FEATURED AUTHOR: E.C. AYRES

ABOUT THE BOOK

In Red Tide, a small research vessel masquerading as a shrimping boat has been found adrift off the Florida coast. None of the crew are on board . . . only what appears to be blood left on the deck. Private Investigator Tony Lowell is brought in by powerful maritime attorney Arthur Emerson to investigate. Soon the bodies of the crew are recovered on a nearby island but the mystery only deepens as Tony tries to discern why they were killed, the meaning of some deformed sea creatures found on board, and what are the strange chemical samples found in the region? And just why are various Federal authorities trying to stonewall the investigation? Is this simply a drug deal gone bad like the FBI claims? Or could it have much more serious, and sinister, repercussions all throughout the Gulf of Mexico?

Red Tide is the fifth of the Tony Lowell Mystery series.



INTERVIEW WITH E.C. AYRES

How did you get started writing and when did you become an “author?”
I first began writing as a screenwriter in Hollywood, working for Hanna Barbera Productions as an animation writer, then at Universal Studios. I wrote a screenplay called Old Money that I later decided to develop into a mystery novel. That became my first book, Hour of the Manatee.

What's your favorite thing about the writing process?
The sense of creating something entirely my own.

How long is your to-be-read list?
I like to go to the library and get recommendations.

What books do you currently have published?
The Shakespeare Chronicles, R.I.P., Hour of the Manatee, Eye of the Gator, Night of the Panther, and Lair of the Lizard.

Can you share some of your marketing strategies with us?
I have always left marketing to my publishers in the past. Marketing is new to me. But I am learning to use Twitter and social media.

How long have you been a writer?
30 years.

You have a day job . . . how do you find time to write?
I make time.

If you could only watch one television station for a year, what would it be?
PBS.

How often do you tweet?
Every day or so.

How do you feel about Facebook?
I like it.

For what would you like to be remembered?
As a writer who cared about the issues of his time and always worked them into his books.

What scares you the most?
Being alone.

YouTube is . . .
Something I don't use.

What five things would you never want to live without?
Companionship, intellectual stimulation, travel, a variety of cuisine, physical activity.

Who would you want to narrate a film about your life?
Tom Hanks

3D movies are . . .An interesting gimmick.

If you had a swear jar, would it be full?
It would be half empty.

Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
Somewhat of both.

What's your relationship with your TV remote?
Ambivalent. I keep hoping it will find something worth watching and am usually let down.

Do you spend more on clothes or food?
Food.

What's your favorite treat for movie night?
Nachos.

What is the most daring thing you've done?
Go to China to teach for three years.

What is the stupidest thing you've ever done?
Turned down an offer on a book.

What is your most embarrassing moment?
Wearing a vest to a concert that was buttoned crooked (my wife didn't notice).

What choices in life would you like to have a redo on?
My choice to be a mediocre student.

What’s one of your favorite quotes?
Do the right thing. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest. -Mark Twain


What would your main character say about you?
I need to do less talking and take more action.

What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to write?
My second book, Eye of the Gator. It was under a deadline, and had to struggle to meet it.

Where is your favorite library, and what do you love about it?
I am a fan of all libraries. My favorite is whatever one nearest to me.


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


Travis McGee

.



What’s the worst thing someone has said about your writing? How did you deal with it?


One critic wrote that I used too much common language in my first book, even though it was a prize winner. I became very careful about being more original in my metaphors and so on after that.



Who would you invite to a dinner party if you could invite anyone in the world?


Barack Obama.



What's your relationship with your cell phone?


Ambivalent. Call it a co-dependency.



How many hours of sleep do you get a night?
Five.



What is your favorite movie?


Charade, with Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant.



Do you have a favorite book?


The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.



How about a favorite book that was turned into a movie? Did the movie stink?
The Great Gatsby. The movie stank.



Do you sweat the small stuff?


Yes.



If you had to choose a cliche about life, what would it be?


"The secret of getting ahead is getting started." -Mark Twain



How long is your to-do list?


I try to keep it short.



What are you working on now?


Finding balance between home and work life.

Lightning round:
Cake or frosting?  Neither.


Laptop or desktop?

  Desktop.


Chevy Chase or Bill Murray?  Bill Murray.


Emailing or texting?  Email.


Indoors or outdoors?  Alternate


Tea: sweet or unsweet?  Unsweet.


Plane, train, or automobile?

  Automobile, out of necessity. (Although I like trains, I seldom have the chance to take one.)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

An award winning novelist, journalist, columnist, critic, and film and television writer/producer, Gene (E. C.) Ayres is a graduate (B.A.) of Syracuse University, worked in New York for seven years producing short films for Children's Television Workshop (Sesame Street,) ABC, and Time Life Television, then went on to write and produce for various other PBS television series at stations in Maryland, Arizona, and California. Moving to Los Angeles in the late '70s, Ayres began writing for commercial television, primarily in animation, fought unsuccessfully to reduce violence in children's entertainment, worked as a feature development writer for Jack Arnold at Universal Pictures, and was recipient of a Warner Brothers Writers Fellowship in 1982. Since leaving Hollywood in 1989 he has published seven mystery novels including winner of the St. Martin's Press/Private Eye Writers of America Best First Novel competition in 1992. He was a single parent for more than a decade prior to his nearly three years living and working in China between 2004-2007. There he served as a freelance editor, writer, and university lecturer in English at Harbin University of Commerce in northern Manchuria, where he wrote his nonfiction memoir Inside in the New China (2011). He is married to a Chinese national, and now lives in Seattle with his wife and step-daughter.

Connect with E.C. Ayres:

Website  |  
Blog  |  Facebook  |  
Twitter   |  
Goodreads

FEATURED AUTHOR: KIM BOYKIN

ABOUT THE BOOK

March 1953. Nettie Gilbert has cherished her time studying to be a music teacher at Columbia College in South Carolina, but as graduation approaches, she can't wait to return to her family – and her childhood sweetheart, Brooks – in Alabama. But just days before her senior recital, she gets a letter from her mama telling her that Brooks is getting married . . . to her own sister.

Devastated, Nettie drops out of school and takes a job as live-in help for two old-maid sisters, Emily and Lurleen Eldridge. Emily is fiercely protective of the ailing Lurleen, but their sisterhood has weathered many storms. And as Nettie learns more about their lives on a trip to see a faith healer halfway across the country, she'll discover that love and forgiveness will one day lead her home.

INTERVIEW WITH KIM BOYKIN

Kim, how did you get started writing and when did you become an “author?”
From as early as I can remember, I listened to my grandfather, who was a wonderful oral storyteller. From him I learned mechanics of story: sensory detail and pacing. Although at the time, I don’t thing I realized it.

But I fell in love with story as an extremely ADHD kid when the librarian in our tiny one-stoplight town took me to the stacks after I swore I hated to read and picked the one book that unlocked a love of reading that's lasted a lifetime. I wrote because I had to. I was good at it, and like many ADHD kids, I overcompensated for my poor math skills with writing.

About fifteen years ago, I finally finished a novel, not that I hadn’t finished others before, but I thought it was good enough to publish. I was so proud, I put writer in the “occupation” box on my tax return and our accountant told me to stick with “homemaker” because I hadn’t made any money as a writer. Ouch.

But I kept plugging away until I got frustrated enough to figure out I was never going to wow an agent who gets 4 or 500 queries a week. So I asked myself, who buys books? The answer is editors; there’s never been an agent in the history of agenting that I know of who has bought a book. So I went to the NY Pitch Conference, pitched directly to 4 editors. Three of them wanted to see the whole script, and that became the fist paragraph of my query. I sent out 167 e queries, had 60 agents reading the script, 20 reading the whole script, and I ended up with three offers of representation. I got to send out rejection letters, and let me tell you, some of those agents don’t take rejection very well.

What's your favorite thing about the writing process?
I'm what's called a "pantser;" I fly by the seat of my pants. My process is much like when readers listen to audio books. I hear a voice in my head; she tells me her name, where she is, what year it is and the story takes off.

How long is your to-be-read list?
I read A LOT, so it's not that long, but I am always reading.

What books do you currently have published?
A Peach of a Pair, Palmetto Moon, and The Wisdom of Hair are all women's fiction novels. And I have 6 contemporary romance eBooks through the Tule Publishing group: Steal Me, Cowboy. Flirting with Forever, She's the One, Sweet Home Carolina, Just in Time for Christmas, and Caught Up in You.

Can you share some of your marketing strategies with us?
First and foremost, I try to get my face in front of as many readers as possible through speaking engagements, book festivals, and sometimes bookstore appearances if they are an event and I'm not just sitting there with a plate full of cookies while the customers avoid my gaze like they would a homeless person's. Facebook comes next. It is the best place for me to reach the readers I can't or don't meet at events. It's helped me grow my audience. When I see a bump on Facebook, most of the time that translates into a bump in sales.

How long have you been a writer?
Almost all 57 of my years. I became a published author at 53. I'm persistent like that.

If you could only watch one television station for a year, what would it be?
It's not a station, but I would watch Showtime. They have the smartest, best written original series. It's really the only thing I watch other than football.

How often do you tweet?
Not very often. Maybe a couple times a week.

How do you feel about Facebook?
Too much. Every day, many times a day.

For what would you like to be remembered?
For making people laugh.

What scares you the most?
It shouldn't bother me so much but between aging parent responsibilities, a new book and a new grandson, I'm so afraid I'm going to forget some event and there'll be a luncheon with 80 people, a bunch of copies of A Peach of a Pair, and I'm passed out somewhere from exhaustion.

YouTube is . . . SO handy if you EVER want to learn how to do something or need to remember how to do something important, like swaddle a baby.

What five things would you never want to live without?
Coffee. Desserts. A computer. Cute shoes. An electric toothbrush.

Who would you want to narrate a film about your life?
Susan Sarandon.

3D movies are . . . a sure way to make me nauseous.

If you had a swear jar, would it be full?
Overflowing.

Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
A hybrid, but definitely more extrovert.

What's your relationship with your TV remote?
I can live without it.

Do you spend more on clothes or food?
It's a tie.

What's your favorite treat for movie night?
Milk Duds.

What is the most daring thing you've done?
Go to the NY Pitch Conference to sell my book.

What is the stupidest thing you've ever done?
Schedule 15 dates in August, travel 2500 miles (so far,) when I had a grandson on the way. It has just about killed me.

What choices in life would you like to have a redo on?
Knowing what I know now, I probably would have self-published early on. The stigma I thought existed was almost nonexistent. It would have been more lucrative, and since I put every dime I make back into my books, I think I would have built my audience faster because a huge portion of this business on the consumer end is price driven.

What’s one of your favorite quotes?
Audrey Hepburn--"I love people in life who make me laugh. I honestly thing it's the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It's probably the most important thing in a person."

I agree! What would your main character say about you?
Nettie would say I treated her like I would my own children. As long as she didn't hurt herself or kill anyone, she could do whatever she pleased.

What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to write?
A Peach of a Pair.

Why?
I write full-time at home alone, with the exception of the dogs I let in and out all day. Last year, my husband was home from March-August because of a dispute with his employer. It was good because his mother was in hospice and he got to spend a lot of time with her. It was terrible because he was noisy, constantly interrupting my work.

On the day we buried his mother, my dad fell. Five falls and two brain procedures later he’s in a memory care unit. He and my mom have been married for 64 years, so she was lost. By this time it was December and I had about 50 pages written and a January 5 deadline looming.

I know I could have asked for an extension, but I didn’t want to. Thankfully, in mid-December, the floodgates opened and I wrote the book in about 3 weeks. I’m a pretty fast writer, but that was ridiculous. And scary. Glad it all worked out.


Where is your favorite library, and what do you love about it?
Wow. That's like asking me to choose between my children. I'd have to say the Richland Library in Columbia South Carolina. It is a thing of beauty on the inside and out and thrives with active patrons.


You can be any fictional character for one day. Who would you be?
I would be Nick in Gone Girl, and believe me there WOULD be a happy ending when I got done with Amy. Talk about throwing a book across the room because you hated the ending!


Have you ever been to a fortune teller?
Yes.

What did she tell you?
She told me I would live to be very old. I would have 2 children. I would move to the west coast. I would be successful. All of that has happened so far, except I'd like to think 57 isn't "very old." I had a daughter and a son; we moved to the west coast of Florida a few months after the reading. I'm working on the successful part.


What’s the worst thing someone has said about your writing?
They gave me 1 star and said Palmetto Moon was "depraved" because I had a gay character they didn't like. Then they got three or four of their friends to do the same, folks who'd never reviewed a single book on Amazon, only gardening tools or electronics, same verbiage. 

How did you deal with it?
My son is gay, and it hurt, but I did what all my author friends said to do, I did nothing. But I did write a million responses, I just never sent them.


Who would you invite to a dinner party if you could invite anyone in the world?
No contest. Meryl Streep. I love her outlook on life. Her take on story. She just seems really wise.

What's your relationship with your cell phone?
We are extremely close, but it loves to play hide and seek.


How many hours of sleep do you get a night?
On an average, six.


What is your favorite movie?
The Silver Lining Playbook.

Do you have a favorite book?
A Good Hard Look by Ann Napolitano.


Do you sweat the small stuff?
Try really hard not to.


If you had to choose a cliche about life, what would it be?
No matter how you feel. Get dressed. Show up. And never give up.


How long is your to-do list?
Nobody's created a word yet to describe its depth.


What are you working on now?
The Bridal Party, a series based on the Charleston wedding industry. It's a Sex in the City ensemble of five women. Steel Magnolias meets The Wedding Planner, but nobody dies. Due out 2017.

Lightning round:
Cake or frosting? Cake
Laptop or desktop? Both
Chevy Chase or Bill Murray? Bill Murray
Emailing or texting? Email (showing my age here)
Tea: sweet or unsweet? Gah! Neither
Plane, train, or automobile? Plane

A TASTE OF A PEACH 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kim Boykin was raised in her South Carolina home with two girly sisters and great parents. She had a happy, boring childhood, which sucks if you’re a writer because you have to create your own crazy. PLUS after you’re published and you’re being interviewed, it’s very appealing when the author actually lived in Crazy Town or somewhere in the general vicinity.

Almost everything she learned about writing, she learned from her grandpa, an oral storyteller, who was a master teacher of pacing and sensory detail. He held court under an old mimosa tree on the family farm, and people used to come from all around to hear him tell stories about growing up in rural Georgia and share his unique take on the world.

As a stay-at-home mom, Kim started writing, grabbing snip-its of time in the car rider line or on the bleachers at swim practice. After her kids left the nest, she started submitting her work, sold her first novel at 53, and has been writing like crazy ever since.

Thanks to the lessons she learned under that mimosa tree, her books are well reviewed and, according to RT Book Reviews, feel like they’re being told across a kitchen table. She is the author of A Peach of a Pair, Palmetto Moon and The Wisdom of Hair from Berkley/NAL/Penguin; Flirting with Forever, She’s the One, Just in Time for Christmas, Steal Me, Cowboy and Sweet Home Carolina from Tule. While her heart is always in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, she lives in Charlotte and has a heart for hairstylist, librarians, and book junkies like herself.

Connect with Kim:

Website  |  
Blog  | 
Facebook  |  
Twitter  |  Goodreads  

FEATURED AUTHOR: LOUIS ALAN SWARTZ

ABOUT THE BOOK

What would life be like if you knew you were an immortal spiritual being? "It is my viewpoint that each man has his own unique magnificence regardless of race, religion, nation, tribe, station in life, customs and beliefs...," so writes poet, Louis Alan Swartz. Constructed of Magic and Other Poems on the Immortality of the Human Spirit is a refreshing collection of poems that explore the beauty of who we are as spiritual beings. Our ability to love, dream, create futures, even die with dignity are all part of who we are and why we are here. These poems don't pretend to give final answers to any of the big questions about life, but they do help us to look and come to our own understanding.

GUEST POST BY LOUIS ALAN SWARTZ

Thoughts on Writing Poetry

I was asked to write something on the art of writing poetry. At first, I thought - that would be quite presumptuous. I am just a guy who wrote some poems. Who am I to put forth on the art of writing poetry? But looking at it more fully, I realized that I did have some things to say which could potentially be of value and help.

What I have written here is very personal. These are things that have helped me on the subject of writing (and living for that matter) that I feel are worth passing on. I hope some benefit is derived from these thoughts and viewpoints. These are the points I have found important on the subject of writing:

* Write a terrifically large amount. Discipline yourself to write every day if at all possible. This should build up to tens of thousands of words and then to hundreds of thousands. While you are doing this you will develop and refine your way of writing. In my experience there is no better way to hone writing skill than to write in volume. Don't worry if it is good or bad, just continue to write in volume.
   
* Believe in yourself! Believe in the value of your own ideas, thoughts, perceptions. Believe in your own imagination. Believe in your own personal aesthetic. Have pride in yourself. Never believe it has all been done and said before. There is always more beauty that can and should be created and purveyed. Man suffers from an absence of aesthetics, not an excess. Each individual possesses a unique personal beauty.

When you write you are communicating that singular beauty. It is available nowhere else but  with you.

* Writing is communication! Above all remember that wring is communication.  You are writing down ideas, perceptions, emotions, imaginings, color, form, drama, character and as well hopes and dreams. It must be understandable by the reader. He must be able to "get" the communication in the context of his own world. No matter what lovely combinations of words you produce, they mean nothing if they are not grasped by the reader. The reader has his own human and spiritual experience. What you write must be real within that experience. The esoteric and cryptic have no place in writing or poetry. Poetry should be illuminating and enlightening. It should be able to communicate to all people, not just a select few. It must reach the reader where he lives. Trust your reader and believe in him. Trust in his perception and his intelligence. Always endeavor to communicate to and to reach the best there is in them, their personal aesthetic and their capacity for astonishment. Respect your reader and speak to him at his highest level of awareness. Think of him as full of wonder because he is. Don't try to entertain or interest him, rather be interested in him, care about him, his dreams, his passions, his magnificences. Endeavor in your writing to draw out these beautifulness in him. You are there to remind him of the angelic creature he actually is.

*Listen! Above all, listen closely. A major source of your inspiration will come from listening. If you listen closely and attentively people will tell you their dreams. They will tell you wondrous things. Listen as you read or see film. Listen to what your wife is saying, your children, your elders, your friends.

If you listen closely and attentively, you will hear the most remarkable things. Things that will knock your block off! Be intensely interested in what people are trying to tell you in any way, strain to understand them. They are a never ending source of wonder. Listen with your eyes. Go out into the world and see what is there. Listen and see on the bus, the train, the street corner, the restaurant. See and hear what's out there and who is out there. Listen to the voices you don't want to hear that are saying uncomfortable things. Listen to them even when it's tough. Listen to the anguish and the beauty beneath it. If you really listen you will never want for inspiration.


Below is a poem from Constructed of Magic on the subject of aesthetics:

Verges*
Violin resting on credenza
Utterly silent and ready,
Fresh cut roses in crystal vase,
Dawn light dusting the room
From the clearstory* high above.
Morning filled with anticipation.
Unwritten score on the piano.

Through the stained glass doors
Into early morning garden
Beyond the bearded Irises,
Past the Chinese Poppies,
Purple and red beyond comprehension.

We are always and ever
Reaching verges in ourselves.
What magnitude could be imagined
And brought into this world?
What aesthetic could be opened?

The very next turn in the trail.
Gentle music persisting
On the outer edges of my mind
Demanding to be heard and expressed,
Melody from beyond the seeable.
Another verge, another world.

Step you here dearest friend,
Depth of aesthetic beyond memory.
Beyond the trellis of roses,
Beyond the garden wall,
Beyond the hills above.

*Verge — point beyond which something occurs or begins
(Macmillan Dictionary for Students)

*Credenza — a low cabinet
(Webster’s New World College Dictionary)

*Clearstory — also clerestory — an upper portion of a wall containing windows
for applying natural light to a building.
(American Heritage Dictionary)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Louis Alan Swartz has dedicated his life to helping others find their ability as immortal spiritual beings. He has traveled extensively in Africa, India, Europe, and the Middle East. He lives in Los Angeles with Connie, his wife of twenty-eight years.

Connect with the author:
Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter   

FEATURED AUTHOR: NANCY J. COHEN

ABOUT THE BOOK

Hoping for a romantic honeymoon at an Arizona dude ranch, hairstylist Marla Vail and her husband Dalton arrive to find a series of mishaps plaguing the resort. A nearby ghost town is suffering similar problems. Is it mere coincidence that Dalton’s Uncle Raymond owns both properties? When Raymond asks for their help in finding the culprit, Marla and Dalton eagerly accept. Then news of a local forest ranger’s death raises the stakes.

With sleuthing more natural to Marla than horseback riding, she delves into the investigation. But as she digs deeper, she discovers skeletons in the family closet. Someone means to drive Raymond out of business, and the reason may be linked to his past misdeeds. Raymond isn’t the only one with secrets. The trail leads Marla from an environmental activist group to saguaro poachers to water rights proponents to an abandoned copper mine beneath the ghost town. She’d better saddle up, rein in the clues, and find the killer before she becomes the next spirit inhabiting the haunted hillside.

Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/T2Vao7yDIVY

INTERVIEW WITH NANCY J. COHEN

Nancy, how did you get started writing and when did you become an “author?”
My first career was in nursing. Cherry Ames books inspired me to become a nurse and also got me interested in mysteries, along with Nancy Drew and Judy Bolton. Besides reading, I liked to write stories, poems, and travel journals. But it wasn’t until I went to grad school to earn my Master’s Degree in nursing that I wrote my first novel.

I wrote six books before selling the seventh one, so persistence pays. I met my first agent at a conference sponsored by Florida Romance Writers, and my writing improved once I joined a critique group. Networking with other writers made all the difference to my career as an author.

My initial published works were scifi romances that I wrote for Dorchester. After doing several books in this genre, I switched to mysteries and began the Bad Hair Day series for Kensington. Along the way, I decided to return to my romance roots and wrote three books in the Drift Lords series for Wild Rose Press. These stories are paranormal romances with scifi/fantasy elements based on Norse mythology. But the mysteries feel like home. I enjoy writing about Marla the hairdresser and her escapades in crime solving. I’ve learned about all sorts of things in the course of research and visited many interesting sites.

What's your favorite thing about the writing process?
Writing “The End.” Seriously, I enjoy plotting the story, especially when all the elements begin to come together. Once I have my synopsis done, I put myself on a writing schedule of five pages a day. This part is both a joy and a torment. I face that blank page every morning, but somehow those five pages get filled in. What I like best is writing the second half of the book, when the story elements are in place, the characters have been introduced, and the story flows on its own.

How long is your to-be-read list?
Enough for a lifetime.

What books do you currently have published?
My book list includes 20 novels, a nonfiction title, and a novella.

Can you share some of your marketing strategies with us?
When I have a new release, I plan my promotional campaign ahead of time. These activities include social media, ads in trade journals and online sites, signings and appearances, blog tours, FB launch parties, giveaways, and more. I maintain a blog on a regular basis and team up with other authors at Booklovers Bench to reach more readers.

How long have you been a writer?
I’ve been professionally published since 1994. The first book that I sold was the seventh one I’d written.

If you could only watch one television station for a year, what would it be?
The Hallmark Channel. I’m a sap for their romantic comedies and amateur sleuth mysteries.

How often do you tweet?
Several times a day.

How do you feel about Facebook?
I like the direct connection with readers. It’s a great way to get feedback on my work and to engage with friends. I like to read about what other people are doing, ask fans for input if I have a question about my work, and alert people to my book news. I share travel photos, pictures of recipes I make at home, interesting things I see along my morning walks. I’ve always kept a journal one way or another. This is merely another means of expression.

For what would you like to be remembered?
Generosity of spirit, encouragement of others, optimism, enthusiasm, and dedication. 

YouTube is . . . not something I watch often but useful for exploring sites when I can’t go there.

What five things would you never want to live without?
My family, air-conditioning, coffee, books, and good health.

3D movies are . . . Fun, we have a few in our collection to watch at home.

Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
An extrovert at conferences; an introvert at home.

Do you spend more on clothes or food?
Food comes first.

What's your favorite treat for movie night?
Pistachio nuts, grapes, and a glass of wine.

What’s one of your favorite quotes?
“Never surrender, never give up.”

What would your main character say about you?
“She needs to get out more.” Same thing my mother told me when I wanted to stay indoors and read.

Where is your favorite library, and what do you love about it?
I like the Helen B. Hoffman Plantation Library because it belongs to the city, not the county, and it’s like an old-fashioned homey library used to be. I belong to the Friends and attend meetings there.


You can be any fictional character for one day. Who would you be?
Sarina in Circle of Light, my first published book. She became the legendary Great Healer. If I had the choice of any superpower, I would like to heal the sick.

What's your relationship with your cell phone?
It entertains me when I’m in waiting rooms or have an idle moment away from home. The slogan, “Don’t leave home without it” applies to your cell phone.

How true! 
How many hours of sleep do you get a night?
Six to eight.

What is your favorite movie?
Galaxy Quest.

Do you have a favorite book?
Not any one in particular.

How about a favorite book that was turned into a movie?
Harry Potter. I liked the films because they stayed mostly true to the books.

Do you sweat the small stuff?
Yes.

If you had to choose a cliche about life, what would it be?
“Life is short.” Remember that each moment is precious and cannot be repeated. Don’t waste your time. Make each minute count.

How long is your to-do list?
Endless.


What are you working on now?
Hair Brained, #14 in the Bad Hair Day Mysteries. It’s a direct sequel to Facials Can Be Fatal which is coming next.

Lightning round:
Cake or frosting? Cake
Laptop or desktop? Desktop
Chevy Chase or Bill Murray? Either
Emailing or texting? Email
Indoors or outdoors? Indoors
Tea: sweet or unsweet? Unsweet
Plane, train, or automobile? Auto

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nancy J. Cohen writes the humorous Bad Hair Day Mysteries featuring hairdresser Marla Vail, who solves crimes with wit and style under the sultry Florida sun. Nancy is also the author of Writing the Cozy Mystery, a valuable instructional guide on how to write a winning whodunit. Her imaginative romances, including the Drift Lords series, have proven popular with fans as well. A featured speaker at libraries, conferences, and community events, Nancy is listed in Contemporary Authors, Poets & Writers, and Who's Who in U.S. Writers, Editors, & Poets. When not busy writing, she enjoys fine dining, theme parks, cruising, and outlet shopping.

Connect with Nancy:

Website  |   Blog  |   Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads  |  

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MYSTERY WRITERS REVEALED!

Please join me and 30 other mystery authors on Facebook today for the Mystery Writers Revealed event. All books will be priced at $0.99. You can't beat that with a stick! Stop by anytime between 10 and 7 EST to chat, ask authors questions, and maybe win some cool stuff! I'll be on from 2-3, so please stop by and say hey! My other co-hosts during that hour are Susan Holmes, Kathi Daley and Amy Vansant. I want to give a shout out to Duncan Whitehead for organizing the event. This is going to be a lot of fun, so don't miss it!

FEATURED AUTHORS: JOYCE & JIM LAVENE

ABOUT THE BOOK

Sunshine Merryweather is a young witch with a passion for colorful clothes and good food. She is the owner/operator of the Purple Door Detective Agency. Her partner, John, was brutally murdered three days ago, and she won’t stop until she finds his killer. Aine is only interested in one thing when she walks into the building with the purple door – locating the last man alive in the branch of the O’Neill family she haunts as a beane sidhe. Neither woman is aware of the danger they face as an ancient assassin stalks the old port city of Norfolk, Virginia. It will take more than simple witchcraft or beane sidhe magic to stop the killer. They will have to work together and combine their talents.
But can Sunshine and Aine put aside their differences to stop the murders without tearing each other apart?

INTERVIEW WITH JOYCE LAVENE

How long have you been a writer?
All of my life. Professionally since 1999.

How often do you tweet?
Dozens of times every day.

How do you feel about Facebook?
I love Facebook. It’s a writer’s best friend.

What five things would you never want to live without?
Chocolate. My family. Writing. Rain. Fear.

3D movies are . . .  awful. Not sure how anyone watches them.

If you had a swear jar, would it be full?
Absolutely.

Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
A bit of both. I doubt if anyone is either or.

What's your favorite treat for movie night?
Pizza.

What's the biggest lie you ever told?
If I told than everyone would know.

You can be any fictional character for one day. Who would you be?
Godzilla. I’d like to be big and scary.

What's your relationship with your cell phone?
Love it. Don’t want to live without it.


How many hours of sleep do you get a night?
4-6.

Do you sweat the small stuff?
Always

What's your favorite thing about the writing process?
Writing the rough draft. Discovering why things are happening in the story.


What are you working on now?
The first book in the Canterville Book Shop Mysteries – A Dickens of a Murder.

Lightning round:
Cake or frosting? Cake.

Laptop or desktop? Laptop.

Chevy Chase or Bill Murray? Eww.

Emailing or texting? Texting.

Indoors or outdoors? Indoors.

Tea: sweet or unsweet? Sweet

Plane, train, or automobile? Car.

Connect with Joyce & Jim:
Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  

FEATURED AUTHOR: JULIE ANNE LINDSEY

ABOUT THE BOOK

IT manager Mia Connors is up to her tortoiseshell glasses in technical drama when a glitch in the Horseshoe Falls email system disrupts security and sends errant messages to residents of the gated community. The snafu's timing couldn't be worse — Renaissance Faire season is in full swing and Mia's family's business relies on her presence.

Mia doesn't have time to hunt down a computer hacker. Her best friend has disappeared, and she finds another of her friends murdered—in her office. When the hunky new head of Horseshoe Falls security identifies Mia as the prime suspect, her anxiety level registers on the Richter scale.

Eager to clear her name, Mia moves into action to locate her missing buddy and find out who killed their friend. But her quick tongue gets her into trouble with more than the new head of security. When Mia begins receiving threats, the killer makes it clear that he's closer than she'd ever imagined.

INTERVIEW WITH JULIE ANNE LINDSEY

What’s the story behind the title A Geek Girl's Guide to Murder?
This title was inspired by one of my favorite geeky books, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I had a serious internal battle with my feminism before deciding to put the word “girl” in this title. It seems silly, but it bothered me. Mia isn’t a girl. She’s a strong, educated woman. Still, Geek Girl has a better ring than Geek Woman, so what’s an author to do?

Tell us about your series. Is this book a standalone, or do readers need to read the series in order?
This is book one in The Geek Girl Mysteries series. I’m not sure how many books will be a part of the series, but I can say that books two is already written and set to release early in 2016. Book three will arrive next summer. After that, I don’t know. Hopefully readers love Mia and ask for more.  This spring, the unpublished manuscript was requested by a production company for consideration as a television series. I hear it's making its way through the system, so keep your fingers crossed on that!

I will! Where did you grow up?
I grew up in the same town I live in now. It’s a fantastic place to raise a family, if you don’t mind following the occasional Amish buggy or farm tractor at eight miles per hour. You get used to leaving early or being a little late, but it’s worth it.

What do you love about where you live?
So much. I love the scenery. The peacefulness. The seasons. I love that Amish women go door to door selling their baked goods and that there are more horses and cattle who reside on my street than humans. I love the low crime rate and gorgeous sunsets. The view from my rear deck is basically heaven. Life is good here.

What’s your favorite memory?
Honestly, I think my life is enchanted. It’s definitely blessed. I couldn’t pick a favorite memory sooner than I could pick a favorite child.


What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned?
Chase your dreams. No one’s going to chase them for you, and no one can take away what you learn in the process. Not the bank or a thief or a jaded ex-husband. The rewards earned from dog-headed tenacity, in the face of adversity, in pursuit of your dreams is all yours. Keep going.

What dumb things did you do during your college years?
Everything. I did all the stupid things. Regularly and with enthusiasm. Let’s just say I’m super thankful those were the days before Instagram and cell phone cameras. Yes. I’m old.



What’s one thing that you wish you knew as a teenager that you know now?
Don’t wear tube tops to amusement parks. They’re no good on roller coasters, and those sneaky contraptions take photos which are displayed at the ride’s end. To everyone. You’re welcome, Cedar Point goers, summer 1994.  



What makes you nervous?
The dentist. Strangers. Animals without people. Monkeys. Dark alleys. Parking garages. Driving. Crowds. Traffic. Public speaking. Meeting new people. Small groups of power, like the PTO and other parent-run organizations. Ringing phones. Dressing rooms. People at my door. I could go on. Forever. 


What makes you happy?
Life. Health. My family. Friends. Twitter and Tumblr. Reading and writing. My many shows and fandoms. Comic Con. Board games. Marvel. Coffee. Sugar. The ocean. Art. Music. Books. Silence. Laughter. I could go on. Forever.

What makes you scared?    
I’m afraid of everything.

What makes you excited?
I get excited really easily. I’m overtly happy, and I make a habit of it.

Do you have another job outside of writing?
I mom. I know mom isn’t a verb, but it should be. Momming should also be a paying gig. I mean in cash, not warm fuzzies and excellent memories. Kids are expensive.

I totally agree! What’s one of your favorite quotes? “She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain.” ― Louisa May Alcott, A Story of Experience

Who are your favorite authors?
Janet Evanovich and Gemma Halliday
.

Where and when do you prefer to write?
I will write anytime, anywhere, including but not limited to napkins, receipts from my purse, and my arm.

What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received about your writing?
When someone tells me my story made them smile, or laugh, I drop the mic and toss my hands over head. That’s a victory, folks. If I can give one reader a reprieve, even for a minute, if I make you smile, I reached my goal.

What are you working on now?
I keep a full plate, so at the moment, I’m celebrating the release of A Geek Girl’s Guide to Murder. I’m editing book two in this series, which arrives in March 2016. I’m writing book one of a new mystery series (that I hope will find a home), and putting the finishing touches on an issue-driven YA which will release next summer. I’m also working on a proposal for a new contract and adjusting my family’s life to the back-to-school schedule. Basically, the usual.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Julie Anne Lindsey is a multi-genre author who writes the stories that keep her up at night. She’s a self-proclaimed nerd with a penchant for words and proclivity for fun. Julie lives in rural Ohio with her husband and three small children. Today, she hopes to make someone smile. One day she plans to change the world.

Julie also writes The Patience Price Mysteries series.

Connect with Julie:
Website  |  Blog  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads  | 
Instagram  |  Pinterest