Wednesday, September 30, 2009

**INTERVIEW #2 with Author MORGAN FITZSIMONS**

It is an honor, and with great pleasure to Interview Author Morgan Fitzsimons.
Author of: "BUTTERFINGERS and SECRETS"
Dedicated to Me, in recognition of my work with Special Needs children.
I am Truly honored, and grateful. Thank you Morgan & God Bless!
Morgan Fitzsimons/Artist/Teacher/Author
INTERVIEW
Geri: Is writing a passion, a stress-reliever, or both?
Morgan: I just have a vivid imagination, which is colured by painting, so I love
to write it all down, as well as paint it.
Geri: Do you write everyday?
Morgan: Yes! In between painting, but more usually in the night.
Geri: How many book-signings have you been to?
Morgan: I haven't yet in the USA, until I go to visit my son.
Geri: How do you promote your book?
Morgan: I leave that to Fitztown, but we have a lot of websites, and in the
UK, I go to the libraries and schools to help get youngsters
interested in writing.
Geri: Have you written books in different genres?
Morgan: Yes! Romance, Fantasy, Science fiction, Education and Children's
Stories with illustrations.
Geri: Do you plan on writing a book every year?
Morgan: I write more than a book in a year. I like to have several running
at the same time, and as the inspiration takes me, I write.
There are four others out with BUTTERFINGERS AND SECRETS.
ALKARA KEEPERS, LORD OF THE GLADES, THE TIMEWEAVERS,
and LADY OF THE MOON. Currently, I am finishing THE LAST
ENCHANTER, which will be going to Fitztown this week. THE
WATCHER TRIOLOGY, Celtic mystery in the past and today,
one and two will be finished soon. I have several others in the
pipeline. Also, in the next month, some of the children's HIDDEN
GATE TALES will be available, and the FitzTown Chronicles for
children will begin. There will be another about Maisy from
BUTTERFINGERS AND SECRETS, titled BROKEN WING, perhaps
by Christmas.
Geri: What has inspired you the most to write?
Morgan: People in my past and present family, plus the need of many people
for interesting, action-filled romantic adventures that are
presented in an easy format for reading. I am disturbed by some of
the current trends for heroes, who are villains such as vampires,
or serial killers. I come from an age, when heroes were just that,
and were something to aspire to be, and I think many of us
would like to see that again. Reading can be something to lift us
out of our circumstances and for a brief time, sail on some
enchanted ship to a place where we can empathise with the hero,
or the heroine and come back down to earth, refreshed and ready
to tackle our circumstances again. The books I read as a girl,
always did that for me, and I hope I can make some little
contribution to that today. I can certainly forget my disabilities
when writing them, so perhaps, readers will feel the same. People
in need are the ones who inspire me the most.
Geri: Thank you kindly for today's interview. You are an inspiration to many.
Welcome back, and I wish you much success.
Morgan: You're welcome.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

*INTERVIEW with Author AIDA OSMANI*

It is an honor, and with great pleasure to interview Author Aida Osmani
today.
Author of: "From The Ruins"
Subtitle: "A Daughter, A Refugee, An American Soldier"
Genre: Non-fiction
INTERVIEW
Geri: Did a special person in your life inspire you to write?
Aida: My mother, and my father were my inspiration, who
are some of the main characters in the book. I also
had many inspirations while serving in the United
States Army, as well as mentors who have encouraged
me to write this book.
Geri: Who is your favorite author?
Aida: My all time favorite authors are Thomas Mann, and
Ayn Rand, but there are so many great authors with
great books that I enjoy reading. Books influence me
in many ways, even the way I think or feel, and they
helped me grow and develop through my life, which
I truly appreciate.
Geri: How did you feel the first time you were published?
Aida: I was so afraid, and nervous. The story I wrote is very
personal in nature, and as much as I wanted to bring
people into my world, I wasn't sure if I could handle
negative criticism. I didn't write FROM THE RUINS,
because I consider myself a good writer. I wrote it,
because I had something to say. I wasn't sure if the
book is well written, or if anyone would enjoy it.
Although I had a lot of mixed feelings, I still felt that
I had to publish this book. It was almost my relief from
pain, regrets, and thoughts I carried with me for many
years.
Geri: Are your characters from people you've known in real
life?
Aida: The story is true, and all characters are real. I changed
the names to protect their privacy.
Geri: Do you have current work in progress?
Aida: I have many ideas on the next book, but at this time,
I am taking a break, due to my other commitments.
Although I started working on my draft for the second
book, I felt that a break is necessary for me to be able
to spend some time with my family.
Geri: If you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?
Aida: I would love to write a romance novel, or a book about
relationships, and even a non-fiction about different
structures of governments all over the world.
Geri: Did you have favorite books as a child?
Aida: One book that I was fascinated with and kept reading
over-and-over is "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The
Sea."
Geri: Thank you very much for your time. I wish you much
success in all your writing endeavors!
Aida: You're welcome!

Sunday, September 6, 2009

**INTERVIEW with Author/Attorney CHRIS TAYLOR**

It is an honor, and with great pleasure to interview Author/Attorney
Chris Taylor.
Author of: "Granted! A Teacher's Guide To Writing & Winning
Classroom Grants.
Genre: Non-fiction/Education/Grant Writing
INTERVIEW
Geri: How many books have you written?
Chris: "Granted! A Teacher's Guide To Writing and Winning
Classroom Grants" is my first published book, although
I was one of three poets whose works were published
in an anthology entitled WAVES.
Geri: Did a special person in your life inspire you to write?
Chris: I have enjoyed writing since I was very young, so the
process is a part of who I am, without a particular
inspiration as its origin.
Geri: How did you feel the first time you were published?
Chris: Seeing GRANTED in print was an unforgettable
experience. Linda Radke, many others with Five
Star Publications, and I spent so much time on the
effort, that it was amazing to see all our work finally
become something physical that could be picked up
and read.
Geri: Who is your favorite author?
Chris: I love John Fowles, but I also enjoy the mysteries of
Tony Hillerman, and Tana French, and the
children's novels of Brian Jacques.
Geri: Do you have current work in progress?
Chris: I am in the process of editing my children's novel,
"Captain Con And The Red Jacket." It's a pirate
adventure. I am also writing a children's novel,
SARAH FINN, that has elements of fantasy, and
inspiration. It is set in 1963, Oklahoma.
Geri: Are your characters from people you've known
in real life?
Chris: My characters are developed from bits and pieces of
many, different people I have known. They are not
based entirely on any particular people, although the
two books I am currently working on were inspired
by my two children, Nick and Cate, and are written
for them.
Geri: Did you have favorite books as a child?
Chris: I loved the Trixie Belden series. She was a tomboy,
and I didn't think much of the 'girly girls' I found
in most novels of the time. I wanted to live all her
adventures.
Geri: Thank you very much for your time. I wish you
much success with your upcoming new releases!
Chris: You're welcome!

Friday, September 4, 2009

**INTERVIEW with author RAY LOPEZ**

Author of: "Inside The Minds Of Car Dealers"
Subtitle: "How To Buy Your Next Car Without Fear"
Genre: Non-fiction
It is with great pleasure, and an honor to interview Author Ray Lopez
today!
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Geri: Did a special person in your life inspire you to write?
Ray: Yes, there were two. The general Sales Manager at a
luxury car dealership I worked at in 1998. He raked me
over the coals for giving my brother a deal on a used
car. Then screamed at me that if I couldn't F***
over my own mom and dad, then brag about it
afterward, I didn't belong there. He was so very right!
Then there was the co-owner of a Ford dealer that I
was interviewing at in 1990. He took me on a walking tour
of the dealership as we discussed selling philosophy.
He greeted a customer on the lot, who said he was just
looking. He wasn't in the market for anything at the
time. The co-owner yelled at him to get off the
property. His dealership was for buyers, not for people who look,
wasting his salesman's time!
Geri: Who is your favorite author?
Ray: Ray Bradbury. He creates mental visuals with his
words.
Geri: Are your characters created from people you've known
in real life?
Ray: Yes! Everyone I mention in my book are people I've
worked with.
Geri: How many books have you written?
Ray: This is my first book. I'm currently working on my
second.
Geri: How did you feel the first time you were published?
Ray: Beyond adjectives! There is no clear way to describe
the emotion running through me, when I saw my
first book in print.
Geri: If you were to write in a different genre, what would
it be?
Ray: I am going to start a 1940s Hollywood book soon,
as well as a comedy on the off-beat life,
a stranger who appears in present day Omaha.
Geri: Did you have favorite books as a child?
Ray: I had two, GREEN EGGS AND HAM, which I enjoy
today and the Martian Chronicles, which is my
favorite of all time.
Geri: Thank you very much for your time. Your book is
very interesting, and will indeed be a valuable
reference for many readers.
Ray: You're welcome!

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

**INTERVIEW with Author DIANNE EBERTT BEEAFF**

It is with great pleasure, and an honor to interview Author Dianne Ebertt Beeaff today.
Author of: "POWER'S GARDEN"
Genre: Historical Fiction
INTERVIEW
Geri: What inspires you to write?
Dianne: I am inspired by the endless adventure of living, and the ways people
have of dealing with it.
Geri: Who is your favorite author?
Dianne: Various, but especially Kurt Vonnegut, Mary Austin, and Annie
Dillard.
Geri: When did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer?
Dianne: In third grade, there was a bookmobile that came to the corner of
our street, and I discovered from there a small book titled
DEEP RIVER GIRL, the story of Marian Anderson. It made me
realize that I wanted to tell stories like that, for a living, if possible.
Geri: How many books have you written?
Dianne: Three.
Geri: Did you have favorite books as a child?
Dianne: THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS, the THORNTON BURGESS,
and BEATRIX POTTER BOOKS.
Geri: If you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?
Dianne: Narrative non-fiction.
Geri: Are your characters created from people you've known in real life?
Dianne: There are snippets of some people I've known in real life, but the
characters themselves are an accumulation of different people,
real, and imaginary.
Geri: Is writing a passion, a stress-reliever, or both?
Dianne: My professional writing is a passion. My journal writing is often
a stress-reliever.
Geri: Do you have any current work in progress?
Dianne: I'm currently working on a non-fiction book on the Stone Age,
and Bronze Age stone monuments of Western Europe that has a
spiritual dimension.
Geri: What factors place you in a comfort zone while writing?
Dianne: I like complete silence when I work.
Geri: Thank you very much for your time. I wish you much success in
your writing endeavors!
Dianne: You're welcome!