Interview with mystery write S. R Betler

Today is the final interview in a series with the authors of

Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime

An Insecure Writer’s Support Group Anthology

About the anthology:

The clock is ticking...

Can a dead child’s cross-stitch pendant find a missing nun? Is revenge possible in just 48 minutes? Can a killer be stopped before the rescuers are engulfed by a city ablaze? Who killed what the tide brought in? Can a soliloquizing gumshoe stay out of jail?

Exploring the facets of time, eleven authors delve into mysteries and crimes that linger in both dark corners and plain sight. Featuring the talents of Gwen Gardner, Rebecca M. Douglass, Tara Tyler, S. R. Betler, C.D. Gallant-King, Jemi Fraser, J. R. Ferguson, Yolanda Renée, C. Lee McKenzie, Christine Clemetson, and Mary Aalgaard.

Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these eleven tales will take you on a thrilling ride into jeopardy and secrecy. Trail along, find the clues, and stay out of danger. Time is wasting...

“Each story is fast paced, grabbing the reader from the beginning.”

- Readers' Favorite, 5 stars

Founded by author Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writer’s Support Group offers support for writers and authors alike. It provides an online database, articles and tips, a monthly blog posting, a Facebook and Instagram group, Twitter, and a monthly newsletter. www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com

So far, we’ve had C.D. Gallant-King (on April 19), Gwen Gardner (on April 26), Jemi Fraser (on May 2), Christine Clemetson (on May 11), Rebecca M. Douglass (on May 15), Yolanda Renee (on May 23), J.R. Ferguson (on May 31), C. Lee McKenzie (on June 7), Tara Tyler (on June 13), Mary Aalgaard (on June 20), and now S.R. Betler is here to chat about her crime short story called “Three O’Clock Execution.”

Bio:

Born and raised in New York, S. R. Betler now lives in Kentucky, where she passes her days collecting stray animals, torturing her characters, and inventing new worlds while attempting to keep her husband and offspring from destroying this one.

Welcome, S.R., What do you enjoy most about writing short stories?

I really just love the challenge of it. It's hard fitting a full-fledged story into so few words and finding just the right words to get it across. There can be no spare words in a short story, so it really makes you stop and think about exactly what you're putting down and how you phrase things.

Can you give us a little insight into a few of your short stories – perhaps some of your favorites?

In Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime, my short story is “Three O'Clock Execution,” and it isn't, I don't think, a typical crime story. When I sat down to write it, I really wanted to focus more on the psychological aspect of crime. More specifically, I got to wondering just what sort of toll it would take if someone were to be convicted of a crime they didn't commit and they were desperate for someone, anyone, to believe their innocence. A lot of my stories start that way, with a what-if question or the beginning of a premise I want to explore. I really enjoy exploring moral and ethical dilemmas in my writing.

What genre are you inspired to write in the most? Why?

The genre I most often write in is fantasy, and most often contemporary fantasy. I'm not really sure why. I guess because I really like the idea that some sort of magic exists in our world, lurking in the shadows or just around the corner, waiting to be discovered. So I like exploring that in my stories, where things seem mostly "normal" except for a few fantastical elements. 

What exciting story are you working on next?

Actually, what I've been working on most recently is a contemporary fantasy YA novel, which is book one in a series. I actually just started querying with it, in the hopes of finding an agent, so that's an exciting and terrifying new step.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Am I a writer? Yes, I suppose so. I think I've always considered myself a writer; it just took a long time for me to consider myself an author. I'm not sure if there's really a distinction, but there always was in my mind, where a writer is someone who writes and an author is someone who's published. I've considered myself a writer since probably around junior high, when I started my foray into trying to seriously write and improve my work.

How do you research markets for your work, perhaps as some advice for writers?

The easiest way to research is to read. Luckily, it's also probably the most enjoyable form of research. Staying abreast of the most popular books in your genres, whatever books are hitting the top 100 list on Amazon in your particular niches, etc. Networking is also really important, to see what agents or publishers are looking for in your areas, what tropes are popular and what are falling flat, and what other authors are doing or talking about. Another great resource, if you're looking for where to submit things, is the Writer's Market book series for the year, or if you're querying a novel, Query Tracker makes it easy to find agents to query and keep track of people you've already reached out to.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Oh, gosh, I don't know if I have any. I usually write with either a cat or a dog's head (it's all that will fit) in my lap. I'm not sure that counts as a quirk so much as the life all pet owners have signed up for. I refer to characters as if they were people. Does that count? It drives my husband batty, but when I'm writing something, I'm living in that world, so the characters are as real to me at that point in time as anything else, I suppose.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A paleontologist! Until I realized that I actually hate heat and the majority of that time would be spent writing boring things I didn't want to write, so I figured I might as well be a writer, then.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime became available on May 1. You can keep up with everything that's happening by liking our Facebook page, or following our blog at http://ticktockmysteries.blogspot.com/.

Thanks, S.R.

Tick Tock links:

Facebook | Website | Goodreads

Purchase links:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | iTunes

Interview with dark fantasy author Chad Hunter

My special guest today is author Chad Hunter. He’s sharing a bit with me about his new dark fantasy pirate novel, Windsong & Requiem – Of a Great Deep.

During his virtual book tour, Chad will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit his other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:

Chad Hunter was born in East Chicago, Indiana. Raised by a single mother in the city's Harbor section, he is the youngest of four. Growing up in the Midwest and a proudly self-proclaimed "Region Rat," Hunter has written and published several books and novels. He has written for magazines and newspapers throughout North America and has been published in several languages. His writings have been called sophisticated yet humorous, sharp witted and unrelenting.

Most often, Hunter's writings have been considered so wide and diverse that they span a scale that would include multiple writers with multiple forms. In addition to being a published author and journalist, Hunter is also a professional speaker. Having presented to high schools, colleges and various other audiences, his talks and discussions center around the positive impact of literary and creative presences in one’s life. A large portion of Hunter’s focus is on the uncanny strength of human connectedness which is emphasized via the lens of writing and creativity.

Working in genres including dark fantasy, memoirs, science-fiction and anecdotal collections, Hunter weaves tales of monsters, heroes, zombies, wedding planning, technology, pirates and even black parakeets. With over ten books under his belt, If anything binds his varied styles, it is Hunter's theme of the human condition, humor and family closeness - all to the backdrop of romantic love, vibrant remembrance and even monsters themselves.

Please share a little bit about your current release.

Of a Great Deep is the first in a series of pirate fiction featuring the captain and crew of the Requiem. The ship is led by the bold, brash, noble and somewhat trustworthy Captain Nabopollassar “Bo” Travis. The book description is as follows -

The year is 1716. The world is in the Golden Age of Piracy and fabled ships sail the seven seas. One such vessel is the Requiem, captained by the young but wise, brave but dubious Nabopolassar “Bo” Travis. Alongside his first mate Ghassan, quartermaster Winter Burke and navigator Glover, Travis seeks treasure, female company and good drink. The Requiem’s legendary adventures are filled with tales of monsters and myths - all of which are true. Now, someone or something is sailing the seas in search for a treasure chest – a chest that holds unknown riches which only promise to change the world forever. Captain Travis, his crew and a beautiful young map reader must brave the dark and the deep to find the treasure. Will the Requiem find the X on the spot before the infamous Captain George “Bloody-Face” Fiddick does? Will Travis uncover the secret behind the cursed black ship which changed his young life forever? And will the treasure chest truly be full of riches or does something far more insidious lie in wait? Ready your flintlock. Sharpen your sword. The Requiem awaits.

What inspired you to write this book?

I realize that seven-year-old Chad is controlling adult Chad! All the things that I liked as a child, I still enjoy as an adult. Only now I get to add to these worlds myself. As for pirates, they represent such a feeling of freedom and self-reliance that I find it refreshing in today’s world of meetings, emails and offices. The open seas, to this day, still contain so much mystery that there is an endless amount of wonder and adventure just waiting to be written.

Excerpt from Windsong & Requiem – Of a Great Deep

 "CAPTAIN!" the navigator called out. "THERE'S WOOD! WOOD IN THE WATER!"

Bo cursed repeatedly. "Damn, damn, damn, no, no--!" Ghassan moved quickly alongside

the man.

"You do not think --!" the older man began, matching Travis' sprint.

"ALL HANDS, LOOK TOWARDS THE WOOD! ANY SIGN OF OTHER SHIPS???"

"Captain," puffed Glover, out of breath after checking multiple angles of the sea from the

ship's deck and masts, "There's no ship out there! Just more wood, more debris! Some

vessel crashed out there!"

"Pray, Mr. Glover that a crash is what did it --!"

"CAPTAIN!" came a scream from the crow's nest. "IN THE WATER!" Travis looked

over to the deck. In one smooth motion, he grabbed, extended and searched feverishly

through the eyeglass previously swinging at his side.

The ship's captain looked out at the water by the debris. There were countless white orbs,

small, very small, bobbing in the water.

"--dear God..." Travis whispered. His crew all turned to him. They hung on his words as

only the first mate seemed to know what was transpiring. Few things rattled Bo and when

something shook him, it boded ill for all involved. Especially his crew.

His attention fell to the water and the white orbs bobbing with the waves. "--eyes---"

And with that, the crew of the Requiem could see the bloodied and veined composition of

the surface of disembodied optical organs and their swirling nerve endings and loose tendon

and muscle.

"ALL HANDS! PREPARE TO FIGHT!" Captain Travis commanded.

What exciting story are you working on next?

I’m working two novels at the same time – a sequel to my dark fantasy “The Monster Man – King of Fools.” The sequel will be titled “The Monster Man – A Ghost Who Bleeds.” Additionally, I’m writing a horror weird west tale. On the side, in my free-time (LOL!) I’m working on a series of children adventures geared at teaching through exciting characters.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

The ripe old age of six. I just didn’t phrase it that way. I wrote and drew a comic book (that was fairly terrible!) For the longest time, I focused on learning art but I also pursued writing and journalism. Eventually, in school, I had to write a short story and I realized that writing had a greater pull than art. Not long after that, I continued to write short stories and eventually a novel. And then another and another and so on…

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I’m a full-time computer guy and a college instructor! Go figure! I wake up earlier than my family and I write. I go to bed later than my family and I write. I schedule times to write on lunch also. I make sure I plan what I’m writing so that I don’t end up sitting in front of a keyboard with a blank screen. That’s the fine line between being creative and being disciplined – scheduling strict time to mentally run wild. If it sounds easy, it’s not.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I love muses when I write – things that inspire the thoughts and the mood around whatever I’m writing. So, for example, as I’m currently writing this western, I am surrounded by items that put me in a mode of western atmosphere. There’s some plastic cowboy action figures, an old pop gun six shooter and a deck of cowboy playing cards. When I was writing Of a Great Deep, my writing desk was covered with fake pirate treasure, some pirate action figures and there may have been some rum. Just for show of course…

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Full grown. LOL! I wanted to be all the standard little boy stuff – firefighter, astronaut and super-hero. As I got older, I realized I was too short for basketball and too small for football so sports was out. I realized that writing was something that spoke to my very essence and it was from then on that I knew I wanted to be a writer when I grew up.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers? Gratitude – because it is a very special relationship between a writer and readers. They’re sharing a world with me and it’s my job to make sure that the world is represented correctly and that they have a good time visiting it.

Links:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads | Pinterest

Thank you for being a guest on my blog!

Thank you for having me!

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Interview with women's fiction novelist Flavia Brunetti

(Cover artwork by Cinzia Bolognesi)

Novelist Flavia Brunetti joins me today. We’re chatting about her new women’s fiction, All the Way to Italy.

Bio:

Born just outside of Rome, Flavia Brunetti grew up bouncing back and forth between Italy and California, eventually moving back to the Eternal City and confirming her lifelong commitment to real gelato. Flavia holds a Master of Arts degree in Government and Politics from St. John’s University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from John Cabot University. Today she travels the world working for an international humanitarian organization and spends her free time writing and wandering around her beloved Roma in constant search of bookstores and the perfect espresso. You can find her city blog on Rome at whichwaytorome.com and her portfolio of published writing at flaviinrome.com.

Welcome, Flavia. Please tell us about your current release.

This is an airplane read in the best sense of the word (I hope), the kind of book that goes down easily but says something—a travel tale for the new generations. I think my favorite description of it is actually on the back cover: “This is the powerful story of those in search of a balance between wanderlust and the necessity to come home, a reminder that although we may be fragments, we are never a lost cause.”

What inspired you to write this book?

I grew up calling two places home—Rome, Italy, and a little town near San Francisco, California. This was both amazing and, at times, somewhat difficult. I grew up loving traveling and spending a lot of time in airports, but the separation from my family, and the pull of belonging to more than one place at the same time, was a bit of a constant—and as I grew up and met other people who wandered, I started to think more about the sense of belonging, the need to feel home, how our cultures mold us but can also serve as roots for us to grow into something both traditional and brand new. I wanted to write a book that a fifteen-year-old girl could hold in her hands when she was faced with a big change, that would help her to know that everything would work out for the best, even if she wasn’t her own best friend yet, even if she felt like the world, because of where she’s from or what she’s suffered, wasn’t on her side. I wanted to write about the strength of memories but also the strength of carving your own way, with an open heart and mind to absorb all the lessons there are out there, gently. Maybe most importantly, I wanted to write about kindness in a world climate that struggles with embracing different cultures.

Excerpt from All the Way to Italy:

“This is a story for the third generations (the fourth, the fifth, the sixth generations), for the not-so-lost generations, for the hybrids. For the people who feel more at home in an airport than they wish they did, who yearn for one place to call home but also always, inevitably, long for something they do not know, miss places they have yet to behold, people they have yet to meet… For the ones that see Rome everywhere they go—or Tunis, Paris, Dublin, Aleppo, London, San Francisco, you name it, it’s yours. You bring your home with you.”

What exciting story are you working on next?

At the moment I’m focusing on my city blog on Rome, Which Way to Rome. I love writing the Instagram captions, which very often end up being mini-stories, paired with my favorite pictures from an afternoon stroll through the city. I want to start working on a sequel to All the Way to Italy soon: either exploring Little’s story a few years down the line when she’s graduated and moved to a different country, or a flashback to Sira’s youth. Which would you guys like to read next?

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

My aunt still has my very first attempts at poetry, when I was a tiny girl in Rome learning my letters. Writing has always been a constant for me, through all the changes, and it’s been both a challenge and a great comfort.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

In my “day life”, I work for an international humanitarian organization. I used to think that this had nothing to do with my writing, but in truth, it’s allowed me to travel, see places, and live in cultures that I possibly otherwise wouldn’t have run into, and that has been the source of a lot of inspiration (and the urge to write about transnationalism!). Finding time to write… Balance, I think, is tricky in most situations, and I don’t always manage it, but I do my best. What’s worked the most thoroughly for me is breaking down what I need to do into smaller squares through a to do list; if I’ve had a long day at work, I’ll get through at least one thing on my writing to do list. And if I need a break, I take it!

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I wouldn’t classify this as interesting, but… I have a really hard time writing without eating, even if it’s just nibbling on something. White chocolate-covered raisins, and the little Reese’s bites, are my kryptonite.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

For a very long time, I wanted to be a veterinarian, and this was a dream from when I was a little girl all the way up to high school when I realized two things: the first was that I did not have a proclivity for either math or science, two subjects a doctor needs to be good at; the second was that, at times, I’d have to put animals down. So there went that (especially for the latter reason, since I think the former could have been won, since we can do anything we put our minds to!), and lots of dreams came after that. But, in all honesty, through all of the dreams, writing was always there, from the beginning until today and, I have no doubt, for the rest of my days J.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I’m passionate about Rome and Italy, but also about traveling and adventures in general, so I’m thrilled to hear from readers about their experiences – I’m always reachable through my blog Gmail, whichwaytorome@gmail.com, or you can find me on my blog and social media.

Links:

Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Buy page:

Amazon | Also available on most other platforms, both in print and e-book formats

Thank you for being here today, Flavia!

Interview with writer Diane Goldner

Helping me wrap up this week is writer Diane Goldner and we’re focused on her self-help book, Yes, You Can Heal.

Bio:

Diane Goldner is an internationally known healer and the author of three books, each endorsed by one of 3 of America's top doctors. She helps people transform physical, emotional and spiritual challenges. She is a former journalist. She has discussed healing with Dr. Christiane Northrup, bestselling author of Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom, on HayHouse Radio and television, and given talks and workshops at healing centers around the country.

Welcome, Diane. Please tell us about your current release.

I have poured my 20-years of experience as a healer into Yes, You Can Heal.

I share case studies, and I show people how they can heal themselves. There are guided meditations, and a lot of ways to connect inward and receive insights about your life, and what will create more radiance and flow for you.

What inspired you to write this book?

Hardly a day goes by where I don’t read about someone or hear about someone and think: “If only that person knew about energy healing, it would help them so much.”

It could be a pop star who had to cancel a concert tour due to fatigue or illness; a young woman suffering from the debilitating effects from toxic shock syndrome; people who have suffered in these crazy shooting attacks.

It could be someone dealing with the cancer and the side effects of treatment or a woman who wants to have a baby, but for some unknown reason it isn’t happening.

So many people can be helped, so easily, and so profoundly. As a journalist, when I discovered energy healing—and realized it was real--I thought it was the biggest scoop. I still think that it is a very important story that needs to get out there.

What exciting story are you working on next?

There are several more books that are half written. One is the sequel to my book Awakening to the Light: My Journey from Investigative Journalist to Energy Healer. This is the very intense personal story of my transformation. It’s better than sci fi (a genre I love!) There are so many dimensions to life. I also will be writing a book on healing relationships—so many people want help in this area; and one on healing emotional patterns. In the short term, I will be coming out with some audio courses later this year and some webinars, including on getting out of debt and living in abundance. I wrote a piece on clearing money issues for Money.com – “I use invisible energy to heal money issues” – and I’ve gotten calls from people as far away as in Britain, Qatar, and Singapore and all around the U.S. so I know this is something that could help a lot of people.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I wanted to be writer almost as soon as I learned how to read. Reading opened up so many worlds for me and touched me so deeply. I wanted to be able to do that for others.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I was a full-time writer for many years as a journalist, Now I am a healer, first, and writing happens around that, but it is also a part of it. I just naturally want to write about things that I find compelling. So I am always writing, whether it’s for my healing newsletter or for a book.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

When I write, I always want my writing to carry the energy of what I am saying.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a writer. Or a geneticist. I was always interested in why people are the way they are.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I love to connect with my readers. Because of that I’ve created a webinar, 5 Ways to Add Light to Your Life, that I am offering to you when you buy my book. There is a link on my website at DianeGoldner.com so you can send me your purchase receipt and email and I send you the webinar. I also love to receive emails and am happy to talk to book groups and reiki circles and will offer your group a group discount on books if you contact my assistant, AmyCole@DianeGoldner.com.

Links:

Website | Amazon | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Thanks for being here today, Diane!