Tuesday, August 2, 2011

*INTERVIEW with Author SNJEZANA MARINKOVIC*

It is with Great Pleasure and an Honor to Interview Author Snjezana Marinkovic. Author of:"BORN IN SARAJEVO."  Thank you Snjezana for today's Interview. I wish you much Success.




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~~~AUTHOR INTERVIEW~~~      


What inspires you to write?


Sometimes, something as simple as an autumn leaf, exposed to the sunlight and taken away by the wind get me inspired to take a surfboard, which is my keyboard and look for the waves of words. But, what mainly inspires me to write is people. Similarities and differences we all share and then that insufficient understanding, which has always been the basis of most unreasonable human actions, even if very often they seem to be more suitable for fiction tales, are reality traits I like to hook words on.






Who is your favorite author?


Norman Vincent Peale once said: "Change your thoughts and you can change the world." Since all of us go through some kind of transformation in our lives, at some point we will start observing same things through different filters. I personally prefer change to the static forms. Therefore, I love to peek in every genre, because all of them, even if it's a work of fiction can give me a different instance of apprehending the real nature of something.There are many authors I like. Robin Cook, Jack Kerouac, Deepak Copra, and Maya Angelo.






Did you have favorite books as a child?


Many of my childhood nights, I spent with my eyes being closed as two sea-shells and my ears being open as the ocean, while I listened to my grandmother's voice as she read fairy tales to me. Of course, to this day my favorite is Snow-White, because I was named after her. More important, I found it fascinating how much her dwarfs loved her. This is a get-away from the real world that only a fairy tale could present you with.   






If you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?


I am absolutely amazed by simplicity of the nature and its freedom and unpredictability that we people, despite our fears and losses, cannot stop or punish, because its laws are always stronger than ours. Therefore, if I were to write in a different genre, I would be imaginatively wandering on some type of Darwin's paths.  In other words, I would focus on scientific studies and a hypothesis, rather than on creative non-fiction. However, I enjoy writing memoirs and poetry, because if not I might wish I was born as some kind of Super, Spider woman. A woman who is perfect and fast to make everyone happy, with enough power to stop every war, and save every life.








Do you have current work in progress?


"IF" is my current work in progress. This is another non-fiction book of mine, and I was inspired by many people to write the story. Some of them are survivors of domestic war. Some of them decided to break the laws in order to protect the loved one. Some of them are just happy about overcoming fears, and for being strong and lucky enough to stay alive. I am known to many as the emotional writer, and I'm writing this book, because my own experience is connected to all of those people who inspired me.                  

*INTERVIEW with Author VALERIE CRADER*

Author of "THE LAST CHILD"




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~~~AUTHOR INTERVIEW~~~


It is an Honor and with Great Pleasure to Interview Author Valerie Crader. I wish you very much Success in your Writing Journey. Thank you Kindly for Today's Interview.








What inspires you to write?


My first inspiration was to write my mother's compelling true story. The house I currently live in has inspired, and challenged my creativity to write.


Who is your favorite author?


Stephen King.






Did you have favorite books as a child?


Raggedy Ann And Andy, Winnie The Pooh, Mickey Mouse, and The Wizard Of Oz.






Do you have current work in progress?


Yes, I am currently writing my second book.








If you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?


Children's books.










                                           

Monday, August 1, 2011

*INTERVIEW with Author SARA DEAN*

Author of "FORGIVING JESSE"


Genre: Young Adult




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It is with Great Pleasure And an honor to Interview Author Sara Dean. Thank you Sara for today's Interview, and I wish you much Success.

~~~AUTHOR INTERVIEW~~~




What inspires you to write?


My kids! They are so amazing, and they don't even know it. My first book, THE PUPPY WHO FOUND A BOY, was inspired by my son, and his puppy. He didn't choose the dog, the dog chose him!  It made me want to write, 'The Boy And His First Dog' story from the dog's point of view. Most of my stories start from something they have done, or said, and from that one thing, I come up with the whole book.      


  Who is your favorite author?


I have a couple. Mary Higgins Clark and Nicholas Sparks are my favorite authors for my reading time. When I read with the kids, I love to read anything by Nancy Parent and Mercer Mayer.






Did you have favorite books as a child?


Yes. My favorite were Little Critter books by Mercer Mayer and Sammy The Seal, by Sid Hoff.    






If you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?


I write in a lot of different genres, so that's tough! I would have to say I would try my hand at books for adults. I have a couple of ideas for adult books, but so far, I haven't written anything, just for them.      




Do you have current work in progress?


I have about five different works in progress. I'm always in the middle of writing something, but then an idea strikes me for another book, and I start that one too. It took me over two years to write FORGIVING JESSE, partly because I kept getting side-tracked with different projects, and partly because I kept losing the notebooks I was writing in. I just finished writing a short story called 'Jesse's Christmas Surprise.' It's going to be in an anthology of Christmas stories that the authors of Gypsy Shadow Publishing are putting together. All the proceeds will be going to charity, so this should be a lot of fun.                                                                                                             

*INTERVIEW with Author ANN GIMPEL*

Author of "PSYCHE'S PROPHECY"




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It is with Great Pleasure and an Honor to Interview Author Ann Gimpel today. Thank you for your time Ann. Wishing you much Success in your writing endeavors.


  ~~~AUTHOR INTERVIEW~~~




What inspired you to write?


For years, I wandered the Sierras, pack on my back, in awe of the amazing mountain scenery. As I wandered, stories ran about in my head. For some unknown reason, I sat down at my keyboard, after returning from a trip to climb Beer Creek Spire over Labor Day in 2008. Three months later, I had a five-hundred page novel. It needed a lot of work. In fact, it never got any traction with anybody. But, it was a beginning. I completed the next book in that series later in 2009, and started writing short stories at the behest of a freelance copy editor, who was familiar with my work. Well, I started selling short stories, three months after I began writing them. At the end of 2009, I began 'PSYCHE'S PROPHECY' as part of a Book In A Week contest, sponsored by my online writer's group. After much revision, the second publisher I submitted it to took it around October of 2010. They signed me for a three book deal. 'PSYCHE'S SEARCH' is Book two of the series, and will be released by the end of August of 2011, and I'm working very hard to finish Book three. Also, I'm still writing short stories, sometimes spontaneously and sometimes I'll see a particular call for submissions that tickles my fancy, and I'll write a piece specifically to submit. Please check out my website for the names and locations of my short stories. http://www.anngimpel.com


To answer the question, I believe it was my time traipsing through the back country, living in my head, that inspired me to write. There's nothing like having hours, with nothing to do but look at one incredible sight after the next, to spur one's imagination.


Who is your favorite author?


Oh my, but that's a hard one. I love Diana Gabaldon. But, I also like Jacqueline Carey;J.R.R. Martin; Robin Hobb; Patricia McKillip; and Ursula LeGuinn. Oops, I forgot Patricia Cornwell.




   Did you have favorite books as a child?


Yes, of course. In fact, 'PSYCHE'S SEARCH' is dedicated to my mother, since she read to me, long before I could talk. I really enjoyed the Narnia books, C.S. Lewis, and I read LOTR when I was about twelve. Also, I liked The Little House On The Prairie books and the Betsy, Tacy, and Tib series. Then there was Nancy Drew, Cherry Ames, and the Hardy Boys. The Black Stallion series was another childhood favorite.






If you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?


Actually, I do write in two genres now, science fiction, and fantasy. If I was to add one, it would most likely be thrillers.




What are your future goals for your writing career?


I plan to complete the Transformation series. Yes, it will stop at three books. It seems to me that most authors run out of material, after constructing a trilogy, and the topics in the story become repetitive. I'd like to have another half-dozen short stories published over the next couple of years. Also, I want to work on my re-write, begun a year ago entitled Echo Of Hope, my first novel. I've shifted it to have more of a young adult focus.


Of course, I suppose I'd love to write something that became a best seller, but I'm actually content to simply write. It doesn't seem like much of a choice actually, but something inside that drives me. It's a rather insistent voice that I find it hard to say no to.


On other related fronts, I will be keeping up my blog, and my online writer's group requires that I complete a couple of critiques each month. Writing begets writing. I learn from everything that I do. So, whether I'm reading and thinking about how a piece could be improved, or writing my own material, it all coalesces into helping me write better stories.