author interview

September 24, 2017

An Interview with KJ Blocker

Blurb of Treasure of the Magical Mine Moppets:

Enter a magical world where corn grows as high as the clouds and salt can be worth more than gold. A world where a mile beneath the earth live wondrous, iridescent little creatures, happily working and playing. Completely unaware that someone “upside” is plotting to take it all away from them!

In this magical world, you meet wonderful characters.

Tom, the farmer who hopes to feed the world with his Ubercorn.

Tom’s wife and son, who sometimes get left behind as he works.

Mr. Withers, the greedy town banker, who wants everything Tom has and will stop at nothing to get it.

Tom’s Dad, Pappy, who Tom has been angry with for years, but is more like him than he realizes!

Like the Magical Mine Moppets, Tom’s family will lose everything if they don’t find a way to defeat the evil Mr. Withers, but they must learn that family and love are the only things that can destroy evil. Join us in a breathtaking, wide-eyed adventure into a land that you’ll cherish.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review of Books:

The magical mine creatures will no doubt fascinate children. Older readers may well be reminded of the Munchkins from The Wizard Of Oz. Plus Jimmy’s bug pal may well have parents reliving their own moments with Walt Disney’s Jiminy Cricket … Morals are abound in Blocker’s book. The virtues of honesty, loyalty, friendship, and belief in one another take center stage with the all-encompassing value of love. His is a story meant to teach as well as entertain … For both the young and the young at heart, Treasure Of The Magical Mine Moppets is a fun and family-friendly adventure.

Author interview with KJ Blocker

1 Describe yourself in five words.  

Kind, compassionate fun and witty guy

2 What fact about yourself would really surprise people ?

When some people see my penmanship, there’s an amazement in their eyes ,when they discover I’m a writer . When treasure of the magical mine moppets, was released I had a boss look me dead in the eye . Wow! I’m shocked !you write?

3 How do you work through self doubt and fear ?

I learned long ago when I was a child  I was put down so many times, and yes I was bullied, and made fun of, because of our income status, or social status. I could never measure up to the kids in the community. I feared my peers so strongly as a kid. I had what I called running scared syndrome so much, now the self doubt, of what others will think, or the fear that I’m not good enough is no longer A hurdle for me .

4 What scares you the most?

Losing someone close to you you care about the most, and I’m not just talking about death, but a divorce or disagreement fall out, over something that means really nothing in the long run, for example, politics I need not say no more. Instead we need to care and love for each other more, and worry less about the things that are out of our control.

5 What makes you happiest?

Knowing that I’ve gave my all to help someone in need. Mainly food.. I like food, yep definitely food .

6 Why do you write?

It’s hard to answer that question. My oldest daughter inspired me because of her wisdom,, my kids seem to give me reality checks. Or keep me in reality as they refer to it. On treasure of the magical mine moppets, I got inspired after learning about my past,, where I came from, The mystery behind my last name, and the relationship ,,struggle between  my great-grandfather and grandfather, I was so overwhelmed by all kinds of emotions, happy, mad, sad. You name it. Until one day my daughter goes Dad you can’t change the past. After a little thought I said you know you’re right, but I can help somebody else in the future .

7 Have you always enjoyed writing?

Art to me comes in many forms, i’m the founder of the product, i’ve written songs, or even on my job… it’s an expression I believe to help others in need of whatever their individual or families case maybe.

8 What motivate you to write?

The story has to be real, relatable, and fun, sad, but most of all, the story has to make you feel like there’s hope, and my writing goal is that if there is a character that you can identify with, either good or bad, and that character can cause you to stop and go well my situation isn’t so bad after all. Then that character has done his or her job.

9 What writing are you most proud of ?

Treasure of the magical mine moppets series

The story was just so rich, and whether you are a child or adult you can relate between slapstick comedy,  a troubled family, with a wounded past, then all of a sudden the Band-Aid gets ripped off ouch that hurts. There’s a lot of deep meaning, adventure and fun. In both above and below ground. Magical I suppose but you want to relive your childhood through the pages .

10 What are you most proud of in your personal life ?

That even though I was told I was a poor, motherless child. Beaten down by society, I would not bow, instead I fought back and did not give up I faced my fear and though it’s been a hard Row to hoe I’m proud to have not given up on my dreams, or my purpose in life. Even though I don’t know the outcome, I was never afraid to try.

11 What books did you love growing up?

Alice in Wonderland, three little pigs, Lion witch and wardrobe, and Mary Poppins .

12 What do you hope you’re a bitch wary will say about you ?

He was not afraid to try.

13 Location and life experiences can really influence writing. Tell us where you grew up and where are you now live.

As a boy I  lived at 1212 E. 9th St. In Shawnee Oklahoma. My father was a loaner, after Mom left, he become distant, sad and alone . One day a boy came to play, after sweeping him off the porch with a broom The neighborhood kids become angry and took out there vengeance on me, I had impetigo on numerous occasions. I cried a lot, ran and jumped fences to get away from the kids, survive was the only option, it toughened me writing short poems and keeping a job restocking beer shelves, kept me from thinking about my situation well I guess it worked I’m still here.

14 How did you develop your writing?

Songs in short poems. I’ve done since I was a boy. But 10 years ago I started to write a song and just kept on writing and thanking and writing. And I thought oh wow I’m pretty good at this, so then I created a whole world. That would help this world. Lord knows we could use the help.

15 What is the hardest getting published writing or marketing?

Marketing by far I think is the hardest, and I made some pretty stupid marketing decisions, you know one thing for sure that is how do I reach my potential audience, but actually reaching that audience well now that’s a whole different story.

16 What marketing works for you?

Word of mouth, if you write something that touches people’s lives and the characters you create can make others feel better about themselves then they will share. I’ve learned you can never force your work on anybody or your ideas for that matter. It’s all about the characters and how the characters make you feel.

17 Do you find it hard to share your work?

I find it an absolute honor to be able to share what you’ve been given, when I see the smile on either a child’s  or adults face, and they tell me how much a character has help them, it’s an honor to have been able to share. Now to answer your question no it’s not hard to share what you’ve been blessed with.

18 Is your family supported do your friends support you?

I suppose when you’re an inventor/ writer and you do out of the norm things as my kids would say . About their dad, they just expect it, it’s normal to them. My wife on the other hand super supportive been from day one. I wouldn’t be the man I am today without the love and support from my wife . Friends they support you …as long as it’s free

19 What else do you do other than write?

I own an interactive entertainment business, Jaf industries LLC, I own a small HVAC company, I am founder and inventor of A roof product, and work full-time at OSUOKC . .

20 What other jobs have you had in your life?

Well let’s see. Chopping cotton, pulling radishes, pick blueberries in Arkansas Michigan cashier, Cook, sales representative, roofer, appliance installer, HVAC technician, owner of a novelty food Booth for fairs and festivals, songwriter, fast food cook, and that’s before breakfast.

21 If you could study any subject at University what would you pick ?

Business degree and marketing

22 If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be ?

I don’t know at this point, just depends on where the opportunity takes me right now Oklahoma’s doing fine by me.

23 Tell us about your family

My dad was the traveling Preacher, my mother drifted from pillar to post,, when I was growing up . Always promising to come home but she never did, my mother and father got divorced when I was five. Dad was never the same again . I have three sisters and two brothers, im the second to the oldest,, and I have more than that . . Well that’s a lot

24 How do you write laptop pen paper in bed and read it?

All the above when an idea comes you write it down no matter where you are. Because that idea may never come again, and you will forget, it or at least I do

25 How much sleep do you need to be your best ?

As little as possible I have a lot of energy, 4 to 6 hours on average.

26 Is there anyone you’d like to acknowledge and thank for their support?

My wife, she’s been there for me when nobody else would.

27 Every writer has their own idea of what a successful career in writing is. What does success in writing look like to you?

The very first novel I wrote, was falling apart, co wrote by my wife. We went to LA, to a book signing, and sold one copy.that was the happiest day of my life because the family who bought the book. A man his wife and a teenage daughter. The man said this book will save our family. We had traveled 1300 miles and it was  well worth it.. To me that’s the greatest success you could ever ask for.

28   It is vital to get exposure and target the right readers for your writing. Tell us about your marketing campaign ?

Billboards SCO, Book signings, OSU OKC funraiser, and schools, or 20% of the proceeds  goes back to the school, Tulsa state fair, September 28 through October 8, 2017.

29 Tell us about your new book why did you write it ?

I feel like just some degree we have gotten away from the basics, of telling a good moral story, we’re good  try umps  over evil, a story that’s direct to the point, and adventure that takes you away from the every day Norm . Treasure of the magical mine moppets is a three-part series. In part one, The concept came after learning the story of my great grand father and grandfather’s struggles . Then we mixed in the boy  and the bug, its my way of dealing with everything that happened bad in the family’s past creating a wonderful timeless story, of hope love and. Rekindling faith in mankind

Check out KJ Blocker’s book on the following sites:

www.kjblocker.com

http://amzn.to/2wyK1gx

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/treasure-of-the-magical-mine-moppets-kj-blocker/1126822686?ean=9780999150740

 

September 24, 2017

An Interview With Author Sandy Smith

Author bio:

Sandi Smith spent her time as a young girl combing the shelves of the public library. She has always enjoyed the magic that books have to offer and was inspired by her high school English teacher, Mr. Coolidge to embrace the arts. The author found her calling as a writer early one morning as her first story came to her in the form of a poem. Since then she has written more than 15 children’s books, with her most popular series about the adventures of an adorable spider in the A.R. Achnid series. Sandi is happily married to her inspiration and husband of 40 years, John. She continues to write for her two precious grandchildren. When she’s not penning a new story, Sandi and John like to camp, kayak and to enjoy the simple life in their home in Pembroke, NH. To learn more about Sandi go to: http://www.authorsandismith.com

Where are you from? New Hampshire

Why do you write?  I love words and books. I always have. When I was young, I spent a very good part of my time in the public library. About ten years ago, when I suddenly started getting words and sentences in my head, day after day, night after night, I actually thought that maybe I had better go visit a doctor. Once I put the words down on paper, though, I discovered that the words could be made into a story. My stories made my grandchildren laugh, and things took off from there. I write hoping that one of my stories can bring enjoyment to someone, or that maybe it can bring inspiration into someone’s life.  I have read so many books that made me smile, and I am hoping I can do the same for someone else.

What do you write about? I never know what words are going to come to me. It can be about anything. I have written about a spider, a grasshopper, and a special magical bakery, but mostly, though, I like to write about people. Most of my children’s stories have been about different characters and what is happening in their lives, and how they handle certain situations. In my first novel, I wrote about the loss of a woman’s husband, and how she handled her anger and depression. In my second novel, I wrote about a group of different people, and how they became connected to each other.

Do you have a specific writing style? For my children’s books, I always write in poetry.

What are obstacles that come in the way of writing? Sometimes trying to connect the beginning of the story to the end of the story was a bit of an obstacle. It took a lot of hot tea and cookies to help clear my mind and figure everything out.

What is the most memorable thing asked/said by a reader about your work? I had one reader say that my novel, Sitting at the Kitchen Table with God, should be on the Best Sellers’ List.  That was pretty awesome to hear.

How long have you been writing? It has been about ten years.

When did you first realize you wanted to become a writer? It was ten years ago.  Actually, it was by accident. I am very much afraid of spiders, and one night a spider fell onto our dark rug and I couldn’t find him anywhere. I didn’t want to stay in the living room, not knowing where the spider was, so I went to bed, but once I fell asleep, words and sentences kept running through my mind. I got out of bed and wrote everything down.  The next day, I put the words all together, and a story was born. I haven’t stopped writing since then.

What is your work schedule like when you are writing? In the beginning, I wrote most of my stories at night, because the words would come to me while I was sleeping. I would get up and write down all of the words. The next day, I would put the words together to make a story.  I always had a pad of paper by my bed so I could write the words down when they came through my mind. I didn’t want to lose any new sentences or phrases. Eventually, the words slowed down at night, and I started getting more words during the day. When this all started, I was on my computer seven days a week. Some days I would write for a few hours during the day, and then sometimes I would write all day and into the night. Over the past ten years, you could usually find me in the computer room typing away.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk? I love to write with loud music. It inspires me. I put music on, and before I know it, my fingers are flying. 

How long does it take to write a book? (if you’ve written one -published or non) Because the words come to me sporadically, it is a little difficult to put a time frame on my books, but I would say that my children’s books took anywhere from three months to four months. My novels took anywhere from four months to a year.

Do you have suggestions on how to become a better writer? I am still so new to writing that I really do not have any suggestions for anyone, except to enjoy the ride. Sometimes when I was writing, and I would get stuck at a certain point, I would get so frustrated. I couldn’t move on with the story, and that could be terrifying. I would just sit and sit at the computer waiting for words to come to me.  Then I changed my way of thinking. I learned from all of my writing, that the words would come through sooner or later, so I would just close the document and wait for the answer to hit me, and it always did.  Sometimes it would take a day, and sometimes it would take three months, but I stopped getting anxious over the block. No longer was I getting frustrated.  So, I would say relax if you feel you are not getting anywhere, because the words will come to you eventually.

What challenges do you come across when writing/creating your story? The biggest challenge I face with every story that I have ever written is that I am never happy with the book.  I am always changing it around, adding new paragraphs, etc. I have my sisters read the story over and over again to make sure it all makes sense, and then I make changes and ask them to read the book again. When I am writing, I can be a bit of a challenge to my family.

What do you think makes a good story? I love a lot of different characters. They add color to the story, and make it so interesting.

What does your family think of your writing? My grandchildren love my stories, and my children are very proud. My daughter-in-law has been very helpful, also. She is a teacher, so she has been of great help with my children’s stories. My husband is my biggest fan, and is so supportive. I could not do it without his support.

Do you see writing as a career? I love writing. Right now, I am working on two new novels, but self-publishing can be very expensive, so I am not sure if I will be able to publish any future books.

Do you have anything specific you’d like to tell the readers? I am just very grateful for the opportunity to write my stories, and I hope that when someone reads one of my books, they will get lots of enjoyment from reading the story.

When did you first consider yourself a writer? It was when a small boy asked me to sign his book, and when I did, he told me he loved my story. I was hooked from that moment on. His face was so sweet and happy, and I was overwhelmed that something I wrote could make someone that happy.

Visit Sandy’s website and Amazon page to learn more about her or to purchase her books.

http://www.authorsandismith.com

http://amzn.to/2fdd1YJ

September 14, 2017

Author Interview: Lonna Enox

Lonna Enox is a former high school and college English instructor. She grew up on a ranch in New Mexico, where she learned to love critters, reading, and “wide open” spaces. She is a wife, mom, and grandmother, as well as the proud owner of 4 rescue pets–3 cats and a dog. Aside from an early stint as a newspaper reporter, she also spent 10 years as a freelance magazine writer. She is happiest exploring a wildlife refuge, cuddling little ones and critters, or snuggled up reading a good mystery.

We are glad to be interviewing her on our blog. We hope that you’d enjoy reading this interview. 

Describe yourself in five words:

Sensitive   Sentimental   Reserved   Kind   Hardworking

How do you work through self-doubts and fear:

I jump into the project, telling myself that I can only fail.  And failure will never define me.  Because when I fail at something, I keep working a different way until I get there—or I try something else.

What scares you the most?:

Some of the same things that scare my characters—dark corners, things that go bump in the night, losing those I love,  storms…

What makes you happiest?:

An evening at home with a good book, a kitty snuggled beside me, the dog at my feet, the sounds of little ones giggling, and…chocolate.

Why do you write?:

I write because write.  When not writing novels, I’m writing to a variety of pen pals, I’m writing lists of ideas for writing, I’m writing love notes, I’m writing in my journals…..

Have you always enjoyed writing?:

I not only cannot remember when I began writing, but it would be like not breathing to stop.

What motivates you to write?:

The greatest motivation for writing is that my mind is always busy and people tire of listening.  I see something in passing, and it inspires me.  I would be an insatiable chatterbox…and chatterboxes interrupt the lives of those around them.  So my “chatter” is written.

What writing are you most proud of? :

I am proud of anything I write that is enjoyed by the readers I am targeting.  Before writing my novels, I wrote and published a variety of magazine articles.  They had first held a place in my journals, and I labelled them “Reflections”.  When someone commented, “I have felt like that!  But I didn’t know someone else had!” I was proud to have shared that moment with them. 

What are you most proud of in your personal life?:

Besides my children and grandchildren?  I am proud of the students I taught who tell me I made a small difference in their education.  I am proud to be an American.  I am proud of the parents who not only taught my brothers and myself to value our lives but also to love.  And as I’m now writing novels, I am proud to have a husband who is a computer person.  When he hears me cry, “Oh no!”, he appears, touches something, and the chapter that had just disappeared magically returns.

What books did you love growing up?:

I love the Louisa Mae Alcott books (Little Women, Little Men), the Nancy Drew mystery books, books set during historical periods like the Civil War or the American Revolution, and books where animals were main characters.

What do you hope your obituary will say about you?:

Besides that I’d died writing my latest book at 102 while writing my next book?  Seriously, I hope it will say that I believed in education, love, and read as many books as possible.

Location and life experiences can really influence writing, tell us where you grew up and where you now live?:

I grew up on a cattle ranch that my great grandmother had homesteaded (widowed and mother of 6 kids) in west Texas…only 6 miles from the New Mexico border.  Except for the years I attended college in southeast Missouri, I have lived in New Mexico or Texas.  At this moment, it is in Roswell, NM.

How did you develop your writing? 

By doing it until it felt “right”.

What is hardest – getting published, writing or marketing?:

Marketing is—by far—hardest.  Writing takes tremendous energy and time, but marketing takes creativity, opportunity, courage, and luck.

What marketing works for you?:

My facebook page helps tremendously, scheduling book signings or fair booths or book club talks—anywhere I can speak to people about writing, and having a large family to buy them.

Do you find it hard to share your work? :

My articles are difficult because they are so personal.  My books are difficult because they’re like children—you adore them and know they’re the best…but you realize there may be some ‘uninformed’ people out there who may not have yet realized that.

Is your family supportive? Do your friends support you?:

Oh, wow, yes!!  My father’s sister’s whole church ladies’ group reads them, my brothers read them, my children promote them among their friends and come up with innovative places for me to appear, my granddaughter’s teachers read them, my pastor not only advises me on police procedure but also reads them…

What else do you do, other than write? :

I read voraciously, I love to decorate anything…everything…anywhere…everywhere…J  A blank wall is a challenge waiting to be taken.  I love to travel to the beach, to wildlife refuges, to anywhere that I don’t have to be “on water”.  I love to bake at Christmas.  I’m a past leader for Girl Scouts, I lead various children’s activities in church, and survived countless slumber parties at my house.  Now, I decorate for adult activities at church, rope my husband into decorating projects, knit, bake, spoil the numerous critters I add to the pet menagerie, go to concerts, and walk.

What other jobs have you had in your life?:

To get through college, I cooked in a Dairy Queen, worked as a secretary in the college offices, babysat, cleaned houses, and even worked one summer for a weekly newspaper writing obituaries and church news.

After I graduated, I worked as a reporter on a newspaper.  After that, I taught high school English and Sp-anish.

If you could study any subject at university what would you pick?:

I picked it.  I studied English and American literature and Spanish.

 If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? :

I’d live right where I was “planted”—in the American Southwest.  I love to visit other places, then come home to the forever skies, sandy plains, and people who say “yawl” and help when you need it.  But I’d go back to Hawaii at least once a year to the beach!

Tell us about your family?:

Mama was a nurse and Dad was a cowboy.   Both taught us to love what we did, to love each other, to dream, and to work to make them come true.  My mother’s dream was 3 college graduates.  People laughed at her…until she had 3.  My brother Russ is a natural born artist whose sketches and paintings are real enough to talk.  He also is a rancher and does ranch work all over the Southwest with his helicopter.  My young brother Ben spent his younger life teaching kids to play band instruments.  Now he volunteers in his community in musical activities and is a happy “grandpa”.

How do you write – lap top, pen, paper, in bed, at a desk?:

I write with a laptop anywhere…even outdoors.

How much sleep do you need to be your best?:

I’m not sure, as I find I sleep less with the years.  Maybe I am afraid I won’t get everything written if I sleep too much.

Is there anyone you’d like to acknowledge and thank for their support?:

My family—the parents who gave tirelessly to ensure I would be educated, the grandparents who told stories to make me realize there is more than the written word, my children who are never embarrassed by my writing, my grandchildren who have read my first book even as they are still quite young.  My husband tirelessly tramps through the wilderness, takes photos, help with the computer, and discusses all sorts of technical problems with me.  But most of all, I’d thank Mrs. Sloman, my first grade teacher, who said, “Write?  That’s easy.  I can show you.  Then you can write for always.”

Every writer has their own idea of what a successful career in writing is, what does success in writing look like to you?:

Success is when a complete stranger spends their money on your book, or takes the time to send you a note to say they enjoyed it, or shows to a book signing.  Success is the joy deep inside when you hold each new one in your hands.  Success is the warm spot inside when you know you’ve touched a dream and snuggled it into your heart.

It is vital to get exposure and target the right readers for your writing, tell us about your marketing campaign?:

I blog on my facebook page, I book numerous appearances including fairs, book signings, talks to book clubs, talks to civic groups, talks to schools, etc.  In all of it, I focus on why this book, these characters, this story will appeal to them.

Tell us about your new book? Why did you write it?:

My new book is a sequel to the first two.  Currently, I am writing book four, which may or may not be the end of this series.  I’m writing it because they are still “talking” to me…and they still have a part of their story that hasn’t been told.

When you are not writing, how do you like to relax?:

I read, watch a movie or television, walk the dog (Maggie), tramp through wilderness, browse through a book store, go to a concert or play.

What do you hope people will take away from your writing? How will your words make them feel?:

I hope they will enjoy the characters—smile at their humor, cheer for their success—and appreciate my Southwest culture and beauty.

Do you have links that you’d like to share for others to read? 

Lonnaenox.org – Website

www.facebook.com/lonnaenoxauthor – fan page

Check out her books at http://amzn.to/2wqfKR4 

Thank you for reading and do connect with her on Facebook.

July 23, 2017

Looking for Group Author Interview Participants from the Religion, Spirituality & New Age Genre

Image result for interviews

Pic credit: https://www.careers.govt.nz/job-hunting/new-to-new-zealand/job-interviews-in-new-zealand/

At International Book Promotion, we host group author interviews where we group-interview authors from different genres every month and gather the answers for each question from all authors. We will then post each question together with the answers from all participating authors. This time round, we have decided to interview authors from the #Religion, #Spirituality & #New Age genre.

To sign up or to read more, please visit this post

All you have to do is to share this post with authors who may be interested to join us for the interview.

May 20, 2017

An Interview with Constanza Mayer

Constanza Mayer

Constanza Mayer

Constanza Mayer is a Chilean author. Born in Santiago, she spent most of her childhood living in different cities across Chile, until she finally settled down for many years in a small town in the state of Illinois. There, she began her true journey into the realm of fantasy and all things magical—Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, fed her imaginative mind. This is when she began to write her first fantasy novel, but it was sadly lost due to a computer virus.

After many years passed, having moved back to Santiago, Chile, she was finally able to write again. This is where “The Battle of the Erathiel” truly began to develop. After almost two years of hard work, and living for a time in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, she finishes the first novel of her series in Santiago on October 29th, 2016.

Constanza is an avid reader, a lover of the arts, and a devoted piano player and composer. Among her dreams, she hopes to continue traveling across the world to fill herself with more experiences to write from, as she typically says:

“Hay que vivir para poder escribir.”
“You must live so that you may write.”

The Battle of the Erathiel

The ancient elven race of the Erathiel embark on a journey across the Enchanted Sea to find a new home. With them travel the only remaining dwarves and humans from their land. They are struck by a terrible storm that leads them to a land they are not keen to call their own. Soon they will find that there is more to this new land than they had ever expected. Friends and foes, hope and loss will be their constant companions in this adventure where wizards and shape-shifting adversaries will cross their path.

It’s a pleasure for us to be interviewing Constanza and we hope that you’d enjoy reading this post while getting to know him better.

Describe yourself in five words

Determined, creative, stubborn, compassionate and a dreamer.

What fact about yourself would really surprise people?

Maybe that I’m the daughter of a pastor. I grew up in a Christian home and always being ‘the pastor’s daughter’, so it was interesting as I grew up. I also have two tattoos.

How do you work through self-doubts and fear?

To be honest, it’s a process. First, I feel it all caving in, I tend to give into the anxiety and frustration it generates but then I use all that negative energy and I transform it into something useful; for example, I end up composing a song or writing something with it. Sometimes I need a little reminder from my loved ones that things are not as hopeless as they seem.

What scares you the most?

Death. The idea of never being with my loved ones again.

What makes you happiest?

Love in all its forms: friendship, with a partner, self-love, moments that fill up your heart. Music, reading, art in general, in my opinion, are connected with this great and amazing emotion.

Why do you write?

I write because I can’t help myself. It’s funny sometimes when I find myself on a bus crossing the city, the subway, or anywhere at all and I just need to write. I’m pretty sure more than one writer has felt that it’s almost as if something ‘possesses’ you and you just need to write, to tell a story. I think that’s it, it’s about tell a story that’s more important than anything, in that moment.

Have you always enjoyed writing?

Oh, yes. Ever since I could write I’d write down my dreams, both from the night before or the ones I had awake. I think the written word, speech, being to express yourself, is one of the greatest gifts we have. I couldn’t live without being able to express myself, I think.

What motivates you to write?

The story, the characters, they become so real to me that I feel I need to share their stories. I just can’t help myself. I also write because I want to touch others with ideas, with ideas of changing the world and realizing there are so many options out there, that we can live in peace—for example—and that we are all not so different from each other. We are all human in the end.

What writing are you most proud of?

My first book “The Battle of the Erathiel: Across the Enchanted Sea”. It was a milestone for me and also what I’ve poured most of my soul into, although it is only the beginning because the story itself is huge, so there’s a lot left for all to read.

What are you most proud of in your personal life?

Listening to my heart and leaving fear aside. I think most of the times that I’ve given into fear, things have not gone well, but when I’ve listened to myself, to my heart, and have acted from this true feeling, things have gone well, at least in the end. Some experiences can be hard once you choose them, but you can always learn from them, which is what matters in the end, in my opinion.

What books did you love growing up?

Oh, so many! I loved Roald Dahl, his work is just so amazing. Also, the Harry Potter series was fun, The Lord of the Rings, Narnia (haven’t read them all yet!), the Animorphs series was fun as well, Wishbone, some Star Wars books here and there, and of course, Goosebumps!

 What do you hope your obituary will say about you?

“She loved, she lived, she did” or something like that, I hope.

Location and life experiences can really influence writing, tell us where you grew up and where you now live?

Wow, good question. It’s true. I mean, I was born in Santiago, Chile and from that moment I was inserted into a life similar to that of a nomad. Since my dad was, well is, a pastor, the church would send him and my family from one city or congregation to another so by the time I was 8, I had already lived in 5 cities in Chile, both north and south, and then we moved to the US. We lived for about a year in a small town in Illinois, waiting for my dad to get his church assigned and then we moved to a small town in the south of Illinois that I grew to consider, and still consider, my home.

It was a town of 500 people, so it was very small and everyone knew each other. To be honest, our first years were quite ‘interesting’. Although some people were very welcoming, there were some that clearly did not want us there. We were the only latinos in the town and there were and still are very racist and close-minded people there. So I must admit that the whole experience has marked my life forever. Maybe I’ll write a book about it. I’m sure there are many people who will be able to relate to all that hate, sadly. I think all these things have definitely influenced my writing. If you read “The Battle of the Erathiel”, you’ll find that we do talk about racism, we talk about immigration, about finding a new home and accepting it as your own and wanting to defend it, these are all feelings that I have grown up with, so in a way I do see myself reflected in my writing, at least my experiences and the things I’ve lived.

I now live in Santiago, Chile. It’s a long story but in summary, I never wanted to be here, I’m now here, but am happy to be independently building my home, making my nest, fighting my demons, and allowing myself to discover new things and write about it all.

How did you develop your writing?

I’m not sure how I’ve “developed” my writing but I usually write whatever I feel and if I wanna make it public, I check if it’s well-written. I guess I guide myself using the books I read as a reference. As far as “The Battle of the Erathiel” goes, I had two beta readers critique my work, so that helped me very much.

What is hardest – getting published, writing or marketing?

Oh wow, when you’re doing all of that by yourself, like I am, they’re all hard. I believe finding a literary agent is the hardest part. There are so many writers out there, talented and all that, especially in the Fantasy genre.

What marketing works for you?

I believe getting reviews is the best marketing tool I have so far, so I try to promote my book through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and ask to please review my work. I can only hope the reviews will be positive, which as has been the result to far, but I am always aware that my first book might not be for everyone. Either way, reviews help catch the eye of readers.

Do you find it hard to share your work?

At first, yes. Of course! You kind of stand naked before the world when you publish your writing. I firmly believe that when you share your art, whether it be music, paintings, poetry, etc., you expose part of your soul. So, yes, it is a bit scary but that’s when you’ve got to remember to be brave, you’ve got to remember what inspired you write in the first place and how the work of someone else who dared, inspired you, even changed you.

Is your family supportive? Do your friends support you?

Yes, very. My closest family (mom, dad, sister, brother) have been there for me. They haven’t really read my first entire book, just bits and pieces because they’re not into Fantasy, but they have pushed me and that’s a lot of help. My friends also, they are the best and some of them very good readers, good at critiquing, and that has helped me grow as an author. I think the biggest support has come from my friends, especially those that also write. We compare notes and give each other ideas, it’s the best. We’re actually considering making up a writer’s club.

What else do you do, other than write?

I like to play the piano, compose, and sing. I’ve recently started a band, Corvus, with a friend so I hope to be able to share our songs soon. I also enjoy travelling and discovering different cafes across the city, walking around Santiago late at night. I try to go to the theater as much as I can to the opera, piano concerts, ballet, I live for that. I’m also very sociable, so I love hanging out with friends and making new ones. Dancing is lots of fun, as well.

What other jobs have you had in your life?

I’m an English teacher, so I’m currently doing that, but I’ve also taught piano before, sold jewelry at the mall, and I’ve also sold cosmetics. All sorts of thing. Oh, and last year I moved to Buenos Aires for a while and worked at reception at a hostel, I loved it!

If you could study any subject at university what would you pick?

Probably something like Literature? Or perhaps Ancient History, but I love learning so much that I might even try to get into Astronomy or all sorts of things. I’m sorry, can’t choose!

If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

That’s a tough one. I think I still need to visit more countries and cities to be able to answer truthfully but I’m guessing maybe… New Zealand or somewhere in the UK.

Tell us about your family?

I have an older sister and nephew, my little brother, mom and dad. Well, my parents are divorced and my dad lives in the US so I only see him for a few days during my summer vacations, he comes to visit. I get along really well with my siblings that live here, we’re close but we don’t always see each other. My brothers are also artistic, my sister sings and dances really well and my brother’s a musician and I would also dare to say quite a writer, even though he sometimes doesn’t dedicate much time to it, and my mom’s also a good singer and dancer, but she dedicates her life to education, we actually work together! I love my family, I couldn’t be luckier.

How do you write – lap top, pen, paper, in bed, at a desk?

All of the above! Also, sometimes on the floor of a subway train (when it doesn’t bother anyone), on a bus, on a bench, in the toilet, you name it! When it takes over, it takes over.

How much sleep do you need to be your best?

Oh, I don’t think I’ll ever truly know but at least 7 hours and hopefully no more than 9 ish. I am only guessing.

Is there anyone you’d like to acknowledge and thank for their support?

Well, my friends and family, really.

Every writer has their own idea of what a successful career in writing is, what does success in writing look like to you?

For me, success would be reflected on having many readers and to be able to publish about 7 books of “The Battle of the Erathiel” since the story is quite long and I would love that my book be turned into a TV series, a movie, maybe a board game or video game, a comic book, you name it. I would just love that.

It is vital to get exposure and target the right readers for your writing, tell us about your marketing campaign?

Well, so far, I’ve had some help marketing my book by having professionals share it with their social network, but I’ve also done my share through Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, just putting up pics or extracts, recommending they read it. Also, my friends and family have shared my posts, but everything else is far too expensive for me to afford.

Tell us about your new book? Why did you write it?

My new and first book is called “The Battle of the Erathiel: Across the Enchanted Sea”, it is an adventure, fantasy book where we find a group of elves, the Erathiel, dwarves and some humans, travelling across the sea to find a new home. At first, they encounter a terrible storm that results on one destroyed ship, one lost with the king’s daughter as captain, and the other one arrives at land. This story is about these survivors trying to find a new home as they enter Dôr Annon, the land that I’ve created for this story to take place. At first, they arrive at a desert so things don’t seem that promising but as they continue their journey things change. They face enemies, make friends, and love for this new land starts to grow in their hearts. We’ve also got some really dark villains and some good heroes starting to blossom, inside the story, and book one really leaves you with a cliffhanger at the end since there is still so much to tell in book two.

I wrote this story because it’s been inside me for quite some time, it’s just only about two years ago did I truly start to understand it and see what happened there. It’s a story about finding yourself, your home, about becoming a part of a new world and abandoning the old. I started this out way before all these conflicts in the Middle East started to appear everywhere on the news and I actually saw a connection with my story, with the story of immigrants as well, which is something that I’ve experience with. I guess, in a way, I am also telling my story, but mostly, the story of all those who have had to sacrifice to find peace, sacrifice to find safety and a future for themselves and their families. I also feel I’m writing this story for many other reasons, but you will have to find out what they are as you read the story, I’m sure you will.

If you could have a dinner party and invite anyone dead or alive, who would you ask?

Oh my goodness, J.R.R. Tolkien, of course! I would love to know what it’s like to talk with him, see what his mind was like. Wow. I’d also like to dine with Robin Williams, I believe he truly touched me as I grew up, his performances, his sweetness. Oh, this list could go on and on.

When you are not writing, how do you like to relax?

I like to relax by sleeping, playing the piano, reading, singing, composing, travelling, taking nice showers, walking, listening to music, travelling and cuddling.

What do you hope people will take away from your writing? How will your words make them feel?

I hope that through my writing people can get to know themselves better or better understand those around them. I don’t want them to read and just be like “Well, that was fun!”, which is not bad either, but I’d love for them to see the messages that I’m trying to share: peace, friendship, tolerance, equality, freedom, just to name a few. I would like to help people dream and have hope for a better world and, hopefully, motivate them to participate in changing it, as well.

Thank you so much for your time,  Constanza Mayer ! 

This is where you can buy her book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Battle-Erathiel-Across-Enchanted-Sea/dp/1540328406

December 2, 2016

An Interview With Oliver Phipps

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Oliver Phipps

Oliver Phipps is an author, entrepreneur and adventurer. He served as a Paratrooper in the United States Army and studied at MSC.

In the late 1980’s through mid 90’s Oliver pursued his love of music. He enjoyed travelling, playing percussion and writing lyrics for popular bands. During this time Oliver also began writing short stories and articles.

After playing for thousands through the fall and winter of 1996 Oliver’s band abruptly disbanded. In early spring of 1997 Oliver, along with a good friend and guitarist got together with the intention to form a new group. But rather than form a new band the two put together an expedition plan for travelling to Northern Canada and Alaska in order to prospect for gold.

Leaving in April of 1997 Oliver and company travelled up the historic AL-CAN highway. After exploring the Yukon and Northwest territories of Canada as well as the Arctic Circle the team travelled over the Top of the World highway to Alaska.

1999-2000 Oliver travelled through Asia, visiting Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan among other countries.

In 2004 Oliver published his first book and continues to write books, articles and short stories. Currently Oliver and family reside happily in the U.S.

It’s a pleasure for us to be interviewing Oliver and we hope that you’d enjoy reading this post while getting to know him better.

Describe yourself in five words.

Laid back, multi-tasking, adventurer.

How long have you been writing?

Well, my mother has a story that I wrote when I was around ten years old maybe, I’m not for certain on the age. Anyway, she tells me the story is great. I suspect it’s more of her being my mother than the story actually being that good. Nevertheless, it is a reference point for how long I’ve had an interest in writing and put forth an effort to do so.

As for the story, I’ve decided to take my mother’s word on it being great, rather than reading it again. I figure in this case, what I don’t know won’t hurt me.

Why do you write?

It’s a creative outlet for me. When I was younger I played drums and wrote lyrics in a number of bands. As I began to do that less and less, writing filled the void. I suspect we all have an artistic nature of some sort. For me, writing satisfies a need to be creative.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I suppose it was after The House on Cooper Lane hit the best-seller list. Even then it took a while to sink in. But, to see it as a best-seller gave me a sense of confidence that I could write and that people were interested in my work. Up to that point, I felt that I was a writer, but perhaps without any external justification to base it on. After my first best-seller, I knew it was for real.

How long does it take to write a book?

Generally, I would say a year to complete the first draft. I seldom work on one story at a time though. I’ll move back and forth from one project to another. A reason for this is that it helps me resolve plot issues or improve storylines. If I get to a point that I need to think about something for a while, I’ll put that story aside and work on another one. As I’m working on it, I’m also considering what to do on the previous one. It’s a system that works well for me. But it can also stretch things out. For example, the first novel to be released in 2017 has been three years in the making.

What writing are you most proud of?

At this time, the story I’m most fond or proud of would be A Tempest Soul. The story is not an overly complex plot. The main character doesn’t save the world or defeat a master villain. Yet, in her small universe, she overcomes almost impossible odds, and rises to impressive heights.

A Tempest Soul has been a number one best-seller in its category for almost a year now. Its not dropped below the top ten all year. So, I feel it’s special for a lot of other people as well. And, it is, as of yet, the most organic novel that I’ve produced.

Do you have a specific writing style?

Third person omniscient. It’s likely the only style I’ll ever use. I’ve tried several other techniques, such as first person POV. But there seems to be no other method that enables the freedom of third person omniscient. Though it has its drawbacks, it’s my style of choice and I’ll stay with it unless I absolutely have to change in order to relay a story properly.

How do you work through self-doubts and fear?

I try to review the positive things in my life rather than negatives. It could be the idea of taking a look at how far we’ve come every once in a while, rather than always looking at how far we need to go.

What does your family think of your writing?

My family has been great in regards to my writing. My younger brother has given me a lot of valuable feedback over the years. Everyone in my family has been supportive on some level. My mother has expressed some concern about content. But she’s not what you would call a science fiction or paranormal fan either, so that is to be expected I suppose.

How do you write – lap-top, pen, paper, in bed, at a desk?

Well, in the light of modern technology, I’m a little embarrassed to say that I wrote my first book by pen and paper. My wife then typed it up on the computer and began the editing process. I would also like to mention that was fourteen years ago. I could use a computer and word processor at the time, but the writing had more flow as I hand wrote it.

Since that first book, I’ve moved to a computer and would have difficulty considering any other way. I have several desktops as well as a laptop that I use to write. On occasions I will even use my tablet. I generally write at a desk or at times sitting at our dinning table with my laptop. I consider it a type of work so I don’t get too relaxed or I would end up falling asleep mid-sentence.

Every writer has their own idea of what a successful career in writing is, what does success in writing look like to you?

I’ve found a place in my writing that success means enriching other people’s lives in some small way. Certainly, as writers we must have some form of financial success in order to continue in our art. But, I feel that setting the first goal as producing a quality work of art, intended to enrich the lives of others, is a pure and respectable endeavor for any artist. If I can achieve that on a broad level then I’ll consider my writing career successful.

When you are not writing, how do you like to relax?

Some of my fans may not know this, but I’m a gamer. I do watch some movies and read, but I have a number of games that I play to help me relax. I’m telling ya, after killing a few dozen monsters in an alternate reality, I’m feeling pretty good! My oldest daughter is a gamer and we have a lot of fun watching each other play or discussing tactics for a certain game.

If you could have a dinner party and invite anyone, dead or alive, who would you ask?

Oh, I would certainly ask George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla would get an invite, though I would need to keep them in separate rooms…. 🙂 Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, J.R.R. Tolkien and Mark Twain without a doubt. And, to give it some class, I think Marilyn Monroe, Josephine Baker and Goldie Hawn.

Check out these links below to get to know more about Oliver or to buy his book.

Amazon author page:
https://www.amazon.com/Oliver-Phipps/e/B00IBF564G/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

Author website:
www.oliverphipps.com

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Oliver-Phipps-613242265417442/

November 18, 2016

An Interview With Lisa Loucks Christenson

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Lisa Loucks Christenson

Lisa Loucks Christenson is the second oldest of five children. Lisa’s love for books has been lifelong, with the earliest documented pictures of her with her books at around 2 1/2 to 3 years of age. Lisa’s love for writing and illustrating stories began at age 4 and Lisa’s love for photography began by the time she turned eight. By age 14, Lisa began marketing and publishing her images, winning her first national photo contest.

Since her youth, Lisa’s spent most her time reading, writing, or exploring the great outdoors with her camera’s. In the mid 80s Lisa worked for some area publishers in various departments from: sales, design, distribution, tele-sales, advertising, reporting, journalism, and later as a traveling photographer for another publisher.

In the late 80s Lisa formed her own photo studio/stock and writing agency. She was hired to travel around the country shooting photos and covering assignments for most major publishers, books, text books, corporations. Later, Lisa expanded into broadcasting and started a talk radio show, and enlarged her studio/stock agency to form a new division: a publishing company featuring her books, wildlife art prints, paintings, and original art.

Lisa writes fictional Children’s books, Young Readers, Middle Grade, Young Adult, and New Adult and non-fiction wildlife documentaries, articles, and presentations, exhibits from her outdoor experiences in the wild. Over the last decade, Lisa’s developed a handful of Christian imprints for her select works, each with its own intended age group. All of Lisa’s story releases have achieved International Amazon Best Seller status on various lists.

January 1, 2016, Lisa began her 12th year on Lisa’s Bald Eagle Documentary™, he journey covering the lives of bald eagles and their offspring in their wild environment. 2015 marked the 10th year of Lisa’s Walk the Talk Show™, a radio show featuring entertainers, celebrities, authors, businesses and in 2016, Lisa has added a new show to Book Divas for authors to promote their books.

Some of Lisa’s credits: IBM, HyVee, Harcourt, Heinemann, Disney, Self, Esquire, Woman’s World, Perspectives, Career World, Rigby, more.

Lisa is a member of the ASMP, RWA, NATJA, and SCBWI.

Lisa’s work has won many national writing and photo competitions and her wildlife documentaries, exhibits have been featured in print, television, local news, and rotating exhibits between her galleries and the National Eagle Center.

Lisa Fiction: Children books, mysteries, romantic suspense, Inspirational, and YA. She’s the author of the following series: Bow Wow Detectives®, Meow Meow Detectives™, Wolves of Whitewater Falls, Wa Pu Ta Creek, Minnesota (Lisa’s first book in the series: Hawk of Wa Pu Ta Creek was a 2014 Harlequin® Love Inspired® Search for the Killer Voice Finalist), Owls of Huoulah, and more.

Lisa’s Nonfiction: Lisa’s Bald Eagle Documentary™ is still in progress, twelve years with a wild pair of eagles; Winter Bugs! 1st Edition sold out but a second expanded edition will soon be released, Struggling for Existence, Spirit Trees of Whitewater, Hapless Harry: The Minnesota Muscovy Duck Documentary, Walk the Burn, Blue Eyes, The Paper Wasp Documentary, Lions in the Blufflands, Canada Goose Documentary, and more.

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Winter Bugs

Winter Bugs: Ten Year Anniversary Edition is a documentary filmed in the Whitewater Management Area on the land where the former town of Beaver, Minnesota once stood. A real Minnesota ghost town now shrouded by insects and wildlife who live and die each year, but as this books shows, death doesn’t always come during winter.

It’s a pleasure for us to be interviewing Lisa and we hope that you’d enjoy reading this post while getting to know her better.

  • Where are you from? I’m a native resident of Rochester, Minnesota.
  • Why do you write? I enjoy writing as a way to share stories that inspire and lift others and teach them about our wildlife, or give them a reading escape, a new fictional world to travel to.
  • What do you write about? Most of my work, both fiction and non-fiction is in someway connected to Christian topics, lessons, God’s hand in our daily lives and in our beautiful world. I like writing in many genres: mystery, suspense, cozies, thrillers, sagas, fantasy, dystopian and in many age groups: Children, Young Readers, Middle Grade, Young Adult, all ages.
  • Do you have a specific writing style? I always try to add inspiration or encouragement, whether fiction or non-fiction, it’s always there in every story —it’s a matter of discovering how to pull it out.
  • What are obstacles that come in the way of writing? Time has always been a hard thing to navigate. I closely adhere to three priorities in only in this order: God, family, work. It’s amazing how when you stick to this, words I’ve been trying to find ten minutes to write, literally burst out from inside me and pour out so I don’t worry about having writing time any more, like the verse.…Though it Tarry wait for it…it will surely come.
  • What’s the most memorable thing asked/said by a reader about your work? I was at my gallery in Stockholm, Wisconsin. There were three brothers, the youngest was 6 and his older brothers were 11 and 12. The youngest boy had the most impressive ability to stand in front of my wildlife pictures and watch the pieces, almost like they might move if he paid careful attention. We started talking about my Bow Wow Detectives® books and what they liked to read. The youngest boy said, “I don’t like reading.” I couldn’t imagine my life without a book, so I asked him if I could read him a sample of my Bow Wow Detectives book I was working on. He listened as intently to the book sample as he did watching my art on the walls. I had 100% of his attention. After I finished, he said, “I don’t like reading but I’d read your books.” That’s when I realized art could be a hook, but our conversation gave us each a little movement that day.
  • How long have you been writing? All my life I’ve had opportunities to write different works: ads, copy, educational materials, fillers, short stories, scripts, articles, novellas, novels, and my documentaries. I thank god for such a garden of opportunities, and helping me change gates when I needed a different view.
  • When did you first realize you wanted to become a writer?Writing fell into my life, through my photography, through my experiences, through opportunities that kept presenting themselves. I was in fifth grade when Wilson Rawls author of Where the Red Fern Grows came to our school. It’s still one of my favorite childhood memories, he changed my life that day and I knew in that moment I wanted to write stories and give others a story, whether fiction or non-fiction, and experience like he’d given me. To me it was the greatest gift I could offer without cost: photography was still costing me my allowance every week.
  • What is your work schedule like when you are writing? We all have busy lives. My life, as my father-in-law and husband joke that “Lisa is always going up the backside of the mountain, but what a view she sees.” My paths up the mountain change every day, my climb really does affect and present what view and path I take next. When I’m doing house work, running errands, visiting a friend, driving, or out on a family outing I think about the scenes and words I want to write. I memorize key words that will help me remember my experiences and later in the day I pick an area (I have many writing spaces) I can put a couple thousand words down in about 45 minutes. Editing is something I block time out for, later.
  • What would you say is your interesting writing quirk? Change. I like change and need a new writing environment, always. Sometimes I write in my woods, next time I’m in the woods by the river, my gazebo, my storage shed, my office, my kitchen table…I need loud music, no music, pets by my side, no pets, family near, family—I always need my family, even if we are a room a apart or a miles away.
  • How long does it take to write a book? (if you’ve written one -published or non)My documentaries can take years and I don’t rush them many are still in progress like my Struggling for Existence, one of my most important books in my life, showing how animals and nature struggle to exist, their battles, their losses. Winter Bugs! was written over one winter in Minnesota up to the very minute of spring. Now, I’m releasing the Winter Bugs: 10 Year Anniversary Edition, a complete book of the majority of my exhibit, the experiences, and how things have changed.
    A fiction book, like my Wolves of Whitewater Falls, I write those 50K-75K books during NaNoWriMo, each November, I’m just hitting 20,000 words now ten days in, for Book 7, For the Love of Termite Bridge. I had nothing outlined, nothing mapped, I didn’t even know what the story would be, but as I sat down to write it, every night a chapter comes to me. Other fiction stories, especially my children’s books are written in a few days, it’s the editing that takes so much time, and any illustrations.
  • Do you have suggestions on how to become a better writer? We can all learn from each other, read someones work you admire and re-read and read it again and then figure out what you liked, why you liked how the writer presented the words, then take your own experiences and do the same. We all have memorable experiences to pull from.
  • What challenges do you come across when writing/creating your story? I don’t have too many issues writing. If I get stuck on a chapter or concept, I skip to another scene or concept I want to write about, sometimes I change the point of view character. I don’t feel I need to write sequentially.
  • What do you think makes a good story? A good story to me is one that can get me thinking about the characters or the subject of the book and how they come out at the end. Whether the ending is good or bad I can usually find a gem inside the book.
  • What does your family think of your writing? Isn’t family remarkable? They can not only show you a path you can’t see on your own, but line it with every sort of expression that cheers you on to your finish line. My family has always supported me, I’m one of the lucky ones.
  • Do you see writing as a career? Yes, writing is in my soul. I use my both  fiction or non-fiction, with my art or my photography (documentaries) to create stories and document life as I experienced it.
  • Do you have anything specific you’d like to tell the readers? I’d like to thank each and every person who has taken their time to write, email, or wave a hello, encouraged me onward. Truly, your support, your honest opinions of my work are always appreciated, good or bad reviews are always something I can learn from.
  • When did you first consider yourself a writer? When my first feedback started coming in. My first story, my first essay, my first competition, my first … I hope I never run out of “firsts” that’s what keeps me thinking of more stories.

We’re so delighted to have you on our page, Lisa! Thank you very much for the wonderful interview and we enjoyed getting to know more about you. I believe our readers too feel the same!

Check out these links below to get to know more about Lisa or to buy her book.

Winter Bugs: 10 Year Anniversary Trailer:

https://video214.com/play/yTTCl0OgGBpIduIoHHRkmA/s/dark

https://s3.amazonaws.com/embed.animoto.com/play.html?w=swf/production/vp1&e=1478890655&f=yTTCl0OgGBpIduIoHHRkmA&d=0&m=p&r=360p+480p+720p&volume=100&start_res=480p&i=m&asset_domain=s3-p.animoto.com&animoto_domain=animoto.com&options=loop

http://www.lisalouckschristensonpublishing.com/products/winter-bugs

http://lisalc.com

http://whitewolfcreek.com

Email: lisa@LisaLC.com

mailing address: Lisa Loucks Christenson, P.O. Box 9177, Rochester, MN 55903

www.LisaLC.com    Lisa@LisaLC.com

YouTube: https://youtu.be/eonvxEuzivE

EBook:https://www.amazon.com/Winter-Bugs-10-Year-Anniversary-ebook/dp/B01MQI8NQ4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1479356601&sr=8-2&keywords=winter+bugs+loucks

Hardcover:https://www.amazon.com/Winter-Bugs-Ten-Year-Anniversary/dp/1598191357/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479356601&sr=8-1&keywords=winter+bugs+loucks

 

September 11, 2016

An Interview with Xan Tucker

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Writings FROM THE SOUL

About the Author

Xan Tucker is a poetry and romance writer. She is from Hughes, Arkansas and currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and dual Masters in Public Administration and Business Administration. She is a Business Analyst and entrepreneur by day. As lover of words, she is a writer by night. Xan’s creativity and ability to wordplay makes her a prolific writer. In addition to writing, she enjoys cooking, running, volunteering, and traveling.

 GettyImages-488260653.jpgWritings from the Soul – A Love Story is now available on Amazon.

Watch the Book Trailer for Writings from the Soul – A Love Story
An Interview with Xan Tucker

Describe yourself in five words: Reserved, adventurous, creative, ambitious, and loving

What do you write about? Love and romance

What do you think makes a good story? I think love, romance, and sex makes a good story.

Why do you write?  When I write poetry it is usually because I’m dealing with some type of emotion and that’s the best way I can communicate.  When I write romance novels it’s because I’ve been in a situation or heard of a situation that makes for a good story line.

Do you have suggestions on how to become a better writer? The best way to become a better writer is by reading and writing more. Having someone critique your work is very important as well.

What challenges do you come across when writing/creating your story? The most challenging aspect of writing is forgetting a really good idea.  I’m a spare of the moment kind of writer.  Sometimes, I see, hear, or read something that sparks an idea.  If I don’t write it down immediately, I will most likely forget it.

How do you work through self-doubts and fear?  I face my fears and self-doubts head on.  It’s uncomfortable at first but I just like to take the plunge from time to time.  This isn’t to say I do it right away.  I usually ask myself, “What do you have to lose?”  This is after a couple of back and forths.

Have you always enjoyed writing?  I have always enjoyed creative writing.  Technical and academic writing not so much.  I don’t really like to follow grammar rules so creative writing works best me.
What is hardest – getting published, writing or marketing?   Marketing is definitely the hardest part for me.  I self-published and writing has always been fun for me.  Marketing my product has been hardest only because I never envisioned sharing my poetry.

 Do you find it hard to share your work? Sometimes, I do find it hard to share my work, especially with those who know me.  Because my work is some of my most personal experiences, I’m hesitant to share with those who know me for fear of judgement.

 What else do you do, other than write? Besides writing, I enjoy running.  I do a lot of running.  I also enjoy traveling.  Traveling contributes to some of my romance story lines as you will see in upcoming work.  I also like to cook, volunteer, and mentor.

How do you write – lap top, pen, paper, in bed, at a desk? I usually get an idea out of the blue so most of my initial writing starts on my phone and I eventually transfer it over to my laptop.

Tell us about your new book? Why did you write it?  My most recent work: Writings from the Soul – A Love Story is a compilation of poems that are a summation of my dating and relationship experiences over the last decade. I wrote it because I read some of my other poems and the newer ones I saw a transformation that I hadn’t realized had taken place.  My earlier poems revealed insecurities, self-doubt, and emotional instability.  My most recent poems show emotional growth, self-confidence, and a different mindset when it comes to relationships and dating.

What do you hope people will take away from your writing? How will your words make them feel?  I hope people will be able to relate to the poems in the book.  I hope they will be able to read the book in its entirety and witness the emotional growth and self-confidence.

Writings from the Soul – A Love Story is now available on Amazon.

 https://amzn.com/1537108441 

author’s website: www.xantucker.com and FB page: www.facebook.com/authorxantucker

March 23, 2016

An Interview With Ronke Jegede

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Ronke Jegede is a Social Media and Reputation Management Strategist. She studied Law and later went on to graduate from the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators in 1994, this ignited her passion for corporate governance. She has been involved in Internet Marketing since 2001.

Ronke is the Founder and CEO of Ace Results Marketing and Reputation Maven. She wears a number of hats – Author, Business Consultant, Trainer, Coach and Speaker. Her first book is titled “Church where art thou? She wrote this out of her strong desire to have the church connect with today’s tech savvy generation. The second one is titled “Online Business Exposure” which is a gem for businesses that wants to learn how to position themselves on the first page of Google in order to generate massive exposure.

She is also a loving wife and mother of three grown children.

 

Describe yourself in five words.

I am a joyful, passionate, approachable, sociable and visionary person.

What fact about yourself would really surprise people?

I absolutely love cuddly toys and can’t resist buying cute ones.

What makes you happiest?

Spending quality time with my family is definitely first on my list.

 Why do you write? 

 I love sharing information and practical tips that will be beneficial to people.

Have you always enjoyed writing?

Yes, from when I was a child, but I kind of stopped writing for a long while.

 What writing are you most proud of?

Online Business Exposure.  It’s a self-help book for small businesses that will arm them with tools they need to get exposure and be found on Google, so they can generate business.

What are you most proud of in your personal life? 

I am mega proud of my three absolutely amazing children! They are absolutely fab! They bring so much joy, every time I think about them I smile and I am so grateful that I have them in my life.

What books did you love growing up?

I grew up reading romantic books such as Mills and Boon, Barbara Cartland, Jane Austen, Emily Bronte. I also enjoyed reading books from other authors such as Jeffrey Archer, James Hardly Chase Sidney Sheldon, Charles Dickens and William Shakespeare

 How did you develop your writing? 

Simply by writing and self-critiquing.

What is hardest – getting published, writing or marketing?

I believe marketing is the hardest of the three.

What marketing works for you? 

Social media marketing is my best strategy.

 Do you find it hard to share your work?

No, not really. I enjoy sharing my work.

 Is your family supportive? Do your friends support you?

My family is 100% supportive! I also have friends who support me as well.

What else do you do, other than write?

I am a Social Media and Reputation Management Strategist, so I run successful marketing campaigns for businesses using the latest social media strategies and I also help them manage their online reputation. I also conduct training sessions teaching and equipping organisations with cutting edge tools about these subjects.

What other jobs have you had in your life?

I studied Law so worked as a Lawyer for a short while; I have also run a few online businesses.

If you could study any subject at university what would you pick?

It would be computer programming!

 If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

Hawaii, because of its unsurpassed Natural Beauty and Unmatched Laid-back Lifestyle!

Where do you live right now?

I live in London, UK 

Tell us about your family?

I have a wonderful husband; we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary in January 2016. I also have 3 absolutely incredible grown children – 1 boy named Bolu – 22 years old, and 2 Girls – Fope – 20 years old and Tani -18 years old.

How do you write – lap top, pen, paper, in bed, at a desk?

Mostly, I write on my computer desk most of the time, but sometimes an idea will pop into my head while in bed and so I will write there and then.

 How much sleep do you need to be your best?

6 hours

Is there anyone you’d like to acknowledge and thank for their support?

My husband – for his unending and tireless support!

When you are not writing, how do you like to relax?

I enjoy having pampering sessions.

What is the best piece of writing advice you can give?

Find someone who will not shy away from giving constructive criticism no matter how tough it is. That’s the only way to get some honest feedback.

For your own reading, do you prefer ebooks or traditional paper/hard back books?

I like traditional paperback books as I like to be physically holding the book. I underline, scribble and make notes all over my books .

Do you proofread/edit all your own books or do you get someone to do that for you?

I get someone else to do it.

How many books have you written?

I have written two books so far and I am working on my third one.

Are you writing anything at the moment?

Yes I am.

Can you share a little of your current work with us?

It’s about monitoring online reputation. A lot of people and organisations are focussed on getting on the first page of Google. However, it is important to ensure that what shows up is positive, otherwise being on the first page will end up being detrimental to that person or organisation. The truth is, negative information can be plastered online about anyone at any time, so if a monitoring system is not in place to curtail and prevent reputation damage then something that starts up small could spiral out of control and end up being disastrous.

Do you have any plans for more books or other ventures?

Yes I do, I am going to write more books in the area of reputation management. I am also going to be doing extensive work on an organisation that I have recently set up – www.digitallyeducate.org.uk. We are hoping to take digital education to every community including the remotest parts of the world.  

What book are you reading right now?

Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath

 

How can readers discover more about you and you work?

Website: www.aceresultsmarketing.com

Blog: http://www.ronkejegede.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ronke-Jegede-162798290451151/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ronke_jegede

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronke-jegede-09948a110

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

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Ronke-Jegede/e/B01CRYYB9W

Book Links: (* American, UK, etc.)

http://www.amazon.com/Online-Business-Exposure-First-Google/dp/0993450911

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Church-Where-Art-Thou-Google/dp/0993450903/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29437483-online-business-exposure

 

 

May 13, 2015

Celebrating D.G. Kaye on Empowered Divorce

DG Kaye

DG Kaye

DG Kaye had participated in one of our author interview series in the past. It is an honour to get to know her and we are even thrilled to hear that her book has been doing well and that she has been chosen for an interview to discuss about Children of Divorce!

We think that you should check this author out ! Visit her site at http://dgkayewriter.com/special-edition-empowered-divorce-summit/

Follow her and learn more about what she has to say on this topic.

Congratulations, DG ! 🙂