Prompt chat tonight! Bring your muse.

The Writer's Chatroom presents the always-fun Prompt Chat! Come ready to write to a prompt, or two, or three. It's a great way to kick-start a new writing project. :)

WHEN?

Sunday, July 22, 2012

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

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WHERE?

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

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

Interview with romance author Charlotte Stout

Today's guest is romance writer Charlotte Stout. She's talking about sexy men, quirks, and much more. Oh, and she's giving away a $75 Amazon gift card to a lucky commentor at the end of her tour. Comment below, and visit her other tour stops for additional opportunities to comment. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning! (Don't forget to leave your e-mail address with your comment if you want a chance at the gift card!)

Bio:
Charlotte lives in Arizona with her hunky husband Warren, and her spoiled Silky Terrier, Tess. Her life has been filled with serious endeavors, including earning a Master's degree, owning her own business, consulting, and working in the corporate world as a human resources executive. Before penning her first novel, Charlotte had written several practical guides for business applications, not exactly steamy stuff. Luckily, she never lost sight of her dream to write a novel that would encompass her passion for gorgeous men, adventure, and a love of life.

What inspired you to write Seattle Delight?

I love romance. I adore hunky sexy men. I think I could get used to large sums of money. I am an animal lover who dotes on her dog. I believe strongly in the love and bond of family. So, I combined all of these specific loves of mine (I have many others) into this story.

When I lived in Seattle, I had the best time. I met my husband of twenty-six years, fell in love (yes, with him), and our courtship was crazy good.

We only dated for a few months before he asked me to marry him. I said no. He persisted and eventually I said yes. I have so many fond memories of Seattle and the love that grew between us there that I wanted to create a romance that embodied some of what we experienced.

No yacht, no limousine or other over the top accoutrements but I know I could get used to those if I had to. What a chore that would be. Poor me!

Excerpt from Chapter 5:

“Focus, Charly! You have got to get out of these Spanx.” The first thing she looked for was a wastebasket but didn’t see one. She checked in the dressing room, in the water closet and in the storage cabinet where the linens were kept. Then she saw what looked like a drawer. She pulled it open and voila there was the wastebasket. “I truly do covet this bathroom,” she exclaimed.

The wastebasket was empty. Dang! Charly realized that if she took off the Spanx and tossed them in the basket Julien would undoubtedly know they were hers. That is, if he happened to use the bathroom during the cruise. Maybe he won’t come in here. Maybe he has his own personal bathroom. He had to, didn’t he? She said a silent prayer to the bathroom gods while searching for other options.

Charly checked the picture window but it didn’t open. There was no way to dispose of the Spanx in Puget Sound. She sat on the toilet in the water closet while conjuring a plan to dispose of the Spanx. Her thoughts were jarred by Julien’s voice. “Charly, are you alright? Is there anything you need?”

How long had she been in here? “No, no – I’m fine. I’m admiring the décor, and trying to dispose of my girdle. I’ll be out in a minute.”

“Tres bien – very well. I’ll meet you in the salon.”

What exciting story are you working on next?

I’m actually working on a few stories. Two are romantic suspense novels and then there is the light romance sequel to Seattle Delight.

The first romantic suspense is set in Alaska, where I lived for ten years. I love Alaska. It is truly the last frontier to this day. People who have intentionally moved to Alaska do so because one, they want the freedom, isolation, and challenges living there presents. They are independent people who think for themselves and are not shy about letting you know how they feel about you or any other topic. I love that about the people.

Another reason people are in Alaska is to escape something that happened in the “lower 48,” as the rest of the contiguous states are referred to by Alaskans. My character Carrie Battles is running from something related to her past. But that past is now coming back and she may or may not survive this time around. Enter the Chief of Police in Alaska. He’s hot, hunky, independent minded and extremely interested in Carrie Battles. It is fast paced and takes place both in Alaska and Minnesota.

The second Romantic Suspense story takes place in Seattle but is nothing like Seattle Delight. In this book the wife of a prominent surgeon wants him dead for a variety of reasons. What happens when her wish comes true? We’ll have to wait to find out.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I’ve been a writer since I became a senior executive in human resources during my corporate career. I have penned corporate policies, procedures, investigative reports, position papers in response to EEOC complaints and numerous other types of documents. I knew I was an excellent writer in the corporate world and decided to take the leap into writing novels and stories.

While doing the corporate gig, I wrote short stories, with a humorous bent, about experiences I had and you can imagine there was a plethora of material available in that venue. The stories were never about a specific individual but about an experience.

For instance; I attended a diversity conference in Oregon and felt like I had been transported to a hippie compound in the middle of nowhere USA. I wrote about my experiences there such as the lady I met who had worked in the Peace Corps and told me point blank that she didn’t think I was Peace Corp material because I was too fragile. I did not publish these stories but shared them with close friends.

I considered myself an author when I finished, finished, finished Seattle Delight. When it was wrapped up tight and ready for publishing, that’s when I felt like an author. The day we went live with the e-book was euphoria.

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

I do write full-time. I am up early each day. I begin the day reading. It gives me a chance to wake up and it’s a nice relaxing way to welcome the day.

I shower and put on make-up every day. I am not a person who can go a single day without shaving my legs, under my arms, putting on make-up and brushing my teeth a million times a day. I can’t stand myself if I don’t feel put together. After all, you never know who might pop by. Even though no one ever pops by, I want to be ready just in case.

Feeling put together, I eat breakfast and sit down at my computer for the next six to eight hours. I review emails, pay bills online and then write or edit or think of ways to promote what I have written. I check into writers groups, critique groups, write in my blog, check the web site and everything else that comes with being a full-time writer. I find there is never enough time in the day to accomplish what you feel needs to be done.

I am taking French classes and spend one to two hours a day practicing my French, doing homework (yes, homework), and researching everything French. This is part of the six to eight hours at the computer each day.

I still make time for friends and playing pickleball on a regular basis. I work hard during the day so I don’t feel guilty about shutting things down at five or six o’clock to read the paper, catch the news, eat supper and either veg for the evening or do something with friends.

I am not a night owl. I am normally in bed by 10 or 10:30 at night so I can get a good night’s sleep and start all over the next day.

Reading this back to myself it sounds like I have a very boring schedule. But I don’t. Trust me on this.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Have you been looking at my blog? My blog name is quirky author.

Of course nothing I do seems quirky to me. You all are the quirky ones, certainly not moi!

Kidding aside, I have a few quirks. I like to incorporate a dog in every one of my stories. I love dogs. I have always had a dog as an adult and feel a little sad if my dog chooses not to hang with me in my office when I am working.

Another quirk is a penchant for Milano cookies. I need to have ten Milano cookies on a napkin next to my computer to nibble on during the day. As I eat the cookies I replenish the stash. Weird eh!

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

Gosh, that was so long ago it’s hard to remember back that far. I do remember a longing to be a bus driver. Why? I loved riding the bus. The drivers were so nice, I saw lots of people I knew and I could chit chat for the duration of the ride. I never considered for an instant that as the driver of the bus I would need to pay attention to the road which would prevent me from talking to people.

As I got a bit older I wanted to be in politics. One of my grandmothers was very active in politics. I met so many interesting, intelligent and charming people through grandmother. But, that was when I was between ten and twelve. As I got 0lder and became more aware of the political machine, I scratched that as a career choice.

After I received my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees I wanted to be an attorney because of the work I was doing in human resources. But, I was tired of school and became so involved in my work that I didn’t pursue my law degree.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

Each day comes but once…treat it with great care.

Thanks for stopping by, Charlotte! Readers, don't forget that if you want a chance to win a $75 Amazon gift card, to leave your e-mail address with your comment!

Interview with author Kfir Luzzatto

Today's guest author is from Israel. Kfir Luzzatto is currently touring his thriller The Evelyn Project. There's a lot history behind this novel.

Bio:

Kfir Luzzatto was born and raised in Italy, and moved to Israel as a teenager. He acquired the love for the English language from his father, a former U.S. soldier, a voracious reader and a prolific writer. Kfir has a PhD in chemical engineering and works as a patent attorney. He lives in Omer, Israel, with his full-time partner, Esther, their four children, Michal, Lilach, Tamar, and Yonatan, and the dog Elvis.

Kfir has published extensively in the professional and general press over the years. He is the author of several short stories but now mostly writes full-length fiction. Books: Crossing the Meadow (2003 P&E “Best horror novel”), The Odyssey Gene (2006), Have Book Will Travel (2012). He got the idea for his new thriller, The Evelyn Project, from an in-depth research into the family archives.

Welcome to Reviews and Interviews, Kfir. Please tell us about your current release.

The Evelyn Project is a thriller that runs in parallel in present days and a hundred years ago. An old document is brought to light and characters in both centuries believe that it creates a connection between them that bridges the time gap and may change history. Murder, cross-country chase, intrigue and some romance are the ingredients that propel the story forward. I am told that the book keeps you on the edge of your seat, and that’s what it was meant to do.

What inspired you to write this book?

Evelyn (or, rather Evelina, as she was named in my native Italy) was my great aunt. She died of tuberculosis in 1894. She was only 26 years old. My second daughter, Lilach, is her living image and her 26th birthday is approaching fast. That might have been a catalyst for me to write the book. When my parents died I was left with the responsibility to make sure that my family history would not be forgotten. That entailed a lot of reading in books, documents and letters, which brought Evelyn's figure increasingly to life for me – so much so that I simply had to write a book about her, because I realized that without my intervention her memory would soon fade from this world.

What exciting story are you working on next?

I have completed a contemporary novel, An Italian Obsession, which will be released in September of this year. It is a dramatic representation of middle-class Italian life after World War II. I am now working on a techno-thriller that I plan to release in 2013.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I had a hard time calling myself that, until I opened the package that came from my publisher with a copy of my debut novel, Crossing the Meadow, and I realized that it was for real. Still it took me a few more months before I was fully convinced. I guess that it was Crossing the Meadow placing first in the Preditors & Editors Readers’ Poll that really did the trick.

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 have a very demanding day job, running a patent law firm established by my great-grandfather (the one in The Evelyn Project) 143 years ago, but I use every free moment to write. I sit down to write mostly at night and during weekends, but also on trains, airplanes and pretty much everywhere. It has become a Pavlovian reflex: free moment=work on novel.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I dictate the first draft of every book using an amazing piece of software called “Dragon Naturally Speaking”, and I do so walking around the room (except if I’m in a noisy environment with other people listening in). I dictate the chapters as they come and in my second version (done at the keyboard) I reshuffle them so the two versions look completely different. I guess it sounds loopy, but it works for me.

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

At first I wanted to be a sailor (until I realized that I can't swim very well), then a photographer and a dozen other irrelevant things. It kept changing with every book I read.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

My greatest beef with some of the books out there is that they are formulaic, written without passion. I can usually tell after a couple of chapters if an author was possessed when he wrote his book. I hope my readers can feel the passion that I put into each novel and that I can pass some of it on to my audience. One of the greatest compliments given to The Evelyn Project was that reading it “was like being in the middle of a REALLY good Hitchcock movie! but with WORDS instead of moving pictures!" That’s my aim: turning words into moving pictures in the reader’s head.

Thank you for stopping by today, Kfir. I think you're my first guest author from Israel. It's been a pleasure getting to know a bit about you and your writing.

Interview with debut novelist Jean Mckie-Sutton

Today's guest is debut novelist Jean Mckie-Sutton to tell us a little about her novel The Fruits Of Our Sins.

Bio:

Jean Mckie-Sutton rose through the ranks of the insurance industry before heeding her own heart and pursuing her passion for writing. She grew up listening to the stories that elders recounted about the women in her family, and it is from these dominant, yet richly flawed matriarchs that she draws inspiration for her writing. 

In addition to her debut novel, The Fruits Of Our Sins, Jean has published two short stories, “Stella’s Silent World”, and “When The Bough Breaks”.  She is also a featured author in “Sister To Sister: Black Women Speak To Young Black Girls.”

Jean lives in a suburb of Philadelphia with her husband and three children.

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

This novel tells the story of two young women, Madeline and Sybil, who experience abandonment and betrayal within their own families at a very young age. Their lives soon become intertwined in heated confrontation by the birth of a child - a child that each claims to have a right to. For one woman, possession of the child represents redemption; for the other, the repetition of generational sin.

The Fruits Of Our Sins chronicles the deeply flawed relationships these women have with their parents, the impact of those relationships on the direction of their lives and ultimately the lives of their children as they attempt to flee from, yet reconcile, the abandonment and betrayals of their youth.    

What inspired you to write this book?

I’d have to say I was inspired by my family. Although this novel is not at all biographical, developing the story lines of the characters helped me reconcile and understand some of the troubling, life-changing decisions made by the matriarchs in my own family.

What exciting story are you working on next?

I’m glad you asked! I love talking about my next project. I’m in the middle of a collection of short stories focusing on family relationships - mostly mother/daughter relationships that involve transformation after overcoming steep obstacles. I hope to finish the collection later this year.

The second project I’m considering is a sequel to The Fruits Of Our Sins. I hadn’t initially planned on writing a sequel, but so many people have asked, I feel the need to at least consider the possibility. 

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Although I’ve been writing ever since I was a young child, I did not consider myself a writer until I published my first short story back in 2010. It was titled, Stella’s Silent World, and it was about a young woman meeting her birth mother for the first time.

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?

Trying to find the time to write has always been a challenge. For many years I worked full time. With three kids, it was hard to find quiet writing time on a consistent basis. I’d sneak in the hours on weekends or while on vacation. Now that I work part-time, I manage to write a few hours a day while the kids are in school during the school year. With the kids home during summer break I find myself writing more and more in the evenings after they’re asleep and the house is quiet.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I often wake up in the middle of the night for no reason at all. It is during these moments that I experience my most creative insights. I keep a pen and table bedside so I can capture the rush of ideas that seems to come for nowhere.

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

I wanted to be a brain surgeon until I discovered I wouldn’t finish school until I was about thirty. In my teens I wanted to be a CIA agent. Instead, I ended up in the Insurance Industry for nearly twenty years. My dream of actual pursuing a writing career began during this time.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I’d like to share a quote to encourage others to follow their dreams as well:

“When you follow your bliss, the universe will open doors where there were walls.” -- Joseph Campbell

Links:

Amazon Author Profile  

Amazon Print

Amazon Kindle

Barnes and Noble Nook

Website

Thanks for stopping by, Jean. Readers, if you'd like to read more about Jean, you can stop by her other tour stops.

Interview with YA author Becca C. Smith

Today's guest is YA author Becca C. Smith. She writes young adult novels, and is here to talk about her newest book, Riser.

Bio: 
Becca C. Smith received her Film degree from Full Sail University and has worked in the Film and Television industry for most of her adult life.

Becca is the author of the teen horror/sci-fi novel, Riser. She is also the co-author of the teen graphic novel Ghost Whisperer: The Haunted and also wrote and illustrated Little Family Secrets, a graphic novel based on the true story of her great aunt who was famous for murdering her husband.

She currently lives in Los Angeles, CA with her husband and two cats Jack and Duke.

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

Black swirling holes churning madly in the center of every corpse.This is how eighteen-year-old Chelsan Derée sees the deceased.Her ability to connect to the black spinning holes allows her to control every dead thing within a four-mile radius.

But that’s the least of her problems. It’s 2320 and Chelsan Derée has to survive another year of high school, which for her is pure and utter torture, mainly due to the fact that her schoolmate Jill Forester’s favorite activity is making Chelsan’s life a living hell. If that isn’t enough, Chelsan’s impossible crush on Ryan Vaughn makes her brain do somersaults on a regular basis, especially since she is positive he doesn’t know she exists. And being eighteen Chelsan has to deal with the pressure of whether or not she should take a little pill called Age-pro, which cures aging, making the world eighteen forever and highly over-populated.

When Chelsan’s mother, Janet, is brutally killed, along with everyone else in her trailer park, Chelsan finds out that she was the intended target.

Chelsan must use her power to raise and control the dead to save herself, protect her friends and take down the man responsible for murdering her mother.

What inspired you to write this book?

I really started getting into YA books. I couldn’t seem to read enough of them and it inspired me to write my own. Riser was actually based on a TV pilot I wrote years before and I thought it would work nicely as a teen sci-fi novel

What exciting story are you working on next?

I’ve actually written two books in the Riser series and I’m currently working on the third. I hope to have it released by August or September this year. It’ll be the end of the first trilogy. Now that I’ve created a “world” I can write other trilogies within that universe. I’ve already thought of the first book of the trilogy revolving around a three-hundred-year-old assassin, so that should be a lot of fun!

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I started writing at age 5. It’s something I’ve always done and honestly, I can’t imagine doing anything else. Writing is a complete joy and escape for me. I love creating new and interesting worlds that others can escape into as well. I’m a Hungry Hippo when it comes to writing and reading! I just can’t get enough!

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 always write. I often equate writing to breathing for me, lol. Even when I have full time jobs, I write at least a 1,000 words a day. When I have free time, I’ll sometimes write all day. I also like to draw. I wrote and illustrated a graphic novel, Little Family Secrets based on a true story.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I’m not sure if I have any quirks per se, but I do love writing outdoors, if that counts. At parks, the front yard, the balcony, as long as I have my iced mocha and something to write on I’m happy!

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

I only ever wanted to be two things: a writer, or an astronaut. And I’m not an astronaut, lol.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I’m also a sucker for younger YA books as well! I actually have just published a YA book for younger audiences called, Alexis Tappendorf and the Search for Beale’s Treasure. It was a lot of fun writing it. It’s full of code-breaking, hunting for treasure and adventure!

Thanks for stopping by today, Becca.

Interview with writer Justin Bog

Today's guest, Justin Bog, is at the tail end of a virtual book tour for his short story collection, Sandcastle and Other Stories.

Bio: 

Justin Bog, first and foremost, grew up a voracious reader, movie fanatic, and music audiophile. Justin always carried a stack of library books and collected way too many comic books from his local Ohio small-town drugstore. More than one teacher scolded Justin to put his "suspect" reading materials away and join the class. Justin began to make up stories of his own, using an old typewriter he found in the attic.

“Growing up in the 70s, Stephen King was about to publish his first novel and John Updike had only published the first of his Rabbit books. Along with so many cinema buffs, I witnessed the huge change in the way movies were distributed — from artistic, Director-driven films backed by huge studios to the dawn of the Blockbuster and popcorn summer films, like Jaws, Rocky, and Star Wars. I was drawn to the music of these decades as well,” says Bog.

So it comes as no surprise that Justin pursued an English Degree at the University of Michigan, followed by Film and Music Appreciation classes -- finally graduating from Bowling Green State University with an MFA in Fiction Writing. After teaching creative writing, Justin began apprenticing in a number of bookstores and editing fiction for a midwestern journal. Justin ended up on the management team at Chapter One Bookstore in the Sun Valley resort area for a decade, offering book recommendations to its local celebrities, skiing fanatics, and tourists. Currently residing in the San Juan Islands just north of Seattle, Justin has the opportunity to focus on his own novels and short stories, while contributing commentary and reviews of Pop Culture. Justin continues to engage his lifelong passion for writing in combination with his curious mindset as the Senior Contributor and Editor at In Classic Style.

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

Sandcastle and Other Stories started out as very short stories, almost flash fiction. Each tale began with an impulse, a character's image in my head, or a singular voice of one of the character's, speaking to me. In "Typecast," the voice of the bad-boy actor came through loud and clear, and I hope I captured his world both on and off screen. There is a darkness to these ten psychological dramas, and my mind turns that way more often than not. I didn't mind shocking readers, making a thoughtful or natural conclusion, and, really, only two of the stories have an element of shock to them, but the shock is earned. There's no gimmick. The characters lead the story, and I followed each one to his or her end point. I took the shortness of each tale and built a structure, tinkered with the characters, the settings, the time each tale took place, and added just enough back story to flesh each motivation out a bit, each epiphany a character may come to. This was a really fun collection to put together and all the stories are linked by this milieu of darkness. There is humor woven into the threads, and I like hearing that the stories resonate with readers.

What inspired you to write this book?

The inspiration came from my love of reading short fiction. The stories of Raymond Carver, John Cheever, Ray Bradbury, Shirley Jackson, Rachel Ingalls, and Stephen King (who hasn't he influenced or inspired) I still find the most influential in my own writing. I wanted to create tales I would like to read. I hope others like them too.

What exciting story are you working on next?

I just finished another edit draft on a 12,000 word longer story title The Conversationalist that was just accepted to be part of an original eBook suspense anthology called Encounters. Each of the tales had to center around a stalker of some type. It would've fit well as the end piece in Sandcastle since it was written in April when I was putting the eBook together for publication. My first novel, Wake Me Up, is finished, but going through probably two or three more copyedit reviews before it sees publication. This is a psychological family drama about a crime in Missoula, Montana and the aftershocks. Sandcastle and Other Stories found the interest of a publisher in Washington State where I live and Green Darner Press will publish the print version this fall. Very excited by all this publishing news.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I first considered myself a writer when I was sending out short stories and getting rejection letters -- these helped spur me on. Some of my tales found runner-up status and honorable mentions, but I never sent them out as a collection to be published anywhere before. Now, more than ever, I feel a validation to the long hours at home alone tapping away.

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 try to write full-time, but that's not possible. I worked as a manager in bookstores for over 20 years until 2005. Then my partner and I moved to Washington State. Currently, along with the writing life, I'm taking on book editing jobs, working with other authors, helping their books reach the best potential. I edit content for the eMagazine In Classic Style and also write pop culture recommendations for the magazine as well.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I tend to work on a project until it is finished. I don't take breaks, a day break, or even a week, until the work is on paper in a first draft. But I don't write thousands of words at a time either. That's a rare occasion. I read that Hemingway only produced 400-600 words a day, words that he would keep. If something pulls me away, a move to a new home, a trip to visit family or friends, I can pick right up where I left off. I don't know if that's very interesting. I like listening to music as I write. Radiohead is playing right now.

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

I actually wanted to do two things. 1) write books and 2) work in bookstores. I love bookstores. I don't get to visit them as much now with the writing schedule, but I will always browse through bookstores whenever I come across one. So, even though I've accomplished my childhood goals, there's more and more to do, and I'm always dreaming.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I love that you are reading my writing and sharing your thoughts. I can't say that enough. The fans who tell me the stories made them think, had an emotional response to the situations -- this makes my day, makes me feel like the writing life is so worthwhile. Best to you and your own reading and writing dreams.

Thanks for having Reviews and Interviews as a tour stop. Best wishes for your continued writing.

Live chat/interview with John Walters

The Writer's Chatroom presents John Walters.

WHEN?

Sunday, July 15, 2012

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.

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