Monday, June 29, 2015

#IndieSpotlight of Juli D. Revezzo Author of Passion's Sacred Dance

 Name: 
Juli D. Revezzo



The Title of Your Work or Group:

Passion's Sacred Dance

 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.
Funny you should say it that way; I am from Florida. :)

In what genre do you write?
Paranormal fantasy and fantasy romance. My last book, Changeling's Crown was fantasy romance for the New Adult crowd.While my newest release, Passion's Sacred Dance is more of a general fantasy romance audience. I also write Gothic set stories with my series Antique Magic and Reign of Tarot.

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?
Passion's Sacred Dance is about a gallery owner whose heritage means she must oversee a sacred battle on her property. Deciding which side is the side she must grant the land to is the challenge.

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.
Usually, I come up with a basic idea of characters and where the story needs to go. From there, I let the writing of it flow.

Have you ever written anything and thought; "The world has got to see this."?
Yes. Getting it out to the world has been the harder part.

Do you have an editor and Cover Designer or do you do this yourself? 
Yes, to both. I have a friend named Patty G. Henderson who creates beautiful cover art. She created the beautiful cover for Passion's Sacred Dance.

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.
Then, that would have to be Fantasy author Michael Moorcock. Other favorites are J. Sheridan LeFanu, Anne Rice, Jolene Dawe, S.G. Rogers, and quite a few others.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Sometimes, getting out of my own way by turning the internal critic off is the hardest bit of all.

Do you write your characters or do they write themselves through you? 
A little of both, depending on the character. Stacy (in Passion's Sacred Dance)--and particularly the hero Aaron--was easy to write but I do have difficult characters, now and then. For instance the heroine to my paranormal series, Antique Magic, sometimes just clams up.

Do you ever write yourself into the characters?
Yes, sometimes. In my latest release, Passion's Sacred Dance, Stacy's gallery was built around one I used to work at in college.

Is writing your full time job or are you "Keeping your day job"? So to speak.
Writing is my full time life...I don't see it as my job, so much as my calling.

If you could go back in time and meet one famous person or legend in history, who would it be?
Virginia Woolf, definitely, or if I could I'd love to live when King Arthur was said to rule and verify his existence! :)

There are millions of new books released every year. What in your mind makes yours stand out from all those millions in your genre?
As you say, there are a lot of books out there and particularly in my genre, there are a lot of authors that pilfer mythology. The problem as I see it, is too many of these authors don't seem to have respect for the mythology they're using and they cherry pick names and sometime superficial attributes, without respect for what these aspects really represent mythologically. (Eg. Sometimes the characters are so superficial that they seem like the writer thought: "Does it have horns? Oh, it must be a devil! Let's make it the villain!" When that might not be what the original cultures thought of said-figure at all) I've always tried to show respect to the stories and characters in the stories that influence me, even if I have to make a character a "villain". I've done so (or hope I have) especially here in Passion's Sacred Dance.

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? 
The days of Social media promo being a help seems to have come and gone, they're good to connect with, but they've changed so much the visibility has become an issue. But I've found that book bloggers willing to host authors is a good place start. I've had a few things in Kindle Select from time to time and find that sometimes gives me a small boost, but I know I have readers who use other things than Kindle, so I don't always feel right using it. Other than that, lowering prices from time to time helps boost your visibility.


Links so we can get people to your book sites! 


Newsletter signup at: http://bit.ly/SNI5K6

And Passion's Sacred Dance is available at:



I have a book trailer for Passion's Sacred Dance should they like to see it: 

And a page on my blog that tells a little more about the book: http://julidrevezzo.com/regarding-passions-sacred-dance/chment PASSION'S SACRED DANCE_eBook.jpg

Monday, June 22, 2015

#IndieSpotlight of Audrina Lane Author of The heart Trilogy

 Name: 
Audrina Lane

The Title of Your Work or Group: 
The Heart Trilogy which consists of the following books:
Where did your Heart go? – Published July 2013
Un-Break my Heart – Published November 2014
Closer to the Heart – Due to be published September 2015

Where are you from? 
Im from a small town called Ross-on-Wye in the county of Herefordshire in the UK.

In what genre do you write?
My genre is Chick-lit romance with an erotic twist.

.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 trilogy starts with the main character Stephanie sharing her diary from 1988 with her sixteen year old daughter. The diary reveals her Mum’s first love and the highs and low associated with it. Stephanie has been running from her memories for the last 24 years so in bringing her diary out she to re-lives her first love affair with the man she has never really moved on from. Through a strange twist her daughter Charlotte meets and falls in love with a dancer called Mitchell his Dad happens to be Stephanie’s first love James. The first book sees them meeting again after 24 years apart.

The story continues into the 2nd book as we watch the two couples relationships grow, develop and falter through the ambitions of the younger characters. Will their love survive? For Stephanie & James the threat comes from the reason for their initial break-up in 1988 – James’ now ex-wife Felicity. Other characters are introduced to tempt Charlotte away from Mitchell in the shape of her best friend Shelley and the womanising nightclub owner Zach.

The final part concludes their story and I really don’t want to give the storyline away other than to say that it is full of un-expected twists and turns.
All three books are packed full of music and film references from Top Gun and Dirty Dancing, 80’s music from Wham through to current chart toppers Rhianna and Justin Timberlake. It shows the way that long-distance relationships were harder to maintain in the late 80’s compared with the advent of technology in current years.


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 would say that my writing style varies from using first person in the trilogy for Stephanie’s story to third person for her daughter and all the other main characters. I think it gives a deeper view point to the various different stories that are going on. I do like to include some humour too!
Have you ever written anything and thought; " The world has got to see this!" ? 
 With every book I write my style is evolving and I feel improving. I have a few scenes in “Closer to the Heart” which every time I re-read them it gives me goose bumps!!


 Do you have an editor and Cover Designer or do you do this yourself? 
I have a couple of close friends that I use to read the book through for continuity and editing point of view but then I take their comments and self-edit. This is also because I can’t afford to employ an editor yet (maybe one day!) My book covers have been designed by a local graphic designer called Simon Hammond Designs – he has been fantastic and very cost effective with each cover design costing around £75. I’m hoping he might give me a discount for the next 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. 
I have a couple of favourite authors so I can’t really pick just one! Stephen King is my idol, his characters always draw me in and whether its horror, romance, crime or fantasy that he is writing he always grips me from the first line to the very end. I just hope that my characters will end up grabbing the reader just as much as his do. My newly found author is an Indie like myself – Sarah Michelle Lynch is a master at erotic romance/thrillers. Every book of hers is amazing and I am a keen reader of everything she produces.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
The thing I find challenging is writing succinctly, my novels are all rather long and need great trimming when I edit them before publishing.

Do you write your characters or do they write themselves through you? 
I think my characters tend to write themselves, I normally have an idea of their personality and looks but sometimes a situation in the book makes them change and evolve. They are always surprising me.

 Do you ever write yourself into the characters? 
Without a doubt I write parts of me into the different characters. My main character Stephanie is most definitely me as I am now and her teenage self was drawn directly from my own experiences. In fact I’ll let you into a secret that the first kiss between James and Stephanie in “Where did your Heart go?” was my actual first kiss. I even named James after my first love (don’t worry he’s flattered by it!!) Charlotte is the teenager I wished I had been and the dancer that I aspired too but never quite got there.

Is writing your full time job or are you "Keeping your day job"? So to speak.
I’d love for writing to be my full-time job but sadly it’s not. However I’m lucky enough to spend my working day surrounded by books as I work for the Library Service in Herefordshire. I hope that I will find my books on a library shelf one day!

If you could go back in time and meet one famous person or legend in history, who would it be? 
I’d love to go back in time and meet Scarlett O’Hara the heroine from the classic “Gone with the Wind” She is the type of vivacious person that I’d want to be friends with, despite her infuriating choice in men when she could have just fallen for Rhett Butler. I admire her determination to succeed despite the war and the obstacles in her way throughout the novel.

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 it’s the nostalgia not just for the 1980’s era but the feelings every girl has for their first ever boyfriend whether you’re 16 or 60! No one ever forgets their first love and it’s that fabulous thought of what if you could go back?

 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 have to admit that I never realised how hard it was to get your book out there and in front of potential readers. But my real boon was the fact that the main character Stephanie is a Radio DJ and I was able to forge friendships with the local radio station in Herefordshire whilst I was writing the first book. So after adding some of the actual DJ’s on the station into the book (as DJ’s) I was able to persuade the breakfast show DJ to allow me onto his show. What a huge plug and it boosted my sales by nearly 100 copies. It also helps that all 3 titles are also song titles so every now and then I ask for one of the songs to be played and they normally mention the fact that I’m a local author. Sorry if this is not particularly helpful in a wider sense but if you can get out there and do writer events, use your local library and meet potential readers it is undoubtedly the best way to get your books bought and read.


Links where you can find and follow Audrina's work:

Website:

Amazon.com links:
Where did your Heart go? (Book 1)

Un-Break my Heart (Book 2)

Amazon.co.uk links:
Where did your Heart go? (Book 1)

Un-Break my Heart (Book 2)

Facebook: 
Audrina Lane

The Heart Trilogy

Twitter:


Monday, June 15, 2015

#IndieSpotlight of Ira Nayman Author of The Alternative Reality News Service

Name:
 Ira Nayman

The Title of Your Work or Group: 
a) The Alternate Reality News Service (six collections of short short stories in the form of humourous fake news)
b) The Transdimensional Authority (three novels)

Where are you from?
I’m from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It’s had the potential to be the greatest city in the world for my entire life – perhaps some day it will get there.

In what genre do you write?
I dedicated myself to writing humour when I was eight years old. My Web site (Les Pages aux Folles) contains topical satire and surreal cartoons. The books I have had published in print combine humour with speculative fiction (mostly science fiction, but also occasionally fantasy and horror).

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? 

My latest Alternate Reality News Service book is called What the Hell Were You Thinking? Good Advice for People Who Make Bad Decisions. The easiest way to explain it is that it is a collection of humourous science fiction advice columns. The hardest way to explain it would, I suppose, be to suggest that you read the book.
My latest Transdimensional Authority novel is Random Dingoes. Two agents of the organization are investigating a drug ring selling something that is rumoured to allow people to see into various dimensions without the patented equipment. They work their way up the drug ring’s chain of command and are about to arrest the leader when…they are thrown out of the universe. Apparently, somebody has invented time travel; every time it is used, they get thrown back to the point where they entered the dimension. They must team up with a Time Agency agent to find and stop the time traveller before he completely unravels causality in that reality.
I cannot guarantee that you will like my books, but I can guarantee that you will not have read anything quite like them. Are you feeling adventurous?

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?
In reviews, my writing has often been compared with that of Douglas Adams. While this is flattering (after all, I’m a fan of his work), my voice and sensibility are quite different from his; better examples might be Monty Python’s Flying Circus and the Marx Brothers. At first, this may seem like an unlikely combination, but they both taught me two lessons that affect my work to this day: 1) maintain a high volume of comic elements, and; 2) use all of the comic devices at your disposal. The first point is important because the reader soon learns that if he doesn’t get a specific bit of humour, another will be along soon; as long as the reader gets most of the jokes, he won’t begrudge me some of the more topical or obscure or flat out strange ones. The second point is important because writers who use only one or two comic devices can become predictable, and surprise is one of the main characteristics of humour.

I break rules all the time. I make up words. I switch fonts mercilessly. I tear down the fourth wall and reduce the chunks to atoms. I am prepared to do anything and everything to get a laugh. I’m a writer. I’m not proud. My writing is full and rich, with lots of things going on all of the time; I am starting to have people tell me that they find things in it on the second reading that they missed the first time. Imagine how much more they’ll find on the thirty-seventh reading!

As the stories I write get longer, I find I need to know where they end, and all of the major plot points to get me there. However, because there is so much detail in the journey, I find that I have a lot of room for improvisation.

Have you ever written anything and thought; " The world has got to see this!" ? 
I have been writing for a long time; for most of that period, I didn’t put much effort into making it public. I figure my apprenticeship lasted twenty or thirty years. I am now at the point where I am confident in my ability and believe that my writing would entertain a lot of people. So, I guess the answer (immodestly) is: anything I have written in the past decade or so.

Do you have an editor and Cover Designer or do you do this yourself? 
For my self-published Alternate Reality News Service books, I designed the covers, then paid artists to execute them. The Transdimensional Authority books were published by Elsewhen Press; I suggested an initial cover design, then went back and forth with the publisher and cover artist until we were all satisfied. (It is rare for an author to be allowed input into the creation of the covers of her or his books; I am grateful to Peter Buck of Elsewhen Press for this.)

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. 
These are really two questions. My favourite author is Thomas Pynchon. His writing is a feast of words, and often riotously funny to boot. Brilliant, brilliant stuff.

However, the writer who made me want to be a writer when I read him was Art Buchwald. Here was a writer who spoke truth to power, and in a most intelligent and entertaining way. For many years, I wanted to be a newspaper humour columnist because of him (a form which would eventually work very well on the Internet). It was only when that avenue was very obviously closed to me that I started exploring writing humour in other forms for other media.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
I love just about all aspects of the writing process, so, if that is what this question is about, I would have to say no.

If this is actually a question about whether or not my writing is challenging for readers, I would say that some might not be able to keep up with all of the cultural allusions I throw into the mix. However, this shouldn’t be a major impediment to anybody enjoying my writing; as I pointed out earlier, if you miss a joke or two, another one will be along soon enough.

Do you write your characters or do they write themselves through you? 
TRUE STORY: I was talking to an actor/producer friend of mine about how we approach writing. He said he started with characters, threw them into a situation and then saw what they did. I said I started with story, theme and other ideas and developed characters who did what I needed them to do within the parameters set by those elements. He asked me what I did if the character I created didn’t want to do what the story I wanted to tell demanded. I told him that I changed the character. He shrieked, “YOU CAN’T DO THAT!” But, of course, I can.

Whatever gets you to the end of the work works. Readers don’t know (and, let’s be honest, most don’t care) about the process by which you wrote something. All they care about is whether or not they enjoy it.

Do you ever write yourself into the characters? 
Arguably, every character in a writer’s work is a different aspect of who they are. But, no, I don’t consciously create characters who are just like me. If anything, I try to create characters who are not like me; frankly, that’s a more enjoyable exercise of my imagination.

Is writing your full time job or are you "Keeping your day job"? So to speak.
Writing is my full time job. But, then, I have a very supportive patron.

If you could go back in time and meet one famous person or legend in history, who would it be? 
The man who invented the Q-Tip. There’s genius there.

There are millions of new books released every year. What in your mind makes yours stand out from all those millions in your genre? 
Actually, there are only two or three humourous science fiction books published every year. Even if I’m the worst of the bunch (and, I do not believe I am), my books would still be in the top five!

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 wish! I’m still struggling with that issue, as we all are.



Link to find and follow Ira's work:


WEB SITE: Les Pages aux Folles





FACEBOOK WRITER’S/FAN/WHATEVER PAGE: Ira Nayman’s Thrishty Friednishes 





Monday, June 8, 2015

#IndieSpotlight of Tricia Bailey Author of Midnight Robber

Name

Tricia Bailey 

The title of your book:
Midnight Robber

Where are you from:
Trinidad and Tobago 

What Genre gets to claim you:
Romance/suspense 

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?
In this book you will find a girl caught up with a bad boy that explores. It's a short story fill with love and yet it have a twist to it.

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 write down as soon as I get an idea and later edit and remove what I want. I am new to all of this. 

Have you ever written anything and thought; " The world has got to see this!" ?
Yes I want them to feel how I feel when I am writing.

Do you have an editor and Cover Designer or do you do this yourself?
No, not yet but I'm working on it!

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 don't have a favorite author. I read alot of various books from different people who just started because I think you get a better glimace at the author and there true feelings.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Yes, POV I mix up myself sometimes. Lol

Do you write your characters or do they write themselves through you?
No not really, but sometimes I find myself emotionally connected with the characters. So I write against.

Do you ever write yourself into the characters?
No, because of my 11 answer.

Is writing your full time job or are you "Keeping your day job"? So to speak.
No, I will keep my day job thank you. Writing is my hobby.

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


There are millions of new books released every year. What in your mind makes yours stand out from all those millions in your genre?
Because everyone has a different story to tell. So others can share in your thoughts.

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?
No, if I find one I will let you know.


Links to find and follow Tricia's Work:

Blog:


Amazon Page: amazon.com/author/triciabailey

Purchase on Amazon:

Monday, June 1, 2015

#IndieSpotlight of Marjorie Doering Author of The Ray Schiller Series

Name:


Marjorie Doering (Pen name: Marjorie Swift Doering)



The Title of Your Work or Group: The Ray Schiller Series:

Dear Crossing
Shadow Tag
Targeted

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 started out in the S.E. corner of Wisconsin and have slowly migrated to the the N.W. side of the state.

In what genre do you write?
Mystery/police procedural although I’ve written many, many short stories in everything from romance to horror.
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?
“You’ve gotta read it!” – Okay, beyond that, if we’re talking about Shadow Tag, Book 2 in the series, and I weren’t the author, I’d say: “This guy, Ray Schiller, leaves his two, young daughters and estranged wife to take a job as a homicide detective two hours away in Minneapolis. He wouldn’t have done that, but he’s really torn about his relationship with his wife and needs to put some distance between them for a while. Besides, it means getting the chance to tie up some loose ends from a case he recently worked on. The wife of a Minneapolis executive had been murdered in the couple’s summer home.

Anyway, just about the time Ray solved that case, her husband was found dead in the ACC boardroom in the Cities. It looks like suicide—the board members insist that’s what it was, but Ray and his new partner knew the exec from having investigated his wife’s case and neither of them buys the Board’s story.

They figure they’re getting stonewalled, but not just by the Board of Directors. There’s another executive who stood to gain from his death, or it could be the guy’s young, hot-looking administrative assistant, or even one of the security guards. They all have opportunity and plausible motives.

The case is heating up when Ray’s called back home after his seven-year-old daughter is seriously hurt. He and his wife are thrown together at the hospital for a couple of days, and just about the time you think Ray’s marriage problems are going to get worked out, well…think again.

Ray goes back to the Cities and just as he and his partner figure out who the killer is, the tables get turned and… Well, I won’t tell you the end. You’ll have to find out for yourself.
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 don’t outline. I pretty much refuse to do that unless the timing of events is so intricate that I need to see it laid out so I can shuffle things around. On the other hand, I don’t fly by the seat of my pants—no propeller back there. I have to know, ahead of time, how the story starts, where it’s headed and how it’s going to end. That’s not to say that’s how it winds up, but I can’t begin without having a basic plan for the beginning, middle, and end.

Have you ever written anything and thought; " The world has got to see this!" ?
No, it’s more like: OMG, what’s everyone going to think? I’m kidding…more or less. Actually, I would be thrilled to have the whole world to read my stories, but while they’re very entertaining, they aren’t meant to have earth-shaking ramifications. I write because I enjoy it and want others to enjoy what I write. It’s that simple.

Do you have an editor and Cover Designer or do you do this yourself?
As a college grad with a degree in English, I’ve done my own editing so far. Even so, I’m seriously considering having the next story edited professionally. That’s the sort of thing you learn from life experience rather than a diploma. As for my cover designs, those are done by professionals. Three covers—two cover designers.
Here’s a little heads-up. In an effort to brand my books as a series, I’m currently having a third designer work her magic on my covers. It’s a work in progress right now.

 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 a lot of favorites, so one doesn’t stand out, especially since I enjoy more than one genre. There’s Sandford, Hoag, King, Koontz, Freeman. If anything, having more than one favorite helped me realize it’s important that my writing sounds like “me”—my style, whatever that is. Variety, as they say, is the spice of life!

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Oh, yes! To keep moving along quickly. I tend to agonize over every word, sentence, and paragraph. I know it’s stupid, but it’s still a real stumbling block for me.

Do you write your characters or do they write themselves through you?
I pop them out of a mold I’ve made up for them in my head, but once I set them free, they take charge occasionally, sometimes at very unexpected moments.

Do you ever write yourself into the characters?
Little bits and pieces, but nothing major.

Is writing your full time job or are you "Keeping your day job"? So to speak.
I’m retired, thankfully, but now I often spend more time in front of my computer than I ever did daily when I was receiving a paycheck.

If you could go back in time and meet one famous person or legend in history, who would it be?
Too many choices. Don’t make me go there. Ha!

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’m weird—not seriously weird, but I think I have a quirky imagination that tends to lead elements of my stories in surprising directions. Readers can probably expect to experience one or two I-didn’t-expect-that moments when they read my stories. At least, I hope so.

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?
This is one, right, Nicole? Actually, I’m still trying to feel my way along like most other Indies. If I find something miraculous, you better believe I’ll pass it along!

Now give me your links so we can get people to your book sites!




Purchase from Amazon: