Guest Post: Authors Who Have Inspired Me By Sonya Clark with Giveaway!

I don’t remember ever not knowing how to read. First there were the stacks and stacks of Little Golden Books. Then the Scholastic Book Club at various schools I attended. I always ordered a lot from that book club. I always had cards from both school libraries and whatever local libraries were available, either on post or off (I grew up an Army brat). I remember devouring Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books, editions with blue hardback bindings and cover art that made me think of the TV show Happy Days because it looked very 1950s to me. Judy Blume’s Tiger Eyes was a favorite and made a  lasting impression.

Ray Bradbury was one of my favorite authors growing up. I read just about everything by him I could get my hands on, both his novels and short story collections. We were stationed at a post not far from Bradbury’s hometown in Illinois when I first began reading him. Military families are welcomed in communities now but that hasn’t always been the case, so it was a tough time for a brat to be attending a civilian school. Bradbury’s tales of hidden wonder and hidden monsters resonated with me in ways I didn’t understand at the time. It was a Bradbury novel that first gave me the idea that I might turn my love for telling my own stories into something more: Death is a Lonely Business, his valentine to noir with an unnamed protagonist who is a struggling writer.

Moving around so much growing up, I had to find non-traditional means of stability. Books and music were two things that fit the bill perfectly. It didn’t take long for me to move on to adult authors. I knew Stephen King’s Castle Rock almost as well as I knew any of the places we lived. It was an all-time favorite. Between Pennywise and the clown under the bed in the movie Poltergeist, I developed a serious case of coulrophobia. Other King favorites were The Body, the basis for the movie Stand By Me, and Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, which was also eventually made into a movie.

There was a song called Moon Over Bourbon Street on Sting’s first solo album. In the liner notes he said it was inspired by a book called Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice. I liked the song a lot so I decided to keep an eye out for that book. I still remember which library I found it in: the post library at Fort Sheridan, Illinois, either 1986 or 87. I pulled it from the shelf where it sat next to another Rice novel, titled The Vampire Lestat. I was a goner for Rice and her Vampire Chronicles.

Growing up on a steady diet of horror and the paranormal, no wonder I write urban fantasy. As I create my own supernatural worlds now, the ones that nurtured me as a child and teenager remain an echo in the back of my mind. I’m happy to hear them still whispering to me.

Mojo Queen Blurb:

Hoodoo and high magic are on a collision course.

Roxanne Mathis isn't like everyone else. Not only can she see auras and spectral entities, she can mix herbs and roots for spells to do good or ill. She can even light a candle without the benefit of a match. But when she’s hired to exorcise a demon from a young girl, she discovers the limits of her powers. 

With her vampire cousin at her side and a sexy sorcerer chasing her on the rebound, Roxie sets out to send that evil entity back to where she came from. 

Nothing is as it seems and Roxie’s in over her head. It’s not going to be enough for her to just be a paranormal investigator and old school root worker – to defeat this demon, she’s going to have to be the Mojo Queen.

Buy Links

Direct from Lyrical Press:

http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=81&products_id=328

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Mojo-Queen-ebook/dp/B004YXF0M2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1304399499&sr=1-3

Barnes and Noble:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Mojo-Queen/Sonya-Clark/e/9781616502713/?itm=1&USRI=mojo+queen

Fictionwise:

http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/b123217/Mojo-Queen/Sonya-Clark/?si=0

Excerpt:

I sat in the chair opposite the loveseat, placing the candles on the coffee table. Glanced at him to make sure I still had his attention, which of course I did. One side of his mouth still curled up in a smirk, eyebrow quirked. I sat back, let myself sink into the comfy chair and relax as much as possible. First the candle on the left. Focusing on the wick, I visualized a tiny flame erupting from it--concentrating my will, pouring energy into my intention. I could feel myself sliding further into exhaustion as energy curled inside me, but after a long, agonizing moment the candle came to life. I let out a breath before I could stop myself, avoiding his gaze. I didn’t want him to know how much this was taking out of me, but I had a bad feeling it was obvious. I turned my attention to the other candle and though it took even longer this time, it too lit. I felt almost as bad as I had this afternoon.

Blake reached for a backpack on the floor I had not seen in the darkness. He opened it, fished something out, and tossed it to me. I didn’t so much catch it as let it fall in my lap. A chocolate candy bar.

It was my turn to quirk an eyebrow. Waving the bar at him I said, “What, is this to ward off dementors?”

The smirk became a genuine smile again briefly. “Something like that. You need to eat.”

I gave him a skeptical look.

“You know you’re using energy with that.” He gestured at the candles. “The energy needs to be replenished.”

I rolled my eyes but tore open the wrapper. The chocolate tasted, well, damn, like mainlining something illegal. Maybe he had a point. I was halfway through the bar when he spoke again, as if there had been no pause.

“Especially since you don’t really know what you’re doing yet.” Even in the low candlelight I had no trouble seeing the wicked amusement in his dark eyes.

I managed to finish chewing without choking, tossed the remainder of the candy bar on the coffee table and sat up straighter. “Why don’t you tell me why you’re here? Or better yet, tell me where I can find your demon lover? So I can send her back to Hell.”

“Well, actually, that’s exactly why I’m here, Roxanne.” Like we were discussing insurance or something. “I want you to find my demon lover.”

Gob-smacked, all I could manage was, “Huh?”

“And I want you to send her back to Hell.”

Author Bio:

Sonya Clark grew up an Army brat, living all across the United States as well as Japan and Germany by the time she graduated high school. Books were one of the few constants in her life. An eclectic reader, she always had a special love for the paranormal and is a lifelong fangirl of all things that go bump in the night.

A deep love of music is another constant thread in all of her fiction. She writes at a desk equipped with High John the Conqueror root and a mojo hand. She has worshipped at the mother church of country music, traveled the back roads of the blues highway, been to the crossroads at midnight, and though she’s never cooked up a mess of polk salad, she has been to Graceland four times.

She lives with her husband and Yorkie in Tennessee.

Author Links:

Blog/website: http://www.sonyaclark.net/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/sonyabclark

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorsonyaclark

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3510861.Sonya_Clark

Giveaway Details:

Winners will be chosen from all of those who enter via the form,

leave comments at tour stops for bonus entries

you can also enter at each tour stop

 
10 winners will receive signed book plates

2 winners will receive free ebook copies of Mojo Queen

1 grand prize winner will receive the Mojo Prize Pack, which includes:

·         Signed book plate

·         Mojo Queen playlist CD

·         A voodoo doll

·         A protective mojo hand

·         Spirit of Good Luck incense

·         A seven day spell candle

·         A bag of graveyard dirt

The winners will be announced on Sonya's blog on Friday, August 19. Physical prizes open to US Shipping Only Please.

Ebooks international.

Guest Post: Authors Who Have Inspired Ms. Croft's Writing

 Break Out - Blurb

The year is 3048, Earth is no longer habitable, and man has fled to the stars

where they’ve discovered the secret of immortality—Meridian. Unfortunately, the

radioactive mineral is exorbitantly expensive and only available to a select few. A

new class comprised of the super rich and immortal soon evolves. The Collective, as

they’re called, rule the universe.

Two-thousand-year-old Ricardo Sanchez, vampire and rogue pilot of the space

cruiser, El Cazador, can’t resist two things: gorgeous women and impossible jobs.

When beautiful Skylar Rossaria approaches him to break a prisoner out of the

Collective’s maximum security prison on Trakis One, Rico jumps at the chance. Being

hunted by the Collective has never been so dangerous–or so fun!

As you can see from the blurb, BREAK OUT, my latest release with Entangled

Publishing, is a bit of a hybrid and encompasses a number of genres—science fiction,

paranormal, romance, thriller…

I’m a big believer in writing the sort of thing you enjoy reading. That doesn’t narrow

the field much for me as I read just about everything, so it’s not surprising that

I write in a variety of genres and that over the years there have been many very

different authors who have inspired me.

I don’t remember a time when I didn’t read. My mother always had a book in her

hand, and my older sister has always been a voracious reader. I used to steal their

books at an age when they were considered most unsuitable, and hide behind the

sofa and read them. I seem to remember spending a lot of time behind that sofa with

Harold Robbins – I loved his early books and they were a definite revelation to a ten

year old!

My mother mainly read romance back then, a lot of Mills and Boons. But I think I

was more influenced by the historical romances around at the time. I remember

reading Kathleen Woodiwiss’s Flame and the Flower and being totally hooked and

quickly moving on to Rosemary Rogers and Shirley Busby—all those great adventure

stories where the heroine would run away and disguise herself as a boy and stow

away on a pirate ship…

My sister was mainly into science fiction and fantasy, and she was responsible for

introducing me to The Lord of the Rings, which still gets re-read at regular intervals

and is, to me, probably one of the most inspiring books ever. My all time favorite

books are still big, fat fantasy trilogies all about saving the world from evil.

I also love science fiction, for the infinite possibilities. Robert Heinlein and Arthur

C Clarke made a big impression, but some of the most inspiring have to be Frank

Herbert’s Dune books, for their fabulous, intricate world building.

But one of the main inspirations on my writing must be Ann Rice’s Vampire books. I

read, Interview with a Vampire, and it opened a whole new world of possibilities. For

the first time, I saw the potential of vampires as romantic heroes rather than villains.

So looking back on these authors I’ve enjoyed over the years it’s easy to spot which

ones inspired Break Out. There’s a whole new universe in there, there’s a pirate ship

(and might even be one of those runaway girls disguised as a boy!), a vampire hero,

and a whole load of romance.

BLOOD HUNTER SERIES - Book One by Nina Croft

“An exciting roller coaster ride… Loads of fun!”

~ Julia Rachel Barrett, Award-winning author of Captured

Genre: Sci-Fi Romance/Vamps

Release Date: July 5th, 2011

ISBN: 978-1-937044-04-6

http://www.entangledpublishing.com/break-out/

Review copy available at NetGalley.com

Authors Cynthia Vespia and Jess C Scott

Authors Cynthia Vespia and Jess C Scott have come together for a joining of the minds. Cynthia writes thrillers and fantasy fiction, while Jess writes contemporary romance and digital fiction.

Here they discuss writing, inspiration, and everything in between!

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Jess C Scott speaks with Cynthia Vespia (www.CynthiaVespia.com):


"Demon Hunter" -- Cynthia's latest project

1) What's your favorite genre of literature (both in terms of reading, and writing)?

It's somewhat like my taste in music as in it varies but I mostly stick to contemporary thrillers and sometimes dabble into the realm of fantasy. That goes for both reading choices and what I like to write about. I think the fantasy element comes from my belief that I was born in the wrong century, I should've been a bard back in the day of swords and sorcery...lol!

2) What is the most important aspect of a story, to you?

I believe it all starts with the characters. If you don't have strong characters in place the whole story will fall apart regardless of how great of a plot or structure. The key is that they have to be real to the point where you can almost reach out and touch them and that's a tough thing to do. I tend to spend most of my pre-writing on flushing characters out to the last detail. You want the reader to feel like it's someone they know personally.

3) When did you first write your first story/poem? What was the inspiration for writing it?

I was around 8 years old. My sister had an electronic typewriter, which back in the day before the home computer was a big deal! I used to punch away on it as often as I could writing short little stories that made no sense at all. The writing bug was instilled in me early!

4) I notice on your bio page that you enjoy martial arts and being an active fitness competitor. Whoa! How have these interests/disciplines had a positive effect on you, as a writer?

As you go through competitive sports you learn alot about yourself whether you win or lose. Those changes refresh your outlook on many levels. Naturally it unfolds within the confines of whatever story I'm working on at the time. For instance in my new release Demon Hunter there are many elements drawn from my fitness background, whether its Costa's training, the interaction between he and his mentor, or his overall growth as a person...all of that was taken direct from my reality, little bits and pieces pulled together and inserted to a workable end.

5) Elaborate on your favorite brand of chocolate.

Ah, my Achilles heel! There is a lovely little chain of candy shops called SEES. They have the most divine chocolates known to man! My favorite has always been the bordeaux, it is a nouget like center but very fluffy and soft that is drizzled with chocolate and topped with chocolate sprinkles...excuse me while I go get a piece!!!

6) Please share some juicy details on the latest/current project you are working on.

My latest release is called DEMON HUNTER (AspenMountainPress.com). It is the story of a nobody who becomes a somebody in the bloodiest of ways. Costa Calabrese has just uncovered the truth about his past. Some truths should never be revealed. When you learn you’re the son of the worlds foremost and feared hunter of demons, life’s rules inevitably change. Now Costa has been chosen to walk in his famed father's footsteps and take up the role his bloodline demands of him...whether he wants to or not. He is a killer of killers, laying waste to the scourge of evil that threatens the existence of mankind. He is the chosen one. He is the Demon Hunter.

It's been a labor of love for quite awhile now and it will continue in a saga of 3 parts. Currently I'm wrapping up part two and having a fun time revisiting the characters and their world. This is one of the darker story arcs I've written but it also lends itself to what I had mentioned before about growing and changing...the light and dark side of human emotion. Because tell me: what would you do if faced with a task that you really did not want to partake in but knew you had to? We've all been in those situations before, Costa's is just a little more extreme ;)

Demon Hunter will be released in ebook format by AspenMountainPress.com. Another first for me. I think e-books are a sign of the times as technology rapidly changes it was only a matter of time before the book world caught up.

Cynthia turns the tables on Jess (http://jesscscott.com):


"EyeLeash: A Blog Novel" & "4:Play" -- Jess's latest projects

1. WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR IDEAS?

Oh, from everywhere. Real people, real events, imagined people, imagined events, music, product labels (reading labels is a favorite pastime of mine), games (crosswords, anagrams, random poetry scribbles)...inspiration comes in from many sources. Sometimes from multiple locations at once.

2. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WRITING AND WHAT INFLUENCED YOU?

I've been writing before I turned 5. Got doubtful of my abilities during high school (too much of the focus was on grades, and hardly any emphasis was on creative aptitude). At age 16 I found an Edgar Allan Poe anthology, and fell in love with the written word all over again! 'Twas a life-changing moment.

3. WHAT CURRENT BOOK/BOOKS ARE YOU PROMOTING?

I'm promoting my first two books. The first is a coming-of-age blog/IM novel; the second is a contemporary cocktail of erotic short stories. The blog/IM novel is exactly what/how I wanted my debut novel to be like (something fresh, unique, original)...the second was unintentionally completed a couple of years early. Both reflect my interest(s) in exploring life and sexuality.

4. WHAT PROJECTS DO YOU HAVE COMING UP IN THE FUTURE?

I'd like to try and complete my third book by early-mid 2010 -- it's the first book in a young adult series, that's less radical than my first two books. The plot is still requiring a lot of effort on my part though. Non-writing projects include fixing up my new bamboo tablet, which has been sitting around forever -- I like to draw when I'm not writing. Drawing rewires my brain to a more sane level after too much focus on textual elements.

5. WHAT AUTHORS INFLUENCED YOU TO START WRITING?

(In no particular order): Edgar Allan Poe, Oscar Wilde, Roald Dahl, Anais Nin, Jane Yolen, Vivian Vande Velde, Michael Morpurgo, Bret Easton Ellis, the King Arthur and Robin Hood legends (various authors/illustrators), and a whole lot more.........

6. WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE HOBBIES OTHER THAN WRITING?

Indulging in good food...good books...I like to move also. All that sitting down at the computer screen isn't healthy for one's physical body/state. I like yoga, walking, and swimming the most. Art and music replenish the soul too.

----------

Thanks for joining us today!

~ Cynthia Vespia & Jess C Scott

E-BOOK CONTEST WINNERS

CONGRATS TO OUR E-BOOK WINNERS!
Judy Cox
Phylis Sullivan
Afshan
The_Vixxsin
Beth Reimer
Samantha K.

The winners will receive e-copies of either "SPARK OF A WOLF" or "ABRAXAS"!

CINSEARAE & CHRISTY'S HILARIOUS INTERVIEW TODAY

The ol' swticheroo was done on us, and now Christine and Jonathan (from ABRAXAS) are doing a more in-depth interview of US! lol.

CHRISTINE---Well, this is a fun change of pace! I get to turn the tables for a bit! HA! Not to worry, the questions won’t be hard, ladies. *shifty smirk*.
(Looking around for Ryan) Well, I’m guessing Ryan won’t be here to ask questions with me, so I’ll just---
(Jonathan, 19 years old & fellow ABRAXAS Clan member, walks up behind her, drinking pickle juice out of a jar. Christine grimaces.)
JONATHAN---What’cha up to?
CHRISTINE---Trying to conduct an interview, sweetie.
JONATHAN---Ooo! Can I sit in?
CHRISTINE---(Hunching shoulders) Sure.
JONATHAN---Ooo! Can I ask them stuff too? Like, what’s their take on those dumb Easter eggs, and do they have better ideas on what to stuff inside of them besides candy and money?
CHRISTINE---Jonathan, Easter has come and gone--quit it with the egg tirade, already! Besides, I don’t think they care about the eggs, either.
JONATHAN---I hate those dumb plastic things. I have WAY more cooler ideas of what kinds of stuff to put in them…things TOTALLY out of the ordinary! I need my list to expand!
CHRISTINE---And the way your twisted mind works, I don’t think I want to know what those things are! C’mon, let me talk to these two talented women.
JONATHAN---(sighing) Okay…. (Sits down next to Christine.)
CHRISTINE---Alrighty then, first question. Your mind is your most important work tool. How do you take care of it?
CHRISTY---I’m constantly trying to learn new things. I grew up with the adage that if you didn’t learn at least one new thing per day, then the day was wasted. Another thing my husband and I do is when listening to the oldies stations, it’s artist and title of song. It’s not like the handheld computer games but it’s just as fun and not as costly.
CINSEARAE---I eat healthy--love my greens and veggies, lol. I meditate, read, spend quiet time in nature. It helps open my mind to my other senses as well.
JONATHAN---I like nature too!
CHRISTINE---Am I interviewing you too, Jonathan?
JONATHAN---Sorry. (Drinks more pickle juice.)
CHRISTINE--- How do you avoid repeating yourself, or falling into a formula?
CHRISTY---Try to alter what traits I use. For instance, if the male character does something like rue failure, then I have a female character do it later. I’ve used the same plot device but while the base idea is the same, the writing of it is different so that it doesn’t sound used. This also winds up being dictated by the characters and the way the story is taking them.
CINSEARAE---Hm, I don’t think I’ve done that yet, lol. Regardless, I always keep notes in my notebook as to what character has done what, where and when.
CHRISTINE--- Do you have a ritual when it comes to writing, like hiding out in a reclusive place occasionally to cleanse your mind? Maybe having a special spot where you write? Etc...
CHRISTY---Honestly, I don’t. The way I write, I put everything down on paper—steno pads—that basically go where I do. If I can, I write—works great in waiting rooms at the doctors, the mechanic, etc. I’d love to have a ritual but with the way my day goes, if I don’t write it down on a piece of paper, I’m sunk. I try to let the shower relax me so I can black things out but I’ve found I’ve gotten more thinking done there than anywhere. Just wish I could deduct the bathroom…
CINSEARAE---The hours that I type will shift like the moon’s phases, lol! For a couple of weeks, I’ll type in the early morn, then the following weeks, I suddenly shift to nighttime. I do have a room where I do all my typing. I wish I had a laptop sometimes, but if that was the case, there might be some days where I might not get out of bed, lol. Like Christy, I keep a notepad and pen with me too wherever I go. There’s been quite a few times while on the road, something comes to mind and I have to write it down…or else, lol.
CHRISTINE---(Leaning forward) Just between us, ladies, but if you ever saw Jonathan’s room, you’d probably die from the smell alone…)
JONATHAN---Hey! I heard that! It doesn’t smell like feet, cheese, or armpits anymore!!
CHRISTINE---(Sighing) ANYWAY…what cultural sources do you draw from (if any)?
CHRISTY---My family is in South Carolina, ergo I have an immense love of the South. I also have ancestors who were on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line which gives me a chance to view the Civil War from the North side, the Confederate side and the facts that lie in the middle. I live around Philly which is why I’ve done several set in the city. I’ve got a heavy dose of British on the maternal side of my family which brings out my love of British comedy, actors and hot tea as a cure all for all ailments. I also wonder if I’ve ever been reincarnated because of my love for places I’ve either never been or feel very comfortable in for some reason though I’ve never been there before.
JONATHAN---WHOOOA…deja vu stuff. Cool….!
CINSEARAE---since I love the Goth scene, I’m always investigating the Goth clubs and gothic venues, checking out what folks wear, how they act, the songs being played. Listening to the news and reading papers helps me draw on city issues. Each clan member comes from a varied background, and since one Abraxas member is Chinese, I’m doing a bit of research on Chinese culture now. (Good thing Philly has a Chinatown too).
JONATHAN--Hey! Kim’s folks live in that area! Ooo! And I think Our Lord has British relatives, too. Hey, you like Mr. Bean, Ms. Poff? That dude’s a wackjob--funny as hell!
CHRISTY---Yes, I do, but I like Rowan Atkinson in The Thin Blue Line and Blackadder a bit more.
CHRISTINE---Jonathan, shh!…don’t say Our Lord in public, please! And who the heck is doing the interviewing here, anyway?!?!
JONATHAN--Oops. (burping) Sorry again. (The smell of pickles is now in the air)
CHRISTINE---(Wrinkling her nose) Why do you do that?!
JONATHAN---What?
CHRISTINE---THAT! (Pointing to pickle jar)
JONATHAN---Hey, waste not, want not, right?
CHRISTINE---(Groaning) Continuing…..who have your 'teachers' been?
CHRISTY---I’ve had several very close friends that I’ve learned from but I think I got the most from my Dad and from my aunt. She was a huge influence in my life and if I ever needed help, I called her and got what I needed.
CINSEARAE---I never had anyone really ‘teach’ me to write. Writing was something innate, I’m guessing--it came to me at such an early age. But my mom used to write a bit of poetry in her youth. Both my parents liked to draw, so maybe I garnered that talent from them as well, lol.
CHRISTINE--- Ideas can come simultaneously to different people in different places with no connection to one another whatsoever. How do you explain such a phenomenon?
CHRISTY---There are only so many ideas that can go around and if two entirely different people have the same one, then so be it. It’s a wonder how many variations on one idea can be written while creating an entirely different story, poem or song. It amazes me that there aren’t more duplicates out there considering how many people are in the United States and the rest of the world.
CINSEARAE--I agree. I believe there’s only, what, 34 or 35 ‘plots’ out there? One can only create variations on those plots. Scary thought, isn’t it?
JONATHAN---Here’s plot! Man goes to moon, gets eaten by Space Bear. Space Bear comes to earth, gets killed by 18-wheeler. 18-wheeler falls into Grand Canyon, blows up. Remains of man that got pooped out by Space Bear helps plants to grow in canyon, creating a mutant flower that glows in moonlight and eats people. (Space Bear DNA in his poop and all that.) Plant rapidly reproduces all over world, eating all of mankind. Nature inherits the earth!
(All three women stare at Jonathan)
JONATHAN---(Shrugging) What???
CHRISTINE---That was NOT a plot. I don’t know WHAT the hell that was!!
CINSEARAE---Actually, I think that WAS a plot….albeit a kooky one.
CHRISTY---No comment. (snickering)
JONATHAN---(Grinning…very widely.)
CHRISTINE---Jonathan, you made the bear DIE. How in hell could it take a crap in order for the rest of the story to happen?!?
JONATHAN---Ahh, see? He came to earth and got killed, true, but I didn't say he immediately got killed...he took a poop and probably did all kinds of other stuff too before he died. (Grins again.)
CHRISTINE---(Groaning) Dear God, help me. Anyway…Is creativity like an act of rebellion for you?
CHRISTY---It started off that way because I didn’t have the support of my husband. I was determined to write and finish a book to prove I could. The first one led to the sequel and then the others afterward. He’s more understanding now which helps so I don’t have to do it clandestinely any more.
CINSEARAE---Well, yes and no. When I used to write a lot of poetry, it was my way to express myself without causing physical harm to others, lol. I used to have a few dream-killing exes that I kept my writing from as well. Nowadays, my writing is just a way to escape the norm, so to speak!
CHRISTINE---What is your creative process like? (What happens before you sit down to write?)
CHRISTY---The ideas come, I write them on Post-Its (great invention) or note paper then I build around it. Sometimes a note to myself could include several lines of dialog or just a plot device—it doesn’t matter as long as it winds up in a book.
CINSEARAE---I’m kinda the same way! It could be a piece of conversation between two people that just pops in my head. I have no idea what it’s from or when it’ll come into play, but it always does. Things just flow to me, anytime, anyplace, but as long as I write them down, that’s all that matters, lol. Once I get a whole bunch of notes and snippets, I’ll start sitting at the PC to type them down. Those notes are like puzzle pieces that get fitted into a story later on down the line.
CHRISTINE---What do you think are the basic ingredients of a story?
CHRISTY---A good plot is essential, likeable heroes/heroines and despicable villains. (I’ve had reviewers mention my villains as “those you love to hate”. That’s exactly what I want.) Exotic locations also help as well—anything to hold the readers interest and get them coming back for more.
CINSEARAE---Absolutely. Decent plot, and believable characters, as well as believable dialogue. Each should hold it’s own. Adding a bit of reality here and there doesn’t hurt either, lol.
(Jonathan, eyes closed, is slowing leaning towards Christine.)
CHRISTINE---(Nudging Jonathan) Wake up.
JONATHAN---(Snorts) Sorry. I nodded off while thinking about my Space Bear story.
CHRISTINE---Okay, you keep on thinking, kiddo. Let’s see…What voice do you find most to your liking: 1st person or 3rd?
CHRISTY---Definitely third person–for me, it’s easier to write. In truth, I’m not an “I” person, if that makes sense, so maybe that’s the reason why I’d rather describe things from the outside looking in, so to speak.
CINSEARAE---For me, it’s the opposite, lol! I like the idea of being ‘in’ the action, if that sounds reasonable. It allows me a chance to be in the character’s mind, and express things a bit differently than I could do if I wrote it in 3rd person. Once a while I can write in 3rd person, but it’s definitely not often. Usually my 3rd person stories are shorter works.
JONATHAN---Hmm, maybe I should do my Space Bear story in his point of view…
(Christine opens her mouth as if to say something to him, but closes it instead.)
CHRISTINE---(discreetly rolling her eyes) What makes a character 'believable'? How do you create yours?
CHRISTY---For me, the hero/heroine have to be extremely unique while also having flaws—it makes them human, for want of a better word. As to creation, I come up with a name and figure out who I may want to base the character on—I need somebody to visualize, what can I say? Then the characters take on their own lives and we go from there.
CINSEARAE---I agree there too. Your characters must have flaws. THERE ARE NO PERFECT PEOPLE! Lol! Folks don’t live Barbie & Ken existences, so I don’t expect they’d like to read something so fake and saccharine either! As for my characters, they just come to me in my head, requesting to be written about. That may sound lame, but I say it’s my Muse. Whatever she decides to konk me over the head with is what I go with, lol.
CHRISTINE---Deep down inside, who do you write for?
CHRISTY---In all seriousness – I write for me. If I don’t like it, then I’m sure others won’t.
CINSEARAE---Right there with you. Writing is my little getaway from everything else. I’d go nuts without my characters.
CHRISTINE---Is writing a personal form of therapy? Are internal conflicts a creative force?
CHRISTY---In more ways then I can count. When I wrote The Rebirth of Rachel, it all flowed onto paper after I’d had a major fight with my hubby. Internal conflicts are not as big a creative force or drive as the external ones whether they be mine personally or in the world.
CINSEARAE---Writing has been my therapy, for like, forever. It started out with poetry being my therapy. They helped a lot in my early 20’s, that’s for sure; my restrictive, boring life with my exes led me to withdraw into my room to write, write, write. Writing became my personal retreat away from them and the world. Some of my internal conflicts are very much a driving force, but only come into play in my stories when need arises.
JONATHAN---Maybe I should write a short essay on why I hate plastic Easter eggs so much. That’d be my therapy.
CHRISTINE---Yeah, you go do that.
(Jonathan jumps up to get a pen and notebook, returns, and sits back down to write.)
CHRISTINE---(Shaking her head) Do you listen to music as you write? Can you give us a few artists/bands?
CHRISTY---It really depends on my mood. It could be country and Brooks and Dunn, Gary Allan and Miranda Lambert, the Rolling Stones, Linkin Park, Nickelback, Elvis or Michael Buble. I like all types of music except opera and hip hop.
CHRISTINE---(Leaning forward) Did you know Jonathan likes musicals?
JONATHAN---CHRISTINEEEE!
CHRISTINE---Give it up, kiddo. I heard you singing "Maria" from West Side Story in the shower.
JONATHAN---Aw crap, was I that loud???
CINSEARAE---(laughing) I listen to music too, depending on the type of writing I’m doing and what time of day it is. At night, it’ll be instrumental stuff only; bands like Midnight Syndicate, Nox Arcana, A Murder of Angels, or Delerium. My other fave bands I’ll listen to are Depeche Mode, The Cure, Diary of Dreams, H.I.M., Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails, and Gary Numan, to name a few!
JONATHAN--(Gasping) Marilyn Manson? Nine Inch Nails? The Cure?!?! I love you.
CHRISTINE--Will you stop trying to embarrass our guests?
JONATHAN--But… Manson rocks! And so does The Cure! And Nine Inch Nails!! They kick ass! (Scratching head) Not sure who Brooks and Dunn and Gary Allan are. Miranda or Michael either. Who are they, Ms. Poff? Heeeyyy!…Isn’t that Elvis dude the one who supposedly died on the--
CHRISTINE---ENOUGH, Jonathan, before you irk our guests.
JONATHAN---inquiring minds, that’s all….(shrugs)
CHRISTY---I listen to a lot of country and what some folks call easy listening (ugh!) Music is music plus I’ll listen to Marilyn every once in a while.
JONATHAN---(Gasping again) YOU ROCK, Ms. Poff!!!
CINSEARAE---I have a guilty confession, lol. As far as ‘easy listening’ goes, I do like Neil Diamond….
JONATHAN---Who???
CHRISTINE---Shutup, Jonathan.
JONATHAN---He sounds like an old dude. A reealllly old dude.
CHRISTINE---Dammit, will you stop it?!?!?
(Jonathan laughs so hard, he falls out of his chair)
JONATHAN---(Rubbing the side of his butt.) Owwww……
CHRISTINE---Okay, last question, before Jonathan goes off on another tangent, lol. What type of reading inspires you to write?
CHRISTY---That’s a good question because I read so many different authors. I started the Civil War series after I read Heather Graham/Shannon Drake while I’ve always read vampire tales and those of werewolves. I love WEB Griffin’s Badge of Honor series which is set in the heart of the Philadelphia Police Department plus I can go for Jackie Collins. Nothing like a mishmash, wouldn’t you say?
CINSEARAE---My mom used to read Jackie Collins, lol. I’ve read everything from Judy Blume to L.J. Smith, to R.L. Stine when I was young. Two of my fave childhood books when I was a kid were “How To Eat Fried Worms” and “Freckle Juice”. I was reading Stephen King in Junior High, which got me plenty of weird looks, lol. But many other things outside of books inspires me as well!
CHRISTINE---Well, I think you ladies very much for your time! This was quite a fun interview, and I hope Jonathan wasn’t to much of a pain in the ass for you.
CINSEARAE---Thank you for the interview! And, he wasn’t all that bad, lol. I thought he was charming…in a weird way, lol.
JONATHAN---(Looking at Christine) HA! See? Not a pain in the butt.
CHRISTINE---but she did say you were weird…
CHRISTY---Weird can be a good thing—trust us. Thanks, Christine, it’s been fun.
JONATHAN---(Waving) Bye! Hope we can talk to you both again soon! (Glancing at Christine) So, uh…you gonna tell me who Neil Diamond is, now?
CHRISTINE---(Groans and slaps a hand to her forehead, mumbling something to herself.)

###

CINSEARAE TALKS ABOUT THE GRATISTA VAMPIRE CLAN ANTHOLOGIES

ABOUT THE GRATISTA VAMPIRE CLAN GROUP

The Gratista Vampire Clan opened its doors in 2004 as an outlet not only for readers of my works, but for other authors of dark, paranormal, and horror stories to share their good news in the publishing industry among the rest of us. It was created to network, make friends, and also give members of the group a chance to submit their own stories, poetry or art to the bi-annual anthologies I publish. Although the anthologies are "members only", Dark Gothic Resurrected Magazine is open to any and everyone of the genre, and also a place for authors to get a free bit of promo for their books in the "Batty Bookshelf" section of the zine. I like anything out-of-the-box, and different--the really amazing works that usually go unnoticed in the mainstream.

Christy is among several of the wonderfully talented, twisted minds behind each anthology, featuring the reoccurring works of Anton Glascow, Camille Augustine, Spider, Kody Boye, Dominic Demarco and many others in the group. Christy first appeared in "MIDNIGHT BITES", the Group's debut anthology, and again in its latest release, (just this month!) "A LOOK INTO THE MIRROR DARKLY".

You can read a racy excerpt from Christy's story, Danger Zone, which appeared in Midnight Bites HERE!

You can also read a tense excerpt from her story, The Vampire's Hurricane Ball, which appeared in A Look Into The Mirror Darkly HERE!

For authors, writers, artists, and poets that would like to know more about The Gratista Vampire Clan, click on the GV logo up top!

To know more about Dark Gothic Resurrected Magazine (Which was a second place winner in the Preditors & Editors Reader's Poll for 2008!), Check it out over HERE!

Read reviews of past anthologies and watch trailers from previous works HERE!


"A LOOK INTO THE MIRROR DARKLY"

CONTEST!!

WIN A FREE E-COPY OF "SPARK OF A WOLF" OR "ABRAXAS"!

For everyone visiting today, Christy and myself are giving away e-copies of our books! There will be 3 winners EACH for Christy and myself, making total of 6 lucky winners (^_^).

Just be among those lucky 6 to answer our questions, and email them to GratistaVampires@yahoo.com. Put either "SPARK GIVEAWAY" or "ABRAXAS GIVEAWAY" (in all caps) in the subject line, please. The winners will be announced on our last day here, Friday May 1st! THANKS, and GOOD LUCK!! (^_^)

FOR SPARK OF A WOLF:

1.One of Fleetwood Mac's biggest hits is also the name of one of the characters in Eyes of Darkness #2: Spark of the Wolf. Name it.

2.What famous actor hosted a three day star-studded wedding at his Aspen ranch in 2004?

3.Who turns into a werewolf in "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban"?

FOR ABRAXAS:
(The answers can be found at Http://BloodTouch.Webs.Com!)

1. Which actor who played played "Dracula" is my top favorite? (Hint: check the author biography section!)

2. Which ABRAXAS character isn't too fond of being in public places?

3. In what city does the ABRAXAS series take place? (Hint: for 2 & 3, check the ABRAXAS section!)

CINSEARAE'S INTERVIEW WITH SEAN AND RHIANNON from "SPARK OF A WOLF"

AND NOW FOR AN INTRIGUING INTERVIEW WITH
Sean and Rhiannon of
"SPARK OF A WOLF"

1.Was it just strictly between you two, or do all werewolves tend to be so...heady?
All of us tend to be very heady as you suggest. Our beasts tend to take over and once they do, there is no stopping them because nature takes over. It’s the alpha instincts coming into play as well. Besides, it makes life extremely interesting and heated. *wicked snicker*

2. What is the change like? Is there any physical pain during transformation?
When you change from birth, it’s as natural as walking and eating. Going through your first change later in life is painful because you actually feel the skeletal changes taking place as the transition occurs. After that, it becomes as normal as if it had been a natural instinct.

3. Rhiannon: Is sex while being pregnant more intense and sensually heightened for you?
In a word—yes. I thought it was amazing before that but... *elbow from Sean*

4. How large is your werewolf family tree? How far across the States do they extend?
It’s very extensive but as to how large, we’re still learning about the other packs in the United States, Canada and Germany. In the States alone, we’ve found packs in North Carolina, California, Vermont, Wyoming and Montana to mention a few. Every day brings a new group to our attention.

5. Rhiannon: Your school nickname was Ducky? How did you earn that moniker?
It came when I played soccer in high school because it wound up being easier to yell than Rhiannon. Now that you mention it, I don’t remember a specific reason—it kinds just happened.

6. Sean: What was the one thing that made you leave Special Forces?
It seemed to be the right time. Every time I wanted to leave, they came up with another assignment or re-enlisting bonus. I got to the point I needed to come home and put my foot down though sometimes they call me to consult.

7. Rhiannon: Will you eventually return to being a park guide, now that the danger is over?
Probably not considering how our family is growing as well as the say to day affairs of the pack here in Aspen as well as those across the country and internationally. I miss it but things here keep me very busy.

8. Although your family is a peaceful lot, Damon, however, seems to like explosives. Any idea how he developed a talent for making things go 'boom', and why?
That’s another benefit of the military. Damon went in long enough to serve one tour, learn his trade and get out though they were not happy about it at all. We we’re very fortunate with him taking on the destruction of the lab in Chicago.

9. What are your future hopes and aspirations for your four children?
We want them to cherish and protect their heritage as well as the need to live in peace with the other packs and the human race surrounding us. They have a huge responsibility ahead of them when they come of age to take over for me or if they end up with other packs like Damon and Gabriel have. We all walk a fine line and it has to be maintained. They are our future and we want only the best for them.

****

An Afternoon at the Fox & Ginko Leaf, Part 2 (Kit Zheng & Mallory Path)

Part One of Kit & Mal's conversational interview is here.


MAL:
Can we go back to what you said earlier about watching movies in your head?

KIT:
Sure!

MAL:
I heard another writer make a similar comment recently. My first thought was that I also see stories as movies in my head, in that I watch the scenes over and over, letting images transform into words before I start writing them down and finding the words myself. But it's not exactly like watching movies, in that I jump all around. So maybe a better analogy for me is that I put on the DVD and make frequent use of the remote control.

Then it occured to me, as we were talking just now, that this is the way I consume a lot of fictional texts. Not the jumping around, but the not starting in the middle.

KIT:
Not starting in the middle? How do you mean?

MAL:
Usually when someone recommends a TV show to me, I ask them what their favorite episode is and--regardless of any back story I might need--I start there. If it grabs me, I'll go back to earlier episodes for what I need.

Or there's a very famous author I won't name. I wasn't going to read the last book in her series, but almost everyone I knew was obsessed with it and so if I wanted to talk to my friends that summer, I knew I had to read it. I tried the first chapter and couldn't get into it. So I looked at the table of contents, found a chapter with the same name as the title of the book about half-way through, and started there. I loved it so much I went back and read the first half of the book after I finished.

KIT:
Oh, that's so cool. I totally couldn't do that.

MAL:
I think that might make some authors cry, because they start where they start for a reason. Anyhow, I guess the way I write comes from the way I read/watch/consume texts. Or maybe the other way around.

KIT:
*nodnodnod* I could imagine doing that with a TV show more easily than with a book.

MAL:
Now I want to do a survey of authors to find out where they start when they start writing a story!

KIT:
That would be cool. *_*

Now I'm fascinated by the idea of reading a book non-linearly. I don't know why. That's super cool.

MAL:
That's the only time I've ever done that with an individual book. I've done it with series, though--not on purpose, but I started with a book in the middle of the series and I couldn't figure out which order the books came in, so I just read in the order of whichever ones were at the library when I went.

KIT:
I've done that with series, too, though I always have mixed feelings about it.

MAL:
So, non-sequitur time: what are you working on right now?

KIT:
Hm, actively or active + derailed by deadlines?

MAL:
*laughs* ...Both, maybe? Or whichever is less painful?

KIT:
Actively for a deadline, I'm working on revising a collaborative story with Jamie Booth which will hopefully be included in an anthology about cat-shape shifters. Our story is about a pair of misfits, who stumble into each other and realize they have a common goal, which they can achieve faster by working together--or should I say, exploiting each other? I'm not sure they know. And how that working relationship evolves into something else.

MAL:
Intriguing! It sounds like there are a lot of blurred lines in that: physically with the shifting, and psychologically--maybe even emotionally--with the distinction between collaboration and mutual exploitation.

Any other pokers in the fire?

KIT:
I was also sneaking in bits of a sci-fi novel(la?) which is working-titled "The Red Box," but right now deadlines have pushed that completely off the radar. I'm really in love with that story though, and am still actively researching for it—e.g. I just picked up The Dao of Pooh (as in Winnie) because there's an element of Daoism in the way these, I guess you could call them hackers, work.

How about you? You said you've got several ideas going. What are you writing on?

MAL:
Well, I'm trying to do that slave world story for a May 1st deadline, which I suspect I won't make--but I'll write the story anyhow.

I have another story called "The Playground," which is about an Amish boy during rumspringa (the period when Amish youths get to experience the English world before committing to the Church) who meets the devil...but that one has been sidelined by research and realities. First, rumspringa takes place when you're 16, which makes it problematic in terms of finding a publisher. So I've found a workaround, an excuse as to why Jonathan hasn't started until he's 18, but I'm not sure I'm on solid ground. Researching Amish communities is not easy!

KIT:
Oh, that is bummer about the age thing. I mean, in terms of a coming-of-age story.

MAL:
Yeah. I'm considering my options, which are (1) age up the human character, (2) don't make it sexual, or (3) write it for a non-romance market. I'm leaning toward that first option.

KIT:
People come of age at all sorts of ages, but I guess when you bring sex into the picture things get skewed.

MAL:
Jonathan is a very innocent character in a lot of ways, and I think I can get away with making him 18 in terms of characterization. I'm not sure he would be allowed to delay rumspringa for two years, but the excuse I've come up with is that his twin sister was in a terrible accident and her rehabilitation has just finished. He got permission from the community to delay so that he could do it with her.

KIT:
Good excuse.

MAL:
Yeah? Hurrah!

Another of my ideas is for a post-apocalyptic novel, and it goes right back to security vs. freedom, which we were talking about earlier. I'm kind of obsessed with this concept of a "velvet apocalypse," where great transformations occur but instead of leaving devastation in its wake, the apocalypse leaves the world a better place.

So in this story the world, which is secretly being run by a group I'm calling The Faction (I'm terrible with names; everything has a placeholder when I'm writing), seems to be a nice place to live, post-apocalypse. There's a group of people who feel that too many freedoms have been sacrificed for the maintenance of this nice world; they're secretly working against The Faction.

Most of the population is unaware of all this. my characters get caught up in it, and it's about the choices they make.

I'm firmly anti-Faction, but I "met" the head of The Faction in another story I wrote recently. It was an epiphanous moment when I realized who he was, and that I was seeing this much younger version of him than the one I've come to know. So now I'm a little tiny bit in love with him. *wry grin*

KIT:
Aww. That is so cute!

MAL:
Does that ever happen to you? You start to flesh out the bad guy, and you realize he isn't such a bad guy?

KIT:
Hmm, I don't really think of people as bad guys in my stories.

MAL:
That's one of the things I adore about your stories, you know.

KIT:
*laughs* Thanks.

I'm one of those assholes who doesn't think people are anything but assholes anyway, so yeah, you just get a range of assholes.

MAL:
The antagonist, then, as opposed to the "bad guy"?

KIT:
Hmm, yes... I think? Yet Another Unfinished Novel, The King of Salem, came from--well, it came from a lot of things...

I'd been reading a novel that shall not be named and the handling of the interaction between the protagonist and the anti-hero (not the antagonist) annoyed me so much it sparked me into writing a short story, about a priest being taunted/seduced by a demon-summoner/witch; which I then turned around and spun off into a high fantasy story that asked who really was the bad guy, this priest or the witch; which got canned and became a sorta-steampunk story about the same characters but less "who's the bad guy" so much as--actually, ideals vs. "right."

All of that happened because I grew so awfully fond of the demon-summoner/witch way back in that little short story, and the more I thought about him, the more the story grew and changed and became something else.

LOL, sorry, I'm babbling--I'm terrible about talking about my WIPs.

MAL:
No, that's fascinating! I had mentioned to you before we started this that I thought we had shared thematic interests but our ways of illustrating those themes was very different. At the time, I had thought of it as different paths to the same destination, but now I feel like we have different maps of the same country. Please forgive the terrible metaphors. ;p

KIT:
Not terrible at all--that's a great way to put it. I'd agree.

MAL:
I guess it's time to stop writing about our WIPs and get to the actual writing of them...


Thanks to those of you who came along for the conversation! If you enjoyed yourself here, you can visit
Kit @ http://kitzheng.thatdamncat.com
and Mal @ http://mallorypath.com.

We hope you'll come back tomorrow for Mal's review of Kit's "Deconstruction," and Kit's review of Mal's "Handle With Care."