Friday, August 17, 2012

R.E. Butler - The Tribe's Bride




1. Is there a particular genre you prefer to read when you aren't busy writing?
I'm a huge paranormal romance fan.  If it has a hero or heroine with claws, fangs, fur, wings, or supernatural powers....I'm in!
2. Is there another book in your future?
Yes, I'm always writing!  I'm releasing the fourth in my wiccan-were-bear series, A Bond of Brothers, on August 24th, and the fourth in my Wolf's Mate series will be released in October.  I'm also in the process of editing the second necklace series book, which I hope to release in the fall as well.
3. Your book has time travel in it. What inspired you to go that route?
I read several time-travel books and wondered why no one had thought to take a character back to a Native American tribe.  When I couldn’t find what I wanted to read, I decided to write it myself!
4. What motivated you to go Indie? Are you enjoying the journey?
I hadn’t heard of self-publishing before last year, but I liked the idea of being in control of my book and not going through traditional routes.  I found a beta-reader and with her support, I pub’d my first novella, A Curve of Claw in the fall of 2011.  I love writing and publishing my own books, the freedom is incredible.  I can publish as often as I want and have control over every aspect, from character names to cover design to marketing.
5. Your story involves 3 brothers and one woman. Do you consider this erotica?
Although the three brothers share one wife, there isn’t true ménage-play, and for me, that’s where I think a book with multiple partners crosses from romance into erotica.  So while I don’t necessarily consider it an erotica story, some distributors do just because it contains multiple partners.
6. Is writing a hobby or a lifelong dream?
A little of both.  I’ve been writing since I was a kid, but never had the courage to step out and send something to a publisher.  I’m very blessed that something I love doing so much has become a career and the culmination of something I wanted to do for a great portion of my life.

Include an excerpt or blurb from the book.
When a university job interview goes south, Carrie Wade isn’t certain that she’ll ever find work in her field of ancient Native American Culture. Knowing the only job waiting for her is waitressing at a coffee house, Carrie indulges in a post-disappointment shopping trip. An old necklace in an antique store window catches her eye and she immediately feels as if she cannot walk away without owning it. The very last thing she needs to do is squander her savings by investing in a necklace that may have, at one time, belonged to one of the tribes she studied…but she can’t help herself.
When she tries on the precious necklace at home, she passes out and wakes up in the tent of the necklace’s original owners, three Native American tribesmen from the late 1600s. Will she be able to get back home to the future, or will she find out that the one place she was always meant to be was back in time as the tribe’s bride?
This novella contains m/f/m/m interaction, three handsome brothers that will do anything for each other and their woman, and a magical necklace that brings them all together.

Feel free to add anything you would like me to ask or you'd like to share.
About R.E. Butler:  A married mother of two, R.E. spends her free time exploring paranormal worlds and daydreaming about leading men.  When she’s not writing, she’s reading, playing with her kids and dogs, cooking, boating, and enjoying life.

Share your book links, twitter, facebook,etc. Whatever you'd like to share with your fans. I can grab a few links off your emails.
rebutler.wordpress.com
rebutlerauthor@gmail.com
@rebutlerauthor
FB:  R.E.ButlerAuthorPage 

A comment contest with an ebook for the prize.
I’ll offer two ebooks to commenter's on the post.
   
The question is:
“If you could go anywhere in time, past or future, where would you go and why?”

Friday, February 24, 2012

William Trelawny - The Adventures of Riley Raccoon


I welcome author, William Trelawny. He's talking about his book, The Adventures of Riley Raccoon. Riley Raccoon, is moving up the charts at Amazon!
How long have you been writing? Well, aside from AP English class, I suppose I’ve
been writing since about 8th grade. Nothing serious, of course, and nothing I’m ever
going to publish, but I wrote short, isolated stories or short stories and poems. I
would write from inspiration, much like in Riley Raccoon, but back then I would
always encounter severe writer’s block and the story would end up just being a
single scene. Riley was the first story I wrote that just kept writing and writing,
mostly writing itself. I’d never experienced that before, and it was wonderful that I
was actually able to finish Riley and publish him.

Your book is for children but it will appeal to all ages. Do you feel that's important when writing for children or young adults? When I started Riley, I had a vague intention of it being a children’s story- being about raccoons and all. But as I wrote,
I disregarded all marketing aspects and just wrote what I felt the story should
be, regardless of readers’ age, background, etc. I wrote Riley for me, and what I
wanted him to be. And the deeper, more mature themes and morals just manifested
themselves as I kept writing, eventually to the point that it was hard to consider this
a simple children’s book, because there’s much in there a child alone might not be
able to understand.

Is there a moral to your story? Yes, most definitely. Riley learns, primarily through
the guidance of Charlotte, that the world is filled with mediocrity and creatures
that can’t recognize nor respect beauty and perfection, such as his three “havens”
represent. Riley learns he must do everything in his power to protect and preserve
such beauty in the world, for as long as it exists, it is in danger of being defiled. This
translates very accurately to our current world, in which mediocrity in humans is
praised, and true beauty is either ignored or destroyed by the common average.

What do you do in your spare time...hobbies?
 
I enjoy finding ways to live minimally.
I plan on traveling around planet Earth and not spend a fortune doing so.
More conventionally, I enjoy playing baseball, composing music, and reading
philosophically challenging books.

What is your writing process? Do you outline or wing it?
I personally don’t like
outlining a story. Unless, of course, you’re writing non-fiction. I did not have an
outline in Riley, I suppose you could say I winged it. But I had a general idea of
what I wanted to happen and what themes and morals I wanted to convey. But like
I said, the story practically wrote itself. Riley and Charlotte are two personas I am
intimately familiar with, so I basically just sat them together and let them talk to
each other, myself acting merely as a scribe of their conversation.

Do you have a favorite author? There are three different things I like about my three
favorite authors. Cormac McCarthy- his writing style, though not too apparent in
Riley’s story (that would surely be something to read- a McCarthian adaptation of
Riley Raccoon!), is very brutal, especially his dialogue scenes. Ayn Rand- for her
philosophical themes and way of embedding them so deeply and effectively in her
fictitious stories. And
Charlotte Bronte - for her classic prose, and beautifully artistic
descriptions. That’s probably the strangest mix of authors you’ve ever seen…

Has any author inspired you to write? Well early on, I was very influenced by
Charlotte Bronte. I read Jane Eyre my freshman year and proceeded to write some of my
short story/scenes, which were extremely descriptive and artsy. After a few years,
though, Cormac McCarthy added his style to the mix. My senior year, I did a series
of short western scenes that were heavily influence by his writing style. It was a lot
of fun, and helped me fine tune my writing style. Once again, a strange mix- like
peanut butter and mayonnaise…

Share something about your publishing journey. You went Indie. Did you submit to a traditional publisher
? No I did not submit to a traditional publisher, I decided to go all on my own this first time through. I wanted to get a first-hand taste of what
the eBook industry was all about. I began by publishing to Smashwords, Barnes &
Noble, and Amazon, but had little success. So just recently, I joined KDP Select and
am going Kindle-exclusive for 90 days. We’ll see how that goes I guess…

How did you come up with the idea for your book? My book was inspired by my
partner, as stated in the dedication. She is a wonderful person, a brilliant mind,
and a lovely woman. She has taught me so much over the years, and I. She is my
blackberry bush, my willow tree, and my view from the boulder on the hill.

Are you working on something new? Yes, if you caught my previous statement, I do
plan on making Riley a series. For those who’ve read the book already, the second
takes place immediately (literally the next sentence) after the first book. The 2nd
installment details the life of Charlotte before she arrived at Riley’s hamlet. I realize
that may not make sense to those who’ve read it, so I’ll say that it is a flashback
story.

You can find William at:
Wordpress: http://rileyraccoon.wordpress.com
Amazon:

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Author - William Petersen



How long have you been writing?

 - I've been writing fiction for about five years, although, I've only recently developed the courage to actually release a story for others to read. I've held a freelance, non-fiction writing position for nearly ten years, and at the urging of some of my clients, I took the plunge and wrote a story with the intention of commercial release, right from the start. From that, my first story: "Mythical", a short urban fantasy thriller, was born, and I've been addicted to fiction writing ever since.

Is there a particular genre you prefer to read or write?

- I absolutely love dark stories of horror, sci-fi and fantasy, but I'm partial to the thriller component in any type of genre. I love to be scared, confused and shocked when reading. I like books that make me stop and think or consider, "What would I do?", or ones that just make me look up and say, "Wow".

What do you do in your spare time...hobbies?


- I'm fanatical about any outdoor activities. Much to the annoyance of my friends, I try to camp, hike or fish anywhere, at anytime. I'll camp or hike in the dead of winter or the height of summer. The natural world never fails to amaze me. My ultimate goal is to become an eccentric mountain man, living in the wilds of Alaska, that somehow still has a laptop and Internet connection in the uncharted wilderness.

What are you working on now?


- I am currently working on my fourth story, and like the first three, it is also a modern-day thriller, with many tie-ins to the issues surrounding conservation, nature and mankind's balance with the world. "A New Empire", is a story about greed, misinterpretation and misguided beliefs, pitting a modern-day hippie-chick and an underachiever approaching a mid-life crisis, against a determined and resourceful foe that is using a clever veil to carry out a plan of world domination, right before the world's eyes.

What is your writing process? Do you outline or wing it?

- I start with a very clear and detailed outline, one which covers the basics of a beginning, middle and an end, then everything is "wing it" from there on. I actually find that once I begin writing, physically putting words and sentences together, the story takes on a direction of its own. Sometimes, it will behave and follow the outline, at other times, the story writes itself a new outline, whether I want it to or not. That is how I know they are good stories, but telling them effectively and writing a 'great' story, well...that's the trick I'm trying to learn.

Who's your favorite character? Why?


- My favorite book character of all time has to be "Gard", James Gardener, from Stephen King's: The Tommyknockers. I love the unlikely good guy.

Has any author inspired you to write?

 - Just about every book I've read has inspired me, in one way or another, to write. However, some of my biggest influences are Stephen King, Michael Crichton, Dean Koontz, Isaac Asimov, Larry Niven and Clive Barker, though the list goes on and on...

Share something about your publishing journey. You went Indie.


 - I decided to publish a collection of shorter (50,000 words or less) stories as a way to have something available online that readers, editors and publishers could look at anytime, in a completed and polished format. I have to say, it has worked out beautifully. While self-publishing does have its limitations, I have opened a few doors with it, and encourage those considering it to go for it, but don't spend your hard-earned money doing it. I've published three books and a compilation, promoted them and generated a few sales, not many, but a few, without spending any money or paying for any promotions. If you publish for free, you are then free to use your money for the toughest parts: advertising, building a following and generating sales.

I see you have a web design background. is that for fun or profit?


 -Web design is really what got me started writing full time. Years ago, in a land far, far away...I opened a small website design business in my home town, and it turned out that customers needed just as much content writing as they did website building. As the economy slowly put the last of my clients out of business, more and more writing opportunities opened up, until I was freelance writing non-fiction and fiction full-time. I started putting more time into developing my own stories and writing skills and today, the only thing I really design are my book covers and advertisements.

Share links or excerpts from your work, blogs.


My author blog, http://www.WilliamPetersen.Wordpress.com  is devoted to promoting new and upcoming authors and writing resources, even more so than my own writing, as I know from personal experience just how tough it is to be your own agent, publisher, editor and marketing department. My new motto is "As a GROUP of independent writers, we can make our own market...", and I firmly believe that.

Alas, I still need promotional help as much as the next author, so please take a moment and preview my new books:

"Mythical" - A modern urban fantasy novella about the last magical creatures on Earth and those chosen by fate to protect them.
Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Smashwords and iTunes

"Underground" - A contemporary adventure thriller illustrating how racism, intolerance and indifference open the door for a new breed of monsters to repeat some of the darkest moments in history.
Amazon and Smashwords - Coming soon to B&N and iTunes

"Staying the Hand of God" - A science fiction thriller following mankind's race to escape the impending doom of a restless planet Earth and those who would accept the demise of the human race as the inevitable will of a higher power.
Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Smashwords and iTunes

"Three Thrillers" - A compilation of the above three stories in one, discounted collection.
Amazon and Smashwords

Thanks for reading!
W.P.


Thank you William! What a wide range of genres, there's something for everyone to read and enjoy.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Taken by Robert Crais

Always leaves me wanting more...Pike.

More Pike, more emotion but those two words just don't go together. I keep hoping the facade will crack and we will get a momentary glimpse inside the tortured man we have grown to love. I thought I would see more emotion with Elvis being kidnapped but in true Crais form it was understated and simple, like Pike and his relationship with Elvis, it was broken down into simple, tangible things, the Corvette and a Jiminy Cricket figurine.
Each item having meaning to a character in the story.

I understand Pike's need to keep his demons locked tightly away in a box...probably best for the world they stay there. I get to let mine come out to play in my novels. Pike's lack of trust and emotion resonates with some of us. Wanting solitude but constantly battling with that ingrained need for human contact. Elvis and Pike have a unique friendship.They are two people who never had anyone to depend on in the world until they found each other.


Stone is a nice addition and a necessity to this storyline. Stone is the Chatty Cathy to Pike's stoic, intense silence, with Elvis out of the picture someone needs to talk. I'm not sure if Stone would hold my interest as a stand alone character as Pike has, but I can see another joint adventure in their future. Pike does owe his fellow ex-merc 'one' now. I don't see any real depth to Stone, just his self-serving nature, but that can always change.


Everyone involved had an agenda and a need of some sort. Elvis needed to find his client's daughter, Pike needed to find Elvis and Stone needed to relieve his boredom. What is it about L.A. and people exercising in the nude? I must visit this place.


'Taken' was a gut wrenching look into a world of human trafficking that most of us couldn't dream up in our worst nightmares. Bandits who rob bandits and the prize is the human cargo they transport into the country. It was bloody, it was brutal but again, understated perfection! Just enough to draw us in but not enough to turn us off. Crais shows us in novel after novel the hidden worlds just outside our windows.


I happily give Elvis, The World's Greatest Detective moniker after this adventure, nothing like going into the belly of the beast for your client. Pike is the supreme predator, the hunter who keeps going until he completes his mission or dies trying. 

I'm anxiously waiting the next Robert Crais book!

Stop by for some Pike fan fiction.