FEATURED AUTHOR: SIMON MAREE

ABOUT THE BOOK

He’s just a soul whose intentions are good . . . Oh Lord, please don’t let him be misunderstood . . .



Joe has a problem. He is falling in love with his new housemate. Nothing unusual there, except for Joe is a poltergeist and this sort of thing just shouldn’t happen. Joe is suffering an existential crisis of no small proportion.



The object of his misguided affections - a feisty and self-assured teenager named Harriet. Will he be able to save her from something much darker than himself that lurks in the shadows of the Brighton house they share? Will she be able to help him on his newfound quest for redemption?


Book Details:

Title: The Mischief Maker

Author: Simon Maree

Genre: Paranormal

Publisher: The Famous Seamus  (February 1, 2017)

Page count: 217 pages

INTERVIEW WITH SIMON MAREE

Simon, where’s home for you?
Hove in East Sussex, UK.

Where did you grow up?
I spent half my childhood trying to be a punk in South Africa (which was a tad scary under the apartheid regime) and the other half succeeding at being a punk in London. It wasn’t that difficult once I got the hang of it and had a few local role models.

What’s your favorite memory?
The day I met my wife. It was a baking hot summer’s day, and we met on the south bank of the Thames. She was almost an hour late, and her punctuality hasn’t improved one jot.


If you had an extra $100 a week to spend on yourself, what would you buy?
DVDs probably. I love cinema and have a frighteningly large collection specializing in classic horror. I also buy new releases that look promising, but more in hope than expectation. Most commercial modern horror leaves me cold. There’s some great indie stuff out there, especially from Scandinavia, France and the far east, but you really have to hunt them down.


What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned?
Not to be a self serving, oblivious, hedonistic tosspot. It took me long enough.

Who would you pick to write your biography?
It might be a bit tricky logistically speaking, but Oscar Wilde.

What do you love about where you live?
Pretty much everything. I love being able to see the ocean from my front room window, and I love the free, Bohemian atmosphere down here. I think that, for the first time in my life, I might actually have a sense of community. Now if only we could get rid of all the damn hipsters.



Have you been in any natural disasters?
I once saw Bucks Fizz live. Does that count?

Hmm, not sure, but it may be the answer to this next question. Or maybe the next . . . What is the most daring thing you've done?
I’m a witch and a healer, and sometimes I have to deal with some pretty gnarly energies. I don’t know if counts as ‘daring’ as such, but it’s not easy to keep your shit together sometimes.


What is the stupidest thing you've ever done?
Most of it.

What’s one thing that you wish you knew as a teenager that you know now?
That I was one very good looking teenager. Actually no, that would just have made me even more of an arrogant little prick than I was.


What choices in life would you like to have a redo on?
The ones where people got hurt. I’ve never been a malicious person, but I’ve been selfish and thoughtless about the consequences of my actions on others more times than I care to remember.


What makes you happy?
My wife. True friends. Finding a really good film I’ve never seen before (the last one was The Transfiguration. I was expecting cheese and I got a gourmet four course cinematic feast).

What makes you scared?
Nothing I can’t breathe my way through.

Who are you?
A better person than I was five years ago, and isn’t that really all that matters?

Absolutely. What are your most cherished mementoes?
After my misspent youth; my fully functioning internal organs. I know many who’ve not been so lucky.

What brings you sheer delight?
Laughing and making others laugh.

Would you rather be a lonely genius, or a sociable idiot?
How about a misanthropic hack? Can I be one of those? Oops, too late.

What’s one of your favorite quotes?
“When you’re going through hell; keep going” –Winston Churchill. I’m not a huge fan of the guy (Hitler bashing aside), but that’s one awesome f#*king quote.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where in the world would it be?
Hove 😊.

What would you like people to say about you after you die?
I’d like to be remembered fondly on the whole, but I do hope there are rumours and scandals too. Just enough to keep ‘em talking for a while.

What’s your favorite line from a book?

“Death played the empty chord” from Soul Music by Terry Pratchett.

How did you create the plot for this book?
There are so many books and movies about hauntings where everything is ultra OTT and incredible, whereas most real poltergeist cases are mundane, banal and really pretty pointless. I wanted to write something about a ‘smaller’ case, if you will. My eureka moment was deciding to make the actual entity both protagonist and narrator, and then giving him his own spiritual quest, as well as a sense of humour. That’s what made the book. Wilde’s The Canterville Ghost, Clive Barker’s The Yattering of Jack and C.S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters are all also partially to blame.

Is your book based on real events?
There are several references to historic poltergeist hauntings and possessions that Joe (my beasty) seems to have a suspicious level of knowledge on, and Harriet (the object of Joe’s dubious affections) is pretty much a composite of everything you’d want in a real life DIY poltergeist attracting kit.

Are you like any of your characters?
Joe is, to an extent, my id. Thankfully, I don’t share his obsession with teenage girls, but hey, he’s a poltergeist. Cut the guy some slack. He’s just doing his job.

One of your characters has just found out you’re about to kill him off. He/she decides to beat you to the punch. How would he kill you?
Strangely enough, that’s one thing poltergeists struggle to do. Despite immense shows of strength and power, you could count the number of historical cases that have resulted in fatalities on your fingers (unless you were Jaime Lannister).

Who are your favorite authors?
Stephen King, H.P. Lovecraft, Oscar Wilde, Terry Pratchett, James Elroy, James Lee Burke, Henry Rider Haggard, H.G. Wells, Clive Barker, Herman Charles Bosman. Oh God, I could go on all day here.


What book are you currently reading and in what format ?
I’m actually listening to an audiobook of The Hunger Games, and I’d forgotten how good it was. The films sanitized the books completely. So much great social satire ignored at the expense of special effects and Jennifer Lawrence pouting a lot.
And the balls it took to write in the present tense! She pulled it off really well, made is very visceral.

What’s one pet peeve you have when you read?
I’m a fast paced writer, so I don’t have a lot of time for long, flowery descriptions and overuse of adjectives. That Lovecraft features as one of my favourite writers is, I’ll admit, anomalous.


Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?
I write whenever my chain smoking harridan of a muse decides to pop by. I write in bed. In fact, my wife has started calling the bed ‘my desk’.

What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to write?
The speech I made at my father’s funeral.

You can be any fictional character for one day. Who would you be?
God.

What are you working on now?
I have anthology of paranormal short stories (They Also Serve) coming out for Halloween, and they’re not quite ready yet. I think one of them in particular might just be the best thing I’ve ever written though. It’s called ‘Silver Alice’ and it’s about a witch hunt. I’m very excited about it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Simon Maree is half Irish / half South African, so he only ever had three options really: Rugby, Alcoholism or Witchcraft. And he has dabbled in all three.

He is a veteran of the punk rock wars and still has flash backs. You weren’t there man; you can’t understand.

In his time, he has been a care worker, a DJ, a security guard, and a record dealer, but he has ALWAYS been a writer.

He writes predominantly paranormal fiction. He tries to write horror. but he always ends up falling for his monsters, so he is basically constantly rewriting ‘Frankenstein’. Either that or his sense of humour takes over and it turns into a full-blown comedy.

Maree’s previous work, The Music the Machines Make is a steampunk parody set in an alternative reality (largely so that he wouldn’t have to do any research and could easily answer awkward questions). Simon new novel The Mischief Maker is a ghost story with a difference. Its protagonist and narrator is a witty, urbane and misunderstood poltergeist, who is falling hard for his latest focus.

Simon Maree does not enjoy talking about himself in the third person.


Connect with Simon:
Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads 

Buy the book:
Amazon

CHARACTER INTERVIEW WITH LENA GREGORY'S CASS DONOVAN

ABOUT THE BOOK

Whoever said that dead men tell no tales has never met Cass Donnovan . . .

Cass has always relied on her abilities to guide her, but after communications with a ghost land her in the middle of a murder investigation, she has to wonder if her gifts are really more a curse.



Cass knows she is meant to help track down the killer--much to the chagrin of local law enforcement--when the apparition leads her to a dead body on the beach near her psychic shop, Mystical Musings. But the police are not the only ones who wish Cass would stick to reading palms. Someone is trying to scare her off, and it will take all her powers of premonition to catch the killer before Cass herself becomes the next victim . . .

Book Details

Title: Clairvoyant and Present Danger (A Bay Island Psychic Mystery)

Author: Lena Gregory

Genre: Cozy Mystery, 3rd in series

Publisher: Berkley (February 6, 2018)

Paperback: 304 pages

Touring with: Great Escapes Book Tours

ABOUT THE CHARACTER: CASS DONOVAN

After growing up on Bay Island, a small tourist destination between the north and south forks of Long Island, New York, Cass Donovan left to go to college, then open a psychiatric practice in New York City. After several years, she gave up her practice and returned to her hometown of Bay Island to open a psychic shop on the boardwalk. Now she enjoys doing readings for local residents as well as tourists and hanging out with her two best friends, Bee and Stephanie.

INTERVIEW WITH LENA GREGORY'S CASS DONOVAN

Cass, how did you first meet Lena? 

After overhearing a conversation between Lena and her husband, regarding whether or not ghosts were real, I just had to step in. I approached Lena, who does believe in ghosts, by the way, and asked her to write my story. Of course, it took a little persuading, but she eventually got around to it.

Want to dish about her? 

Well, one thing I can tell you is that she’s a master procrastinator. One minute I’d be talking to her, going on and on about what I wanted her to write that day, and the next, she’s on facebook chatting with friends and playing games. I’m not gonna lie, she can be a little frustrating.

Why do you think that your life has ended up being in a book?

I think, generally, people are fascinated by what might exist beyond our own limited view of reality. Since I can tap into that other world, people are interested in hearing what else is out there. Plus, there’s always the debate about whether or not ghosts are real, which I can assure you, they are.

Tell us about your favorite scene in the book. 

My favorite scene is between Bee and Stephanie’s husband, Tank. Tank and Bee are about as opposite as two people could possibly get, and because of that, they don’t always see eye to eye. But when Bee gets it in his head that Tank has done something to hurt Stephanie, he steps up in a big way.

Did you have a hard time convincing Lena to write any particular scenes for you? 

The hardest scene to convince Lena to write was the beach scene. She found it hard to believe I’d try to conjure a spirit on a deserted beach in the middle of the night with a storm coming. Boy, does she underestimate me! 



What do you like to do when you are not being actively read somewhere?

I love taking the ferry across to Long Island with Bee and Stephanie, especially in the fall. I visit the farm stands, eat roasted sweet corn and apple cider, and walk along the ocean beaches when they’re not crowded with tourists.

Tell the truth. What do you think of your fellow characters? 

I love my fellow characters! Bee is pretty much my best friend in the world. I don’t let the fact that he (supposedly, though I have my doubts) doesn’t believe in ghosts interfere in our friendship, and he accepts the fact that I talk to myself fairly regularly. And Stephanie is a sweetheart! We grew up together, and have lots of stories to share, but we drifted apart when I left Bay Island to go to college. As soon as I returned, we just picked up right where we left off.

If you had a free day with no responsibilities and your only mission was to enjoy yourself, what would you do?

I’d pick up Bee and Stephanie and head to Tony’s Bakery for donuts and coffee. After that, I’d take Beast for a long walk along the beach, then maybe visit a few antique shops before heading over to the diner for dinner with my friends.



What's the worst thing that's happened in your life? 

The second worst thing that’s ever happened in my life was walking in on my husband and my friend. First, I learned not to trust my now ex-husband or my now ex-friend. Then, I learned how to pick myself up and move on after my world fell apart.



Tell us about your best friend.

As close as Stephanie and I are, Bee is probably my best friend in the world. He owns Dreamweaver Designs, a designer dress shop just down the boardwalk from Mystical Musings, and he is everything you could ever want in a friend; fun, talented, loyal, and willing to go along with pretty much anything. And he always has my back. He swears he doesn’t believe in ghosts, but I’m pretty sure that’s just a cover for his intense fear of anything otherworldly. And still, he helps me with my group readings, helps me now and then with seances, and even (reluctantly) helped me try to contact a spirit with a Ouija Board. 


What’s Lena’s worst habit?

Lena is an incurable insomniac. And when she doesn’t sleep, I don’t sleep. She often wakes me in the middle of the night, because she gets an idea she just has to write down before she forgets it.



How do you feel about your life right now?
My life is going well right now, though a little confusing. Things have been happening that I can’t explain, and it scares me a bit, but I wouldn’t change it for anything.

Tell us about the town where you live. 

Bay Island is a small tourist island between the north and south forks of Long Island, New York. The town of Bay Island consists of two rows of stores facing each other across Main Street. During the summer, tourists flock to the beaches, the boardwalk, and the lighthouses, but during the winter months, things are usually very quiet.

Describe an average day in your life.

I live just down the beach from my shop, Mystical Musings, and I often start my day with a walk to work with my dog, Beast. Once I get the shop open, Stephanie and Bee often stop by with breakfast from the deli, along with a good dose of the day’s gossip. Then, I usually do a few readings and hopefully sell some souvenirs, essential oils, and crystals. My best days end meeting up with Bee and Stephanie at the diner for dinner.

Will you encourage Lena to write a sequel?
Absolutely! Even though I’m at a good place right now, I’d like to think there’s still more to tell.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lena lives in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island with her husband, three kids, son-in-law, and four dogs.



When she was growing up, she spent many lazy afternoons on the beach, in the yard, anywhere she could find to curl up with a good book. She loves reading as much now as she did then, but she now enjoys the added pleasure of creating her own stories.

Connect with Lena:
Website  |  Blog  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads  | Pinterest

Buy the book:

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Kobo  |   Penguin Random House

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FEATURED AUTHOR: TERESA WATSON

ABOUT THE BOOK

Cam Shaw is hoping that her life will be ghost-free from now on. But that hope dies with the appearance of Mac “the Faker” Green, a wise-cracking ghost from Vegas who has followed her grandmother home. And during the opening night of Blithe Spirit, someone has sent Susan Ingram to her ghostly afterlife. What does her death have to do with the death of her mother-in-law fifty years ago? Who is trying to wipe out the Ingram family one person at a time? And when will that Vegas ghost stop sticking his nose into Cam’s business?

INTERVIEW WITH  TERESA WATSON

Teresa, what books do you currently have published?
Since November 2011, I have published seven books for the Lizzie Crenshaw series; one book for Charlie Bannerman; two books for the Ghost Writer series; and two box sets.

Is writing your dream job?
I would have to say yes. I’ve been writing since I was in the fifth grade.


How often do you read?
I read books like people drink coffee. If I get on a roll, I can read two or three books in one day, depending on the length.

If you could only watch one television station for a year, what would it be?
Hmm, that’s a toss up between the Animal Planet channel (I love Tanked and Treehouse Masters) or ESPN (or NFL Network, NHL channel, MLB Network . . . I have a thing for sports)

How often do you tweet?
Not as often as I should. I used to a lot when I first joined, but when I started writing more regularly, I drifted over to Facebook.

How do you feel about Facebook?
Facebook, for me, is great. My editors are on there as much as I am, and we’re able to do a lot of brainstorming, especially when I’m stuck on a particular point of a story.

What’s your favorite thing to do?
My favorite thing to do is watch a good sports game or a movie with my husband, usually here at home.

What's your favorite treat for movie night?
It varies. Since we’re usually here at the house, then I’ll make some ultimate fudge brownies or cookies.

Can I come over? What's the biggest lie you ever told?
“Yes, I really liked that book.”

Ha! What’s your favorite fast food?
Fries.


What’s your favorite beverage?
Dr Pepper.

What drives you crazy?
When I work like crazy to clean the house, and my husband trashes it in less than a day.

Where is your favorite place to visit? Springfield, Missouri . . . it’s where my mother and my son live.

What would you name your autobiography?
Queen Klutz Lives, or How I manage to maim myself without realizing it and still survive.


Would you rather be a movie star, sports star, or rock star?
Movie star.


Do you give your characters any of your bad traits?
Oh, yes. Lizzie is as big of a klutz as I am, and she drinks WAY too much Dr Pepper (although I have been cutting back lately).

Do you procrastinate?
I'm making a note to answer this one later.

What’s your favorite/most visited Internet site?
Facebook, with ESPN a close second

What’s in your refrigerator right now?
A bowl of spaghetti and a bowl of meatballs. I’m trying to decide which one I’m having for dinner.

What is your most embarrassing moment?
Well, I know most of my friends would vote for the time I tore two ligaments in my ankle trying to reach for something in the back of my car trunk.

What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to write?
My father’s eulogy last year (should be self-explanatory)



Yep. Who is your favorite fictional character?
Jo from Little Women. I have a lot in common with her.



How do you like your pizza?
Light sauce, double cheese, beef and ham.


What is the wallpaper on your computer’s desktop?
A snowy mountain scene.



What would you do for a Klondike bar?
Not a thing; I don’t eat them. Now a Snickers bar is a different story . . .


What is your favorite movie?
The Quiet Man, with John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara


Do you have a favorite book?
Little Women.



What are you working on now?
The next Lizzie story, Death Drives a Zamboni.

I love that title! I hope you'll come back when you're ready to talk more about it!

FROM THE AUTHOR, ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Let’s see, I’ve lived in Texas most of my life, although I’m not a native Texan. I was actually born on an Army base in Washington State. I’m a daughter, a wife, a mother, a sister, a friend to many. I have a bachelor’s degree (trust me, it’s a LONG title, you don’t want to know). I love sports, and although I live near Dallas, I root for the Redskins and the Steelers, much to the chagrin of my Cowboys-loving husband. No pets (my son is severely allergic to every kind of pet!). In my spare time, I crochet, read, play Lego games on my WiiU, and this spring, I’m going to learn how to do woodcarving!



Connect with Teresa:

Website  |  
Facebook  |  
Twitter  |  
Goodreads  

Buy the book:
Amazon  |   Barnes & Noble  |  Kobo    

Featured Authors: Joyce & Jim Lavene

Today, I'm turning the blog over to my main character, Tess Tremaine, to talk with Jessie Morton, the mc in Joyce & Jim Lavene's newly-released novel, Murderous Matrimony, a supernatural mystery. And there's a giveaway! Enter to win a copy of each of the five print books in the Ren Faire mystery series as well as the E-novella, Perilous Pranks and an E-copy of Murderous Matrimony, plus the entire collection, for now, of their Ren Faire Mysteries and a Ren Faire Mystery tote bag to hold all of them.

About the character:

Jessie Morton is a woman who loves the Renaissance faire where she lives with her lover, Chase Manhattan. She enjoys history and crafts. Her dissertation for her PhD was Renaissance Crafts in Modern Day. She is an excellent archer and has skills in hat making, basket weaving, glass making, sword making and tapestry.

Tess talks with Jessie Morton

Jessie, how did you first meet Jim and Joyce?
We were introduced in Wicked Weaves, the first Renaissance Faire mystery. Joyce and Jim were crazy about the Ren Faire and so was I. It was a good fit from the beginning.

Want to dish about them?

They write a lot – five mystery series and counting. They have paranormal and supernatural leanings. They live in North Carolina with two cats and a dog. They enjoy long road trips into the mountains, and like pizza.

They sound wonderful. Did you ever think that your life would end up being in a book?

No! Are you kidding? Why would anyone write about me? I’ve lived an ordinary life – except my summers at the Ren Faire.

Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.

My favorite scene in the new Ren Faire mystery book, Murderous Matrimony, is when Wanda (the blue ghost that haunts me) gets her comeuppance. Can’t say anymore about that without giving away the plot, you know. But I LOVED IT!

Did you have a hard time convincing Jim and Joyce to write any particular scenes for you?

Oh no! Joyce and Jim and I are simpatico. They write what I tell them.

Lucky girl. Did you hear that, Amy? Jessie, what do you like to do when you are not being actively read somewhere?

I like to walk around the Village and see everything that’s going on. I love Vegetable Justice where people throw squishy fruits and vegetables at their friends while they are trapped in the stocks. I love spending time with Chase, my fiancée.

I can think of a few people I would love to introduce to Vegetable Justice. If you could rewrite anything in your book, what would it be?

I would rewrite the wedding so there weren’t so many people there. I really wanted a simple wedding with just me and Chase and a few friends.

Tell the truth. What do you think of your fellow characters?

Well, I love Chase (of course). Wanda, I could do without. Merlin the Magician is a little strange. Madame Lucinda, our resident fortune teller is a little odd. I think she may be part dragon.

Oh my. You do have some interesting friends. Do have any secret aspirations that Jim and Joyce don’t know about?

I would love to be in a story about making food. I mean, the craft stuff is good, but let’s do some food!

If you had a free day with no responsibilities and your only mission was to enjoy yourself, what would you do?

I have no idea. I’m not that person.



What impression do you make on people when they first meet you? How about after they've known you for a while?

I like to think that people read me as an every day kind of character. Nothing special, really. Just a little snoopy. After they’ve known me for a while, I hope they see that I’m smart and thoughtful.



What's the worst thing that's happened in your life?

The worst thing was when I dyed Wanda blue with a dye pack in her shower, and when I went to gloat, she was dead. I didn’t kill her, but someone took advantage of my prank.

Tell us about your best friend.

My best friend is sword maker Daisy Reynolds. She’s a big woman with blond curly hair and kewpie doll lips. She makes amazing swords and knives. She wears a breastplate with a phoenix on it and lives with a giant of a man, Bart.



What are you most afraid of?

Being bored.



What’s the best trait your author has given you? What’s the worst?

The best is common sense – it means I can see things that to her characters miss. The worst is my size twelve feet. What’s up with that? 



Oh dear. I don't know. But you're perfectly lovely, so don't let that one trait bother you. What’s your author’s worst habit?

Leaving me hanging from roofs (and in other perilous places) to go to bed.



Describe the town where you live.
I live in Renaissance Faire Village and Marketplace in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It’s on the site of the old air Force base. The Village is five miles around, not counting Sherwood Forest, of course, or the jousting arena. There are crafters, shopkeepers, and other real people living here, but also characters like Robin Hood, fairies, Little Bo Peep, Mother Goose, and others.

Sounds lively. Will you encourage your author to write more in this series?

This is already their sixth book in the series with Wicked Weaves, Ghastly Glass, Deadly Daggers, Harrowing Hats, and Treacherous Toys. There is also a novella – Perilous Pranks. They tell me there is another book on the way too. I’m hoping for Killer Kites!
Thanks for having me here today!

And thank you for being here, Jessie. Call me when Killer Kites comes out! Jack loves kites!

About the authors:

Joyce and Jim Lavene write award-winning, best-selling mystery fiction as themselves, J.J. Cook, and Ellie Grant. They have written and published more than 70 novels for Harlequin, Berkley, Amazon, and Gallery Books along with hundreds of non-fiction articles for national and regional publications. They live in rural North Carolina with their family. Visit them at www.joyceandjimlavene.com.

Connect with the authors:
Website | Facebook | 
Twitter |

Buy the book:
Amazon | Amazon author page

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Featured Author: Robin Leigh Morgan

Robin Leigh Morgan is here today to talk about her book, I Kissed a Ghost, a MG/YA paranormal/time travel/first kiss romance.

About the book: 

Special day. Special time. Another kiss. It sounds as if these three things are all related to each other. But how are they related?

Interview with Robin Leigh Morgan

What do you like best about writing? What’s your least favorite thing?

Without any hesitation my favorite part of writing is typing that elusive final period of my manuscript and actually being able to get my book into the hands of people who I hope will enjoy reading.

Now on the other hand my least favorite part is the on-going, almost constant, editing, and re-reads I need to do.

How did you come up with the title of your book?

Selecting a title for a book had been a very challenging experience for me; but after racking my brain over it, I decided to merely summarize the premise for the entire story in as few words as possible until I had something which could be used as the title for my book. Hence, since the story is about a girl (Mary) and her kissing the ghost (George) she had living in her house; the story had to be called, I Kissed a Ghost.

Do you outline, write by the seat of your pants, or let your characters tell you what to write?

If you’re asking me whether I’m a plotter or a pantser; I’d probably say a little of both. I make a skeleton of an outline, writing down the basic plot points I’d like to hit as the story unfolded; and as a sculptor starting with a wire base of what they’d like to have, I add material, then take some away. I keep on repeating this process until I have the finished product I had in mind.

How did you come up with your cover art?

I used CreateSpace to design my cover. I told them what my book is about as well as the elements I’d like to see in my cover. The first go around for some reason they missed the age group my book is intended for, and on the second go around they gave me the cover I have now and a cover which would have been appropriate for a slightly older audience. All in all I feel did a superb job on the book’s cover.

What do you do to market your book?

I do what all authors do, whether they’re traditionally published or self-published. I use the same social media networks as everyone else. I tried to have reviews done by individuals who I feel will fair in what they have to say. And I do interviews so my potential readers will be able to learn more about me, my writing, and of course, my book.

Do you have imaginary friends? When do they talk to you?

I wouldn’t say I’ve got any imaginary friends that I interact with as I write. However, I do read my dialogue out loud so I can “hear” how it sounds. Reading out loud is also a great way to find errors in what you’ve written simply because you’re using a different way to find them. If you just read what you’ve written after a while you become too familiar with what come next that you’ll pass over the errors. (This is true even if you have put the manuscript aside for a few weeks.)
                                                                                           
When you start a new book, do you know what the entire cast will be?

I believe I’d be like most authors. I knew who my main two or three characters would be, and depending on which way I decide to take the storyline will determine who my additional characters will be and how many I will have. When I typed that elusive final period for I Kissed a Ghost, I had eliminated about four characters; four nice characters who unfortunately didn’t do anything to help move the story along.

How do you name your characters?

I wanted my characters to have names which most readers would be able to relate to, which would mean the most popular names for people. Since the intended age group for my book is around 14 – 15, I’d need to know what these names were in the year they would have been born in; and the same would apply for all the other characters in the book.

Soon after I began writing this book I did a post on my web site where I discussed this matter. You can read it here.

How do you handle criticism of your work? 
                                                         
When it comes from a fellow author/writer, I never take criticism as criticism. I take it as a form of guidance and support from one author to another. Otherwise, I listen and then take whatever has been said with a grain of salt.


Do you have a routine for writing?
                                                                                    
Being retired has finally allowed me to really start a second career as an author. In addition to having published my first novel, market and promote it. I now have time to relax, socialize in the nearby community center at lunch, go shopping, etc. I’m set my own flexible schedule which includes time for writing my second novel, a yet untitled contemporary romance with a paranormal element running through the storyline. I don’t like having a rigid schedule now, I had enough of one for the 33+ years I worked nonstop; a schedule which did not really allow me time to pursue my writing career.

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?

In the second bedroom we have in our apartment, while some soft easy listening type music is playing. I use AOL radio because of the limited interruptions I get. The music acts like a white noise, blocking out most of the additional noises I might have still hear.

Where’s home for you? 

NYC Metropolitan area.

Do you ever get writer’s block? What do you do when it happens?"

It used to be allowing my mind to clear itself of almost everything related to my writing. Right now I’ve found participating in the several Flash Fiction prompts helps me get the creative juices flowing in those little grey cells I’ve got inside my head. You can read my endeavors in any of my blogs sites.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

One of the things I really love doing is watching on NetFlix the TV shows I used to love growing up, and right now it’s the last four episodes of The Wild Wild West. 

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

Bermuda.

If you could take a trip anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Hawaii

What are you working on now?
 
As I’ve stated above, I had started to write a contemporary romance but never completed writing it. Now with my debut YA novel self-published, I’ve returned to writing the romance manuscript I had started many years ago and approaching it anew with the knowledge I’ve gained along the way in writing I Kissed a Ghost. The reason I’ve returned to writing it is relatively simple, I’ve always felt somewhat incomplete not having completed something I once had started out to do, and I now want to fill the void it has created in my life.

Do you have any advice to an aspiring author?
                                                       
I’d tell them never give up living your dream of becoming a writer, as you can tell from reading about me, I never did. Before you start looking for a publisher, or even an agent, you MUST have your manuscript edited--granted the editor you select might miss a few minor points, but at least it’s now in a much more presentable condition. Publishers want manuscripts that can be easily edited by their own editing staff, without them having to correct countless misspellings and grammatical errors.

About the author:                                        

Robin Leigh Morgan is a retired NYC civil servant who’s been married for nineteen years but has no children. They have two cats. Her writing experience started with writing commentary type items for a community newspaper for almost eleven years.


If you would like to read several unedited snippets from the book, you can do so under the category of “GHOSTLY WHISPERS” on any of the author's blog sites:
My Pen Name Only |  Robin Leigh Morgan | Becoming An Author


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