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Showing posts from March, 2008

[Interview] Bernadette Steele

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Mystery author Bernadette Steele has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Master of Science degree in Technical Communication and Information Design from the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT). Currently, she is pursuing a PhD in Technical Communication at IIT. The Poetry of Murder (Oak Tree Press, 2008) is her first novel. In this interview, Bernadette Steele talks about how she made the transition from wanting to write to becoming a published author. When did you start writing? I started writing when I was in college. I took a creative writing course and I wrote some short stories for the class. I also had another class in college where I wrote a play. After college, I did not do any writing. Instead, I spent fifteen years, reading books about writing and publishing, but I did not write. I collected story ideas, articles and pieces of information that inspired various story ideas. In 2004, I thought that I wanted to go to law sch

[Interview] Ed Lynskey

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Ed Lynskey writes crime fiction stories and novels. His books feature Private Investigator Frank Johnson and include the collection of short stories, Out of Town a Few Days (BooksForABuck, 2004) and the novels, The Dirt-Brown Derby (Mundania, 2006) and The Blue Cheer (Point Blank/Wildside Press, 2007). Two more P.I. Frank Johnson titles, Pelham Fell Here (Mundania) and Troglodytes (Mundania) will be published in mid-2008 and 2009 respectively. Lynskey is also the author of A Clear Path to Cross (Ramble House, 2008), a collection of P.I. Sharon Knowles short stories about the female private detective’s adventures; and The Quetzal Motel (Mundania, 2008), a science fiction novel featuring a family-run motel that has a pair of peculiar guests staying over, and how they rock a small town. In this interview, Ed Lynskey talks about his concerns as a writer. When did you start writing? My writing long fiction seriously kicked off shortly after the Y2K scare in 2001. I’m not

[Interview] Dana Littlejohn

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Romance novelist Dana Littlejohn was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and has been living in Indianapolis, In. for the past 10 years. She has been writing since childhood. The work she has published so far includes the novel, The Yin/Yang Effect ; the three novellas which make up The Dioni Chronicles series, Mikhail's Hunt , Jonathan's Bite of the Apple and Sebastian's Surrender ; as well as the short stories, " Hot Chocolate on a Cold Day ", " The Lover and the Firefly " and " Lover's Brew ". In this interview, Dana Littlejohn talks about her concerns as a writer.* How would you describe your writing? I write romances that happen now, in modern day. I have touched on several sub-genres like urban lit, fantasy and shifter, but basically its sensual/erotic contemporary. I hope to target woman between 18 and over. Some of the love scenes in a few of my books might be a little inappropriate for anyone under 18. What motiv

[Interview_2] Judy Gregerson

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Judy Gregerson has published two books -- a memoir, Save Me! A Young Woman’s Journey Through Schizophrenia to Health (Doubleday, 1980) and a novel, Bad Girls Club (Blooming Tree Press, 2007). She says her books draw heavily on things she has experienced in her own life. In this interview, she speaks about her writing and how she got published. Do you write everyday? No, I don’t write every day. I work in chunks of months, very intensely. I get up, start writing, take breaks to think, go back to it, get up and vacuum, go back to it, get up and clean the bathroom, go back to it. Then I think some more. I can write for about 12 hours at a time when I get going but four months on a book is as long as I can take and then I need time off to reflect, think, and get away from it. I may abandon a book for another four or six months while I digest what I’ve done or maybe even longer, before I get back to it. It ends when it has that “complete” feeling to it and the character has res

[Interview_1] Judy Gregerson

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Judy Gregerson has worked as a copy editor at a newspaper, in the marketing department of a publisher, as an account executive at an advertising agency, and then in various positions in promotion and marketing. She has written and published a memoir, Save Me! A Young Woman’s Journey Through Schizophrenia to Health (Doubleday, 1980) and a novel, Bad Girls Club (Blooming Tree Press, 2007). Currently she works as a freelance book editor and a marketing consultant while she finishes her degree in Human Development. In this interview, she speaks about the factors which pulled her into writing. When did you decide you wanted to be a writer? I first tried my hand at writing when I was in about the seventh grade, but I didn’t fully understand what made a story work. It frustrated me no end, so I gave it up. I started writing again when I was in my mid-twenties. I had an idea for a memoir that I thought was very compelling, so I began making tapes of the story and eventually typi

[Interview] Greg Bauder

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Greg Bauder has written and published two novels, The Temptress Ariel (Publish America, 2004) and Selene's Guiding Light (Publish America, 2005), both of which explore life from the point of view of a schizophrenic man. Currently, Bauder is working on a third novel. In a recent interview, he spoke about some of the factors that compelled him to start writing. When did you decide you wanted to be a writer? I started writing in college but I didn't publish until I was in my early 40's. I'm 51 now. There was a hiatus when I became schizophrenic for about 20 years between leaving college and finishing my BA in English. It took 20 years to recover from my illness. I wanted to become a writer to help erase the stigma of schizophrenia so I took Creative Writing courses at the University of British Columbia. I had some wonderful professors there and the students were supportive and we learned a lot from each other's feedback. I found the UBC staff and students friendly an

[Interview_2] Carol Thistlethwaite

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Carol Thistlethwaite is a poet, a book reviewer and the author of three books for adults who are learning to read. Her poems and reviews have been published in magazines that include Envoi , Orbis , Fire, Poetry Cornwall and The Journal . Her latest collection of poems, from the field book , is going to be launched on March 20 and 21, to coincide with Earth Day , World Poetry Day , the First Day of Spring and World Forestry Day. In this, the last of a two-part interview, Carol Thistlethwaite talks about how she got published. How many books have you written so far? I've had three books published by Avanti Press (2006) for adults who are learning to read. I wrote Red Paint , Painting the Bedroom and The Birthday Present for some of the adult learners I work with because I found there was a shortage of appropriate books for adults who are just learning to read. The books appear simple but the writing of them is complex. Basically it's about creating adult stories

[Interview_1] Carol Thistlethwaite

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Carol Thistlethwaite is a poet, a book reviewer and the author of Red Paint (Avanti Books, 2006), Painting the Bedroom (Avanti Books, 2006) and The Birthday Present (Avanti Books, 2006) which she wrote for adults who are learning to read. Her latest book, from the field book , is a collection of poems about British bird species. The collection was written over a four year period and is going to be launched on March 20 and 21, to coincide with Earth Day , World Poetry Day , the First Day of Spring and World Forestry Day. In this, the first of a two-part interview, Carol Thistlethwaite speaks, among other things, about the challenges she faces as a writer and about how she deals with those challenges. When did you decide you wanted to be a writer? It wasn't so much a decision as an epiphany. A college lecturer suggested that I should be doing Writing Studies. I instinctively knew I was hearing something important -- something I hadn’t previously considered. I'd just p

[Interview_2] Chris Hoare

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Christopher Hoare is the author of a science fiction adventure series which revolves around the lives of the people of the stranded starship, Iskander. The series is set in a 17th century alternate world and is made up of three books, so far: Deadly Enterprise (Double Dragon Publishing, 2007), The Wildcat’s Victory (Double Dragon Publishing, 2008) and Arrival (Double Dragon Publishing, 2008). In this, the last of a two-part interview, Chris Hoare speaks about The Wildcat's Victory , the process behind its creation and publication as well as the advantages and disadvantages of publishing e-books. How long did it take you to write The Wildcat’s Victory? The Wildcat’s Victory is about war, loyalty, true love, greed, and ambition -- all the classic ingredients. The Iskander stories concern the forces one sets against one’s self by trying to change or create new things -- I just bring the pot to a boil by having this group of modern people attempt to run an Industrial Revol

[Interview_1] Chris Hoare

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Fantasy and science fiction author, Christopher Hoare ’s three novels, Deadly Enterprise (Double Dragon Publishing, 2007), The Wildcat's Victory (Double Dragon Publishing, 2008) and Arrival (Double Dragon Publishing, 2008), are set in a 17th century alternative world and revolve around the lives of the people of the stranded starship, Iskander. Currently he is working on another book in the the Iskander series. In this, the first of a two-part interview, Chris Hoare speaks about his concerns as a writer. How would you describe your writing? While I also write fantasy and supernatural humour, most of my work now is on an Alternate History/Science Fiction adventure series about the people of the stranded starship Iskander on a 17th century alternate world. It combines sociology (the science) with some anachronistic additions to sword and gunpowder swashbuckling. Since the early 1980s, I have never got far with any project that draws on my own experience in various areas

[Interview] Dahlia Rose

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Dahlia Rose made her debut as an author with the publication of Love and Lights (Mardi Gras Publishing, 2006). Love and Lights was followed by The Soul Mate's Curse (Star Dust Press, 2007); When Angels Fall (Star Dust Press, 2007); Caribbean Blue (Phaze, 2007) and Velvet, Leather and Roses (Amira Press, 2007) and Paradise Found (Amira Press, 2008). Dahlia Rose spoke about her writing: When did you decide you wanted to be a writer? I decided to be a writer when I was around eleven years old. By then I was already writing short stories and poems at school and a few on my poems won contests. My mom always used to say I was blessed with a gift and that I could use words and make people want to read more. Even though I wanted to take it up as a career, I had to put off writing because my kids and family came first. But the love of it always remained in my heart. How would you describe the writing you are doing now? I write multi-cultural, contemporary erotica and