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Meet Michael D. Smith and CommWealth
Michael D. Smith was raised in the Northeast and the Chicago area, before moving to Texas to attend Rice University, where he began developing as a writer and visual artist. In addition to exhibiting and selling paintings and drawings, he’s completed fifteen novels. Smith’s writing in both mainstream and science fiction genresuses humor to investigate psychological themes. On his blog, he explores art and writing processes, and his web site contains further examples of his writing and art. He is currently Technology Librarian for McKinney Public Library in McKinney, Texas. CommWealth is his first novel published by Class Act Books. Character Interview: Beverley: What’s your name?Allan: I’m Allan Larson, the leader of the Forensic Squad theatrical troupe in CommWealth. The other actors pretend I’m not really the leader and they say Steve Constantine, who owns the coffee shop where we put on our plays, is really the leader, but really, he’s just like a business manager, he knows zilch about the theater. I write the plays, I motivate the actors, everyone knows it’s me. Beverley: Where did you grow up? Allan: Right here in Linstar, this fictional town on the Texas coast south of Houston that our dear author has milked before in at least one other novel. That’s another reason I’m the leader, because I know this town and what makes it tick. When I was a kid this place had maybe 20,000 people, now it’s grown insanely to something like...
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Meet Icy Snow Blackstone
Icy Snow Blackstone was born in 1802, in northern Georgia where her father, the Reverend John Blackstone, was prominent in local politics. She married a minister, raised at least seven children, one of whom also became a minister, and lived there all her life. There are no photographs of her available because cameras were not invented at that time. Two hundred and five years later, her great-great-great-great-granddaughter began using her name as a pseudonym for her romance novels. Her novels have won awards: Earthman's Bride was the recipient of the 2008 Maryland Romance Writers Reveal Your Inner Vixen Fiction Award for Speculative/Other Romance. Icy Snow's Vietnam-era romance, Jericho Road, placed 8th in the 1997 National Writers Association Novel-writing Contest for that year. The present
Icy Snow Blackstone lives far from her Southern roots in Lancaster County, Nebraska, where she continues to write romances. The Novel Tuesday's Child was voted Best Contemporary Romance of 2014 by the Paranormal Romance Guild's Reviewers Choice.Beverley: Which genre or genres do you write or prefer to write? And why?Icy Snow: I write mostly Southern romances. I’m familiar with that region, having been born there. Beverley: Who influenced you the most in deciding to become a writer? Icy Snow: I had a seventh grade teacher who encouraged my class to write. We’d work on short stories and read them to the class. Beverley: What gets your creative juices flowing? Icy Snow: Anything! A word, a phrase, the ending of a...
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Meet Juanita Aydlette
Juanita Aydlette is from Shreveport, Louisiana, and now lives in Texas. She’s the only girl in a family of four brothers. She love music, planting flowers and is a dog lover…that’s why she works at an animal clinic.Beverley: Are you a pet person? Juanita: Yes I am. As a matter of fact, I work for a Veterinarian. Beverley: Do you think pets (dogs/cats/birds/ horses/ etc.) belong in books? Why? Juanita: I think pets belong in books, because they will definitely draw the curiosity of the reader. Pet lovers—and there are millions, can relate to animals as family member. I think it's important to them to find an author that feels that way too. Beverley: Should they be the main characters? Why? Juanita: I think it depends on the plot. If it's a fantasy or science fiction story, then why not? In that case, the animal can be as intelligent as a human. Beverley: Should animals in books talk? Juanita: Sure. As I said, in cases of science fiction and fantasy, why not? Beverley: Do you include pets in your books? Juanita: My first novel was published last year by Class Act Books, a fantasy romance/suspense, and there are animals—not pets, but animals just the same. Beverley: Any other thoughts on pets, and pets in books? Juanita: If my husband didn't protest, I would probably try to acquire as many pets as I could. I think animals...
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Meet Amber Daulton and Mason plus a Giveaway
Amber Daulton lives her life by that one belief even though she normally isn’t so Zen.As a fan of contemporary, paranormal, and historical romance novels alike, she can’t get enough of feisty heroines and alpha heroes. Her mind is a wonderland of adventure, laughter, and awesome ways of kicking a guy when he’s down. She probably wouldn’t be too sane without her computer and notebooks. After all, what’s a girl to do when people are jabbering away in her head and it’s hard to shut them up? Write!Nothing else works. Character InterviewBeverley: What’s your name? Mason: Mason Harding. Yeah, I know it’s a little funny. Mason means “stone worker,” and Harding means “hardness.” It’s like my parents didn’t want me to grow up and be a soft guy. Guess that worked in my favor. Beverley: Where did you grow up? Mason: Aurora, Colorado is my hometown, and I grew up in a little suburb of the city. You know the drill. The damn neighborhood was all two-story houses, okay-sized yards, and white picket fences, but I’ve always preferred the urban areas. More stuff to do, and unfortunately for me in my stupid teen years, more places to get into trouble. Beverley: During what time period does your story take place? Mason: It’s a present day story. I moved to Denver to live with my brother after several years away, but let me tell you. Location and time means nothing when the past...
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Beginnings, Endings and Sagging Middles
It’s that time for another group blog. This month’s topic is ‘How do you ensure a story has a good beginning, a satisfying ending, and good continuity in between?” It’s a great topic, but my first thought was, if I knew that I’d be a NY Times best seller. But it is something every writer faces. How do we tackle it and hopefully make it happen?I’m more of a pantser. I get an idea. Then I start to develop my characters and I start writing to see where I go. I know I need a hook and a few first pages to pull in a reader. I look at what I’ve written, maybe a chapter or two and go back to the beginning. Hopefully by now I’m learning about my h/h. What’s the inciting incident? What causes an abrupt shift in the story? What starts my h/h on their journey? Once I figure out exactly what that is, I write enough information to get the readers interest, and hopefully keep them reading to find out more.I don’t find the satisfying ending too difficult. I write romantic suspense, so it will be a happily ever after ending. During the journey through the story I’ve gotten to know my characters, their idiosyncrasies, their real goals and they’re challenges getting together. They’ve reached their goals, resolved their personal issues, admitted their love and will live happily ever after. And the continuity, or sometimes know as the sagging middles, has always been the biggest...
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Small Tips for Website Design
I’m late posting. It’s that life thing. I’m redesigning my website. Okay, I’m not doing it. I’m so not techie; I’m having someone do it.It’s only been a year since I had it done and while it looked okay, the support was negligible. It was difficult explaining what I wanted done so things didn’t change. And when you’re not techie you don’t always realize what is actually happening. I’m learning a few things this time around and thought I’d share them with you if you’re looking at redesigning your own site or having someone else do it. First, one of the top priorities is to find someone you can talk to and work with. Someone you can contact when you have a question or a change. And if they have a twenty-three page contract, read it carefully and maybe reconsider.Second I don’t own my present website. When I close it I lose the site and info.Make sure you have the copyright to your site.Next I was told not to use Weebly if I was going to design my own site.Apparently it’s very difficult to download your info if you want to move it to a different site.And it turns out the people who did mine last year made it even more difficult to move it. I’m learning that now.Also you need SSL – which I didn’t understand except I knew it was security. Now I realize that’s in the URL – HTTP – not the extra security. Https is secure...
