Friday, December 31, 2010

Tammie Clarke Gibbs Interview





1: What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?
 Evenings work best for me especially when I’m working on one of my time-travel, gothic or suspense novels.

2: Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?
 I have started projects with pen and paper, but lately almost everything I do is on the computer.

3: What do you draw inspiration from?
 I can become inspired by most anything. I love antique shopping and love older houses. I’m a Realtor, so showing homes can even be inspirational if the house has either a real history or imagined one attached to it.

4: Do you set goals for yourself when you sit down to write such as word count?
 Not unless I’m under a specific deadline.  I usually don’t try to think about word count or pages at all because it tends to overwhelm the process when too much time is spent thinking about the blank pages ahead.

5: Are you a published or a self published author and how do you come up with your cover art?
 I’m both. I have several projects that were self-published and others traditionally published.  I’m a graphic artist as well so I usually scour image sites for ideas then relay those suggestions to the person actually doing the graphic work.

6: What drives you to choose the career of being a writer?
 I’ve always loved to read. When I was in High School I had to take a Short Story class and write a short story each week.  The teacher told me I had found what I needed to do with my life. From that point on he shared all of my stories each week with all the teachers in the lounge.  So, I got lots of feedback.  I realized that the only thing more gratifying for a writer than finishing a story was having that story read by others.  I don’t think that I chose to be a writer I think that writing chose me.

7: Do you own an ebook reading device?
 Yes! I love my Kindle. It was a Christmas Gift from my husband.

8: Who are some of your favorite authors and What are you reading now?
 Jude Devearux, Lynn Kurland…too many to list..  I am finishing up a novel so I’m reading mostly non-fiction at the moment. I try not to read fiction when I am actively writing to avoid having what I’m reading influence my plot.

9: What do you think of book trailers and do you have any plans to have any?
 I really like the book trailers and I’m currently working on one for ISLAND OF SECRETS.

10: How did you come up with the title of your latest book?
 ISLAND OF SECRETS sort of named itself. I’ve found with some books the title just happens. Other books are harder and it’s frustrating when you work with a title for a long time and then realize that another book just came out with that title and that your title has to be changed.

11: What are you working on now that you can talk about?
 I’m currently finishing up a Mid-Western Historical set in Malden Grove, Illinois.  It’s full of small town charm, humorous scenes and plenty of intrigue.  In the first scene of the book, Magen McGuire literally runs the hero down with her wagon then realizes her reputation might be the price she’ll have to pay to right the wrong.  Jeremy Loud has a job to do and plenty of secrets of his own.  Then he wakes up naked, disoriented and in physical pain with a woman busy at his stove.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

A New 5 STAR review for DIE ALREADY

5.0 out of 5 stars Art of the perfect short storyDecember 30, 2010


Twisted, dark, but artfully rendered -- this is what a short story should be all about. I can certainly see Poe's influence on Mr. Kipp Poe Speicher's writing, which is really delightful (I've been a long-time Poe fan!). The end of the story was really fantastic, to conclude/embody the "dark romance" theme. Mr. Speicher's short stories are like hypnotic singles that you want to listen to, over and over -- I'm interested to see what a longer piece of work done by Mr. Speicher would read like. That being said, the short story genre/length suits him perfectly, and I'm grateful for witnessing Mr. Speicher's talent with a concise word count!



India Wilson interview



INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR INDIA WILSON

Q: What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?
INDIA: Although I’m an early riser and full of energy at that time of the day, I actually find myself gravitating towards writing at night. Something about the darkness, the end of the incessant flow of emails from my other profession and the dissipation of some of my physical energy from doing things all day makes the nighttime a productive time for me to concentrate and make progress.  However, it often strikes me as counter-productive because I also tend to crash and burn at a certain point so can find myself nodding off at the desk – hardly a good state in which to be creative!

Q: Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?
INDIA: I can write absolutely nothing anymore by hand – my fingers ramp up in a matter of sentences and my handwriting is also atrociously illegible. But I’d say the main reason that I can only use the computer to write and rewrite is because it allows my fingers to try and keep up with my brain, which usually is going at lightning speed.  There have been times when I’ve thought it would be valuable to slooow down that natural speed, but when my fingers lag that far behind my brain, the creative process is impeded and I it makes me cranky.

Q: What do you draw inspiration from?
INDIA: I think the germs of my ideas in terms of plot and settings often comes from the newspaper, which I read carefully although often several days after the fact as the New York Times often piles up while I try to keep up with my professional obligations.  I will find a story thread, or the quirks of a character, from small or large pieces in the paper and then when I give my imagination permission to have at it, the rest is pure invention from projecting myself into those characters.

Q: Do you set goals for yourself when you sit down to write such as word count?
INDIA: Oh God no, that sort of counting and performance management would be the death of me!  I have days when I don’t get to the desk to write at all, other days when I seem to fiddle there for hours without coming up with much in the way of measurable pages, and then other times when I can write many pages over multiple writing sessions throughout the day or night. I think one huge mistake we make as a society and certainly within the artistic community is to judge success or accomplishment in terms of measurable productivity. Much of what happens artistically happens in the dark recesses of the mind, which is always working on a work-in-progress – the unconscious and subconscious mind move at their own pace and one of the beautiful things about being a bit older is the accumulated wisdom to have respect and patience for the creative process and keep the faith that the fire is always lit, even when you cannot see the flames.
 
Q: Are you a published or a self-published author and how do you come up with your cover art?
INDIA: I am published by a new small press called Lightning Strikes Press, which is owned by a couple, Edward Jaffe and Tracie Hotchner (an oft-published author herself), who are friends of mine. Because India Wilson is a pseudonym and I also have chosen to remain anonymous, I had asked Tracie’s assistance to get THE KNOT ARTIST self-published without revealing my identity – and I am honored to say that she and husband (who is a financial advisor by day, and now publisher by night!) started their company believing my book had great commercial potential. 
As for the cover art, they have a cover artist they work with who is based in Brussels and the questionnaire she had me fill out – with descriptions of the book’s setting, theme and also what sort of covers I personally liked or disliked – resulted in a home run with her first attempt. Traditional publishing never includes the author in the creative process of the cover art or back cover copy – so it was thrilling to be an integral part of the cover design process. Many people have remarked on what a powerful cover it is – so I am grateful to be proud of a cover instead of resigned to it.

Q: What drove you to choose the career of being a writer?
INDIA: I am pretty sure I am like most other authors someone for whom writing came easily from an early age – who had always loved story telling verbally and on the page – and for whom there is often a “voice” compelling me to sit down and write what I hear.  This book was very much that way: the character of Dominique kept talking to me, telling me about herself, demanding that her story be written.  I am not sure we choose the career of writer as much as submit to it.

Q: Do you own an ebook reading device?
INDIA: I most certainly do not! I am a dyed-in the-wool techno-phobe and never embrace any technology when it is new. I was the last person I know to get a cell phone – the absolutely last person I know to use email and only joined Twitter and FB very recently with much grumbling. I love the feel of a book, the annoyance even of having to rack the spine open a bit to get it to stay open.  I appreciate why people are embracing Kindles, Nooks Ipads and the like, and as a writer I am very glad this new technology means more readers able to access more books.
Q: Who are some of your favorite authors and what are you reading now?
INDIA: I love Toni Morrison and think BELOVED is a life-changing book. I love all the novels of Paul Watkins, from his first masterpiece NIGHT OVER DAY OVER NIGHT which he wrote in his 20’s, creating characters so realistic and descriptions so vivid and immediate that you could swear he must have been a German soldier in the trenches himself. Updike for his use of language, although the themes and characters are pretty repetitive.  Kurt Vonnegut and John Irving for their outlandish imaginations and socio-political themes. Right now I am reading the new Scott Spencer novel MAN IN THE WOODS, a work as brilliant as his very first novel ENDLESS LOVE which remains a personal favorite.  

Q: What do you think of book trailers and do you have any plans to have any?
INDIA: I think anything that helps draw attention to a book – captures someone for even that extra millisecond – is great. Having said that, I have not asked the publisher to consider doing one for me even though there are companies doing decent versions for as little as $100. Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but I still believe that books are about the power of the word and the reader’s imagination – literature is not a visual art form, other than requiring the use of the reader’s eyes (although I listen to some terrific Books on Tape – Kiryan Desai’s THE INHERITANCE OF LOSS comes to mind - so eyes aren’t always required!)

Q: How did you come up with the title of your latest book?
INDIA: The first title was THE ARTIST, and the book originally was essentially a character study of a dominatrix so good at what she did - so renowned as to receive vast sums of money for her skills - that she was truly an artist in her own realm. Adding “knot” came later, after the book became more of a thriller and had a political plot.

Q: What are you working on now that you can talk about?
INDIA: I am working on the second book in the trilogy, this one called THE WHIPPING GIRL.  It picks up precisely where THE KNOT ARTIST left off, with Dominique and the hero of the book Reynolds on the brink of embarking on an affair and dealing with complex money issues around the millions left in limbo at the end of THE KNOT ARTIST. It is very fun to be able to continue with a character and watch her change, grow and take action and go along for the ride. It really feels as though it is up to Dominique what will happen next – she is my muse and I am her scribe – so it’s as exciting and surprising for me as it will be for the reader (I hope!).



 “This is a fascinating timely erotic political thriller that goes deep into the S&M fetish world in which men of power pay large amounts of money to be a Sub to a discreet Dom. The key to this entertaining tale that twists from the dungeon to political intrigue is that India Wilson avoids moral condemnation of the BDSM crowd. The fast-paced story line is at its best when entering the dungeon and Dominique’s panic over what to do. Her past with her sister enhances the erotic elements as the audience learns how Dominique got to where she is. Although the spin into a taut international political intrigue subplot adds plenty of well-written suspense, this also takes the audience away from the thrilling visits to the dungeon.” From the rave 4 star review on The Mystery Gazette
                                                            By Harriet Klausner, top Amazon reviewer

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

India Wilson is the pseudonym for the author, who has also chosen to remain anonymous despite the fact that this is a work of fiction. Who she is – and why she needs to remain anonymous – have caused considerable curiosity. Although she regrets that her anonymity prevents her from having a public presence, India Wilson is cultivating a following in the social media and at www.TheKnotArtist.com, where she can be contacted for written interviews.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

$139 Kindle 3 Wi-Fi Back in stock get it for Christmas

The $139.00 Kindle 3 Wi-Fi are back in stock get it today to have for Christmas


Sunday, December 19, 2010

Kindle 3 Free G3 & Wi-Fi no Kindle 3 Wi-Fi only left

Amazon has sold out of the Wi-Fi only model's  of the new Kindle 3, Kindle 3 with Free 3G/Wi-Fi still available but for how long? if you want one for Christmas you better order soon.




Saturday, December 18, 2010

The Making of DIE ALREADY Cover Art

My new book Die Already has been getting a lot of comments of how disturbing the cover art alone is, so today I thought I would share with my readers how I came up with it.

I wanted something special that would grab your attention, and still represented the story. I first tried shooting a dark stairwell from a strange angle, but nothing was really connecting with what i wanted.

Then I remembered a photo shoot my daughter did of her cousin, and she had a really nice fashion shot with Kara I thought would fit the story perfectly if it wasn't so beautiful. I told Kaleigh i'd like to use the photo for my book cover, is there a way you can make it look more dark than beautiful.

Without even knowing the story line she took the photo into Photoshop and came back with the results that you now see. I'm just amazed how it looked so great and fit the story line. I took it and flipped the picture to have room for the title.

 I did the txt myself and since I don't know to much about Photoshop I did the title in Final Cut Pro. So I thought i would give you the before and after photos today, and I threw another one as a bonus from the shot that i really liked.




Imogen Rose KindleGem 2010



Imogen Rose released a list of her favorite reads of 2010 check them out.



YA READS
Hush Money by Susan Bischoff
Switched by Amanda Hocking
Failing Test by JM Pierce

Thriller/Mystery
Thin Blood by Vicki Tyley
Not What She Seems by Victorine E. Lieske
Deed to Death by D.B Hensen 
Alison Wonderland by Helen Smith
The Merry-Go-Round by Donna Fasano 
No Good Deed by Mary McDonald
Honeymoon for One by Beth Orsoff

Paranormal
Reining In by Dawn Judd
Kept by Zoe Winters
Dead(ish) by Naomi Kramer
Die Already by Kipp Poe Speicher
The Hunted of 2060 by Ami Blackwelder


Contemporary Fiction
A Scattered Life by Karen McQuestion 
Swedish for Beginners by Susanne O'Leary
No Lady and her Tramp (adult satire) by Kristie Leigh Maguire


There are many 2010 books still waiting to be read in my pile, I will add them to my 2011 reads.



Sunday, December 12, 2010

Ian Woodhead Interview




1: What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?
I can write at any time of the day but the words that I either write down or type have already ticker taped through my head beforehand. The most productive times for creativity are last thing at night, just before I dropped off to sleep and whilst I'm walking to work. As you can imagine, both of these times can be a little inconvenient! Although, there have been many a time when I've stopped dead, leaned against a wall and brought out my trusty notepad and pen.


2: Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?
I would say that 90% of my projects are started with good old fashioned pen and notepad. I think this is down to my choice of vocation. I work in the retail industry and consequently, I spent most of my time on the shop floor. 

3: What do you draw inspiration from?
My inspiration comes from everywhere! God, how hard is that question? Gazing at a book spine will give me a vague idea for a story, then again so will the back of somebody's head. I saw this young mother yesterday stoop down to pick an old lottery ticket off the floor. By the time I reached home, I had had her next two day's life played out in my head. 

4: Do you set goals for yourself when you sit down to write such as word count?
I've set myself goals time and time again in the past and I always broke them. whether it was the good old only 1000 words per day fave or write a page per hour. Nowadays, I don't bother.


5: Are you a published or a self published author and how do you come up with your cover art?
Both, I guess. I have a couple of submitted shorts in magazines but I think I'm mainly Indie (I love that word!) my wife did the cover art of Shades of Green


6: What drives you to choose the career of being a writer?
Chose? No, I didn't choose this. The bloody thing just appeared twenty years ago and won't leave me alone. I've had spells of non-writing, sometimes lasting nearly a year but it always comes back.


7: Do you own an ebook reading device?
I don't have one yet but I think that will change in the new year.


8: Who are some of your favorite authors and What are you reading now?
Who are my favourite authors? You're having a laugh here right? Have you any idea just how long that list would be? I suppose that I could give you a selected few - Philip k Dick, John Wyndham, Iain M Banks, James Herbert... Look, I could go on for hours here. As for what I'm reading now, Well I've just finished The Invasion by William Meikle.


9: What do you think of book trailers and do you have any plans to have any?
This is something that I've yet to look into, I know a lot of writers have constructed trailers but not me, not yet anyway, although it does sound pretty exciting!


10: How did you come up with the title of your latest book?
How did I come up with Shades of Green? To be honest, I really don't remember. Titles are a tricky thing. Sometimes a story can go for months without a title and yet other times, the title is there before I write down a single word!


11: What are you working on now that you can talk about?
The last question involves deadlines and setting goals does it! Well I'll explain what I want to do next year but whether I pull it off is another matter.
My next story is called Third Sight, it involves this demonic being that attaches itself to an unwilling individual and feeds off the victim's energy as the demon systematically butcher's everyone this victim ever knew.
I also have another three novels in various stages of completion and I'm hoping to finish and release all four in 2011.

 

Consuelo Saah Baehr Interview



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

Let’s break down this question to its emotional components:  When do we have the emotional energy and courage to make something up in our head, put it down in just the right words, re-read it tens of times and offer it for reading or for money to the general public?  When put that way, my answer would be: never. 
Before independent publishing, the difficulty in finding an agent or a traditional publishing house to take a look at our work was so daunting it shut most people down before they put words on paper. The rigidity of the publishing process not only derailed writing careers but created cement filled writing blocks for those brave enough to attempt writing at any time of the day or night.
Yes, there are probably times of the day when blood sugar levels are just right and the serotonin is kicking in nicely and we can let the mind do its thing and produce reams of words. Most writers identify it as early morning or late at night.  For me, since I began to operate my virtual Kindle Store with backlist and original e-books, I can and do write anytime, sometimes all the time.  Self-publishing has liberated me to simply write the best I know how without the fear and dejection of having to find someone to publish what I write.  It is like a huge 24-hour energy boost.


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

I usually start my projects with a thought that comes into my head while I am raking leaves or washing dishes.  Then I rush in and begin a document on the computer, save it and go back to the leaves or the dishes.  I have many documents that I have saved this way with one or two sentences and when I come upon them, I think:  Oh, yeah, this was a good idea. 
I mull things over at the beginning of a project to get the “voice” of the person who will tell the story especially when it is a “first person” narrative. The “voice” or tone of the protagonist is one of the most important aspects of a successful book.  When I have that firmly in my head I start writing on the computer.

3: What do you draw inspiration from?

To be a good writer you have to be madly in love with the human race.  You have to especially love the flaws because they create the conflict in the story and there can be no good story without conflict. I’m not trying to be pious or religious when I say this. I love to people-watch and make up lives for those standing in line somewhere.  I also draw inspiration from the ordinary aspects of life.  Mundane events that become extraordinary because of chaotic people or chaotic emotions.


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

No.  Even when I had contracts and deadlines for my print books, I never set a word count goal although I know that literary icons like Hemingway did use that technique.  It’s probably a good idea and I wish I had that sort of discipline.


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

I am both published and self-published and I cover this subject in the first question.  My daughter and one of my sons did the cover art for my e-books.

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

Choose?  Who said anyone had the option to choose?  Writing is a monkey on your back.  If anyone knows how to get rid of it successfully, let me know.

7: Do you own an ebook reading device?

Yes but it’s not working now and I’m using my Mac to read e-books.

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

F. Scott Fitzgerald (for his sentence structure and language). Hemingway for “A Moveable Feast” one of my favorite books.  Some of Anne Tyler’s books, specifically “Dinner At The Homesick Restaurant.” Elizabeth Strout for that brilliant book, Olive Kitteridge.  Sue Grafton for her alphabet series and many more.  Right now I am reading Sara Paretsky’s book, Guardian Angel.

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

My voice is high and doesn’t lend itself to recording.  I think trailers are a way for reader and writer to get to know each other but I’m not convinced this is a good thing.  I have no plans at this time for a book trailer but I might change my mind.

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

My latest title, One Hundred Open Houses, is about a middle-aged woman who needs to re-submit her life goals to the board of review and see where she is heading.  Step one:  move to the noisy, dirty, wonderful city of New York.  She visits one hundred open houses, evaluates the lives lived in them and then finds the one that will be her salvation. This is a very funny book as well as poignant.  Also you learn a lot about the minefield that is New York real estate. The title seemed appropriate to the story.

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

 When I began to self-publish I searched my files and found three wonderful half-finished novels.  One of them “Faith and Hope” had even received an offer from a traditional publisher. The other two “Almost Fifty” and “Tough as Nails.” are well under way.  I plan to finish all three and publish them as e-books.


http://www.setthiswriterfree.blogspot.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Consuelo-Saah-Baehr/e/B001HQ2JOQ/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0


Friday, December 10, 2010

Mark Asher Interview




1: What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?
When I'm in the mood to write. Morning or night, it doesn't really matter.

2: Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?
Computer. I haven't written with pen and paper for a long, long time. I did try voice recognition software, but that didn't work so well and dictating is somehow really different from typing.

3: What do you draw inspiration from?
Other writers. I see something I appreciate and start to think how I can do something similar.

4: Do you set goals for yourself when you sit down to write such as word count?
Nope. Well, I do tell myself to get a lot done. Maybe that's a wish more than a goal.

5: Are you a published or a self published author and how do you come up with your cover art?
In terms of fiction, self-published. For other kinds of writing, I've been published by others. Cover art is not easy for me. I have ten thumbs when it comes to being graphically artistic. I've been scavenging public domain sources for material to use in covers.

6: What drives you to choose the career of being a writer?
I love the written word.

7: Do you own an ebook reading device?
I use the Kindle PC app currently. I hope to get a device soon, though -- either a Kindle or a Nook most likely. I'm leaning towards a Nook because of the ability to use it with library books.

8: Who are some of your favorite authors and What are you reading now?
Tim Powers, James Blaylock, and Neil Gaiman are three writers I love. Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and Gray Mouser stories are some of my all-time favorite fantasy stories. I love contemporary poetry -- Albert Goldbarth and Billy Collins are a couple of favorites. A book I recently finished and absolutely loved is Carlos Ruiz Zafón's The Shadow of the Wind. It moved me to the point where for a couple of days I was walking around and dreaming about the book with a sense of reverence. If you are a lover of books, this is one to read because in part it's about being in love with books. 

9: What do you think of book trailers and do you have any plans to have any?
don't watch them and I have no plans of creating any. I will certainly change my mind if I become convinced they are effective marketing tools. That seems to be the most difficult thing for self-published writers to do -- marketing. (Actually, it's tough because we need to do it on the cheap.)I

10: How did you come up with the title of your latest book?
It makes me a bit uncomfortable calling the two things I've published books, because they are both really just short stories. I still equate a book with something 150 pages long, or longer. But Gary's First Time and Other Stories and No Kissing, No Touching are both titles of stories.

11: What are you working on now that you can talk about?
What I want to do is write quite a few erotic short stories and sell them individually for $0.99 and also group them together in collections to sell for $2.99. I can write a story in a day or two so I can write three or four stories a week.

I realized that there's something freeing about erotica for me -- I don't get caught up in plot as much. I can focus on interesting dialog and setting. This story I plan on finishing up tonight is about a pool hall bet between two men, one of whom has his girlfriend with him. Since it's erotica, you can probably figure what the winner is getting.

Now if this was a mystery I'd be struggling with plot. If it was horror, same issue. Since it's erotica, however, I know exactly where it's going. It's heading towards the bedroom.

I have some other things I've started, too. I have a vampire novel I started because there aren't enough of those. I have a fantasy novel, a sword and sorcery thing. I have a contemporary fantasy set in a small Missouri town. And I have a novel I have been collaborating on with a friend about a middle-aged man who pays for a Russian bride. I'd call it contemporary fiction. There's an excerpt from it in Gary's First Time.

I'm good at starting. Not so good at finishing. I have to learn to be a better finisher.

Thanks for the interview! 

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Doing It Write Now My Indie Picks 2010

A great blog posted their Indie Picks of 2010 go check them out for some excellent reads, I was very excited to see Die Already was one of them.




Doing It Write Now



http://claire-farrell.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-indie-picks-2010.html?spref=fb

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Another 5 STAR review for DIE ALREADY :)



5.0 out of 5 stars Great Short StoryDecember 1, 2010
 By 


When I started this I didn't realize it was a short story. I finished it and was left wanting more. But that's a good thing, right? Well, I think it is. This is the first story I've read by this author and it won't be the last. The story is dark and disturbing, exactly what I think the author was going for.





New review of Die Already on My Love of Reading



A new review is posted on a great new blog called My Love Of Reading


http://myloveofreading.wordpress.com/2010/11/30/review-die-already-by-kipp-poe-speicher/