Monday, May 31, 2010

Brandon Ford's Pay Phone review

This author was suggested to me from one of my favorite film directors Tim Ritter so I loaded Pay Phone on to my Kindle and before the first chapter was done I was loading his two other books onto my kindle. This story takes off from the starting sentence and takes you into the world of a total lunatic.


The character development is dead on peering into the lives of him and his victims. The story has a dark voyeuristic feel to it while digging into each characters own personal hell dealing with loneliness.


I can't wait to dig into his other books this one is worth checking out


Cissy Hunt Interview


Interview with Cissy Hunt







1: What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?

My most productive time of the day for me to write is mostly at night. I'm a night person; I can usually stay up all night with no problems. I guess it comes from working the night shift for over 30 years. I like the night hours when everything is quite. I function better at night.

2: Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?

I always start my writing projects with paper and pen instead of on the computer. With notebook and pen in hand I head out to my deck where it is quite, just me and the night sounds and I start writing down my thoughts. When I have a good start for a chapter or a completed poem then I go back to my computer and input it.

3: What do you draw inspiration from?

For poems it comes from what my heart is feeling at the time. It could be love, praise for my Lord, or wonderment at creation. For my book is the subject matter it covers, domestic violence. Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior perpetrated by an intimate partner against another. It is an epidemic affecting individuals in every community, regardless of age, economic status, race, religion, nationality or educational background. Violence against women is often accompanied by emotionally abusive and controlling behavior, and thus is part of a systematic pattern of dominance and control. Domestic violence results in physical injury, psychological trauma, and sometimes death.

4: Do you set yourself goals when you sit down to write such as word count?

No, I don't set myself a goal when I sit down to write such as word count or so many pages. When I was writing on my book I had to write on it every day, no matter if it was just one paragraph, I had to write something. But with this book I had no problem as for as writing, the words came out sometimes so fast that I couldn't keep up with them.

5: Are you a published or a self published author and how do you come up with your cover art?

I'm a published author through Publish America. As for as my cover art the publisher came up with it. But the thing is the art work is exactly what I pictured in my head on the cover of my book, and there is no way that they could know that.

6: What drives you to chose the career of being a writer?

What drives me to chose the career of being a writer is these words deep within me burning to come out. Words that just have to be put on paper. Words that wake me up at night. Words swirling and twirling around in my head that won't be quite until I give them life.

7: Do you own an ebook reading devise?

No, I don't own an ebook reading devise, but I do own lots and lots of books. They cover my bookcases, two of which go floor to ceiling, my floor of my office, my nightstand, and bedroom floor. I love to read and can't bring myself to part with the really good books that I have read.

8: Who are some of your favorite authors and What are you reading now?

Some of my favorite authors are Lori Wick, Beverly Lewis, Lauraine Snelling, Mary Higgins Clark, and Diann Mills. I like a variety of author's works. Right now I'm not reading anything because it finally has gotten warm enough to go night fishing here were I live and that is my husband's and mine favorite recreation.

9: What do you think of book trailers and do you have any plans to have any?

I like book trailers. Yes, I have plans on having one for my book as soon as I learn how to do them and can put one together for my book.

10: What are you working on now that you can talk about?


I'm not really working on anything thing right now. I want to get this book, A rose Blooms Among the Thorns out to the public. I have had thoughts of a sequel to it and have been writing down all the thoughts and ideas. It is a possibility.




Sunday, May 30, 2010

Sibel Hodge Interview


Interview with Sibel Hodge






1: What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?


When I’m writing a novel, it’s all day, every day. I’m blinkered to everything else and will write solidly for twelve hours daily. Even when I’m not writing, my mind is on overdrive, thinking of scenes or conversations that my characters will have. I always keep a pad and pen by my bed because I often find some great ideas come to me just before falling asleep.

2: Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?


I usually write out my basic plot outline on paper, then transfer it to my laptop to work on. I use my laptop for all writing work. I couldn’t imagine writing a whole novel on paper!

3: What do you draw inspiration from?


Everything and anything: a conversation I’ve had, real life events, personal experiences, my own imagination, a book I’ve read, a film I’ve seen. The list is endless.

4: Do you set yourself goals when you sit down to write such as word count?


With my debut novel I didn’t set any word counts, it just all poured out of my head naturally. With my second novel, I wanted to write a chapter a day, which worked pretty well.

5: Are you a published or a self published author?


I am independently published. Unfortunately a book could be brilliantly written, have fantastic characters and plot, have great commercial potential, and yet still not be taken up by a publisher. I think publishers are afraid to take risks on new writers; they want to stick with established authors who already have a large readership. With the existing economic crises as well, this further decreases the opportunities for new authors to break through and become published. But there is a real change in the attitude of readers, retailers, and mainstream publishers to self-published books. In fact, many self published titles are gaining a lot of publicity and sales and these authors have been signed by major publishing houses. My novels have been recognized through literary awards such as the Harry Bowling Prize 2008 and The Yeovil Literary Prize 2009

6: What drives you to choose the career of being a writer?


I think you don’t choose to be a writer, it chooses you. It’s an overwhelming desire to get your thoughts and words onto paper and share with the world. It’s only in the last few years that I’ve had the opportunity to fulfil the dream of writing that I’ve always had.


7: Do you own an ebook reading devise?


Not yet. At the moment I read ebooks on my laptop. Ebooks are becoming huge now so I will treat myself in the near future.

8: Who are some of your favorite authors and What are you reading now?


I’m a big fan of comedy – both romantic and mystery. I love Janet Evanovich, Marian Keyes, Sophie Kinsella, Harlan Coben, but I also love straight thrillers and mysteries like Michael Connelly, John Connelly, Dennis Lehane, Ian Rankin, Lee Child, Kathy Reichs, and Mo Hayder.

At the moment I’m reading The Hard Way by Lee Child.
9: What do you think of book trailers and do you have any plans to have any?


Book trailers seem to be the in thing now for marketing and raising awareness to your novels. When I’ve done some research on it, I’m sure I will add that to my “to do” list!


10: What are you working on now that you can talk about?


I have so much that I want to do and not enough time in the day. After being available in various ebook formats, I’ve just launched the paperback versions of my romantic comedy, Fourteen Days Later, and my comedy mystery, The Fashion Police. I'm planning a series of books following on from the Fashion Police that will send Amber Fox on various adventures. I'm also planning to write a sequel to Fourteen Days Later that will be set in North Cyprus. Several literary consultants and editors have suggested that I turn both novels into film scripts, and this is something I'm currently working on.


The Fashion Police and Fourteen Days Later are available in paperback and various ebook formats. Please see my website for details http://www.sibelhodge.com/


http://www.amazon.com/Fashion-Police-Comedy-Mystery-ebook/dp/B003B3NYS8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=A7B2F8DUJ88VZ&s=books&qid=1275119525&sr=8-1


http://www.amazon.com/Fourteen-Later-Romantic-Comedy-ebook/dp/B003B3O0UE/ref=pd_sim_kinc_1?ie=UTF8&m=A7B2F8DUJ88VZ


Saturday, May 29, 2010

Jordan Krall Interview


Interview with Jordan Krall












1: What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?


Night time, usually between 7:30 to 10:30. If it’s a weekend, a little bit later than that. Once I have some vacation time, I’d like to experiment writing in the predawn hours.


2: Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?


Most of the time I write it all on the computer. Occasionally I’ll write notes with pen and paper, though. However, I did start writing a new hardcore horror novel on paper but I don’t know if I’ll continue to do that. There’s double the work having to write and then type it all up. I just don’t have that kind of time.


3: What do you draw inspiration from?


Most of the characters and situations in my books are drawn from things in real life. So just being around people inspires me for better or for worse. Movies play a huge role, too, as I’m influenced and inspired by cult genres like Spaghetti Westerns, giallo, horror, etc.


4: Do you set yourself goals when you sit down to write such as word count?


It depends. If a publisher (or editor) gives me a word count limit or minimum, I keep that in mind but usually I just write and just let the story go where it’s headed. Sometimes I plan on writing a short story and it turns into a novella and vice versa. Setting goals that are too strict can trip me up and the work suffers.


5: Are you a published or a self published author and how do you come up with your cover art?


I’m a published author. Eraserhead Press has published my first three books and Black Rainbows Press just published my fourth. For my EHP books, I’ve worked with the same artist (Jeff Powers) one I found on the Internet. He does real good work and he’ll be doing my next two books that EHP will publish. My editor and I talk about the cover art ideas and then we run them by the artist. Cover art is really important in selling books so I try to be open to what my publisher suggests rather than just what I want. They know that area better.


6: What drives you to chose the career of being a writer?


Well, my real career is being a teacher. That’s where most of my income comes from. Writing is a side thing. That’s not to say I wouldn’t want to do it as a career. I would LOVE that. It’s always been my dream. What drives me is getting to share my imagination with people and entertain them in the process. That’s a great feeling.


7: Do you own an ebook reading device?


Nope. I only read ebooks on my computer. I just don’t have the money for one of those fancy things and anyway, I prefer reading a real book. I know it seems like ebooks are the wave of the future but if I pay for a book, I want to be able to own something other than just a file.


8: Who are some of your favorite authors and What are you reading now?


Some of my favorite authors are Elmore Leonard, H.P. Lovecraft, Jim Thompson, William Burroughs, Philip K. Dick, and Edward Lee. Right now I’m reading Cody Goodfellow’s Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars which is really good.


9: What do you think of book trailers and do you have any plans to have any?


I think I might have seen one book trailer. I don’t think I have any feelings about them either way… so I guess I don’t have any plans to do one. If one of my publishers wanted to do one, I’d be fine with it, though.


10: What are you working on now that you can talk about?


I’m working on a new novel from Eraserhead Press called TENTACLE DEATH TRIP and will be out sometime in the fall. I also have a bizarro hardcore horror novel that should be out sometime in 2011 from another publisher (I’ll be making the announcement about what publisher it is in a week or so). A nonfiction book about weird movies is in the works, too, from Bucket O’Guts Press. And finally, speaking of ebooks, I’ll have a free ebook novelette called BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE APOCALYPSE DONKEYS available in the summer.


http://www.filmynoir.com/


http://www.bizarrocentral.com/



W.A. Patterson Interview



Interview with W.A. Patterson




1: What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?


Either early morning or after dark at night. Either way is good but I prefer later at night so I don't have to be dragged away when my kids get up and want to eat.


2: Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?


I use notebooks to write down somethings but I really use my smart-phone. It's a windows mobile job that has mobile word on it. That helps, also I have the blog I can email from my phone if I get an inspiration, or send myself an email note.


3: What do you draw inspiration from?


Dreams, frustrations, and annoyances. I have stories that I've made from dreams I've had, and things I am frustrated with and want to say something about, and then annoying things I see when I read someone else's idea of things or watch something on tv. At that point I know I can do better than they did and I get inspired by it.


4: Do you set yourself goals when you sit down to write such as word count?


No. I keep it fluid and keep going as long as life and my attention allow. I used to set goals but I'd end up deleting more than I wrote and it wasn't productive. If I set a goal and get there, it's too hard to quit, and if I don't make it, invariably it becomes more like a cheese-grater on my chin to sit and pound out words for words sake.


5: Are you a published or a self published author and how do you come up with your cover art?


I'm self-published and came up with my own cover art. I remember the first books I got were in the 70's at the dime store and had the craziest covers. I like them and thought the book had the same feel. I also wanted my book to stand out in the crowd and I certainly did that - hence the bright green cover. It seems to me so many book covers look alike now - I can spot mine out of a listing of 100 in an instant and so can other people. I also like the graphic on it as it sums up one character I like most in the novel.


6: What drives you to chose the career of being a writer?


Honestly? Crap comic book stories of the 70's and 80's. I read them and before I was 10 I know I could write better than I was reading. After starting to make my own bad ones I liked the writing better than the drawing and started writing more and more. Eventually I left the comics behind and moved to writing other things.


7: Do you own an ebook reading devise?


LOL- Which one? I have a Palm Tungsten that I started with, a T-Mobile Wing I need a new battery for and now I use my Touch-Pro 2 smart phone. I'm not a fan of ipods, or other e-book readers. They are too "uni-tasked" in my opinion and usually read only a few formats. My phone can read anything and I always have it with me. I also work for a cell phone company and get a discount on the phones so I stick with the ones I can keep a handy library on.


8: Who are some of your favorite authors and What are you reading now?


My Favorite authors are: John Irving, Larry Niven, Robert A. Heinlein, James P Hogan, Ben Bova, Piers Anthony, and many others. I'm reading "Abe Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" now. I'm not that far into it but I've not been reading it very fast.


9: What do you think of book trailers and do you have any plans to have any?


I think book trailers are really boring most times. Other than the title and where to find it, I don't need a 5 minute synopsis. I made my own book trailer at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugYaQLopm7U but I did it a different way and put my own stamp on it by using puppets of two of the characters from the book. It tells you where to find the book but hopefully entertains you enough to wonder about it and look it up.


10: What are you working on now that you can talk about?


I am plotting the sequels to Future Useless - but I am currently writing a YA book called Prometheus - The Ugly Boy - And Medusa! The book is about a young boy who has to fight the Greek gods to save his friend. The story turns some old ideas and things we take for granted on their heads in order to teach my kids a lesson I want them to learn early. My seven-year-old daughter actually told me to make it a book for her, and I'm following her advice.


I'm also always working on other ideas and other stories. I just wrote a first draft of a script for a cartoon show a friend and I have been working on for years. It's viewable at: http://www.wix.com/doolee/leeborwoolee .

Other than that I have about 10 more novels in me before I need to come up with more ideas.


http://www.wapatterson.com/


http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/wapatterson


http://futureuseless.blogspot.com/


http://twitter.com/W_A_Patterson


Elise Bell Interview


Interview with Elise Bell






1: What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?


The day is not productive for me at all! I have an 18 mth old son who commands and deserves most of my day time attention. I write everything after dark. Sometimes I get so caught up in it that I am still writing when the sun comes up.


2: Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?

Definitely, all on the computer. I even write little notes on the computer. My desktop is riddled with sticky notes. If I think of something to write I usually run back to laptop and type it on a sticky note before I forget. On the off chance I don’t' have the laptop, and I blame and thank my 7th grade English teacher for this, he showed us how to do outlines for essays in 'connecting bubbles' While I have been taught more refined techniques, I still find myself drawing cloud type bubbles with main ideas and connecting them with crude lines.


3: What do you draw inspiration from?

I am a non fiction writer so many if not all of my inspirations come from my every day life. I was a teen mother and am now the mother of 4 girls (a son too but he's only 18 mths) who in various degrees of soon will be teens. I'm terrified. I think I'd be naïve not to be. My specific inspiration for "You Need To Know" was over hearing some teen girls talking about matters such as sex, contraception, and STDs. They were wrong, so ridiculously wrong that I was stunned. Weren't parents giving them information? Do schools not teach this stuff? My answer when I looked was no, and no. These kids want this information. More importantly they need it. In a way they can get into and can relate to. Teens will sleep through boring facts being tossed at them.


4: Do you set yourself goals when you sit down to write such as word count?

Well this is my first book and its length is dictated by teen attention spans. So my answer is definitely no. I never write well if I am forcing the issue. If I try to force myself to write I just end up coming back when I'm feeling more inspired and re writing all of it anyway.


5: Are you a published or a self published author and how do you come up with your cover art?

I am self-published. My particular cover art was a huge blank for me for a while. I worked as a photographer for six years, while I can take nice photos… I can't draw well enough to make recognizable stick figures. I experimented with a cover of sort of photo collage style and I hated it. I am somewhat of a minimalist so it just looked too overwhelming. I decided to go with the words on black because I felt it made more of an impact. I used Wordle.net to design the 'word cloud' that is on the cover. Wordle is fun just for the heck of it too, it takes text and enlarges the words used most. Sometimes I dump my writing in there just to be sure I’m not overusing words.


6: What drives you to chose the career of being a writer?

I'm not sure this is a career for me. I'd love it to be but I have to think of my family as well. I enjoy this but my kids can't eat enjoyment. As an independent author we don't always make a lot of money as I'm sure everyone knows. I'd love to write as a journalist or for a teen or parenting magazine as a career.


7: Do you own an ebook reading devise?

Yes, we have two 'household' Kindles. Obviously I can't afford one for everyone but my mother got two so that the books and time could be shared throughout the house. We all love reading. Even my son picks up the Kindle and pretends to read. I will eventually purchase an iPad for myself. I just prefer waiting for the second generation of most products like this. Gives them time to work out issues.


8: Who are some of your favorite authors and What are you reading now?

Jacqueline Carey is by far my favorite fantasy author. She creates such intricate and immersive settings in her books. Her re imagined history draws you into the story as though you already knew it but were just waiting to be retold. When I was younger I loved Christopher Pike books, they never seemed to be as watered down as most YA novels. I mostly read non fiction and true crime stories. I am reading Her Last Letter, by another indie author, Nancy Johnson and awaiting Naamah's Curse which comes out in June.


9: What do you think of book trailers and do you have any plans to have any?

I think they are fun to make and yes I made a bare bones one. I would love to have more resources and a herd of teens to make it how I want it but that's just not the case. It's too long but it's as informative as I can get it with what I have. Here is the link if you'd like to look at it. http://www.youtube.com/user/EliseBellBooks#p/a/u/0/MYHNi7BNM94


10: What are you working on now that you can talk about?

I am working on getting word out about "You Need To Know." The book is important to me because I don't want young girls to go through what I have. I wrote it so teens can inform themselves. I am donating half of the profit for the book to Planned Parenthood for the development of comprehensive sexual education. I am also working on another young adult book in the spirit of my first called "Screw Boys Will Be Boys" It is about our societies lack of consequence for boys who are 'just being boys'. I don't think boys doing things like stealing cheerleaders panties right off of them is "boys will be boys" I think it's boys committing sexual assault. I am shocked that so many people do think that this is just boys having fun. It's a huge problem that we bring up our boys to believe things like this. We're basically saying be a bad person, be a bad father, date ten girls at the same time, and chalking it up to a Y chromosome. Even those in the spotlight carry on however they chose, Clinton with Monica, Edwards with Rielle, it's pretty much epidemic. We raise our male kids to be this way and once again act shocked when they are. Or worse are not shocked and excuse the behavior.


http://elizabeth-silentscreams.blogspot.com/


http://www.wix.com/YouNeedToKnow/EB


http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/15004


http://www.amazon.com/You-Need-To-Know-ebook/dp/B003N3V4KQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1274426702&sr=1-1


http://twitter.com/EliseBellBooks


http://www.myspace.com/elise.bell


Friday, May 28, 2010

Jason W. Chan Interview


Interview with Jason W. Chan








1: What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?

All day..haha.

2: Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?

I use both. I find that pen/paper has its advantages, but so does a computer. In the end though, everything has to end up on the computer anyway, so I used the computer more.

3: What do you draw inspiration from?

Everything, mostly song lyrics and films.

4: Do you set yourself goals when you sit down to write such as word count?

A lot of authors do, but I actually don't. I write however much I feel like, and somehow, i always make deadline...haha. I find that a typical average-length novel takes around 3-4 months to write.

5: Are you a published or a self published author and how do you come up with your cover art?

I am a self-published author, but I am looking for an literary agent, and a publisher.

6: What drives you to chose the career of being a writer?

Well, it all started one day when I was bored. I was watching films like Beauty and the Beast, Spirited Away, Titanic, and I thought to myself, "Wouldn't it be great if I could write something like that?"

7: Do you own an ebook reading devise?

Yes, I have a Kindle.

8: Who are some of your favorite authors and What are you reading now?

Well, I love Anita Shreve, not for her plots, but for her lyrical, almost poetic writing style. In fact, reading her changed my writing for the better. I also love Alice Munro for her short stories, as well as Stephen King for his laidback writing style, although I am not a fan of horror fiction.
As for right now, I am rereading The Abhorsen Trilogy by Australian author Garth Nix. I loved his books when I was a teen.



9: What do you think of book trailers and do you have any plans to have any?

I think they're a good idea. I'm thinking of making one.


10: What are you working on now that you can talk about?

I am working on a ghost story. :)





Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Andersen Prunty


Interview with Andersen Prunty




1: What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?


I typically write between midnight and 2 or 3 AM.


2: Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?


It depends. Most short stories, especially the flash fictions, I write longhand. Some novels I will start in longhand and usually end up typing them into the laptap. I type way faster than I can write longhand so that works better when I’ve imposed some sort of deadline on myself.


3: What do you draw inspiration from?


Everything is fuel. Music, books, people, especially.


4: Do you set yourself goals when you sit down to write such as word count?


I usually don’t set any type of word count deadline. Sometimes I tell myself I have to have a certain project finished by a certain day and, ideally, I try to write for at least an hour or two a day, but many other writing-type obligations can throw a wrench in that.


5: Being a self published author how do you come up with your cover art?


Only a couple of my books are self-published. And even my self-published stuff is put through a rigorous editing process. The others are through Eraserhead Press and I have one coming out with Dark Regions. I don’t come up with my own cover art. I work mostly with one guy, Brandon Duncan (www.corporatedemon.com). He’s a very talented graphic designer and artist. I email him with some ideas I think would look good on a cover and give him free reign. I would advise any author who’s thinking about self-publishing to consider investing in a graphic artist. Likewise, I would encourage any small press author to try and get the editor to spend the extra buck on good cover art. It really does go a long way.


6: What drives you to chose the career of being a writer?


I would say I’m more “resigned” to it than “driven.” I don’t know what else I would do with my free time. I wouldn’t consider it a career, though. I’d have to sell a shit ton more books for that to happen.


7: Do you own an ebook reading devise?


Not specifically. I have an iPod Touch. If I have to read something electronically, I’ll use the Kindle or Stanza app on that.


8: Who are some of your favorite authors and What are you reading now?


I have a lot of favorite authors who I go to for many different things. Some all time favorites are: Stephen King, Peter Straub, Clive Barker, Barry Yourgrau, Kobo Abe, Aimee Bender, Haruki Murakami, Franz Kafka, Kurt Vonnegut, Charles Bukowski, Will Christopher Baer, JD Salinger, David Sedaris, and Bret Easton Ellis. I could go on and on and a lot of them are people who’ve only written a couple of books. At the moment I’m reading:


Horns by Joe Hill

The People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn

A Million Versions of Right by Matthew Revert

One Hundred and Forty Five Stories in a Small Box: Hard to Admit and Harder to Escape, How the Water Feels to the Fishes, and Minor Robberies by Sarah Manguso, Dave Eggers, and Deb Olin Unferth


9: What do you think of book trailers and do you have any plans to have any?


I like book trailers. I have no clue how one is made or I’m sure I’d use them. I especially like what Mykle Hansen did for his book Help! A Bear is Eating Me! Maybe not a trailer per se, but funny and entertaining and I think it makes people want to buy that book.


10: What are you working on now that you can talk about?


I’m currently working on a novel called Satanic Summer that should be released by Grindhouse Press in 2012. It’s a really bizarre horror novel and I’m having tons of fun writing it.


http://www.facebook.com/pages/Andersen-Prunty/151860395748?ref=ts


http://www.amazon.com/Andersen-Prunty/e/B002BMGMJS/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1274909283&sr=1-2-ent


http://www.andersenprunty.com/



Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Jude Mason Interview


Interview with Jude Mason






1: What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?

-This changes. Sometimes I’ll find myself writing like a maniac in the early hours. Other times, I’ll draw a blank until the evening or be dragged out of bed at some outrageous hour because muse has deemed it time to write. I’ve been writing for years, so I’ve learned to go with the flow. Deadlines are met and I seem to work best when I don’t try to set a specific time of day to be creative.


2: Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?

-I do all of my work on the computer. I may print things out occasionally, just to have the hard copy, but I that’s about it.


3: What do you draw inspiration from?

-This is one of those questions that I really have difficulty answering. Everywhere. Nowhere. My mind. A truck full of dirt. A man standing on a corner reading the paper. A woman looking in a shop window. A TV show. The news. Honestly, I get ideas from anywhere at any time. I think that’s what makes me different from someone who doesn’t write. It’s not a talent, I didn’t work for it. It just happens.


4: Do you set yourself goals when you sit down to write such as word count?

-I have done and if I’ve got a deadline, yes, I’ll have a goal. When I’m just writing, I do try to hit 2K a day. 3K is a good day, anything over that, I’ll celebrate


5: Being a self published author how do you come up with your cover art?

-I’ve created my own cover art. I’ve also had my husband, who is an amateur photographer help me with a couple and I’ve also been a friend of a woman who does covers for a few of the publishers online. She’s extremely good and I’m extremely lucky to have her give me a helping hand when I need one. Thank you Michelle Lee


6: What drives you to chose the career of being a writer?

-Honestly, I didn’t choose this. I’ve always been a writer. I remember creating stories when I was 4 and 5 years old. It’s not a matter of choice. I am a writer. It’s part of who I am. I wasn’t given a choice, I just hang on and try to enjoy the ride.


7: Do you own an ebook reading devise?

-No, I read ebooks on my computer. Price’s are still a little steep for my blood. Contrary to what a great many people seem to think, an author doesn’t make a lot.


8: Who are some of your favorite authors and What are you reading now?

Jenna Byrnes, M. Christian, Spider Robinson, Anne McCaffrey, Heinlein, there are more. Mostly science fiction authors. If I find one who adds a little sex into the mix, I’m a happy girl. Right now, I’m working on a book, so I’m not reading anything.


9: What do you think of book trailers and do you have any plans to have any?

-I think they’re a great tool for helping sell books. I’ve made two or three, and would like to make more. I’m not very good at it. Check them out here: http://www.youtube.com/user/JudeMason


10: What are you working on now that you can talk about?

-Two things actually. Jenna Byrnes and I work together quite a bit and are working on the 4th book in the Kindred Spirits Series called Quinn’s Blessing. Here’s the blurb for the series, which can be found at Total E-Bound Publishing:


Kindred Spirits Series

"Welcome to Whiskers’ Seaside Inn. Do you have a reservation?"


Whiskers' Seaside Inn doesn't sound like the most exotic location for a weekend getaway, but it's certainly intriguing. Ethan Roberts is smitten the moment he sees the weathered clapboard inn and finds out it’s for sale. He’s even more taken with the establishment's hunky handyman, Cade Wyatt.


The inn has two paying guests, but Ethan discovers another cast of characters who come and go as they please. Cade might be nonchalant about the ghosts, but Ethan's not sure he feels the same. He wants Cade more than anything, but Cade won't leave the inn. Somehow, Ethan must find a way to live with the spirits as well as the man he's come to love.


Can I ever make this place my home? He knows he could, in a heartbeat, if the inn was truly as serene as the face it presents to the world. Deep inside, something’s festering. He’s tried to ignore it—or not to believe in it—but he’s past that, now. There are ghosts or spirits at Whiskers’, plus one batty old woman, and he needs to know more about all of them.


"Annie, Laura and Ben," Ethan repeated dully. "The ghosts."


Chuckling, Cade faced him. "Actually, they’re spirits. You really don’t want to believe in them, do you?"


"Ghosts—spirits—aren’t real," Ethan insisted. "I believe that."


"Well, Mr. Roberts, I have a feeling your beliefs are about to be tested."



Also, I’m beginning a series of my own that’s called Daybreak 2525, about an apocalyptical type band of people led by a man called Doc. Doc is predominantly gay, but will take on a woman if he’s attracted, so it promises to be an interesting series. I’m about halfway through the first book and hopefully will have it off to my editor soon. This series is also going to Total E-Bound.




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*Jude Mason – Readers needed: Come, explore with me…if you dare*

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