Category: Books (Page 64 of 81)

Meet Susan Royal Author of Not Long Ago

September 18, 2013 / Katie L. Carroll

Today Susan Royal, author of the time travel romance Not Long Ago, and I swap blogs. Hop on over to her blog to find out what movie I always watch when it’s on. Now let’s find out more about Susan.

What inspired you to write Not Long Ago?

History has always been one of my favorite subjects. I always wondered what happened during those times. How did people live in medieval society? What was it like during the Civil War? What was William Wallace really like? I cannot think of a better way to get up close and personal with something happening hundreds of years ago than to be a time traveler.

I had the first page of Not Long Ago written for at least a year. It could have gone a hundred different ways from there. A young woman passing by a coffee shop window happens to make eye contact with one of the customers. Someone she feels a strong connection with the man even he’s a stranger. Of course, the romantic in me wanted their chance meeting to develop further. Mixing in elements of time travel made it even more intriguing to me.

What book(s) had the most influence on you while growing up?

Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked this Way Comes and Dandelion Wine were favorites of mine. I loved the way he could paint a scene with words. Poul Anderson’s Three Hearts and Three Lions and The Glory Road by Robert Heinlein were my first time travel books. A Wrinkle In Time, Catseye, The Diary of Anne Frank—I read a lot.

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only bring two books and one movie, what would you bring?

Oh my, this is a hard question.

Movie—Australia, Out of Africa, The Postman, something like that

Books—any of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander Series.

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

My favorite part is when everything comes together and the words flow. I love to get a scene in my head that begs to be written. No matter where I am in the writing process, I open up a new document, write until the scene is done and worry about fitting it in with the rest of the story later.

My least favorite part is the part where I look for typos, echo words, overused words, grammar mistakes.

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

Keep writing, join a critique group, edit-edit-edit, never stop learning and never ever give up

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

I’d be a time traveler.

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

I’ll pretty much share anything. I don’t mind laughing at myself, because I do a lot of laughable things. I guess the latest is my daughter taking new Bio pictures of me this weekend in 100+ degree Texas weather. I was wearing winter clothes, because they look the best and trying NOT to sweat or pass out from the heat. We got tickled and one thing led to another. I’m sure the people driving by thought we were crazy. (Probably not. Everyone knows how I am, or they should by now.)

Not Long Ago blurb:

Erin has met the man of her dreams, but as usual there are complications. It’s one of those long distance relationships, and Griffin is a little behind the times– somewhere around 600 years.

Erin and her employer, March, are transported to a time where chivalry and religion exist alongside brutality and superstition. Something is not quite right at the castle, and Erin and March feel sure mysterious Lady Isobeil is involved. But Erin must cope with crop circles, ghosts, a kidnapping and death before the truth of her journey is revealed.

Forced to pose as March’s nephew, Erin finds employment as handsome Sir Griffin’s squire. She’s immediately attracted to him and grows to admire his courage, quiet nobility and devotion to duty. Yet, she must deny her feelings. Her world is centuries away, and she wants to go home. But Erin can’t stop thinking about her knight in shining armor.

About the Author:

Born in west Texas and raised in south Texas, Susan makes her home in a 100-year-old farmhouse in a small east Texas town that comes complete with a female ghost who has been known to harmonize with her son when he plays guitar.

Susan is married, with three children and four grandchildren. Her family is rich with characters, both past and present. She spent her childhood listening to her grandmother’s stories of living on a farm in OklahomaTerritory with three sisters and three brothers and working as a telephone operator in the early 20^th century. Her father shared stories of growing up in San Antonio in the depression, and through her mother’s eyes she experienced how it felt to be a teenager during WWII

Her newest book, In My Own Shadow, is a Fantasy adventure/romance. Other published works are, Not Long Ago, a time travel adventure/romance. Both ebooks are available through MuseItUp/Amazon/B&N. Odin’s Spear, one of her short stories is featured in a Quests, Curses, and Vengeance anthology, Martinus Publishing. She has finished the sequel to Not Long Ago, because her daughter insists there is still more of Erin and Griffin’s story to tell, and she was right.

In My Own Shadow (fantasy, adventure, romance)
http://tinyurl.com/bqbxm41

Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/Wbg8Z-12ojY
Not Long Ago (time travel, adventure, romance)
http://tinyurl.com/85vgye3

Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/vOIQVdWUigU/

Both books available at MuseItUp, Amazon, B&N, Goodreads
http://susanroyal.moonfruit.com
http://susanaroyal.wordpress.com

Story Behind the Story with K.L. Pickett Author of Maybe It’s Magic!

September 16, 2013 / Katie L. Carroll

The Elixir Bound in paperback blog tour is going strong, and today I’m at Mary Waibel’s blog with an unusual character interview. K.L. Pickett was gracious enough to stop by and talk about the inspiration behind her middle grade novel Maybe It’s Magic! (check out my Goodreads review here). Welcome, K.L.!

Why Did I Write Maybe It’s Magic! ?

By K.L. Pickett

If you could have anything in the world, what would it be?

When I was a kid, the only thing I wanted was a horse. Horses were my obsession: I read about horses, got to know horse owners, saved my money to rent horses, watched the horse races with my dad on TV, went to the race track with him, watched local horse shows, scooped poop for horse owners in exchange for horse rides, wrote reports about horses, drew pictures of horses – well, you get the picture.

When I was in kindergarten, I rode an invisible horse to school every day.

Our house was zoned as county, not city, so horses were allowed. But it was more like a suburb than a rural area. Our property was only a quarter of an acre. In the very back corner of the yard we had an old, wooden, rotten-to-the-point-of-falling-down stall where someone had kept a horse a long, long time ago – which only served as a daily, constant reminder that I didn’t have one.

Every birthday, every Christmas, I asked for the same thing: a horse.

Every birthday and Christmas morning, I’d walk into the living room, close my eyes, and yank open the drapes. Next I’d open my eyes and look outside, hoping and wishing with all my heart there’d be a horse out there.

There never was.

But I never gave up. I begged and pleaded with my parents. I prayed. I researched horses and horse training and riding. I rode whenever I had the chance.

And finally, when I was eleven years old, a miracle happened. The phone rang; I ran to answer it. It was my dad. “Karen,” he said, “I just bought you a horse.”

That was the happiest day of my eleven-year-old life.

That’s why I wrote Maybe It’s Magic! It’s written for all those kids who dream and wish and pray they have a horse someday.

My hope is that every kid who reads Maybe It’s Magic! will have his or her dream come true, too, just like mine did.

Maybe It’s Magic! blurb:

More than anything in the world, ten-year-old Pippy wants a horse. Plan One – begging her mom for one – doesn’t work. Plan Two – performing her own made-up magic spell – conjures up a tiny glass horse statue. Pippy’s disappointed; she wanted a real horse. But after studying it, Pippy thinks: Maybe it’s magic! If it is, she can use its powers to get a real one.

Soon her life changes. Because of the statue, she meets a grouchy, old ranch owner, who hasn’t had horses for years. The old woman buys one, stating it’s for her granddaughter. Pippy believes the horse is really for her. She learns to groom, saddle, and ride it. Now she’s even learning how to show it. The magic is working.

Then bad things start to happen. Why? Is the statue running out of magic?

When the ranch owner ends up in the hospital, Pippy knows the magic is almost gone. She needs more magic. But how? If she doesn’t get more soon, she could lose her horse. But even worse, the ranch owner could lose her life.

You can purchase Maybe It’s Magic! from MuseItUp Publishing at: http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/museityoung/maybe-it-s-magic-detail

Palleo when Karen got her About the Author:

The author, K.L. Pickett, on her horse Palleo when she was eleven-years-old. She helped her dad build the barn you see behind her.

Visit her website this month and read a free, true short story about her and Palleo: www.klpickett.weebly.com

(You will also find a recipe for making “Sweet-Smelling Play-Dough”)

Please “like” K.L. Pickett on FaceBook: www.facebook.com/pickettbooks

Meet J.Q. Rose Author of Girls Succeed

September 12, 2013 / Katie L. Carroll

J.Q. Rose was gracious enough to do a blog swap with me today. I’m talking about my inspiration of how I became a writer over at her blog and she’s discussing her book Girls Succeed: Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women and offering a giveaway. Welcome, J.Q.!

Thank you, Katie, for hosting me today. I love talking about my interactive e-book for girls, Girls Succeed: Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women, and the remarkable women who are interviewed in it.

Hello Readers. Thank you for stopping by. I’m excited to visit with you today. Please leave a comment to enter a random drawing for my non-fiction e-book, Girls Succeed.

My Inspiration for Penning Girls Succeed by J.Q. Rose

Because my husband and I were very fortunate to sell our floral shop and garden center business, we were able to take off on an adventure living full-time in our RV, a 34’ fifth wheel trailer for about eight years. I’m not sure the exact number of years because we slipped into full-timing gradually. We worked along the way as we traveled, but we always stayed where the sun would shine, so we were up north in the summers and down south in the winters.

One of our summer jobs was working for a girls’ residence camp in Michigan, Camp Newaygo. It was close to our daughters and their families, so we jumped at the chance. We parked our trailer on the camp grounds, so there were no traffic jams getting to work. I just walked across the parking lot to the rustic cabin where the office was located. My DH was in charge of maintenance for the entire campground. Needless to say we were busy.

We were never too busy to help the young women who were counselors or the delightful girls ages 7- 17 who resided in the cabins. We ate meals with them in the lodge and talked with them after hours at our camper. I marveled at these amazing girls with so much potential. They were full of energy, strength, and smarts. Yes, a lot of smart cookies at camp. We had a lot of fun with them.

I probably bonded with the campers and counselors because I am the mother of two daughters who are now grown and have children of their own. (In fact I have a granddaughter now too!)

I wondered what kind of dreams these counselors and campers had for their lives. Would their dreams ever become reality? Faced with so many possibilities for careers, I contemplated what choices they would make. And who would shepherd them so they could fulfill their passion and desire to have a rich, full life?

I decided then to interview strong, successful women who could serve as role models and inspire girls to reach for their dreams. In Girls Succeed fifteen remarkable career women in a variety of occupations share their stories about their work and the path they took to become successful in their dream careers. These diverse careers encompass women in the arts, business, science, medicine, ministry, entertainment, and sports. For example, girls meet contemporary women who have discovered cures to stamp out disease, made people laugh, earned Olympic and Paralympic gold medals, and crossed the country in the cab of an eighteen wheeler.

This e-book includes resources for more information about careers including live links to videos and websites about the woman and her occupation.

Using the skills I had developed as a freelance writer with feature articles in magazines, online magazines, and newspapers, I was privileged to interview these amazing women and honored that they trusted me to tell their stories.

Girls Succeed was a long time in development and a personal mission for me to lead girls into realizing they can live their dreams.

Find the book on Amazon, Smashwords, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and Sony.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPnpbAOlbmI

About the Author:

After writing feature articles in magazines, newspapers, and online magazines for over fifteen years, J.Q. Rose entered the world of fiction writing with her first published novella, Sunshine Boulevard, released by Muse It Up Publishing in 2011. With Girls Succeed she returns to her first love, writing about real people. Blogging, photography, Pegs and Jokers board games, and travel are the things that keep her out of trouble. Spending winters in Florida with her husband allows Janet the opportunity to enjoy the life of a snowbird. Summer finds her camping and hunting toads, frogs, and salamanders with her four grandsons and granddaughter.

Connect with J.Q. Rose online at the Girls Succeed blog, her blog, her author website, her Amazon author page, her Goodreads page, or Pinterest.

Exploring the World of Elixir Bound

September 3, 2013 / Katie L. Carroll

In case you missed it yesterday, I was featured on the Where Writers and Author Meet blog. Here’s your opportunity to ask me ANYTHING! Post your question in the comments and my answers will be posted next Monday.

The fun continues with the Elixir Bound in paperback blog tour (full schedule here)! Today I have a very special reveal *drum roll* … the official map of the world of Elixir Bound! This map includes not only Faway Forest, with the Three River Split and The Sleeping Giant mountain range, but also a look at the entire Great Peninsula.

Places like the cities of Skimere and Lughorn, Blanchardwood, and Drim will play very important roles in the next Elixir book, Elixir Saved. Check back in all month long for more cool reveals, including a sneak peek of Elixir Saved at the end of the month.

Enough blathering! Let’s get to the map! 🙂

Elixir Bound Blog Tour Schedule

September 1, 2013 / Katie L. Carroll

It’s here: the Elixir Bound in paperback blog tour! I still don’t have an exact date for when the paperback version will be available, but I’ve been assured by my publisher that it will be this month or possibly October. The blog tour goes all month long, so I’ll be sure to update you all when I know.

I have a fabulous line-up of guest posts scheduled and am being hosted by a group of awesome authors, book bloggers, and bookish people! There will be inside looks into my writing life, never before revealed info about the book, a giveaway, and the usual shenanigans you’ve come to expect from me! Here’s a list of stops:

August 31st – Krystal’s Enchanting Reads – A pre-blog tour post with a beautiful review of Elixir Bound and a post about world building from me

2nd – Where Writers and Authors Meet – Author spotlight and a chance to ask me questions (c’mon, you know you’ve been dying to ask me something!)

3rd – Observation Desk – (Yup, that’s my blog) Your chance to see the official map of the Great Peninsula

4th – Books for Company – My favorite spots to write with pictures

Author Eric Price’s blog – Find out how Katora, Kylene, and Bhar celebrate the Winter Solstice with an Elixir original short story

5th – Erin Albert Books – Twelve random things about yours truly (including one of my biggest fears!)

9th – Stuart R. West’s blog – The dos and don’ts of novel openings, plus my favorite openers

Where Writers and Authors Meet – The A’s to your Q’s from last week

Ladybug Lin’s Exceptional Reviews – A surprise post with a review of Elixir Bound from fellow Muser Lin Holmes

10th – Meradeth Houston’s blog Write Stuff – My favorite books in my top fantasy series

11th – Kai Strand’s blog Strands of Thought – Three Times a Charm feature in which I reveal my three favorite writing snacks, top three pieces of advice for kids, and three professions I wanted to be while growing up

You Gotta Read Reviews – An author interview where you find out who my favorite author is

12th – Girls Succeed! – My personal story on how I became a writer (fair warning, it’s a bit sad)

13th – Kelly Hashway’s blog – A deleted (and never before publicized) scene between Katora and Hirsten

14th – Literary Meanderings – Learn more about Zelenka and the demicks in this character interview

16th – Waibel’s World – A character interview of Kylene (really more of a scene…I got a bit creative–i.e. totally disregarded–with the traditional Q&A of an interview)

17th – Philip Coleman’s blog – Talking my favorite tipples in this author interview

18th – Susan A. Royal’s blog – An author interview where I reveal the movie I always watch when it’s on and I spill on my next book Elixir Saved

20th – Observation Desk – (My blog again…you didn’t think I was going to let everyone else have all the fun, did you?) A sneak peek look at the next Elixir book Elixir Saved

21st – Tina’s Book Reviews – Saturday spotlight on the making of the cover of Elixir Bound

23rd – The Story of a Writer – Find out what readers of Elixir Bound have to say with this book spotlight and snippets of reviews

25th – Behind a Million and One Pages – Katora may be a traditional “strong” female protagonist, but find out what other kind of strong female I admire

Observation Desk – (Yup, back to my blog again) Pics of the swag being offered in the giveaway

26th – These Words Tell a Story – A list of musical inspiration I turned to while writing Elixir Bound

27th – Nicole Zoltack’s blog Where Fantasy & Love Take Flight – A character interview of Katora, in which she reveals the one thing she would change about herself

30th – Suzanne’s Thoughts for the Day – I go crazy on other people’s books and suggest alternate endings

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