Fridays 5 with Pamela Daniell

Pamela Daniell was born and raised in Little Falls, New York. After graduation she moved to Long Island with her high school sweetheart and they were married shortly after. They soon added three biological children and adopted two through the foster care system to complete their family.

As a child Pamela loved books, and with the urging of her grade school teacher to ‘Keep on writing’ has been writing ever since. Even with her crazy work and family schedule she finds the time to bring her stories to life so others can enjoy them.

1.) When did you first get serious about writing?

A.) I guess you could say that even though I had stopped writing for a few years, I got serious about writing in grade school. It's always been a dream of mine to become a published author since I was young.

2.) What is the hardest part for you about writing?

A.) I'd have to say the hardest part is getting the time to sit down and write. With a husband, five kids and a job finding spare time isn't always easy.

Amazon

 3.) How did you feel upon publication of your first completed project?

A.) I know it sounds weird but I'd have to say I felt relieved. I don't have the best of luck so I was always waiting for something to happen to delay or even stop it from being published.

4.) What is more important to you, story, or character? Why?

A.) That's a hard one. I'm going to say my characters are more important to me. They are the ones who drive the story, they decide how the story plays out, not me. Once I establish a character they develop certain characteristics and I use them to help me decide how they would handle each problem as it's thrown at them.

5.) What is a typical day like in your world?

A.)  Very busy, I have five kids who I have to get up and off to school. Then I head out to work, home to do homework with the kids, dinner, and putting them to bed. Then if I'm not to exhausted I try to get some writing in.

Pamela can be found online:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorPamelaDaniell?ref=hl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DaniellPamela

Amazon Author Page: http://amazon.com/author/pameladaniell

Website: http://www.pameladaniell.com/

Cover Reveal: August's Gardens by Michelle Barclay

It has been three years since Michelle Barclay published her debut novel Morrigan's Shadows. Readers can return to the same world of horror and fantasy this summer with its sequel August's Gardens. The cover is ready and the novel is not far behind. Look for it at all major online retailers on August 18, 2015. 

Morrigan is beyond death, trapped in a hellish nightmare from which only the Artist can save her. The Fiend is behind enemy lines learning to reap what he has sown. The Artist reaches deep into his past to find a reason for the strange woman he now must rescue from the vile Dark Man. The Winged Man is forced to wait while all of the elements he needs to start war with hell itself fall into place. Will he fight alone or will his shattered family unite with him?

About the Author

Michelle Barclay is the author of Morrigan's Shadows, Rot and the upcoming novel August's Gardens. She lives on the South Shore in Massachusetts with her husband. 

Follow Michelle Barclay on Twitter and Facebook to learn about upcoming giveaways and how you can get a free digital copy of her novella Rot. For author news and very occasional updates, sign up for Michelle's mailing list.

Friday's 5 with Lily Luchesi

Lily Luchesi is a young author/poet born in Chicago, Illinois, now residing in Los Angeles, California. Ever since she was a toddler her mother noticed her tendency for being interested in all things “dark”. At two she became infatuated with vampires and ghosts, and that infatuation turned into a lifestyle by the time she was twelve, and, as her family has always been what they now call “Gothic”, she doesn’t believe she shall ever change. She is also a hopeless romantic and avid music-lover, and will always associate vampires with love, blood and rock and roll. Her interest in poetry came around the same time as when she was given a book of Edgar Allan Poe’s complete work. She then realized that she had been writing her own poetry since she could hold a pen, and just had not known the correct terms. She finished her first manuscript at the age of fourteen, and now, at twenty-one, has two contributing credits in anthologies and a debut novel, Stake-Out,

1.) When did you first get serious about writing?

A.) I have always, since birth, made up stories in my head. It started with Sailor Moon fan fiction, actually. But in second grade, I had this amazing teacher and she really encouraged me to write down my ideas, even when I hated writing and cried because my hand cramped easily. Because of her making me enjoy writing, and my mother encouraging me, I started working on books at eight-years-old. I actually wrote a novel at twelve. I will never not be serious about writing. It is my passion, my first love and my lifeline.

2.) What is the hardest part for you about writing?

A.) When I know in my head how I want it to come out, but it is nothing like I envisioned on paper. It's frustrating. I found a post online that said, "I'd rather read the story I'm writing than actually write it." It's true. Writing is a selfish act, and we all write the books we want to read. My mind just moves faster than my laptop keyboard, and they always seem to have communication issues haha.

Amazon

3.) How did you feel upon publication of your first completed project?

A.) My first publications were in anthologies, The Struggle (the poem "Aftermath") and Wishful Thinking (the short story "Kill 'Em With Kindness"), from Fireside Press. It was pretty surreal when I received Wishful Thinking in the mail, because I was actually holding a piece of my work in my hands. The day I received that book, I was contacted by Vamptasy Publishing, telling me that they had accepted my submission for my paranormal novel. Stake-Out (Paranormal Detectives Book One). It will be published on May 19th, 2015, and it will be my first REAL publication, ever. I am in shock, and I am not ashamed to say I cried when I found out they were publishing my novel. Being an author has always been my dream, and now it's coming true. I'm so blessed!

4.) What is more important to you, story, or character? Why?

A.) They go hand in hand, really. They depend on each other. You could write a great story, but if the characters are one-dimensional, no one will like it. On the other hand, you could have kick-ass characters, but a dull plot. When I write, I usually have neither story nor characters fully formed. It usually starts with a scene, or an unformed idea. With Stake-Out, I was watching a crime show on TV and said, "What would happen if a cop's perp turned out to be a vampire?" And the story came as I typed, and characters introduced themselves to me. It's almost like I didn't do any work at all.

5.) What is a typical day like in your world?

A.) Well, I live an unconventional life. I'm only twenty-one, unmarried, and deal with crippling anxiety and PTSD. Going to a grocery store makes me physically ill. So I never have a schedule for real life or writing. I keep my laptop and tablet nearby at all times, but usually I don't write till late at night. I come alive in the moonlight, and my mind seems to clear once the sun sets. I usually try to write two thousand words a day, but don't always make it. But I always, ALWAYS, make sure I do promotion and something creative daily. My mind is my treasure, and I treat it as such. When not writing, I'm reading or watching Supernatural.

Links
Purchase the Wishful Thinking anthology, featuring my short horror/sci-fi story, "Kill 'Em With Kindness": http://www.amazon.com/Wishful-Thinking-Wishes-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00P0L0JCI/ref=asap_B00GBFAE0E_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417128797&sr=1-1

I'm a published poet in the anthology The Struggle with my poem "Aftermath": http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G95Y0A6

Read my FREE debut short story "The Ghost's Guitar" on: http://peoplewritethings.wordpress.com/2014/09/03/the-ghosts-guitar/

Links:

www.twitter.com/LilyLuchesi

www.facebook.com/LilyLuchesi (page)

www.facebook.com/lilyluchesibooks (friend)

www.instagram.com/lilyluchesi

Friday's 5 with Jennifer Frank

Physician by Day...Writer by Night.  Jennifer's love of writing grew out of the many meaningful moments she has shared with patients - some joyful, often emotional, always special.  Her initial essays, appearing in medical journals and literary magazines, allowed me to work through the ups and downs of a medical life. 

An avid reader, she adores a great story.  Eventually, she decided to create her own.  She does not outline, instead the story develops as she write, "so I am often as engrossed with what will happen next as if I was reading a book created by someone else."  The characters are her favorite part of any story she writes.  "Too bad I will never meet them in real life!"

When not stamping out disease or coaxing patients to eat their veggies, or composing the next scene, she is kept busy with her four crazy nutballs - her children and her wonderful and supportive husband.

1.) When did you first get serious about writing?

A.)   My day job is my work as a physician.  I started writing seriously as a way to process the emotions that I experienced in working with my patients.  Writing down the stories allowed me to think about, reflect on, and rediscover the truths in my experiences with patients.  I continue to find a deep sense of fulfilment in writing about the ways that patients touch my life.
A few years ago, after the birth of my 4th child, I decided to enter a writing contest.  I had about four months to start and finish a novel.  While I didn’t win the contest, I did finish the book and have been polishing it for the past several years.

2.) What is the hardest part for you about writing?

A.) Finding the time.  With a full time job and family, I find it challenging to carve out time to write.  My discipline is pretty terrible as I tend to go on writing binges and then put it all aside for weeks or months at a time.

Amazon

Synopsis: If you had a chance to do over your biggest regret, would you take it? When Alison learns the terms of her aunt’s will require that she reverse her life and take the road she rejected six years ago, she has to determine if she can trust herself to make the right decision or if she will be pressured once again to allow someone else to choose for her.

Alison lives a comfortable, safe, life advocating for women at the domestic violence shelter where she works and being bossed around by her cat. When her dynamic Aunt Elinor decides to tie Alison’s inheritance to successfully completing law school, Alison confronts the past that led her to choose love over the law – and lose at both.

As Alison battles through law school admissions, the challenges mount both personally and professionally. Will she sacrifice her dreams again to satisfy her new love, Ryan, and her Aunt Elinor?

3.) How did you feel upon publication of your first completed project?

A.) So many emotions arose when I saw my first novel on Amazon.  I felt pride, of course, that something I created was complete.  I also felt vulnerable as my friends, family, and acquaintances know me as a doctor, wife, and mom but not as a novelist.  Most of all, I was in awe that my dream finally came to fruition.

4.) What is more important to you, story, or character? Why?

A.) The story is by far the most important part, although I can’t say that I’ve ever thought about this question before now.  I definitely enjoy characters in my own stories and in others, but the story, particularly when it is artfully crafted is what intrigues me and keeps me reading.  The story, more than the characters, is what draws out my emotions.

5.) What is a typical day like in your world?

A.)  I work my full-time job seeing patients or doing administrative work as a physician leader.  I spend time with my kids and my husband.  Then, if I am lucky, I steal some time in front of the my laptop to write (my favorite) or edit (not my favorite).

Where to find Jennifer online:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/docwithapen


Webpage:  drjenfrank.wix.com/docwithapen


Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6271571.Jennifer_Frank


Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Jennifer-Frank/e/B00VX7SF9C/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1430620230&sr=1-1

New Release: Hope: Meat Goes to Richmond Part III

They lived in a new reality, the time after, adventurers in an old new world. At fourteen they had been forced by circumstances into adulthood. Coming of age when the few remaining Zombies were the least of their worries. Where savagery was the norm, and man’s inhumanity to man was on daily display.

 Part I  
Part I will be free from 6/12 to 6/14

Part II 

Part III

Synopsis:

The horrors of the past meet the brutality of the present as the boys achieve their objective, but not without loss. A journey that began with the opening of a grave, will end in the same manner, as they each learn that in this life, hope is the only thing no one can take from you.  

About Meat Goes to Richmond.

For me the whole concept of writing an ongoing serial was something new. I'd never done it before, and while it was an enjoyable experiment, I doubt I'll do it again. Let me rephrase that, I most likely will do it again, but when I do I'll handle the release of each part differently.  My plan had been to release a novella in three parts, one ten thousand-word part each month to complete a thirty thousand word novella in a three month time frame.

You know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men. I failed by not meeting the most important deadline, that of part three.

As I wrote the serial, from the start I was taking my cues from Meat, Einstein, Window, and Billie-Bob. There was no outline, no synopsis to speak of, nothing to provide guidance along the way. It was simply follow the story as they ventured from the security afforded them at Bremo Bluff to Richmond where the kidnapped children had been taken.

It was when they reached Richmond that everything jelled and the central theme of the story, something that had been staring me in the face throughout parts one and two, suddenly leapt into focus and the concept solidified.

The why became obvious.

Have you ever wondered what would happen to the creatures of the night during and after an apocalyptic event that radically reduced the population while at the same time lifting the restraints of civilization? Take a psychic vampire for instance, these beings feed on the life force of those around them, more specifically in this case, they feed on the fear of children. A creature that was best described in Stephen King's novella, The Library Policeman, originally published in the collection Four Past Midnight that came out in 1990.

How would this creature respond to the terror of an apocalyptic event such as the recently deceased rising from the dead and attacking the living. In the opening days of course it would gorge itself on the terror washing across the land. But once the walking dead, who felt no fear, established their dominance over the living, what would it do then? 

How would it survive?

It was this thought that created the driving force behind the story. The what if that compelled me to follow them through to the end. It was the reason the children had been taken in the first place.

But to see what it is you'll have to read the story. 

It also gave birth to a prequel that I am currently hard at work on.  This Way to Heaven will follow the lives of five young boys who lived in the apartment building at the outset of the apocalypse. Following their descent into the savagery they must adapt to in order to survive. 

About the Author

Richard was born in Frostburg, Maryland, in the winter of '58' and currently lives eight miles away. A five-year stint with the military allowed him to see what he wanted of the world. Married with four grown children and eleven grandchildren, he and his wife provide a home to four pets that are spoiled beyond rotten.

While the majority of his fiction is dark, his focus is on the character's struggle to reach the light at the end of the tunnel. A fight that mirrors his ongoing battle with depression. An avid reader he has written and published three novels, two novellas, and a collection of short stories since his return to writing in 2008 after a computer crash wiped out nearly ten years of work in 2001.

In addition to writing daily he works a full time job in retail, and piddles around in his wood-shop making one mess after another when time permits as he works on his house and a honey-do list that never ends.

Richard can be found online at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook/RichardSchiver

Follow Richard on Twitter: @RichardSchiver

He can be contacted directly at rschiver@gmail.com and would be delighted to hear from you.

Sign up to be notified of new releases when they become available. He promises to never share your contact info, nor will he swamp your inbox with unnecessary crap. http://www.eepurl.com/2bYSf

Seventy One Years Ago Today

Friday's 5 with Sarina Rose

Born to first generation Italian-American parents in New Jersey, Sarina Rose's early childhood memories of living in the four family apartment house with extended family decorate her books. Two cousins living in the house and two uncles on her mother's side were drafted and served in Europe and Japan. One was killed in France. Her father’s family occupied the four apartments throughout her childhood into her late teens. The families took their meals together and she wandered through the apartments at will.
She attended local public school and learned to use the public library as a youngster. She graduated from the College of Saint Elizabeth in Morristown, NJ with a B.A. and a certificate to teach Spanish grades K-12. Sarina taught seventeen years in several New Jersey school districts while raising four children and working as a tutor and insurance service representative.
Sarina continued studies at Kean University graduate school accruing credits in computer usage, reading, liberal studies, science, art history, music history, and cooperative education courses. Along the way I enrolled in an on-line creative writing class and began what I love to do now which is writing stories full time.”
Sarina says she is lucky enough now to live near the beach on the Space Coast in Florida with her husband and their two loveable dogs, Andy, a Labradoodle, and Cici, a Shih Tzu.
Sarina Rose is a member of Space Coast Authors of Romance and Romance writers of America. She is also a member of the Melbourne Women’s Club. “I enjoy the Women’s club where I am the Arts Chairperson and contribute to the monthly newsletter. She quilts children’s blankets for local hospitals and wheelchair bags for nursing homes. Sarina is a docent at the Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts at the Florida Institute of Technology and leads a lively discussion of publishing at S.A.I.L. (Senior Adventures in Learning).

1.) When did you first get serious about writing?

A.) I always wanted to take Creative Writing 101, but in college it was low on my list. When I taught school, one year I was required to teach Creative Writing. After trying to teach out of a textbook, I enrolled in an on-line course and fell in love with process  of the muse. I sent  some work out to periodicals and was luck enough to have one published. That was very uplifting. I felt validated by a second source.  However, my schedule was tight and writing took a back seat.  Four years ago I moved to Florida and began a life  long vacation near the beach. I opened up my Creative writing folder, took some classes, crashed a Space Coast Authors of Romance meeting  and was hooked.

2.) What is the hardest part for you about writing?

A.) The most difficult part about writing are the decision  I have to make every day and late at night to stop writing and do my household chores or shut down the computer and go to bed. I do not have a hard time finding inspiration. Lots of things spark ideas for me.  I might hear a phrase and think that it is a good title for a book. Finding the correct word or phrase for what I want to express can be daunting.

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3.) How did you feel upon publication of your first completed project?

A.)  I still feel that my first project is not completed. I want to go back and add more. Nevertheless, I felt acknowledge and validated  when the book was accepted by two publisher.  Contracts in hand I decided to refuse both and self-publish. I could not bare the thought of giving up control and rights. So here I am with debut novel, THE RELENTLESS BRIT, first in a series. When the printed proof copy came in the mail, I didn't open it for three or four days. I wanted to savor the anticipation. I felt light and high as heaven.

4.) What is more important to you, story, or character? Why?

A.) Let me sat this. For THE RELENTLESS BRIT, I thought of my aunt who was married on the day the Japanese bombed Pearl  Harbor. Then I looked at the scene in my mind and remembered her beautiful wedding picture.  Then I wondered what if she had made a different choice. What if she had decided to join the army instead of getting married. What if she had lived in Italy or Germany. My story evolved from those ideas. After I wrote the plot, I went back and enlivened my characters. So, I guess you could say that  character and story are equally important to me.

5.) What is a typical day like in your world?

A.)  I go to bed around midnight and then read for an hour or two.  In the morning I say goodbye to my husband from under the covers and sleep another hour until eight or so. I get up, turn on the TV and the laptop. I might start writing right then as I am doing now, check email, and then turn to writing more. I have to walk my big labradoodle and let the Shih Tzu out in the back. I eat and go back to writing. The dogs keep me company and labradoodle will bark for me to get up out of the chair every hour or two. Sometime during the morning I get up, shower, and do errands. At three o'clock I stop whatever I am doing and spend one hour in prayer and rest. I get back to writing around 4:40 while dinner is cooking. After dinner I write more. It is unusual for me to write without the TV. If it bothers me, I may mute it for a time, but the pictures are always there.

Sarina can be found on Facebook

New Release: Spook Lights by Eden Royce

Self proclaimed voodoo priestess, foodie, and part-time Geisha, Eden Royce has released a collection of  Southern Gothic Horror stories. Not familiar with Southern Gothic?

Eden sums it up best.  

"It’s a genre of Gothic fiction unique to American literature set in the American South. (Although I’ve taken a few liberties…) Commonly featured are characters who may dabble in hoodoo and conjure magic–like my great-aunt. Other characters practice more devious or violent acts. But all of them are deeply flawed, disturbed or eccentric characters. Much of Southern Gothic focuses on the macabre and grotesque. Maybe that’s why I love the genre."

Amazon U.S

Amazon U.K

Synopsis:

Pull up a rocking chair and sit a spell. Soak in these twelve tales of Southern Gothic horror: 

Sinister shopkeepers whose goods hold the highest price, a woman’s search for her mother drags her into the binding embrace of a monster, a witchdoctor’s young niece tells him a life-altering secret, an investigator who knows how to keep a 100% confession rate…. 

These are stories where the setting itself becomes a character—fog laced cemeteries, sulfur rich salt marshes—places housing creatures that defy understanding and where the grotesque and macabre are celebrated.

The stories are rich in flavor and clever in metaphor, the horrors completely surreal or—far more unnerving—all too possible. She brings a refreshing perspective to the table that paranormal lovers are sure to enjoy. —B.D. Bruns, author of The Gothic Shift

You can feel the warm thick air, the rich history and legends, the desperation of the impoverished, and the deep horror of the betrayed. —Roma Gray, author of Gray Shadows Under a Harvest Moon

Eden has had stories appear in over a dozen anthologies from large and small presses–horror, steampunk, dark fantasy, erotica, haiku, and combinations thereof.  She provides editing and proofing services for a publisher and for individuals.  And has lent her voice to several fantasy characters on gaming and writing podcasts. Besides all of that, her passions include roller-skating, listening to thunderstorms, and sumi-e painting.

She also writes a feature for Graveyard Shift Sisters, where she interviews a female horror author of color and reviews their latest work.

She can be found on Facebook, Twitter, or on her website. If you’d rather email her, you can do so at eden@edenroyce.com