Michael Pennington is here!

1).  Tell us your latest news?  I’m nearly done with the sequel to Zhena, my first novel.  It will be titled Dohch.

2).  When and why did you begin writing?  I’ve always had ideas for stories but as a Naval Submarine Officer, I never had time to put them on paper.  With my current job, I travel a great deal so I spend a lot of time in airports and hotels.  I decided to put the free time to good use.

3).  What books have most influenced your life most?  I have always been a fan of two genre’s, fantasy and espionage.  In espionage, some of my favorites have been the Jack Ryan and Jason Bourne series.

4).  What are your current projects?  I have been working on Dohch for about four months and hope to have it completed by Christmas.

5).  Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?  One of my main goals whenever I write is to always make the story somewhat believable.  I never want the reader to stop and say, “Oh come on that would never happen.”   For a spy novel, this can be difficult but I think I’ve achieved it both in Zhena and Dohch.

6). Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work? For espionage, I prefer Tom Clancy and Robert Ludlum.  I particularly enjoy the way Clancy will always give a background on each character as they’re introduced.  That way you truly get a feel for who they are and what their motivations are.

7).  When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?  I have always had an active imagination.  I’m also someone who doesn’t like to idle.  When I found myself sitting in hotel rooms without much to do, I decided to try it and see if I enjoyed it.  I was surprised with how much pleasure it gave me.  While I can’t say I found writing easy, it was definitely not as hard as I thought it could be.

8).  How long does it take you to write a book?  That mainly depends on my travel and work schedule.  The more I travel and the more free time I have when I’m home, the faster I get things done.  Zhena took about six months.

9).  What is your work schedule like when you're writing?   It varies wildly.  When I’m on the road, I generally spend a few hours each evening working after dinner.  When I’m home, I try to work for an hour or so after I put my son to bed.

10).  Do you have any strange handwriting habits, like capitalizing all your “r”s or dotting your “I”s with heart (or anything like that)?  Not really.  As a technical person, I want to make sure my work is accurate and believable.  My characters have been accused of being a little too logical and straightforward which is true of my own personality.
11).  What do you want to know about the future?  As the father of a three year old, I’d like to know what the future holds for the environment, the economy, and politics.  Basically, I want to make sure he grows up in a world where he can achieve his own definition of success.
12).  Are you a morning person or a night person?  I’m definitely a night person.  Being in the military, I’ve had to get up early for years but I’ve never enjoyed it. 
13).  Do you like thunderstorms? I would have to say no.  I’ve spent more than one cold night driving a submarine on the surface through a cold driving rain.
14).  What is the best way for readers to contact you?  Email, myspace, twitter, etc? The best way to contact me is through my facebook page. 
15).  Anything you would like to add? If you want to enjoy an exciting spy thriller set in modern times with aspects of the cold war or if you simply like strong female lead characters, pick up a copy of Zhena.  I’ve been told by many people who never read a spy novel before that they were very surprised by how much they enjoyed it.  My main character is continuously trying to balance the incredible events or her spy life with the everyday events of her family.  I’ve received numerous excellent reviews and hope to make the entire series a trilogy.

Today We Welcome Kelly Abell

1).  Tell us your latest news?

I have a book that was released by Hearts On Fire Books in August 2009.  It is a paranormal romance for young adults.  The title is Haunted Destiny and it is a chilling tale of trapped ghosts, evil spirits, and the only girl who can see them.

2).  When and why did you begin writing?

I wrote short stories back in high school but I seriously began writing novels in the late ‘90s.  I was having a conversation with one of my employees one day about wanting to write a book.  We were discussing one book in particular that I wanted to buy on writing.  The next day that employee brought me a Barnes and Noble gift card and told me to buy that book and start writing.  I was speechless.  So I wouldn’t let him down that is exactly what I did.  The rest is history! 

3).  What are your current projects?

I am currently working on a romantic thriller under the working title Captured In Lies.  It is the sequel to my first novel Sealed In Lies.  It’s going to be a blast!

4).  Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

I can usually come up with great beginnings and endings but it’s that flabby middle that snags me every time.  I am not much of an outliner so I find myself getting a little stuck in the middle of the book and sometimes the characters want to “hijack the bus”, but I usually get around it by doing short chapter outlines until I make it to the end.

5). Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

I love Nora Roberts.  I think her characters are so real and so deep.  I have participated in discussions on various forums where readers talk about her characters like they are real people.  They get mad at them and hate them.  It’s really cool.  I want my characters to be that real to my readers.

6).  When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

This is a fun question.  When I was in high school I would sit in my room for hours and write stories.  I wrote a series of stories about some teens that went to West Side High School.  Hmmm… maybe I should resurrect that series and wipe the dust off!

7).  How long does it take you to write a book?

Usually about 6 months.  If I’m really focused and can write every day for a few hours I could get it done sooner than that, but with my day job, the distraction of two teenagers and a husband it usually takes longer.

8).  What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I usually write for an hour or so every evening.  With two teenagers involved in sports and drama it limits my time.  I usually try to get some good solid time in on Sundays.

9).  Are you a morning person or a night person?
I am definitely a morning person.  I get a lot of ideas around 4 a.m. and wake up to the notebook I keep beside my bed.  If I didn’t work a day job I would probably write from 5 or 6 in the morning straight through till noon.
10).  Do you like thunderstorms?
I love thunderstorms.  I’ve always liked them.  They are so humbling aren’t they?  We really are small creatures in the scheme of things.  Having lived through two hurricanes you learn to really respect nature.
11).  What is the best way for readers to contact you?  Email, myspace, twitter, etc?
You can reach me on my website www.kellyabellbooks.com
You can purchase my books through my website or these fine locations:
www.heartsonfirebooks.com
www.amazon.com
www.barnesandnoble.com
www.fictionwise.com

12).  Anything you would like to add?
Thank you so much for having me here today.  I really like to interact with my readers so please stop by my website, read my Writing Tips for Writers Blog, and be sure to sign my guestbook while you’re there.

Please Welcome Darren Michaels

Hi Darren,

1).  Tell us your latest news?

I am excited to announce that my book will soon be available in adult book stores around the country!  Major chains such as Fascinations, Castle Megastore and some of the Adam & Eve stores are already carrying my book, and more stores are ordering as we speak.  I am so happy to have written a book with such cross over appeal that it fits books both mainstream book stores and also adult book stores as well.

2).  When and why did you begin writing?

I actually wrote my first story almost on a dare.  I was dating someone who called me one night after reading a new book she had just purchased.  She wanted to read this hot, steamy scene to me and so I went to her house.  I was really surprised at what she read to me; it was far more rough than I had pictured it being.  I guess I had an image of a knight on a white horse rescuing a princess and making love to her in a field of daisies.  Warped, I know.  Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised.  But I was also intrigued and thought that could Write something similar.  She of course did not believe me, so we made a bet (I wont say what it was  ;-)   A week later I turned in my homework and thus the story begins…..

3).  Tell us a little about Flipside Erotica, how did you come up with the idea to write your story in such a different way?

As a creative exercise I wanted to see if I could write a story from the other point of view, so I gave it a shot.  When I was done, I was pretty happy with the results.  I started showing it to some female friends of mine, and no one believed that I had written it.  I figured that was a good sign.

4).  We see many more Romance/Erotica writers that are women than men.  How has your experience been as a man writing in this genre?

I think it is a huge marketing advantage to be a male writer in a female dominated genre.  Assuming my work is good enough, I think it would help it stand out even more since I have a different outlook on this topic.  Also, it lends an entirely different twist to author appearances and book signings.  Being a reasonably attractive guy who writes deliciously erotic stories seems to be quite a turn on for some of my “fans”  It also helps me do more “research” for more stories in future books  J

5).  Darren, you write half the book from the woman’s viewpoint, what was it like to look at things from our side?
I seem to be able to click into that part of my brain fairly easily.  I am a total sappy romantic at heart, so I try to use that mindset when writing from the female perspective.  When I started out, I wrote from the man’s point of view and then “translated it”  to the other perspective.  Now I can easily flip back and forth or even start on the female side and write the whole story  and then translate it to the male side.

6). What was the biggest challenge in writing your stories?

Trying to make sure I am not too repetitive with my verbiage or scenes.  Since half of the stories are true, I write them as they happened.  At times I find that I do follow a certain routine in a sexual encounter, so I need to mix things up on the pages and in the bedroom.

7).  When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Just now, doing this interview  J   Seriously though I have been writing these types of stories for a long time.  I wrote an erotic poem for my high school english teacher…she was hot.

8).  How long does it take you to write a book?

Once I decided to get serious about it I had already complied a fair amount of stories, so it only took about 8 months to compile, edit and finish out stories to have a book completed.

9).  What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

At the moment I have the luxury of writing only when I feel like it.  I have only self imposed deadlines since I am self published.  I do want to have book 2 ready early next year, so I am trying to be in a writing mood more often these days.

10) What other projects are you currently working on?

At the moment my main writing focus is Volume 2 of Flipside Erotica

11).  What do you want to know about the future?
If I will be killed by a love crazed stalker I my sleep.  And if I will make enough money to retire and fly fish the world.
12).  Are you a morning person or a night person?
Night person…definitely a night person  The only good thing about morning is that it is over by lunchtime.
13).  Do you like thunderstorms?
No…I love thunderstorms.  Especially here in AZ where we have really cool Monsoon thunderstorms with phenomenal lighting storms.  Very cool.
14).  What is the best way for readers to contact you?  Email, myspace, twitter,
etc?
Please sign up as a friend and fan on Facebook and follow me on twitter at twitter.com/flipsideerotica.  I always love to hear from people via email at Darren@flipside-erotica.com or through my website contact page www.flipside-erotica.com

15).  Anything you would like to add?
This interview was fun and I hope it shed a little light on the guy behind the book.  I appreciate the opportunity you have provided me by adding me to your website and “exposing me” to your readers.  ;-)

Today's Author is Pierre Roustan

1) Could you please tell us a little about yourself?

Some say I’m a strange sort—such as the members of my family. They consider me a hoot. A pleasure. Entertainment. Personally, I’m just an old-fashioned guy who loves books, both reading and writing. I also like pizza. A lot.

I was born in the lovely city of Chicago where some of my favorite sounds are the car horns and that sweet saxophone out in the street playing to the drummer beat of those upside-down pails. I have a brother and sister, a mother and father, three aunts, three uncles, a grandmother, a great big batch of cousins, four daughters, one son and a partridge in a pear tree. We’re all one big happy family (only we’re spread out all over the U.S.).

I have a B.A. in Creative Writing and have fallen in love with the written word a million times over ever since I was ten.

2) Give us a sneak peak into your current release

Try and picture the frightening combination of Ellen Ripley from “Aliens”, Sarah Connor from “Terminator” and Selene from “Underworld”, and you’ll see the heroine of the novel THE CAIN LETTERS in full force: her name is Alexandra Glade, merciless vampire hunter, and the seeker of a strange, mysterious book that could reveal the truth about the origin of vampirism.

Problem is—she’s not the only one after the book. Another problem—once she finds it, everyone will be after her. The secrets she will discover will unlock the most terrifying choice she will have to make. Against all logic, surprisingly, to save mankind, she must protect her worst enemy: a vampire named Cain. The same Cain written in the Bible, vile brother of Abel. The original vampire in existence.

3) Tell us about your writing process.  Do you outline or just start writing?

I’m a strange morphing creature when it comes to my writing process. I’ll give you the general ‘outline’ (ironic I mention that word) of how I write:

One) I grab as many snacks as possible and also be sure to include a 24-liter of pop or juice.

Two) I play some music—all kinds of music.

Three) I start doing research while eating and drinking and listening to my music.

Four) I plot. And plot. And plot.

Five) Once I finish plotting…I write.

Six) Taking breaks in between writing includes sending fun e-mails, browsing through Facebook, playing Pogo games or internet poker, watching funny YouTube videos or perusing writer/editor/agent blogs.

The fact is: I deviate a lot from my process. It’s an evolving, morphing creature, my writing process is. Strange, I am. Yoda, I am not. The Jedi, I love, yes.

4) What genre is your favorite to write?  Read? 

I’m only beginning to discover that it doesn’t matter what genre I write or read. The more I write and read, the more genres I write and read. They’re directly proportional.

5) Favorite authors?

I have several: Terry Goodkind, Terry Brooks, J.K. Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien, Isaac Asimov. They’re not only my favorites—they’re my inspirations.

6) Is there a genre you haven't written, but would love to tackle in the future?

I remember picking up one of those pop-up books—you know, for kids, and they’re so cool. But what was really cool about it was that it was written by Stephen King. Stephen King! Beautiful short story along the lines of an R.L. Stine Goosebumps book. Who would’ve thought King could write a children’s book?

So, likewise, I’d love to tackle a children’s book. Maybe middle-grade.

7) What's planned next for your writing career?

The sky’s the limit, I’ve noticed. I’m currently working on book 3 of the REVENANTS OF ANARCHY series. THE CAIN LETTERS is book 1. Book 2, CHIMERA FALLS, will be released in May of next year. The final book of the series will be Book 4. Watch out for the series!

Other than that, let’s see—I have a werewolf thriller I’m planning, a psychological thriller, another urban fantasy with a touch of sci-fi, a paranormal drama, a psychological horror novel, and a historical horror novel.

My schedule’s packed.

8) Do you work well with deadlines?  Or do they stall your writing process?

I was lucky enough to warm up to the concept of deadlines, working a couple years ago as a caption editor for a few TV networks. I had 30-minute shows that needed to be captioned in at least 5 hours before sending them in (and I had to be dead-on accurate, too, and given how some people don’t know how to speak English correctly, that was always a challenge).

So, no, not at all—deadlines don’t bother me.

9) When did you first start writing?

Somewhere around 8 years old. I think.

10) What influenced you to submit your work for publication?

Hope. Just plain hope. I had it in my heart already that simply writing a book was an accomplishment by itself. The moment I wrote the last words on that last page, I felt beautiful. Only the desire to have others read it, to share my work—that spurred me to keep trying with the submissions. Most importantly, though, it kept me writing.

11) What gets you in the writing mood?  Music, reading, etc.

Usually the darkness does. I write at night (fitting given my genre and what I write about!). While sitting in the dark with the computer screen glaring at me, I also listen to some mood music—sometimes contemporary, other times classical. Hard rock hits the nose right on the button, too.

12) Do you belong to a critique group?  If so, how has this helped your writing, would you recommend it to others?  If not, would you consider joining, if not, why do you like to work alone?

13) What is the best way for readers to contact you?

I’d love to hear from readers all kinds of ways—616-608-0227 is my number, my e-mail address is roustan@hotmail.com, you can see me on Facebook, http://facebook.com/proustan. My main character Alexandra Glade has her own MySpace, http://myspace.com/Alexandra_Glade! I’m also on Twitter under the name “Starwise”. I do have a blog at the address http://writingandreading.today.com. My official author web site is http://pierreroustan.spaces.live.com.

14) Any advice you want to give aspiring writers?

Don’t write what’s popular or what’s in. Be out. Be an outsider, live on the edge, write something fresh. Write what you love. Never, ever, ever give up. Most authors write a ton of work before an agent or editor notices just ONE project. And all it takes is ONE project to be noticed. So even after two or three or four tries in getting your foot in the door, do NOT give up. Use common sense when you’re thinking about that—seriously, eventually that door’s going to open, because you got your foot stuck in it so many times! Just keep trying. Soon that door will have to open. You’ve pried it enough already.

Most important thing: believe in your writing. And yourself.

Today's Featured Author is Laura Hogg

Welcome Laura!

1) First, could you start by telling us what you are currently working on for publication and/or about your current release?

I have several things out and coming out, but the immediate one is Emma the Outlaw, to be released with Eirelander Publishing in November. It’s a Western Romance. Here’s a little about it:

Emma is led to the hanging platform to be put to death. Her father was framed for a serious crime, and she does this to save him from execution.

She looks around and sees her husband on a horse, guns blazing. In a whirlwind rescue, she hops on the back of his horse, and they’re off. Racing for the hills, she realizes that they will spend the rest of their lives as outlaws, but doing good deeds.

They capture a wanted man and leave him at the doorstep of the sheriff’s office. The true villain approaches Emma but is killed before she can prove her innocence. The sheriff finds Emma and her husband and orders them at gunpoint to raise their hands. He says he’s going to take them in. Instead they offer him a deal: they will capture the bad guys behind the scenes and allow him to take all the credit. He agrees.

Emma and her husband walk away happily and plan their next adventure, how to capture the guy on the picture the sheriff handed them. Ahead for them lies a life of excitement and passionate love.

2) Could you please tell us a little about yourself?

Let’s see. I’ve been married for twenty years, and my daughter is in college, a writer herself. I'm a quiet person, but I’ve been in rock bands (I play two instruments). Currently, I work in a private little reading school, tutoring, and both my husband and I are into health and fitness. Colorado is a wonderful state to live in, and inspires many of my stories. Emma the Outlaw is set there. And cats. I'm a major cat person. Currently, Cookie and Chewy reside with us. Cookie has no tail, and she does such funny tricks, I'm thinking about filming her and putting her on You Tube. That would be a way to get a lot of hits, and I could put my book cover in the background. J (Well, I try to be funny, but it doesn’t always work.)

3) Favorite authors?

I have so many library cards and read a stack of books, usually five to ten at a time. Hmm, let me pick a book out of the tall pile, I'm reading a Jude Devereaux, and of course history books. Right now, it’s the 1920s I'm researching. I have short stories out set in that era, and friends have suggested I write a novel set then.  A few of my author friends are really talented, and I have enjoyed their work immensely. For example, Sandy Marshall, Linda LaRoque, Dawn Chartier, J. A. Saare, Diana Rubino, and others.

4) Is there a genre you haven't written, but would love to tackle in the future?

Sci-fi. My novel Romeo vs. Juliet touches upon that. I’ve done some research and am currently trying to learn more.

5) What's planned next for your writing career?

I have several things under contract but not yet released, and a few works, mostly historical romance that I'm polishing, oh, and a modern-day, sci-fi embellished novel as well as a screenplay.

6) When did you first start writing?

When I was seven, I wrote a stack of poetry that I kept above our piano. In high school and beyond, it was rock songs. In college and beyond, novels. I didn’t have the guts to submit until I was in my thirties. I'm naturally quite shy but have learned to hide it. Writing also makes you tougher because not everyone believes as I do that we should treat others with kindness.

7) What influenced you to submit your work for publication?

It was finally time to dare to take the plunge. All those French novels I read in college as a French major got me to thinking more creatively, I guess, that and the guitar I carried around.

8) What is the best way for readers to contact you?  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/editpicture.php#/profile.php?id=626483435&ref=profile

Myspace: http://www.facebook.com/editpicture.php#/profile.php?id=626483435&ref=profile

My paranormal blog, Travel the Ages:

http://traveltheages.blogspot.com/

9) Any advice you want to give aspiring writers?

Don’t let others get you down. Keep writing and working hard at it, and think positive. It will happen.

10)  Anything else you’d like us to know?

I answered a few things below. Thanks for the interview! If anyone who writes paranormals would like to be a guest at my blog, please let me know. -Laura

  L_Hogg@comcast.net

 More questions…

Where are you from?

Kentucky, but I'm currently in Colorado.

What is your strangest habit?

Well, I like to research and make lists. For example, I recently found the names of colors for every letter of the alphabet and printed out my list.

What is your heritage?

I'm a mutt. My mom’s mom was half-Cherokee. Grandpa half Sicilian. On my dad’s side, his mother was full-blooded Iraqi, and his father German/English/French. My paternal grandmother spoke Aramaic before English.

Have you ever cried during a movie? Yes. The Passion of the Christ.

If yes, which one and why? See it yourself, and I won’t even have to answer that.

What is one thing scientists should invent? A food replicater so no one ever goes hungry.