#IndieSpotlight of Skye Callahan @Skye_Callahan Author of Fractured Legacy

Name:

Skye Callahan

The Title of Your Work or Group:

Fractured Legacy

Where are you from? Does not have to be the name of the place exactly. You can say Hick-ville Florida, for example if you are more comfortable with that.

I am from a backwater, hollow [pronounced holler ;) ] in Appalachian Ohio. So, yes, sometimes I talk funny, but I try not to take it out on my characters.

In what genre do you write?

Sometimes ideas strike from other genres, but I generally write Paranormal. 

In your own words, what is your book about? If you were not the author and trying to explain this awesome book you just read to a friend, what would you say about it?

Fractured Legacy is about an experienced paranormal investigator, Kaylyn, who is being targeted by an unknown entity. Finding the answer involves digging up her own past and relying on a person she currently despises—her new boss, Jonah. The closer she gets to figuring out what it is and why it's after her, the more she questions everything she's “known”. 

What is your writing style? Do you follow all guides and rules? Synopsis, outline etc. or do you just sit down at the computer and type to see what happens.

I just write. First drafts are normally handwritten with a fountain pen in my journal—that's when the characters chat with me and give me all of the details. Most of the time, they don't even tell me about events in the right order, but once I'm done with that, I put it in the right order and following that script, I editing and rewriting as I type it up. 

Have you ever written anything and thought; " The world has got to see this!" ?

Honestly, I never really think about the world when I'm writing. I write what I would want to read, then I clean it up and send it off to my critique partners for their opinion. I may consider my critique partners as I rewrite, as I think they're the best representation of my target audience, but never really the world. I can't cater to everyone ;) 

Do you have an editor and Cover Designer or do you do this yourself?

I got my cover from Indie Author Services, and arranged for other production needs, like an editor, through Black Firefly. 

Who is your favorite author. Not just someone that you read allot. I wanna know whose book you read that made you suddenly know that if you didn't do this for the rest of your life then you would never be happy.

I have two. When I was a kid, I read R.L. Stine, all the time and he inspired me to first be a writer. I knew that creating worlds was what I needed to do to be happy. He also inspired my interest in the paranormal. In college, I stopped writing fiction, while I concentrated on my degree, and slipped into a depression. I didn't know what was wrong until I read Deborah Harkness' A Discovery of Witches. When it finished, it occurred to me—I should be writing!

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Balancing life and writing. I think most authors struggle with all of the responsibilities that we have. I also struggle with creating good descriptions of settings. My characters never want to stop talking, so first drafts are mostly dialogue. 

Do you write your characters or do they write themselves through you?

My characters absolutely write themselves. They surprise me quite often.

Do you ever write yourself into the characters?

Not intentionally, but my idiosyncrasies often end up buried in random characters. 

Is writing your full time job or are you "Keeping your day job"? So to speak.

I'm currently tied to the day-job to pay bills. I work as a Jane-of-all-Trades in a non-profit outreach center.

If you could go back in time and meet one famous person or legend in history, who would it be?

Tenskwatawa the brother of Tecumseh. I studied his story as an undergrad, and I'm fascinated with his journey—which is nothing like it has been portrayed in popular media.

There are millions of new books released every year. What in your mind makes yours stand out from all those millions in your genre?

What I usually find in books that stand out for me is that the author set out to write a story that was meaningful to his/her self. That's what I've done here, and I hope my own love and respect for these characters comes through and speaks to the audience.

In the world of Indie, marketing is very difficult, especially if you don't have the funds to pay for it. Have you found a great free way to market your work that you think other Indies will benefit from?

I'm a big fan of paying it forward. I love to help other Indies, and in return, I usually find that they're willing to help me when the time comes. As my first grad school professor told me, there's no reason everyone in this class shouldn't leave with an A, but to do that you all have to work together, share resources, and help one another improve. 

Links to find and follow Skye's work:

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/SkyeCallahanAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Skye_Callahan

Google +: https://plus.google.com/u/0/103000833225819792403/posts

Blog: http://skyecallahan.wordpress.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18198485-fractured-legacy

Fractured Legacy Pinterest Board: http://pinterest.com/skyecallahan16/fractured-legacy/

#IndieSpotlight of Tom Bradley Jr. @TBradleywrites Author of The Kona Shuffle

Name: 

Tom Bradley Jr.

The Title of Your Work or Group: 

THE KONA SHUFFLE

Where are you from? 

I currently reside in Henderson, Nevada, a suburb of Las Vegas, which in itself is the largest, easternmost suburb of Los Angeles.

In what genre do you write?

Crime/caper/mystery. With funny stuff.

In your own words, what is your book about? If you were not the author and trying to explain this awesome book you just read to a friend, what would you say about it? 

Me, not as author, describing THE KONA SHUFFLE to a friend: “Well, it’s about this private eye in Hawaii—I think she’s like transgendered or has some weird hormonal thing happening—who this sleazy jeweler hires to find some gems and stuff which another guy stole but lost in a backpack during a plane crash. See, these backpacks get mixed up and now no one knows who has the jewels, but a lot of people—the guy who had them, the guy who stole them in the first place, his brothers, and a bunch of locals in Kona—are all trying to find them so they can cash in. Oh, and there’s some weird dude who goes around talking with a Scottish accent and who lives in his mother’s shed.”

What is your writing style? Do you follow all guides and rules? Synopsis, outline etc. or do you just sit down at the computer and type to see what happens. 

I am a certified, card-carrying pantster. I never outline in advance of writing; I just do not have the patience or the discipline. However, I write notes about characters—what they look like, what they sound like, the clothes they wear, the car they drive, etc.—so I can keep them straight. Also, when I wrote THE KONA SHUFFLE, I developed an Excel spreadsheet that helped me track which character had which missing backpack. Otherwise, I probably would have never finished the damn book.

Have you ever written anything and thought; " The world has got to see this!" ?

Ha! As if it wasn’t ballsy or even insane enough for me to foist THE KONA SHUFFLE on the world! 

Do you have an editor and Cover Designer or do you do this yourself? 

Well, as you can see, I am an awful amateur book cover designer. And I do mean awful and amateur. However, I have hired a company called Tugboat Design to develop a new and improved cover for THE KONA SHUFFLE and for my next novel, THE HILO HUSTLE. I learned my lesson, which is, just because I have a digital camera and access to Photoshop Elements doesn’t mean I know squat about creating a book cover.

Who is your favorite author. Not just someone that you read allot. I wanna know whose book you read that made you suddenly know that if you didn't do this for the rest of your life then you would never be happy. 

Carl Hiaasen and Elmore Leonard both possess a laconic, dark-humored style and a world-weary approach to their storytelling that draws me like gnats to my dog’s water dish. Elmore is the king of dialog, and they both are blessed with exquisite timing, in terms of moving the story, plot twists, etc. Tim Dorsey also ranks up there, but there’s no way I could emulate his style; the man is just totally out there. I’m also fond of Christopher Moore and Lee Child, and let’s not forget the “godfather”—Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Yes. Staying with it. I often paint myself into corners and have to work at removing barriers I create for myself with complicated plots. When I get into these ruts, I tend to fall into a funk and won’t write for weeks on end. Then something hits me, the light bulb illuminates, and I hit on a solution to my dilemma. Then I’m back in the saddle, often straight to the end of the first draft.

Do you write your characters or do they write themselves through you? 

A little bit of both. 

Do you ever write yourself into the characters? 

In some ways. For example, my main character, private investigator Noelani Lee, has a low threshold for stupidity; she’s not condescending, but she is quite impatient with people who just don’t have a lot upstairs. She’s also an agnostic, like me, and she’s occasionally terse even with people she loves and cares about—and is quick to remind them how much they mean to her. But she has a soft spot for animals and, while I only dabble with the instrument, she is a full-on virtuoso with the ukulele. 

Is writing your full time job or are you "Keeping your day job"? So to speak.

It feels like a full-time job sometimes, but luckily, I have a day job. Gotta pay the bills somehow.

 If you could go back in time and meet one famous person or legend in history, who would it be? 

Wow. That’s a lot of dead people. I suppose Benjamin Franklin would be on the list, as well as Jackie Robinson, Gen. George S. Patton, the Buddha, Mark Twain, Eleanor Roosevelt, the aforementioned A. Conan Doyle, and Rosa Parks. And Rita Hayworth, for reasons which need no explanation. 

There are millions of new books released every year. What in your mind makes yours stand out from all those millions in your genre? 

Interesting question. I guess the unique qualities of my MC, the Hawaiian setting, the quirkiness of my characters, and the fact it’s loaded with damn good food.

In the world of Indie, marketing is very difficult, especially if you don't have the funds to pay for it. Have you found a great free way to market your work that you think other Indies will benefit from? 

Twitter seems to be working for me, perhaps better than anything else I have at my disposal. My blog is somewhat helpful (as long as I post to it) and membership in groups like #ASMSG and AgentQueryConnect.com.

Links to find and follow his work:

Twitter: @TBradleywrites

Blog: http://headfirstintothedeepend.typepad.com/blog/

Amazon: http://amzn.to/13fWRLG

B&N: http://bit.ly/18qTND7

Author Database: http://bit.ly/1c6dr7I

Independent Author Network: http://bit.ly/145IWy1

Google+: http://bit.ly/12mwkBo

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/12O5IEd

#IndieSpotlight of KC Rivers @kcrivers Author of Prince of Light

Name: 

K.C. Rivers

The Title of Your Work: 

Prince of Light

Where are you from?

Central Oregon, where the weather is more finicky than a cat deciding what to eat for breakfast.

In what genre do you write? 

Young adult medieval fantasy. How’s that for specificity?

In your own words, what is your book about? If you were not the author and trying to explain this awesome book you just read to a friend, what would you say about it? 

I like to call it every fangirl’s dream book. Basically, it’s about a human girl who stumbles into an alternate world where she makes friends, falls in love, and finds herself stuck in the middle of a war that involves shapeshifters and elves. Sounds exciting, right?

What is your writing style? Do you follow all guides and rules? Synopsis, outline etc. or do you just sit down at the computer and type to see what happens. 

I usually have a basic idea of what I want to have happen or sometimes just a particular event in my head. The rest seems to flow from there. I don’t usually outline very much, so I guess you can call me a panster.

Have you ever written anything and thought; "The world has got to see this!"? 

Yes and no. I mean, obviously I would love for the world to read Prince of Light, but I’ve always been pretty realistic in my goals for this book. It’s a tough market to get into, so I’m just happy for any and every reader that comes my way. I’ve actually been more proud of some of my blog posts. Seriously, I crack myself up. That tends to be more when I think, “How can you not find this funny? I have to share it with everyone!”

Do you have an editor and Cover Designer or do you do this yourself? 

I did most of it myself, but I had a lot of help along the way. I’m fortunate enough to know a professional photographer, so in exchange for helping her paint her studio, she did a photo shoot for free. The model is my brother’s girlfriend, and I put the images and cover together. My cousin-in-law happens to be a published author and did a line-by-line edit for me, plus I had multiple beta readers. So yeah, I formatted it and actually put it on the web, but I’d say it was a joint effort all in all.

Who is your favorite author. Not just someone that you read a lot. I wanna know whose book you read that made you suddenly know that if you didn't do this for the rest of your life then you would never be happy. 

Hmm. That’s tough. I’ve been reading and writing my whole life, but I would probably have to go with C.S. Lewis. His writing greatly inspired me in many ways, and I grew up reading The Chronicles of Narnia. Loved them back then and still love them now.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? 

Ugh, finding the time. I finally know the meaning of the words “starving artist.” The stories are there in my head; it’s just a matter of getting them on paper. Unfortunately, weekends fill up pretty quickly. That means fitting in an hour or two of writing whenever it’s even remotely possible.

Do you write your characters or do they write themselves through you? 

I usually have an idea for a character ahead of time, though many times they just pop into my head as the story progresses. Sometimes they take over completely and I’m just along for the ride. Delanor, for example, was originally supposed to be just a “filler character,” and he ended up being an integral part of the storyline. I can’t imagine it without him now.

Do you ever write yourself into the characters? 

For me, it’s more that these are things I wish would happen to me. Places that I would love to see in real life, or creatures/people that I would love to meet. There’s a little bit of myself in the main characters, I suppose, because I’m imagining how I would react if I were the one in the situation.

 Is writing your full time job or are you "Keeping your day job"? So to speak. 

I hope to make writing my career in the future, but in the meanwhile we’ve got bills to pay. Multiple obligations mean very little time to actually write, so I still have a day job for right now. Don’t get me wrong, in this economy I’m grateful for it. But there are some days where I wish I could just stay home with my laptop and write for hours on end.

If you could go back in time and meet one famous person or legend in history, who would it be?

 Honestly, it would be epic to meet J.R.R. Tolkien. I know there are some video interviews of him available, but I would love to hear the elfin language from his own lips, or listen to him singing the songs he wrote. *fangirl squee*

There are millions of new books released every year. What in your mind makes yours stand out from all those millions in your genre? 

It’s a mixture of multiple things, which makes it kind of unique. I've had a few readers tell me that they've never anything quite like it, but it’s hard to pinpoint exactly why. There are elves and shapeshifters and mages and dragons, but the settings and histories behind them aren't really what they “usually” are, if that makes sense. The shapeshifters, for example, are mainly eagles. Okay, there's one wolf, but he's kind of a loner. It’s almost like a cross between a standard medieval fantasy, a manga story and a video game world all mashed into one. Probably because those are all of the things that helped inspire it.

In the world of Indie, marketing is very difficult, especially if you don't have the funds to pay for it. Have you found a great free way to market your work that you think other Indies will benefit from? 

Since I’m limited on time, I tend to fill out a form here and there on various web sites to get the word out. I’ve made a few connections with other indie authors, so that helps. AgentQueryConnect has been probably one of the best web sites with resources for indie authors. Because of the people that I’ve met there, I’ve been able to find other blogs (including this one!) and web sites for marketing. I’ve also done a couple of giveaways, for both e-book and paperback format.

Links to find and follow KC's work:

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/KC-Rivers/217129291722692

Twitter: @kcrivers

Website/Blog: kcrivers.com

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Prince-of-Light-ebook/dp/B00AVDWA6S/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1374008719&sr=8-1

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/prince-of-light-kc-rivers/1114071377?ean=2940016062051

#IndieSpotlight of Trevor Campbell @MutinyTrev Author of Mono Shadowstrider, The Warender Chronicles

The Author:

Trevor Campbell

The Title of Your Work or Group:

 Mono Shadowstrider, The Warender Chronicles

Where he creates:

Bakersfield, CA

The genre that gets to claim him:

Science Fiction / Fantasy. I try to blend in steampunk and cyberpunk where I can.

In his own words, what his book is about? If Trevor were not the author and trying to explain this awesome book he just read to a friend, what would he say about it? 

Right now, I'm working on Mono Shadowstrider, while the Warenders Novel works itself out in my notes. Mono Shadowstrider is about someone who was created from the deaths of three individuals. He finds himself trying to fix the lives affected by the deaths of teh three characters. At the same time, he is running from a Government that wants to use his DNA to create copies of him for their Army.

What is his writing style? Does he follow all guides and rules? Synopsis, outline etc. or does he just sit down at the computer and type to see what happens. 

I do write outlines that I use to remind myself where to include exposition, and to rehearse conversations so they don't get too stale.

 Has he ever written anything and thought; " The world has got to see this!" ? 

Not Exactly. I do think that I have some interesting stories to tell, and I hope I find an audience someday that agrees with me.

Does he have an editor and Cover Designer or does he do this himself? 

I do everything myself, from web design to cover art to character illustrations.

Who is Trevor's favorite author. Not just someone that he read allot. I wanna know whose book he read that made him suddenly know that if he didn't do this for the rest of his life, he would never be happy. 

Growing up it was Michael Crichton. Even though now I see that he tended to inflate some of his novel with unnecessary technical details, I still love all of the ones I read, from Andromeda Strain to Jurassic Park.

Is there anything he finds particularly challenging in his writing?

Yup! The writing itself. I'm one of those people that have to let ideas swim around in my head an germinate for a while. This makes it really hard to put out content on a regular schedule at times, and when it comes to novel writing, by the time I'm 98 % of the way done, I find that I've come up with a better version of the story and begin re writing it.

Do you es he write his characters or do they write themselves through Trevor? 

I like to think that I write them, but most of the time I learn about them as I write. I'll come up with quirks or speech patterns that just seem to fit in the moment, so they tend to come to life as I write.

 Does he ever write himself into the characters? 

I think we all do, all the time. We have to relate to our characters on some level so we can understand them. That being the case, we always impart some small piece of ourselves on them. Luckily, many readers share some character traits with us, so when they read our work, they feel that we've written part of them into the piece as well. Well, I hope that's the case, anyway.

 Is writing his full time job or is he "Keeping his day job"? So to speak.

Keeping the day job. I love writing, but I'm afraid that if it ever becomes something I have to do to put food on the table that I may lose interest in it.

If he could go back in time and meet one famous person or legend in history, who would it be? 

Off the top of my head? Tesla. I'd like to see the things he came up with that no one ever found out about.

There are millions of new books released every year. What in his mind makes this one stand out from all those millions in his genre? 

You know, I'm not sure. I do know that my work is 100% original, where a lot of fiction these days is either based on an older work, or part of a story line that's been going on for well over a quarter century.  I hope mine achieves the latter distinction, since I intend to write for a very long time.

In the world of Indie, marketing is very difficult, especially if you don't have the funds to pay for it. Has he found a great free way to market his work that he thinks other Indies will benefit from? 

Twitter! Tumblr, and Facebook also! Get your name and your stuff out there people!

Links to find follow and generally stalk Trevor: 

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/mutinyfiction

Twitter: twitter.com/mutinytrev

Blog: www.mutinyfiction.com

Store: www.mutinyfiction.com/ocart

My 5 star review of Dancing with the Duke by Suzanna Medeiros

Dancing with the Duke by Suzanna Medeiros
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had been complaining to my followers that I haven't had time to read in two months, when I found this little gem. It was short, sweet and to the point and I loved Charlotte and Alex's story. I guess I'm a sucker for stories about not knowing the one for you was right in front of you all along. It took me only 30 minutes to devour and I now feel much better because even with my limited free time, I was able to get that warm fuzzy feeling that only comes from stories about true love. I'll be reading the rest of this series for sure.

View all my reviews

#IndieSpotlight of Mike Zimmerman @DracApprentice Author of Dracula's Apprentice

The Author:

Mike Zimmerman

The name of his work:

Dracula’s Apprentice

Where he creates:

From Detroit, Michigan currently residing in Phoenix, Arizona

The genre that gets to claim him:

I write in the historical fiction, vampire, and non-fiction history genres. 

In his own words, what his book is about? If he were not the author and trying to explain this awesome book he just read to a friend, what would he say about it?

If I were not the author, I would explain Dracula’s Apprentice in the following way. Zimmerman has taken vampires back to being killers, not teen lovers. This guy, Leon, is desperately afraid of losing his soul and becoming a vampire. He is fueled by fear; because he knows that one day, the Eve of St. George, that it is going to happen. His only hope is to drink the ashes of the vampire who has doomed him in a mixture that his uncle, Milos, has discovered. Leon doesn’t trust Milos but he does trust his other companion, Jarvis. Milos is all about self sacrifice. He does not care what Leon thinks of him as long as Leon makes it out of this alive. Suzanna joins them, but she has her own alternative motives. She is all about revenge and the other men must reel her in to make sure she does not recklessly put herself in danger. Petru is that vampire the four hunts. Despite death among them, setbacks, kidnappings, lunatics, vampire attacks, and everything else Zimmerman decides to throw at them. The ending is both satisfying and tragic. If you are a fan of vampires, history, period pieces, or just a good read; give it a try. It is only $1.99 and exclusive to kindle.

What is your writing style? Do you follow all guides and rules? Synopsis, outline, etc. or do you just sit down at the computer and type to see what happens?

With Dracula’s Apprentice and its forthcoming follow up, I start with historical research. I want to know what was happening in the 1750s and how my characters might interact with it. Some of the historical interactions include the excavations of Arnold Paul and Peter Plogojowitz, using publications from Calmet, and vampire accounts from Johannes Fluckinger. Secondly I look into scouting locations. I search for interesting settings for action to take place. Many places in Cluj, Romania are featured in Dracula’s Apprentice including St. Michael’s Church, their Roman ruins, Hints House, and Corvin House. Then it is time to write, and rewrite, and rewrite, and make sure events line up on the timeline, and rewrite some more. Finally the last step is editing and publishing. 

Has he ever written anything and thought, “The world has got to see this!”?

I believe that Dracula’s Apprentice is a story that needs to be told. Three characters are motivated in three distinct ways. They all lose something in the end. I am very excited about writing “Slayers of the Devil Dragon,” to follow it up. Apprentice is my Hobbit and this is now my Lord of the Rings!

Who can we thanks for the look and feel of his book?

Daniel Bauer is the talented individual who drew and painted the cover of Dracula’s Apprentice. Editing was done by With Pen In Hand. Brinkley did a wonderful job and was easy to work with. 

Who is his favorite author. Not just someone that he read a lot. I wanna know whose book he read that made him suddenly know that if he didn't do this for the rest of his life then he would never be happy.

 I realized that I wanted to write these stories when I read Diaries of the Family Dracul by Jeanne Kalogridis. Writing for my history classes in college was also a heavy influence in my nonfiction writing.

Is there anything he finds particularly challenging in his writing?

Challenges include keeping my events in order. I am visual and want to see what happens to my characters on a timeline. Sometimes in a day I spend more time tweaking it than I do writing. Historical accuracies at times can be challenging as well. 

Does Mike write his characters or do they write themselves through him?

I am no actor. My characters come to life on the page. I know their thoughts when the reader doesn’t, I know what their motivations are, and I know their histories. I give then each a back-story; they don’t just appear the day my story is told and go away when it is done. 

Does he ever write himself into the characters?

No, I am too boring a person. But I will confess that my characters’ birthdays fall on the same dates as my family. I share Leon’s month and date of birth; my parents share his parents, and so on. 

Is writing his full-time job or is he “Keeping his day job”?

I am a full time history teacher at a charter school in Surprise, Arizona. I could not, at this time, provide for my family based on writing alone. Perhaps after the movie adaptation…Wishful thinking!

If he could go back in time and meet one famous person or legend in history, who would it be?

As a history teacher, there are just way too many. Let’s stick with the vampire theme and say Vlad Dracula. No wait that might not end well for me. How about Stoker?

There are millions of new books released every year. What, in Mike's mind, makes his stand out from all those millions in his genre?

What makes Dracula’s Apprentice stand out is that I have woven history and fiction. If you have read J Gordon Melton or Calmet you can say, “That is where he got that.” Or, “look the place he is describing is real.” It has taken the genre back to darker days, where vampires were not worried about falling in love and more worried about ripping out throats for entertainment before a kill. People feared becoming vampires as it would damn them. And the most interesting part is, people in Easter Europe were superstitious enough to dig people up and stake them. 

In the world of Indie, marketing is very difficult, especially if you don’t have the funds to pay for it. Has Mike found a great free way to market his work that he thinks other Indies will benefit from?

Marketing has been difficult. I am constantly on facebook, twitter, goodreads, linkedin, my website and blog, looking for blogs to interview me (THANK YOU!), passing out cards, and anything else I can think of. I have a filmmaking friend coming up with a book trailer to youtube as well. Goodebooks.net offers some free advertising for self published authors. When in doubt, google what you should be doing. There are tons of good ideas online. 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Draculas-Apprentice/447896971927435#!/pages/Draculas-Apprentice/447896971927435

Twitter: @DracApprentice

Website: https://sites.google.com/site/draculasapprenticezimmerman/

Blog: https://sites.google.com/site/draculasapprenticezimmerman/our-company/in-the-news

Amazon Kindle Exclusive: http://www.amazon.com/Draculas-Apprentice-ebook/dp/B00CWSV5FM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373696325&sr=8-1&keywords=draculas+apprentice

#IndieSpotlight of Rachel Gladstone-Gelman @ThePinataPages Author of The Pinata Pages, Commentary On Our Times.

The Author

Rachel Gladstone-Gelman.

The title of your work or group:

The Pinata Pages, Commentary On Our Times.

Where do you create?

I’m originally from New York but, in 2006, I moved to Canada.

The genre that gets to claim you?

My background includes mostly poetry and articles, but I’ve also written some short fiction. Closer to flash fiction. But The Pinata Pages is commentary and informational.

In your own words, what is your book about? If you were not the author and trying to explain this awesome book you just read to a friend, what would you say about it?

The Pinata Pages, Commentary On Our Times throws all the Left-Wing and urgent points together and minces few words. It’s about the global damage being done and why. But it’s not just about “blatant” politics. It’s also about an animal held captive in a really polluted area and a desire to go retro due to technology that took some wrong turns. It’s also about self-publishing. It’s a piñata. A Left-Wing, humourous and stern piñata.

What is your writing style? Do you follow all guides and rules? Synopsis, outline, etc. or do you just sit down at the computer and type to see what happens?

 I feel the need or compulsion to put my personality into it, and it’s not my intent to sound quite as conversational as I do, but that’s how it usually lands. It also makes the flow easier to achieve, as long as you have boundaries for your conversation and get used to using them. I also try to get to the point. I don’t want readers to have to wade through stuff to get there. I appreciate their time and, if I get their time, I aim to not waste it. I don’t have any real structural guidelines, other than for it to flow, connect and not be too repetitive. And I don’t write it all in one sitting.

Have you ever written anything and thought, “The world has got to see this!”?

Actually, I believe so. If it isn’t the work in its entirety, it’s a particular phrase or message.

Who can we thanks for the look and feel of your book?

For my blog, the root of The Pinata Pages, I’m the editor, too. For the e-book/download, I hired an editor/proofreader, although we did, ultimately, work together to fine-tune it. I got the cover design from Vistaprint. They happened to have just the right design to suit the essence of the e-book.

Who is your favorite author. Not just someone that you read a lot. I wanna know whose book you read that made you suddenly know that if you didn't do this for the rest of your life then you would never be happy.

Well, I have a couple of favourite poets and, in The Pinata Pages, I list some children’s and general audience books and their authors in the chapter/article, “Johnny Can Read Now… But He Doesn’t Like the Book”, but I’ve really just been driven to write, largely because keeping my mouth shut has proven exceedingly difficult, especially since I became political.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

I’m currently going through a bumpy transitional period between American English and Canadian English punctuation. Also, I go to great pains not to plagiarize when providing facts from sources. Informing without copying is obvious—but not so easy. It makes me slow down to check my wording.

Do you write your characters or do they write themselves through you?

I don’t have a lot of experience with writing characters, but, because they’ve needed to be “turned on”, so to speak, or revealed via my own observations or history, I suppose it’s both.

Do you ever write yourself into the characters?

Yes. And family members, too.

Is writing your full-time job or are you “Keeping your day job”?

I’m unemployed as I do this interview, as far as I’m aware. I published The Pinata Pages via Scribd.com in mid-June, so, at the moment, it’s too soon to know. However, my husband is employed.

If you could go back in time and meet one famous person or legend in history, who would it be?

Perhaps, Rod Serling.

There are millions of new books released every year. What, in your mind, makes yours stand out from all those millions in your genre?

 I think I talk to people differently. Not at them, maybe even with them, along with putting in some extra umph in order to wake them up to particular urgencies. I really feel the need to do that, but it needs to be done in a digestible way. And The Pinata Pages has so many progressive issues in one place, with little enough time spent on each, so that, if your bus is arriving, you may just be able to finish that topic you’re on.

In the world of Indie, marketing is very difficult, especially if you don’t have the funds to pay for it. Have you found a great free way to market your work that you think other Indies will benefit from?

Well, I’m on the task, but I’ve found a friend in Twitter, insofar as some accounts offer rates I can live with in order to have some kind of tweeting schedule, in addition to my own (the free part). And I found you through Twitter.

Links to find and follow her work:

www.pinatapoet.com

http://www.scribd.com/doc/147912220/The-Pinata-Pages-Commentary-On-Our-Times

www.thepinatapages.wordpress.com

Twitter: @ThePinataPages