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http://www.kaylinmcfarren.com
Author of: "SEVERED THREADS"
Romantic Suspense~~
It is an honor and a pleasure to Interview Kaylin McFarren today. Thank you for your time Kaylin. I wish you much Success!
~~~AUTHOR INTERVIEW~~~
What inspires you to write?
So many things: dreams, books, movies, life in general. I'm compelled to write, because my brain keeps me up at night with possibilities. Once I have a story in my head, I'm completely consumed. If I don't put it on paper, or on my computer, I'm convinced I'll be haunted by the failed opportunity to impact other people's lives.
Who is your favorite author?
Wow! I have lots of favorites. Right now, I'm loving Lisa Jackson. But I've also collected and enjoyed books by Megan Chance, Jennifer Cruise, Meg Cabot. Included also is Annette Curtis Klause, Phyllis A. Whitney, and Mary Higgins Clark. I'm also a big Dan Brown fan.
How important is a book cover?
Essential! It sells the book and often hints at what's inside. Unfortunately, lots of covers don't do a book justice, even though the story is totally worth reading.
Did you enjoy reading as a child?
I was one of those kids who couldn't put a book down, especially when it came to fantasy and science fiction. When I hit my adolescent years, I turned into a romance junkie, buying used books at garage sales and begging for hand-me-downs from friends. In high school, I broadened my scope and got my mysteries and thrillers, and now I'm loving romantic suspense. So, I guess you could say that I love all genres.
Do you have current work in progress?
Just finished the first story in a three book series, SEVERED THREADS, which follows the adventures of a mismatched group of treasure-seekers, traveling the world to exotic places that I've had the pleasure of visiting.
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Author of: "COLD AS ICE"
Women's Fiction
~~~Author Interview~~~
What inspires you to write?
About everything I see, really. I want to include the beauty of spring flowers pushing through the bark mulch, the enticing smells coming from the bakery on Main Street, the squish of beach sand between my toes, the happy twittering of birds around the feeder in the backyard. Okay, that was really corny. But seriously, I am alert all the time for things that will fit in my plots, details that round out my characters. Most of all, I have been people-watching, so that I can work on deepening my characters, making them more alive for the reader.
Who is your favorite author?
I have several. First of course is Agatha Christie. If I have not been turned on by her books as a youth, who knows, I might not have ever become a mystery author. Next I love Jefferey Deaver, Lee Child, and Sandra Brown's mysteries. But, I don't care for her romances. British author Ruth Rendell has some of the best characters I've ever encountered. She manages to get into their heads, especially that of the antagonist, without bogging down the forward motion of her plot. She's the one who inspired me to deepen my own characters.
Did you enjoy reading as a child?
I cut my teeth on the Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, and Agatha Christie. I'm probably giving away my age here. For a while in my teens, I read science fiction. I went alphabetically through every single one on the shelves of the library. But, I eventually longed for the intricacies of the plots, and returned to mysteries after that.
How important is a book cover?
I don't want it to be important. Unfortunately, the designer's concept of my stories doesn't always match mine, and I'm inevitably disappointed. But, I know covers are tremendously important. I've heard from some readers that it's the main thing that lures them to a book. When I buy a book, I try to judge by the title, and cover blurb. If they are at all enticing, I will read the first few paragraphs.
Do you have current work in progress?
I am working on the fifth in my Angie Deacon murder mystery series, set in upstate NH, titled 'Rest In Pieces.' I got stuck on the plot, or maybe I was bored, being that it was the fifth in a row with the same characters. So, when one of the publishers for whom I edit, asked me to write short stories for them, I got involved in writing an erotica series under a pseudonym. The new writing stimulated my writing juices, besides selling like hotcakes. I have been able to get back into 'Rest In Pieces' and it's almost finished.
It is a Great Pleasure and an honor to Interview author Jane Baskin. Thank you Jane for your time. I wish you much success.
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http://foreverkindayoung.blogspot.com
~~~Author Interview~~~
What inspires you to write?
I can't help it. I have been writing yarns and stories, since I was a child. When I sat down to write JANE OF THE JUNGLE, it was just because I got a new computer, and I wanted to see how it worked. I wrote the opening paragraph, and then I must have opened a channel to the infinite, because out it came. I wrote most of it in stolen hours at Starbucks. I would just open the computer, pick up where I left off, and then it would flow. One day in Starbucks, I looked at what I had written and exclaimed out loud, in front of everyone, "Where do I get this sh*t?" After the appropriate apologies to the startled cafe' goers, I explained that I was writing a yarn, but had no idea how. Of course, there was a bit of editing to do later on.
Who is your favorite author?
Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I first read Cien Anos(One Hundred Years Of Solitude), when I was about twenty-eight, living on Martha's Vineyard Island, off the coast of Massachusetts. I was thunderstruck by magic realism, and also by his ability to weave profundity through a rollicking yarn. If I have copied him in my style of writing, it is the highest form of flattery. Magic realism is the fusion of poetry and prose, it's the writer's way to 'show, not tell.'
Did you enjoy reading as a child?
My mother told me that I was a word hound. She said, she and my dad used to put the newspaper on the floor for me, so that I could crawl all over it, and pick out words I knew. I don't know at exactly what age I was reading, but I do know I read Aesop's Fables and Winnie The Pooh myself, when I was very young. Books were not only doors to another world for me. As I grew, they became comfort, fantasy, escape and teachers. In high school, I read my father's Oxford Shakespeare to relax, after getting picked on in school.
How important is a book cover?
Well, it won't make me buy a book, but it will make me look, so I would say that's pretty important. I designed my own cover for JANE OF THE JUNGLE, and then the editors changed it. I don't know why I let them. I like my original design way better, and they used the wrong kind of guns, by the way.
Do you have current work in progress?
My current work is a sequel to "JANE OF THE JUNGLE." It was planned as a series from very early on, so I have a bunch of ideas in my head. I even had a very powerful dream one night, that told a sub-story of the plot. I haven't started writing yet, but my head is ready. I won't write the ideas down though, because I want it to flow forth the way "JANE OF THE JUNGLE" did.
It is an honor and with Great pleasure to Interview author Eve Paludan. Thank you for your time. I wish you much Success.
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~~~Author Interview~~~
What inspires you to write?
My preferred inspiration is dreams. I got the seed of an idea from a weather video, but I pre-wrote almost my entire novel, Letters From David, in my sleep. I dreamed the beginning, then the end, then each chapter in order, and that's the way I wrote the book. First, last, middle. It seemed like every chapter channeled into my dreams, which I then typed madly, when I awoke each morning. I saw actual handwritten letters in my dreams that ended up in a book. It was a strange experience. I loved it and would like to repeat it.
Secondly, I will read someone else's book, and a seed of inspiration is planted for my own work. "THE MAN WHO FELL FROM THE SKY" was inspired by 'The Body Departed' by J.R. Rain. A broad theme in his book, what happens when we die, but we have unfinished business? This is a strong theme in many stories and movies, but his is the most well-done book I ever read in this vein. He took the topic to the upper ranges of human emotion. Our books are very different, but I was so emotionally moved by what he wrote that I knew I wanted to write a book that would push the envelope with reader's emotions, as he had. I am deeply inspired by emotion in other people's books.
The third type of inspiration is from my visual observation of people, places, or things. Everything from artwork, to overheard conversations, to the way a place looks or smells is tucked away in my little nugget factory of sensory details.
Who is your favorite author?
That's kind of like asking which one of my kids is my favorite. It's top secret, because I currently edit for numerous fiction authors, including authors of bestselling vampire novels, as well as authors of many romance novels. I also have many author friends. I shouldn't tell you the name of my current favorite author. I would like to share the name of an author whose work I have read, more than anyone else. I don't know him and have never edited his books, but I am a reader for life of this talented and prolific writer, James Patterson.
Did you enjoy reading as a child?
I remember that dad used to read me chapters of 'Winnie The Pooh' and 'Christopher Robin'(not the Disney versions), and he made sure that our house was well stocked with amazing classics such as: The Velveteen Rabbit; with Little Golden Books; Babar; Dr. Seuss; and even a lavishly illustrated art novae edition of Beauty and the Beast, with color plates.
As soon as I learned to read silently on my own, I devoured books at quite a clip. Especially in summer, I read up to ten books a week, which was the checkout limit at the public library. My dad used to love to spend three to five hours a week in the library and we did that for years in Maryland, where I spent my first eleven years, and later in Arizona. Those library trips are among my happiest memories. For years, I wrote and kept my own book reviews on index cards, filed alphabetically by title in a wooden file box. I had hundreds of them. Yes, I loved to read as a child. I wore out many flashlights under the covers.
How important is a book cover?
A book cover is so important, that I believe if you don't have a good one, your book will fail with readers. It imbues the concept of your novel, every time the reader opens the book. The title carries equal weight with the cover graphics. Even the font of your title can set a tone. Books are as much visual as they are literal, in my opinion.
Do you have current work in progress?
I am currently at work on a sequel, The Man Who Rose from The Sea(Angel detectives Case #2) and Ghost Fire, a contracted mystery novella for a popular new series called The Ghost Files, and an un-named sexy vampire trilogy that's set in west Los Angeles.
It is with Great Pleasure and an honor to Interview author Holly Robinson. Thank you Holly for your time. I wish you much Success.
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~~~Author Interview~~~
What inspires you to write?
Everything from cheesy reality TV shows to a quiet dinner with friends that can provoke some small thought will gradually blossom into an entire planet populated with people, whose lives are endlessly fascinating to me. I end up having movies playing in my head, so that writing often feels like dictation, when I do the first draft. Of course there are the awful and stubborn second, third, and fourth drafts, where I toss out as much as I keep.
Describe your perfect comfort zone while writing.
I write in the 18th century barn behind my house, in an office with the original pegged beams, and rough pine floors. French doors open onto a screened-in porch, where I like to write in nice weather. The porch overlooks a ninety year old perennial garden that I gradually been trying to bring back to life, since buying this house six years ago. I typically get dressed to take the kids to school, then slip back into flannel pants and a t-shirt to write, and I always have a thermos of tea next to my computer to keep me going.
Who is your favorite author?
That would be impossible to say. I have widely varied interests. Lately, I've been alternating nonfiction with gritty mysteries. For example, I love Susan Orlean's books, The Orchid Thief was especially brilliant, and I'm a big fan of Elizabeth George's mysteries.
How important is a book cover?
I think that, especially in this day of online book marketing, the importance of a book cover can't be overemphasized. A book cover invites readers into your world.
Do you have current work in progress?
Yes, I am currently revising my third novel, The Wishing Well, which I recently sold to Penguin. It will be published in spring of 2013.
It is a Great honor and a Pleasure to bring back Award Winning Author~Alexandrea Weis. Thank you for today's interview Alexandrea. I wish you much success in your writing endeavors.
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~~~Author Interview #3~~~
In your opinion, what does it take to become successful?
A lot of promotion, and some basic good writing. I think the promotion may get you some attention, but to be successful and to keep building a name as a writer, you have to be able to write compelling stories that leaves the reader wanting more of your style and stories.
Are your characters created from people you've known, or strictly from the imagination?
Most of my characters have bits and pieces of people I have known, but some characters I do create. It's the nuances that make a character memorable. How they talk; what they say; how they react;gestures; movements; and their nature all make the reader believe that they are real. As a writer, you have to first make them real to you, and then you will write them as you see them. Every character matters in a story, just as every person matters in your life. A word or gesture can change the course of a character's evolution, just as it can change a person's life.
Do you plan on writing a book every year?
I write at least two or three books a year. Once a story is in my head, I have to get it down, which makes me sound obsessive. But, to get better and be successful, you have to always be writing. I love to get lost in my stories, and I am the happiest on my computer, creating a new world for me and the characters. The saddest day is when the book goes to the publisher for release. I feel like it isn't my baby anymore, and I can no longer tweak it to death.
Have you ever had the pleasure of meeting a fan?
I have had the pleasure of meeting people who love my books. It is an interesting experience, because once they know it is you, their whole attitude changes. I could be a regular Joe on the street, but once they find out that I am a writer of a book they loved, I become like family, and that is always an honor.
What are your goals in the future of your writing journey?
To keep writing, to keep building an audience, and to keep creating stories that I would love to read. Someone once told me to write for myself, don't write to find a publisher, by creating something you think someone else will want to read. That was the best advice I ever got, and as I progress in my career, I am finding that advice to be more true than ever.
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http://www.behcetkaya.com
http://behcetsvillage2.blogspot.com
It is an honor to bring back Author Behcet Kaya. Thank you for Today's Interview. I wish you much Success.
Author of: 'Voice Of Conscience' 5 Star Review
Author of: 'Murder On The Naval Base'
~~~Author Interview #2~~~
Has a movie ever inspired you to write a story?
The movie, CONDUCT UNBECOMING, was the inspiration for 'MURDER ON THE NAVAL BASE.'
Did you have favorite books as a child?
All the Mike Hammer books, which were translated into Turkish. I would hide under my bed with a flashlight, so that my father would not know what I was reading.
Describe your perfect reading place.
Starbucks, with a cup of coffee.
Have you ever experienced writer's block?
Not really, as I write at my own pace. When the ideas come, I write until there's nothing left to write.
What does it take to become successful?
The respect of my readers.
