characters – Writing Under Fire

It’s NANO time

Posted on November 1, 2015March 30, 2022 by jtailele

It’s November 1st – that means another year of NANOWRIMO. No idea what that means? NAtional NOvel WRIting MOnth.

Join hundreds of thousands of other authors in the writing challenge to write a complete novel in thirty days. That’s right. Thirty days. Criteria must be a minimum of 50,000 words. That’s it. Any genre, any style of writing.

For those of you already familiar with NANOWRIMO, you have probably been planning and outlining like crazy getting ready for this event. But even if you haven’t, you can still jump into the fun. Can you write 1667 words per day? You’ll never know unless you try.

My first novel, Accident, was a NANO book, squeaking through at 50,000 and a few words. By the time, it was ready to roll off the presses (two and half years later), it had grown into a grown-up novel of 80K.

A few things to keep in mind when you write your NANO book.

You don’t have time to edit. (that comes later)
Write with fearless abandon, whatever crazy thing comes into your head. (you can always cut the crap, and most definitely will)
Put your characters in perilous predicaments. Up the stakes but putting them through things you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy.
Although you will stay up all night thinking of stuff to write, and rush to the PC (or Mac) or reach for a quick pen and paper, pace yourself. You still have a life, and a family that wonders what the heck you are doing. Want time to gobble down that turkey with family? Write double your word count the days before. Need three days? Then crunch the time in ahead of time.
There is no one to judge what you wrote, so just have fun with it.
What will you win? The satisfaction of knowing you have just WRITTEN A NOVEL. How many people can say that?
Log on to the NANO website and get all the scoop. And don’t forget to log your progress. There are others out there helping to cheer you on. nanowrimo.org/

Good Luck and Happy Writing

books, characters, fiction, novels, writing

The Writer’s Block Tip #6 by Jason Rekulak

Posted on April 12, 2015March 30, 2022 by jtailele

Real People by Jason Rekulak

Pat Conroy hit bestseller lists with his novel The Prince of Tides – but Conroy’s sister recognized so much of herself in the story that she never spoke to her brother again. This kind of family reaction is a serious concern for many of us, and often the fear will develop into full blown writers block. After all, how can you write honestly about the failings of your father if you’re certain he’ll recognize himself in your manuscript? Thankfully, there are simple techniques for disguising any real-life individuals who inspire your fiction. You can modify or exaggerate a person’s physical appearance – give Dad an extra thirty pounds. perhaps, or change the color of Mom’s hair. Changing their occupations is another good idea – many people define themselves almost exclusively by their careers. Also, feel free to blur or change the relationships among your characters. If you’re writing very auto-biographical fiction, the character of your sister could easily be a roommate, cousin, best friend or co-worker. Your father could appear in the guise of a boss, neighbor, teacher of shopkeeper. By consciously altering the truth, you’ll actually develop your characters into more “real” fictional creations.

Thank you Jason. Now readers – it’s your turn. Have you used a family member as a profile for a character in your book? Did you alter as Jason suggests, or is your character a mirror image of…. the sister that could do no wrong?… the father that never stood up to your domineering mother?…. the grandmother that kept it all together?…

I’ll go first. In my first novel, Accident, the grandmother, Esther is a blended version of my own mother and my grandmother, who, incidentally, really was named Esther and did speak broken Swedish.

authors, books, characters, names

The Writer’s Block Tip #5 by Jason Rekulak

Posted on February 10, 2015March 30, 2022 by jtailele

Create a new character from scratch by beginning with the name first. Write as much as you know about him or her, and let the character carry you into a story.

Barbara Kingsolver achieved international success with novels like The Bean Trees, Animal Dreams, and The Poisonwood Bible. At readings and lectures, she is frequently asked where she finds the names for her characters (who often have distinctive monikers like Turtle, Lloyd, Oreanna, Rose-Johnny, Newt Hardbine and Annawake Fourkiller.) Kingsolver explains, “I give almost as much thought to the naming of my principal characters as I did with my children.”

In fact, the names of Halimeda and Cosima Noline (the two sisters in Animal Dreams) came straight out of “Name That Baby” book that Kingsolver references while developing her characters. These books are inexpensive and invaluable references for the fiction writer, because they’re loaded with useful information about the origins and derivations of common names. More importantly, they also contain hundreds of uncommon names – great names like Tamonoa and Cormac and Octovia – that will help lend your character a sense of individuality. ………… by Jason Rekulak

I my last novel, the name of my character actually helped create the title of my book, “Town Without Mercy.” My main character’s name was Mercedes, but called Mercy for short. If you haven’t read it yet, I am not giving any spoilers.

Tell me about YOUR new character or one you recently named. How did you decide on that name?

authors, books, characters, editing, novels, outline, pantser, planner, readers, short stories, technology, writer's block, writers, writing

The Writer’s Block Tip#3 by Jason Rekulak

Posted on January 25, 2015March 30, 2022 by jtailele

To outline or not to outline by Jason Rekulak

Outliners are most common among thriller and mystery writers, for obvious reasons. Jeffery Deaver (The Bone Collector) claims that the surprising plot twists of his suspense novels wouldn’t be possible unless he plotted out all of the details in advance; he usually spends eight months researching and writing the outline, and four months writing the manuscript itself.

But non-genre writers use outlines too. John Barth wrote: “I don’t see how anybody starts a novel without knowing how its going to end. I usually make detailed outlines; how many chapters it will be and so forth.”

On the other side of the fence are writers who prefer a more organic approach to their craft; Aldous Huxley wrote, “I know very dimply when I start what’s going to happen. I just have a very general idea, and then the thing develops as I write.”

If you are suffering from writer’s block, try changing your approach. Make a detailed outline of the story – or plunge headfirst into the opening paragraph without any idea where you are going. Either way, the change in routine may be surprisingly effective.

Readers, are you a planner (outliner) or a pantser (fly by the seat)? Personally, I am a basic outliner, but I allow my characters to lead the story, which sometimes takes it into unplanned territory. One funny experience I had while deep in the writing of my 2nd novel, Town Without Mercy, the dialogue between the two protagonists seem to write itself. When I was done, I laughed out loud, saying “That is not what I had in my outline at all.” But the story was better for it.

What have your experiences been in stepping out of your routine? Surprising outcomes?

authors, books, characters, fiction, friend, friends, humor, mystery, novels, readers, romance, series, writers, writing

Romantic comedy in The Roche Hotel

Posted on December 12, 2014March 30, 2022 by jtailele

Mysti Parker (pseudonym) is a wife, mom, author, and shameless chocoholic. She is the author of the Tallenmere standalone fantasy romance series. Her other writings have appeared in the anthologies Hearts of Tomorrow, Christmas Lites, Christmas Lites II, The Darwin Murders, Tasteful Murders and EveryDayFiction.

Other writing pursuits include serving as a class mentor in Writers Village University’s seven week online course, F2K. She finished her first historical romance this spring and has one children’s book (Quentin’s Problem) soon to be published, with one more waiting for illustrations, and many more stewing in her head.

When she’s not writing fiction, Mysti works as a freelance editor and copywriter. She also reviews books for SQ Magazine, an online specfic publication, and is the proud owner of Unwritten, a blog voted #3 for eCollegeFinder’s Top Writing Blogs award. She resides in Buckner, KY with her husband and three children.

Mysti’s Blog: Subscribe to my blog, Unwritten

Visit my webpage: www.mystiparker.com (in construction)

Mysti’s Facebook: LIKE my fan page on Facebook!

Twitter: Follow me on Twitter @MystiParker

http://www.amazon.com/Roche-Hotel-Season-One-ebook/dp/B00NYCMIZQ

Mysti, for the book we are promoting today, what shelf would we find it on if it were in a bricks and mortar bookstore?

You’d find The Roche Hotel in the romantic comedy section, if there is such a thing. It’s also serial fiction, made up of connecting flash-fiction length stories rather like a sitcom. Is there a serial romantic comedy shelf in the bookstore? I wonder if they would mind if I built one…

Why did you choose to go the self-publishing Indie route in lieu of traditional publication? What were the deciding factors to choosing your publisher?

I started out being published with a small press—Melange Books. I love Nancy and the crew and I’ve seen several small presses that are doing great. I’ll definitely not be avoiding them in the future. I have tried the agent/big press thing. Had the agent—didn’t get me a deal in close to a year and a half, so I’m here to tell you that agents don’t necessarily mean you’ll get a publishing contract. Therefore, I’m taking advantage of self-publishing with The Roche Hotel and other projects. I like being in control of when it goes out, my cover art, how it’s promoted, and getting all the royalties myself.

Are you a pantser or a planner?

Pantser! Though I’m trying real hard to be a better planner. I’ll never be a stickler because it’s fun when my characters surprise me, but a little structure doesn’t hurt! Shameless plug alert—I wrote a recent article about that very thing: http://mystiparker.blogspot.com/2014/09/story-planning-for-pantsers.html

Complete this sentence….. Something/someone who helped me improve my writing is……. learning to give and get feedback from fellow writers at Critique Circle and Writers Village University.

What is the premise of your novel we are promoting today?

Here’s the blurby goodness:

After her husband ditches her for a blonde actress wannabe, Jane Seymour needs a job that pays the rent. The struggling Roche Hotel needs a miracle. With the former owner’s wife butting her nose into the renovations and new owners who are in way over their heads, Jane may be the answer to their prayers. Sure, she can handle The Roche Hotel’s quirky staff. But, can this skittish divorcee keep it all together when handsome Henry the Donut Guy makes his first delivery? This collection of serial fiction stories is a Tudorific romantic comedy that will leave you laughing out loud and hungry for more.

Thank you Mysti. Jane Seymour? As in the actress? The Roche Hotel sounds very interesting. Kind of serial romantic, comedy, mystery. A touch of everything. It should reach a large audience. When I first starting writing ficton commercially, I had a terrific online critique group, including Leona Pence that you probably know through F2K. WVU, Writers Village University has been a wonderful source for new and experienced authors. I highly recommend it to other authors.

authors, books, characters, conflict, family, favorite books, fiction, friend, love, mystery, novels, pain, publishing, purpose, readers, romance, series, small towns, support, WFWA, womens fiction, writers

Multi-published Women’s Fiction Author Kathleen Paterka says “don’t give up.”

Posted on December 5, 2014March 30, 2022 by jtailele

A very special welcome to Kathleen Paterka. We met through the wonderful group, WFWA, Women’s Fiction Writers of America. Kathleen, when did you first know you wanted to be a writer and was there a particular inspiration to get started?

I fell in love with the written word in the 2^nd grade reading my first Trixie Belden® book. In case you’re not familiar with the series, Trixie was a girl detective who teamed up with her brothers and best friend Honey Wheeler to solve mysteries occurring around their little town in the Hudson Valley area of New York. Trixie Belden changed my life. It was the first time I’d read a book with a plot and no pictures. I devoured the existing series (12 books), and anxiously waited for the next one to be published. It was around that time I made the decision that someday, I would be an author and write more Trixie Belden novels. While I never did tackle the world of Trixie Belden (the last book was published in 1986), I did start my own series. The James Bay novels (Fatty Patty, Home Fires, Lotto Lucy, and For I Have Sinned) are set in the fictional resort community of James Bay, Michigan. After finishing those four stories, I wrote another two books set in different locations. Royal Secrets is about a family-owned Las Vegas wedding chapel, while my upcoming release, The Other Wife, is set in Chicago. For my next book (which I’m currently researching), I’ll be taking readers back to James Bay.

I too well in love with writing over Trixie Beldon, as you can see from my own tattered copy. It is one of my treasured possessions.

Do you have a background in writing? What other work have you done, and how has it impacted your writing career?

In school, my teachers tried steering me toward Creative Writing classes, but I dug in my heels, screaming “No, no, no!” I didn’t like being forced to write poetry or short stories. I knew I wanted to be a novelist, and I couldn’t see any point in wasting my time by writing Haiku (sincere apologies to any Haiku-enthusiasts who may be reading this). While I concede that there are basics to the craft that must be mastered (sentence structure, proper grammar, plot elements, etc.), there’s simply no way another person can ‘teach you’ how to write a book. Want to know the secret? Sit down and start. It’s as simple as that. Caveat: notice I did not say it was ‘easy’. It may be simple, but it’s definitely not easy. After graduating college with a degree in Sociology, plus a few years spent working for a local newspaper, the Catholic church, and the law, I finally settled down where I belonged: in a beautiful castle located in Northern Michigan. My job as staff writer at Castle Farms (a century old French Renaissance castle listed on the National Register of Historic Places) is like a fairy-tale come true.

Kathleen, what advice would you give to new writers just getting started with their first manuscript?

The best advice I can pass along was given to me by an author friend when I was just starting out. This highly successful NY Times bestselling author told me: “Perseverance and persistence, along with discipline, determination and confidence, are EVERY bit as important as talent. Your belief in yourself… is THE ONLY THING that separates you from the hundreds who will fall by the wayside without their dreams and goals realized. Don’t give up. Don’t give up. Don’t give up. Work hard, work smart, work tirelessly. Be tough, be brave and be persistent. All clichés, yes. But when they apply to you and how much you want to realize your dream, they are very apt.” I’ve kept my friend’s message tucked close in my heart through all the ups and downs of my publishing career, and it’s served me well. Today, I’m sharing her message with you. Don’t give up!

Tell us about one of your book in 3 sentences. Fatty Patty (my first novel) is semi-autobiographical. Though I’m now at a normal weight (and have been for over 35+ years), I weighed three hundred pounds while in high school. Fatty Patty tackles the issues of dieting, dating, self-esteem, and exposes the gritty honest truth of what it’s like to be overweight in a society that worships thin.

What is the premise of your novel we are promoting today? My upcoming release, The Other Wife, will hit the shelves (and the cyber-world of Amazon, Barnes & Noble, plus Kobo) in February 2015. What happens in a woman’s life when her husband dies? What kind of secrets might be revealed? I came up with the idea when my own husband, Steve, actually died in front of me early one morning. I was sitting at the end of his bed in the semi-darkness when he made a strange sound. At the time, I thought it was the oddest snore I’d ever heard. Turns out, it was the infamous ‘death rattle’. Believe me, if you’ve never heard it, it makes the hair on the back of your neck stand straight up! Luckily, Steve was in the cardiac unit of our local hospital. They called a Code Blue, and the medical team managed to resuscitate him. He’s since had a triple by-pass and doing well, thank you! But that hospital experience in 2011 got me to thinking: What if Steve had been at home, asleep in our bed? What if he’d let out that horrible sound, and I’d assumed it was only a loud snore? I probably would have poked him, rolled over in bed, and gone back to sleep… what a horrible thing to wake up to in the morning. And what would my life have been like after that? Thus, a new storyline was born.

Can you share a few paragraphs from your book to whet our appetite?

Here’s the Prologue from The Other Wife… I hope you enjoy it!

It wasn’t much of a sound. Later, she would remember it as an odd sort of grunt. Still, it had been loud enough to wake her. Eleanor rolled over in their king-size bed, stretched out an arm, and nudged him. Richard’s snoring had worsened in the past months. She lay there in the darkness, waiting to see if another nudge was necessary. Just the other day, she’d read how snoring could be a sign of sleep apnea, leading to other, more serious, health problems. Perhaps tomorrow, depending on what kind of mood he was in, she’d mention the subject over breakfast. Maybe she should insist that he see a doctor. Not that it would do much good. Richard rarely listened to her. For most of the thirty-eight years they’d been married, he hadn’t listened to much of what she had to say. He’d probably give her his usual shrug, tell her to quit worrying.

Quit worrying. It wasn’t until five hours later that she realized she’d had good cause to be worried. She should have known that sound was different. She should have stayed awake. She should have tried to rouse him. Instead, she waited another minute, surrounded by silence. Then, turning over, she laid her head back on the pillow and curled up in her spot, still warm from sleep, snuggling into the clean, fragrant smell of freshly laundered sheets changed by Martha the day before. Closing her eyes, Eleanor drifted off into the most pleasant dream… only to wake the next morning to every woman’s nightmare.

Richard, in bed beside her, was dead.

Readers, go to Kathleen’s website. There is a place where you can enter to win a FREE copy of her new book, The Other Wife. I have read Fatty Patty and Royals Secrets. They are both fantastic. I can’t wait for The Other Wife to come out.

Thank you, Kathleen, for being on Author Interview Friday on Writing Under Fire.

Author website: http://kathleenirenepaterka.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KathleenIrenePaterka

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KPaterka

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Kathleen-Irene-Paterka

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/kathleen-irene-paterka

authors, characters, children, coming of age, conflict, cozy mystery, fiction, forgiveness, humor, innocence, love, mystery, novels, publishing, readers, small towns, writers

“Close to the Broken Hearted” equals heartache, innocence and forgiveness.

Posted on November 27, 2014March 30, 2022 by jtailele

Welcome everyone to Author Interview Friday. It is my pleasure to have Michael Hiebert with us today. I’d like to change up the order of how my interviews usually begin and go straight to the short synopsis of Michael’s book, Close to the Broken Hearted.

At twenty-two, Sylvie Carson has known a lifetime’s worth of trouble. When she was a child, her baby brother was shot to death by a man named Preacher Eli. Orphaned by her teens, Sylvie is now raising her own baby with no partner in sight. For all these reasons, Leah Teal, Alvin, Alabama’s only detective, tries to stay patient when Sylvie calls the station day and night, always with some new false alarm. But now, Preacher Eli is out of prison amd moving back to town.

As far as he law is concerned, the old man has paid his dues; though Leash’s twelve-year-old son, Abe, vehemently disagrees. Between that and his relentless curiosity about the daddy he hardly knew, Abe’s imagination is running in all directions lately. While Leah struggles with how much of the past to reveal to Abe, she/s also concerned about Sylvie’s mounting panic. Something in her gut tells her the girl might be a target after all. For as Leah knows well, there’s danger not just in the secrets others keep from us, but in the lies that corrupt from within. It’s a hunch that will be tested soon enough as tensions mount on both sides.

Evoking the South with depth and grace, Michael Hiebert’s poignant, gripping novel captures the strength wrought by heartache and lost innocence; and the transformative power of forgiveness. Wherever it comes. . .

See folks, I knew that would be an attention grabber. Now, may I introduce Michael Heibert. Michael comes to us from the wintry land of British Columbia, Canada. He won the Surrey International Writer’s Conference Storyteller’s Award twice in a row. He teaches classes online at Writers’ Village University. (Did not notice that last week, author was also my friend I met at Writer’s village University. A great place to learn online and chat with terrific author friends you just haven’t met yet.

Michael, do you have a background in writing or take any special writing courses that helped you along the way?

I was very lucky to meet Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch about ten years ago. They taught me a lot of what I know today. I went to writing workshops down in their house in Oregon where ten writers were sequestered into one space (we all had our own bedroom) and we’d be given eight hours of lecturing a day and expected to write 25,000 words a week. I write a lot. I write fast. I think these two things impacted my writing career more than anything else. Two years in a row I wrote over one million words (I used to keep track). I don’t write so much these days, but I can still do three books a year without breaking a sweat.

How long did it take you to publish your fist manuscript?

Well, I quit my day job and decided to become a real writer twelve years before actually publishing anything. During that time I wrote a LOT. I wrote sixteen novels and probably fifty or so short stories.

Twelve years. And you stuck with it. That is determination. Many of us cross over genres and it is difficult to pinpoint one to fit our books. For the book we are promoting today, what shelf would we find it on if it were in a bricks and mortar bookstore?

It IS in bricks and mortar bookstores and usually found on the mystery shelves, although sometimes it’s just placed under fiction.

Are you published through a traditional publishing house? If yes, how did you find your agent and publisher?

Kensington Books in NYC publish my adult novels. I self-publish my YA books and my short story collections. My agent found my publisher for me (that’s her job), but finding an agent wasn’t easy. It took me ten years. When I finally did find her, I literally ran into her on the sidewalk in New York. See the About Me section of my website for a more thorough description of how this happened. It’s pretty funny.

I did read your About Me section in your website. I LOVED the line “Fiction will always just be more entertaining than real life, so why not stretch things a teensy bit when you’re retelling them.” I’m going to keep that mantra in the back of my end while I am writing from now on. You’re casual style of writing in that section makes me feel like I know you already, that we’ve just shared a beer in a musky tavern. (No, readers, I am not sitting face-to-face with my authors at these interviews, but I hope it feels that way to you as you read them.) Readers, do yourself a favor and go to his website. You won’t be disappointed.

Do you always write in the same POV or narrative or do you switch it up in different stories?

My Alvin books (Dream with Little Angels, Close to the Broken Hearted, and the third, which will be released next spring and will be called A Thorn among the Lilies) have mixed POVs. My main character, Abe, always speaks in first person. Everyone else is a close third person. When I write other things I like to play with POV. Even in the Alvin books, each has a prologue written in what I call a “floating third” POV. It’s not quite omniscient, but it doesn’t stay with one character.

Authors and publishers are always talking about finding your “Voice”. Exactly what does that mean to you and how did you find yours?

Write a lot. Your voice will come. Listen to authors who have authorial voices you like being read by good readers. This is the quickest way to developing a good voice, as far as I’m concerned.

Are you a pantser or a planner?

If you want any kind of long term career and actually make money, you have to be a planner. Would you want your house built or your kidneys worked on by a pantser?

What advice would you give to new writers just getting started with their first manuscript?

Finish it before starting anything else. Even if it sucks donkey balls, finish it. It is unmarketable until it is finished, and it is probably not as bad as you think. Besides, that’s what first drafts are for. I call them SFDs. Shitty First Drafts. Get them done. Then put it away for two to four weeks before pulling it out and rereading it again. Then fix it.

Links:

Website: www.michaelhiebert.com

Blog: www.michaelhiebert.com/blog

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michael.hiebert67

Twitter: @Hiebert_M

authors, characters, conflict, fiction, Florida, friend, mystery, novels, readers, writers

Prayers to my dear friend and writer, Marty Fallon.

Posted on November 14, 2014March 30, 2022 by jtailele

Today was the scheduled day to post my dear friend, Marty Fallon’s blog, but I didn’t know I was going to have to ask for everyone’s prayers for him. The day before yesterday Ia received a quick email that he was going to miss out monthly writer’s meeting because he was in a rehab center – because he had a stroke. OMG. He said he was typing his email with one finger. So, everyone, please say a special prayer for a complete recovery for this wonderful writer friend of mine.

So, I am going to plug along as if he was sitting right in front of me.

Marty, when did you first know you wanted to be a writer and was there a particular inspiration to get started?

English teachers supported my writing, first in high school and later in college. I was not an English major, but in those classes I did take, those professors acknowledged some of my offerings. Later as a school social worker, I had to write social histories on all students being considered for special education. Any flourishes above and beyond the generic psychological reports, brought some spice to an otherwise dull process. Their laughter, energized me. The epiphany, came from retirement guilt. I started a job at a local resort hotel, and, after three weeks, decided that those folks worked harder than I felt ready to sustain, so I quit. That experience became the inspiration for my first published book, The Concierge. But my first novella, still languishing on the hard drive, I wrote in a week. That was a rush, writing on yellow legal pads, reading the daily results to my wife, not stopping to get dressed.

I’m sure Gretchen is glad you finally got dressed. What other work have you done, and how has it impacted your writing?

I grew up and a farm, so I know mindless repetitive work. The pyscho-social jobs, in child neglect and abuse plus the school interventions gave me an appreciation of how dysfunctional behavior starts and the consequences of repeated social-emotional failures. In Florida, I found work as a home-health aide, and used my helping skills to establish relationships with older adults with diminished intellectual abilities.

How long did it take you to publish your first manuscript?

It took twelve years, and that might just as well have been forever, except Create Space came along to offer the digital publishing option many authors are now using to sidestep the traditional publishing barriers.

Do you follow a structure pattern such as staying in chronological order, or alternating points in time, or different POV’s?

My crime/relationship books are primarily in chronological order, because the danger inherent in repeated crimes requires resolution. And the relationships between the cops and the victims are also moving quickly. There may be one or two flashbacks to deepen our understanding of motive, but, by and large, my people are in a hurry to catch the bad guys and also pushing hard to make the personal contacts they think they need to improve their love lives.

Marty, tell us about one of your books in 3 sentences.

The book coming out in January, started with car ad, a girl in a bikini on the hood of a pickup, trying to sell her old vehicle. That level of desperation became the inspiration for Trouble On The Hood.

Who are some of the authors whose work you admire the most?

Carl Hiaasen, Randy Wayne White, John Sanford and Michael Perry. Hiaasen and White are ex-journalists from Florida and their subsequent knowledge of the state is superb. Sanford also has a journalism background, and he provides remarkable detail from Minnesota. Perry writes non-fiction, but he hasn’t strayed far from his rural roots. All these authors spin wonderful stories with drama and memorable characters. I want to have my writing rise to the quality their books demonstrate, so they will remain esteemed models.

What is the premise of your novel we are promoting today?

The Daughters, describes the odyssey of three women, a kidnapped girl from Colombia, an assaulted high-school student from a Lee County high school, and an impoverished eighth grader coerced into joining a local gang. As the lives of the victims come closer to overlapping, our local law-enforcement team, two of whom are getting married, attempt to gather the clues required to intervene before tragedy envelopes the little community of Bonita Springs.

Marty, our thoughts and prayers are miss you. We missed you at Marco Writers this week. For our readers, you can buy Marty’s books on Amazon at

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Martin%20Fallon&search-alias=books&sort=relevancerank

authors, books, characters, cozy mystery, fiction, mystery, novels, series, writers

Author Theresa M. Jarvela, novelist and freelance writer brings cozy mysteries

Posted on November 7, 2014March 30, 2022 by jtailele

Author Theresa M. Jarvela resides in Brainerd, Minnesota. Theresa was a young mother when the idea to write a novel first struck her. It became one of her lifetime goals. Years later, her five children grown, she took an advanced creative writing class and joined Brainerd Writers Alliance. The door to the writing world opened.

An avid reader, Theresa loves “cozy” novels so it comes as no surprise that she is the author of the “cozy” mystery series – Tales of a Tenacious Housesitter. Her first novel in the series – Home Sweet Murder – was published by North Star Press of St. Cloud, Inc. in June, 2012. Her second novel in the series – Home for the Murder – was published in June, 2013.

When Theresa isn’t busy writing, you might find her scooting around town during the warmer months in her Mazda Miata with the top down. In the winter months you can bet she’ll be sitting at the end of her couch with a good book and a cup of tea.

Theresa’s philosophy – “Life is full of adventures – live them, read them or write them! You’re never too old to enjoy them.”

Welcome, Theresa, to Author Interview Friday of Writing Under Fire. Tell us Theresa, when did you first know you wanted to be a writer and was there a particular inspiration to get started?

When my children were young, I read a novel that wasn’t particularly good. I challenged myself to write a novel and made it a lifetime goal.

Do you have a background in writing or take any special writing courses that helped you along the way?

I have no formal education in writing but I took one evening course in Advanced Creative Writing.

What other work have you done, and how has it impacted your writing career?

I freelance and have been published in several regional magazines. I entered one of my articles – Facebook – Friend or Foe – in the 79^th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition and was awarded Honorable Mention in the Magazine Feature Article category. I joined a writers group with the intention of writing my novel but came to love magazine writing, also.

Do you have any special time or place you like to write?

I find early morning works best for me. Also, I accomplish more if I am away from home or at least outside in my gazebo (in warmer months).

Are you published through a traditional publishing house?

If yes, how did you find your agent and publisher? I am published by a traditional publishing house – North Star Press of St. Cloud, MN, Inc.

Tell us about” Home Sweet Murder” in 3 sentences:

In Home Sweet Murder baby-boomer Meggie Moore finds life in the small town of Pine Lake, Minnesota, a little too mundane, even with her part-time job at a local gift shop owned by Vera Cunningham, a spry lady in her late 70’s. Meggie accepts a house sitting position offered to her by an elderly gentleman even though her husband objects. Her outspoken friend and side-kick, Shirley Wright, labels Meggie a nut who has lost touch with reality for agreeing to house sit in a neighborhood where there have been numerous burglaries.

You also have a second novel published. Tell us briefly about it.

Meggie and Shirley set off for Key West, Florida to house sit for a friend, but their working vacation takes a sinister turn when a body turns up on the property. Winging their way back to Minnesota, they believe they left murder behind them. Little do they know another murder awaits back in Minnesota.

Do you have another manuscript in progress?

I am working on a third novel in my Tales of a Tenacious Housesitter cozy mystery series. Meggie agrees to housesit a hobby farm before she finds out it is reputed to be haunted.

Where can readers buy your books?

www.theresamjarvela.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Theresa-M-Jarvela/286910401371856?ref=hl

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1?ie=UTF8&field-author=Theresa+Jarvela&search-alias=books&text=Theresa+Jarvela&sort=relevancerank

authors, books, characters, children, mystery, readers

Welcome award winning children’s mystery author Renee Hand

Posted on October 24, 2014March 30, 2022 by jtailele

Today we have Renee Hand, a multi-award-winning mystery children’s author with us. Renee has created an interactive mystery series known as the Crypto-Capers Series that encourages children to read by incorporating several topics of interest. The reader participates into the story by solving cryptograms and puzzles to solve the case. She is also the author of the Adventures of Joe-Joe Nut and Biscuit Bill Series, which focuses on animal detectives and science. This series is a great way to teach children about animals in a fun and interesting way that captures the reader’s attention, yet fills them with knowledge about science topics they will be learning about in school. All books are great to use in a classroom setting to supplement various topics or to just enjoy. Not quite sure what a cryptogram is and want to learn more? Visit the author’s website at http://www.reneeahand.com to learn about cryptograms and how to solve the ones that are in the books.

Welcome Renee, why don’t you tell us about yourself?

First, I would like to thank you for having me on your blog. It’s greatly appreciated. I’m a multi award-winning author and requested speaker on the topic of using fun fiction to teach science, geography and history. My books can not only challenge readers and the way they think about problems in real life, but I create high interest topics that suck the reader into my stories encouraging them into wanting to know more about the settings, science, history, culture and people. Skills like reading comprehension, reasoning, deduction and observation come together in a myriad of ways.

In my Crypto-Caper Series children get to solve puzzles and cryptograms that are woven strategically inside of the story for the reader to find and solve inside of the books. Each book provides the reader with what they will need to solve the case, providing them with the knowledge and new skills that will help them succeed.

In my Joe-Joe Nut Series, I combine the love of a good mystery with science using the topics of animal tracks, rocks and minerals, as well as weathering, erosion, and art. These books can supplement a curriculum in any classroom. The books also contain extra information like experiments, terminology of the topic, charts, and much more. All books are interactive and fun.

I have also created a coloring book for children, a zoo picture book which incorporates activities to do at the zoo. I also created a storytelling card game which is getting a lot of my readers excited.

What age group do your books center on?

The Crypto-Caper Series is for 4th grade and up into middle school. The Joe-Joe Nut Series begins at 2nd grade and goes up to 5th. The coloring book and picture book are for younger children and my storytelling game is for all ages including adults.

How long have you been writing?

I have been writing for over 25 years.

What book are we going to talk about today?

We are going to focus on my new release in The Crypto-Caper Series called The Mystery of the Circus for Hire. The book is #6 in the series. I want to make sure I add that this book just won a Preferred Choice Award from Creative Child Magazine

Congratulations! Is this your first award?

No, I’ve won Preferred Choice Awards, National Best Book Awards, Seal of Excellence Awards, Best Book Awards, and won a Beach Best Book Award for all of my books. I’m very proud of my awards.

What is The Circus for Hire about?

The Circus for Hire is a whirlwind of an adventure where the Crypto-Capers travel to Russia to save Max and Mia’s parents, Mitchem and Martha Holmes, from going to prison for a crime they didn’t commit. Finding themselves caught up in a scandal that is beyond their control, they use their skills and talents to try to outsmart the most notorious criminal of all time. Lies become intermixed with truth, yet, with the help of a new ally, the Crypto-Capers find themselves ahead of the game.

I’ve incorporated a different cipher in this book so my readers are going to be thrilled. In all of my books I have added cryptograms, word scrambles, and other challenging puzzles. My readers love them and it makes this series unique.

Where can readers buy your books?

Readers can buy my books at bookstores big and small, Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, my website (www.reneeahand.com) and other places.

Are you on any social networks?

Of course. I’m on twitter and facebook as well as LinkedIN and Goodreads. I also have a blog at http://thecryptocapersseries.blogspot.com I like to help authors by having them on my radio show called Stories From Unknown Authors. My blog and website has more info about that.

Thank you so much for being on my blog. It has tuly been my pleasure.

Thank you. I appreciate the opportunity.

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