Tagged: writing

What’s New? Authors, Books and MEme

So this blog post is a little (okay, a lot) “me” focused, today. I was honored by a very talented author, TW “Todd” Brown recently when he tagged me on his blog. Someone somewhere started a meme (have you noticed that’s two “me’s”???) where an author answers a few questions and then passes along the challenge to three other authors they find to be talented.

I can’t tell you how much it means to me that someone as talented and as well respected in the horror genre has chosen me as one of his three, as well as to be included with such gifted writers as Gregory Carrico and Catie Rhodes.

And just so it’s not totally me focused – let me tell you a little bit about the three people above. Not only are they great writers, but they’re remarkable and supportive friends as well.

I haven’t known Todd as long as I have Greg and Catie, but I can tell you, he does a lot to help others out – from charity anthologies to his current goal of raising $1000 for Camp NaNoWriMo. He’s currently at $971, so if a few of you have a couple of dollars to spare this month, maybe we could push him over his goal line. Todd, dude, you really should do an Authors Give Back post for me one day. :-) I think I’ve mentioned a time or twenty how much I really really like his ZOMBLOG and DEAD series. If you enjoy The Walking Dead, you should try these. They’re not just zombie books. They’re character driven, well-written and I think you’ll be hard pressed to stop reading once you start.

Zomblog

Dead The Ugly Beginning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Both Catie and Greg had awesome stories in the TALES FROM THE MIST anthology.

Large Forever Road Cover

And, Catie just recently released her debut novel, FOREVER ROAD. It’s a great paranormal read. Catie manages to catch the spirit of small town living and it’s people within the pages of this book. There’s definitely a few people in there that remind me of people I know having grown up in a small town. The heroine is someone you can relate to and want to know more about. I can’t wait for the next book in this series. If you haven’t, you should really check out Catie’s blog. It’s one of the most entertaining out there in the blogosphere – especially if you like the paranormal, the dark side of humanity and true crime. Catie also shares the spotlight with fellow writers with her Playlist series.

 

Children of the PlagueLast but not definitely not least, Greg Carrico’s newest release, CHILDREN OF THE PLAGUE, is an apocalyptic fantasy that will have you lost in the pages until the very end. He’s great at world building and character development. Greg has a wonderful imagination that will take you on an epic journey along with his protagonists. His blog posts are hilarious and you should really check those out. He keeps me laughing. :-) And Greg helps out his fellow authors by showcasing them in his 30 Minute read posts. Very cool!

 

 

Okay, so if you’re still with me, here are those questions I’m supposed to answer. :-)

What are you working on now?

I’m behind due to life issues, BUT I should have PREDATOR out soon. While it’s not the first I’ve written in my Courting Justice series with Court Investigator, Tori Matthews – it is the first I’ll be releasing. It’s novella length and I believe it’s the perfect place to start the series.

Predator Paperback Cover Final copy

Three missing girls. A family in crisis. A predator on the hunt. Can court investigator, Tori Matthews, find out the truth before it’s too late?

I’m also working on getting THE CONSUMING formatted and it should be out soon as well as a single short story. It was included in the TALES FROM THE MIST ANTHOLOGY last year.

The Consuming - high res 300 dpi

Serena knows her late uncle wasn’t crazy. So when she inherits his sprawling Carolina mansion and leaves the big city to restore both his home and his name, she uncovers a mystery that could cost much more than her sanity. As the house slowly reveals its dark secrets, and the extent of her peril becomes evident, she’ll settle for escaping with her life—if it isn’t already too late.

The cover was done by Jeffrey Kosh. Isn’t it spooky? :-)

For those that sign up for my brand new newsletter, I’ll gift an e-copy of THE CONSUMING as soon as it’s available.

 

 

What experiences have influenced you?

Definitely have to say that twenty years worth of investigating child abuse/neglect and custody issues has given me some unique perspectives. I can say I’ve seen the very worst of people and the very best. From evil to near Saint-like behavior. I’ve had guns and knives pulled on me, been threatened and stalked. Been cursed at and thanked. I’ve been alone in places that even the cops don’t go alone.

Having been blessed with a great family and growing up in a small town have also had a tremendous influence on me. I think I have a lot to share.

How would you describe your writing process?

Have an idea. Start writing. When I get to the point I need to know more about a character, I figure that out – take a few notes and get back to writing. I research as I need the info. Then I rewrite. Throw a bunch out. Keep a few things in the cut folder for use later maybe. Rewrite some more. And some more. I’m without a doubt a pantser. I enjoy figuring out what’s next and am often surprised.

I usually have more ideas than I can get to at any given time, so when I do have one, I’ll write when the idea strikes until I have enough down that I can remember where I’m going with it and put it aside until I have finished whatever I’m currently working on. Then I choose from those I have pieces of to start on next.

What is the hardest part of writing?

Like Todd and Greg – finishing is the hardest part for me.

What would you like to try as a writer that you haven’t yet?

I wrote a short story for Christmas one year. I shared it recently with my critique group. They all thought it would make a wonderful Hallmark Christmas movie. So my next thing to learn is scriptwriting. I think it will be fun! Yeah, okay. It’ll probably be hard work too, but still fun!

Who are the authors you most admire?

Dean Koontz and Stephen King of course influenced the horror writer in me. I’m in awe of Nora Robert’s prolificness and her ability to keep the writing fresh.

As for indie writers, I have to say: Christine Claire McKenzie, Stacey Joy Netzel, Dale Amidei, Tamara Ward, Cate Dean, D.D. Scott, Alicia and Roy Street, PJ Sharon, Natalie Owens, and the rest of the WG2E Street Team. I must also mention Aiden James, Tiffany A. White, Sandy Rowland, Myndi Shafer, and Amber West. And of course, Todd Brown, Greg Carrico and Catie Rhodes. One thing I admire about each of these authors besides writing great books I love to read is their generous spirit. They all help other writers and find time to help in other causes as well.

What scares you?

Some days – everything. Others – not much.

I think my biggest recurring fear is that my work isn’t good enough. And that after all the classes, the learning, the writing and the rewriting, the editing and the re-editing, it won’t be enough. When I have those days, I just have to take a few moments to breathe. To remember that people like Todd Brown and others I respect have said I’m talented. And that’s usually enough to calm my fears – until the next time.

So now for the three extraordinarily talented authors that I’m tagging to participate in this meme:

Stacey Joy Netzel

Amber West

Myndi Shafer

I highly recommend their books and their blogs.

Lost in ItalyStacey has several books and short stories out that I have enjoyed. It’s hard to pick just one. But I did love LOST IN ITALY. It’s a romantic suspense that keeps you turning the page.

 

 

 

 

 

The Ruth Valley MissingAmber just released her debut novel, THE RUTH VALLEY MISSING. This is a clean mystery with some twists you won’t see coming.

 

 

 

 

 

ShrilughAnd Myndi has written an excellent fantasy – the SHRILUGH Series. I read the first, waited impatiently for the second and devoured it upon release. I’m now awaiting the third. Love it!

 

 

 

 

 

I’m always curious – what authors influence you? What are you afraid of?

As always, thanks for reading!

 

A POSITIVE FROM A NEGATIVE

For the most part, I’ve been fortunate. My story, The Consuming, in the TALES FROM THE MIST anthology has received some pretty good reviews. I’m proud of that story and the very nice things that have been said about it. Things like:

“The Consuming by Rhonda Hopkins is the perfect example of gothic horror…”

“My personal favorites were The Consuming, by Rhonda Hopkins, a great creepy haunting story…”

“The Consuming by Rhonda Hopkins is the literary version of what films like Paranormal Activity tried to be. This has the bumps in the night flying off the page.”

“The Consuming by Rhonda Hopkins had a chilling Hitchcock feel…”

“I’ve got to give kudos to a couple that really sent ice spiders dancing down my spine. Rhonda Hopkins in “The Consuming” places her character (Serena) in one of my favorite subgenres of horror: The haunted house. Naturally, the things that go bump in the night (and also the day) frightened me, but then the real horror of the story arrives.”

So, I’ve been dreading getting a review that wasn’t so great. Realistically, I know not everyone likes everything and not everyone will like everything I write. That’s a given. And recently someone said they don’t like romance, so The Consuming didn’t hold their attention.

Now as far as bad reviews go, that’s not really so terrible. So someone doesn’t like romance and it wasn’t their cup of tea. But hold the phone — that’s where it gets a little confusing for me. Romance? Moi?

I don’t write romance. Okay, I’ve fluctuated on calling one of my upcoming series a “romantic suspense” to a “suspense with romantic elements”. That’s because I don’t think I write romance all that well. I think I write some things well – like suspense and some really reprehensible bad guys (maybe because I’ve had the displeasure of meeting more than my share of those). But romance?

Let’s just say I envy those that write romance and make it look so effortless, like C C MacKenzie, Stacey Joy Netzel, and Nana Malone, who recently made the USA Best-Sellers list (Yea, Nana!) or any of the other WG2E Street Team who write romance.

For those that don’t know the difference – in a romantic suspense, the romance is integral to the story. In a suspense with romantic elements, the romance isn’t so important and could be left out entirely without it really affecting much.

I didn’t set out to write something where romance was a big part of it. In fact, there’s not much at all in the way of a romance in the first novella, PREDATOR, in my Courting Justice series.

Predator Paperback Cover Final copy

However, in the first full length novel ILLUSION OF SAFETY, my characters had a different idea. You see, Tori and Caleb have known each other practically their whole lives. He’s her brother’s best friend.

In chapter three, they sort of threw me for a loop when this happened:

“Oh my God…I thought…” Tears rolled down her cheeks.

Caleb looked around, found what he needed and gently took her hand, leading her down the hall. He pushed open a door and pulled Tori into a single bathroom, locking the door behind them. He took her into his arms and let her cry for a minute until she regained control of her emotions.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to panic like that.” Tori ducked her head so he couldn’t see her face.

“You have every right to be upset. And the panic was just a delayed response. You’ve held it together for over an hour after witnessing something horrendous. Hell. You not only held it together, you got yourself and a little girl to safety. So stop being so hard on yourself.”

Caleb turned the water on and fiddled with knobs until the water was warm but not too hot. He grabbed a towel from the dispenser, wet it and squeezed the water from it.

He motioned toward the sink. “Wash your face so we can go find out how Rebecca is.”

Caleb watched as she removed her purse from across her shoulder and placed it on the door hook.

He scrubbed the right leg of her jeans with the wet towel, removing as much of the coffee stain as he could. Tossing the paper, he studied her in the mirror. Her face was pale but still beautiful. Wait. Beautiful? Where did that come from? He’d known her nearly his whole life. Okay…so he thought she was beautiful. It didn’t mean anything. Right?

Her hair was a mess and it reminded him of what she’d been through. He couldn’t stand it any longer.

His gaze rested on her purse. Crap. He knew it was a nightmare in there. What the hell…I’m going in. He unzipped the bag and was surprised to find what he wanted on top.

Tori turned to throw away the paper towel she’d dried her face and hands with and saw the brush in his hands. Her eyebrow rose. “Have a hair emergency?” she asked.

“No. But you do.” He grinned and handed her the brush.

Not a whole lot of romance there, but there were more little scenes like that leading to a romantic relationship; so you see, I had to find a way to give them what they wanted. But it’s not so easy for me. And if I told you I re-wrote one pivotal chapter in their romance more than twenty times from scratch, it would NOT be an exaggeration. If I told you I re-wrote it more than fifty, it might be, but not by much. :-)

I’m hoping I’ve finally gotten it right. At least Tori and Caleb aren’t yelling at me anymore that it’s lame or that they “wouldn’t do that.” (Dr. Phil, please don’t come knocking on my door. I’m way too busy with my characters at the moment. We have deadlines to meet!)

Now back to The Consuming for a minute – the romance in it is more an “elements” kind of thing. I think anyway. It’s more about the ghosts, the hauntings and the way Serena handles it all. There’s a sexual attraction, which as someone recently pointed out to me, “…doesn’t make it romance. It makes it real.” And I agree with that.

But if I managed to do it well enough that someone referred to it as romance – I guess maybe I’m getting the hang of this thing better than I thought. So, I’m going to take that as a positive instead of a negative.

What about you? Have you ever received a “bad” review that you found good in, instead? Or have you written a not so great review of a book and hoped the author found something positive in your words?

As always, thanks for reading! And may you find romance where you least expect it. :-)

Guest Post by Time Magazine Featured Author Saralynn Hoyt

A writer friend, Laird Sapir, asked for people willing to host an author featured in Time Magazine for a blog tour. I, of course, jumped at the chance as did several others.

Saralynn HoytThat lead me to meeting Sheryl Hoyt who writes as Saralynn Hoyt – a very nice and lovely young woman.

Sheryl offered up different topics and I asked for this one on finding time to write. I know many writers who have full time jobs, children, and other obligations and finding that elusive time to sit at the keyboard is sometimes tough to do.

Sheryl has some great tips and has used them herself to write.

Take it away, Sheryl!

~~~

A Writers Life: When you already have a full time job and a life.

by Sheryl Hoyt, writing as Saralynn Hoyt 

My name is Sheryl Hoyt and I was recently featured in the December 10th issue of Time Magazine in the article “The 99¢ Best Seller” by Andrew Rice. In the article Andrew writes,

Over the years she [Sheryl] had completed five romance manuscripts, written on the bus to her full-time job in Seattle, over lunch breaks and on her couch after dinner. 

This lends to the question, when do you find time to write? How do you fit writing into an already jam packed life? Here are some ideas and tips and tricks on keeping the muse flowing and stealing time to write.

Many years ago I did in fact lug my brick like laptop onto the bus every day with me and for 20-30 minutes in the morning and again in the afternoon on the way home, I pounded out a few pages as the bus bounced me from the eastside to downtown Seattle and back. Between powering up and shutting down, there wasn’t a lot of time to reflect. Lunch was a little more relaxed, but it was always a challenge to find a quiet spot to eat and type where I wouldn’t be interrupted. And although this worked for me 15 plus years ago and was how The Scoundrel and the Saint got written, it is not an option for me today.

The Scoundrel and the Saint Cover

But there are ways to get the job done in between all the other obligations in our lives. Here are a few ideas:

Carry a note book with you everywhere. That way if something pops into your head, you can take a few moments to jot down some notes so you can trigger the idea again later when you are in front of the computer.

A voice recorder for the car. I have a long commute to work, 45 or more minutes each way driving (the bus isn’t convenient any longer). Most days I’m listening to educational or inspiring audios, but some days, the ideas are flowing. I like to use a recorder and capture any dialogue or scenes that hit me. I just discovered Dragon software and invested in the program that converts from the voice recorder to text. I’m still learning how to use it, but the technology is out there.

If the muse hits, the kids, the husband, the cats and the housecleaning can all wait!!!! Even sleep can be postponed. It’s not the end of the world if you have a sink full of dirty dishes or need extra coffee in the morning.

Even if you don’t have time during the week to write, you can lock down a few hours on the weekend. Nowadays I tend to do most of my writing on the weekends. I’ll spend anywhere from six to eight hours both Saturday and Sunday only writing, taking breaks every couple of hours to clean the house, run errands and workout if I’m really feeling good.

Use TV to help you. If I have some show I want to watch, I set a writing goal for myself and once I make it, I can relax and watch the show. I also use TV as background inspiration. For example; when I was rewriting Heaven Made, I had Downton Abbey and The Buccaneers playing all day while I did a marathon rewrite.

Other times of day to write. I know a lot of writers who have children and they find the first few hours in the morning, before the household is awake, works for them. I already get up between 4:30 and 5AM for my day job, so that is not an option for me. But I do try to catch an hour or two after dinner to get some work done before bed.

Using these methods you can easily find 10 hours a week to write and a few hours for other writing activities like research and social media upkeep. For me this equates to about 50 pages a week. In a few weeks you can have a nice novella written, in several months a full length novel. 

But what if you’re stuck?

We call it writer’s block, right? I don’t believe in it, as you can always write something. You just have to allow yourself to write some crap in order to get past it. The best way I’ve found to get the ball, or pen rolling, is to first go back and read the last thing you wrote. It will be much easier to move forward if you can pick up on the last momentum you had before you stopped. Sometimes I’ll even just start writing a dialogue that I’m having with myself about it or anything on my mind (work, food, mean people) just to have my fingers typing something, eventually I’ll get back to the story.

But what if you finish writing the book and don’t know what to write next?

This is another reason to have a notebook on you at all times. You’ll find yourself at the mall or in a restaurant observing people and think, I wonder what would happen if…

If you have a place to capture these ideas and thoughts you will be able to go back later and find your next inspiration fairly easily. Or, just try some stream of consciousness writing and see if anything comes of it. There are millions of stories and millions of ways to tell each one. I do suggest sticking to one story at a time. Immersion in your story, characters and setting seems to produce a better book and I can only assume a better read, which is what writers aspire to and readers want.

~~~

If any of you would like to know more about Sheryl, you can connect with her at:

Website     Facebook     Twitter

And you can find her romance novel, The Scoundrel and the Saint at:

Amazon     Paperback

Thanks for the great post, Sheryl! I’ve used several of these myself. I especially like the just start writing advice. That has always helped me overcome any “block”.

What about you guys? Have you used any of these suggestions before or find a new one? Do you have a tip to share? I love hearing from you, so leave a comment. And as always – thanks for reading!

Week 10: The Next Big Thing

I know I said no new posts the next couple of weeks, but I already had two prior commitments and had already written the posts. Here’s one and I’ve linked to the other guest post below. :-)

I was tagged in The Next Big Thing Hop by Jacqueline Hopkins. Jacque and I aren’t related despite the same last name. Gotta love facebook. Thanks to the social website, I’ve met some great Hopkinses. :-) This is the second time a non-relative-Hopkins has been mentioned on my blog and I’ll be hosting another later in the year.

Before I forget — I’m also over at S. M. Hutchins’ blog today as the featured author for her Wonderstruck Interview Series. If you haven’t read the series or other posts, let me just say – they’re inspiring…it’s an emotional feel-good kind of blog. In S. M.’s own words: “Live Wonderstruck encourages readers to find contentment right where we are, to notice the beauty in their ordinary daily encounters, and to pay attention to what is truly important to them.” Thank you for allowing me to be your guest today, S. M.!

Okay, back to the Next Big Thing. The point of the hop is for authors to answer 10 questions about their current work-in-progress to give readers a little taste of what’s coming up. Check out Jacque’s blog which I linked to above for the answers regarding her latest project.

Okay, some ground rules for the hop.

*** Post the rules. Done!

***Answer the ten questions about your current WIP (Work In Progress) on your blog – Done! See below

***Tag five other writers/bloggers and add their links so we can hop over and meet them. — Done! Err..sort of. ;-) See below

***Link back to the person who tagged you. — Done! See above.

Simple enough. Now on to the questions and answers. :-)

What is the working title of your book?

The title is pretty much set now — ILLUSION OF SAFETY. It’s had a few different names over the years. As “In the Best Interest”, ILLUSION OF SAFETY (IOS), received first place in the 2010 DFW Writers’ Conference contest, in the Mystery/Thriller/Suspense Category. It also received third place in the North Texas RWA’s Great Expectation’s Contest in 2009 – Romantic Suspense Category.

Why the name change? I’m also working on a non-fiction book to help people who are going through custody litigation. I decided the first title fit it better. Sort of. That working title is IN THEIR BEST INTERESTS.

I’m actually in the editing stage and hope to have IOS released this fall.

Coming Soon!

Where did the idea come from for the book?

I worked for over nine years as an investigator for the state and another ten as an investigator for the family courts. So it only seemed natural that the heroine of my book should be a court investigator. During those nearly twenty years, I ran into some real characters. Some good, some bad, and some I thought were pure evil. I got into a lot of funny situations and some scary ones – and some just bizarre.

So, I have a lot of personal experience to draw from. The antagonist in IOS is a composite from several different people I met over the years. And yes, one is a (now) ex-cop that I’m pretty sure was following me before IAD (Internal Affairs) got involved.  Is there anything scarier than a bad guy who is supposed to be on the side of law and order? Although the guy in question was definitely not a horrible person like Baxter in the novel. Just … misguided.

I took those experiences and made a kick-butt heroine and a evil bad guy. Both are purely fiction though, straight from my imagination. The plot came from all those times I was alone in a house with people who were not exactly friendly and I thought…”What if?” That sort of thinking keeps you on your toes and has saved my butt more than once, believe me!

What genre does your book fall under?

IOS was originally meant to be a straight suspense/thriller. However, my characters had other ideas. It’s now a romantic suspense. Here’s where things took an unplanned turn:

“You have every right to be upset. And the panic was just a delayed response. You’ve held it together for over an hour after witnessing something horrendous. Hell. You not only held it together, you got yourself and a little girl to safety. So stop being so hard on yourself.”

Caleb turned the water on and fiddled with knobs until the water was warm but not too hot. He grabbed a towel from the dispenser, wet it and squeezed the water from it.

He motioned toward the sink. “Wash your face so we can go find out how Rebecca is.”

Caleb watched as she removed her purse from across her shoulder and placed it on the door hook. She always wore it cross-body style to leave her hands free.

He scrubbed the right leg of her jeans with the wet towel, removing as much of the coffee stain as he could. Tossing the towel, he studied her in the mirror. Her face was pale but still beautiful. Wait. Beautiful? Where did that come from? He’d known her nearly his whole life. Okay…so he thought she was beautiful. It didn’t mean anything. Right?

Her hair was a mess and it reminded him of what she’d been through. He couldn’t stand it any longer.

His gaze rested on her purse. Crap. He knew it was a nightmare in there.

What the hell…I’m going in.

He unzipped the bag and was surprised to find what he wanted on top.

Tori turned to throw away the paper towel and saw the brush in his hands. Her eyebrow rose. “Have a hair emergency?” she asked.

“No. But you do.” He grinned and handed her the brush.

What can I say? The heart wants what the heart wants. Right?

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

I really have no idea. I mean, I’ve thought about it, but I can’t come up with any young actors that I think fit. I see a young Rene Russo type for Tori. Caleb? I just don’t know. I guess I need to come up with some ideas though for when Hollywood comes knocking. I’m sure they’ll think I’m so brilliant, they’ll want my input. ;-)

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

After witnessing an ex-cop murder his wife, a female court investigator escapes with the couple’s seven-year-old daughter and vows to keep the child safe as the killer goes on the hunt.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

I’m self-publishing. I’ve never tried the traditional route, but after careful research, I decided that the indie path is right for me at this time. I’ve had a lot to learn. I’m still learning. But I’m loving the experience.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

LOL. Hmmm…I’m not sure I can even give you a date I first started. Years! I wrote the first chapter about 40 times before I figured out where the book really started. I wrote more and re-wrote. I stopped writing it because I grew tired of it after all the re-writing. I went to work on other things. But I eventually came back to IOS. I love this book. But I can tell you, it’s been written, re-written, read by many (parts of it anyway) and re-written again. I know there are some who thought I’d never really finish it. I can look back over the first few versions and see how far I’ve come in my writing. I’ve learned so much in the past few years – classes, conferences, critique partners and writers’ workshops – the difference is amazing. (If you’re just starting out, please don’t skip this step.  You don’t have to take as long as I did, but you’re cheating yourself if you don’t put in the work to learn the craft.)

When I decided to publish it, I basically started over from scratch. The only thing that stayed pretty much the same during this last re-write were the first two chapters – which had already been rewritten too many times to  count. I finished it finally this past month. Now I’m reading through it, adding depth, tightening and editing. I’ll be sending it to beta readers soon.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I think anyone who enjoys reading Lisa Jackson, Lisa Gardner or Allison Brennan would enjoy IOS.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

I’ve told this story before, but I owe my friend, Kay Rifkin, for getting me started on my writing path. She got tired of hearing me say I was going to write a book one day, so she went to the local college, got a continuing ed catalog and highlighted all the writing courses. She told me it was time. And it was. :-) Thank you, Kay!

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

I know all my female readers just love a hot hero. Well, Caleb is smokin’! :-) There are also secondary characters like Tori’s brother, Greg, and her best friend, Samantha, who may end up in their own books.

The plan is to make IOS a series. I hope people enjoy reading about these characters as much as I enjoy writing about them.

Tagged for next week – you’re it!

Okay, I seriously have a problem with rules. LOL I was supposed to tag five people, but I’m giving you one more. Check these sites next Wednesday, Sept 5th, to find out about my friends’ current works-in-progress.

Fabio Bueno

Julie Day

Natalie G. Owens

PJ Sharon

Lily Silver

*lizzie starr

I love hearing from you. So now it’s your turn. Tell us a little about what you’re working on. If you’re not a writer, tell us what you’d like to know more about when it comes to your favorite authors.

You can sign up for my blog on the right so you don’t miss anything. No spam! Just an email letting you know when I have a new post up.

As always — thanks for reading!

Update and Short Break

First of all, I want to tell each of you how much I appreciate your support and continued reading of my blog. I reached over 1000 total comments this week. I don’t post as often as some and for a long time wasn’t a very regular blogger, but since I started blogging, I’ve seen a steady increase in visitors – those that comment and those that don’t. I am so amazed by the number of views I have at times. You guys are really awesome and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Secondly, I hope you won’t forget about me over the next three weeks. I need to take a break and get some things accomplished. I’ve pushed my release for ILLUSION OF SAFETY (IOS) to this fall. I’m not even going to try to give you a date right now. (This indie gig is hard work and I’m so glad I have friends to help.) I need to do some work and figure it all out. You’ll be the first to know!

I’m also working on the WG2E Street Team’s Beach Book Blast Anthology which will be released October 17th just in time for Halloween. I am so excited about this! Every story will have a paranormal and/or horror element. I think there will be stories for every taste from what I’ve seen of the submissions. The working title is CREEPOLOGY and I’m hoping it stays. I kind of like it. What about you? We should have a cover reveal around mid-to-late September. I love it! Well, what I’ve seen from the designer so far anyway. :-)

Since I’m coordinating the anthology, I have a ton of work to do, including reading submissions and providing feedback. Thank God for those helping out with this project. It’s a lot of work!

And I still need to finish my story. It was finished at one point. I even won second place in a local library contest for it. But the story wouldn’t leave me alone and I know I have to make it a full length novel one day. So, I needed to make some changes to it so that when it’s finally published, the short story and the novel will be in sync. Here’s hoping I don’t mess it up and that I actually make it better. :-)

I need the three weeks to get everything squared away on the anthology, work on IOS, and take care of some pressing personal business. So, I won’t be doing my Sunday Mash-Ups or any other personal posts until my break is over.

I will still be putting together the Authors Give Back posts on Tuesdays though. Those spots are already scheduled and I believe they make a difference. I enjoy these so much! I hope you’ll continue to read them.

I probably won’t be around my usual haunts or on facebook and twitter much at all. I will miss all of you. But I think I’ll be a less stressed person upon my return to the cyber-world once I have some of this behind me. I just need the short break and I’ll be back among you.

What about you? Have you taken a break recently or felt the need to? If you took one, were you refreshed upon your return? While I’m gone, I hope you follow your dreams. And as always, thank you for reading. :-)

 

Beach Book Blast Launch: Previous Worst Jobs

Fifteen authors from my WG2E Street Team are launching books this week. That’s a lot of new releases from talented authors! They want to share the celebration with you in their Beach Book Blast Launch Event today through Saturday (August 15th – 18th). Click on that link and it will take you to all the authors and books.

Not only that, but you’ll see a Rafflecopter in the right side-bar of the event page. Enter to win some great prizes including a Kindle Fire! On Thursday, we’re also having a facebook party from 5 to 8pm PDT where you’ll be eligible to receive even more prizes as well as have a fun time getting to know some amazing people. Join now so you don’t miss anything tomorrow night.

You can also “like” the WG2E Street Team’s facebook page to get up to the minute information on this and future events.

Every day during the event, I’ll be hosting these authors on my site asking them a question a day. It’s just a way to learn a little more about each of them. Plus it’s fun! Some of them will also be having individual blogs, contests and question/answer sessions this week, so be sure and click on their links below.

You may also want to check out Kristine Cayne’s and Greg Carrico’s blogs. They’ll be featuring more info about the event and authors.

Grab a book from one of our authors, imagine the beach beneath your feet, and have a blast on your vacation to another world.

So, without further ado, here’s today’s question!

We all know that writing is an awesome way to earn a living. What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?

Debra Burroughs:  The worst job I ever had was when I was eighteen. I was a phone solicitor for a life insurance company. I only lasted two weeks and I had to quit before I got fired. I hated every minute of it. 

L.C. Giroux: True confession time: I have an amazing super power. I can interview for jobs I am in no way qualified for and get them. This hasn’t happened once or twice in my life but more times than I can count. One of those jobs was as a masseuse at a boxing gym. I had no training and no idea what I was doing but thought how hard could it be after all I’d been doing my dad’s sore back since I was a kid. Okay, I was in college and the thought of being surrounded by buff hot guys blinded me to any kind of reality. I lasted 30 minutes. I got the first guy’s back done and when he flipped over I squeaked and hightailed it out of there. Yeah, I could hear the whole gym laughing at me.

Liz Jasper: When I was in college I spent my summers working for a temp agency doing whatever they sent me out to do. I almost said, “receptionist” because I’m terrible at remembering names, and trying to get calls to the right person was a nightmare for me. But the worst has to be data entry. I am SO BAD at it. I’m a lefty and the number key is righty, for a start. And I can’t tell left from right anyways and I’m halfway through entering $196.05 and forget if it’s 05 or 06 and…it’s…it’s just 8 slow hours of hell for me. Thinking back, it would have been better for me if I had let myself fail at it. But I didn’t want to embarrass myself so I’d get through it okay somehow and then…then they’d have me do it again! Horrible.

Liz Matis: I can’t say I’ve had a worst job. Bad bosses for sure.

Stacey Joy Netzel: Cleaning motel rooms in a lakeside resort when I was 15. Did that for 2 months I think, and all it did was reinforce how much I hate to clean! How about best job? I’ll give you one guess what that is. ;)

Natalie G. Owens:  Sorry, nothing too glamorous. It was waiting tables at a pizza place, juggling all those plates. I’m just not cut out for it and after that stint I felt newfound respect for wait staff in restaurants.

Janice Palko: When I was in high school, I was a bagger at the local grocery store, and one of the duties was cleaning the store’s bathroom.  This was an old store and the place was a cesspool.  I cleaned the place the best I could only to find out afterward that no one actually ever really cleaned it.  The other baggers said they just went in splashed some cleaners around and left.  Oh well, years later I wrote about this and sold the article to Guideposts for Teens for a very nice sum.  So there was a silver lining.

Christina Routon: It’s a toss-up between housekeeper at a resort area the summer before my senior year and the dishwasher job at the NCO club on Ramstein Air Base when my husband was in the military. At least the housekeeper job was over after the summer. I finally left the dishwasher job after getting a job at the base library.

 Sheila Seabrook: I don’t think I’ve ever had a job I didn’t love. You see, I’ve always loved to work so as long as the atmosphere at my job was good—people getting along, working well together and having fun—then getting up in the morning and going to work was always a joy.

Lily Silver: Working at a call center. I had to answer phones for over 500 clients and accounts. Often the people just called to complain and were sometimes very rude and difficult to deal with.

*lizzie starr: Hmm, I’ve enjoyed most of my jobs. The worst though would probably be my first job–detasseling corn. This is a right of passage for a lot of kids in my part of the world and now they earn pretty good money. But back when I was 14, I hadn’t grown yet, so I was a short, chubby worker who had trouble sometimes reaching the top of the corn stalks. And you know, spiders live in cornfields. I don’t do spiders. Luckily detasseling season is only a few weeks and I suffered through and had money to spend on a vacation that included Disneyland.

Alicia Street: I once took a job dancing in an elevated cage in minimal attire at a popular city night spot, only to discover the rest of the girls working there were all earning money doing “other” things besides dancing.

Roy Street: Bartending in a chic high-end hamburger restaurant. They did a huge business and it got to be a mob scene where the rushes were brutal. My fave customers were a regular crew who came in each day for lunch from the Customs House down the street. They would constantly complain about their drinks, then stiff me for tips. Once these fine representatives of law and order actually snuck out without paying.

Kiru Taye: I’ve been very lucky with jobs. I’ve never done a job that I hated. If I had to choose a worst job, then I’ll choose one of the temp care jobs I did while I was a student purely because it was low paid. But then again I was glad to work and pay my own way through college.

Tamara Ward: When I was in graduate school, I worked for a landlord of a large office complex that held a variety of businesses, from therapists to land developers. The landlord operated a small office from the complex and provided services for the complex businesses, such as manning a desk in the central lobby and answering phone calls to a main office building number, perhaps giving visitors the feeling that whichever business they looked for was bigger than it actually was. It was my worst job only because my job duties weren’t clearly defined. Some days I’d be manning the switchboard and transferring callers to various tenants. Other days, I’d be helping walk-in clients with their resumes, a side-business for the landlord. The best part of the job was transcribing recordings from clients’ meetings with various office tenants. The worst part was that this other employee who was hired at the same time as me pushed her switchboard duties off on me! She wasn’t my boss, and I was a pushover and didn’t push back, making her do her fair share of time at the switchboard.

Some of those are pretty bad. Okay – here’s mine. For over a year while in high school, I worked at a local fried chicken place. That greasy chicken smell would be embedded in my hair, skin and clothes by the time I left my shift. I’d have to immediately shower and toss my clothes into the laundry. Even my own mother wouldn’t come near me until I had. Now that’s bad. A mother’s love is supposed to over-ride everything, right? I was afraid I’d be emitting that smell from my pores well past retirement age.

Your turn! What’s the worst job you’ve ever had? Don’t forget to check out the event page and enter to win that Kindle Fire!

Sunday Mash-Up: 08/05-11/2012

Wow! I have a lot going on this week and I want to share with you before we get to the Sunday Mash-Up.

Today, you’ll also find me at The Reader’s Guide to E-Publishing (RG2E) where I’ve given you a glimpse at the 15 Beach Book Blast authors that are launching new releases this week. And D.D. Scott has graciously offered to gift readers with their choice of one of those books. There’s something for everyone!

Want more info on the WG2E Street Team’s Beach Book Blast events? Check out The Writer’s Guide to E-Publishing today. Kristine Cayne and Sheila Seabrook talk about throwing a facebook party for the event. They even give you helpful ideas for creating your own. The BBB party is scheduled for Thursday, August 16th from 5 to 8pm PDT. Join today so you don’t miss any of the fun!

During the week, there will be prizes and opportunities to get to know each of these authors better. Check out the Rafflecopter on the BBB website and enter to win. Grand Prize is a Kindle Fire! Check back each day of the event for new info. Some of the authors will be hosting their own giveaways on their blogs as well.

I’ll also be asking each author a question every day Wednesday through Saturday right here on my blog. So, I’ll hope you’ll join us and learn a little more about these fabulous authors. They’re really great people to know!

In the near right side-bar you’ll see a newsletter sign up for the Beach Book Blast newsletter. Sign up today so you don’t miss any new and exciting info from the WG2E Street Team. If things go according to plan, yours truly will be in the next launch!

You can escape to a beach anytime with a good book and your imagination!

On Tuesday, I’ll also be hosting Christy Hayes with her favorite charity in the Authors Give Back series. I hope you’ll stop back by then.

Whew! Told you — I’m busy this week! But it’s all fun and I can’t wait to share it with you all.

Okay. Now on to the Sunday Mash-Up. I think I have some links you’ll enjoy.

 

Writing Links:

August McLaughlin’s post, Novelists: 10 Greats Reasons to Write Non-Fiction (Too) is excellent.

Top Suspense Authors talk about writing sex.

5 Great Writing Tips from Chelsea Cain at Publisher’s Weekly.

A quick tutorial on Subject and Verb Agreement from David N. Walker.

The always amazing Margie Lawson gives a lesson in writing fresh visceral responses for your characters as part of Stacy Green’s Thriller Thursday series.

Grace Kone gives us Part 6 in her series, Edit the Blasted Book

 

Publishing/Promotional Links:

Karin Cox provides a great deal of information on how and where to promote your free book at the Writer’s Guide to E-Publishing.

Jami Gold discusses the New Publishing Pardigm

 

Social Media, Fun and Other Links:

Catie Rhodes and Tiffany A. White review the Original and Remake versions of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Don’t you just love horror movies?

Have you gotten a bad review? Well, you’re in excellent company. Check out these negative reviews for some of the great classics. How could someone not like Charlotte’s Web?

Dahnya Och discusses the dangers of Pinterest.

Melinda VanLone did an awesome guest post for Marcy Kennedy about Legally Using Your Own Photos On Your Blog. It’s definitely worth reading.

Jodi Lea Stewart has a mouth-watering recipe for meatloaf. I love meatloaf!

Kristen Lamb has a great article about balance and learning how to play. With all the deadlines and self-imposed must do’s, I think this is an awesome reminder that there is something besides work out there.

Julie Glover shares some ergonomic tips to help writers keep the Tension on the Page and Not on Your Back.

And a special thank you and shout out to CC MacKenzie and her post in my Authors Give Back series. Very inspiring!

That’s it for this week’s Mash-Up. Hope you find something helpful and/or entertaining. Do you have a great link to share? Please do so in the comments. Hope you all have a fantastic week!

Sunday Mash-Up: 07/22-28/2012

I’m trying something new. I read (as probably many of you do) tons of blog posts and articles each week about writing, the business of writing and others just for fun. After talking about this with my awesome peeps in my writers’ workshop, I promised to send them a list of those that I found particularly helpful about writing.

I did this last week and realized that I was already doing the work, so I might as well post it here in case anyone else may find one or more useful. I may also throw in a couple here and there that were helpful in other areas or just plain fun.

Before I start with the main listing though, I just want to put this one up front and hope you all will take the time to read it if you haven’t already. Stephanie Laurens delivered the Keynote Address at the RWA National Conference a few days ago and what an amazing speech it was. She made the text and PowerPoints available on her website. Weathering the Transition…Keeping the Faith is all about what a glorious time it is to be an author and the many paths we have to choose from.

So here’s this past week’s posts of interest:

Writing Related Links:

Rachel Berens-VanHeest posted an article on the proper use of quotation marks at How to Write Shop. I’ve seen a lot of misuse recently so thought it might be useful.

If you haven’t popped in at David N. Walker’s blog, you may want to give it a look. His grammar posts help me remember things I once knew well, but now have to dig through the brain rust to find. http://davidnwalker.com/2012/07/27/different-than-or-different-from/#comment-3335

Kristen Lamb talks about the Five Mistakes Killing Self-Published Authors. They’re all important, but I think the most important is publishing before you’re ready. Check around her website. She has tons of great info on writing and social media.

K.M. Weiland asks: What’s the Purpose of Your Scene? I subscribe to her posts because she has such helpful info on writing.

Planning to go the traditional route to publication? Check out Anne Mini’s series on formatting a manuscript for submission and what to put in a submission packet. I’ve never visited Anne’s site before, but if you look at the sidebar it seems she has tons of info that would be helpful to any writer. I’m definitely going back to read more.

Another from K.M. Weiland about the Protagonist’s Arc. See — I told you she was helpful.

Brandon Clements wrote a guest post for Jeff Goins about emotions in books and how you, as the writer, have to go first.

K.S. Brooks from Indies Unlimited gives some good advice about writing blurbs  and more do’s and don’ts related to book descriptions and synopsis issues:

I’ve been known to have my mind in the gutter on occasion. So, when I saw the title “Telescoping Penetration” you know exactly where my mind went. BUT…add to that the fact that it came from a daily post called, Daily Kick in the Pants, well, I got the giggles. LOL All joking aside though, if you don’t subscribe to David McFarland’s Daily Kick email blast, you’re missing out on some awesome writing tips.

 

The Business End of Writing Links

Piracy is a big issue for writers. And within the past two weeks, it’s been a really big deal for some who have found their books on a site where the owner basically told them to bleep off and threatened to put their personal info on the website just because they asked to have their stolen books removed. Stephanie Lawton wrote a great post on The Steps to Deal with Book Piracy. Thank you, Stephanie!

PJ Sharon talks about some of the promotional tools she’s used over at the Writing Secrets of 7 Scribes.

Here’s more info on promotion from Theresa Ragan. Theresa is a best-selling indie author with HUGE sales. She shares how she spent her advertising dollars at the Writer’s Guide to E-Publishing (WG2E).

Need to know the difference in types of editing? Take a look at the latest Ruth Harris Report from The Writer’s Guide to E-Publishing. Yes, this is the 2nd from the WG2E. If you haven’t been to this site before, I highly recommend it. D.D. Scott and her crew dispense valuable information on a daily basis, especially for the indie author.

As an independent author you may be required to make estimated tax payments throughout the year to the IRS. Jana DeLeon has graciously put up a tax course online for free. http://louisianaliar.com/business-of-writing/tax-for-writers/estimated-tax-payments-101/ Thank you, Jana!

Dean Wesley Smith talks about the fear in publishing and how not to let it guide your choices:  For those unfamiliar with Mr. Smith, he actually has a lot of great advice on writing and publishing. Spend a little (or preferably a lot) of time there reading his past posts. You’ll learn a lot. And his wife, Kristine Kathyrn Rusch has tons of great info on her blog as well on the industry and contracts. I would recommend spending time there as well.

Okay, this post by Thomas A. Knight has a lot of technical jargon and math. Enough so that my eyes glazed over at one point. But it’s important if you want to know more about Amazon’s algorithms and getting in those recommendation lists. He promises more info in a later post as well.

People sometimes get these mixed up. If you’re one of them, head over to author and publishing law attorney Susan Spann’s website where she talks about copyrights and trademarks.

 

Blogging, Fun and Other Links

Coleen Patrick discusses Putting the You in Blogging. Finding what to write about and branding yourself can be hard. Coleen gives some great tips.

Kristin Nador is just starting a series on Mental Health and Creative Types. Per Kristin, “Realizing the connection between your emotions, mental health and your creative temperment may help your productivity and your daily life.”

Julie Glover gives some great advice about how to talk to children about death and the loss of a loved one.  Not exactly a fun topic, but one that is important. It’s always difficult knowing what to say to a child when questioned about death. If you want fun/funny, check out some of Julie’s other posts. They’re great!

PJ Sharon shares self-defense techniques and tips. This is the 3rd post of the series, but you’ll find links back to the other two in the post. Awesome info!

After the recent scare about an author being sued for an image she used on her blog, Melinda VanLone wrote this very helpful post which provides a list of places to get photos without worry and 7 of those are free!

August McLauglin provides another post on images/graphics here:   I added both because they’re both good and I just don’t think you can have too much information on this topic or enough sources for images.

And of course, I’m giving my guest, Louise Behiel another shout out. She was the first author for my new Authors Give Back Feature. Thanks again for sharing your favorite charity with us, Louise!

That’s it for this week. Hope you each find something helpful and/or entertaining.

What about you? Did you find an exceptional article or post you want to share with everyone? If so, post it in the comments and thanks for sharing!

Book Launch and Interview: Sharon Woods Hopkins

I’m so excited to have author Sharon Woods Hopkins here today for the launch of her latest book, KILLERFIND. She’s agreed to answer a few questions for us as well. Now the first thing you might notice (or maybe not) is that Sharon and I have the same last name. And although I would be proud to call Sharon and her husband Bill, family, there are no ancestral ties of which I’m aware. I met them through facebook and am happy I did. They’re both an inspiration.

KILLERFIND is the second stand-alone novel featuring, Rhetta McCarter. I just read it recently and enjoyed it immensely. Rhetta just doesn’t seem to be able to stay out of trouble and even managed to get herself arrested. She and her cohorts are a little quirky which makes for a fun read.

Now on to the Q&A:

You and the heroine of your novels, Rhetta McCarter, have a lot in common. For instance, you’re both in the mortgage loan business, you both have husbands who are judges, and you both drive a restored ’79 Camero. Tell us how the two of you differ? Other than taking on terrorists and murderers — assuming you haven’t of course.

Hi Rhonda, Thanks for having me as your guest today. As to our differences, Rhetta married late in life, has no children. She has a troubled past with her father. She is a runner, a fashionista about her clothing, is very nosy, impulsive, brave, and has a strong sense of duty and justice. The nosy and impulsive is what drives her to get involved, the sense of duty and justice and the brave side of her character is what propels her to solve the mysteries she finds herself involved in.

How we are alike, is of course in what we do for a living and that we are both married to retired judges. That’s about where the similarities stop. I am not brave, abhor running, prefer to wear pants or jeans and don’t even own a dress. I have dogs as well as a cat, and children, all grown. My wonderful son Jeff is my car advisor and chief mechanic. My husband, Bill, has three children and we have seven grandchildren. Rhetta and I both drive a beautiful restored ’79 Camaro named Cami. Rhetta drives her car every day, while my Cami sits in a garage and comes out only to primp and preen at car shows.

Speaking of preening at car shows…

Sharon just won first place with Cami at the Jackson MO Independence Day festivities. Woohoo! Congrats, Sharon!

 

Why did you decide to go the indie route to publish your books? What do you like about being your own publisher and what do you dislike?

The main reason I decided to go the indie route was to get my book into print. Sounds simple enough. But I found the time frame waiting for publishers so long, as to be discouraging. When I was in negotiations with a couple of publishers for Killerwatt, my first book, none of them could promise me a publishing date before mid 2012 or early 2013, and this was in the fall of 2010! They indicated that they had their book releases planned at least 2 years in advance. Frankly, I just didn’t want to wait that long.

I guess what I both love and what I don’t like about being my own small publisher (Deadly Writes Publishing, LLC) is the same thing—being in control of my final product.

I like that I have the final word on cover design, interior design and editorial discretion. But that means I have to work harder to get the best graphic artists, editors, copy readers and proof readers that I can find. It might be easier to just hand over the manuscript to a publisher and let them edit, then execute the re-writes and sail on into the next writing project, and let someone else worry about the final product two years down the road. But that wasn’t for me. I wanted to have a really nice book, a good story and get it done.

 

Second book in the Rhetta McCarter series. Now available!

Amazon     Barnes & Noble

That time frame thing is what made me decide to go indie as well. I’m not getting any younger and I don’t want to wait another two+ years to see my work available to the public. So I completely understand your decision. If you weren’t writing, what do you think you would be doing?

I’ve worked at a lot of different things in my career, from retail management to horse training and judging, and in between I was a flight attendant, Realtor, business owner, (a title company) and a few other jobs along the line. I don’t look at writing as a job. It’s creative and fun and truly appeals to my artistic creative side. I’m committed to my writing, and to the written word. I absolutely love it, so at this point in my life, I don’t really see myself not writing. I can easier see myself NOT mortgage banking instead.

I love how you’ve used your experiences in your stories. It shows in the details of your writing. So, tell us something you’d like us to know about you that no one’s asked you yet.

I don’t know if anyone has even given it any thought to ask about, but I hold dual citizenship, Canadian and American. I was born and raised in Canada, but moved to the US and became a naturalized U S citizen in 1972. I am very proud of both of my countries and love them dearly. It’s non-stop celebrating for me from July 1 (Canada Day) to the 4th! I wave lots of flags and shoot off lots of firecrackers to celebrate our freedom! I am also fluent in French.

That is so cool. It’s been a great week with all the celebrating, hasn’t it? Your husband, Bill Hopkins, is a writer as well. Any competition there?

My husband, Bill, is a terrific writer, and his first mystery novel, Courting Murder, comes out in October, or possibly late September, from Southeast Missouri University Press. He is my mentor and best friend, and is an absolute treasure to have around. He can edit my work, and I can edit his. We read each other’s work and help each other a lot. There is no competition between us. We support each other, and truly, his faith in my work is what urged me into Killerwatt, then into Killerfind and now I’m writing Killertrust.

I love to hear about relationships like that. And I look forward to reading COURTING MURDER when it comes out. Maybe we can even get Bill to visit my blog. :-)

In the series, Rhetta has a best friend, Ricky who is a realtor and who also restores classic cars. Is she, or the other characters in your books, based on people you know?

The only character in the books who bears a strong resemblance to anyone I know is the character of Woody. I work with a gentleman upon whom Woody is loosely based. The other characters are totally from my head. The “real” Woody does the funny things I describe throughout the book, and he and I banter a lot like Rhetta and Woody do.

I have no best friend mechanic/Realtor. My son, Jeff is my real-life mechanic. We have a small business together called S & H Dream Machines, where we restore muscle cars.

Randolph, Rhetta’s husband is nothing like my husband in real life, as I am truly nothing like Rhetta.

I think it’s awesome that you and your son restore cars together. Very cool. My dad is a mechanic and loves the classics. He passed that love down to me – just not the mechanical part. LOL I’m pretty much mechanically-challenged. 

You have 4 rescue cats in your book – do you have cats or other pets at home? Are any of them rescues?

We currently have a wonderful little black cat named Harriet, who is a rescue cat. Someone dropped her off at the end of our lane when she was half-grown. She’s a mole hunter extraordinaire. Harriet lives outside, but spends inclement winter days in a little cat apartment we fixed for her in our garage. I’m allergic to cats, or I would have her in the house.

We had two dogs until recently, when we had to put down our wonderful little girl Schnauzer, Violet, who had cancer. We have one holy terror Yorkie now. Both of those dogs were rescue dogs. I guess love and concern for rescue animals is another trait I share with Rhetta.

Oh no! I’m so sorry about Violet. I know losing a pet is like losing family. I have a new rescue kitten that somehow found its way to my garage. She’s a cute little thing. My garage seems to attract strays.

Can you tell us where you got your ideas for Killerwatt and Killerfind?

My husband and I always talk a lot when we travel by car. On one of our trips, we kept noticing what seemed like miles of electric lines criss-crossing the countryside, and remarked how vulnerable they seemed. Then one Tuesday following a long weekend, my loan officer, the real “Woody,” revealed that he’d received a phone message from a Muslim customer and played the message for me. That scene described in Killerwatt was exactly how it happened. After that, my imagination kicked in and I asked, what would terrorists even want in a sleepy southeast Missouri community? The answer seemed obvious: destroy the electric grid.

The plot for Killerfind, and now the plot for Killertrust came entirely from my wicked little brain.

First in the Rhetta McCarter Series

Amazon   Barnes & Noble

(KILLERWATT IS FREE ON AMAZON TODAY!!!)

Speaking of KILLERTRUST, when can we expect to see this next book in the series available?

Killertrust should be out early next year.

Thank you so much for being my guest today, Sharon. I’m enjoying this series and look forward to the next book. For those of you reading, check out the links above next to the book covers. I don’t think you’ll be sorry you purchased either of Sharon’s books. They’re fun reads with a lot of action and the suspense keeps you turning the pages.

If you want to connect with Sharon, you can find her on facebook, twitter, and her website.

Have questions for Sharon? As you can see she’s had a variety of jobs, is now an indie author, restores muscle cars and even trains horses and judges horse shows. Lots of interesting things to talk about. Sharon will be checking in throughout the day, so ask away. :-)