Spring into #Romance #Blog Tour What am I Working On? #WIP #Author Q&A

My fabulous fellow Kentucky author, Teresa Reasor, has asked me to take part in a blog tour and to tag three authors who might also be interested.

Teresa Reasor was born in Southeastern Kentucky, but grew up a Marine Corps brat. The love of reading instilled in her in Kindergarten at Parris Island, South Carolina made books her friends during the many transfers her father's military career entailed. The transition from reading to writing came easily to her and she penned her first book in second grade. But it wasn’t until 2007 that her first published work was released.

After twenty-one years as an Art Teacher and ten years as a part time College Instructor, she’s now retired and living her dream as a full time Writer.

Her body of work includes both full-length novels and shorter pieces in many different genres, Military Romantic Suspense, Paranormal Romance, Historical Romance, Contemporary Romance and Children’s Books.

For more information about her and her books go to: WEBSITE
Amazon Author Page
Twitter
Facebook
Blog
Goodreads
Google +

Here's mine~

1) What am I working on?
I'm currently editing LOVE BY DESIGN, in preparation for publishing.

2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?
I'd like to believe I bring a fresh perspective and mix in a bit of humor and realism to my romance. I want the reader to remember the story long after they've read "The End." I hope that I do that with the written word and keep readers coming back to get to know more of my characters time and again because they can see themselves there, with the hero and heroine, perhaps even friends with them. (What writer doesn't hope for that though?)

3) Why do I write what I do?
It's deeply ingrained in me to believe in a happily ever after or at the least, a happy for now. I believe love exists to remind us that we are not alone in the world, that there's bound to be someone else out there who could use a shoulder to cry on, a soft place to fall when the world becomes too much and a heart to hold us- to embrace us and not only fill us with immeasurable joy, but make us feel that we found something here on earth that's as close to heaven as you can get. Sometimes we're lucky enough to find that a few times in this life, sometimes we pick a few bad apples, but it's nice when we find that "one" that fills the whole bill... Regardless of how we get there or what ends up being our destination, it's life experience and love experience and that's what makes this journey worth it.

4) How does my writing process work?
I have always written somewhere in the middle. I don't really outline, though I do have notes with details, but nothing so much as set in stone. I used to swear I was a pantser but I do have some general idea of where the story's going to go... but I tend to ride the fence and let the characters lead me in the direction they want to go---- most the time. Sometimes I hear them speaking louder than I can bear and they fill me in in great detail and other times they're so quiet that it's like pulling teeth, but I try to allow them the freedom to step into the spotlight when it's time and tell their story the way it's meant to be. That doesn't mean I won't go through round after round of edits later to tighten and give them more focus, but I like to allow the story to grow on the page more organically than with strict guidelines and rules. Just seems more natural for me as the storyteller.

 My 3 fellow tagged authors who will be posting May 19th are-

Sharon Hamilton NYT and USA/Today and Amazon Top 100 Bestselling Author Sharon Hamilton’s SEAL Brotherhood series have earned her Amazon author rankings of #1 in Romantic Suspense, Military Romance and Contemporary Romance. Her characters follow a sometimes rocky road to redemption through passion and true love. Her Golden Vampires of Tuscany earned her a #1 Amazon author ranking in Gothic Romance.

A lifelong organic vegetable and flower gardener, Sharon and her husband live in the Wine Country of Northern California, where most of her stories take place.





Sondra Allan Carr lives in the Bluegrass state of Kentucky with her husband of more than four decades. A proud Boomer who loves to travel, she has watched bamboo grow in China, seen the Taj Mahal floating in the light of a full moon like a gravity-defying UFO, and looked on in amazement as the dawning sun set fire to Ayers Rock in Australia. She believes truth is stranger than fiction and fiction is often truer than truth.

Sondra admits to being a bit of a late bloomer, only recently discovering that she would rather write than eat. She hopes you will buy her books so she can continue to do both.

You can go to her website at http://sondraallancarr.com to sign up for email notification of new books, contests, and giveaways. Her books are available at AMAZON



Jean Thompson Kinsey writes sweet romance and light romantic suspense.  Most of her writing also contains an inspirational message. She lives in Brooks, KY. Her hobbies consist of doting on grandchildren, traveling, reading and writing. Jean has four books published which can be found at Amazon.com and most online book stores. Her stories appear in numerous Chicken Soup for the Soul books.

Visit her blog here:

Jean Kinsey's Creative Writing Desk

Welcome @SondraCarr #Author of The World of Pangaea Series to #ThursdayswithTaryn

Thursdays with Taryn

Sondra Allan Carr

(click image above to go check out Sondra's Website)

What book(s) most influenced you as a writer?

Some years ago, I read Robin McKinley’s first book, Beauty. It’s a little gem of a YA novella that forever hooked me on the Beauty and the Beast theme. My first published novel, A Bed of Thorns and Roses, is a historical romance set during America’s Gilded Age. It follows the Beauty and the Beast story fairly closely.

Apparently, one book wasn’t enough to get Beauty and the Beast out of my system. My second full-length novel is titled—wait for it—The Beast. This book is the first in my fantasy romance series, The World of Pangaea. Despite its title, the book doesn’t follow the Beauty and the Beast story quite as closely, though it deals with the theme of redemption through love. My hero is really beastly. His father subjected him to horrible abuse throughout his childhood and youth. As a result, he suffers from what we now call post-traumatic stress disorder. He lives with a hair-trigger temper that sends him into fits of rage and causes him to commit acts he later bitterly regrets. He’s the darkest hero I ever have or ever hope to write. Thankfully, the hero of the second book in my series, The Savage, is anything but savage. He’s the exact opposite of my hero in The Beast and very easy to love.

What book do you read over and over again? A debut novel by Toby Barlow called Sharp Teeth. It’s the only book I’ve ever read straight through three times in a row. I rarely buy hardcover books any more, but when I came to “The End” for the third time and immediately flipped back to page one, I decided it was time to buy it, and I returned my library copy. I said all that before describing the book, because when I tell you, you’ll probably have the same Say What? reaction I did when I first heard of the book. It’s a story about werewolves set in modern-day L.A. and written entirely in blank verse. Please don’t let that turn you off. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever read, and it’s beautiful. I still dip into it every so often, and I’ve probably read through it half a dozen times by now.

Tuesday/Thursday Trio-

1)      Movie- I can’t name just one! I love comedies, though really good ones are few and far between. Legally Blonde; Dirty, Rotten Scoundrels; A Fish Called Wanda; and here are some more obscure ones that are worth searching out: Jabberwocky (with Michael Palin); Death at a Funeral (NOT the American remake but the original British comedy starring the actor who played Darcy in Pride and Prejudice); and an indie production called A Film with Me in It, great if you like those English farces in the tradition of Kind Hearts and Coronets, where people keep dying off hilariously.

2)      Music- The Beatles, always and forever; Brahms; current favorite performer: David Garrett (Sometimes the gods walk among us. He is Apollo and Adonis rolled into one, I’m sure of it.)

3)      Decadent Dessert- Any kind of pie made by Sweet Magnolia, the world’s best pie shop, which is fortunately (or unfortunately) just down the street from me.

What’s the most interesting or bizarre bit of trivia you’ve learned from researching for a novel?

Really, it’s almost too gross to share. The second novel in my series, The Savage (coming in the late fall), takes place in the rainforest. There are really heinous parasites there, and my heroine keeps refusing to remove her ugly woolen cap the whole time she’s there. I knew she had a good reason for this but didn’t understand until I finally came across a news article about a story that happened recently. A woman vacationing in Peru had a fly get in her ear. She didn’t think anything of it until she got home and started having horrendous headaches. The MRIs showed she had maggots hatching out in her brain. Yuck! Sorry, I’ve probably put you off your dinner now. If you’re not so squeamish and want to know more, here’s the link to the news story: Flesh Eating Maggots

Novel on your Nightstand:

Who/what are you currently reading? Actually, it’s a book I’m re-reading. The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith. It’s one of those books I study for craft {Tweet This}. I’ve never read any other book that takes me as deep into a character’s psychology. It’s written in third person POV, not first, but stays in the title character’s perspective the entire time. It’s claustrophobic and enthralling. I won’t say anything more because I don’t want to give away any spoilers. Just read it!

Whom would you cast as your Main Characters/Hero/Heroine if your book became a movie?

Chris Hemsworth, as he looked in Thor, definitely. He’s exactly how I imagined my hero, King Armander, in The Beast. And his brother Liam would be perfect to play Armander’s younger brother, Aurik, who is a secondary character in The Savage, and the hero of the third book in the series, The Swordmaster’s Daughter. I’m definite on the hero, but in a complete quandary for my heroines. If anyone has any suggestions, I’d love to hear them. 

The King’s Witch: A Short Story Introducing The World of Pangaea  

The Knowledge. It shows her what has been, what will be, and--even more fearful--what may be. Some call it a gift, but Koreen knows better. The Knowledge is a curse.

Her story is a tragic one; The Knowledge has revealed as much. Though she cannot save herself, she may yet save others. Then her sacrifices were not in vain.

An unspeakable evil is about to overrun the earth, while the only man able to defeat the demon hordes remains ignorant of his destiny. The future depends on her ability to convince him of the truth. But will the young king listen? Especially since he has sworn death or exile to all who practice the black arts.

King Armander finds it difficult to believe the vile creature standing before him was the dead king's consort. She seems more demented than evil, and unaware her life hangs in the balance. His sense of justice demands he allow her to plead for herself.

"Can you tell me, Witch, any reason why I should spare your life?"

As soon as she speaks, he regrets his question. She reveals his past, and the dark deed no one else could know he committed. Her knowledge of his secret adds weight to her dire prophecy: that with her execution, he will lose his only ally in defeating the dark forces loosed on his kingdom. His own life, in fact, will be forfeit.

Does he dare defy his own edict to save himself and his people? Can he trust the woman known to all simply as The King's Witch?

Reader's caveat: This story contains a single sex scene that is fairly graphic and may be disturbing to some. Those who prefer to avoid such content and those under 18 please be advised, this story may be inappropriate for you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Beast, Book One of The World of Pangaea

Young King Armander inherits the throne determined to restore his kingdom to its former glory. The years of abuse suffered under the old king’s reign have taken their toll on his people—even more so on Armander. The torments visited on him by his demon-worshipping father have disfigured his soul and left Armander with an enduring anger that no longer has a target. His barely contained rage, unleashed at the slightest provocation, has earned him a name whispered behind his back: The Beast.

When Armander learns a neighboring king has plotted his assassination, he demands the king’s daughter as reparation. Immediately captivated by the beautiful princess, Armander discovers it is he, in fact, who has become hostage to her charms. As his love for her grows increasingly apparent to those around him, Armander fails to realize Princess E’laiahna has powerful enemies within the palace, men who will stop at nothing to keep her from becoming Queen. Yet only one man can drive her away forever—the one people call The Beast.

You can also find Sondra on Facebook HERE.

 

#Writerly Wednesday- I'm in Good Company @KYIndieWriters #Kentucky #Indie #Authors

I was thinking about my journey toward self-publication and those I have surrounding me, who encourage me that it CAN be done and it's worth it and I feel a surge of appreciation for the outstanding company I keep. We're an eclectic group of authors, who've all chosen differing paths for our writing career.


Some have gone through publishers, big and small and others have struck out onto the Indie path full speed ahead. It's amazing to hear what's going on, and sometimes overwhelming, too, to hear about the numbers, the rankings, Amazon's bizarre algorithms, and the tremendous hard work that goes into taking on being the writer and publisher of your own work.


I find it refreshing and inspiring to feel I'm part of a new generation of revolutionaries in the publishing field. We're all heading toward the same goals~ To reach readers and touch hearts, to bring laughter and joy and even yes, sometimes sorrow, but happy endings and satisfying conclusions.



We have far too many stories jam-packed inside us...like that little cartoon where the guy's at the doctor's office and the doctor is showing him an x-ray of his body, wherein lies a book. "See, you have a book inside you, just waiting to get out."


Well, I'm sure for most of us, it's more like a bookshelf. I know mine is. I've written 11 manuscripts already, but I know I'm far from done. I have more to tell, but if I'm going to take this journey into self-publication, some of those stories will have to wait until I can get a few of the finished ones polished and out there in the world, in the hands of people who love books as much as I do.


Our stories span all kinds of genres and themes from edgy inspirational to historical, to contemporary romance and young adult, to erotica and women's fiction, military, suspense, horror.


They cover themes such as dystopian futures, time-travel and reincarnation...from reuniting with their soulmate from the very distant past, to finding love the second time around. I think books are food for the soul. Without the great and wonderful stories of authors the world over, I can only imagine what a dull and dreary life we would lead.



All stories spilled forth from the wellspring of authors who enjoy writing as much as reading, who sometimes have no choice but to write because they know if they didn't, something would be missing, that without writing they are incomplete.



These authors with whom I share email conversations, the joys and pains of writing, the highs and lows of self-publishing and the pleasure of their online company are dedicated and full of determination. Their persistence encourages me, driving me forward toward my own goals. They are writerly inspiration and amazingly talented!



They are not only my friends, but my people, for no one quite understands a writer's mind or a writer's journey in life like another writer can.

This is not all of them for we are a growing bunch, but these are the ones who've been most influential for me as a writer and I'm proud to say I'm a part of this extraordinary group of authors.