Ever heard of Camelot? What about Avalon? Do you believe they were real? What if I told you they were? Book 2 is Free.

  Ever heard of Camelot? What about Avalon? Do you believe they were real? What if I told you they were? What if I told you that King Arthur, Merlin, Lancelot, Guinevere, Morgan Le fey and the lady of the lake were nothing more than a very powerful, very dysfunctional family? At this point, you are probably imagining every version of Arthur and his famed sword you have ever seen, read or heard. You are wondering which version this one is based on. Anyone who is familiar with the various Arthur/Merlin based legends Will have their own views on who they think was good and who they think was evil. They will have their own beliefs on what they think actually happened.

  To those people I say; Forget everything you think you know right now. I'm serious. Whatever you have seen, heard or read is probably way off base. The Avalon Legacies is the story of one infamously powerful family that made one devastating mistake after another. A family that fell so epically from grace with The Goddess that she cursed their entire race, cast them out of their magical home in Avalon and slammed it's gates closed to earth until the day that they are able to redeem themselves. With no one left to continue the Fey teachings and the Christian Crusades spreading across Europe, mankind's ability to wield magic on this planet slowly disappeared. The histories of a once great King, noble family and wondrously magical race were slowly reduced to nothing more than legends and fairy tales. So much so, that most of the descendants of this great family don't even know who they are or that they are supposed to be redeeming themselves and the ones who do know have either hidden it, faked their death or have been on this fruitless quest for so long that they have lost the ability to think rationally.

  The Avalon Legacies is not your everyday tale of good and evil. There is no straight black and white but instead, an everlasting gray area. Those you think are evil, may not be. Those you think are good, may not be and those who started off good may change due to their experience and vice versa. There are five legacies. Each one follows this family as they are tasked with each step toward redemption. With every step forward, they see only more steps. Behind every door, there always seems to be another and don't think that this path to redemption only leads back to Arthur and his family. Each legacy goes deeper and deeper into the past. Every creation was the direct result of something that happened to the creator. ( God or Goddess)  Whatever creator that may be.

  The events that lead up to earth's first and forgotten Apocalypse, were set into motion long before God ever created earth. This family discovers that not only are they tasked with fixing the mistakes of their forefathers that lead to the death of magic on this planet but that some of those mistakes may have been manipulated by other creators. They discover that the creation of their race was directly related to a many century old feud between two of what the family finds out are many, many, many creators. The secrets that this family unearths during their quest will one day re write all that ever was and all that ever will be. If they can survive standing up to even the most stubborn and pigheaded creators in existence. That is.

Get Book 1 for $1.00 Now

Ailis has spent her life pretending she didn't have powers and that things did not go bump in the night. Ailis is now a homicide detective. She is very good at her job and she's pretty sure the serial murders her unit is investigating aren't being committed by a human. In walks the most gorgeous man she's ever seen. What’s wrong with that? Ailis not only knows he's a vampire. she also knows he's the one draining child molesters and murderers and leaving an empty carcass for her to find. Her investigation unearths secrets about her ancestors that take her back to Camelot and the time of King Arthur and Merlin so she can right a wrong committed by her family hundreds of years ago. Can she trust this strange, lonely vampire to help her solve a mystery that could very well end up with her being life challenged herself? 

  Dangerously attractive vampire, Kenneth has been around long enough to know there are no such things as coincidences. When he meets the undeniably strong willed homicide detective Ailis, he knows there's a good explanation as to why she looks identical to his long dead fiance. He just has to figure out what that might be. When his one hundred year nemesis shows up in Miami and tries to force Ailis to join him, Kenneth realizes her powers are worth something to even the worst of his kind. He pledges to protect her as long as he is still breathing. If those trying to keep her from fulfilling her destiny have anything to do about it, that won’t be long at all.

Reviewers Thoughts.

“I am really looking forward to the second book.” Diane C. Stanton

“Filled with action and suspense, one of the best paranormal romances I've read this year.”  P.J. Storm 

“This book is a draw you in tantalizing Novel you will start to read and realize you have lost yourself in it and can't put it down until you know every little detail.”

Mama Dukes 

Buy from Amazon

Legacy Foretold Book 2 is Free today.

  It's been over twenty years since Ailis began her tedious quest to right the terrible wrongs her ancestors mistakes caused to not just earth but Avalon. Just when she and Kenneth are back in Avalon and it's gates are once again open to their people, they get wind of a Legacy. It seems there is to be a final test from their goddess. It seems she will need proof that they have learned from the terrible mistakes of Merlin, King Arthur and Morgaine. If the test is failed, they will lose their home forever. Only this time, it is their children that will be tested. Ailis and Kenneth can only prepare them and then stand by, knowing they cannot interfere while their home, people's lives and the lives of one or both of their children are at stake. Will Ailis and her family finally make up for the atrocities of her ancestors or will they lose it all and be forced out of their home with no hope of ever being one with their maker again? 

  Karma has a very important job. A job that comes with the gift of Excalibur. A job she never wanted. Karma is the Assassin of the Goddess and is charged with hunting supernatural beings that don't follow the rules. She is becoming more and more convinced that Excalibur has powers of his own. Karma and X, as she calls him, are a team. Together, they are invincible. 

She also has a family legacy that consumes her every waking thought. Karma is supposed to be watching for a deceiver. Someone she will want to trust but shouldn't and is in a constant state of confusion. She does not know what the right choice is and is terrified of failing her entire species. Her parent's risked everything to save Avalon and if she makes one false move according to her legacy, she will undue all that they have accomplished. This time however; it will be permanent. The goddess has given her family one last chance to right their wrongs. 

  Can Karma control her infamous temper or will she succumb to the same fate as her ancestor, Morgaine?

Read a review. 5 Stars "Keeps getting better!"

Review of Revenge of the Pumpkins by Lacey Lane

   This little short story caught me by surprise. At first, I was thinking how cute it was and was wondering when the revenge part would go down but I didn't have to wait long. Once the pumpkins start in, there is little time to even think before you are thrust into everyone worst Halloween nightmare. This is not normally the type of story I like to read but it was short so I figured I's give it a try. I'm so glad that I did. Lacey has succeed in writing about a scenario that I'd never even thought of which rarely happens. It was a welcomed change and I would give any other Short story or novel that Lacey writes a chance just to see if they are as unique as this one. Also, its free an you can't beat free.

#IndieSpotlight of Alice de Sturler Author of Short Stories and Flash Fiction

Name: 

Alice de Sturler

The Title of Your Work:

 "Short Stories & Flash Fiction" 

Where are you from? 

New River Valley, Virginia but originally from the Netherlands.

In what genre do you write?

 Crime/Flash Fiction 

In your own words, what is your book about? 

In this book you will find the first pieces of flash fiction that I ever wrote and two (long) short stories. All deal with crime, regrets, redemption, anxiety, and justice. Not necessarily in that order though. This book shows you what goes on in my mind when I hear or see something. Sounds, smells, and scenes can quickly morph into stories.

What is your writing style? 

I am a writer-in-learning so everything is "write it down as soon as inspiration hits me before I forget." I save it and come back to it later to edit or delete. I am working on getting into a writing routine and having a structure for my next book.

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

Yes but that mostly involved unsolved homicide case reviews which are posted on my blog.

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

It is all me so you will find mistakes.

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 do not have one favorite author. I read a lot of books from various authors whose stories are set in Victorian London before it had a proper sewage system with forensic science in its infancy. So it is pretty much barehanded autopsies and slipping on feces.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? 

Yes, the POV. When I write it down it makes sense to me as I see who is talking in my head. Making that clear to the reader is a real challenge.

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

I am not there yet where the character takes over. For the flash fiction and short stories, there were too many different ones in too short a setting. My next book is a full length crime fiction novel and there the characters have started to emerge. For example, the butler didn't want to be the killer so he is one of the good guys.

Do you ever write yourself into the characters? 

Most likely all the characters have something from me but none is a carbon copy of me.

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

I am keeping the day job, yes. Being a freelance writer and blog coach is not just a job. It is exciting to see others put their thoughts on virtual paper. I like to help others by proofreading their work or by helping them with plot development. 

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

There's quite a number of people I'd like to talk to if that was possible. I guess I'd pick King Richard III and ask him what happened to his nephews and whose bones were found under the stairs in the Tower of London. A close second would be the prisoner in the iron mask as described by Alexandre Dumas. What did you do or observe that got the Minister of War all worked up? 

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

Wow, not a clue to be honest. I am an unpolished author. English isn't my first language (Dutch is), I did not study English (I studied Law), and I have no formal training as a writer. The only field training I have comes from my blog about unsolved homicides: Defrosting Cold Cases. I guess that I am a "project" for a reader to keep an eye on and to observe if there is any improvement in later works. 

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? 

If I find it I will let you know, promise.

Links to find, follow and generally stalk Alice's writing:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/vidocq_cc

Blogs: http://yourblogcoach.com/ and http://www.defrostingcoldcases.com/

SmashWords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/Vidocq

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/zeigler-through-vidsters-eyes-vidocq/1109674630?ean=2940013298811

#IndieSpotlight of Raymond Clarke Author of Equivocal Destines

Name: 

Raymond Clarke

The Title of Your Work or Group: 

Equivocal Destines (book 1 of the Upheaving Nidola series)

Where are you from?

Born in Perth, Western Australia. Choosing to live in Warsaw, Poland. Even I don't know why. It's probably Chutney, my dog. Maybe my fiance. Who knows...

In what genre do you write?

I'm indie published in fantasy (the book above) and 20% of the way through book 2 but I'm also 40% of the way through a Y.A. fantasy and in pre-planning for a sci-fi. I'll probably stick to these 3 genres for the most part.

In your own words, what is your book about?

Book 1 of my series is very much an open, fantasy/adventure tale about a boy - Taal - who does the very boyish thing of following the pretty girl and ends up a long way from home and in a lot of trouble. It's a world ruled by elemental magic and devastated by hordes of magically-transformed creatures that seem to be hell-bent on humanity's destruction. Taal though is just looking for a way to improve his crappy life and ends up changing the world.

I really don't like comparing books, but strictly to get an idea of the context, think LOTR but with a significantly different magical focus and style.

It's hard for me to tell you what the book's about, or even what it's like, because Equivocal Destines is a fairly open fantasy/adventure tale and it gets more layered and complex in book 2, but I shouldn't give away any spoliers.

What is your writing style?

I think that anyone who just sits down and starts writing will end up with an incoherent mess that they'll have to constantly rewrite as they have new ideas. Well, at least in my genre and if they're writing complex tomes with multi-layered plots to keep it interesting.

My style is a mix between no planning and thorough planning. I have a 50-page outline document for the series (with character profiles, magic profiles, 10 pages of plot outline bullet points, etc) but 75% of it is filled in as I write. I plan the outline at a high level, add in all of the critical sections/scenes and enough of the plot that I know how to proceed to the end. Then, when writing, I fill in all of the details, highlight anything that's not in my plan and go back later to add the details I invent on the fly to my plan. I wrote a blog post about my method actually: https://raymondclarkeauthor.wordpress.com/2015/02/15/on-literary-markup-languages/

I think planning too much restricts creativity (which I like to think I have in abundance) but planning nothing would just create a meandering mess (which I could easily do too, unfortunately).

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

Not so much. I'm not that type of person. I have written a bunch of scenes, and even 1-liners, into Equivocal Destines that made me laugh out loud in the cafe when I wrote it, and I'm really proud of myself for being that funny/creative. There's a few scenes in there that make me laugh, and even surprise me, every time I rediscover them.

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

Do it myself? Hell no! You never find your own mistakes. I'm lucky enough to have friends who are really good at these things. I know 2 excellent artists (a friend and my fiance's brother actually) who did the map and cover art (respectively). If not, I would have had to just pay someone to do them. I also sent out my book to 4 informal editors, 2 of whom actually did their jobs properly, and on time. They found soooo many typos and tiny errors that I believe proper editing is simply a necessity. I was lucky enough to not have to pay for it, but my book would have been junk without 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.

Oh, an easy one:

* David Farland's Daily Kick in the Pants emails are a necessity for any author to read. That came later, but it can't be understated.

* Terry Pratchett. Because - der

* Peter V. Brett. I once read about how he wrote his first book mostly on a laptop (I think) on the metro. Slowly and painfully, but he got it done, and it's an excellent book.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Well, time to write, as everyone says. Also, writing short, strangely. I can be wordy. 110k words is easier for me that keeping it concise, which I probably should try harder at. I like to think those are 110k mostly-good words, but still. Dialog, apparently. I don't have a problem writing believable, natural dialog. I just don't do it enough. Apparently.

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

Most definitely #2. Half of my characters in Equivocal Destines literally named themselves even. My character Gruff, for example. I wrote "Their instructor, like most of his practice weapons, had seen better days. Everyone just called him", without knowing what his name would be. Then, without even pausing, I wrote "Gruff, because he was". And so the character was named Gruff. I stopped in the cafe and wondered where it'd even come from. My fans like Gruff though. He's gruff. That happened a number of times. I've seen my characters develop in ways I wasn't planning, and I've had to go back and update my planning document to accommodate their unexpected growth. I think it makes for a more natural, believable tale.

Do you ever write yourself into the characters?

I think this is a common trap for authors, so I did it deliberately, but I spread parts of myself across 3 characters, and not Taal, the main protagonist. I figured, I can't beat it, so join it, but channel it away from the main story arc.

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

Back in Australia I worked as a network administrator for a bank. Here in Poland I teach business English. They're polar opposites, but I think both are really helpful to my writing. If I became wildly successful as an author I think I'd continue teaching English, but with fewer lessons. It gives me much-needed, daily structure.

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

You know, I'm more of a forward thinker. There's a thousand people I'd love to meet who are all still alive today. Speculating on those who've already done isn't as helpful to me as Twitter-stalking people who I could actually annoy in real life :p

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

Before indie publishing my book I would have been frank and said "Probably nothing. I just have to hope for the best". Now I know better. There's millions of books out there but I've been reading a bunch of the indie books published on the same day as mine (Amazon groups them together initially, for lack of a better grouping system for unknown works) and 75% of them are illiterate junk. Don't get me wrong, a few of those other books were really good, but most aren't worth paying for. What makes mine better? I'll be rude and say, a modest talent for words, the ability to spell and various mechanical things like that. That, however, isn't a reason to buy my book, it's only a reason to be careful what you buy in more general terms.

So what sets my book apart? My feedback so far says I've written a book that's really entertaining, flows well and keeps people interested. My book's new, so I'm happy with that for now. I hope it's enough to convince others to give it a try.

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? 

nope :( Ideas?

Well, my blog's slowly, grudgingly, picking up steam. Apparently I write very honestly on it, which people seem to appreciate. I doubt it's leading to sales (yet) though.

Links to find, follow and generally stalk Raymond's writing: ;P 

Facebook Pages:

* https://www.facebook.com/RClarkeAuthor

* https://www.facebook.com/EquivocalDestines

* https://www.facebook.com/UpheavingNidola

Twitter:

* https://twitter.com/RClarkeAuthor

Blog:

* https://raymondclarkeauthor.wordpress.com/

Amazon:

#IndieSpotlight of Katherine E. Hamilton Author of The Unfading Lands

Name: 

 

Katharine E. Hamilton

The Title of Your Work or Group: 

The Unfading Lands 

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. 

A ranch in the heart of brush country in South Texas.

In what genre do you write?

Fiction/Fantasy/Epic

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 Unfading Lands is about the good and evil within us all. A Realm is faced with a terrifying threat of darkness, and several kingdoms will need to unite to overcome it. But the enemy takes many shapes and forms. It makes you think on a deeper level about the temptation of darkness, whether it be a physical being or inner struggle.

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.

 When I sit down to write, I like to think I have a plan. I map out a small web of key events and characters, but I have quickly found that once you start typing the story and your characters start to take on a shape of their own. I scrapped my ending twice once the story began to develop in its own way. So I, myself, had great intentions of being an organized writer, but was taken on an adventure while writing it and it becomes a tangled web you sort out while you type. It’s a blast to see how things develop. 

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

I actually feel this way about this particular book. I’ve published children’s books in the past, and yes, they have positive messages. But this book takes young adults and adults through deeper issues of self-reflection… but in a cool way. It’s one of those books that can be interpreted in multiple ways. So far, just hearing how people feel about it or what they think will happen next (because this is the first in a series of 3) has been so fun, because they read so much into small things. It makes me steeple my fingers and want to cackle. ;)

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

For this work, I DID have an editor and a Cover Designer. My editor was fantastic! I am a stickler when it comes to proper grammar, but even I miss things. And she found EVERYTHING. Haha. But hey, that’s why I asked her to do it. 

My Cover Designer is actually my sister. She is a graphic designer and she actually handles all of my website graphics as well. She read the manuscript in its early stages and I told her to just come up with something. Little did I know, that she would design a cover that fit PERFECTLY with the book as well as the vibe I was going for. She’s sort of nailed every project I’ve requested from her. It’s awesome.

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 several favorite authors… I think to choose just one would be like asking me to choose my favorite candy. Almost impossible. Haha. But the two books I have read that made me realize I wanted to write were:

The Portrait of a Lady, by Henry James

This Present Darkness, by Frank Peretti

Yes, they could not be MORE different. BUT, both books do impact the way I write. I love the structure of Henry James, his eloquent writing style, and his strong female characters. Isabell Archer is extraordinarily written, and a power house. I LOVE that. With Frank Peretti, he brings out the good vs. evil motif in all his books. The spiritual warfare that goes on within the world and within the person. I love that particular idea, and have modeled my own writing after it. He leaves you thinking and reflecting with every single one of his works. 

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

One thing that surprised me while writing this particular book is how hard it is to kill someone. Yes, killing people. ;) When you are attached to a character, it is hard to not only let them go, but also to write HOW you are letting them go. I cried while writing a death scene, because I did not want to see the character leave, but I also knew it would add a little something extra to the book and the series later on. I would like to think it makes the scene more touching too, because I’m grieving the loss just as much as the other characters.

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

When I first started writing out the temperaments and characteristics of each of my characters, they were pretty concrete. But again, once you start typing, the story starts taking on a complete mind of its own. And several of my characters turned out to be more in depth or more intriguing than originally planned. Certain characters that I did not intend to have a strong role in this book, ended up being forces to be reckoned with. It’s fun to see how they develop.

 Do you ever write yourself into the characters? 

ALL. THE. TIME. Within this particular book, I relate with Princess Elizabeth. A LOT. Her attitude is pretty similar to mine and her spirit. But I also like to write in a little wit through other characters. That’s the luxury of writing. You may not show that side of yourself in reality, but you can sure pour it into your characters. It’s sometimes quite therapeutic. Haha.

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

At the moment, I do still have a day job. I am one of those people who needs to stay busy. Constantly. My hope is that one day I can be a full time writer. In fact, that is definitely my goal. I love the industry. I love creating. It’s more my style than being in an office. I’m a little too free-spirited to be in an office all day. ;)

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

That is a hard question. There is a HUGE list. I think the obvious ones would be: Jesus. Abe Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin would be cool too… you know, the early presidents... Then maybe Marilyn Monroe. Wouldn’t mind meeting Grace Kelly. There’s too many cool people out there.  But I will narrow it down to my literary figure I would love to meet. And that would be Geoffrey Chaucer. The man was a genius. Witty, sarcastic, and not afraid to speak his mind. I think he would be quite a character and keep me laughing. 

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

One thing that stands out to me is the purity of it. A lot of what hits the market nowadays contains language, sex, and unspeakable crimes that just make some readers shift uncomfortably. Not all readers. And not all of those books are bad. It just seems there is a lot of it out there. The Unfading Lands still has drama, romance, battles, mystery, and adventure, but there’s a purity to it. There are no curse words, there are no scandalous sex scenes. There is a clear line drawn between what is good and what is evil without the saturation of indecent content. I want the book to appeal to every reader, young and old. Those who wish for romance, will find it. Those who wish for war and battle scenes, will find it. I write what I want to read. I prefer books that portray a moral standard, and that is what I write. Not to say I don’t enjoy books that are written with different standards every now and then. It is just not how I prefer to write. 

 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? 

Two words. SOCIAL MEDIA. 

I cannot tell you how beneficial social media has been! It’s incredible. You can now reach thousands of people with a click of a button.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. ALL of these platforms can help an author spread their name and work. Utilize these tools. Don’t be intimidated by them. 

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

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Katharine-E-Hamilton/282475125097433

Twitter: @AuthorKatharine

Blog: On website below

Website: www.katharinehamilton.com

Amazon: 

#IndieSpotlight of Rebecca Jaycox Author of The Other Inheritance

Name:

 Rebecca Jaycox

The Title of Your Work or Group:

The Other Inheritance

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’m from Berryman, Missouri, which is a tiny town located in the Mark Twain National forest. I currently live in NYC.

In what genre do you write? 

YA fantasy, but I’m planning to branch out into UF and steampunk.

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 Other Inheritance is about Reggie; a girl struggling to make it through her every day life. Her mother is an alcoholic, and her father went missing when she was young. All she wants is to be normal, but then she starts bringing dead things back to life. Reggie discovers her whole life has been a lie as her father wasn’t from this reality, but from a world known as the Other, and she’s inherited his magical abilities. Her father’s killer is after her, and she has to cross over into the Other to find her father’s best friend who has promised to protect her. Her guide is Asher, a hot guy with a lot of secrets and who may or may not be trustworthy. Magic, mayhem, romance, and betrayal ensue.

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?

Hmm, that’s a tough question. I do a bit of both. For The Other Inheritance, I outlined the first half and flew by the seat of my pants for the second half. I’m currently working on the sequel, and I haven’t outlined anything. I’m relying on my brain to keep all my notes in order. I don’t know yet if that’s a good decision. I may have to give up and rely on outlining instead.

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

I’ve written things and thought, “This is good enough for the world to see.” I don’t know if I’ve quite built the confidence yet to say, “The world has got to see this!” But I’m working on it.  

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

Rocking Horse Publishing edited my manuscript and designed my cover. My cover is amazing! They did such a wonderful job!

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. 

You know, as much as I love to read, that moment came from a film and not from a book. Star Wars made me want to write. I knew when I watched the film that was all I wanted to do. Writers who have helped inspire me along the way: Colleen McCullough, Patricia Briggs, Judy Blume, Neil Gaiman, Ilona Andrews, Maggie Stiefvater, and Frank Herbert to name a few. There are tons more.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Sure, making myself actually sit down and write! Keeping a schedule is terribly difficult, especially when you work full time. Discipline is something I still struggle with daily.

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

Both. My favorite character in The Other Inheritance, Brwyn, definitely wrote through me. He was a late addition, and boy did he have a lot to say!

Do you ever write yourself into the characters? 

There is a little bit of me in Reggie, but I was never that cool.

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

I’m definitely keeping my day job for now. I aspire to be a full time writer.

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

Catherine de Medici. That was one formidable woman.

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

Wow, you ask the hard questions! For me, Reggie stands out. Yeah, she’s the typical spunky heroine you find in YA fantasy fiction, but she’s unique in the fact that in a lot of ways she’s an adult. She doesn’t angst over a lot. Reggie processes, comes up with a plan, and deals. She applies that same philosophy to pretty much every aspect of her life from dealing with her alcoholic mother to being in love for the first time.

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? 

Doing interviews on blogs like yours is very helpful! I’ve found blog tours and online events a great way to get word out about your book as well. I have also found places online to advertise your book at a reasonable cost.

Sites to follow:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RebeccaLJaycox

Twitter: @RebeccaJaycox 

Amazon Author Page: 

http://www.amazon.com/Rebecca-Jaycox/e/B00PKTVDOS/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Purchase from Amazon:

#indiespotlight of L.J. Samuel @CrimeDoc1213 Author of Dear Diary

Name:

 L.J. Samuel

The Title of Your Work or Group:

 Dear Diary 

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.  

Planet Earth, with some stops in Antigua, Toronto, East Lansing, Columbia, and Washington, DC.

In what genre do you write? 

Crime Fiction/Mystery

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? 

Dear Diary is a gripping, enthralling tale of murder in the Nation’s Capital which reveals dangerous parallels in the lives of the victim and Dr. Samantha Harris, the beautiful and brainy detective whose life unravels as she fights to solve the homicide and save herself.

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 very tactile so I actually write all my ideas down in a notebook before I get on the computer. I did not use an outline with this first book and allowed things to happen organically. I changed things around and developed a detailed outline for the follow-up book to Dear Diary which will be a part of a series.

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

Dear Diary, of course!

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

I did all the editing myself.  When I first started, I actually hired an editor but the person was a little unprofessional and took months and months to get back to me so I tackled the job myself.  I will find a more reliable person next time around as it is always better to have someone that is removed from the work to review it with a fresh set of eyes.  As for the cover, yes, I definitely hired someone for the design.  He is a super talented Graphics Artist by the name of Joel Davis. 

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 love authors whose writing is poetic, take their craft seriously (which evidenced by the research and detail put into their work), and are clever all at the same time.  For this reason, I couldn’t just pick one.  I adore Ken Follett and could read Pillars of the Earth 100 times over.  I really enjoy Rys Bowen, who writes clever little mysteries set in Wales. And my last favorite author is JA Jance who not only is a great writer but features strong, female protagonists which I am partial to. 

 Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

I try to schedule regular time to write everyday but sometimes there is nothing there.  Nothing.  A big void.  That’s when I really question myself.  

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

Good question.  It depends on the depth of the character and how much they add to the story.  I think it is more of the former, I write the characters based on experiences, people I know, and what I think is the perfect fit at the moment.

Do you ever write yourself into the characters? 

Absolutely. There are definitely pieces of my personality in my characters.  That’s why they’re so cool!

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

I am a Criminologist.  If I could pay my mortgage and have enough left over to buy doggy treats for my pup, I would love to write full-time.

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

Jesus.  He was the most profound thinker and used stories to teach.  As writers, we want to entertain but I also think it is important to teach some sort of lesson as well.

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

Since I am a Criminologist and I actually work in the crime field, my writing is authentic.  I know of what I write.  It is not something I pulled from a book or researched on the web.  I live it.  This authenticity sets my work apart from others so that the story is not forced.

I also want to use my books to highlight important social and justice issues.  For example, Dear Diary examines spousal abuse.  I want to bring awareness to issues, start a dialogue, and hopefully effect change.

 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? 

Let’s see, I am still trying to figure that out.  I use social media (Facebook and Twitter), I started a blog, and try to speak to people about my book whenever I get a chance.  After more than two months into this process, I would say that the writing was the easy part. ;)

I joined a couple of writing groups via Meet-up and that has been super helpful.  Meeting with like-minded people going through a similar process is comforting and depending on where they are in the process or their level of success, this can be a really good way to get fresh ideas on how to market your book.

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

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/deardiarythenovel

Twitter: @CrimeDoc1213

Blog: www.youhavetherighttoremaininformed.wordpress.com

Purchase Link: www.createspace.com/4441219

Here is a customer review on Amazon:

5.0 out of 5 stars A story on crime, love, justice and vindication!, December 31, 2014 

By VeggieLoversLikeMe (LAUREL, MD USA) 

This review is from: Dear Diary (Kindle Edition) 

Dr. LJ is an awesome story teller. Her ability to describe places and emotions is refreshing. Her book, Dear Diary, shows how people are interconnected through the 'human experience' and their desire for love and happiness.