Crimson Cloak Publishing is holding a promotion for BOOK OF THE DAY this Friday 1 November.
Reel Love by Elizabeth Hartey
Sometimes you land a great job, meet your soul mate and live happily ever after – nothing else required. This isn’t one of those times.
Annie Caslo is a successful young doctor, but when she begins rethinking the career choices she’s made, she makes a decision to find a way to stay focused and achieve her true ambitions – that is, until fate steps in and she is thunderstruck by Colt Ballard. He’s six foot three inches of heart-stopping hotness, an adept, roguish soccer star and one of her interns. But he’s a player – on and off the field – and Annie has better things to do. Still, the combustible chemistry between them is impossible to resist – Colt brings out feelings she never knew existed and Annie’s swept off her reluctant feet.
When she continues to second-guess her life choices, opportunitites and obstacles begin piling up higher than the greasy Mexican food stacks she hates to admit loving. While in a state of emotional turmoil, she gets a celestial visit from a hunky, Hollywood heartthrob lookalike, who claims to be her guardian angel. He takes her on a magical road trip to self-discovery with the help of several dearly departed film icons.
Drawn into the excitement of a life she’s always dreamed of, this new life threatens to shatter the life and love she already has – unless her quirky angel can help her find a way to have it all.
As a lover of the northeast USA, Elizabeth and her husband moved to the Poconos several years ago to open a Chiropractic Clinic. Four children and a menagerie of animals later, she has finally found time to fulfill her lifelong dream of writing novels. A dreamer at heart, romance is, of course, the genre she spends most of her time writing and reading into the wee hours of the morning. When she’s not juggling work responsibilities and writing, she enjoys swimming, knitting, hiking the beautiful hills and woods around her home, and spending time with her family.
Strange things happen when Ellis, Wanda and young Timmy move with their parents into an old farmhouse and orchard. Noises come from the upstairs bedroom, and a picture is moved from an old trunk in the attic.
The kids hear a story from Joe, the foreman at the orchard, about Amanda and Eli Smith, past owners of Smith Orchard. Amanda was home alone when she fell from a stool while cleaning a chandelier and hit her head, and although she crawled out to the deck, Amanda died before help could reach her. Eli was left devastated, especially when he couldn’t find the special locket his wife had always worn.
Ellis, Wanda and Timmy are determined to find the locket that has remained lost since Amanda Smith’s death and, Timmy in particular, is convinced Eli’s ghost is trying to help them by leaving clues to solve the mystery.
They’re aided by Joe, who comes to believe the kids are correct. Joe builds them a clubhouse so the kids can use it as their headquarters. They hide their discoveries in it and plan their next strategic steps.
The days pass quickly and they become desperate to find the locket. It will soon be time for the three intrepid investigators to head back to school.
Do they find the locket and solve the mystery?
I can only say, you had better buy the book and read it.
I’d recommend this book to children who like to solve mysteries and who love an adventure.
One week ago I hadn’t heard of Kindle Scout. As an author, that is probably remiss of me. When my friend and fellow author Diana Tyler said she had submitted a book to Kindle Scout, I had to find out more about it.
What was even more important, I wanted to vote for Diana’s book.
If you follow the link, you can nominate Diana Tyler’s book too. There’s an excerpt for you to read. Believe me, you’ll love it.
Age of the Ashers (The Petros Chronicles Book 1) By DIANA TYLER
What if all the ancient myths are true?
Eighteen-year-old Chloe Zacharias is perfectly content being an outsider. But an ancient prophecy has different plans, plans to catapult her into the middle of an ages-old war between beings she only thought were mythical. Filled with magic, mystery, and sprinklings of Greek mythology, Age of the Ashers is a powerful fantasy adventure for those who love to lose themselves in the world of make-believe.
There is one month, or 27 days left now, for you to nominate Age of the Ashers.
When the 30-day campaign ends, nominations are tallied and Diana will receive word if her book is to be published.
There something for you for nominating.
As a thank you from Kindle Scout and Diana Tyler, you will receive a free copy of Age of the Ashers.
Even if Kindle Scout don’t pick up the book, Diana will send you a free copy to thank you for supporting her.
About me
Diana has been writing all her life, starting with her own versions of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle comics when she was four. She’s always been fascinated with Greek mythology and comic book superheroes, all of which inspire her fantasy novels. She’s also a gym rat who loves to pretend she’s Wonder Woman while lifting heavy weights and swinging from rings and pull-up bars. She co-owns CrossFit 925 in San Antonio, Texas with her husband Ben.
I am delighted to welcome Diana Anderson-Tyler to my blog.
Today we’re discussing her book Armor For Orchids.
Diana is an author from Texas, USA.
Welcome Diana…
ER You recently published a new women’s contemporary novel, Armor for Orchids. It follows the life of three young women in a small town. Please tell us something about the book?
DATArmor for Orchids is a faith-based story told from four perspectives. At the heart of the story is a spunky, sage-like old woman named Poppy McAdams who takes the young women (her “Orchids”) under her wing to teach them invaluable life lessons. Each of the Orchids is in the midst of a tremendously trying time and learns that their chances of overcoming and winning life’s battles are infinitely greater when fought with spiritual weapons.
ER What inspired you to write Amor For Orchids?
DAT I’ve written a bit about my personal struggles in my nonfiction books but felt a strong desire to explore them through fiction. Each of the Orchids in the novel were inspired by pieces of my past, such as Marissa’s struggle with depression, Charlotte’s disillusionment, and Elise’s grief over her father’s sudden death.
ER Was it important to you that the story should carry a message of hope, inspiration and life-changing belief?
DAT I wanted the story to do more than entertain. I wanted women to feel like they were Poppy’s Orchids, too, and that they also could be strengthened by her insight and inspired by her story. It’s my hope that readers will walk away feeling uplifted and optimistic about their futures.
ER Do you have a favourite character in this book? Why?
DAT This is so tough! I think I would have to go with Poppy, though. She’s got a heart of gold but she’s no meek little church mouse. She’s strong in the ways that truly matter. It was very fun to write Poppy too, as she’s the one with whom I have the least in common, so it was quite a challenge to capture her voice and make her seem real… I hope I succeeded!
ER You’ve written other books. Do you prefer YA or do you equally like writing in other genres? What are they?
DAT I’ve written nonfiction books, but I definitely love writing fiction most! As far as fiction genres go, I’ve only written in YA Fantasy and Christian Women’s Contemporary, and must say I enjoy them equally! I love switching back and forth between the two as it prevents me from feeling burned out, and each one presents unique challenges to me that help me grow as a storyteller.
ER Where do you get your ideas?
Various places. My own life, as with Armor for Orchids, as well as simply playing the “What-If Game” with myself in which I explore intriguing premises and keep asking questions until I land on a plot and/or characters that hold my attention for longer than an afternoon.
Word to the wise: always carry a notebook or electronic device with you for recording sudden bursts of inspiration!
ER When did you first start writing?
DAT I started writing when I was four or five, pretty much as soon as I was old enough to hold a crayon! I have bins full of my early attempts at storytelling. They’re so fun to look back on and try to make sense of!
ER What are you working on now?
DAT I’m working on editing my YA Fantasy trilogy, The Petros Chronicles. The first book, Age of the Ashers, will be out later this year. I also recently started the first draft of book 2 in the Armor for Orchids series.
ER Who are you favourite authors?
DAT I have so many, but here are a few: Steven Pressfield (both his fiction and non-fiction works are incredible), Margaret George, Fannie Flagg, Barbara Kingsolver, and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
ER Do you have any advice for new writers? Are there any pitfalls they should look out for?
DAT I’ve said this in other interviews, but I can’t emphasize it enough: Never give up!
This career path is not for the faint of heart. Like a freshman college class, it will try to “weed you out.” The strong will survive if they persevere and keep showing up every day to do the work, despite how they feel. (Discipline is stronger than motivation.)
Expect to be tried and tested. Expect to fail and be frustrated. Expect to be rejected by agents, criticized by readers, and questioned by friends. But always remember your “why” for writing and hold that close to your heart. Doing so will ensure you don’t let the bad times conquer you.
ER What do you do when you’re not writing?
DAT I love to read, play board games, spend time outdoors, and lift weights!
Thank you for joining me today, Diana. It’s been such a pleasure. I wish you great success for this and your future books.
Diana has been writing all her life, starting with her own versions of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle comics when she was four. She’s always been fascinated with Greek mythology and comic book superheroes, all of which inspire her fantasy novels. She’s also a gym rat who loves to pretend she’s Wonder Woman while lifting heavy weights and swinging from rings and pull-up bars. She co-owns CrossFit 925 in San Antonio, Texas with her husband Ben.
Diana currently writes entertainment and media-related articles for movieguide.org and contributes regularly to charismamag.com. When she isn’t writing or working out, she can be found playing Scrabble with her husband, watching Marvel and Pixar movies, and pinning recipes on Pinterest that she never gets around to cooking.
I am delighted to welcome Krysten Lindsay Hagar to my blog today to discuss her new book Dating the It Guy
Welcome Krysten…
ER Congratulations, Krysten on the publication of your new YA contemporary romance, Dating the It Guy. Please tell us a little about it.
KLH Thanks! The book is about a high school girl named Emme who winds up dating the son of a well-known senator. She goes through a lot of self-doubt as she watches his perfect ex-girlfriend trying to get him back and not feeling good enough for his new crowd. It’s a book about love, family, and learning to be yourself.
ER What inspired you to write this story? What was your first idea?
KLH I was watching a biography of John F. Kennedy Jr. and wondering what it’d be like to date someone like that back when he was in high school. I started thinking about all the pressures you’d face being in that world. I started reading a ton of books and info on both JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy. Brendon and Emme aren’t based on John and Carolyn, but their love story did inspire me.
ER I would guess Emme would feel out of her comfort zone in Brendon’s world. How does she adapt?
KLH Emme begins to feel out of place and often feels invisible by other girls who try to talk to Brendon when she’s standing right there! There’s a scene where she’s invited to a party at the senator’s home and you see her trying to navigate these very unfamiliar waters. She feels out of place at the party and the finds out Senator Agretti appreciates how she helps out a caterer at the event when everyone else there ignored the girl. We also see how Brendon appreciates what makes her different from his world and how he likes her for those things like her being authentic and real.
ER When Brendon’s picture perfect ex, Lauren, gets into his father, Senator Agretti’s old school, does Emme feel threatened? Does she doubt Brendon and think this has all been planned?
KLH Emme constantly feels threatened by Lauren especially since Lauren pounces and asks Brendon to homecoming the second he and Emme split up. So when Emme gets the news about Lauren getting into the college Brendon planned to attend (like his dad), her heart sinks. If she were to look deeper into what Brendon had shared with her about the future, she’d see what his future plans were.
ER Emme’s last boyfriend cheated on her. It must have left her with trust issues. Does this colour all of Emme’s way of thinking?
KLH Emme is dealing with a lot of mistrust and hurt after her last boyfriend’s betrayal. Her ex, Jon, had been talking to his ex while he was dating Emme and it has left her self-esteem damaged. She’s constantly worrying about being cheated on again with Brendon. Her friends also see how this has impacted her and they try to offer their support.
ER You deal with other issues as well, such as the illness of Emme’s grandparents. How does Emme deal with something like dementia?
KLH Emme is very close to her grandparents and when her grandma gets sick, they become aware of things changing with her grandpa, too. Her grandpa moves in with them and Emme helps care for him. It’s hard for her to watch him become so vulnerable, but she really steps up to be protective of him and help him in this new phase of his life.
ER This is a YA contemporary romance. The story deals with intricate relationships and very real characters. Do you think all age groups will enjoy your story?
KLH I’ve gotten some great feedback from both teens and adults and I love that people enjoy the story for different reasons. Some see themselves in Emme and realize some of her insecurity issues are things they see in themselves. I had a male beta reader who told me he got swept up in the story and he enjoyed seeing Emme’s side of things with her relationship with both Darren and Brendon. Some see themselves in Brendon and how he often has to sacrifice what he wants to do for his family. So I think it’s a story that all age groups can find something in.
Thank you so much for joining me today, Krysten. It’s been an absolute chatting with you. All the best with the book. It sounds fabulous to me.
Besides mining her teen years and humiliating moments for her novels, Krysten is also a book addict who has never met a bookstore she didn’t like. She’s worked as a journalist and writes young adult, middle grade, new adult, and adult fiction as well as humor essays. She is originally from Michigan and has lived in Portugal, South Dakota, and currently resides in southwestern Ohio where you can find her reading and writing when she’s not catching up on her favorite shows (she’s addicted to American Dad to the point where she quotes episodes on a daily basis and also loves Girl Meets World). She’s also a third generation Detroit Lions fan.
Krysten writes about friendship, self-esteem, fitting in, frenemies, crushes, fame, first loves, and values. She is the author of True Colors, Best Friends…Forever?, Next Door to a Star, Landry in Like, and Competing with the Star (The Star Series: Book 2). Her debut novel, True Colors, won the Readers Favorite award for best preteen book. Krysten’s work has been featured in USA Today, The Flint Journal, the Grand Haven Tribune, the Beavercreek Current, the Bellbrook Times and on Living Dayton.
Praise for Dating the It Guy:
“A sweet, endearing story—you’ll fall in love with Emme just like I did!” –Kimber Leigh Wheaton, YA/NA author
“Hager’s authentic characters will resonate with readers of all ages as they are immersed in the story – complete with teen drama and angst, but also the relationships which make it all worthwhile.” — Leslie L. McKee, book reviewer, Edits and Reviews by Leslie
Kelsey is an aspiring author and current Master’s of Fine Arts in Fiction candidate. Her latest project, a science fiction book titled Sabiak’s Creed, is currently being reviewed by several agents.
I am delighted to welcome Kelsey Stone to my blog today to discuss her trials with critique groups and her road to becoming traditionally published.
Welcome Kelsey…
ER Your latest project, a book, is Sabiak’s Creed. What inspired you to write science fiction? The genre’s obviously one you love.
KS I have a very eclectic literary taste, and so it took me a while to find my voice. I started off writing suspense. Before I began working on my writing career, I spent five years in law enforcement and I drew on my experiences and heartaches to write my first novel, but I fizzled out. Even though I managed to finish the story, I was stuck. I didn’t write anything else for almost a year. The characters and words still played in my head, it just took me a while to realize that those characters and those stories were rarely confined to this world and when I’d chained myself to a non-speculative genre, I’d drained the energy out of my imagination.
For me, science fiction operates much like a parable. I can tackle pressing issues in a manner that is less threatening for the reader and hopefully reveal some truths about the world we live in and what it means to be human. It’s kind of like being a scientist. I can isolate certain aspects of society and humanity and really dig in with the what-ifs.
ER Becoming published is not an easy task. Even before you’re ready to take that step, there are so many stages during the writing. Do you send your work to critique groups? How do you find that part of the process?
KS I am blessed to be a member of two fantastic critique groups, two amazingly talented editing partners, and one extremely argumentative writing group. It took me a long while to get to the point where I was capable of sharing my work. It was my passion for my stories and my determination to produce the very best story possible that finally pushed me to look for feedback, that and the gentle prodding of a couple of close friends who did their best to slay my insecurities.
I started the writing group in a quest for feedback. Originally, I had hoped that it would grow into a finely oiled critiquing machine, but that just wasn’t in the cards. There are too many strong personalities, and because of that, everyone was afraid to share their work. I did find one of my critique partners in that group, however, and I absolutely love the debates the group gets into, even if we aren’t particularly productive. The critique groups that I participate in found me through my writing platform and invited me to join them. As my writing network has grown, I have been presented with opportunities to grow my skill and craft.
With Sabiak’s Creed, I wanted a professional opinion before I sent it off, so I found and carefully vetted a freelance editor. The experience was incredible, and my writing grew profoundly during the couple of months we spent working on my manuscript.
ER Once your manuscript is finished, the road to publication is, or can be, a long one. Agents are reviewing Sabiak’s Creed at present. Finding an agent can be difficult too. Have you learned anything along the way that might help other writers?
KS The most important trait a writer can have is tenacity. The odds of an agent liking your book are about as good as have the same taste in food as a random stranger off the street. Not everyone is going to like your writing, and that is okay. Rejection is part of the writing process, no matter the type of publishing you pursue. A writer needs to learn how to move on and keep at it.
You can increase your odds by researching agents carefully. Find agents who you think will enjoy your story and tell them why you think they will enjoy your story in your query letter. Personalization is the key to getting agents to take notice.
ER Why did you decide traditional publication over Indie publication?
KS The biggest factor in my decision to attempt traditional publication is actually my own limitations. I am in awe of many of my writing friends who are Indie authors. They do it all: writing, formatting, publishing, and marketing. At this point, I am just not talented enough to balance all of those hats well. Also, I want my novel to reach the widest audience possible, and traditional publishing offers the best opportunity to get a large readership. Finally, I would love to build my craft and skill enough to write literary fiction, and about the only chance I would have to find an audience for that kind of writing is through traditional publishers. The benefit of pursuing traditional avenues is that it has forced me to be more reflective about my writing.
ER Would you ever consider Indie publishing?
KS Absolutely! In fact, I do plan to pursue Indie publishing in the future with specific manuscripts. At this point, I just feel like I have a ton left to learn and refine before I am ready for that step. In the meantime, as I learn to navigate the literary world, I plan to continue querying agents and trying to get traditionally published. It doesn’t cost me anything, except, perhaps, a few tears over rejection letters, and it has already led me down unexpected paths and grown my writing in new ways.
ER What are you working on now?
KSSabiak’s Creed is complete, but I am planning on taking another few passes to polish it even further. When I get stuck on new stories, I take a break and do an editing pass. It is the first in a series, and I have two more novels in the series written and am working on revising those right now, as well. I have also started a new project that melds science fiction and anthropology, but it is in the very first stages of writing and has a lot of growing to do. Whenever I need a break or need to feel the ecstasy of completing a project, I spend some time on short stories and poetry. My hope is to eventually have some polished shorter pieces that I can submit in competitions and to journals.
Thank you so much, Kelsey, for joining me today. It’s been a pleasure.
I am delighted to welcome Krysten Lindsay Hagar to my blog today to discuss writing for Pre-Teens and Young Adults.
Krysten is an author and book addict who has never met a bookstore she didn’t like. She’s worked as a journalist and also writes middle grade, YA, humor essays, and adult fiction.
She received her master’s in American Culture from the University of Michigan-Flint.
She is originally from Michigan and has lived in South Dakota, Portugal, and currently resides in Southern Ohio where you can find her reading and writing when she’s not catching up on her favorite shows.
TRUE COLORS is her bestselling debut novel from Astraea Press.
Welcome Krysten…
ER You have five published novels in the Pre-teen and Young Adult Genres. What attracted you to write for these age groups?
KLH My preteen years were the years I was obsessed with reading. Books got me through my toughest times back then and I always thought being a writer for teens and preteens had to be the greatest job on earth. At the time I didn’t have the experience to know what a fulfilling career would be, but that’s exactly what being an author for teens and preteens is to me.
ER Where do your ideas come from?
KLH The ideas come from those what-if scenarios I mull over in my mind. Then I pepper the scenes with experiences from my own life. I might take an awkward moment I experienced with a friend last week and mix it up so instead of it being an adult misunderstanding at a fundraiser, it’s a cringe-y moment between two teens in a cafeteria over a boy.
My idea for my upcoming book, Dating the it Guy, came from reading an article about JFK Jr. and thinking, “What would it have been like to date this guy in high school?” A million ideas flooded my mind and I got my notebook out and Brendon was created.
ER I’ve found that adults also like to read YA. Have you encountered this? Why do you think this is?
KLH So true. I love reading YA and I have a lot of adult readers. I have gotten many messages from them saying that while reading my books they realized that some situation they were in where their friend (or friends) turned against them was not what they thought. One woman told me she assumed her friends dumped her back in middle school because she was, “a loser no one would want to be around,” but while reading about Landry, she saw herself in the books and realized her whole situation was not about her, but about her friends’ jealousy. It surprises me how many readers have shared situations like that and told me that a hurt that’s been festering for a long time was finally healed when they came to that realization. To hear you’re part of someone’s healing process is a huge thing.
ER What’s the best thing about writing in these genres?
KLH I love being able to approach situations I was once in with a fresh perspective. I can write a scene about friendship betrayal that hurt me to the core when I was that age, but now I can go back and see what that was really about. At the time I thought my friend just wanted to distance herself because of something I had done, but now I can see it was her insecurity about where she fit in with our other friends. At the time it never occurred to me that it might have more to do with how she was hurting in her own life. Now I can take my past pain and use it to help someone else who is going through that same situation.
ER Do you have any favourite characters? I suspect Landry would be special to you.
KLH Landry is very special to me and I love how she is so genuine with her friends and how she wears her heart on her sleeve. I also love my character, Pilar Ito, from Competing with the Star because we see her as a mean girl in the beginning of the book, then we find out what makes her tick and all she’s been through with a sick grandmother, and she turns out to be the most loyal friend to my main character, Hadley. I get a lot of reader reaction about the change in Pilar. They love seeing another side to her especially after she was such a mean girl in Next Door to a Star.
ER What authors inspire you?
KLH For young adult books I love Rosie Rushton, Cathy Hopkins, and Judy Blume. I also read a ton of non-fiction and just finished Finding Your Brave.
ER What are you working on now?
KLH I’m working on a YA novel about a girl who gets to meet her pop star crush and also a new adult book.
ER When you’re not writing, how do you spend your time?
KLH I love watching movies, reading, and I’m a news junkie. I just watched “The Spectacular Now” and it was amazing. I tend to have the news on a lot at night in the background while I catch up on emails. I have a huge to-be-read pile of books and just finished a Rosie Rushton YA novel based on Northanger Abbey. I like exploring new areas, too, and window shopping.
Thank you so much for joining me today, Krysten. It’s been an absolute pleasure.
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