Jeanne Matthews, Author of Bonereapers, Talks Writing

My guest today is Jeanne Matthews. Jeanne was born and raised in Georgia. She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Journalism and has worked as a copywriter, a high school English and Drama teacher, and a paralegal. She currently lives in Renton, Washington with her husband, who is a law professor, and a West Highland terrier, who is a prima donna.

Anne – Welcome to my little corner of cyberspace, Jeanne. There is nothing more fun that talking writing with another author. Let’s not waste a second of our time together. Tell us about your most recent release.

Jeanne - My latest book is BONEREAPERS, in which Dinah accompanies three American senators and a powerful agribusiness mogul on a political junket to the Svalbard “Doomsday” Seed Vault in Longyearbyen, Norway. The Americans harbor devious ambitions and dangerous secrets, but a crusading journalist with a grudge threatens to torpedo everyone’s agenda. 

In late December, Polar Night wraps around the little town of Longyearbyen like a lead blanket, impenetrable and endless. The temperature rarely climbs above zero and bodies don’t decompose in the permafrost. The dead have to be shipped south for burial and soon, there are two murder victims headed south. On the way to solving the crimes, Dinah becomes embroiled in the marital troubles of a presidential candidate, the controversial politics of genetic engineering, and a scheme by unscrupulous corporate interests to gain control of the world’s food supply.

Anne – What a great premise! Would you share an excerpt of Bonereapers with us?

Jeanne – Absolutely! In the following scene, Dinah takes a stroll through Longyearbyen.

The first breath she drew outside the shelter of the Radisson seared her lungs and the welter of flying snow stung her eyes. She buried her nose in her collar and squinted down the street to her left. The town was lit up as if it were night, which of course it was, even if it was morning. She made binoculars out of her hands. Through the blur of white, she made out a jumble of yellow and blue and red and green squares, like pixels on a fuzzy screen. More from inference than from vision, she decided that the colors were houses. Boxy houses with peaked roofs arrayed on a hillside overlooking the main street. There were also colored rectangles that looked like railroad flatcars, probably apartments for the coal miners or the scientists and researchers who cruised in and out of town conducting various studies. A red steeple seemed to float atop the torrents of white, an ethereal reminder that the world’s northernmost settlement had not slipped the boundaries of Christendom.

She struggled against the headwind. Her eyeballs felt as if they were turning into gelato. It was impossible to gauge distances in this blizzard. Somewhere at the end of the street was the wharf and beyond that stretched the icy waters of Advent Bay. The fact sheet posted on the Radisson notice board warned guests not to venture beyond the wharf unarmed because polar bears do not hibernate. They range along the shores of the bay all winter, hunting tirelessly for seals. Or, if the opportunity, arose, negligent tourists. 

Dinah wonders what kind of theology sustained the ancient Norsemen who lived in this harsh and inhospitable environment. As she learns, they believed that the earth, itself, was created by an act of murder. 

In the beginning, there was no earth, only fire and ice, with a space of dark, lawless emptiness in between. The gods longed for a pleasant, orderly universe. But unlike the Judeo-Christian God, they couldn’t create something out of nothing. They needed raw materials to work with. They looked around and saw Ymir, a frost giant whom they hated, and a light bulb went on. They saw in the giant everything that a well-structured world would need and, in short order, they murdered him for his parts. They fashioned the earth out of his skull and ground up his flesh to make dirt. The blood gushing from his wounds became the lakes and the seas. They made his teeth and bones into the rocks and mountains, his thick and curly hair into the trees, and his brains into clouds.

Norse mythology, decided Dinah, was not for the squeamish.

Anne - What one how-to write book is a must on your bookshelf? Why? 

Jeanne - NEGOTIATING WITH THE DEAD by Margaret Atwood isn’t so much a how-to book as a why-to book. It is a marvelous exploration and discussion of the reasons writers write – the reason we devote our lives to inventing situations that never happened and characters who never existed. The book contains an eclectic collection of provocative quotes by other writers and is a source of constant inspiration for me.

Anne - How long did your journey from wannabe writer to published author take?

Jeanne - Approximately 17 years, during which time I lost count of the number of rejections. I now know that the longer you persevere and the more you write, the better you become and the more you appreciate success when it finally comes.

Anne - Quick, your five favorites – author, actor, movie, song, quote.

Jeanne - AUTHOR: I’m from Georgia. It can’t be anyone but Margaret Mitchell. ACTOR: Bette Davis, who should have played the part of Scarlett O’Hara, but turned down the role, which she later regretted. And currently, Kyra Sedgwick. I’m hooked on “The Closer.” MOVIE: “Casablanca,” because I’m a hopeless romantic at heart. SONG: “Stardust.” Ditto, as above. QUOTE: “I don’t know what I think ‘til I see what I say.” ~ Flannery O’Conner. That sums up my philosophy of writing. It is a process of constant discovery.

Anne - How do you balance writing with online promotion and marketing?

Jeanne - I was raised to regard tooting one’s own horn as impolite, if not downright unseemly. Although I realize that it’s a necessary part of an author’s job to promote and “get the word out,” it’s not the most enjoyable part for me. I’m shy and sometimes I have to give myself a strong talking-to before I can psyche myself into a self-promoting frame of mind. That’s why sites like yours, Anne, are so wonderful and so helpful. I really appreciate the opportunity you’ve given me to introduce myself to your readers.

Anne – My pleasure. Like you, I find the promotional aspect of writing can be daunting. That’s part of the reason I prefer the ‘chat’ venue! Where can readers find you online? 

Jeanne - I post to the Poisoned Pen Press Blog every other month on the 13th and occasionally do guest blogs for Buried Under Books and Poe’s Deadly Daughters. At the end of this summer, when I return from Samos, Greece where I will be setting my next Dinah Pelerin mystery, I intend to start a blog of my own. Information about my books, events, and future plans can be found on my website.

Anne – I look forward to your blog posts, Jeanne, as well as some photos of Greece! Thanks so much for dropping by and sharing an excerpt of Bonereapers with us.

Readers: your comments are always appreciated and welcome. To ensure you receive every Anne K. Albert post, interview or giveaway, become a follower on either GFC (Google Friend Connection) or NetworkedBlogs. It’s as easy as a click of the mouse. Thank you, and until next time, happy reading!

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Brynna Curry, Author of Earth Enchanted, Talks Writing & #Giveaway

Paranormal romance and romantic suspense author Brynna Curry is my guest today. She is a lifelong believer in the importance of reading. She enjoys the writing process, helping others hone their craft by lending her time to review books, critique manuscripts and serving as a contest judge. She loves hearing from her readers.

When she isn’t writing, Brynna is often found haunting the library for new books to read, at the park with her children, or just spending an quiet evening at home with her husband, Jackie, watching old westerns on TV. She makes her home in North Alabama where the history is rich with music and culture, forests and lakes are abundant and beautiful, and every day is another adventure.

Anne - Welcome, Brynna. It’s a gorgeous summer day and I’m excited to talk writing. Let’s begin with Earth Enchanted. Would you tell us about it?

Brynna - First published in 2009, Earth Enchanted is the first in a series of five books. Elemental Magic features the Corrigan siblings from Ireland, a family with an ancestry of magic.  Liv Corrigan, telepath and writer, visits her brother in the States only to find he’s neck deep in a diamond smuggling ring. While there, she meets ex-cop Jackson Roarke, a man with secrets still reeling from his wife’s death.  

Here is a short blurb. 

Writer Liv Corrigan has the worst luck with men -- her telepathy tends to make them run for the hills. When she meets widower and ex-cop Jack Roarke, she decides to keep her talent hidden. Things are looking up until their third date crashes and burns as the man who murdered Jack’s wife turns out to be after him too.

Injured, Jack retreats with Liv to his house under armed guard. But with Liv’s mysteries rapidly coming unraveled, a diamond-thief killer to stop and passion in the air, the safe house is anything but safe for their hearts!

Anne - Of the characters you’ve created, does one hold a special place in your heart? Why?

Brynna - Devin McLoch, always. He speaks the loudest to me, maybe because of his background, his magic or perhaps just his kindness and fiercely protective nature when it comes to family. Even when I think it’s time for him to fade into the background, Dev keeps popping up where you least expect it.

Anne – He sounds fascinating! How many rejections have you received? Was one more memorable than others?

Brynna - Seven. Two from Harlequin, the others were from agents. All but one were very detailed in the reasons they turned me down. I used to have them hanging up, but I keep them in a file now. I needed the frames for my book covers. LOL!

Anne – It’s important to remember a rejection is just usually one person’s opinion, and as such v very subjective. Do you have any words of advice for struggling, unpublished writers?

Brynna - Always do your homework. Research is as important as the writing. Read books in the genre you want to write. See what sells. Read agent/publisher/author blogs. They are a fountain of invaluable advice. And mostly just work very hard. Treat it like a job, because it is. Never give up.

Anne - Quick. Your four favorites – author, book, movie, song, quote.

Brynna – Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon, Book: Little Women, Song: “One of These Nights” as recorded by the Eagles, Quote: “May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead.”

Anne – Would you share an excerpt of Earth Enchanted with us?

Brynna – Certainly!

Jack scanned the bookstore as he sat in the hard metal folding chair, at the small table, and wrote. He thought his hand would fall off. Whoever said writing wasn’t real work had to have been crazy. He knew things about two hours’ worth of people their mothers probably didn’t know. Mandy Lou something or other had a granny who thought he was grade A and she was his number one fan. She didn’t look old enough to be allowed to read his brand of horror, but she had two copies of each of his books.

Jack had politely—he hoped—shrugged off the forty invitations to dinner, fourteen offers for coffee, and two very indecent proposals for ‘wild, hanging from the chandelier sex’ to quote one lovely fan. All in all, a long day barely described it, but he’d seen people and observed, that was for sure. If it helped with the new book, it might have been worth it, and then again maybe not.

Ellie dropped by to see how things were going, and then promptly ran away when he tried to beg out. He didn’t like being maneuvered, and Ellie was a champion at it. Entertaining the notion of strangling her got him through the second hour, but considering he needed a good editor, he changed his mind.

The line grew shorter. While he juggled the newest Hastings baby on his knee, which the boy’s proud papa had insisted on, Jack inscribed a message in the front cover to Mrs. Hastings, another number one fan and the mother of six children all under ten. How does she have the time to read at all? His message to her read, “Mrs. Hastings, I’m your number one fan. You rule. Jack.” Mentally saluting her efforts, he passed back junior, and sent them on their way. He automatically reached for the book a slim hand offered. Eyes down on the cover of what he’d created, he said the same thing he’d told countless others. “Hi, who should I make this out to?”

“Just sign it to Olivia Corrigan, fellow mystery writer.”

Her voice alone lifted his eyes to meet hers, a musical lilt that teased of mist and bogs, faeries and leprechauns. She was dressed professionally, but he could easily imagine her calling up a wild wind or casting spells. She was only about 5’4” and slim, claimed black Irish coloring. He saw a flash of what might have been a premonition, but after blocking the gift so long he couldn’t hold on to it. Did he smell rain? Candles or lightning? But the sun was shining. For a moment he just stared, couldn’t speak , and was certain he knew her but couldn’t remember where from.

“Is something the matter?”

He quickly signed her book, before he forgot that was the reason for their meeting in the first place. She was the last in line, and he was free. Thank God! Sorry, muse, position filled.

“Jack Roarke, it’s a pleasure, Miss Corrigan.”

Anne - Where can readers find you online?

Brynna – At my website, on Facebook, and Twitter. I’m also on LinkedIn, Goodreads, Shelfari and pretty much everywhere as Brynna Curry.

Anne - You’re offering a giveaway ecopy of your book to one lucky reader. What question would you like them to address in a comment to be eligible for the draw?

Brynna - I will give away a copy of Earth Enchanted or substitute for any of my other eBook titles that can be found HERE. This contest is open internationally.

Question for readers to answer: If you could have any kind of magical ability, what would it be?

Anne – Great question, Brynna. The winner will be announced here on Friday, June 29. Good luck and thanks again, Brynna, for dropping by to talk writing!

To ensure you receive every Anne K. Albert post, interview or giveaway, become a follower on either GFC (Google Friend Connection) or NetworkedBlogs. It’s as easy as a click of the mouse. Thank you, and until next time, happy reading!

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Stephanie Jaye Evans, Author of Faithful Unto Death, Talks Writing

My guest today is Stephanie Jaye Evans. Stephanie is a fifth generation Texan. She attended Rice University’s Master of Liberal Studies Program and wrote a mystery as her capstone project. That mystery, Faithful Unto Death, won the 2010 William F. Deeck-Malice Domestic Grant for Unpublished Writers. Berkley Prime Crime will have it in stores on June fifth. She is currently at work on the second novel in her Sugar Land Mystery series, Safe From Harm. Stephanie lives in Sugar Land, Texas with her longsuffering husband, Richard Box, and two badly-behaved pugs, Tommy and Mr. Wiggles.

Anne – Welcome, Stephanie. It’s a pleasure to have you drop by to chat about writing. Tell us about your book.

Stephanie - Faithful Unto Death, is the first in my Sugar Land Mystery Series. A minister finds himself caught up in a murder investigation when he discovers that Jo, his fourteen-year-old daughter, is involved with the chief suspect. It’s set in a master-planned community in Sugar Land, Texas. I love the whole concept of setting a murder mystery in a master-planned community--as if neighborhood restrictions can keep out the darkness. And I’m more interested in good people who do bad things than I am in completely evil people. Even my murderer is well-meaning.

Anne – Human nature is fascinating, isn’t it! Would you share an excerpt with us?

Stephanie – Of course!

It didn’t catch my attention that the back gate wasn’t latched; I’m not always as careful as

I should be, considering the gate opens onto the levee. I did notice that the door that opened of the back of the garage was open. I’m careful to keep that door shut and locked because you can get into the house from the garage. You can, a stranger can, and four-footed guests can, too. So I keep the door shut and usually locked.

When I put my hand on the doorknob, there was a dry crust of mud on it.

Imagine here a long, creaking twenty-five seconds as my body stops cold and my brain ratchets into gear.

Now, only Annie Laurie and I do any work in the garden that’s going to get your hands muddy, and we clean up after ourselves, so I didn’t think it was likely we had left mud on the doorknob. And the mud wasn’t around the knob, the way it would be if a muddy hand had grasped the knob; the mud was on top of the knob, the way it would be, I thought as I stepped back for a better look, if someone had, say, opened the door and swung it wide--put a foot on the knob in order to get a boost up to the top of the door, hung on the gutter to keep balance--and then hoisted themselves onto the roof of my one-story garage.

My eyes traveled up and I saw, sure enough, a trail of muddy footprints, red clay against the black composition roof.

Those footprints went straight to Jo’s bedroom window. Jo’s window opens onto the conveniently low, one-story garage roof. That garage sits in a yard that backs up to the levee. And that levee, again conveniently, is intersected by Elkins Road. My eyes took all that in in two blinks.

All I saw then was red.

Anne – Thank you...only now I want, no, I NEED to know what happens next! How many rejections did you acquire along the way to publication? What kept you going?

Stephanie - To give you an accurate figure on the rejections, I’d have to count them up and that would be depressing. I’d have to go have a glass of wine and it’s way too early in the day for that. I sent Faithful Unto Death out to at least seventy-five agents. Two or three asked for the full manuscript, said encouraging things, but rejected me anyway. Here’s the thing. None of those rejections matter. Only the acceptance did. After Janet Reid of FinePrint Literary Management signed me, I put those rejections away forever.

What kept me going was that I knew I’d written a good book. I’d written the kind of book I like to read. It’s tender and funny and scary and sad and redemptive. I love my characters. I even like my murderer. These are very real people to me--they’re the kind of people who live in my neighborhood, and that means the murderer, too. I keep expecting to see them when I’m grocery shopping or walking my pugs in the greenbelt. 

Anne - What is the hardest part of writing for you?

Stephanie - I’ve had to get disciplined about sitting my fanny down in front of my lap top and putting fingers to the keyboard. When I do that, the writing comes. Then the problem is that I write too much--I give too much detail, tell too many side stories that aren’t critical to the plot. I write much the way I talk. That means my agent, the fabulous Janet Reid, and my editor, the gorgeous Shannon Jamieson Vazquez of Berkley Prime Crime, get very strict about trimming. I’ll say, “Oh, but it’s good stuff!” and they’ll say, “Oh, but it doesn’t belong in this book.”

Anne - Describe your home office as appears right now. Is this a good or bad thing?!

Stephanie - There’s a corner desk in my bedroom. Two file drawers, two brass Stiffel lamps--drawers of stationary, pens, rubber bands, a framed composition of adjectives that my beautiful daughter-in-law made me, a tri-fold frame of my three absolutely perfect sons when they were six, four and two and I was still allowed to pick out their clothes, stacks of novels, reference and research books. I have a framed cork board with pictures of family and friends and my wonderful, handsome husband, Richard--also pinned up letters from professors and Richard, my Mystery Writers of America pin, my graduation tassel and a scripture, Micah 6:8. Behind my chair are two large denim cushions and on the cushions are two plump, softly-snoring pugs. How could it get any better?

Anne – What a cozy place to settle in with your muse. Outside of writing, what accomplishment are you most proud?

Stephanie - Very nearly every school night through their senior years, I read to my sons. We started with the Margaret Wise Brown books and proceeded all the way to McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove--a terrific read-aloud book. Those were precious times. And my boys all have enviable vocabularies.

Anne - Any words of advice for struggling, unpublished writers?

Stephanie - Yes, indeed. First, I’ll speak as a writer. Never give up. Keep trying. Depressed over a rejection? You are allowed one hour. Max. Tell a friend about it and then get back to work. I have met sooooo many successful, published writers who worked for years, ten or fifteen, before getting their books published. That’s my advice as a writer. My advice as a reader is, pour your passion into your book, all your love. Write what you love, don’t try to guess what I’m going to buy at my favorite independent bookstore (Murder By the Book in Houston). Because when you are genuinely excited about your book, I can feel that--it makes me love the book. And it makes me tell my friends to go out and buy it.

Anne – Wonderful advice, and for what it’s worth, from the moment I decided to write a book to the day my first book was released was 15 years. So, yes, it can be a long haul. J

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on writing, Stephanie, and an excerpt from Faithful Unto Death. It’s been such fun, and please give Tommy and Mr. Wiggles a yummy doggie treat for me! 

Readers, your comments are always welcome and appreciated. To ensure you receive every Anne K. Albert post, interview or giveaway, become a follower on either GFC (Google Friend Connection) or NetworkedBlogs. It’s as easy as a click of the mouse. Thank you, and until next time, happy reading!

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Donna Fletcher Crow, Author of A Darkly Hidden Truth, Talks Writing

My guest today is Donna Fletcher Crow. Donna is the author of 39 books, mostly novels dealing with British history, including the award-winning Glastonbury. Her newest release is A Darkly Hidden Truth, book 2 in her clerical mystery series The Monastery Murders. She also writes the Lord Danvers series of Victorian true-crime novels and the romantic suspense series The Elizabeth & Richard Mysteries.

Donna and her husband live in Boise, Idaho. They have 4 adult children and 11 grandchildren. She is an enthusiastic gardener.

Anne – Welcome, Donna. It’s a joy to sit down and talk with you, especially when the topic is writing! Let's start at the beginning. When did you first realize you were destined to be an author?

Donna - I wrote my first novel Brandley’s Search (republished as Where Love Begins) when a minor character in Georgette Heyer’s novel VENETIA got in my head and demanded I tell the rest of his story. It was like being pregnant, that story had to come out. I wrote in the middle of the night, walking down the aisle in the grocery story, driving down the street (I would pull over to the curb). I wish all my stories would come like that.

Anne – Tell us about your most recent release.

Donna – It’s A Darkly Hidden Truth, The Monastery Murders 2.

Felicity Howard is a thoroughly modern American woman who, rather rashly--as she does most things--has gone off to study theology in a monastery in Yorkshire. Because she and her church history lecturer Antony solved the murder of Father Dominic in A Very Private Grave, book 1 in the series, Father Anselm has now asked them to find a valuable missing icon. But Felicity can’t possibly help. She’s off to become a nun. Then her impossible mother turns up unexpectedly. And a good friend turns up murdered. . .

In the midst of breathtaking chase scenes, mystical worship services and dashes through remote waterlogged landscapes Felicity learns the wisdom of holy women from today and ages past and Antony explores the arcane rites of the Knights Hospitaller. But what good will any of that do them if Felicity can’t save Antony’s life?

Anne –Would you share an excerpt with us?

Donna – Of course!

Felicity and Antony, perplexed by their friend’s failure to keep his appointment, decide to explore the grounds of the ruined St. Benet’s Abbey in the remote Norfolk Broads:

         

An ominous rumble was followed by a single, sharp clap of thunder and the heavy, dark clouds so close over their heads simply dumped on them. Felicity shrieked and ran for shelter in the old brick drainage mill, flattening herself against the wall where the inward sloping sides gave a minute semblance of shelter.

Antony followed her closely, likewise hugging the wall next to her. After a few moments of gasping they both caught their breath, although Felicity’s heart was still pounding. She glanced upward at the rain sluicing through the roofless round hole that served as a funnel to pour rain on the beaten earth floor at their feet. Felicity moved her feet back fractionally to avoid the mud being splashed up by the downpour, but it was hopeless. She couldn’t really be any wetter or muddier than she already was.

Or angrier. Where was Neville? What could he possibly have wanted to show them that could in any way justify all they had gone through? Was this his idea of a joke? If he had learned anything about the icon it certainly couldn’t be around here. Some ruined abbeys might present secret caverns or hidden cubbyholes to hold purloined icons, but St. Benet’s obviously didn’t.

She turned to Antony and almost yelled over the pounding of the rain. “Try ringing Neville again. Maybe we’ll be in luck this time.”

The ring was faint, but they both jumped. “What was that?” Felicity looked around. The round walls of the mill acted like an echo chamber. It almost sounded like. . . But it couldn’t have—

And then the deadened ring sounded again. From beneath their feet. 

The thing that held them fixed in horror, though, was not the muffled ring, as if a call from another world, but the specter that rose at their feet as the pouring rain washed back the mud to reveal a slim white finger, then hand, then wrist, the receding soil making it seem in that small circle of light inside the blackness that the arm itself was rising from the grave. Reaching upward for light, for air, for them.

Anne – A Darkly Hidden Truth is definitely going on my TBR list! I can’t wait to read what happens next. Is there one book you are most proud of writing? Why?

Donna - Glastonbury, A Novel of the Holy Grail, is the book I was born to write. My first short story, written in the third grade, was about brave Sir Lancelot slaying the dragon and rescuing the princess. I knew then it was the only story that existed. Glastonbury is an Arthurian grail search epic covering 1500 years of English history. It has been in print for 20 years in two editions and was recently released in ebook format.

Anne - Does one character in particular hold a special place in your heart? Why?

Donna - Felicity, heroine of the Monastery Murders, is my darling. These are stories I’ve wanted to tell for years, but I didn’t have the right format for them. When our daughter Elizabeth studied Classics at Oxford, found she disliked teaching in London and went off to study theology in a monastery in remote Yorkshire, I knew I had the setting for my series. I started writing the first book A Very Private Grave basing Felicity’s personality on Elizabeth as well. I quickly realized that qualities that make a very lovely daughter can make a very boring heroine. Felicity became rash, opinionated and headstrong--and lots of fun to work with. Infuriating as she can be, Antony thinks so, too. I foresee that much of the fun of the series will be growing Felicity up.

Anne - What is the hardest part of writing for you?

Donna - Plotting. Always. Background is my favorite part. I love taking my readers to the places I visit for research, I adore working with my characters (even the stubborn Felicity), but plotting is painfully difficult. I force myself to work from a fairly detailed outline, so once that’s done I'm free to enjoy the rest.

Anne - Are you a glass half-empty or half-full kind of person?

Donna - Totally a cock-eyed optimist. Life can be very hard, Keeping my eye on the Light is the only way forward.

Anne - Any words of advice for struggling, unpublished writers?

Donna - Write from your passion. Write what you love to read.

Anne - Outside of writing, what accomplishment are you most proud?

Donna - My children and grandchildren. We have four adult children living in Boston, Los Angeles, Calgary and Kentucky. Between them they have supplied us with 11 totally amazing grandchildren. We travel as much as we can manage to visit them all and in-between we’re thankful for Skype.

Anne – Where can readers find you online? 

Donna - Please visit my website. You can see videos for both of the Monastery Murders there, find pictures from my research trips, read about my other books, and even visit my rose garden. Click the little orange B button in the menu to visit my blog “Deeds of Darkness; Deeds of Light”. I would love to have you follow me on Facebook and Twitter. 

Anne – Thank you so much for taking time from your busy schedule to talk about writing, and especially the Monastery Murders, Donna. 

Readers, your comments are always welcome and appreciated. To ensure you receive every Anne K. Albert post, interview, update or giveaway, become a follower on either GFC (Google Friend Connection), NetworkedBlogs, or subscribe via email. It's as easy as a click of the mouse. Thank you in advance, and until next time, happy reading!

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Jean Harrington, Author of The Monet Murders, Talks Writing

My guest today is Jean Harrington. In her former life, Jean wrote advertising copy, and for 17 years taught English lit and writing at Becker College in Worcester, Massachusetts. Then she and husband Big John moved to Naples, Florida, and she's been writing ever since. In 2007 and 2009, her two historical romances were published. And the first in her Murders by Design Mystery Series, Designed for Death, was released. Currently working on the third in her mystery series, Jean is up to her knees in dead bodies and loving every minute of it.   

Anne - Welcome, Jean. It’s a pleasure to chat with you today. Let’s begin with something relatively simple, yet oh-so personal. Are you a glass half-empty or half-full kind of person?

Jean - Depends on what’s in the glass. If it’s wine then the glass always seems half empty. I can’t understand how that happens. Tea or cocoa lasts forever. Go figure. Actually, seriously, my glass of life is filled to the brim.

Anne – Fun answer! Okay, let’s get serious. Tell us about your most recent release. 

Jean - My most recent release, The Monet Murders, is the second in the Murders by Design Mysteries published by Carina Press, the electronic division of Harlequin. It’s due out today (June 11) in both e-book and audio format. Here’s the back cover blurb:

Interior decorator Deva Dunne never dreamed she'd see a Monet hanging on someone's dining room wall. Then she snags a client with two Monet seascapes. Her thrill lasts until she finds one of the paintings missing, cut from its frame, and the cook shot dead.

Rough-around-the edges, but gorgeous all-around Lieutenant Victor Rossi insists Deva leave the sleuthing to the police. But what could it hurt to come up with a list of suspects? Like the owner of the Monets, his trophy wife, and their frequent guests. Even the cook's husband is suspect. Then Deva finds another victim, clutching a very strange set of clues.

Desperate to save her business amid all the negative publicity, Deva helps Rossi investigate. And when he needs advice decorating his bedroom, she just might have found a client for life.  Unless the killer gets to her first.

Anne – It sounds just like my kind of book! Any words of advice for struggling, unpublished writers?

Jean - The magic bullet is to keep on writing. Every day. In 10-15 minute increments if necessary. On the bus, on the train, on your lunch break. At night. Early in the morning. While the children are napping. With persistence like that chances are some day you’ll be known not just as a writer but as an author.

Anne – Outside of writing, what accomplishment are you most proud?

Jean - Outside of writing, I’m most proud of my two children. Like my books, they’re not perfect, but I love them and all their--minor—imperfections. 

 

Anne - Complete this sentence: I will do everything to promote my books except (fill in the blank).

Jean – I will do everything to promote my book except take off my clothes. Actually I’m lying. I would take off my clothes in Macy’s window if one of the big NY publishers gave me a six figure contract. So I’m working out daily—just in case.

Anne – LOL, Jean! If you could snap your fingers where would you visit, return, or move to? Why? 

Jean - Where? Oh, I don’t know—many places fascinate. Now if the question asked WHO would I visit, return to or move to, that might make for a truly fascinating answer.  Ha!  I love a mystery.

Anne – So do I, but would you email me privately with your answer? I’d love to know WHO!

This has been so much fun I’m really sorry this is the final question. Where can readers find you online?

Jean - I invite everyone to visit my website: www.jeanharrington.com. First chapter excerpts of both Murders by Design books are posted there. And I lurk on Facebook at JeanHarringtonNaples and on Twitter at jeanharrington1. Also I blog with irregularity on the B & N Mystery Form, the Carina Press Authors Blog Site and NotYourUsualSuspects blog site.

Anne – Thanks so much for dropping by today, Jean. As always, it’s been a blast! I wish you every success with The Monet Murders and the Murders by Design Mysteries.

Readers, you comments are always welcome and appreciated. If you have a question for either Jean or myself, please ask away. Don’t be shy. To ensure you receive every post, update, giveaway, etc., subscribe to my updates. You won’t be sorry, plus, I offer a triple back guarantee of what it cost for you to sign up. ;-)

Until next time, happy reading!

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Debra Jayne East, Author of Radiance: Love after Death, Talks Writing & #Giveaway

Debra Jayne East is the oldest of six girls and was born in Martinsville, Virginia. For as long as she can remember, she’s loved to write poetry and short stories. After a near-death experience during a routine surgery, she realized her time had come to follow her dreams. Her first novel, Radiance: Love after Death was released by XOXO Publishing last year.

Anne – Welcome, Debra. I’m so glad you could drop by to chat, and I know I’m not alone when I say I’m relieved you survived that ‘routine’ surgery. It sends shivers down my spine just thinking about it, yet you say it spurred you on to follow your dreams. When did you first realize you were destined to be an author?

Debra - I started out writing when I was in second grade. My teacher had taken me to the library and I discovered magic! I checked out a book titled The Little Princess by Francis Hodgkins Burnett, who also wrote The Secret Garden. I fell in love with books! I started writing my own stories right away in second grade and my friends bought them.

After three babies and a career, I forgot about writing of course. Then something happened that changed the path of my life. My husband of 18 years asked for a divorce. I became depressed after the breakup of our marriage and I was at the end of my rope. One day I was walking and for some odd reason I reached down into the grass and pulled out a crooked heart-shaped stone. It seemed to remind me that even though my heart was broken, it was still a heart and someday I could love again. That stone saved my life. It also inspired me to weave it into a paranormal romance story.

Anne - Tell us about your most recent release.

Debra - Radiance: Love after Death is a paranormal romance. After twenty years of marriage, Marena never imagined she would find herself alone. She thought her marriage was forever, not to be taken out of her grasp by a cheating husband. She pushed herself into her work, getting so exhausted that she didn't have time to think about dating again.

Driving home in a thunderstorm one night, she saw what looked like a boy walking in the rain, and she had every intention of stopping and calling someone to see if he needed a ride.  That was before her car stalled out, and the collision happened. A blinding white flash and her life was gone. All she could do was experience her body floating looking down on at the scene below. Three months later, she wakes up from a coma with little memory. The rest of the book deals with what happened to her in those seconds of time she passed from life to death. The romance will sweep you off your feet!

 

Anne - Does one character in particular hold a special place in your heart? Why?

Debra - Yes, the character of Jenna Stanton is based on my daughter Misty who is my inspiration and best friend. She is a talented songwriter and pianist who battles M.S. on a daily basis. The character of Jenna has all her talents and grace.

Anne - Would you share an excerpt of Radiance: Love after Death with us?

Debra - Sure, I will be glad to!

First, a blue jeaned leg with a black harness boot comes through the window and the other, soon after. “I’m coming in, don’t be afraid!” a deep voice bellowed. A man, maybe in his early forties, straightens up in front of the curtains, and I don’t think I have ever seen anyone that tall in person before. He has to be six-foot eight or nine at least with long, brown hair pulled back in a ponytail.

He’s wearing a chambray shirt neatly tucked into his jeans. He stands there quietly, in a black over-coat and dark sunglasses. Just who has climbed in my window? He turns his head as if he’s scanning the room.

“Could you manage to not look just yet, please? I’m in the tub.” I try to grab the towel but can’t reach it, so I just fold my arms across my chest. My face has to be red as a beet.

“Don’t worry, I can’t see you,” he says calmly.

“Well, I’m right here in front of you. Hard to miss my red face,” I snap.

“Honest, I can’t see you, I’m blind.”

I almost laugh, but I don’t.

“Who are you?”

“David Martin. I’m two days late, I was supposed to be here Thursday, but the train had some mechanical problems which caused a delay.”

I recalled, after a few seconds, that Selena said earlier that the person never showed up who is supposed to stay here. What is his name oh darn…it’s Martin.

“Oh… well,” I stutter. Mortified, I wonder what I’m going to do. Things like this always happen to me.

“What’s your problem here, maybe I can help?” He takes a few steps closer.

“Are you really blind?” I ask, unsure.

“Well, see if this will help you decide. He pulls out one of those folded, walking canes. Instantly leaping through the window when he whistles, is a small brown and white cocker spaniel dog.

“Meet Bradley, my official Seeing Eye dog, and this is my walking cane,” he smiles. He uses it to walk closer to me sweeping from left to right. He manages to avoid objects in his path, and he stops just a few feet away. Not a bad looking fellow, just intimidating, I think to myself.

My mind starts racing, and suddenly, I wanted to get out of this situation before it got any worse.

I realize I can stay in the tub all night, or get on with the evening, and ask him to help me. I swallow my pride. I become flustered but I try to sound calm. “It’s nice to meet you David. I seem to be stuck in the tub. I’ve been in an accident, and my knee isn’t quite healed yet. Could you help me out?”

“I’ll try.”

I’m glad if I had to be stuck in an embarrassing predicament, that it’s a blind man who has come to my rescue. The absurdity of the situation puts a blush on my face. Before I could dwell on it too much, he comes over and lifts me out of the tub, into his arms. I’m getting him wet, but he doesn’t seem to mind. As he holds me, his eyes never once look towards my face, or down at my body. Despite the fact, he seems unaffected by my nakedness; my body chooses to respond against my will. A flush of excitement surprises me. He is strong and the most masculine type of male I’d seen in a long time.

Anne – Thank you! Any words of advice for struggling, unpublished writers?

Debra - Never give up on your dreams! Another word of good advice to new writers would be to first learn what kind of publisher you are sending your work to. I never knew there were pod, vanity, royalty, and self-publishers all with different list of rules, requirements and contracts. Identify your genre. Is it a romance, paranormal, or a mystery? Some publishers only accept specific genres and you’ll waste time and money sending it to them.

Next, research your choice of publisher. There are lots of sites with ratings on the internet, also look on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles and other major sites to see if your publisher has books there. Turn over some stones! I even asked someone for recommendations on who published them to see if they were treated professionally.

My best advice to new writers is what I wished someone had said to me. Be patient. You didn’t write it overnight, you’re not going to publish it overnight. Also, if a publisher asks you for money beware! It may be a scam. You shouldn’t pay to be published. After four months had passed from me sending out manuscripts, I got an acceptance letter and contract from a publisher who has not asked me for a dime and my book is for sale as we speak. Good things come to those who wait!

Anne – So true. Quick. Your five favorites – author, actor, movie, song, quote.

Debra - The author would be Grace Livingston Hill. Her books are timeless and just old fashioned romantic. The actor would be Jodie Foster. I love every movie she was in, especially “Contact.” Braveheart. This is a great movie about the ancestors of William Wallace. Song: Watch over You sung by Miles Kennedy of Alter Creed. Quote: Help one person and you change the world around you. {Mine}

Anne - Where can readers find you online?

Debra – At XOXO Publishing, on Facebook, Dreamscapes, my blog, and Twitter.

Thanks for having me as your guest today. By the way, I'm offering an ecopy of Radiance: Love after Death to one commenter. The winner will be chosen at random and announced early next week. To qualify, please leave your email addy, but to prevent hackers write it like this: yourname AT gmail DOT com.

Anne – Again, great advice, Debra. Thanks for stopping by, and offering a giveaway. I wish you every success with your writing career and Radiance: Love after Death.

Readers, your comments are always welcome and appreciated. Become a follower to ensure you receive every author interview, announcement and/or blog post. Until next time, happy reading! J

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Have You Taken the E-Reader Plunge?

Are you an e-reader? Me, too, but I have a confession to make. I resisted for a very long time--mainly because I doubted the technology could live up to the hype. Boy, was I wrong! In 2011, along with almost 15 million others, I purchased an e-reader. 

I'm now a card carrying convert and advocate. I love the convenience of downloading a book in seconds. I'm excited to discover new authors I would otherwise have missed because of the increasingly limited space on bookshop shelves. I'm reading more than ever, and cherish the portability of my Kindle. Nicknamed 'Threegio', it fits into my purse, weighs less than a paperback, and is thinner than a magazine. Plus, having instant access to my entire personal library is just SO cool!

This literary phenomenon has changed my life in other ways as well. The number one question readers asked in the past was where they could get a print copy of my books. Now, the majority ask if Defending Glory and Frank, Incense and Muriel are available in e-book format.  

Well, YES,  YES, YES and YES!

Suffering from survivor’s guilt and unable to resume his career with the FBI, Mac McKeown moves to northern Minnesota to start over. He discovers the body of his nemesis on Glory Palmer’s property, along with a warning for her to leave while she still can and abandon her dream of building a Christian retreat, His past has come back to haunt him. He vows to keep her safe... but how will he protect his heart?

DEFENDING GLORY, book one of the Piedmont Island Trilogy series, can be downloaded onto your

Kobo, Sony, Nook, or Kindle. 

What happens when a gullible intellectual reluctantly joins forces the week before Christmas with her sexy high school nemesis, now an even sexier private investigator, to find a missing woman? The stress of the holiday season is enough to frazzle anyone's nerves, but Frank and Muriel must also deal with an embezzler, femme fatale, kidnapper, and of course, Muriel's eccentric family.

FRANK, INCENSE AND MURIEL, book one of the Muriel Reeves Mysteries, received the 2011 Holt Medallion Award of Merit. Download it now onto your Kobo, Sony, Nook, or Kindle.

Are you an e-reader? What feature do you like best? How has it changed your life?

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