Monday, December 31, 2007

Achieving My Dreams in 2008


Every step I take brings me closer to the realization of my dreams”
With 2007 behind us and 2008 on the horizon, it’s time to reflect on how we want the rest of our journey here on earth to go. Do we settle for letting life happen or do we take steps toward achieving our dreams? Do we think about it or do we DO it? Judi Moreo has written a book Achievement Journal. In it you are supposed to track your progress toward your dreams. Track you achievements.

This month, January of the new year 2008, as part of Judi’s Virtual Book Tour, I am supposed to let you know what I am doing to being me closer to the realization of my dreams.

My lifelong dream of being a published writer was fulfilled last year 2007 in August with the release of Prophecy of Vithan with Cerridwen Press. For 2008 I have a new dream. Not to simply be a published author, but be a prolific author.
Have you heard of the National Novel Writing Month each November? Nanowrimo.com is a yearly competition with yourself to see if you can write 50,000 words in 30 days November 1 thru November 30. Last year I won, this year I didn’t. However I did start a new novel.
So to bring the dream of being a prolific writer closer to fruition I plan on running my very own personal nanowrimo each month of 2008. My goal is to write 2000 words each day. It is a daunting goal and I may not make it. But if I aim for the 2000 words I may hit 1000, or 500. It won’t matter. I will have set up a habit of writing every day in 2008 and I will be finishing novels left and right.
Another dream of mine is probably the same as 99% of the women out there. That is to lose excess weight and get this body of mine in better physical shape.
Have you ever wondered where the fat that you lose goes? I mean, if you lose something, don’t you normally want to find it again? Well, I have lost and found my weight waaaay too often. So I have come up with a solution.
I do not plan on losing weight this coming year. I plan on giving it away. To whom, you might ask. To the Hollywood stars. They are much too thin and are finally beginning to realize it. So in an attempt to bring health to those hardworking actors and actresses that have too long deprived themselves of nutrition and are now underweight, I will generously give my excess weight. I do not need thanks nor do I need to have it returned. The excess weight is a gift and not something I am lending. In fact I do not want it back.
With that in mind, the steps I am taking to get my body in healthy shape and to donate my excess weight are: 1) begin a workout program. Start slow and work up to a more active workout. I am an dyed in the wool couch potato. So I will start with being active for 10 minutes at a time and work my way up until I can do aerobics with out stopping for 30 minutes then keep up the 30 minutes a day for the rest of the year. And 2) I will change my eating habits. I know what good stuff I am supposed to eat. I just don’t do it. This year, I will make a serious effort to consciously change the way I eat. That means be aware of what I am putting in my mouth and then be just as aware of what I should put in my mouth and make the two match.
Perhaps something else I should make a dream and take steps to accomplish is to be a consistent blogger. You wonderful people come by and read my blog, so I should at least make sure you have something to read.
While I am preparing to be a consistent blogger, you can work on achieving your dreams during the year 2008. You can start that process by getting Judi’s book Achievement Journal at Amazon.com. Have a wonderful and dream filled 2008.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Welome to Theresa Chaze, Author of Awakening the Dragon


Theresa Chaze, thanks for stopping by on a leg of your virtual book tour. Yesterday we read some exciting reviews of your novel
Awakening the Dragon. Today you agreed to answer some questions.
Why did you become a writer?
It is who I am. I’ve always been very imaginative. Most people daydream about TV shows that they like and take the place of their favorite character; I created my own characters that entered the show in my daydream and changed the direction of the plot. I remember watching Dark Shadows back in the late 60’s. My character’s name was Shannon Marie. She was one of Barnabas’ sisters. She knew what he had become and loved him anyway. When their father caught her trying to help him, he disowned her and erased all mention of her in the family history. Shannon used magic to become immortal until he could be free from the curse. Angrily she disappeared until Barnabas was released from the coffin. She then returned to Collinwood.

Was it a dream of yours since you were younger or did the desire to write happen later in your life?
I always wanted to help cats. My father hated them so I wasn’t allow to have one as a child. I once told my mother that when I grew up I was going to have a hundred. I do have ten not a hundred, which is enough. But I do cat rescue. One of my dearest dreams is to help create the nation’s largest no-kill shelter. Every book of mine that is bought brings me one step closer to making that a reality.

What do you love about being an author?
I love giving my imagination free reign. Of telling myself tales that I just happen to share with others. It is a way of exploring my inner world and the universe beyond. By allowing my characters to act and react, I heal my old wounds and show others how to do the same.

Is there anything you dislike?
The editing process. The long rewrites. Creating the story is easy. Making it readable to others takes time and hard work.

How do you balance your personal and writing time?
If you tell me how to do that, then we will both know. I have a tendency to be a bit compulsive and a workaholic. It is easy to get caught up when you love what you do.

How do you write?
I write on the computer. However, I do make hand written notes. I’ll get plot ideas or pieces of dialogue and I’ll quickly jot it down. The third novel is not only in my head but also on a stack of pieces of paper.

Do your characters come to you first or the plot or the world of the story?
I’ve done both. Mostly I start with the characters. However, with the current project, I started with the plot.

What genre(s) do you write?
I write magical fantasy and science fiction. I am following in the footsteps of Anne McCaffrey and Marion Zimmer Bradley. I submitted a story to MZB many years ago. I got a handwritten note from her ripping me a new one about my print size and style--she also said I was capable of doing better. She told me to get to work and do what I was capable of. It was good advice.

Why do you write the stories that you write?
I like fantasy novels. Both McCaffrey and Bradley introduced me to female characters who were strong and capable. They didn’t just yell for help; they helped themselves.

What is the biggest misconception about being an author?
That it is exciting and easy. That all authors are famous. Writing isn’t just about writing. Even when you create your own worlds, you have to do a lot of research. It is time consuming and tiring. It you want to make your work believable, it has to be based in reality.

Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?
I take pieces of people and put them together to make characters. You might call me Dr. Frankenstein. But instead of body parts, I put together character traits and personalities.

Out of all the characters that you've written, who is your favorite and why?
I like them all--even the ones who are not so nice. Even though, I take pieces from others, there is some of me in all of them. Hum--I wonder what that says about me?

If you were writing a script for the big screen, who would you want to act in your movie?
I have writing two screenplays: Never Can Say Good Bye and Eye of Ra. I wrote Katherine Hepburn a letter requesting that she take part in one of the projects. The grand woman she was, she wrote back, thanking me for the offer but she had retired and wasn’t taking on anything new. I would like to see Goldie Hawn play Rachael. The character was some what modeled after her. Demi Moore would play Carmen. Whoopi Goldberg would play Raven. There are also characters in the last book for Angelica Huston and Tina Turner. I sent Angelica a copy of Awakening the Dragon through her agent, hoping she would like it enough to endorse it. It would be a major Yule gift if she did. There is also a character that is mentioned in Dragon Domain that will have a larger role in the third that would be good for Adrian Paul.

What would you want readers to take away from your books?
There are two things. I would like people to have a clearer understanding of what earth-based religions are so they can release their fear of the stereotype. Secondly and more importantly is that we can all get along when we come from respect. We don’t have to look, act or believe the same in order to find common ground. If we respect each other and ourselves, we can find a way to live peacefully.

Do you have any advice for beginning writers in regards to writing a book?
Read what you want to write and just plain write. Also you need to be curious about the world. Ask questions. Study everything. You never know when you are going to run across that one piece of information that will inspire you. They also need to be ready for hard work both during the writing and after. Promotions and marketing are the most important aspect of making a book successful. You could have written a fabulous book, but if people don’t know about it, it will just gather dust. Writers need to be wary of unethical publishers and agents. There are many who make grandiose promises to get you money, but never carry through with their obligations. I was caught by two such publishers. They had an issue about paying royalties. It is the reason I started Valkyrie Publishing. Not only do I publish my own work, but also I am a consultant who helps other authors prepare their work for the printers, create covers and help with publicity. It is easier and cheaper to publish and distribute than most people think.

Who are your favorite authors?
Marion Zimmer Bradley and Anne McCaffrey. Dragon Riders of Pern is the book that started me on the fantasy path. There is also a warped little novel by William Nolan called Space for Hire. Imagine Sam Spade in the future. It is silly, warped and totally wonderful. Twenty years after I first read it, I spend twelve bucks on a used copy just to be able to read it again. It’s out of print but if you can find a copy, it is worth every penny.

What are you reading right now?
Ripples on a Cosmic Sea. It is about gravitational waves.
Thank you for coming, Theresa!
Can you tell us where everyone can pick up a copy of Awakening the Dragon and

Both are distributed by Ingram and Baker & Taylor, so they are available through most bookstores. In addition, they are on Amazon. However, two things about ordering online. The previous versions are still listed. Please only buy the new versions that have been released by Valkyrie Publishing. They both have the Dragon Clan Trilogy listed in the title. Plus, I have my own store through Amazon. It’s listed as Easternguardian. When you buy books from me, I will autograph them. The direct link is can be found here.

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Awakening the Dragon Authored by Theresa Chaze


Theresa Chaze has been described as the woman who plays with dragons, especially the dragons of the mind. She leads her readers to magical realms and others worlds. Her work is based on her philosophy that all peoples can live together in peace as long as we come from respect, not only for ourselves but those who follow different paths or beliefs. Whether fiction or non fiction, Ms Chaze uses her talent to help others find the path to healing and take back their own power. In many ways, she is a life coach who helps others find alternative life paths and regain their passion. Her work has been compared to Marion Zimmer Bradley and Anne McCaffrey with an adult version of Harry Potter mixed in. Theresa Chaze's major works so far include the first two novels of the Dragon Clan Trilogy , a ebook of Shadows, Out of the Shadows and Into the Light, and a free fantasy ebook called, Sisters, Mother, Daughters. Her screenplay, Never Can Say Good-bye, is one of the 2006 winners of the Gloria Film Festival. She publishes an ezine called, Messages From the Universe, which is available on her site http://www.theresachaze.com/.

Reviews:


Buy this book! I found myself smiling when I finished the last page of Awakening The Dragon--Book One of the Dragon Clan Trilogy (formally Dragon's New Home), by Theresa Chaze. I've read a pretty good number of books in my life, but none have given me quite the mix of emotions that this books has.
Joe Murphy, The Dragon Page http://www.dragonpage.com/


Magic, Mystery, and Murder. The three M's! Ms. Chaze shows colorful, visual language that will even keep the romance novel buff obsessed in finishing this novel in one read! The pacing is excellent the main character strong and likeable, and the hint of romance to come in the final installments of the trilogy. I must say I'm already addicted to Ms. Chaze's writing style! A guaranteed page turner! Bring on the rest of the trilogy!
Catherine J. St. Amour, author

Therese Chaze draws her readers in from the first page and refuses to release them until the last word of this fantastic tale of witches, magic, love and betrayal. Set in the village of Coyote Springs, Dragon Domain is a book of lessons; lessons on love, forgiveness, and above all truth to oneself. In the grand traditions of Anne McCaffrey and Marion Zimmer Bradley, Therese Chaze captures the imagination as well as the heart of her readers. Dragon Domain is an open door to a world of wonder, and from the first page to the last, you will be hard pressed to put it down.
Linda Rucker, author

Thank you for coming, Theresa!
Can you tell us where everyone can pick up a copy of Awakening the Dragon and
Both are distributed by Ingram and Baker & Taylor, so they are available through most bookstores. In addition, they are on Amazon. However, two things about ordering online. The previous versions are still listed. Please only buy the new versions that have been released by Valkyrie Publishing. They both have the Dragon Clan Trilogy listed in the title. Plus, I have my own store through Amazon. It’s listed as Easternguardian. When you buy books from me, I will autograph them. The direct link is can be found here.

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Welcome Marilyn Morris, Author of Diagnosis: Lupus




Welcome Marilyn Morris, Author of Diagnosis: Lupus


Thanks for dropping by on your Virtual Book Tour. Yesterday we learned a little about you. Today we learn about your book and you have agreed to answer some questions.




Diagnosis: Lupus : The Intimate Journal of a Lupus Patient


Book Description: When she was suddenly assaulted by myriad baffling symptoms of joint pain and extreme fatigue, the author embarked on an intensive search for diagnosis and treatment of what would be diagnosed as systemic lupus erythematosus, a little-known autoimmune disease that promised to destroy her body, her mind and her spirit. From the pages of her intimate daily journal, we travel with her through chronic joint pain, frustration, anger and grief for her former self to her current state of remission. Far from being a litany of complaints, the author’s pages reveal her unexpected spiritual growth and gratitude for life itself, and she hopes she can be of help to others who suffer from this disease or other chronic illnesses.



Thanks for answering some questions about your writing.



1) How old were you when did you start writing?

I've always written, since I was in kindergarten and had a pencil in my hand. I figured out right away that the letters on the blackboard made words, and words made sentences, and sentences made stories. I was off and running!

2) Why did decide you wanted to be a writer?

I think the answer is "revenge." I was in a very troubled marriage, too afraid to escape it, so I turned my energies to writing for publication. My husband, in the divorce decree, wanted to include a clause that stipulated any income I derived from my writing while I was married to him would entitle him to half the proceeds. I squashed that right away, and when 'Sabbath's Room" came out, I felt such a thrill. It was also kind of "See, I told I could do it!"

3) What was the first job you had with writing?

Actually, I began with a local newspaper, writing a couple of columns. Then I turned my attention to Sabbath's Room. I had been editing some work for a friend who had his book published, and I thought, hey, if he can do it, so can I.

4) In your life who has influenced you the most?


I pull on my parents, who recognized my drive early on, and encouraged me.


5)How many books have you written?

Three, so far. Or four, really, if you can count the one that's hanging out there in limbo.


The first book and my first novel is Sabbath's Room, Publish America, 2001. It's a paranormal murder mystery:
When New York writer Joanna Elliott flees her abusive husband to the Texas Hill Country, she and her six-year old son Jason unwittingly become a killer’s prey.
Despite Realtor Tommy Joe Greenleaf’s warning that Wanda and Ralph Spencer had mysteriously disappeared from the remote farmhouse ten years earlier, Joanna moves in, and makes the sun room into her office.
Joanna adopts a cat from the local veterinarian, Sam Kelly, who tells her that Sabbath “had belonged to a witch.” Immediately, unexplained events unfold: Joanna is locked overnight inside the storage shed, footprints appear under the sun room windows, and Jason’s dog, Mournful is found poisoned.
Sheriff Judson Pollard investigates. He is puzzled by Wilma Foulkes’indifference to her sister’s fate, the activities of an itinerant evangelist, Brother Adam, and Joanna’s former husband has arrived in town.

My second publication is Once a Brat, Publish America, 2002:
As one of the first dependents to be sent overseas at the end of WWII, eight-year old Marilyn Celeste Morris received her very own orders from The War Department. From Seoul, Korea to Linz, Austria, she traversed the globe from 1938 to 1958 with her Army Officer father, mother and younger brothers. Between assignments in the primitive world of the Far East, to the sublime luxury of exploring castles in Bavaria, the family shuttled between the various Stateside Forts: Bragg, Bliss, Hood and Sill. Sometimes hilarious, sometimes gut-wrenchingly sad, her narrative is part travelogue, part therapy session. She still cries at “Taps” and stands tall when the colors pass; yet she realizes she carries an odd mixture of pride and resentment over her nomadic way of life.
Her conclusion, however, is that she wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Once a Brat, Always a Brat.

My third publication is Diagnosis: Lupus: The Intimate Journal of a Lupus Patient, PublishAmerica 2005.An intimate journey of a lupus patient taken from personal journals as she embarks on a three-year, five doctor search for a diagnosis of her baffling symptoms.

My fourth published work is The Women of Camp Sobingo, released on June 9, 2007 as an ebook by Mardi Gras Publishing.Four women of diverse backgrounds form a bond while en route to join their Army officer husbands in Korea in 1946.
Their experiences in a far-flung military compound strengthen three of the women, but a fourth chooses to end her life, and during a reunion twenty-five years later, long-held dark secrets and sorrows are revealed.
The site has since closed down and this novel will probably be tied up in bankruptcy proceedings for quite some time.


6) Which aspects of the work that you put into the book did you find most difficult?

I'll take my lupus book as an example for that. I can deal with making up stories and characters who encounter various difficulties, but with my lupus book, I laid my feelings bare. I exposed all my little secrets, like having a melt-down in my parish priest's office because I couldn't afford my prescription meds that month; raging at God for allowing this to happen and admitting that I had difficulty accepting help from others and from various government agencies such as the country health system. But I also recognized that I learned much about myself and was willing to share it with others so they won't feel alone.

7) Which did you enjoy most? Why is this?


I found my work just flowed, explaining why I wrote the book, what I had learned and how this book might help others, thus setting the stage for the actual journal entries.
What sets the book apart from the other things you've written?
It's factual, and I expose my shortcomings.

8)How did you get to be the writer that you are?

Applying the seat of the pants to the office chair. No matter what. I consider writing every day to be my occupation, and my "paycheck" is the thrill of holding MY book in my hands.

Marilyn Celeste Morris may be reached by email: marilyncmorris@sbcglobal.net to schedule a speaking engagement or arrange for editing services.

Her book is available at http://www.amazon.com/


An Excerpt of Marilyn's Blog


Someone You Know Has Lupus
4:35 PM PDT, May 15, 2007
Half of the Proceeds from the Sale of This Book Will be Donated to The Lupus Foundation of America for Research to Find a Cure for This Disease.


The Story Behind Diagnosis: Lupus: The Intimate Journal of a Lupus Patient


Like many lupus patients, I had suffered for years before finding a diagnosis and treatment for this baffling disease. As part of my ongoing personal therapy, I had kept a daily journal, venting my frustrations, pain, hope and despair as this disease progressed and no progress was on the horizon. I wrote of losing jobs, applying for food stamps standing in line at the Unemployment Commission, filling out volumes of paperwork for various agencies, and seeing a “shrink” at one of the Alphabet Soup social services agencies, all the time in physical pain that responded to no treatment.
***
First, Some Facts…..
Some symptoms of lupus:

Do you have/ever had/been told you have:

Achy, painful and/or swollen joints for more than three months;
Fingers and/or toes becoming pale, numb or uncomfortable in the cold;
Sores in the mouth for more than two weeks;
Been told you have a low blood count, anemia, low white cell count or a low platelet count;
Ever had a prominent redness or color change in the shape of a butterfly across the bridge of your nose and cheeks;
An unexplained fever over 100 degrees for more than a few days;
A sensitivity to the sun where the skin breaks out after being in the sun (not a sunburn);
Had chest pain with breathing for more than a few days (pleurisy);
Been told you had protein in your urine;
Experienced persistent, extreme fatigue and weakness for days or weeks at a time even after 6-8 hours of restful nighttime sleep.
If you have 3 or more symptoms, you should see your doctor.


According to the Lupus Foundation of America, Lupus is more common than Leukemia, Hodgkin’s Disease, Muscular Dystrophy, Cystic Fibrosis and Multiple Sclerosis. And yet, the average person rarely knows about lupus and is generally misinformed, vaguely believing it to be “kind of like arthritis, isn’t it?” While my symptoms first presented themselves as “kind of like arthritis,” and I was thus diagnosed and treated for two years for RA, other symptoms soon presented themselves, until, after three emotionally charged and pain-filled years from the onset of symptoms, laboratory tests confirmed the presence of SLE, or Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.
There are two distinct types of lupus. One is discoid lupus, where the skin shows large “splotches” or red rashes in clusters, mostly on the face, across the cheeks and the bridge of the nose, creating a “wolf-like” mask. One can have discoid lupus and systemic lupus at the same time; generally, those who suffer with the discoid form of lupus do not develop the systemic form.
The second is systemic lupus; that is, it is throughout the body. It has been classified as “an autoimmune disease.”
Lupus has nothing to do with AIDS, I must point out. I like the ‘short’, understandable description of what lupus is: Think of the body as a fort, like in the Wild West Days. Every now and then, Indians would attack the fort, and the soldiers inside the fort (white blood cells) would repel the Indians (the infection). Then the fort (body) would settle down and go back to its usual routine, until the next Indian attack
Only with lupus, THERE ARE NO INDIANS. The soldiers inside the fort are ever ready for an attack, but the Indians don’t arrive, so the soldiers (stressed) turn on each other, fighting among themselves, eventually destroying the fort itself: lungs, kidneys, central nervous system, etc.
As of this printing, there is no cure, but it is treatable.
*****
For more information or to make a donation, go to http://www.lupus.org/
Marilyn Celeste Morris

Yet I also found in these pages, as I looked back on them from my current stage of remission, a spark of hope, a determination to survive and even thrive, and a realization that God had not forsaken me. I joined a local Lupus Support Group, sponsored by the Lupus Foundation of America, and discovered many members had felt the same as I had; yet they had also felt so alone in this disease’s symptoms. That was when I decided to take the best – and worst – of my journal entries and put them into a book format, which was released in 2005.

This book has been designated in the Lupus Now magazine, Spring 2007 edition as earning the LFA Education Committee Seal of Approval.

Saturday, December 8, 2007

Let me Introduce Marilyn Morris, Author of Diagnosis Lupus




Marilyn Celeste Morris Author of Diagnosis: Lupus will be dropping by on Monday during her virtual book tour for an interview. I'd like to introduce her today.








Although she was raised as a Military Brat, Marilyn Celeste Morris was born in her grandfather’s house in Toronto, Texas, a small Southern Pacific Railroad Section six miles west of Alpine. Perhaps as an omen of what would be the next twenty years of her life, the railroad’s abandonment of this settlement shortly afterward left her with no “permanent” home.
Schooling consisted of Dependents’ Schools while overseas, in Seoul Korea, 1946-47 and Linz, Austria (1949-1952) and various schools stateside. A rarity for a Military Brat, she was fortunate enough to have attended all three high school years and graduated at Lawton Senior High School, Lawton OK. Further education was attained at Cameron State College, Lawton OK, Tarrant County College, Fort Worth TX, and North Texas State University. She received an AAS Degree in Mental Health in 1995.
After studying under the late Grace Nies Fletcher (author of Merry Widow and In My Father’s House), Marilyn began her writing career as a guest columnist in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and for ten years wrote a weekly humor/human interest column for Suburban Newspapers in the Fort Worth TX area. Besides receiving a First Place award in the Nostalgia category at an Ozark Mountain Writers’ Conference, two “confession” stories were published (under pseudonyms) in the magazines “Jive” and “Bronze Thrills.”
She has taught creative writing at Tarrant County College, Fort Worth TX, survived numerous book signings and speaking engagements, and her first novel, Sabbath’s Room, a paranormal murder mystery was published in 2001. In August 2002, Once a Brat was released. Described as “part travelogue, part therapy session,” she relates sometimes hilarious, sometimes wrenchingly sad experiences of an Army officer’s daughter from 1938 to her father’s retirement in 1958. Her newest book, Diagnosis: Lupus, The Intimate Journal of a Lupus Patient, chronicles her intensive three-year, five doctor search for diagnosis and treatment of her baffling symptoms, her struggles with God and society her anger and frustration (“But you don’t look sick!”) vividly expressed in her daily writings from first symptoms to current remission. Ms. Morris’s intent is to inform other lupus patients, both diagnosed and still searching their feelings are valid, normal and they are not alone.
She is co-facilitator for the Fort Worth Lupus Support Group, North Texas Chapter of the Lupus Foundation of America and member of the Board of Directors. When not writing or editing emerging writers’ manuscripts, she enjoys searching for former classmates and true to her Brat heritage, she has a suitcase packed under the bed, ready to travel at a moment’s notice.
For more information about Lupus go to www.lupus.org

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Welcome Sydney Molare, Author of Devil's Orchestra

This evening we have a Guest Blogger.
Sydney Molare, Author of Devil's Orchestra is stopping on one leg of her Virtual Book Tour.
Thanks for stopping by Syndney.

On www.charleneleatherman.blogspot.com and www.myspace.com/charleneleatherman we learned a little about you and about your book Devil's Orchestra. Today you have graciously agreed to answer some questions.

1) Why did you become a writer? Was it a dream of yours since you were younger or did the desire to write happen later in your life? I was a late bloomer. I actually began writing as a way to vent when my marriage was going the way of the dinosaurs. So I actually wrote my first piece in 2001.

2) What do you love about being an author? Is there anything you dislike? Love? Gushing emails trumpeting my greatness to that particular person. Dislike? Author jealousy I've encountered on tours.

3) How do you balance your personal and writing time? I can't honestly say I've got it all balanced. Right now, it feels like life has got me by the hinny and I'm just swinging in the wind. But what I try to do, is work as a veterinarian during the day and then become Sydney Molare nights and weekends. LOL.

4) I have visited your website The Devil’s Orchestra at http://www.devilsorchestra.blogspot.com/
It seems like you enjoy stirring the pot a bit. Is that something you have always been interested in doing? Did your desire to shake things up come from a particular incident in your life? I like pushing the envelope, tackling controversial subjects people shy away from, scratch a soul or two. As far as where it came from, I've always been my parent's rebel child. They tend to be too pacifist for me. Where they say, walk away, I like to stay until both parties have an "understanding" about the situation, whatever it is. Yes, I got punished plenty as a kid. LOL.

5) How do you write? Do your characters come to you first or the plot or the world of the story? It's really a mixture. I know people talk about outlines, but a character will pop into my head and I tend to shelve them if they aren't applicable to what I'm writing currently. Then when a plot pops into my head, I got back to my character shelf, pluck one off, and see where they lead me.

6) What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write? I'm cross-genred: Short stories, erotica/romantica, mystery/suspense, quasi-Christian and mainstream. I will tell anyone, i write stories I would like to read.

7) Is there any type of book you would not want to write? Is there something you would like to try but have not written yet? Honestly, I feel that to be a great writer, you should be like a great actor: able to write anything with a little research. I can't think of a genre I abhor. I read everything so I think giving a shot at writing in a new genre would be a pleasant challenge. There are many books in my head to be written. I recently finished a paranormal erotica. I thought that was great fun! But an unchartered genre I'm planning, probably the children's fiction arena.

8) What is the biggest misconception about being an author? That you make plenty of money and that it is easy.

9) Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination? Actually, my characters are compilations of real and imagined. I may use a mannerism from this person, with a speech pattern from that, add in what I'd like to see, and voile' we have a character.

10) Out of all the characters that you've written, who is your favorite and why? I'm a Southern fiction junkie so Madame A in Grandmama's Mojo STill Working is definitely my favorite. This is a feisty 75 YO grandmother who has two boyfriends. She lives life on her terms and to heck with those who have something to say about it. Shucks, I want to be her when I get older. Something about those sharp women in those flamboyant hats down here in the South. Can't wait!

11) If you were writing a script for the big screen, who would you want to act in your movie? This is a tough question. An big name would get the movie seen...but I'm also partial to the unknown underdog. I don't have anyone "penciled in my mind" yet, so I think the best course would be to put the script out, let them duke it out and to the winner goes the spoils. LOL.

12) What would you want readers to take away from your books? I want my books to scratch their souls, make them think, leave them rubbing their chins going, "Hmmmm." Every book has a message or theme to it, so I'm hoping they "get" it.

13) Do you have any advice for beginning writers in regards to writing a book? Sydney Confucius says, "The road to publication will not be without bumps, bruises, many reams of paper and red ink."Don't take too much advice from too many people. Use common sense and talk to other published authors and you should be fine.

14) Who are your favorite authors? James Patterson, Eric Jerome Dickey, Jude Devereaux, John Grisham

15) What are you reading right now? The Heretic by Andrew Feder. It's the second part to, When Angel Have Risen

Thanks for having me over!

Syd

http://www.sydneymolare.com/

Monday, December 3, 2007

I'd like to Introduce Sydney Molare Author of Devil's Orchestra





Sydney Molare Author of Devil's Orchestra will be visiting tomorrow on a leg of her Virtual Book Tour.
Sydney Molare' is one of the latest crop of Southern authors to watch. Her novel's messages cross genres, ethnicities and locales. Her goal is to always have "little message for everyone." Her books are garnering her awards from bookclubs and reviewers across the country. Sydney was recently named, "Mississippi Hometown Hero, Most Likely to Succeed" and the 2006 Mississippi's BEST Author. She is the host of "You Don't Know Jack" radio show on Blog Talk Radio.

DEVIL'S ORCHESTRA SYNOPSIS:

Tab McGrifth- 1 radio personality on the Eastern seaboard. He made his money the old way--by stepping on one person at a time. He's lied, cheated and "misrepresented" whatever needed to be as he clawed his way to the top of the pile. Now the man that taught him everything he knows, his old mentor Whitey Ford, has returned....

Deva- Hip hop princess extraordinaire. Many are under the impression that she is just a gorgeous airhead. But nothing could be further from the truth. With her shrewd business mind and amazing "luck", Deva is worth somewhere in the upper nine digit range. Deva, like all of us, has her faults. She loves the money--and what accompanies it--just a bit TOO much. In fact, she is slap out of control. When an old friend from back home, Ed Burris, confronts her about her lifestyle, things get explosive...

Juan Rodriguez- gay author and proud of it too. With his life partner, Zeus and son, Loam, Juan's life is definitely on track. That is, until Bodie pops back into his life. Bodie. Blond, beach boy tan, Juan's first lover. He put the w-h-o-r in whore...and doggonit if Juan wasn't still feeling him...

And then there's Luke....

Saturday, December 1, 2007

December, New Year and Resolutions

December, A New Year and Resolutions
Today is December 1. Can you believe it? This year as sped by and has crawled by.I don't usually talk about personal things. I don't think the Internet is the place for personal things. But today I am going to write about my personal last year.The year before, 2005, I made a resolution to write a book. On December 2006 I signed a contract with Ellora's Cave/Ceridwen Press for my first novel Prophecy of Vithan. For 2007 I have finished a second novel - Stone of Cruento and am starting a third novel - Vials of Aquilonia. My resolution is to finish Aquilonia and write oh, let's say two more books.January 2006 I made a resolution to lose 50 pounds. I lost 50 and regained 40. I guess that is a 10 pound score for the resolution side. So, for 2007 I am resolving to lose those 50 pounds again and maybe lose another 50. (Yeah, I'm that big, but beautiful too)In 2006 My quadriplegic husband started showing some improvement. Just this morning he started moving his paralyzed arm. He is eating two meals a day - where he had to have tube feedings last year. He has an electric wheelchair and we have a small hoist to put him in and out of the car so we can go places. 2007 resolution is to continue to work with him to get him improving even more.In 2006 I had my first experience with blogs, websites, chats, and yahoo groups. I have 15 blogs. Just in trying to understand what I was doing, I over did. I also have 3 websites, or is it 4? In 2007 my resolution is to manage them all and to blog regularly instead of sporatically.How many resolutions will I manage to keep? Who knows. The fun in resolutions is making them. The hard work is doing them. Maybe I will be able to keep one or two. Maybe none. But I had fun this year - granted life got in the way occaisionally - but I had fun anyway.So I will make my resolutions. And break them. What resolutions are you planning on breaking this year??