Featured Author: Niamh Clune

And now for something completely different...I haven't featured a children's book before, but today I'm happy to be talking to Niamh Clune about her children's book series PA Dug & Rosie In The Garden: Rosie Wears Her Wellingtons, Wollee The Worm, and Biddle The Bee, published by Plum Tree Books.

About the book:

Everything in the garden serves a purpose including Wollee The Worm who brings food to our table!

Interview with Niamh Clune:

Niamh, you're CEO & Founder at Plum Tree Books and Art. Tell us about Plum Tree Books.

Plum Tree Books is committed to finding rare and exciting new talents in the fields of art, literature, and poetry and combining these mediums in new, exciting ways. We are focusing on children's books with a message, poetry, and a few exceptional, quirky novels. We also offer services to help others bring their e-books to fruition.


Think of us as an on-line group of modern-day Bohemians ~ artists inspiring, nurturing, supporting and promoting each other and raising the barre. Our poetry is often subversive, and I will be publishing some very exciting new poets soon. Such creative gatherings have always existed as breeding grounds for excellence and inspiration. In fact, movements are born from them. Ours is a virtual gathering. What's essential is a genuine sincerity, and a real appreciation of each other's genius.


Where did you get the idea for the Pa Dug & Rosie In The Garden series?

These little books were inspired by my granddaughter, Siolfor Rose (old English spelling for Silver). She is inquisitive, funny, spirited, very intelligent and very mischievous. Siolfor-Rose was two when I began this project. She is three now and has grown with the books, as they have evolved to keep pace with her!

Tell us about the books.

At the time, I was working with artist and author Marta Pelrine Bacon doing various projects for Plum Tree Books. I asked her if she would do the drawings in her inimitable black and white style. I wanted only one element on the page to have a colour. I felt this would help stimulate a child's memory. Children remember a red bow or a yellow watering can or pink or red wellies (Wellington Boots). In fact, these details seem very important to a small child ~ the beginnings of how s/he constructs a psychological sense of personhood: "I like this, I don't like this or that. I choose this, I don't choose that!"

I am a Doctor of Psychotherapy specialising in The Imaginal Mind, but I have always been a writer. I began writing poetry when I was 12 to escape the horror of my own childhood. I have been writing since ~ everything from novels, Orange Petals in a Storm, to The Coming Of The Feminine Christ, which is about awakening the heart! It isn't religious, but a spiritual psychology.

As I entered nana land, I was amazed at how delighted I was to be led and guided by my beautiful granddaughter. I ventured back into the world of faeries, magic and the pure delight of minute-by-minute discovery. These days, I write about the magic of very ordinary things ~ wellies, worms, bees, sunshine, rain, emotions!

I have a special relationship with Siolfor- Rose. She is very much like me: strong-willed and determined. My Rosie character is based on her.

I wrote the books all in rhyme as it is so much fun. I find that teaching and learning something is always more effective if it is a light and happy experience. These little books deliver a message about the importance of nature and how amazing it is. Rhyme helps children develop a freedom with language. It stimulates an enjoyment of words. Children love onomatopoeia.

I decided on two series in particular. The first is the Rosie series - how everything in the garden serves a purpose. I think it important for children to be aware of nature. My Siolfor-Rose loves going into the garden with her Papa Doug. Doug is Canadian and loves everything to do with nature. His background is in agriculture, so he knows soil science. I decided this would be a great combination: rhyme, story-telling about the magic of the ordinary, coupled with beautiful art and basic garden science. What a learning experience for a small child!

In the first of the Rosie series, we are introduced to Rosie and Papa Dug, and we realise that even when it is raining, everything is a celebration. Wearing wellies solves all problems to do with splashing in the mud and having fun whilst being able to help Pa Dug work in the garden. Wellingtons serve a very good purpose!

In the second story, we meet Wollee The Worm and learn how the worm brings food to the table. Rosie doesn't believe Papa Dug at first:

But standing firm, she shook her head, 
“Worm’s cannot do what you’ve just said. 
Mummy brings the food to table. 
Mummy, not the worm, is able.”

Rosie soon discovers that the worm serves a very good purpose too, as it does help Mummy bring food to the table!

The next in the series is Biddle The Bee, coming soon!

In another series, I am tackling the subject of helping children with their emotions. I have two more books on their way and will let you know when they are ready too!

The books can be bought directly from our website. They are not yet available from Amazon.

Where’s home for you?

I am Irish, originally from Co. Clare in Ireland, but I live just outside London.

Tell us one weird thing, one nice thing, and one fact about where you live.

I live beside Hampton Court Palace. It was built by Cardinal Wolsey in 1514. But when he fell foul of dear old Henry V111, Henry gave the palace to Ann Boleyn. We all know what happened to both Wolsey and to Ann. Her ghost is said to roam the ancient corridors of Hampton Court. Many tourists have claimed to have seen her, and of course, the Palace makes much of this as a tourist attraction. When I take my granddaughter for a walk, we pass the palace almost daily. She always asks about whether the princess still lives there or not. The architecture alone is enough to stimulate the imagination, let alone its bloody history saturated in political intrigue. These days, it is a very friendly place with beautiful extensive grounds bordering on a huge deer park and situated on the banks of the River Thames ~ such a great location for the royal party to hunt and travel to by barge.

It sounds lovely, as does your series. Please come back and tell us more!

About the author:

Niamh is the author of the Skyla McFee series: Orange Petals in a Storm and Exaltation of a Rose, which is soon to be released. She also penned The Coming of the Feminine Christ ~ an in depth spiritual/ psychological journey into ancient mythology, prophecy and personal experience. Dr. Niamh Clune worked in Africa for Oxfam and UNICEF in her career as a psychotherapist. She is the founder of Plum Tree Books, an award-winning social entrepreneur, an environmental campaigner, and a singer/songwriter.

Website | Blog | Facebook--for poetry and comment | for news about products on facebook  |
for Niamh Clune on Facebook | Twitter Niamh, Plum Tree Books

Buy links:
Plum Tree Books | Amazon link for Niamh Clune: Orange Petals In A Storm

Featured Author: Sarah Mallery

One reviewer called Sarah Mallery's historical romance novel, Unexpected Gifts, "A history lesson with a surprise ending." I'm happy to welcome her here today to tell us about her debut novel, published by Mockingbird Lane Press.

About the book:

Can we learn from our ancestral past? Do our relatives behaviors help mold our own? In Unexpected Gifts, that is precisely what happens to Sonia, a confused college student, forever choosing the wrong man. Searching for answers, she begins to read her family’s diaries and journals from America’s past: the Vietnam War, Woodstock, and Timothy Leary era; Tupperware parties, McCarthyism, and Black Power; the Great Depression, dance marathons, and Eleanor Roosevelt; the immigrant experience and the Suffragists. Back and forth the book journeys, weaving yesteryear with modern life until finally, she gains enough clarity to make the right choices.

Praise for Unexpected Gifts:

“…a rich and involving book, the author has written a gem.” (Dorothy Salisbury Davis, author);  “…an impressive, wonderfully thought out and well-told first novel.” (Carla Davidson, former Sr. Editor, American Heritage);  “…In S. R. Mallery’s fine first novel, a dozen vibrant, real characters leap out…as the author adroitly rewinds and replays the greatest hits of American history…” (Dan Vining, author)

Interview with Sarah Mallery:

How long have you been writing, and how did you start?

I didn’t become a writer early like a lot of authors. At the time ‘It Happened’(about ten years ago), I was already a matured wife and mother. I remember hoping two very significant people in my life would become professional writers––basically, so I could stand back and live vicariously through them. But neither one of them complied, so before I knew it, I had sat myself down one day and taken a stab at it. It was like a drug and I have never stopped since.

What do you like best about writing?

I love having the ability to get lost in a separate world and to say to myself that it’s okay to read a book for research or enjoyment in the middle of the day because this is a part of my profession. I also enjoy the editing process a lot. It’s my way of getting a second, third, fourth, or even firth chance to make it better.


What’s your least favorite thing?

My least favorite thing is waiting for that special click in my head, when I know it’s an Ah-Ha moment, and when that doesn’t come readily, being tempted to eat out of frustration or futz with something that doesn’t need futzing. Also, getting too swept up in the social media game and ignoring my writing and my historical research.

Oh my, is that easy to do, or what?! Do you have another job outside of writing?

Yes. I am an adult English As a Second Language Teacher and an essay-writing teacher. And I have to say, they are the most wonderful students in the world!

How did you create the plot for this book?

Many moons ago, while I was lying in bed with my daughter who was three at the time, I was reading a short story my mother had written years before that. As I looked down at my sleeping child, I suddenly thought, ‘There are three generations in this bed tonight.’  That thought stuck with me somehow and years later, when I decided to write a book, I thought about that special night and how powerful it had been for me. I also realized it could be a great vehicle for getting different U.S. time periods in.

Your book sounds fascinating. Do you outline, write by the seat of your pants, or let your characters tell you what to write?

Probably from being a quilter for so many years, when I started preparing for my novel, I put any ideas, character developments, traits, etc onto little slips of paper then tossed them in a large folder. I also read a LOT of historical books, underlining, and notating in them like crazy, then jotting down specific pages numbers on little paper pieces as well before placing them in The Folder. Once I had a lot of slips piling up, I took them all out, and started sorting them––some for basic historic events, some for characters, some for objects that the characters left behind. I started little envelopes with each character’s name, and for historical events. The more I did this method, the more the basic plot was developing in my head.

From there I made a very, very broad outline. Then, as I divvied everything up into chapters, I would outline each chapter, based on those little slips of papers, with scene ideas, where to get authentic details, etc. 

Did you have any say in your covert art? 

The cover art person is Jamie Johnson. She is a vital part of Mockingbird Lane Press and is a joy to work with. She read the book to get the flavor of its various components, and after listening to me suggest that maybe it should involve an attic and a trunk, came up with the basic artwork. We went back and forth for quite a while ironing everything out, with her trying to please me at every step of the way. I consider myself very fortunate because I had read how some publishers really don’t give the author much choice in the matter.

What is your favorite line from a book?

The opening line from Charles Dicken’s A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”

Which character did you most enjoy writing?

I really enjoyed writing the chapter involving my heroine’s great grandmother, Daria from Ireland. I enjoyed reading all about Ireland (those DK Eye Witness travel books are fantastic!), and learning the Irish grammar. In fact, as I invented her and her experiences, I was constantly saying the words out loud with an Irish lilt, and I believe because of that, the character really stayed in me.

I’m constantly on the lookout for new names. How do you name your characters?

I have a couple of ways: 1) I mostly use Google to look up names from whatever time period I’m working on. I get a lot of good sites on that. 2) I picked up a little book at CVS called, Baby Names by Bruce Lansky. It has 15,000 names with their origins. 

How do you handle criticism of your work?

The truth? Inwardly, not well. Outwardly, much better. I ruminate about it for a while, then as I gradually calm down, I start to sort out what is probably true and what is their opinion only. It is a process. 

Do you have a routine for writing?  Do you work better at night, in the afternoon, or in the morning?

I notice I tend to be more alert in the early morning, but sometimes I do write at night.  Basically, whenever I can fit it in.

Is there anything in particular that you do to help the writing flow?  Music?  Acting out the scene?  Long showers?

Definitely music! When I worked on Unexpected Gifts, I compiled CD’s of the various time periods. That helped me so much. As I listened, I would jot down ideas about scenes, character motivations, traits, plots.

And funny you should mention the shower. That seems to be a place where as I lather up, I suddenly think of something that happens to one of my characters, or the fact that a character wouldn’t say this or that. I guess I’m in good company––I remember reading that Agatha Christie claimed she got her best ideas while doing the dishes...

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

I like to teach ESL, but I also love watching films on Netflix and TV––classics, new films, Indie films, BBC series, American series, you name it! I get a lot of ideas for my books by watching the plots and character development.

If you could take a trip anywhere in the world, where would you
go? (Don’t worry about the money.  Your publisher is paying).

I would love to spend a long summer in the British Isles with my husband, going from one cottage to another in England, Scotland, and Ireland.

Sounds wonderful. Can I go too? What are you working on now?

I am slowly doing historical research for a Civil War mystery.

I'm looking forward to hearing more about it!

Book Trailer

Excerpt from Unexpected Gifts:

Chapter 1: Discoveries

    “….[at her parents’ house] Sonia stood over her father. Once her hero, she looked down at him now, thinking how old and fragile he seemed.  Just a mass of angry words….She glanced past him to his hospital bedside table and saw what he must have been reading earlier, before the outrage and drink overtook him.  The Agent Orange Aftermath was about two and a half inches thick, bloated from dog-eared and alcohol-stained pages….”

    “….Sonia stirred her tea. “Here’s the thing. I think I’m––I’m lost.”

    “…She watched her mom scrunch up her face….“Maybe you should…explore other things… There are quite a lot of old family diaries and objects up in the attic...Who knows?  They might even give you some answers…..”

    “…there was an old steamer trunk at the far end of the room, rusty, threadbare, and artistically draped with a cobweb or two over its corner edges.….”

    “…when Sam’s [Sonia’s father] box was exposed, Sonia gasped.  A cornucopia of the Vietnam experience flooded her senses and…left a slight dread.  Did she really want to unleash all their secrets?”

From the author: 

I have worn various hats in my life. Starting out as a classical/pop singer/composer, I worked in small clubs/churches and composed for educational filmstrips. From there, I moved on to having my own calligraphy company, a twenty-year quilting and craft business, and teaching ESL/Reading. Finally, I tried my hand at fiction writing and it was like an all-consuming drug. I’ve been happily writing ever since.

I have had eleven short fiction pieces published in descant 2008, Snowy Egret, Transcendent Visions, The Storyteller, and Down In The Dirt. Several of my stories have appeared in different anthologies through Scars Publications. Before that, I had articles published in Traditional Quiltworks by Chitra Publications, and Quilt World by House of White Birches when I was a professional quilt designer/quilt teacher.


Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Amazon 
| Kindle

Featured Author: Andrea Baker

Tess is back today to talk to Leah Clinton from Andrea Baker's paranormal romance, Worlds Apart: Leah, published by Taylor Street Books.   

About the book:

Nightmares are just dreams, aren’t they? They cannot hurt you. They are just your mind playing tricks...

Or are they?



Leah knows that her mother died in a car accident when Leah was small and that her father, who used to be the gentlest dad in the world, has  become increasingly controlling and occasionally violent.



She also knows  that her recurring dreams are telling her something more about how and why her  mother died, and why her dad turned nasty, but they are becoming progressively more disturbing and confusing.



When Leah meets Ben, she is excited to  have a friend she can confide in and have fun with, but is he what he  seems?



The voice of Leah’s mother repeatedly tells her to rely on her instincts, but when Leah is run over in a freak accident and Ben’s family take over her welfare, are they protecting her or using her?



And why would anyone, good or evil, bother with an ordinary girl just about to go to university?

About the character:

Leah’s mother died when she was just fourteen, in a horrendous car accident. Since then her father has become more and more possessive over her, being paranoid about any boyfriends and, most recently, moving them both to Kenilworth so that she can stay at home rather than going away to University. Leah resents this a little, because she had always planned to go away to university with her best friend, Jen.

Leah doesn’t have much self-confidence; her father’s bizarre behavior and bad temper, plus a bad experience with a boyfriend have knocked that even further, so she is quite vulnerable and tends to keep to herself in order to avoid being made to look a fool.  Highly intelligent, she spends her time reading, listening to music, chatting to Jen over the Internet, and exploring the ruined castle in her new hometown.

There’s a lot more to Leah than we see in this first book, but she needs to experience what happens in order to make her the person she becomes. To a certain extent, because of having lost her mother at such a young age, she’s a little naïve when it comes to life, but that soon disappears as the series unfolds!

Tess talks to Leah Clinton:

Leah, how did you first meet Andrea?

I’ve known her for a few years now, although it took me a while to get her to recognize me and really listen. I think she thought she was going mad to start with, listening to my voice in her head all the time – but then again, she might be right...

Want to dish about her?

That wouldn’t be fair, because I still need her to finish my story...oh, go on then... (“DON’T YOU DARE!” shouts Andrea from the kitchen.) She’s pretty normal really, with a wicked sense of humor when you really know her. She’s quite shy though, and REALLY busy all the time!

Did you ever think that your life would end up being in a book?

No, not really, and it’s odd to think that people can read all about me, and think they know me simply because of what they have read so far.

Your life is like an open book, right? LOL. Ahem. Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.

My favorite scene – that has to be some of the ones with Ben, and it’s hard to pick just one...

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

Yes, when she was writing about my nightmares. Not so much the writing of them, but asking me about them, and trying to get them right. I think she was worried she’d upset me. Now that I know what they really were though, they don’t affect me like they did back then.

What do you like to do when you're not entertaining a reader?

I go back and tell Andrea a little more. This last few months, since the book came out, it’s been harder to find the time to tell her the rest – matching my time with hers has been a bit of a problem, but we’re almost through the second book now, thankfully. 

If you could rewrite anything in your book, what would it be?

I’d like to go into more depth at the end, but then that all appears in book two, so would it have spoiled it? That’s a really hard question to be honest – I think my readers need to know the rest of the story, but it was too long for a single book, so knowing where to end one, and start the other was hard.

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

I don’t think anyone needs me to describe how I feel about Ben, so let’s leave that one to the side, shall we?
Well, if you insist...
Mr. and Mrs. Edwards, Ben’s parents. I know they looked after me after the crash, and Eloise helped me find the truth, but I really struggle with the way they treated Ben and I, and acted as though we were doing something wrong. I still don’t think I’ve seen the true them, only what they want me to see, and I can’t stand people that hide behind things.

Me either. The stories I could tell you about...oh. Sorry. This is your interview. Please continue!
As for the others, well I could get Andrea to write another book on that front, so I’ll leave it there for now.

Do have any secret aspirations that Andrea doesn’t know about?

Oh yes, there are a few things that Andrea doesn’t yet know, and I think they might just surprise everyone. If I let them slip though, the story won’t come out right, so I’m keeping her in suspense!

And us too! Hmmm...I'm thinking you're very mysterious. What impression do you make on people when they first meet you?

People think I’m a bit strange I suppose – I’m quite quiet, and after a bad experience in Clifford, where I grew up, I tend to avoid large crowds so that I can’t make a fool of myself. So it’s hard to get to know people really.

How about after they've known you for a while?

Once they know me, and I trust them, they usually quite like me  -  I’ve got a wicked sense of humor, although it’s hard for people to see that in this story, and I like all the things that most girls my age like. I’m quite intelligent though, and sometimes people don’t like that.



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

That’s got to be Mom dying, going out on a normal day, being cross with her because I couldn’t get what I wanted, just a normal day, at first...

Tell us about your best friend.

Jen’s fantastic – she’s everything I’m not. Lively, bubbly, and outgoing, you can always rely on her to know what it going on, and who is involved. She’s also beautiful – long chestnut brown hair that seems to shimmer in the sunlight, and the most beautiful blue-green eyes, her appearance masks how smart she is though.



How do you feel about your life right now?

My life is...interesting right now.

What, if anything, would you like to change?

I love interacting with my readers, and seeing what they make of my story, how they see things as they read what Andrea has written. There’s a lot of other stuff going on though, that if I told you, would both ruin the story for you in future, but also you probably wouldn’t believe!

What do you like best about Andrea's writing style do you like best?
I love how she understands me – how she’s written the book almost as though I were telling her direct, and she gets how I was feeling at that time.

If your story were a movie, who would play you?

That’s a really hard question, as they’re all so much prettier than me! It needs to be someone around my own age, so she’d need to be under 25, really. I’m only 19 at the start of the book, but that was a couple of years ago now. If it were an English actress, the first one that springs to mind that fits would be Emma Watson, but I’m probably too boring for her to be interested in playing me!

Describe the town where you live.

Kenilworth is quaintly British – it’s quite an old town in many ways, and there’s the Castle at one end (with all the magic that goes with it), and Abbey fields, with the swimming pool, tennis courts and remains of the old Abbey at the other. There’s a lot of history there, and not too much to do for anyone our age, but my university is only a couple of miles away, so you don’t have to go too far!

So you and Andrea are writing a sequel?

I think I’ve already given that one away! Yes, we’re working on a sequel as we speak, and I’m trying to convince her to write more – but I guess that depends on how my surprises work out...

Good luck, then, and let me know when the next book is out!

About the author:

I am pretty ordinary really - daughter, wife, and mother to a wonderful little girl. I am fortunate to live in the beautiful English county of Warwickshire, where my first book is based.

Worlds Apart is a series of romantic fantasy books, the first of which, entitled Leah, was released on October 11th 2012.

The first thirty thousand words were written within a matter of weeks. The idea for Leah had been running around my mind for several months, in pieces, but I couldn't find a way of bringing them together. Then one day I was driving home from work through the lovely little town of Kenilworth, in Warwickshire, England. It was stormy, and as I drove down Castle Road, lightning lit up the Castle. It was a tremendous sight, and suddenly all the pieces fell together.

The rest, as the saying goes, is history.


Connect with Andrea:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Book Facebook Page | Twitter | Amazon Kindle


email Andrea: rosewall15@sky.com

Featured Author: Danielle Stewart

The highly rated contemporary romance novel, Chasing Justice, is book 1 in the Piper Anderson series. Its author, Danielle Stewart is here today to tell us about it.

About the book:

Piper Anderson has been given a fresh start in the picturesque town of Edenville, North Carolina. But her plans of settling into a normal life are derailed when she witnesses a prominent judge in her community committing a violent assault. Running from her own past and fueled by a passion to make the judge answer for his crimes, Piper is forced to decide if she’ll play by the rules or achieve justice in her own way.

Complicating things further, Piper finds herself fighting a powerful attraction to rookie cop, Bobby Wright. Although she’s increasingly enamored with Bobby, his staunch belief in the justice system is in stark contrast to her own. She may not share his opinions about the effectiveness of the law, but she certainly can’t deny how safe she feels when she’s in his arms or how every kiss leaves her desperate for more.

For Piper, the idea of finally living an ordinary life with a man to love is tempting. However, fate keeps placing the judge, quite literally, in her path. Will she decide the only way to win is to be as wicked as the judge, but with righteous intentions? And more importantly, will Bobby choose to let her go, or follow her as she crosses the line and takes justice into her own hands. 

Interview with Danielle Stewart:

How long have you been writing, and how did you start?
 
My first real attempts at writing were in sixth grade. My teacher told me I had a real  talent for it and that feedback stuck with me. I think when you are eleven years old and  someone pays you a compliment it really makes an impact. 
 
How did you come up with the title of your book?
 
Titles and covers are by far my least favorite part of the writing process. Settling on a  title was really difficult but ultimately I think I flipped a coin. I couldn't take the stress! 
 
Do you have another job outside of writing?
 
I chase a three-year-old. All day! All Night! I'm a stay-at-home mom. 
 
The hardest job in the world. Truly. How would you describe your book in a tweet? (140 characters or less.)
 
Chasing Justice takes a right versus wrong and makes you wonder what you might do if it were you. 
 
How did you create the plot for this book?
 
Talked! My writing process consists of calling my sister and talking out a plot. Then  driving around in my car and talking out loud to myself.
   
Do you outline, write by the seat of your pants, or let your characters tell you what to  write?
 
I outline in my head and then sit down and just write.

Do you ever get writer’s block? What do you do when it happens?
 
I complain... A lot. To anyone who will listen. 
    
How do you get to know your characters?
 
I give them a voice. I let them talk to me whenever they have something to say. 
 
When you start a new book, do you know what the entire cast will be?

Nope! Sometimes I am as surprised as everyone else who joins the story. 
 
Which character did you most enjoy writing?
 
I love writing Piper. She has been through hell, and she isn't all that aware of social norms. This can be fun.
 
I’m constantly on the lookout for new names. How do you name your characters?
 
My street team, "Danielle's Dynamos," help me with names. We're always looking for new   
members of the group! 
 
Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.
 
My favorite scene in the book is when Piper finally reveals here past to Bobby. It's been  so long since she's had to speak these things out loud and it speaks to how much she cares for him. His reactions shows his feelings for her. We've all been afraid to share things with someone, and I think it's nice to see it work out well. 
 
What song would you pick to go with your book?
 
Tough question! Something by Adele. 
 
Who are your favorite authors?
 
Jodi Piccoult, Nicholas Sparks, Nora Roberts. 

What books have you read more than once or want to read again?
 
I have read the Great Gatsby too many times to count! 
 
How long is your to-be-read pile?
 
Since I've started writing full-time I've switched to audio books. It's helped me keep up 
with my reading and I can multitask. I'm down to one kindle book a week now. The rest are audio. 
 
I love audiobooks! I, also, "read" more on audiobook than anything else. If you could decide who would read your audiobook, who would you choose?
 
Meryl Streep.
 
Love her! What book are you currently reading and in what format (e-book/paperback/hardcover)? 
 
I'm reading Ruth Cardello's Rise of the Billionaire. It's the sixth in the series and I'm so hooked.
 
Where’s home for you? 

Charlotte NC 
 
Name one thing you couldn’t live without.
 
Family. 
 
Your last meal would be... 
 
Pizza. Lots of Pizza
 
You won the lottery. What’s the first thing you would buy?
 
An RV to travel the country.
 
You’re given the day off, and you can do anything but write. What would you do?
 
A day at the beach with my husband and son.

 

From the author:

Writing is a way to make a lot of different people do exactly what you want them to  do. When I can’t get my toddler to listen to me, I turn to my characters. They always  cooperate!
 
I currently live in Charlotte, North Carolina with my husband and three year old son. I  have perfected the ability to write in a noisy house and create story lines while folding laundry.

Connect with Danielle:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

Featured Author: Ellen Mansoor Collier

Historical Mystery writer Ellen Mansoor Collier is here today to talk about Bathing Beauties, Booze and Bullets, a Jazz Age Mystery #2. One reviewer called it "the ultimate fun read for the beach or backyard." With a whiff of romance, too!

About the book:

It’s 1927 in Galveston, Texas—the “Sin City of the Southwest.” Jasmine (“Jazz”) Cross is an ambitious 21-year-old society reporter for the Galveston Gazette who tries to be taken seriously by the good-old-boy staff, but the editors only assign her fluffy puff pieces, like writing profiles of bathing beauties. The last thing Jazz wants to do is compare make-up tips with ditzy dames competing in the Miss Universe contest, known as the “International Pageant of Pulchritude and Bathing Girl Revue.”

She’d rather help solve the murders of young prostitutes who turn up all over town, but city officials insist on burying the stories during Splash Day festivities. After Jazz gets to know the bathing beauties, she realizes there’s a lot more to them than just pretty faces and figures. Jazz becomes suspicious when she finds out the contest is also sponsored by the Maceos, aspiring Beach Gang leaders and co-owners of the Hollywood Dinner Club, where the girls will perform before the parade and pageant.

Worse, her half-brother Sammy Cook, owner of the Oasis, a speakeasy on a rival gang’s turf, asks her to call in a favor from handsome Prohibition Agent James Burton—an impossible request that could compromise both of their jobs and budding romance. While Agent Burton gives her the cold shoulder, she fends off advances from Colin Ferris, an attractive but dangerous gangster who threatens Sammy as well as Burton. In the end, she must risk it all to save her friends from a violent killer hell-bent on revenge. Inspired by actual events.

Bathing Beauties, Booze and Bullets is the sequel to Flappers, Flasks and Foul Play.

Interview with Ellen Mansoor Collier:

How long have you been writing, and how did you start?

I started writing as a kid, and my mom, who was a teacher and part-time writer, gave me my first functional toy typewriter when I was about 10. I took my first journalism class in high school, served on the school newspaper, and won a couple of writing awards (including a UIL award in News writing). In college (the University of Texas at Austin—hook ‘em horns), I majored in magazine journalism and wrote for the college magazine. I’ve been working as a freelance writer and editor most of my adult life.

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

Obviously I like alliteration, and wanted to make the titles in my Jazz Age series consistent and recognizable.

I love alliteration too! You're a freelance magazine writer/editor, what else do you do?

I also dabble in antiques and collectibles. I worked for two antiques dealers right after college, between journalism jobs, and caught the bug early. Unfortunately I was too broke to buy much so always put things on lay-away, like Jasmine.

How did you create the plot for Bathing Beauties, Booze and Bullets?

When I found out the Miss Universe pageant originated in Galveston as a bathing beauty contest, I wanted to create a mystery around the actual events. My original idea was more ominous and menacing, but I didn’t want to kill off too many characters! 

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

I’m definitely a pantser, not a plotter. With both books, I had a general idea of the plots, but they evolved and changed as I went along. Maybe I’d be more prolific if I plotted out everything first!

Tell us about your cover art.

As an indie, I get to pick and choose my cover artwork and fonts. Luckily my brother, Jeff J. Mansoor, is a talented graphic artist and pulls it all together for me in an attractive design. I’m very visual and enjoy the process of designing my own covers. Sure, I’d love to be traditionally published, but I’d hate to give up this creative control!

Have you ever bought any books just for the cover?

Yes, I hate to admit, I do tend to judge a book by its cover. I’ve found that an artistic cover usually means the writing is good as well, but not always. 

What do you do to market your books?

Since my mysteries are e-books, I’ve mainly spread the word through blog tours. I may get some hard copies printed up so I can distribute them to shops, hotels and bookstores. 

Are you like any of your characters?

I’m definitely most like Jasmine, outspoken and curious, but I’ve never wanted to cover crime scenes or murders. I’m a wimp in real life!

What five real people would you most like to be stuck on an island with?

As far as writers go, I’d love to meet Shakespeare, Agatha Christie, F. Scott & Daisy Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway. They’ve all had controversy and mystery in their lives, and I’d probably interview them to death (no pun intended)!

Good one! What have been your favorite books from childhood up to adulthood?

I enjoyed the Mary Stewart and Phyllis Whitney mysteries, so they were my biggest influence though I don’t write romantic suspense. Of course, I love Rebecca, especially the final twist—so creepy and atmospheric! Also I read a lot of Dorothy Parker’s short stories and poems in high school.


Do you have a routine for writing?

Usually I just write when I’m inspired. I’m too hyper to sit and stare at a blank page. If I have writer’s block, I like to get up and move around, or go out and do anything but write. As a journalist, I like to set deadlines for myself since I’m a fanatic about meeting deadlines. I knew the Great Gatsby was coming out May 10 so I wanted to finish Bathing Beauties before then! 

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?

I like to write late at night or early morning, when it’s quiet outside. I moved my laptop to the kitchen so I could have a view. If the weather is nice, I often edit outside (usually at Café Express or La Madeleine).

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

How nice! All over the US, Australia and the UK for a book tour. For fun, I’d love to visit Greece, Austria, Spain, Belgium, Turkey, Portugal, Morocco, New Zealand...I love to travel.

Excerpt from Bathing Beauties, Booze and Bullets:

Sammy appeared, looking disheveled and rumpled, his shirt half-buttoned and dark hair curlier than usual. “What happened to you?” I asked, stifling a laugh.

“All those dames!” He gasped for breath. “Get a few drinks in ‘em and they turn into vultures! They were all over me!”

“I noticed. So what are you complaining about?” I teased him. “I thought you liked having a fan club around.”

“I do, but...” He looked down, smoothing out his shirt, then buttoned it back up. “I just feel so bad. I don’t know what to do...” His mood turned somber.

“About what? Amanda?” No secret my best friend had a big crush on my handsome half-brother.

“About everything...” He paced the tiny office, rubbing his unshaven face, as if trying to think. “I’m in a jam and I don’t know how to get out.”

“What kind of jam?” I could tell Sammy was stalling for time, so I went over to him and shook his arm, to stop his pacing. “Sammy, tell me what’s wrong.”

“It’s about the gangs. Their turf wars.”

“What else is new?” Galveston gangs had a long-standing rivalry, and it didn’t take much to set things off. Broadway served as the boundary separating the two gangs, and it was no-holds-barred if and when that line was crossed—the Beach Gang’s turf was located north of Broadway, and the Downtown Gang was south.

Naturally Sammy wanted to stay on good terms with both gangs, who controlled the flow of booze on the Island. Agent Burton had tried, but failed, to shut down their operations, but he did manage to cut off a few sources, including a dangerous bootlegger, for a while—with our help.

“What’s the latest feud about?” Word was, Ollie Quinn had set his sights on the Downtown Gang’s turf, and with his reckless wheeling and dealing, Johnny Jack seemed ripe for a coup.

“Let’s just say the Maceos don’t always see eye-to-eye with Ollie or Dutch Voight. They want to get out of the prostitution racket, but Ollie wants to line up houses all over the island, even set up shop in the clubs.” Sammy took out a Camel cigarette and lit it, avoiding my gaze.

I’d heard similar stories and Mack, our top reporter, confirmed several rumors in a hard-hitting series for the Gazette describing the turf wars, a string of eye-opening articles the gangs didn’t appreciate. In his latest piece, Mack quoted anonymous sources who claimed the Maceos were trying to oust Quinn and Voight, vying for the top spots in the Beach Gang.

“You don’t say. How does that affect you?”

“Word is, the Maceos want to break away from the Beach Gang, branch out onto new turf, start their own operation.” Sammy puffed away, hiding behind a cloud of smoke. “Johnny Jack knows we’re friends, and he didn’t care as long as they kept out of his way and left Market Street alone. But after the ice man hit, all hell broke loose. Now Johnny Jack wants to stop the Maceos cold before they muscle in on his territory.”

“How does he plan to do that?”  After a string of recent killings, I saw first-hand how vicious the Galveston gangs could be if you double-crossed them.

Finally Sammy quit pacing and plopped down in his worn banker’s chair. “Jazz, you’ve got to help me. I need a favor, a big favor. ”

“What kind of favor?” I eyed him, skeptical. Sammy always made it clear that I was supposed to stay out of his business, for my own safety, but now he wanted my help?

“Remember the night I spent in jail?  Somehow Johnny Jack got the idea that your Prohibition friend bailed me out. So now he thinks we’re best buddies.”

“That’s not true.” I bit my lip, feeling guilty, since I’d asked Agent Burton to get involved, to help get Sammy out of jail. Fortunately he’d managed just fine on his own.

“I just tolerate the guy ‘cause of you. But now I need his help.” Sammy leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Johnny Jack’s putting the squeeze on me. He threatened to tell everyone in the Downtown Gang that I’m Agent Burton’s squealer if I don’t do what he wants.”

“His informant? Bunk! What does he expect you to do?”

His shoulders slumped. “He wants me to convince Burton to raid the Hollywood Dinner Club and shut it down—during the bathing beauty dance routine this Friday night.”

About Flappers, Flasks and Foul Play, Book 1 in the Jazz Age Mystery series

The Great Gatsby meets Midnight in Paris in this soft-boiled historical mystery, inspired by actual events. Rival gangs fight over booze and bars during Prohibition in 1920s Galveston: the “Sin City of the Southwest.” Jazz Cross, a 21-year-old society reporter, feels caught between two clashing cultures: the seedy speakeasy underworld and the snooty social circles she covers in the Galveston Gazette.

During a night out with her best friend, Jazz witnesses a bar fight at the Oasis--a speakeasy secretly owned by her black-sheep half-brother, Sammy Cook. But when a big-shot banker with a hidden past collapses there and later dies, she suspects foul play. Was it an accident or a mob hit?

Soon handsome young Prohibition Agent James Burton raids the Oasis, threatening to shut it down if Sammy doesn't talk. Suspicious, he pursues Jazz, but despite her mixed feelings she refuses to rat on Sammy. As turf wars escalate between two real-life rival gangs, Sammy is accused of murder. Jazz must risk her life and career to find the killer, exposing the dark side of Galveston's glittering society.

About the author:

Ellen Mansoor Collier is a Houston-based freelance magazine writer whose articles and essays have been published in several national magazines, including: Family Circle, Modern Bride, Glamour, Biography, Cosmo, Playgirl, etc. Several of her short stories have appeared in Woman's World. She’s profiled a variety of people, from CEOs and celebrities (including Suze Orman), to charity founders (Nancy Brinker et al) and do-gooders. A flapper at heart, she’s the owner of DECODAME, specializing in Deco to retro vintage items.


Formerly she’s worked as a magazine editor, and in advertising and public relations (plus endured a hectic semester as a substitute teacher). She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Magazine Journalism, where she enjoyed frou-frou cocktails and lots of lattes. When she’s not concocting stories, she enjoys traveling, shopping at flea markets, listening to instrumental jazz, reading cozy mysteries (of course) and taking walks with her husband Gary and hyper Chow mixes (Coco and Champagne).


Connect with Ellen:
Website | Facebook | Goodreads: Flappers | Goodreads: Bathing Beauties


Buy the book!
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

Bookblast Giveaway, coming June 30

The non-fiction personal account of a journey through infertility, I'm Not Crazy, I'm on Lupron by Stacey Rourke will launch on June 30.

About the book:
Basal body temperatures. Hormone injections. Invasive procedures - that leave no room for modesty. Tips on “effective positions” from well-meaning grandparents.

When the natural way fails to work, these are all added to the so called “fun” process of making a baby. Walk this rocky path to motherhood with author Stacey Rourke as she openly and honestly shares every good, bad, and awkward step of her three-year-long journey.
Using humor to break through the perils of infertility, she gives the lowdown on all the strange, embarrassing, and heartbreaking aspects. Stacey guides us through an unforgettable path that ends with a kid on each hip and hope for all those suffering with infertility.

BONUS MATERIAL: “Morsels of Hope:” Success Stories from Infertility Survivors

Check back here on June 30 for a Bookblast giveaway. The prize is a $25 Amazon gift card, signed paperback, and rack card.

Featured Author: Annie Adams

Today I'm excited to welcome another cozy mystery author, Annie Adams. Like another book we all know and love :), Annie's novel, The Final Arrangement, is a humorous mystery that features a woman sleuth. This highly-rated first book in the Flower Shop Mystery Series is set in Northern Utah and has bad guys, lots of laughs, and funny characters.

About the book:

The Vulture is dead.

The body of Quincy McKay’s nemesis and biggest competitor in the floral business has just been discovered in a casket at the mortuary, complete with flowers on the lid.

Derrick Gibbons, aka The Vulture, stole all of Quincy’s funeral business, and now she’s on a mission to get it back. But there’s a problem—Quincy is now the main suspect in The Vulture’s murder.

Armed with only her Zombie delivery van, good intentions, and the business card of a handsome cop named Alex, she must find the killer, save the flower shop, and keep from ending up in the next casket. If she can dodge burning bushes, the plague of a polygamist ex, and her mother’s Mormon Mafia Spy Network, her life with Alex and her shop could become the perfect arrangement.

Interview with Annie Adams:

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

After blood, sweat, tears, and many Cokes with my critique partner, the working title was nixed. About two months later, she and I went shopping and on the drive back to work, we talked about someone we knew who had to make the final arrangements on the estate of a family member who had passed. We looked at each other and said, “That’s it!”

What do you do "in the real world?"

I own and operate a full service flower shop.

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

For me it’s an amalgamation of all of the above. I’ve tried to be a strict outliner--that experience lasted about 5 minutes. I think combining all the methods of writing is actually an ability which serves me well at the flower shop. Multi-tasking is the name of the game, you have to be able to juggle projects and timing everyday, so I consider it a talent—one at which both Quincy and I are always trying to do better.

How did your your cover art come about?

I helped create the overall concept, design, and color scheme of the cover, and my brilliant cover designer (Kelli Ann of Inspire Creative Services) used her skills to produce what she and I imagined. It was quite and undertaking for both of us and let’s just say she has a tremendous amount of patience! 

What books have you read more than once or want to read again?

I read Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series over and over again, and I love Lizzy and Diesel in “Wicked Appetite.” I’ve read many Agatha Christie books many times over and I’ve rented the television series she used to produce and write.

Tell us a book you’re an evangelist for.

This is outside my current genre, but I just love “Gone Girl,” by Gillian Flynn. I quipped once on Facebook that my book was in the rankings on the Amazon Free list right next to “Gone Girl” in the paid column and Gillian “liked” my comment, which sent me over the moon!

Have you ever bought any books just for the cover?

I go to the book store and the library just to look at cover art every month or so. The intrigue of the cover doesn’t always match the insides, but this is rare.

When you start a new book, do you know what the entire cast will be?

No. The next book in The Flower Shop Mystery Series is called Deadly Arrangements. I “mapped” out the rough outline and cast of characters and within the first chapter had found another who wasn’t in the original line up.

I love it when the characters take over! Which character did you most enjoy writing?

It depends upon my mood. K.C. makes me laugh, Alex makes me swoon, and Quincy makes me frustrated. Quincy’s mom makes me shake my head and smile knowing she’s not likely to change.

I’m constantly on the lookout for new names. How do you name your characters?

The Flower Shop Mystery Series is set in Northern Utah. In Utah, we have a rich cultural heritage from many different groups. One of the little quirks of our heritage is the interesting names of people. I try to reflect that. I thought LaDonna was a fairly made up name—which I came up with over two years ago. Just last month I had floral deliveries for two different LaDonna’s in a week’s time.

I also enjoy names that reflect a little bit about the character, and some that just “sound good” as they roll off the tongue.

I like writing characters who do and say things I never would, as well as characters who do and say things I wish I could. Do you have characters who fit into one of those categories? Who, and in what category do they fall?

I think people would agree that both Quincy and K.C. do some of both. It isn’t always a good quality, but nobody’s perfect...right?

Who are your favorite authors?

Janet Evanovich, Diane Mott Davidson, Agatha Christie, Madelyn Alt (please write another one!), Jonathan Kellerman, Rhys Bowen.


Do you have a routine for writing?

Ugh! I’m always in the pursuit of being organized. I go to the office supply store and lovingly pass my hands over the beautiful calendars, day-planners and packages of similar software. Then I shrug and realize it’s never going to happen.

Where’s home for you?

Home is my house at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains, home is my parent’s house on my Grandpa’s farm. Home is with my husband. Home is with my aunts and uncles, siblings, and nieces and nephews on Grandma day every week in her family room. 

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

Everywhere! I really do mean it.

What are you working on now?

Deadly Arrangements, book two in The Flower Shop Mystery Series:  Planning a wedding can be murder!

About the author:

Annie Adams is the author of The Final Arrangement, book one in The Flower Shop Mystery Series. She lives with her husband, two giant dogs, and two too giant cats in Northern Utah at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains. When not writing, she can be found arranging flowers or delivering them in her own Zombie Delivery Van.


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