Author: Katie L. Carroll (Page 108 of 142)

Meet Kay Lalone Author of “Ghostly Clues”

December 5, 2012 / Katie L. Carroll

Today on the Observation Desk I have fellow Muse author Kay Lalone talking about her writing life and her new middle grade mystery “Ghostly Clues.” Welcome, Kay!

Tell us about “Ghostly Clues”.

The sweet scent of lilacs permeates the air around Grandma’s gravesite. Only Sarah Kay can smell Grandma’s favorite flower, and they’re not even in bloom. Sarah Kay and her best friend, Mary Jane, believe the lilacs are a sign from Grandma’s ghost. The girls follow one ghostly clue after another to discover if Dad is alive or not. Grandma makes sure Sarah Kay gets the message even from the grave.

What made you want to become a writer?

I always liked to read and write. I remember as a kid writing stories in school, my mom helping me spell, but my first memory of wanting to become a writer was when I was a teenager and read Halloween Party by Agatha Christie. After reading that book was when I decided I wanted to be a writer. So reading good books inspired me to become a writer.

What inspired you to write this book?

I would have to say my grandma Tufts. I was about the same age as Sarah Kay, the main character in Ghostly Clues, maybe a little younger when I had my first encounter with a ghost. One night shortly after my grandma passed away, I saw a ghost hand. The hand moved across my bed and then was gone. The next morning my doll I had slept with was gone and was found way under the bed. I believe it was my grandma telling me I was too old to sleep with dolls. So from that memory I just asked what if questions and those answers developed into Ghostly Clues.

What one book do you wish you had written?

I can’t think of one book I wish I had written. I have a lot of stories running through my head and a lot of stories that are half done. So I have many more books to write.

At what moment did you truly begin to feel like an author?

I would have to say the moment I got the email from MuseItUp, saying that Ghostly Clues was accepted. My first book would be published. That was very exciting. I had finally become a published author.

What is your favorite part of the writing process? What is your least favorite part?

My favorite part of the writing process is when the story just flows out of me (which doesn’t happen as often as I would like) and everything just comes together. When I get that ‘ah, that’s it’ moment. My least favorite part is staring at a blank screen and I can’t think of anything to type. When nothing comes to together. When I can’t figure out the scene or the ending.

What is the single best piece of advice you have for aspiring authors?

I would have to say the best advice I ever received and that is to write and read. You can’t call yourself a writer unless you sit down to write. Sometimes that is the hardest thing to do is find the time to write. Life happens and things get in the way of your writing time, but unless you have the discipline to write, knowledge of how to write a good story is useless.

What is next for you in your writing career?

I am currently finishing up two YA novels that I’ll be sending to MuseItUp and hopefully they will enjoy those stories as much as they enjoyed Ghostly Clues. So look for more books by Kay LaLone.

What is something funny/weird/exceptional about yourself that you don’t normally share with others in an interview?

I like weird things. I think it would be cool to be able to see ghosts and the spirits that are all around us. This is reflected in my stories when my characters can see things that normal people can’t.

And here’s the fun part…select words from the magnetic refrigerator poetry set. Please write up a little piece of poetry or prose from these words.

A ghost can be mean

Not when they find

My future dream

“Ghostly Clues” can be purchased from the MuseItUp bookstore and Amazon. For more about Kay visit her website or blog.

Author Linky Love

December 3, 2012 / Katie L. Carroll

A group of authors have created a new group called Writers4Writers to help writers promote their books. Please show some linky love to all these authors!

The Creative Well

November 24, 2012 / Katie L. Carroll

There is a well in my mind. It’s not only been there my whole life, but always–since the beginning of time probably, a product of the Big Bang.

The well is ancient and timeless.

I think it’s made of stone held together by mortar. It’s cracked and leaky, covered in ivy. The wheel is rusty and squeaky but lubricated with use. Sharp splinters poke out from the crooked arm that holds the wheel. The rope attached to the bucket is thin from wear but strong.

Bad days are when the bucket has to travel way, way, way deep to find water, scraping the bottom before it comes up nearly dry. Good days are when the water nearly overflows the stone and mortar sides, bursting to be released. Most days, though, the water level sits in a comfortable middle; the bucket has to go down in search for it, but not so far as to make my arms too tired.

The well is where ideas come from.

Some ideas are a tiny trickle dripping from the bucket. Others a deluge as the bottom of the bucket falls out, gushing water over my head.

I’m not the only one with access to the well. An intricate labyrinth of tunnels connects other writers, artist, dreamers, and musicians to the well. But it’s not only for artsy types. Mathematicians calculate numbers and equations there; astrophysicists explore the stars and galaxies; doctors find cures for disease.

The well connects us all.

I mistakenly think I write to make connections, take the thoughts and stories in my head and share them with readers, giving them thoughts and stories of their own. I actually write to explore the connections that already exist through the well.

So I suppose I’ll see you at the well. Some time or another.

Confessions of an Author: Reviews

November 19, 2012 / Katie L. Carroll

Want an inside peak at my writing ways? I’m guest posting over at fellow Muse author Mary Waibel’s blog today.

Confession #2: I’m a very soft critic of other writers on the interweb.

I recently started writing (very brief) reviews of the books I read on Goodreads. I decided to make the time to start reviewing the books I read because I know how important it is to get the word out about books. And I’m very soft when it comes to rating and commenting about books.

(BTW…I’d love more reviews of Elixir Bound to show up on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and any other place you can post reviews. Sooo, if you’ve read the book, I’d really appreciate if you could rate it and share a few words about it on those sites. I don’t even care if you have criticism for it…I’d appreciate the rating or review no matter what.)

Here’s my approach on my book ratings. Three stars means I liked the book, but it didn’t blow me away. Four stars means I really liked the book, but I didn’t quite love it. Five stars means I really, really liked the book, maybe stayed up late to read it and maybe even loved it. My comments generally give away whether it was a really, really liked five star or a loved five star. I don’t think I’ve ever given a book less than three stars. Anything worthy of less than three stars I probably didn’t finish reading, and therefore didn’t end up on my read list.

Why am I so nice in my ratings? I believe it’s important to publicly build up my fellow authors, rather than tear them down. Until you’ve written a book and actually been through the process of trying to have it published, you have no idea the work it takes to get that done. Anyone who’s been through that process deserves to be applauded. So if I took the time to read a book, it means I felt it was worthy and I have no problem telling the rest of the world I enjoyed it.

On the other hand, if you personally ask me, in person, my opinion about a book, I may be a little more critical and candid. Because now I’m having an actual discussion with a real person about a book, a conversation that is not likely to be shared with the greater online world. A personal conversation is very different than a post on Goodreads or a comment in a blog. I’m much more careful when it comes to the latter.

That’s not to say my reviews are dishonest. They are 100% genuine. I just choose to point out what I liked about a book rather than solely focus on what I didn’t care for. After all, I’m an author, not a reviewer.

Do you review books online? What’s your approach?

What Makes a Good Book Opening?

November 12, 2012 / Katie L. Carroll

Want to find out what makes a good book opening (or rather what doesn’t make a good book opening)? Check out my guest post over at Adventures in YA & Children’s Publishing.