The Fast Friday Interviews: Erica Rue

Erica Rue

Tell me about yourself?

I grew up in Virginia on a steady diet of sci-fi and fantasy. I always loved writing and I was (and still am) one of those people who collect notebooks and hate writing in them. I wrote plays in elementary school and emo poetry in middle school (who didn’t?). I kept writing through high school, lost the habit in college, and found it again in my mid-twenties. Finding my way back to writing has been one of the best things I’ve ever done. It literally keeps me sane. Last August I published The Predator Analysis, the fourth and final book of my debut series, The Kepos Chronicles. 

When I’m not writing, I plant new varieties of veggies in my garden, play video games, and read the same five books over and over to my kids. And sometimes, if I’m lucky, I get to go to the rock climbing gym.

Tell me about your current Book:

A narrow escape from an alien ship. A planet with a secret. Can she save the entire colony, or has she doomed them all to decimation?

Dione Quinn is a biology nerd, not a fighter, but when a school research trip goes wrong and the Venatorians attack their ship, she doesn’t have much of a choice.

In fact, she has even fewer choices when her best friend, Lithia Min, jumps them to a planet outside the Alliance-protected Bubble. They’ve escaped for now, but they are stranded where no one will find them, and one of her classmates has been injured in the attack. The only thing that can save her is on the uncatalogued planet Kepos.

As Dione discovers the truth about the planet and the lengths to which she must go to save her friends, Kepos presents a problem. One that will force Dione to decide: What is her future worth?

What are you working on now?

I’m planning to put out a series collection of all four books of The Kepos Chronicles later this year.

I’m also working on a new trilogy called The Atlantis Crown. It’s a YA dystopian/dystopian romance trilogy. Think “The Selection” by Kiera Cass meets “The Atlantis Grail” by Vera Nazarian. This new series is fun and relatively light, so it’s perfect for an escape. The first book, The Goddess Games (The Atlantis Crown Book 1) just went to the editor. I’m going to try a rapid release, so I’ll be waiting until I have at least two books ready to go before I start publishing the series.

What is something that people don’t generally know about you?

I was an athlete in high school. I played basketball, field hockey, and lacrosse, and while I wasn’t a superstar, I was pretty good. Even my own friends in high school didn’t know until I convinced them to watch one of my field hockey games. To quote my own father: “I didn’t think you could run that fast.” I think because I was also a nerd people assumed I was bad at sports.

And these might be fighting words, but my favorite Star Trek is Voyager. Janeway is the best captain, though Picard is a close second. Between Janeway and B’Elanna and Seven of Nine, I had a trio of worthy female role models growing up. 

What is a favorite lesson you have learned about the business of writing?

Define your own success and set goals. Is success finishing a novel or making six figures? I think it’s important to define one’s own personal idea of success instead of using someone else’s metric. My idea of success probably looks very different from another author’s. It doesn’t matter if you dream big or small because it’s your dream. Once you know what success looks like, so set goals that will help you achieve it. Reevaluate these goals at intervals. Nothing is set in stone. 

What is the best piece of writing advice you give to new authors?

Read and write. A lot. Those are the two things that have made me a better author. When I read something I enjoy, I ask myself why I liked it. Was it the writing style? The characters? The plot? By identifying what specifically made me like a book, I can use that element in my own writing. When I listen to a song, I mostly hear the lyrics and melody. When my audiophile husband listens to a song, he takes in the composition. He can tell you what instruments were used, the key, all sorts of stuff I barely notice, like the fact that apparently, the song Ocean Avenue by Yellowcard has an electric violin. I realized that he must analyze music the way I analyze stories. So that’s my advice. Study stories. Study tropes. Figure out why an element works in one story, but not another, then try it in your own writing.

Links:

Email: erica@ericarue.com

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Erica-Rue/e/B07CRNJXDP

Blog: https://ericarue.com

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erica.rue.author/

The Fast Friday Interviews: Gregory Peterson

Gregory Peterson

Tell me about yourself, Greg?

I will put the things here that I didn’t put in my public bio. I’m a Navy brat, my dad was stationed at the El Toro Marine Air Base when I was born and we ended up settling down in that part of SoCal. I attended a Catholic school in Tustin, California, until high school which is why I’m no longer Catholic. I’ve been a voracious reader since I was a child: fantasy and science fiction being my first true loves. I was obsessed with the Lord of the Rings and was voted Most Likely to Read It 1,000 Times by my junior high class. I had decided by the time I was twelve to be a writer and by fourteen I was submitting my horrifying stories to Omni, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, and several others who shall remain nameless. Oh yeah, those stories were horrifyingly bad. I spent the next decade collecting rejection slips and hiding them in a drawer. I never told anyone I was writing and submitting stories, I was too embarrassed.

I kept at it and when I was twenty-four years old I won a short story contest in the Orange County Register. After that, I decided to get off my ass, stop surfing and bartending, and go to college to study writing. I ended up a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, with an English degree and a minor in Chinese studies.

I was hired out of college as an assistant at a Los Angeles magazine publisher, and after I had impressed my bosses with some unsolicited pieces, I was moved up to associate editor three months later. I also discovered I hated magazine writing. I ended up leaving after four years and moved to Portland, Oregon, where I met my wife of now fifteen years. After relocating to Houston, Texas, I experienced a series of catastrophic injuries that led to multiple surgeries (when you turn 40 your warranty expires, btw) and I didn’t write a word for the better part of 7 years as I spent my time recovering and being a stay-at-home dad to my kids. When the munchkins were old enough to be bored with me I committed myself to my dream of writing a novel and… here we are.

Tell me about your current Book:

Aloysius Leigh is a former elite Marine turned high-tech thief. In the aftermath of a heist gone sideways, the technology he was meant to steal invades his body - and leaves him holding the bag

for murder. While the explosive technology seizes control of his body. Leigh must also do battle in the real world as he is hunted by the Russian mob, the FBI, and his former counter-terrorist unit who would like nothing more than to get their hands on the dangerous machines swimming around inside of him and who definitely wouldn't care how. Leigh is alone and running out of time in a war where his very body and mind are the prize. He is outmanned and outgunned - with no friends, no allies, and nowhere to turn.

What he does have is a plan.

What are you working on now?

Right now I’m working on the sequel to War Machines. I also have a separate urban fantasy novel outlined and sitting on the back burner ready to go, but I am hesitant to go after that one right now. The issues it deals with are profound to me and I’d like to grow a little more as a writer before I tackle it.

What is something that people don't generally know about you?

I have dysgraphia and all its attendant little buddies that travel along with it. If you don’t know, dysgraphia is a specific learning disability as well as a transcription disability. Simply put, it’s a deficiency in the ability to write, primarily handwriting but also coherence. It also overlaps with other neurological disabilities like ADHD and developmental coordination disorder (DCD). So basically, I’m genetically hardwired to not be able to write and to be an uncoordinated klutz. 

So I decided to become a writer, musician, and athlete. Fuck you, genetics.

What is a favorite lesson you have learned about the business of writing?

My favorite lesson and best piece of writing advice go hand-in-hand. Finish it, and write your first draft like no one is looking (cause they’re not). 

I learned those from Neil Gaiman when he came to do a talk in Houston. I was stuck on the first act of my book and couldn’t move forward. He talked about those two subjects and it was like a giant kick in the ass. You can’t do anything if you don’t finish it. The second is more about learning to turn off that inner critic in your head that’s reading over your shoulder as you write. Those were transformative pieces of advice for me. I would hear Neil’s lilting British accent in my head every time I sat down to write, “Finish it.” Over and over I would hear him in my head while I wrote my way to the end.

I had Finish It carved into a piece of wood that hangs over my writing desk.

Links:

Email:  sixstringwordsmith@gmail.com

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Gregory-Peterson/e/B09XQBJHZH/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/6StringWord

 

The Fast Friday Interviews: William Zanotti

William Zanotti

Tell me about yourself:

I’ve been told I don’t look or act my age. But here’s the thing. I’ve never been this old before, so I’m not sure how I’m supposed to look or act. I am a husband, father, grandfather, brother, son, and nephew. My role models are my parents, who just celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. I’m almost halfway there. I’ll be celebrating my 29th very soon. My father never finished high school, and my mother barely did, having had to go to summer school after “graduation.” I was the first in my family to get a college degree. College gave me a lifelong interest in books and spurred my desire to write. A career in law enforcement sidetracked me for close to three decades, but now writing (speculative fiction mostly) is how I spend most of my time. 

Tell me about your current Book:

My most recent book, THE LINK: FAREWELL TO HUMANITY, is the second in a science fiction series.  It can be read as a stand-alone, but, chronologically, starts about a year after the end of book one. It’s about being human, I guess, in a universe where people can live in electromagnetic waves/light. But sometimes emotion gets in the way of good decisions. And sometimes, emotion is all that’s left. In the story, Reggie must choose between his commitment to humanity writ large and his commitment to the one person who'd follow him anywhere. Does he turn his back on old friends and continue to pursue a solitary life of domestic tranquility in a quiet corner of the universe, or does he re-join the quest to save the Folk he’s spent his whole life trying to help? When he gets ripped from the green planet paradise he shares with Zoe, he’ll have to trust cool logic and the equanimity of the link to guide him. But back on Greenworld, Zoe reacts differently to his disappearance. The consequences of their decisions will leave them both reeling, and all of humanity in more danger than ever! Oh, and there’s people living on Venus. Can’t leave that out.

What are you working on now?

Right now, I’m writing THE LINK: RETURN TO HUMANITY, book three in The Link series. It’s shaping up to be an epic, picking up close after the end of ‘FAREWELL TO HUMANITY.’ 

What is something that people don't generally know about you?

I once met the mayor of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. It’s pronounced Wah-Guh-Doo-Goo. Friendly fellow.

What is a favorite lesson you have learned about the business of writing?

Well, I still consider myself fairly new to writing, and I’m learning lessons every week. I make lots of mistakes on the business side. An important thing I’ve learned is that it is a business. Make no mistake about it. A book is a commodity/product like any other, to be produced, marketed, sold, and distributed. I am shocked at the lengths to which advertisers will go to identify and track potential buyers! But perhaps an even more important lesson is that you can’t do it all alone. Fortunately, there are many pro writers out there (like Marty Wilsey) who are willing to go above and beyond to help. In the indie publishing world, most authors don’t view other writers as competitors but as colleagues. This is nice.

What is the best piece of writing advice you give to new authors?

With just a couple of novels under my belt, I don’t give too much advice. But I will say that the story is the thing.  No amount of business savvy or marketing will make up for a weak story. It helps to know who will be reading your book (if you can figure that out).

Links:

Web: https://williamzanotti.com

Email: billyz@williamzanotti.com

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/William-Zanotti/e/B09KQXHXBR

Blog: https://williamzanotti.com/blog

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

The Fast Friday Interviews: Vince Scarsella

Tell me about yourself, Vince?

I am a retired lawyer hiding in Venice, Florida, who now writes about bad lawyers among other things.  I have a series of 4 novels under the "Lawyers Gone Bad Series" based upon my experiences as head of a lawyer discipline office up in Buffalo for over 18 years.  I also write other crime and speculative fiction novels. 

Tell me about your current Book:

When Pardon Me occurs, Dean Alessi, the hero of the LAWYERS GONE BAD SERIES, takes on each of his antagonists in the propr 3 Lawyers Gone Bad books, plus some new one and tries, once again, to avoid becoming a permanently retired lawyer. 

What are you working on now?  

I am working on an alien invastion novel called, "Inhumane," in which the invading aliens aren't highly evolved lizard or insect creatures but strikingly siimilar to human beings!

Tell us something that people don't generally know about you:  

I don't like Mickey Mouse, and that is the inspiration for my play, "Land of the Greedy Mouse."

What is a favorite lesson you have learned about the business of writing?  

You have to spend money to make money - just be careful and don't spend too much! 

What is the best piece of writing advice you give to new authors?  

Read, read, read, write, write, write, research, research, research, revise, revise, revise, market, market, market, then, write....

Links: 

Web:  http://www.vincentscarsella.webs.com

Email:  vlscarsella@gmail.com

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Vincent-L.-Scarsella/e/B002LYOJTQ

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

Twitter:  Got suspended because I'm conservative. 

Fast Friday Interviews: Teagan Kearney

Tell me about yourself?

Thanks, Martin for the invite. One thing you need to know about me is that I’m passionate about stories. To be honest, I’m obsessed with writing. I love the process of creating characters putting them into difficult situations and figuring out how to extract them from those terrible situations. I think about my characters, how they look, how they sound, how they act. 

And sometimes, ideas pop into my head at the oddest of times. I was walking down the street when I noticed a sign for an agency of some kind (I never found out what kind) with the name Adept Solutions. From seeing that sign, the idea for a private detective agency run by a team of quirky supernatural characters popped into my head. The result: an urban fantasy trilogy, Adept Solutions Series of Special Investigations for the Magickally Challenged.

Another time, I was sitting on a bus and the idea for a main character popped into my head. As it happened, the opening scene in the book takes place on a bus, but the character who came into my mind, Vanse, the vamp, did not become the protagonist, but still played an important part in the urban fantasy Kala Trilogy. 

I write most days, at least a little something, to keep the wheels turning. When I wake in the morning, I do a little yoga, a little meditation, drink my coffee, and sit down to write. The last thing I think about as I go to bed at night is what’s coming next in the story. The amount I write per day varies, but somewhere between a thousand and, 1300 makes me feel I’m making progress and gives me time to have a life outside writing.

I have a queue of stories lined up in my head, some of which have made it onto the page and are now stashed away either in a file or a box, and they may never see the light of day again. There are others which I think about, and may even have started, before the current work-in-progress pushed them out of the way. Most of my novels fall under the sci-fi/fantasy umbrella, but I detour into different genres from time to time. So far, I have ventured into romcom and women’s fiction territory, and also published a collection of short stories, Untender Lives. There you have it, that’s me. If you want to know more about me you can read my autobiography on my website, and find out about my ebooks, audiobooks and my three free first-in-series books. >

Tell me about your current Book:

My current project is the finalization of the audiobook of Demon’s Nemesis, Book 3 in the Kala Trilogy for Audible. The Kala Trilogy centers around an eternal triangle between a healer, a demon, and a vampire. Angelus wants control of Tatya’s power, but is frustrated, lifetime after lifetime, by Vanse, a master vampire in love with Tatya. However, in the current incarnation, events come to a climax. 

When Angelus, kidnaps Tatya, her allies, Vanse and Forked Lightning must find and free her, so she can lead the battle to destroy the demon.

Tatya has sent the demon who pursued her back to Hell. Now she’s about to open a healing center and use her gifts to help those in need. The only one she can’t help is the man she is in love with, the vampire master, Vanse, who lies in a coma.

When an ambitious vampire arrives in town with designs on Vanse’s family, Tatya’s plans are turned upside down. Her best friend, the local shaman, Forked Lightning, puts his life on the line to help, but chaos and tragedy follow when Tatya is kidnapped.

Far from home, imprisoned, and alone, Tatya must escape and find her way back to those she loves.>

What are you working on now?

Currently, I am working on a psychological thriller (I call it a tragedy), most of which I wrote while completing the  ‘Finish Your Novel’ online course run by the publishing house of Faber and Faber at their Faber Academy. This is a new genre for me and the course has been brilliant as I wasn’t sure I had the courage to put this story down on the page. The course has been an investment in my writing, and the story I have now isn’t the one I started with. It has changed and grown over the course and definitely benefitted.

Tell us something that people don't generally know about you:

As an intensely private, somewhat introverted person this isn’t an easy question, but here’s one fact (well, three) that most people don’t know about me. The curriculum we studied at school was a little different from today, with some subjects divided into divisions according to ability. The result: I was in the first division for Latin, the second division for French, and the third division for math. I think that says it all, don’t you?

What is a favorite lesson you have learned about the business of writing?

Don’t ever give up. Persevere. You may one of those rare souls who produces a brilliant book with their first effort, but don’t bank on it. Writing, like most things, improves with practice. It’s a muscle, so strengthen it, develop a daily habit of putting something down each day, and before you know it, you will have your story.>

What is the best piece of writing advice you give to new authors?

Once you’ve written, edited, taken some time out, and rewritten your story, get feedback. Constructive criticism from trusted, thoughtful readers/reviewers is invaluable as you can learn what your strengths are as well as where the book could be improved. >

Links:

Email: teagankearney@gmail.com 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/teagankearney 

Blog: https://writingmynovelnoworkingtitleyet.blogspot.com 

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/@teagankearney 

Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/teagankearney/

Thanks, again, Martin. This has been great fun!

The Fast Friday Interviews: Kelly Blanchard

Kelly Blanchard

Tell me about yourself, Kelly.

I'm originally from Texas, but now I live in Florida. Dodging hurricanes--fun stuff. I am the author of the Chronicles of Lorrek series, which is a blend of fantasy and science fiction. I'm married to an EMT, and he has proven a wonderful resource when I need to injure or kill a character, but he tries his best to save as many characters as possible.

Tell me about your current Book: 

I just released the last book in the Chronicles of Lorrek series titled, 'This Ends Now'. Everything that has been building up in the last eight books all comes to a head now, and sorcerer Prince Lorrek has many difficult decisions to make as he tries to fend off invaders of his homeworld.

When his actions inadvertently results in his homeworld being invaded and taken over, Sorcerer Prince Lorrek must learn to embrace the darkness within himself, or else he will lose everything and everyone he knows and loves.

What are you working on now? 

Currently, I am working on the second book in the series the immediately follows the Chronicles of Lorrek.

Tell us something that people don't generally know about you: 

I am legally blind in my right eye.

What is a favorite lesson you have learned about the business of writing? 

Hmm, favorite lesson...good question. As a rule, I don't do favorites, so it's hard to say. I guess basically it is that the writing community is very supportive and encouraging of one another, and that is very nice.

What is the best piece of writing advice you give to new authors? 

My advice is more like a reminder--there are no rules for writing. One person may say that they must do this or that, and someone else will say to do something quite the contrary. The truth is, you can do whatever you want. Sure, grammar and spelling rules are important, but other than that, have fun and figure out what works best for you because what works for someone else may not work for you. You need to figure out what works best for you and your own writing style.

Links:

Email: 

contact@kellannetta.com

Amazon: 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0881YRYS6

Website: 

www.kellannetta.com

Facebook Group: 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/MusesRealm

Facebook Page: 

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKellyBlanchard

Twitter: 

https://twitter.com/kellannetta

The Fast Friday Interviews: Emma G Rose

Emma G. Rose

Tell me about yourself, Emma.

I'm an author from Maine and my name isn't Stephen King, although I do have a house down the street from the high school where he used to teach. I also went to the college where he studied journalism. I enrolled thinking I was going to become a kick-ass girl reporter, like Nellie Bly, and then I spent a Christmas Eve on the shores of an icy river waiting for rescue divers to pull a body out of the water. That's about when I decided that journalism wasn't the path for me. I knew I wanted to write, but I didn't know what. So I just wrote everything. Resumes, blog posts, product descriptions, short stories, web content, poems, Instagram captions, books. These days, I've managed to narrow the list down a bit. When I'm not writing novels, I write mostly web content, whitepapers and blog posts for companies with big ideas.

Tell me about your current Book: 

Nothing's Ever Lost launched in July of this year, on my 32nd birthday. It's a story about two teenagers trying to hold their friendship together while adventuring through the afterlife. The main characters are basically the 17-year-old versions of me and my friend "Jack." They're snarky and silly, and trying really really hard not to show anyone how supremely uncertain they are about basically everything. I call it a YA novel, and it mostly is, but adults seem to like it just as much as teenagers do.

When a car accident kills them (probably), a pair of teenagers must brave the afterlife, or else...there's no or else there's just the afterlife and all its strangeness. I guess the other option would be to sit down on the ground and just wait for the world to end. But that doesn't sound like much of an adventure, does it?

What are you working on now? 

Two things. Thing 1 is an urban fantasy novel about an EMT named Eric. After recovering from a freak accident, Eric starts seeing ghosts. At least, he thinks they're ghosts. They only seem to show up when one of his patients is close to death. Speaking of Death, he's not thrilled about Eric's newfound abilities. Humans aren't supposed to see the souls of the nearly departed and they're certainly not supposed to talk to them. Where did Eric get this inhuman power? Can Death put a stop to it before bureaucracy gets involved? If he doesn't solve the mystery quickly Eric may not be the only one who has to pay a price. Thing 2 is a secret for the moment. I can't tell you anything about it except that I'm a co-author and it involves a jackalope, a man who doesn't know who he wants to be and a violin that turns into a fiddle at the slightest provocation.

Tell us something that people don't generally know about you: 

That's a hard one. I'm pretty much an open book...oh, the G in my name doesn't stand for anything. It's just a letter.

What is a favorite lesson you have learned about the business of writing? 

Writing may be a solitary task, but it's the only part of the process that is. You might think a writer's life is just sitting in a room alone pounding the keys all day, but you also have to talk and listen and network and edit and market and all of that involves other people.

What is the best piece of writing advice you give to new authors? 

Writer's block is not a valid excuse for not writing because it doesn't actually exist. If you think you have it, you either don't know what you're trying to say or are so worried about saying it perfectly that you can't get anything out at all. The cure for both problems is writing until you figure them out. So really, there's no excuse for not writing.

Links:

Email: emmagauthor@gmail.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Emma-G-Rose/e/B07MNGQY9V/
Blog: https://www.emmagauthor.com/blog
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LifeImperative/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/emmagwriter
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/life_imperative/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDOYvY_7pMr4xIMtGJjnatw

The Fast Friday Interviews: Stephanie Mirro

Stephanie Mirro

Tell me about yourself, Stephanie?

I once was a super introvert with social anxiety, but now I’m an extroverted introvert with social anxiety, which makes for some awkward conversations. Great writing fodder, though. I’m only in my 30s, but I grew up without watching much TV or gaming. The desert of Southern Arizona was my playground and fueled my imagination. I wrote my first “novel” at the age of 10 about two girls who make an adventure. That’s actually the title — “Two Girls Make An Adventure.” They both end up marrying the same prince because it was before I learned about polygamy. (Which, when consensual, I fully support as an adult, but kids have no clue.)

Tell me about your current Book:

When an archaeology student uncovers an ancient Roman amulet, Serafina must protect it with from the mysterious forces trying to take it from her or die trying.

"Vampires, Immortals, Bacchae—they’re all the same. The name may change, but their appetites never do."

Ever since archaeology student Serafina Finch found an ancient Roman amulet on a dig in Italy, she's been having dreams. Strange dreams that leave her with an eerie sense of foreboding. But between a busy college schedule and a boyfriend she's hoping to marry, she doesn't have time for strange.

Then a mysterious cult takes an obsessive interest in the artifact. Serafina finds her life in chaos as she's thrown into the supernatural world, where vampires and witches alike claim ownership of the amulet. Her amulet.

As her connection to the amulet grows, she discovers a dark secret about her past. Serafina realizes she must protect the powerful relic at all costs—even if it means losing one of the people she loves most.

What are you working on now? 

Book 2 in my Immortal Relics series! Her Majesty’s Fury continues the story of Serafina and the amulet and should be out early this fall. I’m also writing a short story for an anthology about a pandimensional flying inn. When I can squeeze in the time and brain power, I’m outlining book 3 in my series, Descent to Hel. (Yes, one L.)

Tell us something that people don't generally know about you:

I am allergic to hair dye and have nerve damage in one of my cheeks which makes me smile off-kilter. I also deal with depression and anxiety (I kind of wonder who doesn’t these days) and advocate for mental health awareness and reform.

What is a favorite lesson you have learned about the business of writing?

Writing is the easy part. LOL.

What is the best piece of writing advice you give to new authors?

Research, reading, watching writing-related videos, going on a walk, etc. — all of that is part of the writing business. If you need to take a break from the actual writing, do it. You’re not giving up, you’re resetting and reinvigorating your creative brain.

Links:

Email: authorstephaniemirro@gmail.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Stephanie-Mirro/e/B07PX49RN3
Website: https://www.stephaniemirro.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephaniemirro
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/stephaniemirro
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephaniemirro

The Fast Friday Interviews: Claire Buss

Tell me about yourself, Clair?

Clair Buss

I have far too much imagination to watch horror movies and I think I'm always subconsciously daydreaming. I adore writing books and get overly excited when someone I don't know likes my stories. I am hopelessly addicted to cake and keep saying I'll go on a diet but we all know that will never happen. I'm a mum to two little monkeys (not literally!), happily married and would spend all my free time reading if I could get away with it.

Tell me about your current Book:

The Gaia Project, The Gaia Collection Book 2

When Corporation tightens their grip on City 42, Kira, Jed and their friend's mu, t find another safe place to live, or else they'll lose their children.

While Martha Hamble gets to grips with being Governor of City 42, Kira and Jed Jenkins travel to City 15 but they are not prepared for what they find. Corporation are tightening their grip on those who don't conform, threatening to split families and reassign the natural born children. With Gaia weakened, the group of friends must try to find a safe place to live and help the spirit of the Earth recover but everything stands against them. Will Corporation succeed in their tougher regime or can Kira and her friends find a new home?

What are you working on now?

I'm currently editing The Interspecies Poker Tournament, Roshaven Case File No 27 which is a novella based in the world of my humorous fantasy The Rose Thief and I hope to have it released by the end of November.

I'm also taking part in NaNoWriMo this year and writing book three in The Gaia Collection. I'm a smidge behind on my word count but I'll get there.

Tell us something that people don't generally know about you:

I have my grade two roller skating qualification.

What is a favorite lesson you have learned about the business of writing?

To not be afraid to put my stories out in the universe.

What is the best piece of writing advice you give to new authors?

Read your work aloud, if you stumble over it so will your readers and it's a great way of checking whether your dialogue is fresh and believable.

Links:

Website: https://www.cbvision.weebly.com
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/c93M2L
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Claire-Buss/e/B01MSZY649/
Blog: https://www.butidontlikesalad.blogspot.co.uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/busswriter
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/grasshopper2407

Fast Friday Interview: M. L. Humphrey

Tell me about yourself, Mo.

M. L. Humphrey

I’m a retired IBM applications engineer having started back in 1965 with an Associates degree in Electrical Technology from VTC. While working for IBM I acquired my B.S. in Mathematics degree from Trinity College. In later years I was a presenter at, and one-time chairman of, the memory test group at TUG conventions held yearly throughout the country.

After 37 years with big blue, I was retired and started working for an Air Force Colonel (Ret.). He hired me as a part-time printer repairman. To qualify I had to disassemble and reassemble an HP 1100 LaserJet printer. He didn’t ask me to fix it, just take it apart and put it back together, which I did. He told me that every certification I earned would affect my paycheck. He later regretted it.

During the next several years I augmented my education learning many types of printers, telephone systems, and network skills. After several years that type of work dried up and I was back working part-time. When I was laid off this time I decided I needed employment that was both interesting and rewarding; and that I couldn’t get laid off from. So, I kept my best customers and continued working from home a few more years fixing printers. That’s when I started my first novel titled ‘For Lorne’. At present, I’ve published 9 books in print and a couple of dozen eBooks.

Hobbies and other interests:

I have been a musician since I was a teenager in high school. Learned violin in grade school but my interest led elsewhere. As the ‘60’s came along I took up the 5-string banjo and guitar. During college, I played lead guitar in a rock and roll group. Later on, while in the Navy stationed in Alaska, I played 5-string banjo in a folk group on a little island called Adak. After the Navy, I was hired by my cousin as a rhythm player which quickly turned into being the bass player. Picked up mandolin along the way.

Tell me about your current book:

I have several projects in progress as my mind is continually coming up with new ideas. The recent ones are short stories bordering on Novelettes in size. One is a little horror piece about a man, his doctor and a dead man who thinks he’s still alive. Another is about a man who has been impressed with several sets of memories. The latest is about a dying man and a girl he meets in a graveyard.

What are you working on now?

Other than short stories I have two novels in progress. The first is sort of a sequel to my Cornish Talisman Series called ‘My Grandfather’s Spaceship’. Oddly I started this project several years ago and couldn’t seem to get it going. Instead, I came up with the idea to write a story about how the grandfather came to have a spaceship in the first place. That turned into ‘The Orphan from Space’ which, in turn, spawned four more books in the series. To me, at that time, it was a massive undertaking and I enjoyed it immensely.

I had a new idea for MGS and all of the material I had previously written was relegated to another new storyline called ‘Time Fog’ where it now resides. Someday I’ll get back to that one. My motto is ‘don’t throw anything away’. MGS takes place about 40-50 years after book 5 of the Cornish Talisman Series and features some of those characters. I think the story needs a little more excitement so I’ve set it aside for the time being.

The other novel has been a lengthy undertaking. It is essentially a prequel to my first novel and contains a small part of it as well. The title is ‘Battle for Lurandor’ and the setting is sort of ‘long ago and far away’.

It has not been easy combining a piece from the first novel about the starship ‘For Lorne’, a sequel I had written but never finished called ‘Colony’, and a novella that I published under the title of “Beneath the Double Suns’, but I think it is necessary. I have taken these three pieces and glued them together with a new beginning and ending. The story arc spans over two generations. Considering the different POV’s and tenses involved the editing has been exceedingly difficult.

I also have plans for at least one anthology to showcase some of my short stories and novellas. Other than music and writing stories, I also belong to a writing group called Critters.org.

But science fiction is not the only thing I’ve published. A few years back I wrote two stage plays including songs and fake advertisements. Both have been performed live by a group we belong too.

Other than Fiction, I have also written a couple of history articles about the town we live in for the local newspaper and have been asked to write a piece for the history space section of the nearby city newspaper as well. That is still a Work In Progress.

Where is your favorite place to be when you write?

The best place is at the computer in the den. When traveling I would bring a notebook and write notes on current projects as well as any new ideas that come along. Appropriate titles are sometimes the hardest thing to come up with. On the sequel to my first novel, I explained the story to my 10-year-old grand-daughter and she came up with the perfect title, ‘The 5th Agent’.

What is your favorite lesson you have learned about the business of writing?

I think it’s more about the important things I’ve learned. Not only about how to write but how to deal with the finicky publishing industry as well. Probably the most important thing I’ve learned is to do it my way. Some of my critiques have contained useful points about grammar and punctuation, and for that I’m grateful. But, I draw the line when they start to say I should have done this, or that, another way. Sure, I could have had the hero jump back in time to save the girl, but that wasn’t the plan. Yes, I was tempted, but no. Then there are times where I can plan the whole storyline from just a few scenes and tell myself that it is going to do this and that and ending up this way. Hah! As Terry Pratchett once wrote, “The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.” And it often disagrees with the ‘plan’. Sure, scenes can be wonderful to work with but most often they just don’t go anywhere without inspiration and a goal at ‘the end’.

For inspiration, I draw on many of the old masters that I enjoyed when I first started reading. Now I go back and look at what they have written and wonder if they would even survive the way things are now. Even so, that’s the type of writing I emulate. Nowadays it’s called ‘Young Adult’.

The use of foul language may seem to draw some readers just like nudity in movies. And, in some cases, it may well be realistic for a given situation. But a good story doesn’t need it. Hey, I was in the regular Navy and yes, sailors do swear. But the ones that were really vulgar didn’t.

What is your favorite Website?

I don’t really have one although I use a lot of them while doing research.

Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/M.L.-Humphrey/e/B00XNEUAU0/
Email: mjhump@accessvt.com
Blog: http://TheCornishTalisman.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCornishTalisman/
Smashwords:  https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MLHumphrey

The Fast Friday Interviews: Robert Eggleton

Robert Eggleton

Tell me about yourself, Robert.

I’m an old, pot-smoking hippie who amped up creative writing in the ‘60s for the fuck the war movement. I enrolled in college to avoid Vietnam and ended up becoming a powerful advocate for children’s rights. I worked in that field, including occasional but not frequent haircuts, for over forty years, during which time my work was covered on local television, radio, and frequent newspaper articles throughout the ‘90s. I was licensed and certified in a lot of shit, including psychotherapy which I delivered in a children’s mental health program until I retired in 2015. Rarity from the Hollow is my debut novel.   

Tell me about your current Book:

When the Upper Management fails to address an imminent threat to our universe, Lacy Dawn, an eleven-year-old victim of child maltreatment on Earth, is recruited to diagnose and resolve the dilemma or we are all up shit creek.   

Write the verbose blurb. Make me want to rush to Amazon an buy it! Make me fear that I will be socially outcast if I don’t read your book!

Lacy Dawn's father relives the never-ending Gulf War, her mother's teeth are rotting out, and her best friend is murdered by the meanest daddy on Earth. Life in the hollow is hard. She has one advantage - an android was inserted into her life and is working with her to cure her parents. But, he wants something in exchange. It's up to her to save the Universe. Lacy Dawn doesn't mind saving the universe, but her family and friends come first.

An award winning adult social science fiction novel filled with tragedy, comedy, and satire that raises funds to help abused children.

What are you working on now?

The next Lacy Dawn Adventure is Ivy, an almost forgotten Appalachian town and the headquarters of an alien invasion of Earth by the addiction to a drug ingested through Campbell’s soup. 

Where is your favorite place to be when you write?

I can write anyplace, but most of my work is done on a PC in my living room with loud rock playing.

What is your favorite lesson you have learned about the business of writing?

My favorite lesson learned is don’t back down. This business is filled with trolls, not just honest competitors, and if they smell weaknesses you will be devoured.

What is your favorite Website?

Youtube because it takes my mind off of compulsive writing with posts about politics, music, funny videos, etc. Plus, it has lots of “how to” videos, such as about car repair.

Links:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2LfzP84  
eReader: https://bit.ly/2KNJkI2
Email: Robert_t@suddenlink.net
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Robert-Eggleton/e/B007K012ZK 
Blog:  http://pages.suddenlink.net/roberteggleton/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lacy-Dawn-Adventures-573354432693864/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/roberteggleton1
 

The Fast Friday Interviews: Starla Huchton

Starla Huchton

Tell me about yourself?

I am a storyteller in multiple types of media. Whether I'm designing a book cover, narrating an audiobook, or writing a novel, above all else my goal is to tell a great story. I've always had an interest in the written word, but didn't gain much direction with it until I was serving in the US Navy as a lithographer doing a lot of desktop publishing, which lead to me wanting to specialize in designing book covers. Once I got out, I started working towards a degree in graphic design while simultaneously beginning my first novel. After that was completed, a friend got me interested in the world of podcasted audiobooks, which is when I discovered I also had a knack for narration. It's nice having several avenues to pursue for a career, and I've alternated my focus on each over the years, depending on where I could get the most work. When I have a lot of design clients, I write and record less, but when I don't have Photoshopping to do and a quiet house, I can record. At one point I published 6 novels in a single year, so there wasn't as much designing and recording done. Having multiple hats is a great way to assure I'm never bored and keeps my creativity fresh by providing those small breaks. And as we're a military family, having a career that moves with me every time is almost a necessity.

Tell me about your current Book:

When the crew of the SS Nanshe takes in a troubled girl, they must untangle a sinister corporate plot, or else the galaxy could become far more dangerous than anyone is prepared to deal with.

Blast off into this new series with a Firefly-meets-Silverado flair!

"Soldiers need wars, doctors need patients, and the Nanshe needs trouble. That's just kinda how it is."

The galaxy ain't a friendly place, but it's a good sight better when you've got friends at your back. And when the crew of the Nanshe stumbles into larger-than-your-average trouble, they'll need all the help they can get.

What starts off as a simple retrieval of stolen goods turns deadly when Leena Espinoza discovers a girl stashed in a cellar, her guardian murdered. The crew has a soft spot for hard cases, and despite Delilah's odd behavior, offer help instead of turning her over to the authorities.

But what they don't know might kill them.

No good deed goes unpunished, and the crew winds up on the radar in the worst possible way. Merc squads, shadowy coalitions, plus the usual criminal element are all on their tails, so it's fight or flight.
As a plot to unbalance the entire civilized universe unfolds around them, the ladies of the SS Nanshe gear up for battle. Through blood and fire, they'll do everything they can to protect what little they have. In the vast blackness of space, taking matters into your own hands isn't an option... It's a matter of survival.

What are you working on now?

Well, I currently have a dozen or so works in progress, but only two I'm actively poking at, one being the second book in the Flights of the Nanshe series. I've also got other audio and design projects in various stages of completion, so there's always something to do!

Where is your favorite place to be when you write?

My writing is done whenever and wherever I have a spare moment to make it happen, and much of that is done on my phone. I don't really have a favorite place, but the past few years I've been able to spend a week at a writing retreat one of my friends organizes, which is generally the most productive and focused I can be, so I suppose that's my answer.

What is your favorite lesson you have learned about the business of writing?

Making connections with people is invaluable. As much as I'd love to barricade myself in my house forever, meeting other authors, narrators, designers, and readers really does make all the difference in the world. Leaving a good impression on someone carries you further than you can imagine.

What is your favorite Website?

This question has made me realize that I don't spend much time looking at websites that aren't related to my work. Stock photo sites, design tutorials (ALWAYS BE LEARNING NEW THINGS), social media, sales reports, book research... that primarily takes up most of my online time. I guess I'd have to say Twitch, as I watch a lot of video game stuff, plus that's where people can see me play a terrible cleric in Dungeons & Dragons (almost) every Wednesday night on Christiana Ellis's channel for the So Many Levels podcast. Seriously. I am probably the worst cleric ever. Well... if not the worst, definitely the most spiteful. LMAO

Links:

Email: starla.huchton@gmail.com 
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/default/e/B0058FOG9S
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarlaHuchton/ and https://www.facebook.com/CoversDesignedByStarla/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/starlahuchton
Websites: http://www.starlahuchton.com and http://www.designedbystarla.com

The Fast Friday Interviews: J. M. Anjewierden

J. M. Anjewierden

Tell me about yourself?

Beard aside, I am not the evil twin. He has a goatee, which as Star Trek taught us is far more evil than a beard, and is a computer engineer, making him an angry engineer during crunch times. Of course an angry engineer is one short hop away from being a full blown mad scientist.

The obvious joke that he’s the left brain and I the right has some basis in reality, but the really interesting thing about us is that I apparently got his sense of smell as well as my own – my nose is sometimes painfully sensitive while he has trouble with normal scents at times.

But enough about my doppelganger. I’ve been writing stories since almost before I could read. They were comics at first, a lot of which were adventures with mercenary penguins, as well as some fantasy. I published my first novel, a Blue-Collar Sci-Fi coming of age story, back in April, followed up by a Steampunk suspense/adventure novel a few months later.

Even outside of writing I live and breathe books. I’ve worked for my local county library system for more than a decade now, and I have one semester left to get my Masters of Library Science. It really is a special privilege to be able to recommend awesome books to all the people who come through my library.

It’s also a lot of fun doing the programs, like the bilingual storytime, (English and Spanish) the system’s yearly anime convention, and my weekly Dungeons and Dragons game for teens.

Yes, I get paid to be Dungeon Master for a Dungeons and Dragons game. As cool as that is, it can also be challenging. You will never run into a D&D player more vicious and bloodthirsty than a twelve year old girl who is really getting into it.

Tell me about your current Book:

Penny Dreadful and the Clockwork Copper

Viva was born to be the perfect spy. Well, that’s not strictly accurate. She was built to be the perfect spy. With the mind and knowledge of the best police clockworks, the diligent and intimidating coppers, and the body and instincts of the sultry companion models, Viva is capable of playing a servant, companion, or real woman. The trouble is they built her better than they realized. She is no mere automaton, blindly following her imprinted knowledge and orders. No, Viva-3 can think for herself, and say no to her masters.

Of course, the moment they realize this, the secret police will simply destroy her and start again. They’re unconcerned with killing the people they’re supposedly sworn to protect, so of course they wouldn’t hesitate to terminate a mere clockwork, whether built of metal or flesh.

Her latest mission is to go undercover and discover the identity of the city’s notorious vigilante hero, Penny Dreadful. He has started interfering with the coppers as well as the criminals, and the secret police want him stopped. Of course, they suspect the heir of one of the most respected Lords, so caution is key.

Viva must follow her orders and avoid any hint of suspicion that she is more than she seems, both with the Reed-Brooks family and her masters, or risk discovery and death. One question remains for Viva: In her quest to be free, would Penny Dreadful be more useful as an ally instead of an enemy?

What are you working on now?

I am at present working on the sequel to my first novel, The Long Black. Our heroine, Morgan, having finally succeeded in becoming an officer on a star freighter, just wants to forget her past, forget the horrors of her childhood and the recent violence of the pirate attack on her starship, but she’s having problems letting go. Her friend Emily suggests Morgan take a vacation, come visit her estates on the nearby planet Albion. Of course, her friend is also a Baroness in her own right and a former officer in Albion’s Marine Corps, with enemies of her own…

The Assassination of Lady Emily will be out by April, grad school and infant son permitting.

Where is your favorite place to be when you write?

I do pretty much all of my writing at my computer desk in my bedroom, out of necessity really. A week after I graduated high school I was in a car accident and broke my back in three places. All things considered I am incredibly lucky and blessed – I can still walk and get around pretty much fine, really – but I do have to limit my chair time, especially if the chair isn’t really good.

What is your favorite lesson you have learned about the business of writing?

“There is no new thing under the sun” was true when it was written a couple millennia ago, and it is true now. There will always be another author who wrote the same basic premise as you are working on, but that doesn’t matter. You could give the same premise to a hundred authors and set them loose, and get a hundred different stories out the other end. What matters is how you as an individual approach it.

What is your favorite Website?

That’s a tough one. As far as writing goes, I’d have to go with MadGeniusClub.com They have so many resources for new authors to help them with everything from outlining to formatting, book covers to marketing. Plus they keep a decent eye on current events, and have a lively comments section.

Links:

Email: Mr_Boffin@hotmail.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/J.-M.-Anjewierden/e/B071DG1X1L/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MrBoffin
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mr_Boffin

The Fast Friday Interviews: T.M. Slay

T.M. Slay

Tell me about yourself?

I've been writing for 15 years because I was told I couldn't do it. So...of course I did it! And then some. Doctors also told me I couldn't have kids...so I did that and then some! I'm a proud mama of 5 children, and I'd love to have more. Yea, that's what happens without cable. Also I have a few fur babies. If you've seen my "story time", then you've seen my horses. They're all rescues, and I couldn't love them more. So, do I have it all? Not quite. Why not? Well, I have a dream for greater things. I want a foundation to save more horses, I want to expand my writing. I want more children, and I want to impact the world in better ways. I mean, don't we all want better for our world? Ok, I concede, maybe we don't ALL want better, some like the world strangled and stuffed down in a garbage can.

It helps further agenda that way. But me? I want more readers to find me so I can send them to more awesome writers who will show them to others. Only with open minds and hearts will we ever improve anything, and I truly believe that even fantasy and romance hold the powers to do such things. For if we can hold open our hearts and minds and strive for more, our legacies to our children and our grandchildren will be even more than any amount of possessions would ever be.

Tell me about your current Book: 

Legend Mine, Book 3: The Kataran Series

As Reignor royalty, Terrah has always known her duty--until the deay her Kataran father was murdered. A price on her head, her trust shattered, Terrah is devestated when it seems neither her mother's gods, nor her father's, are able to point her toward the truth. In order to keep her safe and find the culprit, her brother, the new king, has called in the best protection in Rignor Galaxy...

Jacob, the Legendary Ancient Warrior of Warriors of the Katara, is going on what he believes to be his last mission -- finding who murdered his mentor. Secrets are plentiful on the mysterious planet of Reignor,and Terrah's help is strained at best. The woman is walking, talking trouble. Too Bad he needs her in more ways than he cares to admit...

It seems her father wasn't the only target, and his death was only the beginning. As more information comes to light, Jacob is no longer simply solving a murder, but he's also been tasked with securing the small planet and keeping intergalactic peace. Jacob commands Legendary skills, Terrah the Legendary Fire, and together they have The Universe to help them find the truth. But will the truth alone be enough to bring a murderer to justice, keep Terrah safe, and prevent Reignor from invasion? Jacob isn't sure, but he's damn well determined to try.

What are you working on now? 

Book 4 of The Kataran Series; Treading Water, Book 1 The Atlantean Series; & The WarLord's Bride

Where is your favorite place to be when you write? 

Either my home office, or while sitting in bed...

What is your favorite lesson you have learned about the business of writing? 

Never give up, and always give 150%!

What is your favorite Website? 

http://www.thesaurus.com/

Links: 

Wed: www.tmslay@gmail.com
Email: authortmslay@gmail.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/T.M.-Slay/e/B00M6HUN6Q/
Blog: www.tmslay.com/blog
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorT.M.Slay
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorTMSlay
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authortmslay/

The Fast Friday Interviews: Lori Ann Bailey

Lori Ann Bailey

Tell me about yourself?

I’m a Southern girl from Mississippi who married a New Yorker and settled halfway in-between to raise four kids in Northern Virginia. Winner of the National Readers’ Choice Award and Holt Medallion for Best First Book and Best Historical, I write hunky highland heroes and strong-willed independent lasses finding their perfect matches in the Highlands of 17th century Scotland.

Tell me about your current Book: 

Highland Redemption, book two in the Highland Pride series – Releases November 27th.

When Skye is kidnapped, Brodie Cameron must get her to safety and untangle the web of intrigue surrounding her abduction and the bounty on her head, before the danger hunting her finds them both.

Skye Cameron has no idea why she was kidnapped, but the last thing she wants is to spend any time with her rescuer, Brodie, the man who broke her heart. She's promised to another in a political marriage and must fight to keep from falling for her handsome childhood sweetheart again as they dash across Scotland in an attempt to elude her captors and stay alive.

Don’t be that last to find out why USA Today and New York Times bestselling author, Grace Burrowes, says, “Braw, bonnie laddies, plucky lasses, lots of clan intrigue, and plenty of steam!”

What are you working on now? 

Highland Temptation, book two in the Highland Pride series releases June 25, 2018. Highland Salvation, book three, is in the editing phase and I’m currently writing book five, Highland Obligation, where the MacDonald laird’s heir is forced to marry the woman he thinks is responsible for his friend’s death.

Where is your favorite place to be when you write? 

In my basement office, but occasionally I like to move around for a change of scenery.

What is your favorite lesson you have learned about the business of writing? 

That everyone’s writing journey is different, you can’t compare yourself to others.

What is your favorite Website? 

A must know website for historical authors - https://www.etymonline.com/
The online etymology dictionary is the internet's go-to source for quick and reliable accounts of the origin and history of English words, phrases, and idioms.

Links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2As7N16
B&N https://goo.gl/YPGTzS
Kobo https://goo.gl/9c3pWb
ibooks https://goo.gl/a6fF7w
Amazon Canada https://goo.gl/U2NAi9
Amazon UK https://goo.gl/mb9Et1
Email: Lori@loriannbailey.com
Amazon: https://amazon.com/author/loriannbailey
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lori.Ann.Bailey.author
Twitter: https://twitter.com/labaileyauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loriannbailey/

Fast Friday Interviews: Lucille Moncrief

 Lucille Moncrief

Tell me about yourself, Lucille.

I write in a lot of genres because I can’t really make up my mind. I have several series in the horror, contemporary romance, and paranormal erotic romance genres. Most of my work is dark and morbid with steampunk elements. I had a very dysfunctional childhood, what can I say? I suppose my experiences shaped my work. And by ‘shaped’ I mean bent it toward the macabre and phantasmagorical.

I like to read the classics, and a lot of non-fiction, mostly military history. I’m currently reading Survivors of Stalingrad by Reinhold Busch.

When I’m not reading or writing, I have a habit of yelling at the kids to get off my lawn. If the lawn is undisturbed, I drink a lot of coffee and stare out my window, pretending to be pensive. I also do a bit of editing, ghostwriting, and email marketing on the side.

Tell me about your current Book:

My current book is a paranormal historical fiction novelette that will be free from Nov. 3 to Nov. 5.
It’s illustrated, about vampires in WW1. Although it is part of my Nefarious series, I have written it as a standalone.

The blurb along with some quotes:
If you like dark and gritty tales, war stories and the supernatural, you’ll love this standalone short of Lucille Moncrief’s Nefarious series.

Is eternal guilt the price of human empathy?

"Suspenseful and sophisticated."

"Nefarious is hauntingly good and captivating."

"Yet again, this author blows my mind."

While the bombs rain overhead, Talcott Henderson and a group of fellow soldiers huddle in the cratered ground beneath the German front lines. Through the never-ending din of enemy fire, the voracious, blood-soaked machine of war haunts Talcott. Memories claw at him; kill or be killed, eat or be eaten. In the bowels of the earth a specter appears, and offers him an eternal life free of guilt.

But what is the cost of an unmarred soul?

Grab your copy today, travel through time, and escape into a breathtaking new world!

*Includes custom illustrations

Quotes:

“The parting of our lips was the spark of fire to gunpowder, and the keg of our longing exploded.”
“He had the look of a man who knew what he was doing and had done it a thousand times before – his face set hard in singular determination – the flame in his eyes roaring to the denouement.”
“Dauntless in my newfound immortality, I stood on the fireboard and peered over the edge of the trench, indifferent to the commotion around me. I possessed the bloodthirsty focus of a predator. My bones sang with the music of a killing feast, and the flame behind my eyes waxed murderous.”

You can find it here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073HPLN1D

What are you working on now?

Right now, I’m working on the fourth volume of the Nefarious series. This is part of my steampunk, dark erotic paranormal romance line. It is called “The Dirigible Airship Disaster” and is slated for a crash landing mid-December.

Where is your favorite place to be when you write?

Alone. In my room. Did I mention alone?

What is your favorite lesson you have learned about the business of writing?

That it is a business; always has been, always will be. Even Edgar Allan Poe had to learn branding.

What is your favorite Website?

https://www.quora.com/.

Links: 

Email: moncriefelle@gmail.com
Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/lucillemoncrief
Blog: www.moncriefs.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moncriefs.net/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/501377123571897/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/moncriefelle