Interview with women's fiction author Alana Cash

Today’s guest is women’s fiction author Alana Cash. She’s sharing a bit about her newest novel, Tom’s Wife, as well as some tidbits about herself.

During her virtual book tour, Alana will be awarding the winner's choice of a Screenprinted Camisole - "What Happens in the Bedroom Stays in the Bedroom" or a Brass Nuts T-Shirt - screenprinted "Brass" with 2 brass hex-nuts sewn to collar, to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour. (US ONLY). 

To be entered for a chance to win, leave a comment below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit other tour stops and leave comments there, too.

Bio:

Alana Cash is the product of a military family and the descendant of Irish tinkers. She has lived in four states and three countries and continues to seek adventure. She is an award-winning author and filmmaker and was profiled as a writing teacher on PBS.

Welcome, Alana. Please tell us about your current release, Tom’s Wife.

It’s the Great Depression and 19-year-old Annie Huckaby is almost resigned to marriage with Tom. He works at a coal mine during the week, leaving Annie to take care of the house and their infant son. Tom’s Native American friend Jim takes care of the farm. Her best friend, Twila, visits every day and helps Annie make a little money selling eggs to the café on the highway. And there’s church on Sunday. Annie’s not always alone, but most times she feels like it…until one afternoon a peddler named Jake Stern steps onto the porch, tips his hat, and starts a world of trouble.

What inspired you to write this book?

I used to spend summertime on my grandparents’ farm in Arkansas until I was a teenager. My grandparents would be considered very, very poor by certain standards – although I envy the simplicity and naturalness of their life now. At that time, they didn’t have electricity or running water or a motorized vehicle. My grandmother milked a cow every morning and, if she needed butter, skimmed off the cream and shook it up in a jar until is solidified. We collected eggs, fed the chickens, and put them into the smokehouse at night to protect them from the coyotes. There was a mule and a workhorse on the farm. The workhorse had two grown foals that ran wild and were never ridden. I think I was about nine years old when a man on a horse showed up to ask if my grandpa wanted those horses broken. He wore spurs and a cowboy hat and rode an appaloosa. It was like seeing a knight. I was that impressed. My grandpa turned down the services, and the man went away, but I never forgot him. As an adult, I wondered if the women in the county found him as romantic as I did. I started to write a short story to answer that question and it turned into a novel.

Excerpt from Tom’s Wife:

She drank out of her tin measuring cup, liking the feel of it in her hand better than crockery because the heat from the coffee came through it. Listening to bobwhites calling and the rooster crowing, she put a hand on her belly and thought about having fine things like linoleum and curtains and silver-handled hairbrushes and about what it must be like to live somewhere fast like St. Louis or New Orleans or New York City.

What exciting story are you working on next?

I’m working on a story about a girl who has what seem to be clairvoyant dreams, but it has a sort of twist at the end.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I sort of morphed into feeling like a writer, but the second time I won an award for a writing contest I felt pretty validated.

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 can only write for certain stretches of time. At most a few hours in a day, but usually only an hour.

I’m lucky to have another diversion. Because I have a strong appreciation for published, hardcopy books, I buy and sell first edition books.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I like to hand write and prefer to write on newsprint. Depending on the day, I choose to write with a pencil, gel pen or felt-tip pen with variations on color. It’s a chore to type it all into the computer, but I’m more creatively stimulated that way.

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

A cowboy or I guess cowgirl would be more exact. I’m still hoping for that.

Links:

Website | Blog | Barnes and Noble | Amazon 

Thanks, Alana! Readers, if you'd like a chance at the giveaways, remember to leave a comment!

Live chat with historian Jeffrey Kerr - Sunday, Nov 3, 7-9PM EST

The Writer's Chatroom presents non-fiction author Jeffrey Kerr.

WHEN?
Sunday, November 3, 2013

Eastern USA Time.....7-9 PM

Not sure what time that is wherever in the world you are? http://www.worldtimeserver.com

WHERE?
The Writers Chatroom at: http://www.writerschatroom.com/Enter.htm

Scroll down to the Java box. It may take a moment to load. Type in the name you wish to be known by, and click Sign In. No password needed.


Please note: The chatroom is only open for regularly scheduled chats.

Interview with novelist J.M. Anton

Today’s guest is novelist Jackie Anton. Reviews and Interviews is just one stop in Jackie’s virtual book tour for her novel Fateful Waters.

Jackie is going to be giving away a $25 Barnes and Noble gift card at the end of her tour to a lucky commentor. So if you'd like to be entered for a chance to win, make sure to leave an e-mail address with a comment below.

And if you'd like more chances to win, visit her other blog tour stops and leave comments there.

Welcome, Jackie. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

As an accomplished equestrian with a lifetime of experience: as trainer, exhibitor, 4-H and youth club coach, as well as a horse show judge, I am able bring many years of experience working with horses and young riders to my “Backyard Horse Tales.” Traveling extensively has given me many opportunities to research life in other parts on the country, and get to know their residents.

Please tell us about your current release.

Fateful Waters was my NaNoWriMo 2011 winning competition novel. This writing challenge is sponsored by the Office of Letters and Light. The characters took hold of their direction and after the word count of 50,000 words was reached I had to rein them in. Almost a year later the novel came out in print.

Follow Melinda Potter and Alexandra Parker, across the country, as the friends travel from their home on the shores of Lake Erie to the drought-stricken state of Texas. After graduation from The Ohio State University, Melinda has a date with an online Romeo. Lexie, who is supposed exert a moderating influence on her impulsive friend, winds up in a hospital where she wakes to everyone calling her Mrs. Ross. She doesn’t have a clue how she got there, or who Mr. Ross is.

What inspired you to write this book?

Our family lived in the Texas Panhandle when I was still in elementary school. We still have family there struggling through the draught. That and the current online dating trend sparked the idea of sending two Ohio raised college grads to Texas to meet with an online match.

Excerpt:

“Are you in a hurry to be hamburger? I could have run you over in this blinding rain! Now, look, you’ve killed Mel’s Cadillac.” The beast wouldn’t move out of the road. Pushing on its rump didn’t accomplish anything, nor did smacking it on the hip. That little bout of temper left her with a stinging hand.

The white face was halter-less—it’s not a horse, she reminded herself—and she didn’t have a rope or even a belt. Now nearly knee-deep in slop, she stood there, hands on her hips, glaring at the cow. While she was assessing the situation, the cow let out a bellow. A small echo bounced back from a few feet away. Lexie spotted a small calf stuck in the mud. All that was visible was the head and a small portion of its back. The little one was sinking in a run-off of muck that had flowed from the slightly higher terrain behind it.

She removed her navy jacket that had matched her now trashed slacks. Lexie waded closer to the calf, hoping she didn’t sink along with it. Keeping a wary eye on its watchful mother, she slipped the jacket around the calf’s neck and gave a tug. She managed to raise its head a little higher, but it was stuck and could not get any traction to assist in its rescue attempt. Giving a little stronger tug she lost her own traction. She was sitting on her butt in the mud, propping up the small creature’s head when the ghost riders just appeared from out of the storm.

What exciting story are you working on next?

I am again trying my hand at the writing challenge. My 2012 entry involves a young woman who lost her family and at a young age goes to live with her maternal Grandmother. She finds out that she is an heiress via mail from a Denver law office. Casey discovers that she was not an orphan and sets out to find out why she was abandoned.

Writing life: My writing life is pretty diverse; I author adult romance and adventure novels under the pen of J.M. Anton. As Jackie Anton I author the popular Backyard Horse Tale series. Backyard Horse Tales: Sox 2^nd Edition was awarded the prestigious Mom’s Choice Award of Excellence for Family- Friendly Media. Based on reviews, I have high hopes for Fateful Waters as an entry in 2013 writing competitions.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

It’s only been recently that I was willing to call myself a writer, and now an author. I think my first short stories were written in junior high, and have developed from there.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like?

Some days inspiration takes a holiday. On those occasions I turn to editing, and usually that will usually get the creative juices flowing.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Usually I have several projects going at a time. If one group of characters won’t cooperate, I work with the group willing talk to me on that day.

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

As a young child I wanted to be a cowboy! How does that country song go? I wanted to ride with Gene and Roy.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

For fun I usually ride my horse. I love to read, bake, and sketch or paint. I love to hear from readers. They can contact me at talesbyjackie@yahoo.com. I try to answer all fan e-mail.

Also, there’s a 10% discount through my book’s website, and also through the “Backyard Horse Tales” website. The discount code to use at checkout for each is 1DepCart0.

Thanks, J.M. Readers, don't forget about a chance to win a $25 B&N gift card. Leave an e-mail address with a comment below so you can be contacted if you win.

Interview with mystery author Kaye George

A hearty welcome to today's guest, mystery author Kaye George. She's here to talk a bit about her multiple series and in particular, the newest Imogene Duckworthy mystery, an Agatha Nominee, Broke.

Bio:

Kaye George is a short story writer and novelist who has been nominated for Agatha awards twice. She is the author of three mystery series, the Imogene Duckworthy humorous Texas series, the Cressa Carraway musical mystery series, and the FAT CAT cozy series with Berkley Prime Crime. The last two will debut in 2013.

Her short stories can be found in her collection, A PATCHWORK OF STORIES, as well as in FISH TALES: The Guppy Anthology, ALL THINGS DARK AND DASTARDLY, GRIMM TALES and in various online and print magazines. She reviews for "Suspense Magazine", writes for several newsletters and blogs, and gives workshops on short story writing and promotion. Kaye is agented by Kim Lionetti at BookEnds Literary and lives in Texas, near Waco.

Welcome, Kaye. Please tell us about your current release, Broke.

Imogene Duckworthy is twenty-two and has a job (PI assistant) and a new car (used). She loves her mother, but it's time she was on her own. The problem is her daughter Nancy Drew Duckworthy’s pet potbelly. Not a lot of rentals in Wymee Falls will permit a pig, even one as cute and charming as Marshmallow. Jersey Shorr of Shorr Realty manages to find something but there are rumors that the house is haunted. Immy tells herself she doesn’t believe in ghosts. She signs the contract and plans to move in before Halloween. What she doesn’t plan on is the very real, very dead body in the bathtub. And the fact that the most logical murder suspect is her Uncle Dewey, fresh out of prison. Immy can’t allow her long-lost relative to be railroaded for a crime he (possibly) didn’t commit, can she?

What inspired you to write this book?

It's a continuation of Immy's adventures and was high time to get her out of Saltlick. This gave me a chance to introduce some new characters, including a long-lost uncle who was alluded to in an earlier book. Since I set it in October, both Immy's four-year-old daughter Drew (Nancy Drew Duckworthy) and Drew's pet potbelly pit, Marshmallow, had to have costumes. Thinking of costumes got me to thinking about ghosts. Also, if Immy were trying to find a new place to live for her and Drew and Marshmallow, I had to think about what kind of land lord would want a pig in the rental house. October, ghosts--a haunted house, of course!

What exciting story are you working on next?

I'm presently working on two projects, one for Barking Rain Press (BRP) and one for Berkley Prime Crime (BPC). For BRP, I'm doing final edits on Eine Kleine Murder . A bit about that book: When aspiring conductor Cressa Carraway arrives at her grandmother's resort home, she finds Gram dead. When Gram's best friend drowns in the same place, Cressa knows something sinister is at work in this idyllic setting.

I'm excited to be getting this book published since the sleuth is a musician, like me, and I was able to include material about the classical music world. If this series continues, Cressa will become a conductor and I can do lots more with that subject.

The project for BPC is the first book of the FAT CAT series, set in Minneapolis, as yet untitled, and still in first draft. This series will feature a pudgy, adorable, clever cat named Quincy who is always trying to find more to eat, since his owner has put him on a diet. When he escapes, he finds all sorts of things, including dead bodies. His owner, Chastity (Chase) Oliver is the co-owner of a dessert bar shop and the books will feature dessert bar and diet cat treat recipes.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

In public? In 2005 when I got my first short story published in FMAM. However, I've made up stories since before I could write. I've had publication ambitions since high school, but the only thing that saw print then was a letter to the editor in the local paper.

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 able to retire from programming about 11 years ago and have been writing full time since then. I usually clear emails, write blogs, and do other administrivia at the beginning of the day, since I'm not a morning person. After lunch I sometimes run errands, then write after that. But on good days, I'm able to write after lunch. However, I do some of my best work after the 10:00 news.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Hmm, I don't know that my writing is quirky, or would be that interesting to watch. I do prefer absolute quiet, so I like a room with a door I can shut. I can't work at all if a neighbor dog is barking, so I got myself a Super Bark Free from the Sky Mall catalog. It's a life saver! I can aim that thing at a neighbor dog and it emits a high-frequency noise, audible only to the dog. I'll bet the neighbors wonder why their dogs become so well-behaved everywhere we live.

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

I remember wanted to be a garbage collector. We used to follow the truck up the alley, me and the neighbor kids. We didn't own a TV until I was 7, so we played outside a lot. It seemed to be romantic and exciting, jumping on and off the truck, hanging onto the rail while it drove all over the town. I now know that they don't make bad money and it's a steady job and probably beats some of the jobs I have had.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I'd like to emphasize that, while I'm currently working on 3 series all of a sudden, and may look like an overnight success from the outside, it has taken me years and years of writing, improving my craft, studying other writers and taking courses, networking and making connections, and hard work to get my babies into the light of day.

Please visit my webpage and connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or at one of the blogs I write for.

Thanks so much for the interview, Lisa! Great questions.

You're quite welcome. It's been a pleasure hosting you. Happy writing!

Interview with mystery novelist Teresa Trent

A hearty Reviews and Interviews welcome to today's guest, mystery novelist Teresa Trent. She's doing a virtual book tour for her novel, A Dash of Murder, a Halloween mystery.

Teresa is generously giving away an e-book copy of her novel at each of her tour stops. So if you'd like to be entered to win, make sure to leave your e-mail address with a comment below. Feel free to comment and not leave an e-mail, too. You can also increase your odds of winning by commenting at other tour stops.

Bio:

Teresa Trent wasn't born in Texas, but after a few glasses of sweet tea and some exceptional barbecue she decided to stay. With a father in the Army, she found herself moved all over the world, settling down for a while in her teens in the state of Colorado. Her writing was influenced by all of the interesting people she found in small towns and the sense of family that seemed to be woven through them all. Teresa is a former high school teacher and received her degree from the University of Northern Colorado. Teresa is presently working on the third book in her Pecan Bayou Series. Her second book, Overdue For Murder, came out in June of 2012.

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

The month of October is a great time to add a story with a paranormal twist in it to your reading list. A Dash of Murder takes place in the days before and on Halloween and involves a paranormal investigation of an abandoned tuberculosis hospital on the edge of Pecan Bayou, a tiny town in Texas. Betsy Livingston is a single mom who helps out her aunt who is a member of the local paranormal society and they find themselves in the middle of a town’s fears of the occult and eventually a murder. She meets up with a handsome stranger from Dallas who seems to be in the heart of the trouble surrounding her and he also becomes a prime suspect in the murder. Betsy has to work her way through her suspicions and is backed up by the town's cast of characters including the ladies from The Best Little Hairhouse in Texas and a paranormal investigator who scares easily. A Dash of Murder is a funny and very cozy mystery.

What inspired you to write this book?

When my daughter was in middle school we would set aside every Wednesday night and watch all of those ghost hunting shows on cable. We loved it when they used the gadgets and walked around in the dark, but most of the time they really didn't find too much. From that I thought about what it would be like to actually be on a ghost hunting paranormal investigation and all of the murderous things that could happen.

Excerpt:

“The apparition is coming near us,” Maggie sounded delighted.

“What should we do, Aunt Maggie?” I asked, the volume of my voice rising as the rustling became an increasing cacophony of noise.

Maggie looked down the passage and then yelled, “HOLD YOUR GROUND!” She stood with her hands placed firmly on her rounded hips as the wind started blowing her hat off, releasing the many stuffed strands of hair that had been under it. She looked like Medusa as the glow of her flashlight highlighted the snakes of hair surrounding her face.

The rustling sound increased. A thousand little clicking noises came at us as a cloud of pulsating blackness came out of the pitch black.

“This is dangerous, Aunt Maggie!” I shouted. “I’m not standing here, and neither are you!” I grabbed Maggie by the shoulders, preparing to lift her off the ground and carry her out if that was necessary.

“It might be a spirit of the dead!” she warbled above the din.

“Or it might be the spirit of something alive.” I turned her around, and we ran as the flashlight beam bobbed against the walls. I could feel something pulling at my hair and reached up to grab it. When I did, I could see the wingspan of a Mexican bat as it flapped out of my grasp. We careened out the door and slammed it behind us. We could hear the thud of a few bats hitting the door and then what sounded like the wings of hundreds of bats flapping as they turned back down the tunnel.

I turned around to see Maggie, leaning against the wall, holding her hat, trying to push the hair out of her face as her breath came out unevenly. “Are you all right?” I asked as we both panted at each other.

“Yes, a little jittery, but I’ll be fine.”

What exciting story are you working on next?

My next book takes place on the Fourth of July in Pecan Bayou. If you have ever lived in a small town, you know holiday preparations are a pretty big deal. There's a Miss Watermelon contest, a dog-napping, a new man in Betsy's life, a ghost and of course a murder...or two.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Not until I had a Bride's Magazine call me and tell me they actually wanted something I had written. They really just used my article as research but there I was writing about the fascinating world of...tuxedos. After that I continued to write and submit, but mostly scored rejection slips. I started writing fiction during that time and decided it was a whole lot more fun.

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 don't write full time. I found working full-time outside my home was difficult with my family challenges, so I have worked part-time teaching preschool music for many years.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Pictures! I love pictures and that is part of how I write my story. If Hollywood ever calls and wants to make a movie of one of my books I already have it fully cast. I use IMDB and “cast” many of the characters in my book. I also use pictures of settings, props, time periods and anything else that I research for my books. Here's an example--

Hmmm...Betsy has on a brown sweater in this scene. What does it look like? Hmmmm.

I look at a picture of a brown sweater.

Oh yes, it's got little sequins near the collar and it is of a lightweight chocolate brown knit. She has the sleeves pushed up because who really needs a sweater this far south in Texas?

I love to be able to see something close to what my imagination is creating!

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

I was torn between being an actress or a teacher.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

My second book, Overdue for Murder continues the many adventures of Betsy Livingston when she is asked to participate in a book talk at the Pecan Bayou Public Library. When she finds a body in the library, she also finds herself as the “person of interest” in the police department's investigation. This book catches us up on Betsy and all the characters in Pecan Bayou and her romance with...someone from the first book. (No spoilers here!)

Thanks, Teresa. 

Readers, don't forget that Teresa is generously giving away an e-book copy of her novel at each of her tour stops. If you'd like to be entered to win, make sure to leave your e-mail address with a comment below. Feel free to comment and not leave an e-mail, too! You can also increase your odds of winning by commenting at other tour stops.