, March 21, 2013

Possess Saga Book Tour with J.A. Howell



It's raining books!! Well, book tours, anyway. Okay, no rain either, but The Drunken Penguin and I are excited to be a part of the Possess Kickoff Tour with J.A. Howell! The Penguin actually sobered up for this one...but he fell off the bandwagon, hijacked a spaceship from the Men in Black, and took of into space again, so sadly, no appearance again. We're going to have fun anyway, though! Author J.A. Howell has graced us with lots of info and even an interview! So let's get on with this stop on the Possess Kickoff Tour!!

Book 1: Possess



Stumbling off the bus in Midtown, Harley Martin thought she found an escape from her old life.

She soon realizes it was anything but that.

Low on cash and options, she manages to find herself a cheap but surprisingly nice apartment. The catch? The last tenant, Brody Walsh, killed himself.

Or did he?

As disturbing dreams and hauntings start to occur, Harley realizes there may be much more behind the previous tenant’s death than a simple suicide. She finds her life further entangled with his when she learns that her new boss, Nolan, was also his best friend. Could this handsome but evasive pub owner have something to do with Brody’s death?

Trying to piece together the events surrounding Brody’s death proves to be a daunting task, but Harley can’t give up. Brody won’t let her. He is still in the apartment with her, trapped in limbo until she finds his killer.

But he’s not waiting for revenge.

Harley’s next.

Word Count: 84,634


Okay, can I just start by saying this cover is badass? Seriously, everyone says "Don't judge a book by its cover" but let's face it, we do. If it looks boring and drab, it blends into the crowds and we pass it over. This cover, however, stands out and grabs your attention. It demands to be read, or at the very least for you to give it a chance. My compliments to both the author and the artist for this exquisite cover.


Book 2: The Untimely Death of Brody Walsh



Brody Walsh’s life is left in disarray when his girlfriend is found brutally raped and murdered. But it completely shatters when his best friend, Nolan is arrested for the crime.

Even as the media is portraying him as a monster, Brody knows Nolan isn’t capable of murder.

That leaves the question: Who is?

Once the trial begins, Brody discovers just how little he knew about his girlfriend, spurring him to dig into her past for possible answers. And as Aggie, his long time confidant and childhood crush, stands by his side through all of this, he finds his own past resurfacing when his feelings for her reignite. But as the media and the prosecutors close in on Nolan, ready to convict him for a crime he didn’t commit, Brody will be forced to make a choice.

A choice that will lead to his untimely death.

Word Count: 31,000



Again, I just have to compliment the cover art. Both books just scream intrigue, and I am completely impressed! All the minute details down to the eye color that is both strange and draws you in makes you question whether or not you could afford to pass on this book, even if it's not your typical genre. Very well done!


Now, for the interview and a bit about the author!!




DSP: For starters, tell us a bit about you, we like to get to know our authors as a person!

Howell: I’m a crazy 28 years old Italian girl, married, and my favorite color is green. Random fact about me: I’m sometimes a bit of a thrill seeker. When I was a baby, not even able to walk I went down two flights of stairs in my walker. Didn’t flip once and while my mother was screaming in horror I was apparently giggling at the bottom of the stairs. I feel this explains a lot about me.


DSP: That is AWESOME. Well, it's nice to meet you, daredevil! So tell us, where did you find the inspiration for your most recent book?

Howell: I love a good ghost story so I decided I wanted to write a book about a girl that moves into a haunted apartment. Things just sort of developed from there.


DSP: Ghost stories are always wonderful. So, do you have any kind of ritual for writing? Such as, you have to write with music on, or you can only write when you’re completely alone, etc

Howell: I am lucky enough that we have an extra bedroom in the house that I painted lime green and converted to my home office/craft room (I sometimes get crafty and make things aside from books), so generally I go in there, put on some music to match the mood/feel of what I’m writing and drink lots of tea.


DSP: How awesome! I converted my spare room to an office too, but my cats decided to take it over and I got moved to the living room. Okay tell us, who is your favorite character in your book, and why? How about the character you had the most trouble with.

Howell: Hands down, I love Brody. Though I love all my characters, Brody sort of surprised me and became my favorite. I only meant for him to just be the ghost in Possess but he sort of became a bit more than that. Hence, he got his own novella, and is hanging around as a ghost in book three.

As far as the one I had the most trouble with, Harley. It’s obvious in the beginning of the story that something very bad happened to her, but I also didn’t want her focus to be on that so I had to edit out quite a bit. I wanted her to be strong despite those things and focus on the present and attempting to build her new life in Midtown.


DSP: Very cool. Now, when you sit down to write a book, a paragraph, or whatever you‘re working on at the moment, do you just sit down in front of the computer, or do you need an outline of some sort? Is there any other prep you need in order to organize your thoughts either before you write or in the process of writing?

Howell: I make a general outline, but even that shifts a lot as I dig into writing. I also make a generalized bio of the main characters. I also had to plan out what was and wasn’t possible as far as my ghost goes. As far as any other prep work, I tend to do a lot of research as I write. For example, researching injuries and healing time was a big thing in Possess.


DSP: That makes a lot of sense. Do you foresee any more books to continue this story? If so, do you think we can get a taste of what’s to come?

Howell: Oh yeah. The next book, Book three, Possess My Heart, is going to follow Aggie, directly after the events in Possess. Her friends send her off to Scotland in hopes of getting back the old, happy Aggie that was around before things with Brody resurfaced. As to what happens in Scotland, well you will just have to wait and see.  I can’t tell you about the books after that just yet but there will definitely be more to this Saga.


DSP: Excellent news! Other than this most recent story, do you have any ideas for different books that might be published in the future? Care to give us a teaser?

Howell: I will be putting out the sequel to my first book, Mistaken, sometime soon as well (it’s finished but I need to dig into editing). It’s called Deliver and also has roots in Midtown but is not a paranormal story. It’s more in the thriller/suspense genre and has some angry drug cartel members looking for revenge.

I will also be following The Possess Saga with another series that spins off of it and follows one of the characters you will meet in Possess My Heart. Aggie’s cousin, Grant Walker. His series will be diving deeper into the supernatural world hidden within Midtown.


DSP: Again, exciting stuff here! Who is your greatest inspiration to write? What person makes you believe in yourself, and how?

Howell: This is a tough one for me. I feel like a lot of people inspire me. Other authors as well as family, friends, and loved ones. I think one of my biggest inspirations came in middle school when my seventh grade teacher took a special interest in my writing. I didn’t think much of it at the time. In eighth grade I lucked out and had an equally awesome English teacher that when I told her I wanted to be an author she gave me a book on how to get published. I like to think these two had a big influence on me continuing to write and despite trying to do something else with my life, always returning to writing.


DSP: Wow, you picked it up at a pretty early age then! Kudos to you and your English teachers! Do you have any aspirations to be similar or comparable to another author? Why?

Howell: I try not to compare myself to anyone else, but I’d like to be able to just write for a living and live a comfortable (not luxurious!) life. Admittedly though, I wouldn’t mind seeing one of my stories turned into a movie.


DSP: I love it when authors want to stand out. You have some great aspirations, and who could fault you for that? So what has been the biggest high since becoming a published author?

Howell: When I hear from readers that truly enjoyed the story I wrote or that it touched them in some way. That brings a big smile to my face every single time it happens.


DSP: That is truly awesome. Now, touching into the insanity just a bit, have you named the computer you use for writing?

Howell: Yes! I’m going to release my inner nerdiness and share this with you. I nicknamed my computer Navi, after Lain’s computer in Serial Experiments Lain. It’s an awesome Anime series, but one of those that you can’t really explain what it’s about aside from that it’s awesome.


DSP: A little insanity every now and then gets the creative juices flowing, and nerds are IN this season! Has becoming an author changed you, or the way you think about certain things? If so, how?

Howell: I am almost always thinking about something to do with my current work in progress and when I’m in my car I get the most ideas for things so I tend to play music in my car to make me think of the current characters and stories and I rather enjoy long drives alone because I tend to work out issues with my stories and characters then.


DSP: Oh, that's helpful! So on the flip side, what is your greatest fear about being an author?

Howell: Running out of ideas? Though that doesn’t seem to be in short supply right now. J


DSP: Haha, as is such the life of a writer. Which of the characters in your book do you feel is the most like yourself, and in what way?

Howell: If I had to pick, I’d say Aggie, if only for her mischievous smirks and the teasing she puts Harley and Nolan through in regards to their growing attraction for each other.


DSP: From the first word to the moment it became available for purchase, how long did it take you to write and publish this most recent novel?

Howell: Possess I started back in July of last year, so eight months. The Untimely Death of Brody Walsh, I wrote in December, but that one is much shorter.


And now, for something completely different…some slightly off-the-wall and possibly irrelevant questions just for fun that will help us get to know you a bit better!


DSP: Are you planning to bring sexy back?

Howell: Yes. All the sexy must be brought back!


DSP: If you could be any cartoon character for 24 hours, who would you pick and why?

Howell: How many ridges are there around a quarter?


DSP: What are your thoughts on string?

Howell: This thread seems relevant to my interests.


DSP: Boxers or briefs?

Howell: Both. Boxer briefs!


DSP: Thong, g-string/v-string, or other? If other, please explain.

Howell: Boy shorts. They show off the female badonkadonk very nicely.


DSP: Do you have any tattoos? If so, how many, what are they, and where are they on your body? (PG-13)

Howell: I have 11. Going from head to toe: The sign for scorpio on my neck, a raven on my shoulder, a dragonfly on my chest, mine & the hubby’s song along with a cartoon me on one arm and stars on the other side of that same arm, a fairy and Jai Guru Deva Om tattooed on the other arm, a tramp stamp with flowers and stars, a heart on my bum, a puffin on my ankle and more stars on the top of my foot.


DSP: Would the 8-year-old version of yourself kick your ass or praise you for what you’ve done with your life?

Howell: My eight year old self would probably think I’m pretty awesome and not be so worried about growing boobs anymore.


DSP: What is the last song you listened to?

Howell: Dropkick Murphys “State of Massachusetts”




Definitely a lot of fun with this interview. J.A. Howell has a lot of fun and it shows!


And now for a brief bio about the author:


J.A Howell is an office drone by day, and a writer by night. Her love of writing took off when she was eleven years old and decided to fill a composition notebook with stories to read to her friends. Many years (and notebooks) later, not much has changed. She still loves writing and sharing her works with others. When she isn’t writing, she can often be found trying her hand at whatever artistic pursuit strikes her fancy. J.A. Howell resides in Apopka, FL with her husband and their menagerie of animal children.


Awesome!! So by now, you're surely wondering where you can find out more information and where to buy the books. Good news, everybody! Read on for all the links for J.A. Howell and her books!


Website:             www.midtown-underground.com
                          http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17283434-possess
Twitter:                https://twitter.com/JenniferHowlz
Pinterest:              http://pinterest.com/JenniferHowlz/
Amazon Buy Links:  Possess    The Untimely Death of Brody Walsh


Well, I think that just about wraps it up for our visit with author J.A. Howell. The Drunken Penguin and I wish you nothing but the best of luck with your books, my dear. It's been a true pleasure having you here today, and many thanks for letting us be a part of your phenomenal book tour!!




Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Author Interview: Michael Brookes






The Drunken Space Penguin is at it again! Another wonderful author has decided to grace us with his appearance! Today, we get to meet Michael Brookes, author of such books as Conversations in the Abyss, The Cult of Me, and An Odd Quartet. And now, we get to learn a little bit about this accomplished author!!








DSP: For starters, tell us a bit about you, we like to get to know our authors as a person!

Michael: My name is Michael Brookes, I am 40 years old, my favourite colour is blue. I can’t tell you what my favourite food is as my doctor may be reading this :-)


DSP: Nice to meet you! So tell us, where did you find the inspiration for your most recent book?

Michael: The inspiration for my latest book (‘Conversations in the Abyss’) and indeed the whole trilogy was John Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’ For me it is the greatest story ever told, but whenever I read it I’m left with more questions than answers, so I thought – “Why don’t I try and answer those questions?”


DSP: So, do you have any kind of ritual for writing? Such as, you have to write with music on, or you can only write when you’re completely alone, etc

Michael: Not really, I’m quite fortunate that I’m good at multi-tasking so I can settle down and write almost anywhere as long as it is not too noisy.


DSP: Who is your favorite character in your book, and why? How about the character you had the most trouble with?

Michael: My favourite character is ‘Friar Francis’, he’s everything I’d love to be – well aged, well educated and knows what needs to be done and how to do it.

The character I’ve had most trouble with is ‘Sarah Mitchell’, a GCHQ network analyst in the book I’m working on at the moment.


DSP: Now, when you sit down to write a book, a paragraph, or whatever you‘re working on at the moment, do you just sit down in front of the computer, or do you need an outline of some sort? Is there any other prep you need in order to organize your thoughts either before you write or in the process of writing?

Michael: I’m a great believer in planning. Before I start writing the first draft I plan out what the book will be. Of course the plan changes when I start writing it, but I at least know where I’m heading. For short stories I jump straight in and just write the story.


DSP: Do you foresee any more books to continue this story? If so, do you think we can get a taste of what’s to come?

Michael: Yes, there’ll be the final book of the trilogy entitled ‘The Last True Demon’. As for a taste of what is to come, I’m not too sure yet, but getting out of the Garden of Eden will; be the first challenge.


DSP: Other than this most recent story, do you have any ideas for different books that might be published in the future? Care to give us a teaser?

Michael: I’m currently working on a book, the working title is ‘Faust 2.0’, it’s all about an Internet chat-bot that starts granting wishes. As with life you don’t get anything for free (despite what your email might tell you!) and there is a price to be paid.


DSP: Who is your greatest inspiration to write? What person makes you believe in yourself, and how?

Michael: Reading provides much of my inspiration, I want to write as well as some of the great authors that I’ve read.


DSP: Do you have any aspirations to be similar or comparable to another author? Why?

Michael: I’d love to be able to write as well as great authors like Clive Barker and Ian M Banks, however I’m happy to keep improving my craft and writing stories that people enjoy reading.


DSP: What has been the biggest high since becoming a published author?

Michael: Releasing my first novel and the first review being a good one. It still gives me a buzz whenever I read a positive review.


DSP: Have you named the computer you use for writing?

Michael: No, sorry - I’m boring with computers.


DSP: Has becoming an author changed you, or the way you think about certain things? If so, how?

Michael: It makes me think about how I’d describe things more.



And now, for something completely different…some slightly off-the-wall and possibly irrelevant questions...oh, heck, you know the drill!!



DSP: How many ridges are there around a quarter?

Michael: Too many to count, but not enough to get lost in.


DSP: Do you believe in fate or destiny?

Michael: No, I believe that we make our own fate.


DSP: Boxers or briefs?

Michael: Boxers, but firm fitting ones.


DSP: Do you have any tattoos? If so, how many, what are they, and where are they on your body? (PG-13)

Michael: I have an Ace of Spades on my upper left arm.


DSP: Would the 8-year-old version of yourself kick your ass or praise you for what you’ve done with your life?

Michael: Probably both :-)


DSP: What is the last song you listened to?

Michael: Rammstein’s Ohne Dich (It means ‘Without you’ in German).


DSP: If you could meet one person (real or fictional, alive or deceased), who would it be, and what one question would you ask?

Michael: I’d like to ask Jesus if it was worth it.







A very insightful interview! It was a pleasure having Michael aboard with us today, and we wish him the best of luck!



Make sure you keep up with Michael on his blog, www.thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk!

Monday, March 18, 2013

Author Interview: Sharon Sant






Hello again, my lovelies!! Today, The Penguin and I are pleased to introduce you to a blossoming new author, Sharon Sant! Sharon is the author of The Sky Song Trilogy; Sky Song and The Young Moon are the first two in the series. Let's get to know Sharon a bit more, shall we?







DPS: For starters, tell us a bit about you, we like to get to know our authors as a person!  

Sharon: As a teen I was obsessed with martial arts films and have a brown belt third dan in karate.  How’s that for a random fact to kick off?  It’s not something I generally reveal about myself, but I’m feeling reckless today!  I have two girls aged nine and eleven, love Chinese food and specialty teas, and find it practically impossible to sleep.  I’m a tiny little thing and my friends refer to me as Hobbit Girl (which I secretly quite like). I’m not sure how useful any of this information is! 


DSP: Nice to meet you! So tell us, where did you find the inspiration for your most recent book? 

Sharon: The idea for Sky Song came to me as a tale about a young girl whose father watched the skies every night.  She didn’t know why, but it soon became apparent to her that he watched for someone, rather than something.  The story just grew from there, but changed almost beyond recognition when the main character became a teenage boy. I’m not sure what sparked off the original idea, really, it just sort of appeared in my head. 


DSP: So, do you have any kind of ritual for writing? Such as, you have to write with music on, or you can only write when you’re completely alone, etc

Sharon: I have to have absolute silence, which is really dull.  I’d rather be alone but, in my house, that’s pretty much impossible.  I get up a lot to put the kettle on too, not necessarily because I want tea (although I do make it) but more to get the brain circulation going when I stall.  Weirdly, doing something else often helps, as does staring out of the window. 


DSP: Who is your favorite character in your book, and why? How about the character you had the most trouble with 

Sharon: I can’t recall having problems with any of the characters really.  Jacob has to be my favourite, as he’s the main man and the most complex, but I have a soft spot for his best friend, Luca.  Without meaning to, I think I made Luca a bit like me. 


DSP: Now, when you sit down to write a book, a paragraph, or whatever you‘re working on at the moment, do you just sit down in front of the computer, or do you need an outline of some sort? Is there any other prep you need in order to organize your thoughts either before you write or in the process of writing? 

Sharon: Mostly, I just sit down at the laptop and write.  I do scribble rough notes to remind myself of major plot points, or scenes that I’ve thought of that appear later than the section I’m working on, so that I can keep track of them. Most of it is in my head, though.  


DSP: Do you foresee any more books to continue this story? If so, do you think we can get a taste of what’s to come? 

Sharon: Actually, there are three books in the series.  The second, The Young Moon, has just been released.  The third book, Not of Our Sky, is due out in May.  All three books continue on the same story arc so it’s difficult to say much, apart from the fact that it spans more than two years so that Jacob starts off as a younger teen and ends up pretty much a man. 


DSP: Other than this most recent story, do you have any ideas for different books that might be published in the future? Care to give us a teaser? 

Sharon: I have another book due to be published by Immanion Press in June called Runners, which is a YA dystopian.  That’s almost finished, apart from final edits.  I also have a shorter book, more of a novella really, called The Memory Game, which I’m planning to get out in September.  I’ve put blurbs for both of those on my website so that I’ll be forced to finish them!  I’ve got lots of other works in progress, one I’m particularly excited about as it’s my first attempt at something historical, but I won’t say too much about that yet as I don’t want to jinx it!


DSP: Who is your greatest inspiration to write? What person makes you believe in yourself, and how? 

Sharon: I have lots of supportive friends that are too many to name here, but they know they are!  Not only do they support me and listen when I grumble, but they don’t let me forget that I need to put a foot in real life every now and again too. As for writers, although there are writers I admire, writing is something that I think was just always in me so I can’t say that anyone actually inspired me to start.  


DSP: Do you have any aspirations to be similar or comparable to another author? Why? 

Sharon: Again, although there are lots of authors I admire, I don’t aspire to be like any of them.  Really, I’m just happy doing my own thing and hope that people like it.  Whenever I do find myself comparing what I create to what someone else creates, invariably, I start to feel inferior and insecure, so I try not to and concentrate on making mine the best it can be. 


DSP: What has been the biggest high since becoming a published author?

Sharon: It has to be people talking about your characters like they actually matter.  I love that feeling. 


DSP: Have you named the computer you use for writing?

Sharon: No, but I should name it Mr Frosty for how many times it freezes! 


DSP: Has becoming an author changed you, or the way you think about certain things? If so, how?

Sharon: I’m not sure it has, really.  I’ve always had a skewed view of the world and that will never change! 


DSP: What is your greatest fear about being an author? 

Sharon: I think, like many authors, my biggest fear is that people will be disappointed by the next book. 


DSP: Which of the characters in your book do you feel is the most like yourself, and in what way?

Sharon: I mentioned Luca earlier.  He’s everybody’s friend who hides his insecurities behind his humour, but he also has a secret depth that he’s embarrassed to let people see. That pretty much sums me up.


DSP: From the first word to the moment it became available for purchase, how long did it take you to write and publish this most recent novel?

Sharon: Five years!  I began it in 2007 and the first draft was written really quickly, but it sat around for a long time while I did nothing with it.  The final edits were done late in 2012. 


And now, for something completely different…some slightly off-the-wall and possibly irrelevant questions that help us get to know you a little better. 


DSP: Are you planning to bring sexy back?

Sharon: I very much doubt it.  Have you seen my pyjamas? 


DSP: If you could be any cartoon character for 24 hours, who would you pick and why?

Sharon: I’d have to be the geeky wizard from Dungeons and Dragons.  As a kid I loved him. 


DSP: How many ridges are there around a quarter?

Sharon: Sorry, I deal in pounds and pence!


DSP: Do you believe in fate or destiny?

Sharon: Yes, but I also believe that you can influence them. 


DSP: How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

Sharon: I have no idea what you just said. 


DSP: What are your thoughts on string?

Sharon: Makes me think of quantum physics. 


DSP: Boxers or briefs?

Sharon: For men or me? 


DSP: Thong, g-string/v-string, or other? If other, please explain.

Sharon: I’m just going to refer you back to my pyjama statement! 


DSP: What is your favorite song?

Sharon: I have a different one every day.  Today it’s Bookends Theme by Simon and Garfunkel. 


DSP: Do you have any tattoos? If so, how many, what are they, and where are they on your body? (PG-13)

Sharon: I don’t have any but my friend is learning to tattoo and she wanted to practise on me.  I told her she could but now I’m avoiding her.  I don’t like pain! 


DSP: What’s your favorite candy? Ice cream?

Sharon: Haribo jelly sweets.  I’m not sure if you get them in the US. 


DSP: If you had to pick a CB handle, what would it be?

Sharon: Mrs Frodo. 


DSP: Would the 8-year-old version of yourself kick your ass or praise you for what you’ve done with your life?

Sharon: I would kick myself for taking so long to show anyone my writing. 


DSP: What is the last song you listened to?

Sharon: As my kids are in, it was probably something by One Direction. 


DSP: Do you have any talents you haven’t shared with us?

Sharon: I can sing, pretty well I’m told, though that’s probably a matter of opinion.  I made a record when I was nineteen, though. 


DSP: If you could meet one person (real or fictional, alive or deceased), who would it be, and what one question would you ask?

Sharon: The Doctor from Doctor Who.  I’d ask him if I could take a trip in the Tardis. 


DSP: Imagine you’re the sole survivor of a plane crash at sea, and you awake stranded on a deserted and uncharted island in the Bermuda Triangle. Nobody knows you’re there, and you have nothing but the clothes on your back. You’re all alone, and there’s terrifying sounds coming from deep within the jungle. Late that night as you’re starving, a large suitcase washes up on the shore. You open it up. What’s in the suitcase?

Sharon: A teleport device.  And maybe a pizza. 






Haha, I love the idea of a teleport device and pizza! That's using your creative noggin!! It's been a blast having you here today, Sharon, and thanks so much for taking the time out to spend with us. Best of luck in all your endeavors!

Don't forget to pick up a copy of Sharon's books, Sky Song and The Young Moon, at Amazon.com, and visit her website at http://sharonsant.com/ to keep up with all things Sharon Sant!