Meet Author Kerry Evelyn!

Posted on by
1

Kerry Evelyn is a native of the Massachusetts SouthCoast. She loves God, books of all kinds, traveling, taking selfies, sweet drinks, boy bands, and escaping into her imagination, where every child is happy and healthy, every house has a library, and her hubby wears coattails and a top hat 24/7.She is an instructor, mentor, and speaker, author of the Crane’s Cove series, small town romance set in Downeast Maine a Guest Author for the Cat’s Paw Cove Romance world, and several short stories.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

How long have you been writing?

All my life! I started writing novels in October of 2015. I was challenged to write and finish a book. I didn’t finish that first one, but the second one, Love on the Edge published in December 2017, and I haven’t stopped since!

Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre?

I do! I read pretty much everything except horror and erotica. I also write widely—my imagination is all over the place, and I keep the stories fresh and interesting by writing them differently. But almost all of my books connect to each other.

Advice you would give new authors?

  • Read dozens of books in the genre you want to write so you can get a feel for the structure and nuances. Readers have expectations, and if your romance doesn’t have a happily-every-after, or you kill off a pet or child, or you miss certain story beats, it’s going to feel off to the reader. We are wired for story, and the brain science of it is fascinating. I recommend Story Genius by Lisa Cron. She breaks it down and explains it. So fascinating!
  • Join a professional writer’s group. Plug into a writing community, preferably in your genre, and learn from people who are at the various stages you will be hitting on your way to your goals.
  • Take a LOT of writing classes. Books are great, but you need live instruction and critical feedback from people who know what they’re doing. Ask questions, be brave and share your work for feedback—you’ll learn a lot!
  • Attend reader and writer conferences. Meet people, network, and spend time with the authors who are where you want to be.
  • NEVER ask for free advice or to pick someone’s brain, UNLESS you have already established a friendship. Our time and hard-earned knowledge is valuable. We want to give back, but we’re selective because we repeat the same things over and over and only a fraction of prospective authors ever listen. Most authors charge consulting fees. Ask about that. I suggest reading one of the author’s books before starting a conversation, unless you want to hire the author, then just book and appointment.
  • Have thick skin. Don’t take criticism personally. We all start out as immature writes, and we get better with time.
  • Remember, not everyone is your audience. The trick is to find the right audience for your story. When you do, magic happens, and the love fest begins (from both sides)!

 What are common traps for aspiring writers?

Reading too many how-to books. Every writer’s process is different. I suggest experimenting with processes that interest you on short stories. Then, when you find a groove, write a longer story. The short, if it relates to the novel, can be used as a reader magnet to build your newsletter list prior to your book’s publication. Then, you’ll have hundreds or thousands of potential buyers on release day!

What is your writing Kryptonite?

Big revisions! If I have to delete or move something I am attached to, I put if off as long as I can.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

Start sooner and save EVERYTHING! Do not quit that writing class before the last assignment just because you’re moving out of state. Push though and FINISH. And don’t wait 13 years to get back to it!

What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from other genders?

Writing guys can be hard. I have to put myself in their heads – and that can be a scary place, haha!!

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

Depending on the length, 2-3 months for the first draft. Then 2-3 more months of critique partners, beta readers and editors before it’s ready to be published.

Do you believe in writer’s block?

Yes, and no. I do get stuck. The fix is knowing your characters. If you know what’s going to harm them or trip them up, send that thing their way. They’ll keep busy for awhile trying to work it out!

https://amzn.to/2Wl8U1X

What inspired you to write this book?

I’ve always been a hockey fan.  No Sweet 16 party for me – I dragged my friends to a hockey game! Several of the players were friends of mine, and I loved to watch them play. When I moved to Florida, I couldn’t find anyone to go to games with me. It was such a bummer! A couple years ago, I decided to write a short romance story, Love on the Ice, and during my research I discovered hockey romance was thing! I read a Kat Mizera book and was hooked! That story went on to become finalist in the Florida Writers Association’s Royal Palm Literary Awards and is my bestseller to date. It was time to make it into a series!

What can we expect from you in the future?

I read wide, and I write wide! This fall, look for How to Binge Write Your Novel from Writers’ Atelier Books and The Believer’s Journal for Everyday Faith from Orange Blossom Publishing. This holiday season I’ll release the next Palmer City Voltage Book, Christmas on Ice. A Voltage novella, Breaking the Ice, will be featured in the Late to Love, a Charity Anthology next February. All proceeds go to support my friend Teri, who helps run the Space Coast Book Lovers conference every summer, on her breast cancer journey. Twenty-five authors who know and love her are getting together for this one. You don’t want to miss it!

Do you have any “side stories” about the characters?

So many! My characters are constantly making appearances in others’ books!

Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Cruising on Ice? How did you come up with the concept and characters for the book?

My daughter has been asking me for years why I haven’t written a cheer story. We both love the sport, and Taylor has been in my head for a long time. As has Kingston—he was a side character in Love on the Ice, and I developed him completely when I wrote that story. I thought the two of them would be good together, as more than friends, and it was time to write their book. Since cheer comp season ends around the time of the hockey playoffs, I knew it would have to take place over the summer. The idea to put them on a cruise ship came to me when I was planning one of our family cruises. Their room has the layout our family had on the Disney Dream, and I pulled my favorite things from other ships, like the ice rink.

Where did you come up with the names in the story?

They just popped into my head! Poof! I rarely have trouble naming characters. They come to me with names and backstories all the time!

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

Everything! It was so fun to bring these two characters to life on a cruise vacation! It made for some many romantic moments, and I also really love writing hockey scenes.

How did you come up with the title of your first novel?

It was originally On the Edge. My characters were dealing with PTSD and staying at resort called the Cliff Walk in Downeast, Maine. A main scene takes place near the edge of a cliff. I loved that “edge” represented many things in the story. However, that title didn’t hint at the genre. While at an industry conference in July 2017, I mentioned that to my favorite Regency author, Anabelle Bryant, and she suggested simply adding Love to the title. So, Love on the Edge it became!

Who designed your book covers?

Chris Kridler of SkyDiary Productions did my Palmer City Voltage covers. Aren’t they gorgeous?

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

Nope! I love every word I wrote in Cruising on Ice! The freedom of publishing it myself come s with hiring an editing team that helps my vision come to life instead of trying to fit it to what’s trending in the market. Also, I love my ensemble cast! If I’d have pubbed it traditionally, I’m sure many of my side characters would have been cut.

Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

I learned how much I didn’t know about hockey! I had the sport down but the contracts and expansion draft minutia – yeeesh! Luckily, I have some superfan friends and dear friend in the Florida Panthers organization who helped me get it all right. My Panther guy was especially helpful with the epilogue scene logistics, and when I sent him the finished version, he loved it!  it was an awesome moment for me

If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the leads?

Oh, gosh—great question! I’m not sure, but I’d definitely want actors who could skate and fly in cheer stunts!

Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

Please leave a review! Reviews let authors know what you loved, what you didn’t, how to improve, if you identified with a character, and the impact it had on you. No need to summarize—we just want to know how it made you feel. The quantity of reviews helps us sell more books, and your words help us keep writing, even on the hardest days.

How did you come up with name of this book?

I wanted “ice” to be in the title to keep the branding consistent. The original title was Love Off the Ice to mirror the prequel Love on the Ice, but I changed it as I developed the series.

What is your favorite part of this book and why?

Oh gosh…so many favorite parts! The game show, where Kingston and Taylor feel that warm and fuzzy shift…their first kiss…the epilogue…yeah, definitely the epilogue!

If you could spend time with a character from your book whom would it be? And what would you do during that day?

I would love to have a VIP pass to the arena to watch Kingston play! I could sit with Taylor and the Wags (wives and girlfriends) and cheer my heart out!

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?

Entirely from my own imagination! However, I did pull some traits and memories from hockey players and cheerleaders I’ve known over the years. I was a cheerleader in high school, and when our hockey team advanced to the state championship, we rode on the bus with them. I will never forget the stench riding home with that equipment! My daughter did all-star cheer for several years, and we spent a lot of time watching all the teams practice and perform. Two of her tumbling coaches were on the 2019 USA cheer team, and several cheered in college. They were amazing and inspirational. One of my friends makes cheer bows, and she was especially helpful with developing Taylor’s business.

Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story?

Oh no—no matter how much I plot and plan, they do what they please, and I love being surprised!

Have you written any other books that are not published?

Just one! The first book I started back in 2015 was a World War 2 historical. I entered it into a contest and scored super high, but I got stuck on a few plot points that weren’t realistic. I do plan to go back to it someday, when the time is right.

If your book had a candle, what scent would it be?

Ocean Breeze! But I also have a very cool set of wax melts called Fresh Ice that smells like a rink!

What did you edit out of this book?

A lot of backstory and description! If you have any questions about anything, blame my editors for making me cut it! Haha, just kidding! Without them, the pacing of the book would have been much slower. I love how they guide me in the sculpting and polishing of my stories!

Is there a writer which brain you would love to pick for advice? Who would that be and why?

I would love to chat with Lucy Maud Montgomery, the author of Anne of Green Gables. She made a living as a writer a century ago, and wrote what she referred to as “bread and butter” stories to pay the bills. I can’t seem to find the discipline to write anything I’m not excited about, and would love to know how she did it, and did it so well.

What are your favorite hockey teams?

My favorite teams are the Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning, and my hometown Orlando Solar Bears!

Do you have a favorite hockey player?

Don’t laugh, but my assistant asked that question recently, and I named off 15 players! Here they are, in ABC order by last name: Noel Acciari, Ray Bourque, Blake Coleman, Yanni Gourde, Wayne Gretzky, Spencer Knight, David Krejci, Nikita Kucherov, Pat Maroon, Cam Neely, Bobby Orr, David Pastrnak, Brayden Point, Luc Robitaille, and Tyler Seguin.

How did you choose your pen name?

My grandmother, Evelyn, was my best friend and greatest encourager. She died while I was writing my first book. Now our names are linked together on books, swag, social media; everywhere! I miss her so much.

Can you, for those who don’t know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?

I’ve been an avid reader since I borrowed Boy Crazy Stacy from my friend Kate in fourth grade! I’ve always been a writer; at three years old I wrote letters to my nana in heaven. By middle school, Zelda inspired me to draw my own fairyland maps and write stories about the characters who lived there. In high school, I wrote a children’s book and wrote for the school paper, and was co-editor for a year. I wrote feature articles for my college’s newspaper, and when I graduated, I wrote children’s stories for the kids in my elementary school classes. I was always the one to offer to write the newsletter in the groups I belonged to. But it wasn’t until 2015 I decided to give writing a novel a go. I always wanted to, but I lacked the skills and confidence to do it. When I was challenged to put on my big-girl pants and butt-kickin’ boots and do it already, I decided to take some classes and give it a try. Six years later, I’ve published eight novels and over a dozen short stories. I pinch myself daily.

What is something unique/quirky about you?

I put ketchup on my mac-n-cheese. I really love the tomatoey sweetness on melted cheddar. It’s not so weird, I think – lost of people put ketchup on cheeseburgers, haha!

What is your biggest pet peeve?

People who drive in the rain without their lights on. It’s the only way to see a white car in a snowstorm and a silver car in a steamy Florida summer deluge!

Where were you born/grew up at?

I grew up in Dartmouth, on the SouthCoast of Massachusetts. It’s a charming college town on Buzzards Bay, halfway between Providence Rhode Island Cape Cod. It’s got everything – farms, a state park, beautiful beaches, a mall, and Padanaram, a gorgeous historical village right on the water. Across the peninsula is Clark’s Cove and the city of New Bedford where I lived and taught elementary school for a couple years. The Covewalk, “floating” lighthouse, and coastal geography partially inspired my fictional town of Crane’s Cove.

If you knew you’d die tomorrow, how would you spend your last day?

If I was healthy, I’d take everyone I knew to Disney World and spend the day soaking in all the magic, until the last firework fizzled out. If I was bed-ridden, I’d want to be on a balcony overlooking the ocean, with my family and friends holding my hands and praying over me, and drift off to the peaceful sounds of the waves.

What kind of world ruler would you be?

I’m a Hufflepuff, so I’d need a second-in-command to keep me from ruling with my emotions, which would end in disaster.

What do you do to unwind and relax?

I like to just sit. With a book, with a drink, with a person, with my laptop or notebook, etc. Just sit and enjoy the peace of being content.

How to find time to write as a parent?

Every year has been different! At first, I’d write while my kids were napping or after they went to bed. Then, while they were at school. Now I’m the study hall monitor at their school, and I get a lot of writing done while I’m watching the kids!

Describe yourself in 5 words or less!

Takes the road less traveled! I never do anything status quo. I felt Dumbledore’s words when he spoke about choosing what is right versus what is easy.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I’ve been writing my whole life. I had work published in high school publications and wrote for the school newspaper and became co-editor-in-chief my junior-senior year. I always thought I would go into journalism, but it was too heart-wrenching for me. I wrote feature articles for my college paper, and took a children’s writing course when I graduated. Teaching elementary school gave me a ton of opportunities to make up stories and curriculum, and for a while it was enough. In 2015, after being challenged at a conference, I decided to finally write that novel I’d always aspired to create.

Do you have a favorite movie?

Depends on the day! My top two are The Sound of Music and Gone with the Wind!

Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?

Oh, any of them! They’re all such feel-good stories. But I think Love on the Edge would do the best in the theaters. The added element of suspense combined with my characters’ emotional wounds and kickass determination to get the bag guy would translate awesomely to film!

What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?

Every place I travel to is a literary pilgrimage! If it’s not a place I’ve already written, I treat it as a future setting. I read all the things, visit all the things that interest me, and make note of everything I love about it for possible future reference.

As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?

Definitely a swan! My grandmother, Evelyn loved swans. They’re beautiful, full of grace, and mate for life. Perfect for a romance novelist!

Win a hockey-themed swag bundle with a $25 Amazon gift card!

Includes: $25 Amazon gift card, cheer bow, sea-themed journal, Sea World shell ornament, bottle of seashells, anchor-shaped soap, mermaid magnet, Seaworld playing cards, Dream Big ornament, Orlando Solar Bears towel, Happy Planner notebook, desk hockey game, Bolts trading card, Take a Shot! glass, Palmer City Voltage puck and magnet, NHL Fresh Ice wax melts, and an I Love Hockey sticker.

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Cafe Reads by Casia Pickering #giveaway

Posted on by
Reply

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.

Café Reads (A Multi-Genre Anthology) by Casia Pickering

Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Thriller, Horror, LGBTQ Romance, Paranormal Romance

Teasing Over Turnovers
The Custom
Wetwork
One Cut
A Day in Thornfield Hall
Bloodlust
Forever After
Marooned in Missouri
Love’s Cry
Through the Veil
The God of the Forest

A gentleman adopts a young girl and questions his decision. A woman joins a production of a well-loved play only to find her enemy is there too. An ancient being of a forest is dying until a single woman chooses to make a sacrifice.

In these eleven stories, Casia Pickering dives into different worlds of romance, fear, and sacrifice. Featuring stories originally published in Perfectly Poisoned Anthologies and Enchanted Anthologies, Café Reads is a multi-genre anthology that welcomes the reader to enjoy a cup of coffee and sit for a story.

Goodreads * Amazon

Even though she claims she can write anything, the biography remains to be Casia’s arch-nemesis. Despite this, Casia has used her Writing degree to craft stories in over ten anthologies, maintained a book blog for more than a decade, and has begun to write novels. A multi-genre author, Casia Pickering, is incapable of keeping to one thing. Every story has a piece of her personality that she treasures and shares with her readers. She currently lives in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia with her biggest supporter and helper, her son, affectionately known as Bug. Previous works are under the name, Casia Courtier.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Would you like a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card? Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

I am happy to be one of many tour hosts sharing information about Café Reads by Casia Pickering.

Writer’s Block by Brandon Barrows

Posted on by
1
Photo by Lisa on Pexels.com

An authors thoughts on Writer’s Block

by Brandon Barrows

Hi. I’m Brandon Barrows. Maybe we’ve met before. Maybe you’ve read my previous novel Burn Me Out, or the one before that, This Rough Old World or possibly a story of mine in various magazines and anthologies. Maybe you’ve already ordered my next novel, Strangers’ Kingdom are eagerly awaiting the chance to dive into it. If so, my sincerest thanks.

But I’m here today to talk about something else, something all three of those novels—and honestly, most of my work, has been afflicted by at some point in the past: writer’s block.

Some people don’t believe writer’s block is real. I believe those people either have never tried writing anything or are just really, really insanely lucky to have never experienced it. All three of my published novels mentioned above have suffered from it at some point or another in the writing process.

This Rough Old World took two years and more than a dozen drafts, beginning as a twenty-five-thousand-word novella and ending up as an eighty-three-thousand-word novel before it was done. In between drafts, I often went weeks or even months without touching it simply because I had no idea what came next. The same is true of Strangers’ Kingdom, but it was even longer: three years. I got stalled at around the seventy-thousand-word mark and realized I had no idea how to end the book. It sat, completely untouched, for a year and a half before I was able to beat it into submission.

It’s frustrating. It makes you doubt yourself, your ability, the worthiness of this pursuit. You wonder, could I be doing something better with my time? But I never quit. Even when I wasn’t working on this books, I was working on something else, because I just had to. Not writing is pretty unthinkable and to be perfectly honest, the times when I can’t write hurt. It’s a kind of ache that’s almost physical, knowing you should be producing but not being able to. And eventually, you just find a way to get going again because there’s no other choice.

A lot of people say they think they have a novel in them, or they want to write a book someday, and just never get around to it. A lot use writer’s block as an excuse. That’s okay, if you’re okay with it. Absolutely no judgment.

But that’s what separates writers from regular folks: no matter how hard it is, no matter how much it hurts, you keep going, because you have to. To do anything else is unthinkable.

That’s what it was like writing Strangers’ Kingdom. I knew how the story started, but had no idea how it ended and it took me a lot of brain-wracking and soul-searching and just plain forcing myself to get it done. But I did it. And when it was done, I felt great, even though I knew there were parts I would need to rewrite. But that’s part of the process, too. The first draft is just you telling yourself the story. The guts of writing comes later, in the revising and the editing stage. It doesn’t really matter what goes into that first draft, so long as there is a first draft. That’s what I kept telling myself and that’s how I learned to break through the writer’s block.

Writer’s block still happens, of course, but learning how to deal with it is something you just have to do if you want to write. And once you do, trust me, you’ll feel great.

Time Management by Casia Pickering

Posted on by
1
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

An authors thoughts on Time Management!

by Casia Pickering

Time management, well, to make this simple, time management sucks ass. It does. And I suck at time management. That said, it makes juggling life an exciting roller coaster of a ride. 

I recently juggled my first full-time job (I used to work part-time and was predominantly a house-mom), going through the legal uphill of a divorce, being a mom, and writing. That means setting aside my writing. I set myself tiny writing goals and try to meet those, but I am nowhere near where I want to be.

In my ideal time management writer life, I wouldn’t have the legal stuff. Instead, I would be charging toward a full-time author deal. I already know that juggling the Bug, my son, and writing wouldn’t be an issue. If anything, the dude would be a nuisance making sure I get my writing done. 

Juggling my time with him and writing isn’t a chore. Bug makes it his job to ask me if I’m writing. He likes to tell everyone in his school that his mother is an author, he likes having my stories on his bookshelf, and he is already planning out my merch store. No, I don’t have merch. He wants that to happen. I know I’m spoiled by this kid.

If you are a writer and a parent, but finding it hard to juggle the time for both, try to include your child in what you’re doing. Tell them they get to kick your butt if you don’t write. One time, Bug forbade me Oreos until I had a set number written. I still haven’t had an Oreo. Is he evil? Quite possibly, but he is my son, and I encouraged this method of accountability. 

Ultimately, don’t beat yourself up. Choose what is more important, do those things first, and if you have time to do the less important- there you go. For me, Bug is the top priority. Therefore, for right now, it is the legal stuff and full-time work that have to be the head of the train with writing being in the caboose. Bug is my conductor, and he’s doing a great job at it.

Courage of One by Zola Blue #giveaway

Posted on by
Reply

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.

Courage of One: Conviction to Stand (The Mejuarian Book 3) by Zola Blue

Genre: Fantasy

In ancient times on earth, there lived a race called Dragonors. Following in a tradition to gain status and recognition in the village, those able would compete in rigorous games of cunning and abilities. Tournaments culminated into a weapon battle to the death or submission while riding a dragon; at its end, the winner was given status within the village.

In this event, a blacksmith named Luken intended to win and gain the regard necessary to ask for Talulah’s hand in marriage from her father Ephenio, lord of the village, competed in the challenge. Luken, who had no dragon or experience dragon-riding or battling, had no choice but to win against all the other competitors for his love. The final contest pits him against the worthiest aggressor. He is fortunate to use the more aggressive dragon of his true love, Talulah, that carries the battle and allows him a most unlikely victory.

Over time the happiness of Luken and the Dragonor princess turned to despair as men invade their once pristine swamplands. The earthlings eventually caused the death of Talulah, and the great Lords of the Dragonors decide to leave the earth instead of destroying men.

Dragonors run into unlikely allies in their new lands, the Mejuarian, and the two different groups in all ways and mannerism develop friendships and a familial bond. This closeness compelled the valiant dragon riders to assist the king of the Mejuarian in the recovery of his missing mewlings.

As luck would have it, King Teloby also discovers a new diminutive race interested in a friendly alliance with both the Mejuarian and Dragonors. A meeting with Marina, Queen of the Arvunglies, revealed that she has found one of the three missing nests and treasures it as a colorful bauble. The little queen agreed to return the nest happily. Still, she told them that rescue of the other two could prove a challenge. To retrieve the babies, they had to venture and most likely defeat a rogue dragon that attacked their small village from time to time.

On earth in 1960, Ren discovers two nests while exploring by a lake. His father, a veterinarian, drew an interest in them and took them back to his facility for further investigation. Ren feared they were UFOs with body-snatching capabilities. Ren’s fears soon disappear when his father indirectly hatched the two creatures in his incubator and discovers they are lovely, intelligent creatures that reminded him of some rare species of puppies.

Unaware that the missing nests fell to earth off the airship on their way to the Dragonor land, king Teloby prepared himself. For the next day, the three groups would head out for the dubious task of entering and searching the dragon’s lair for his missing mewling.

Goodreads * Amazon

Born in Florida, I am a resident of the US, but now I reside on a lovely island in British Columbia Canada with my mother and two dogs, and one cat. During the early years of my life, I worked in the business industry, thus reaching my goal of obtaining my degree in Business Management. 

I love to read, and over my lifetime, I have probably read hundreds of books. Now that life has given a bit more time to concentrate on my personal life, I am following God and writing fun, fanciful fiction stories, which blend over into the fantasy realm.

 I hope that each time I put words on the paper, it makes you want to read it. I always hope someone has fallen in love with my words and want to continue reading them.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Would you like a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card, a hard copy of Courage of One, or a Swag Pack? Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

I am happy to be one of many tour hosts sharing information about Courage of One by Zola Blue.

Shadow Tracker by Jonathan E. Barnett #giveaway

Posted on by
Reply

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.

Shadow Tracker by Jonathan E. Barnett ~ Genre: Fantasy

Alcasia has been a hunter since a very young age. She hunts the most dangerous animal in the Great Forest of Rhent. The huge beasts skin hardens into a substance called brontum which is necessary in this world where iron is very rare. When taxes are raised, she ventures further than any other hunter to try and keep her family secure. This is when she accidently runs across an invading foreign army clad in steel. After escaping from this force she returns home to find these strange invaders have destroyed her village and kidnapped her brother and sister. As the village discusses rebuilding, Alcasia teams up with several friends to attempt a rescue.

Alcasia, Robyr and Trepuk lead a small band of villagers on this long mission to save their loved ones. The villagers head east toward the cities of the Plain. Alcasia will face the bigotry that people have to shadow trackers like herself as well the might of this great army of steel.

Alcasia and her band travel from the village on the edge of civilization and into the midst of a war. Alcasia moves among the armies to try and protect her loved ones. While she is known for hunting monsters, she finds herself facing a far greater monster.

Goodreads * Amazon

Jonathan E. Barnett grew up in Stevens Point, WI. After spending a year in a seminary in St. Paul, MN, he transferred to UW-La Crosse. He graduated with a Bachelor’s in History and a minor in Economics. Upon graduating, Jonathan was commissioned as an Officer in the Wisconsin Army National Guard and deployed twice to Southwest Asia. After his second deployment, he graduated from University of Wisconsin Law School. Jonathan is now a practicing attorney and author in Central Wisconsin.

Website * Twitter * Amazon * Goodreads

Would you like a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card? Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

I am happy to be one of many tour hosts sharing information about Shadow Tracker by Jonathan E. Barnett.

Meet Author Jonathan Barnett

Posted on by
1

Jonathan E. Barnett grew up in Stevens Point, WI. After spending a year in a seminary in St. Paul, MN, he transferred to UW-La Crosse. He graduated with a Bachelor’s in History and a minor in Economics. Upon graduating, Jonathan was commissioned as an Officer in the Wisconsin Army National Guard and deployed twice to Southwest Asia. After his second deployment, he graduated from University of Wisconsin Law School. Jonathan is now a practicing attorney and author in Central Wisconsin.

Website * Twitter * Amazon * Goodreads

Shadow Tracker by Jonathan E. Barnett ~ Genre: Fantasy

Alcasia has been a hunter since a very young age. She hunts the most dangerous animal in the Great Forest of Rhent. The huge beasts skin hardens into a substance called brontum which is necessary in this world where iron is very rare. When taxes are raised, she ventures further than any other hunter to try and keep her family secure. This is when she accidently runs across an invading foreign army clad in steel. After escaping from this force she returns home to find these strange invaders have destroyed her village and kidnapped her brother and sister. As the village discusses rebuilding, Alcasia teams up with several friends to attempt a rescue.

Alcasia, Robyr and Trepuk lead a small band of villagers on this long mission to save their loved ones. The villagers head east toward the cities of the Plain. Alcasia will face the bigotry that people have to shadow trackers like herself as well the might of this great army of steel.

Alcasia and her band travel from the village on the edge of civilization and into the midst of a war. Alcasia moves among the armies to try and protect her loved ones. While she is known for hunting monsters, she finds herself facing a far greater monster.

An Interview with Jonathan Barnett, author of Shadow Tracker!

Can you, for those who don’t know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?

I wrote a lot of poetry while I was in high school and undergrad.  I never really thought of myself as an author really.  As a history major, I was most interested in spending time doing some research and writing a history book, probably something centered around American immigration.  I started writing fiction with this book.  I was really trying to encourage my teenage daughter to work on creating a work herself.  She is a very gifted writer and I told her I would write something if she did.  I got hooked once I started.  I would often spend days of my commutes to work just brainstorming ideas for new conflicts for my characters.  I kept getting home and writing because I felt I was leaving my characters stuck where I left them.

What is something unique/quirky about you?

I had the unusual circumstance of having gone from a seminary to the Army in a matter of months.  I was studying in a seminary and I knew it was not right for me.  I joined the Army to pay for school, but it was odd to go from daily morning prayer to bayonet training. 

Tell us something really interesting that’s happened to you!

Well, most of my very interesting stories are military related, but I do also have the honor of having tried a case that made national news.  It got called the Beer Battered Fish Defense Case.  It was not a big case, but the story was this guy claimed he got drunk eating beer battered fish.  That was a better story than the reality.  He had told the officer that the smell of beer might have been from the fish he ate.  If fact, the story got too famous and the defense attorney and I agreed that neither of us would mention it in the trial.  Headline the next day was “Jury doesn’t buy beer battered fish defense.”  They didn’t, since they never heard that story.

Among my military stories, I was once an officer in a Security Force in Kuwait.  I was required to run drills on my guard force to see how they would react.  We also had to tell the Kuwaiti military when I was going out to do this.  The problem was there were two Kuwaiti Colonels who were in charge of different sections of the Kuwaiti guard force and these two guys hated each other.  I went out one time to take photos of the base (big no no).  I phoned ahead to the Kuwaiti staff officer to warn them.  While out there in my U.S. Army uniform, Kevlar helmet, ballistic vest and carrying a weapon I was approached by a Kuwaiti soldier saying something and pointing his M16 at me.  Just stood there pointing at the rank on my chest knowing it was ridiculous to have this guy approach someone who was clearly an American officer like this.  I showed him I was erasing the photos and later found out that the one part of the Kuwaiti guard force had been prevented from providing the warning to the other half.  Lucky me.

While in the seminary I was once awoken by a drunken student coming back after bar time.  This is not an unusual thing for a freshman year of college, but it was the only time it happened in the seminary.  There had been an ongoing discussion about how too many seminarians were not making it down for Morning Prayer every day.  Two of the seniors on my floor had been drinking and came back yelling “Wake up everyone!  Time for Morning Prayer!”  I looked at the clock on my desk, realized he was wrong and just rolled over to go back to sleep.  The next day the guy who was yelling came around to every single room and apologized to each person on the floor.  It was strange and amazing. 

What are some of your pet peeves?

Most of my pet peeves are grammar and syntax related.  I hate when people say “between” when they mean “among.”  Also, people who say they are “anxious” for something when they mean “eager.”  There are plenty more, but I try to keep that to myself.  I will sometimes have a visible twitch though.

Where were you born/grew up at?

I was actually born in Sheboygan, WI and I lived in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan from about the age of four until eight.  Just before my ninth birthday my family moved to Stevens Point.  I really love Stevens Point.  It was where we really put ourselves down and stayed.  The community was always very welcoming to me.  I left after high school and came back when I finally had the chance.  It is a beautiful small city with a university, fantastic parks and a few great corporate citizens who provide some wonderful attractions.  It is right along the Wisconsin River and there is a 20+ mile bike trail that connects most of the major parks in the city.  It is big enough to have anything you need and small enough that I can be in a kayak and alone in just a few minutes. 

If you knew you’d die tomorrow, how would you spend your last day?

Cliché, I know, but I would want to be with my family.  I have five wonderful children and an amazing wife who keeps me in line.  I would also want to spend the day with my parents, my brothers and my in-laws.  My one brother lives down in Peoria, Illinois now and it is always sad to me that he is so far away.  He is doing well there and happy.  Of course, that makes me happy, but I wish he and his wife were closer because I miss them dearly. 

Who is your hero and why?

Probably Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain.  He was a general in the Civil War, but also an academic and scholar.  He taught himself Greek when Bowdoin College needed a Greek professor.  The guy was brilliant and went on to serve his country and his state in many ways.  I admire the drive and the dedication to service that he had.

What kind of world ruler would you be?

Yikes.  Well, I was an Army officer so I have some idea.  I would be a coalition builder.  I like to be surrounded by people who challenge me and force me to have a reason for what I believe and think.  I would likely seek out great minds and try to find better systems.  I like to have solid plans in place and get real leaders into positions where they can do real good for others.  In all honesty, I would hate being a ruler.  I would much rather be an advisor than a ruler.

What are you passionate about these days?

There is always the passion for the Green Bay Packers.  Unlike most fans, the link is very much a family one.  My great-grandfather was a lawyer for the Packers and a member of a group called The Hungry Five that helped keep the team afloat during the Great Depression.  He is rumored to be the man who fired Curly Lambeau.  He is in the Packers Hall of Fame.  I see that team as a legacy and a family emblem.  I love football and I love that team. 

What do you do to unwind and relax?

I play a few video games that I enjoy, but mostly I read or listen to music.  I love to sing and if I have time alone I am definitely blasting the show tunes around the house and belting out the hits. 

How to find time to write as a parent?

I do almost all my writing after I have the kids in bed.  That means I cannot start until after 9:00.  I try to set one night a week where I will stay up a bit later than I should.  Sometimes work can be a bit all consuming and then I try to focus on getting the sleep I need, but I like to take just one night and push the envelope a little.

I have years of military service and it definitely trained me to stay awake and still be effective.  Once I spent three days awake running continuous hauling operations.  My platoon sergeant and I kept telling each other that the other one should sleep.  It took us several days before we both admitted we needed the sleep.  We rigged up a cot in the back of a HUM-V and slept as much as we could.  Having to write at night and then still get up and get the kids where they need to go and get to work is something for which life has prepared me. 

I do like writing while having distraction and noise so sometimes I like to write while enjoying a movie with the family.  I can sit with the laptop and enjoy the time talking with my wife and kids while I write.  

Describe yourself in 5 words or less!

Husband, Father, Son, Soldier, Lawyer.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Probably in high school when I mostly wrote poetry.  I would not have considered myself an author, but I wrote quite a lot. 

Do you have a favorite movie?

I have lots of favorite movies.  It really depends on my mood.  My father is a librarian and he would always bring home movies from the library.  We watched a lot together and still do.  I enjoy movies.  I probably like historical dramas the most but I do like documentaries as well.  A good period piece makes me very happy since I can pick apart the things that are accurate or not.  I like to follow along with the Historians At The Movies (#HATM) group on Twitter as well.

Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?

I only have the one out now, but I am working on book two of the series as well as on an unrelated alternate history work.  I could see either being a movie, but I think the alternate history piece I am working on would likely have the better chance. 

What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?

I did go to Stratford Upon Avon to visit the grave of William Shakespeare.  That was pretty amazing.  I was on a choir tour and I was one of only two people on the tour who walked directly across town to find the church where he is buried.  Most other people just took the chance to shop. I also had the chance to see the grave of Venerable Bede while in Northern England.  Interesting to see the spot where he lived and worked and then was buried.

As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?

My spirit animal is definitely the Red Tailed Hawk.  They live all over Wisconsin.  I have found that in times of difficulty or times when I have most needed to know the mind of God I have shortly thereafter seen a red tailed hawk fly.  They are powerful hunters and beautiful creatures.  I feel more connection to them than any other animal (besides dogs, of course).

What are your top 10 favorite books/authors?

Dune by Frank Herbert, Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose, To America by Stephen Ambrose, Lies My Teacher Told Me by James Loewen, Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, Gone For Soldiers by Jeff Shaara, Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin, Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo, John Adams by David McCullough.

What book do you think everyone should read?

Lies My Teacher Told Me.

How long have you been writing?

Since high school.

Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write?

They present themselves as the situations arise for them to be needed.  Couldn’t add some of them from the time where Alcasia is alone on the hunt.  Many had to wait for the main thrust of the storyline to kick off before they came forward. 

Do you see writing as a career?

That would be fantastic.  I love practicing law, so I would not likely give that up.  Still, I would love for my writing to be a way I can provide something more to my family and make it more valuable. 

Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre?

I love fantasy works, but I still mostly read history books. 

Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why?

I can barely think when it is quiet.  I need some noise going on or my mind just starts to wander. Not sure if it’s an ADD type thing, but if there is only one thing to focus on I start to day dream.  If I have music and writing then I can focus.

Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time?

While writing Shadow Tracker I was only working on this book.  I am currently working on two though.  I am focusing on getting the second book of the series out, but I am taking some time away from Rhentsia to work on another project too.

Pen or type writer or computer?

I do outlines with pen, but I write the actual work on a computer.

Advice they would give new authors?

Just start it.  Write something.  You can decide you hate it later or you can add to it.  You can read it after you think you are done and find ten things to add.  Nothing starts until you start putting down words.  Just start writing and then refine as you go.  Also, have patience.  Nothing worth doing is ever easy.

Describe your writing style.

I mostly do my brain storming in the car on my commute to work.  I come home and start editing that in.  I usually edit during the writing.  I actually went through and changed large sections in the story prior to finishing my first draft.  I also keep a running encyclopedia of all the animals I have created and all the people I have named at any point in the story. 

What makes a good story?

Characters who change and grow and villains with an understandable purposes and goals.

What are they currently reading?

The Premonition by Michael Lewis.

What is your writing process? For instance do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapters first?

I tend to outline first and then start writing.  I know I will tend to rewrite everything once or twice. 

What is your writing Kryptonite?

Writing conversations is probably the hardest part for me.  Writing poetry as a starting point allowed me to work on being descriptive and flow into design.  Writing conversations has to maintain personality traits and I have to bounce between multiple people and their arguments or desires one after another.

Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

At this point I am trying to be more original.  My first audience is my daughters.  I want them to have a character they can follow and enjoy. 

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

Try multiple genres and sample more things earlier.  Write more short stories.

What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from other genders?

Having characters of other genders and other ethnicities is difficult because as a white man I know I have no idea.  I have to admit that and deal with that.  I cannot avoid it because that would be far more disingenuous.  I need to have those voices in my stories to challenge me.  Thankfully, I have been surrounded by strong women in my life.  My mother, my grandmothers, my wife and my daughters.  In many ways, I write the women in this novel to have many of the same desires as anyone else.  They want to protect their families and have jobs that give them a feeling of joy or accomplishment.

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

It took a little over a year to get the first one through the process.  Some of that was bouncing revisions past others to get a sense of how it was going. 

Do you believe in writer’s block?

Oh yes.  Sometimes you have to walk away and maybe write something else for a bit to get in a different state of mind.  I also like to talk through it with someone else or talk out loud to myself in the car to get through it. 

Meet Authors Dana Bowen and Chloe Brogan

Posted on by
Reply

Dana and Chloe grew up in rural Ohio, and sparked a close friendship in the summer of 2019. When the Pandemic hit in 2020 they saw it as an opportunity to be adventurous. As two young moms, they spent months finding creative outlets through baking and art, but they were running out of things to do. So, when Dana came to Chloe one Friday over coffee and suggested they write a book — it seemed like the next logical step in their endeavors to use their time at home to pursue something they’d always dreamed of doing. The two discovered quickly that they made a great pair, and the story spun itself together almost overnight. The pair plan to keep up the momentum as Indie Authors, exploring all subgenres of romance in their coming stories.

Facebook * Instagram * Instagram * Amazon * Goodreads

Can you, for those who don’t know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?

Chloe and I became friends back in 2019. Our husbands were friends, and after some poking and prodding from my husband we went over to their house one night to play boardgames. Then maybe a week or so later, Chloe and I got to talking, and ended up having coffee together. And that was about it. Since then we weathered a pandemic together, and a whole year of homeschooling our kids. I’ve been eternally grateful for her friendship over the last few years.

Back in December of 2020 I was actually spending an afternoon with my cousin and she and I got to talking about my old habits of writing terribly cringy short stories. After she and I talked, I got to thinking and googling how to write a book. It seemed like a crazy idea, but it had been months of staying inside due to Covid and I felt like I was losing grip on the things that brought me joy to do. After having small children, most of my hobbies had gone out the window.

I remember it was a Friday afternoon in December, and I walked into Chloe’s house, plopped down on her couch and told her that I wanted to write a book– and I wanted her to help me. I’m very aware of the fact Chloe thought I was a little nuts, but she jumped on board with me almost immediately.

I think that night she and I wrote the first 3 Chapters together, and we had an outline for the first 6. Somewhere in the mess of things about a month later we realized we actually might have a story coming together. After a conversation we had about how far we were going to take this whole writing thing we actually got down to business. We created an actual concrete outline and a character bible. We started talking to people about our ideas, and let some of our friends and family read our first draft. It didn’t fully sink in what was happening though until we found our editor, and actually started shaping our story into something real.

I can honestly say I’ve loved every minute of working with Chloe on this, and I can’t wait to bring the rest of our works out into the open here soon.

Advice for New Authors?

As a new Author myself? Don’t let perfect get in the way of good. It’s something my Mother tells me all the time. It’s one of the reasons superman movies don’t sell well. Perfection is impossible. Making sure everything is perfect is impossible. We love flaws the human race loves to be validated. We might have one typo but it doesn’t ruin the message of our whole book. We will do better, grow, and learn and so will you.

Chasing Catherine, our protagonist is running from perfection and the lies that surround it. Perfect is impossible but Good is real raw and obtainable. I think for our antagonist Marcus that his fatal flaw is he and everything around him has to be perfect. Don’t fall into that trap or that book you wrote will never get published and you will pick at it on and off for years telling yourself you’ll publish when it’s perfect. Which it will never be perfect and so it will never be published. Take the leap go with the good.

What made you want to become an author and do you feel it was the right decision?

D: I’ve always had a love for reading and writing–and with Covid kind of messing up everything I thought I wanted from the next few years of my life–it seemed like a solid logical thing to try. After holding a physical copy of Chloe and my book, I am sure it was the right thing to do.

C: I’ve always loved to write. I’ve always been a creative person. I get hit by imposter syndrome a lot and I feel like somehow I’m tricking everyone into liking me and my art. Which logically makes no sense but it’s such a real feeling. I wanted to write and leave my mark but was too scared. When Dana came to me and said hey “I wrote this will you read it” and it was a couple pages I wanted to do for her what I was scared to do for myself and supported her. Then when we started on chapter to she trusted me to write some and then believed in me and pushed me.

So long story short I’ve always wanted to and without Dana I wouldn’t have. I held our book for the first time a few days ago. While that uglly imposter syndrome tried to creep on me I know what we wrote was good and that it was the right decision and I can’t wait to do more.

A day in the life of the author?

D: I don’t think I’m quite at the point of considering myself an author. I don’t spend days and days writing at a time. My ‘Author Life’ looks a lot like me taking care of my kids and doing chores, then standing in the shower 15 minutes longer than I should have to type out the random idea I had for a book on my phone.

C: Are we author technically but financially we can’t make it our whole lives yet. So most days I spend homeschooling kids or wiping butts and then once the kids are asleep I blast some Lo-Fi hip hop and start writing.

Describe your writing style.

D: I don’t really know. Modern, descriptive, and slightly romantic.

C: I think my writing style can be very casual and I lean more towards comedy. I wonder if you all can pick who’s who from our book.

What makes a good story?

D: Passion. I don’t mean passion like romance specifically, I mean as an author you have to have some sort of passion for what you’re doing. You can have good ideas, but if you don’t feel a certain way about your setting, characters, or story, you won’t have a good story.

C:{Uh insert cheesy thing here} To be honest no matter what, to have a Good story you need a certain level of talent. My grandpa always said there some people who tell you “I got this bag from Kroger” then there are people you say “So you’re not going to believe this I was in Kroger today and they were out of tofu so I strolled around and from the corner of my eye I caught this beautiful man so I walked his way pretended I was shopping for book bags too and so I bought this book bag to get a guys number.”

What are they currently reading?

D: I’m currently reading two books. Mexican Gothic, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and A Week to be Wicked, by Tessa Dare.

C: I’ll be Gone in The Dark by Michelle McNamara and The Road to Jonestown by Jeff Guinn. Honestly life is stranger than fiction for me.

What is your writing process? For instance, do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapters first?

D: I really like having a plan laid out before doing too much. I like making sure my characters are in order, and I like to have a general idea in place before diving too deep.

C: I will lay out something real basic then just word vomit.

What is your writing Kryptonite?

D: Mental Illness. Lol

C: Digging deep. I love writing the levity and comedy scenes, but I wrote a few scenes from Catherine’s point of view and had to face some of my own struggles while writing it and avoided writing the scene.

Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

D: I think in Chasing Catherine I got everything I wanted the book to be. In some ways I know that we didn’t do things quite like everyone expected, but Chloe and I knew what we wanted.

C: I think we deliver what we want. We don’t have a following yet so for now we get to be raw and write for us. Who knows if we get famous maybe we have to be more conscious of what readers want but now it’s raw and real.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

D: I would push my younger self to be fearless when writing a lot sooner. I think everything happens for a reason, and I don’t think I’d have published my book before now anyway. But I wish I wouldn’t have quieted this love for writing for so long. I told myself it was an impossible feat, but it turns out putting your work out there is way more possible than I let myself believe for a long time.

C: I agree with Dana. I think this book was meant to be our first book. I had a teacher who just didn’t like me. I excelled in language arts in school but she brow beat me into not believing in myself. I just want to show young Chloe we didn’t and we shouldn’t believe that teacher.

What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from other genders?

D: Chasing Catherine is a single POV, so we didn’t run into too many issues with that. But I have noticed in other things I’m working on, it’s hard to balance what people really think and do with what we can perceive from an outside view. But I’m not sure that’s a matter of gender. I think it’s when trying to write from any POV that isn’t your own. It’s just a lot of experimenting to figure out what feels right,

C: I 100% agree with Dana, it’s not so much gender but that person in particular may respond differently. We were working on a scene where someone is comforting Nathan. She felt that the should hug and do this or that. Nathan is raised catholic and physical touch would not be appropriate for him to be touched by a femme character or anyone because that’s not how within his culture he would associate in that way with a nonromantic partner who’s not family.

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

D: Alone it’s appearing to take me much longer. But together I think Chloe and I finished the first and second draft of this one and editing process in about 6 months.

C: For this book it was about 6 months. My solo project has taken me longer but our main focus has been this so that’s to be expected.

Do you believe in writer’s block?

D: Oh for sure. Lack of inspiration can be infuriating. Honestly it’s part of why I was so glad Chloe and I could do this together. Because there were nights where my brain just wouldn’t work and I could text her and tell her I was tapping out for the night, and Chloe would pick up where I left off without missing a beat.

C: I think mental health is a big player in writers block. So of course writers block is real. I’m really glad we were able to tag team this book and tag out if we needed.

What book do you think everyone should read?

D: I think everyone should read George Orwell’s 1984, and anything by Ted Dekker.

C: I think The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury, it’s just a favorite of mine.

How long have you been writing?

D: creatively and for myself I’ve been writing as long as I can remember. I started writing poetry and short stories in elementary school, and was always filling notebooks with book ideas. But this is my first actual work that I’ve published.

C: Dana and I have similar writing stories a lot privately to keep to ourselves. My love of reading really pushed that creative side of me. Without Dana I don’t think I would’ve ever had the courage to actually get something published.

Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write?

D: In my experience so far, characters seem to come as needed. Whether it’s during the initial outline process where you’re deciding what’s going to happen in the book; or when you’re in the midst of a draft and decide you need things said that a certain person needs to say. We didn’t originally give Nathan’s family a ton of depth, but after writing the first draft it became apparent we needed them for Nathan’s backstory to have real depth.

C: I think our character came to us as we needed when we started writing all we had was Darby (What Dana OG named Catherine) Then Darby became Catherine and the man in the distance became Nathan.

What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book?

D: Aside from the initial googling I did on how to write up a Character bible and a book outline, I didn’t do much research. We kept things pretty familiar–drawing a lot of scenery and dialogue from what we knew.

C:Most of our research was done during, to make sure we had some accuracy.

Do you see writing as a career?

D: I honestly really want it to be a career. I have more stories to tell!

C: I would love if we really were able to keep doing this. I love every second of it and want this to be my life forever.

What do you think about the current publishing market?

D: I think that the ease behind self publishing is both fantastic and horrible. I think everyone has a story to tell, and everyone should get to have their voice, but as a self-published author it is incredibly hard to make it. Big publishing firms are looking for the next Harry Potter or Fifty Shades of Grey, and it’s really hard as a small author to compete with huge companies.

C:I think self publishing is a gift and a curse. We can get our story out with out paying an arm and a leg for an agent but it’s impossible to compete with the reach of a publishing company.

Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre?

D: I love reading. But I am a genre jumper. I don’t have just one I love. As a kid I read mostly classics. I loved Treasure Island, and Romeo and Juliet. As a teen I read a lot of fantasy, and YA books. As an adult I love romance, mystery/thriller, and true crime.

C:I have loved reading forever, its been a safe haven for me as long as I can remember. Growing up poor books gave me the things I could never have. I love all genres honestly I currently mostly read biographies.

Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why?

D: My poor ADHD brain doesn’t know what it wants, I do best with minimal distractions, but if it’s too quiet my mind wanders.

C: I think being a parent means silence isn’t even an option.

Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time?

D: Currently I’m working on the second book for this series, a shorter Novella type story with Amber, and a few other things.

C: Currently I have few projects going dana has a few projects we have a few together.

Pen or type writer or computer?

D: For a long time I always wrote on pen and paper. But for ease while trying to write professionally, and with another person it makes the most sense to share a google doc with Chloe.

C:I use to prefer pen and paper but I’ve become quite fond of typing on the computer through this process.

Tell us about a favorite character from a book.

D: I have two. Eleanor from Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell. To this day that whole book is a favorite, and should be on everyone’s reading list. And as a kid I idolized Arya from the The Inheritance Cycle series by Christopher Paolini. They are both amazing female characters. 

C: I’ve mostly been reading biographies and nonfiction. To pull back from my brain of characters I love a lot fall under the John green Manic Pixie girl like Alaska from Looking For Alaska.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.

Convince us why you feel your book Chasing Catherine is a must-read.

I think there is actually a lot to say for this, more than just a rapid fire interview question. We have a very deep connection to this book. When we started out to write this story, it was a bit of a joke. We started writing with all of the classic tropes in mind. Girl meets boy, boy fixes all of her problems, and they live happily ever after.

But something that has been so treasured through this writing experience is how many other forms of love come in this novel. I remember sitting with Chloe sometime after we had really gotten into writing our second draft, and we were trying to think of a name for the book. We dug through a laundry list pile of book names that we either randomly generated or took from key words in the book. But none of them seemed to truly fit with what we wanted to express.

When we spent some time looking through the themes of our book, it became quickly obvious that we had so much more in between the pages than just steamy romance. While steamy romance is amazing and so much fun to write, we really wanted to drive home what it looks like to experience loving relationships with family and friends as well. I think true, loving platonic relationships aren’t showcased enough in literature as it is. And true passion for someone can extend farther than stolen kisses and bedroom eyes. We all love a good whirlwind romance, but my true love for our story lies in Catherine’s relationship with Cici, Amber, and Meghan.

People experience all kinds of love throughout their lives. Familial love, friendly love, and romantic love. Catherine is lifted by the people around her for the first time in her life. It’s an incredibly healing experience to bear your soul to people and have them love you unconditionally. And sometimes it’s those people around you that help you learn to love yourself. A great deal can be said for pursuing your own life, thoughts, and dreams with the support of the important people around you. It was so important by the end of our story that we showed Catherine choosing to chase herself for probably the first time in her life.

I think our book is a must read because of those things. I want people to see the healing that comes from being supported, and I want people to see that even when you’re faced with hard things, toxic people, and your own self doubt. There are people around you that will hold you up. There are people around you who will always help you succeed, and be the support you need. You just have to be willing to ask for help and look around. The world isn’t hopeless.

Would you like a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card or a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card? Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Chasing Catherine by Dana Bowen and Chloe Brogan #giveaway

Posted on by
1

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.

Chasing Catherine

by Dana Bowen & Chloe Brogan

Genre: Contemporary Romance

“It was all I could do last night to let you walk away from me. I wanted you to stay so badly. I wanted to sit and talk the rest of the night. I wanted to walk you home.” His eyes drag greedily down my body and back up to meet my gaze. “I can’t seem to get enough of you. You showed up tonight in that dress, and I thought I was going to have a heart attack.” He closes the last bit of distance between us, dropping his hands to rest lightly on my hips.

Chasing Catherine is a Contemporary Romance about escaping abuse, friendship, and finding love after heartbreak. This heartfelt and empowering story follows Catherine Martin after her escape from an abusive ex-boyfriend and her journey to self-discovery. This book is the first of two about Catherine and Nathan, as well as the jumping-off point in the Bethon Grove series. 24 chapters of romance, compassion, self-discovery, drama, family, and friendship.

Add to Goodreads * Amazon * Books2Read

Dana and Chloe grew up in rural Ohio, and sparked a close friendship in the summer of 2019. When the Pandemic hit in 2020 they saw it as an opportunity to be adventurous. As two young moms, they spent months finding creative outlets through baking and art, but they were running out of things to do. So, when Dana came to Chloe one Friday over coffee and suggested they write a book — it seemed like the next logical step in their endeavors to use their time at home to pursue something they’d always dreamed of doing. The two discovered quickly that they made a great pair, and the story spun itself together almost overnight. The pair plan to keep up the momentum as Indie Authors, exploring all subgenres of romance in their coming stories.

Facebook * Instagram * Instagram * Amazon * Goodreads

Would you like a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card or a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card? Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

I am happy to be one of many tour hosts sharing information about Chasing Catherine by Dana Bowen and Chloe Brogan.

Meet Author Kyra Jacobs

Posted on by
2

Kyra Jacobs is an extroverted introvert who’s always called Indiana home, so she’s well-versed in fickle weather, pork tenderloins that don’t fit on a bun, and sarcasm. Putting her Indiana University degrees in Public Management to good use by day means Kyra does the bulk of her writing late into the night. Fueled by caffeine and funny memes, she weaves tales of love and relationships, including the humor and/or chaos both can bring. Kyra’s published novels range from sweet contemporary romance to romantic suspense and paranormal/fantasy.

When this Hoosier native isn’t at a keyboard, daydreaming through her fingertips, she’s likely outside, elbow-deep in snapdragons or on a sideline somewhere cheering (loudly) for her sporty sons. Kyra also loves to bowl, tries to golf, and is an avid college football fan. Be sure to stop by kyrajacobsbooks.com to learn more about her novels and ways to connect with Kyra on social media.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

PURCHASE HERE

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.

Blue Manhattan Blog Tour – Interview

Hello everyone! Today we’re bringing you a round of speed dating with Shayla Tempest and Jamie Knight, the main characters in Kyra Jacobs’s latest paranormal romance novel, BLUE MANHATTAN. So get comfy and scroll on, their interview is about to begin…

Host: Shay and Jamie, thank you so much for joining us today. Why don’t we start out with each of you telling us a little about yourselves?

Shay: Are you a supe? *glances around* Because if not, I’m really not supposed to be here. In fact, you didn’t see me. Nope, you didn’t see anything—

Host: Oh, no worries. I’m part fae, so it’s just us supernaturals here today.

Shay: Oh, good. Man, it’s getting tougher trying to avoid humans. Hell, I had this one come crashing into our bar a few months back. Was sure I’d get blamed for that one.

Jamie: Hey!

Host: Wait, so…is Jamie supposed to know about us?

Shay: Yes. Because, well, it’s complicated. *bats her eyelashes*

Jamie: You can say that again. And for the record, it was Mauri who told me to go find Shay. Otherwise, I would have steered clear of McGronkle’s Pub. That first night, it was all I could do to open the door, let alone step inside.

Shay: *grumbling* Shouldn’t have been able to step past the spells I put around the bar at all, but then…well, we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves.

Jamie: Right. So, yeah, me walking into McG’s as a human? Not my favorite memory. Before that, the craziest I ever got was intentionally messing with the other programmers where I worked. Inserting decoy bugs in code can be a really fun prank.

Shay: *rolls her eyes* Yawn.

Host: *laughs* I take it you’re not into the techie life as much as Jamie?

Shay: No. Like, not at all. Besides, who needs gadgets when I have magic?

Jamie: True, but not every supe has the treasure trove of spells you do, darling.

Shay: *smirks* I know.

Host: Oh? Can you tell us a little about your magic?

Shay: Nope. Classified.

Host: Really? Not even a litt—

Shay: Nope. Classified.

Host: *looks to Jamie, who gives a subtle head shake* Okaaaay then. Well, let’s get to our speed round of questions, shall we? I’ll ask a question, you both give me your best answer. Sound good?

Jamie: Yep. Shoot.

Host: Alright, question one–favorite food?

Jamie: Krispy Kreme donuts.

Shay: Mmm pancakes.

Jamie: Ha! Just don’t ask what she likes to top them with. *makes gagging face*

Shay: *punches Jamie in the arm*

Host: I’m going to take your advice on that one Jamie, and move to question two—favorite vacation location: beach, or cabin in the woods?

Jamie: Beach!

Shay: Cabin in the woods, far away from water. Far, far away.

Host: Not a fan of water, huh? I’ll take that death glare as a ‘no’. Right. Question three—favorite color?

Shay: Blue

Jamie: *slips note under table to host* Yes, definitely blue.

Host: *reads note, which advises not to mention green or any shade of it* Interesting. Okay, final question—favorite drink?

Shay: Fire water, but only if I make it.

Jamie: Personally, I’m rather partial to blue Manhattans. Shay makes them best.

Host: *laughing* I guess I should have seen that answer coming. Well, that’s all the time we have for today. Thank you both SO much for joining us. Tell me, what do you have in the works next?

Jamie: Hmm, don’t think it’s wise to elaborate on our current mission, but let’s just say we’ve got some work left to do to keep Mauricio Hunter and his creepy goons from succeeding at his crazy world domination ideas. Lucky for us, our reinforcements have arrived. Oh, that’s Tessa calling now…

Shay: *sighs* That woman needs to learn how to relax. And learn how to trust me. Seriously, she’s not the kind of partner I would have picked. Hmm, judging from that look on Jamie’s face, I’m guessing we need to be on our way. Nice chatting with you, though.

Host: Trust me, the pleasure was all mine. If you’d like, I can show you two out.

Shay: *raises one hand, finger pressed to her thumb* Nope, I’ve got this. Come on, Jamie.

*SNAP*

Host: *finds self alone in the studio* Wow, I wish everyone had that power. Thank you, my dear audience, for joining us today. I hope you enjoyed meeting Shay and Jamie, and be sure to check out their adventures in BLUE MANHATTAN. Kyra Jacobs assures us the duo will continue to make appearances throughout the series, though next up is a new pair of main characters with all new magical abilities. Until next time, stay safe and happy reading! 

Would you like a chance to win a $20 Amazon gift card? Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!