ChickLitGurrl™ :: high on LATTES and WRITING

Undressing Author K. Carlton

noreply@blogger.com (Shonell Bacon) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

K. Carlton has a B.A. in Mass Communication, Television, and Theatre. She has fifteen years experience in production of television and film, and five years in television engineering. Her published works include, Jaded, Brazil and Bluesy Sweet.

K. Carlton pens the story "Helpless and Hopeless" in Undressed Inc.

In "Helpless and Hopeless," not at all happy about her long-awaited homecoming, video vixen Brooke Langely finds herself the maid of honor in her best friend’s wedding and face to face for the first time in years with her old high school rivals. But Brooke has her silver lining in the form of Sam Foley, the shy jock in high school that was Brooke’s favorite extracurricular activity after school.

Click the cover to learn more about the other sexy stories in Undressed Inc. and to purchase your copy today!

Undressing K. Carlton
How did you envision the title UNDRESSED INC. in your story?

In my story, "Helpless and Hopeless," the undressed is very literal. Brooke and Sam are constantly at each other's bodies whether half dressed, hardly dressed, or not dressed at all. These two understand each other fully and are comfortable in their own skin as well as each other's. (;

What is your definition of SEXY?

Sexy to me is sincerity. When two people are open and unattached to an agenda or motive, humor and playfulness can be allowed in making the sexy possibilities endless.

Undressing Author Samara King

noreply@blogger.com (Shonell Bacon) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Samara began her literary journey at the age of twelve years old while sneaking to the back of the library and indulging in romance novels; soon after, she wrote her own! She continued on to pen short contemporary fiction, sexy romance novellas and flash novels, as well as soulful poetry. She is a 2011 Poet of the Year Nominee by African Americans On The Move Book Club.

In 2010, Samara launched SK MINIs, under her self-publishing house, Eclectic Soul Publications Inc. Her first poetry collection, The Ebony Kryptonite has been well received and was followed by Stripped Barefoot, her first spoken word project.

Samara has been published by Cobblestone Press, Changeling Press, Loose Id, and Total-e-Bound. Samara lives in Chicago with her family.

You can learn more about Samara and her works by heading to her website.

Samara pens the story "Black Honey" in Undressed Inc.

In "Black Honey"...

Who could she run to?

When Officer Elisha “Elle” Taylor finds out crime lord Monty “Black” Kearns was her father, there is only one man she can turn to in the midst of a deadly plot for revenge. The very man she’d sworn never to touch again. Durant Kane.

Leaning on her father's enforcer and her ex-lover seemed suicidal when the hit on her father was said to be ordered by his own people. Yet, the impulsive and heady sexual chemistry between them was undeniable.

Click the cover to learn more about the other sexy stories in Undressed Inc. and to purchase your copy today!

Undressing Samara King
How did you envision the title UNDRESSED INC. in your story?

Undressed to me means multilayers. Taking them off can be physical or emotional. In "Black Honey," it happens both ways between the main characters.

What is your definition of SEXY?

Sexy is all of the senses - sight, taste, touch, smell, sound - infused into one and heightened a hundred fold.

Undressing Author Ayanna Pierce, Uh, Shonell Bacon

noreply@blogger.com (Shonell Bacon) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Yes, the cover reads Ayanna Pierce, and yes, the above picture is of Shonell Bacon...moi. We are one and the same. I am an author, doctoral candidate, editor, educator, everywoman. You can learn more about my writings at my website, and you can learn about my editing services at my site, CLG Entertainment.

Shonell pens the story "Tables Turned" in Undressed Inc. In "Tables Turned," By day, Samantha Long uses her hands and pressure points to help her clients relax as a massage therapist. By night, Sam is Mistress Siren and uses her whips and leathers to make her clients submit as a dominatrix at Destiny Parker’s ultra-hot spot, Awaken. No matter the time of day, her mind is constantly focused on Drew Winger, a man she wants but can’t seem to conjure up her sexy nighttime persona Siren to express her feelings.

Click the cover to learn more about the other sexy stories in Undressed Inc. and to purchase your copy today!

Undressing Shonell
How did you envision the title UNDRESSED INC. in your story?

I thought about the word undressed and the feelings that the word conjures for me. In my story "Tables Turned," my main character is conflicted about her two very different worlds. In one world, she stays clothed, is shy, doesn't really go for what she wants, but there is this inner burn inside of her to "undress," to reveal. And her other world allows her to "undress" in a myriad of ways and show parts of her--not just her body--that illustrate the facets of her mind, body, and heart.

What is your definition of SEXY?

My sistergirl, Embue, was right on the money when she said sexy is a state of mind. I don't think there is one definition for it. It is what it is, and you, personally, recognize it when you see it. There are particular songs, I talk about two songs in particular at my site [song one, song two], that epitomize sexy to me. There is that smile, that voice, that particular shading of a day that can conjure it, too. Sexy is one of those words I would hate to see placed in a box. It's too big and wonderful to be confined.

Undressing Author Embue

noreply@blogger.com (Shonell Bacon) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:41:00 +0000

Embue is French for the word “Steamy.” This particular moniker will embrace the sensuality of literary world, using characters from all walks of life. No one is off limits.

The presence of Embue is to stimulate the senses and enhance the reading journey. In the midst of the journey, the goals are to bring forth relevant personalities we can relate to in today’s world and how we embrace our sexuality in and out of the bedroom.

None of us are perfect but in Embue’s world, she will strive to highlight that piece of freedom we all long to display.

Embue pens the story "No Other Love" in Undressed Inc.

In "No Other Love," Arizona "Ari" Garrison has made some changes in her life: she’s finally left her abusive ex-husband Fletcher and she’s graduating college with her degree in business. Despite her accomplishments, what she lacks is a real man to be the comforter she seeks. Her vibrator can only do but so much to curb her sexual desires. The night of her graduation, her best friends take her out to have a good time. Little did she know that she'd find love in a jazz club.

Click the cover to learn more about the other sexy stories in Undressed Inc. and to purchase your copy today!

Undressing Embue
How did you envision the title UNDRESSED INC. in your story?

When I was presented with the title, layers came to mind. I wanted my characters to really peel away the insecurities of life and embrace their spirit. When I thought about Undressed Inc. my goal was to see my characters interacting with the words. It was important for Ari and Riley to really express themselves in a sensual and physical way. The removal, adjusting, shifting of garments were essential; the reader needed to embrace what was unfolding. I can only hope those points were well-executed in “No Other Love”.

What is your definition of SEXY?

Sexy is a state of mind. It’s that naughty thought you’re thinking but can act out on the sly. The best part of all is feeling that sexiness and others catching that vibe you exude effortlessly. Clothes may make the man, but sexy radiates from within. Sexy...it's not a look but an attitude. The way one carries themselves consistently is how a person exudes that mode. It's one reason Embue is a logo, for she is everywhere and is seen in all walks of life.

Feeling Stalkerish? Check out Electa Rome Parks' latest THE STALKER CHRONICLES

noreply@blogger.com (Shonell Bacon) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:18:00 +0000

The Author

Electa Rome Parks currently resides outside Atlanta, Georgia. After successfully self-publishing her debut novel, The Ties That Bind, New American Library, a division of Penguin Group, bought the rights. Electa signed a three-book deal with New American Library. All three books were immediately chosen as Black Expressions Book Club main selections and embraced as Books of the Month by book clubs across the country. Dubbed a "book club favorite," avid readers have embraced Electa's true to life characters that tackle prevalent and heavy hitting issues.

Since then Electa has become an award-winning, national bestselling author of several other mainstream (Loose Ends and Almost Doesn't Count) and erotic (These Are My Confessions, Ladies' Night Out, Diary of a Stalker and True Confessions) novels with Penguin Group, HarperCollins and Kensington. Electa was highlighted in Literary Divas: The Top 100+ Most Admired African-American Women in Literature and has written articles for several on-line magazines. The self-proclaimed, Queen of Real, Electa has been a frequent guest on radio shows, has been nominated for many industry awards and has been interviewed by newspapers, AOL's Black Voices, Vibe Vixen, Upscale Magazine, Today's Black Woman, Rolling Out and Booking Matters, to name just a few.

With a BA degree in marketing and a minor in sociology, she is following her true passion and working on her next novel, The Stalker Chronicles (coming Feb. 2012), and first non-fiction book. Electa is also currently touring with Atlanta's GA Peach Authors tour.

You can learn more about Electa by visiting her website!

The Book

She's back, and this time it's all about revenge.

Tall, dark, and handsome bestselling male author Xavier Preston thought his nightmare—in the form of Pilar, a fanatical stalker/fan—had finally ended. Little does he know it’s only beginning.

When Xavier met Pilar, he got much more than he bargained for. What started out as an erotic one-night stand quickly turned into a dangerous game of obsession and pain, with both parties playing to win. Then she simply disappeared.

Stunning Pilar hasn't gone away, though. In fact, she has been very near, watching his every move and patiently waiting for him to realize they were meant to be together forever. She still believes they’re soul mates, and the only option for her is “Until death do us part.” If she can't have Xavier, then no one can. Now no one is safe—not his friends, and definitely not him.

Revenge can be a real killer.

Click the cover above to purchase The Stalker Chronicles today!

The Prologue

It was getting easier and easier now.

She moved quickly and efficiently throughout the spacious three-car garage. She wanted to remove any traces of evidence that she had ever been there. She had always been good at simply disappearing and being invisible. That was easy.

She was definitely more confident, and it showed in her cool, calm, and collected demeanor. She was no longer afraid of being caught, because the urge to punish those who had hurt her was stronger, much more overwhelming, and urgent. She probably couldn’t stop herself even if she wanted to---she was operating on pure animal instinct. The need to survive and protect herself by any means necessary overrode anything else. Fight or flight. And she had long been tired of running.

There had been others over the years, more than she could count on one hand. They were mere vague gray memories that occasionally crossed her mind, like one might think of a stray pet one owned as a child, but she dismissed the images just as quickly. She never held on to them for more than a few fleeting moments in time. Denial was her refuge.

Only one had successfully escaped her sharp talons and womanly wiles. Or had he? Maybe she let him get away, just that one time. She hadn’t determined which. Sometimes she thought of him, when her mind wasn’t a jumble of darkness, discontent, and madness. There were moments...

She missed him, yearned for his special touch, the touch that only he could deliver with precision and skill. His touch brought heat and desire. His lies brought pain and sorrow. She hated that he escaped her grasp, or that possibly she let him walk away, unscathed. She still considered him her soul mate, the one who made her complete and safe and sound. She yearned to feel complete, because most days she realized she was broken and damaged beyond repair. However, she couldn’t think of that one just yet. Not now. That would come later. The strenuous act of positioning this one just right was over. Now she had serious, delicate cleanup work to complete. Within seconds, that one, the one who got away, was pushed to the dark, cold recesses of her mind. Forgotten...for now.

It was painstakingly slow work because everything had to be absolutely perfect. She had observed and respected what a perfectionist he was. He thrived on it. She softly snickered to herself and had to catch herself before it became an all-out rambunctious laugh. He didn’t look too perfect right now, slumped behind the steering wheel of his black BMW like a deflated, tossed-aside bag of rags and bones. Another snicker escaped. She tightly clamped her gloved hand down over her mouth to stop it, to keep it from spilling forth.
When he was discovered—hopefully, within a day or two—she wanted him to appear perfect in death. That was the least she could do, because she honestly felt she owed him that much. With a gloved hand, she carefully took the typewritten note out of his jacket pocket, typed from the personal computer in his home office, and gently placed it next to him on the soft leather passenger seat of his car. Laughter escaped freely and drifted into the still air.

She took one last hopeful look at him and placed a single kiss on his left cheek. She wanted to remember him at peace. Happy. So handsome. She sighed before she carefully closed the driver’s side car door. Then she continued to wipe down any surface she might have touched that bore her prints. She was patient as perspiration dotted her forehead. From her experiences, she knew that patience was a virtue.
She dreamily thought, We could have been so deliriously happy together. They always fucked things up. Always. She hadn’t met a man yet who didn’t. It was never a matter of if, but when. If only he hadn’t started to question or doubt her because of that damn movie, Diary of a Stalker, which had been released a month earlier and was a blockbuster success. Everyone was talking about it; already there was talk of Oscar nominations for best actress and best actor. She couldn’t escape it, no matter where she turned or what it signified for her.

No, you didn’t reject me and attempt to walk away, without a backward glance, she thought. How dare he? She didn’t do well with rejection. Never had. Never would. She chuckled to herself, thinking the joke was definitely on him. If he were alive, he would probably appreciate the joke as well. She had decided years ago that no one, especially not a man, would ever hurt her again. Never again. So far, she hadn’t broken her promise to herself, nor did she have any intentions to going forward.

She exited the beautiful, spacious home that screamed quiet elegance, luxury, and money. She let herself out and quietly disappeared into the night, under the cover of darkness. She craved the darkness for its mystery and power. She whistled a happy tune to herself as she walked away. No worries. No rush. She was lost in her own demented world. Enter at your own risk.

She reminisced about a man—a beautiful, tall, dark, and very sexy man with deep dimples and gorgeous teeth, a man she couldn’t wait to be reunited with. Her body craved him, and she could hardly contain her excitement and joy at just the mere thought of being in his presence again. It had been too long. As for the one in the garage, with the car engine running and the towel stuffed in the exhaust system, he had already slipped her mind, before his body was even cold and stiff. Her last thoughts of him were that when they found him, she hoped he would look perfect. She knew he would want it that way. After all, that was the least she could do. She hummed a lively tune and strolled off into the darkness.

Writing in 140: Seeing Down Writing Journey's Road - Latest BRP Commentary

noreply@blogger.com (Shonell Bacon) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:05:00 +0000

Where do you see your writing self in 5 years? 10? Check out my latest post on BLOOD-RED PENCIL "Seeing Down Writing Journey's Road" and answer this question and more for yourself!

Check it out here, and leave comments!

The Blood-Red Pencil
Sharp and pointed observations about good writing
[http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com]

Talking Self-Publishing and Writing with Author Deatri King-Bey

noreply@blogger.com (Shonell Bacon) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:44:00 +0000

The Author

Deatri King-Bey began in the publishing industry in 2001 as an editor for Third World Press Inc., the oldest African-American owned publishing company in the country. Though she supported the nonfiction and literary mission of Third World Press Inc., she found commercial fiction more to her liking. On the fiction side of developmental editing, she freelanced for several publishing houses over the years and has edited for authors such as L. A. Banks, Beverly Jenkins and a host of others. Deatri is also a women’s fiction and romance author. In 2008, her title Whisper Something Sweet won the Emma Award for Best Steamy Romance of the Year. Deatri also writes dangerously sexy suspense with Curtis L. Alcutt under the pseudonym L. L. Reaper.

Deatri is currently the Chair of the Romance Slam Jam Organization, the place for readers and authors of Black romance to meet, is writing, editing, conducting workshops and whatever else she can get into.

[Become a Successful Author Site] [Twitter] [Facebook]

The Book

The publishing industry has shifted 180° in the decade Deatri has worked in it as a developmental editor and author. The traditional route is no longer the only way to become a legitimate published author, and self publishing is no longer a dirty little secret. As an author, should you travel the traditional or self published route? Become A Successful Author does not tell you to pick one over the other or pit one against the other. Become A Successful Author gives you steps to capitalize on the strengths of both to build a strong brand readers can’t get enough of.

What is branding? How do you grow a large, loyal reader base? How do you break into traditional publishing? How do you publish your backlist? How do you format a book? How do you find your target audience? How do you market your books? It’s all in there and a whole lot more. With the advances in technology, anyone can be a published author, but not all authors are successful. Keep your focus: Increase quality, credibility and visibility of your brand.

Click the cover above to purchase Become a Successful Author today!

The Interview

Why did you choose to write BECOME A SUCCESSFUL AUTHOR?
Over the years I’ve worked in the publishing industry, I’ve received numerous questions on how to do this that or the other, but from the traditional publishing aspect of things. In Oct. 2010 I released my first self-published title, and within a week my inbox was swamped with self-publishing questions from my traditionally-published friends. I found myself repeating the same information over and over, and decided I need to write a book. Not about self or traditional publishing. Not about how to become a published author. But about how to become a successful author. It doesn’t matter if you go the self or traditional route (I say do both and capitalize on the strengths of each). Next thing you know, I was 60,000 words into Become A Successful Author, which is a how to for the self and traditional paths of publishing.

What are three chapters of BECOME A SUCCESSFUL AUTHOR that are absolutely vital for new writers to read RIGHT NOW...and why?

Chapter Two: Learn the Craft – Many new authors think it’s just about writing the book that is in them, but there is much more to it. This chapter explains different avenues authors can take to learn the craft.
Chapter Five: Developmental Editing – All authors need to read this chapter, and I know people will skip around in the book, but I say a few times in the book to go back and read this chapter. This chapter breaks down the elements of fiction from characterization to pace. It gives the reader a foundation to build upon and is a reminder for seasoned authors.
Chapter 14: Marketing & Promotion – Much of your marketing and promotion need to start before you release your book. This chapter explains everything from finding your target audience to building your loyal reader base.

Let's talk social media, technology for a minute. Even the cover states, "With the advances in technology, anyone can be a published author, but not all authors are successful." What do you see as major ways in which authors misuse technology and social media in their pursuit to be published authors?
The main issue I see with authors and social media is some look for quantity instead of quality. I wrote a piece about this a few months ago called: Everybody Loves Me!

You have authors out there whose main goal is to get as many people to “friend” them on Facebook or join them on Twitter as they can. Often times these authors don’t care who the bodies are on their lists. They just want large lists. Same goes for their mailing lists. There are authors out there who add everyone whose email they can harvest onto their lists (without permission). I understand what these authors are trying to do. They believe the more people you have on your lists, the more possible sales you can get when you send out blasts. This is true, but is it the most productive way to spend your time? No. It’s better to have a list of 100 members of your target audience than have a list of 2,000 individuals who may or may not be interested in your work. From that 100 you can continue to build and grow a loyal reader base. From the 2,000 you’ll probably get a lot of “unfriends” and blocks and resent from being spammed.

Remember six months or so ago when authors were adding people to their Facebook groups without permission and sending out emails by the dozens. There was a serious backlash against authors who did that. I know I blocked every author who did that to me, and I know others who did the same. Now authors are adding people to email lists without permission. This has actually been a practice for years, but now that everyone and their dog have email accounts, it’s gotten worse. Authors are turning people off by spamming. The electronic age has made it a little too easy to contact each other.

What are three pieces of advice you'd give authors in regards to using social media tools to brand themselves as authors?

Take your time to find and build your networks from within your target audience. Your lists will grow slower, but they will be much more productive lists.
Never add people to lists without their permission.
Be personable. Don’t just push your book. Let the readers get to know you the person and you should take the time to get to know the people in the groups you join.

How do you see the landscape of publishing changing in the next five years for authors?
I see self and traditional publishing merging even more so. Self publishing will become the “agent” of the industry. I know there are a lot of self-published authors who look at Amanda Hockings and say they don’t need a publishing house. Well, she actually takes her self-published books through the entire process one would go through at a traditional publishing house, many self-published authors don’t so will not have a chance at the same success. This is what I had to say about this subject in an article a few months ago:

“Self-published authors love to point out Amanda Hocking’s success story as evidence of why they don’t need traditional publishing. I like to use her example to show why all authors should go both routes. Let’s break out the numbers. For argument’s sake, let’s say Amanda sold her million copies in one year. At $0.99, that would be approximately $333,000 in royalties from Amazon’s digital services. Wow, that’s great.

With her doing so well, why do you think she signed a traditional publishing deal? Here are a few reasons: James Patterson, $80 million, Danielle Steel, $35 million, Stephen King, $28 million, Janet Evanovich, $22 million, Stephenie Meyer, $21 million in sales last year. Self publishing is the new “agent” of the industry.”

Amanda used self publishing as her “agent” and there are other authors doing the same.I believe once authors grow a large enough reader base on the traditional side, they will leave their publishing houses to go the self-publishing route. Until recently, many of them didn’t understand the importance of growing reader lists and didn’t’ know “how” to self publish or were worried about the stigma attached to self publishing. That’s no longer true. Self-published books in general have a bad reputation, but as individuals, if the author doesn’t take short cuts, their self-published books do not carry that negative connotation.

I'm always big on allowing authors the opportunity to pimp their wares...and although we are doing that for BECOME A SUCCESSFUL AUTHOR, I also know that you are a great writer of fiction. Tell us what you're doing fiction wise these days. Any good books we need to pick up?
Well thank you very much.

Writing as L. L. Reaper I have a dangerously-sexy suspense called Black Widow and the Sandman: A mysterious illness is killing children in Cuba, and all indicators point to a terrorist organization being behind it. Black Widow, a drop dead gorgeous scientific genius, and the Sandman, a mercenary the likes you’ve never seen, are brought in to do what government and scientific channels have failed to do — find a cure and stop those behind the plot.

It was really nice to have the freedom needed to write this piece and I’ve received fantastic feedback about it. Order Print version from: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Borders, Indie Bound or from my website directly (at a greatly discounted price)

Order the eBook from: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

I just released a romance called Santa’s Helper, which is the second installment of the Write Brother’s Series. It’s available as a single title in eBook format or in print with the first installment of the series, Tell Her How You Feel. I’m getting lots of emails about this family and people really seem to love this set of characters. At the end of each novel, I ask for the readers to let me know whose story should come next and that’s been FUN. The print version of both books is available at Amazon.

Tell Her How You Feel: Latifah Azimi discovered “too good to be true” literally meant “too good to be true” the hard way. Lesson learned, she swore never to make that mistake again. Then all too right Austin Write came along, tempting her to believe in love again.

The impossible happened—control freak Austin Write lost control and fell in love. Unfortunately, the object of his affection has good cause to be leery of love and him. With love and affection, Austin plans to show Latifah what they can have isn’t too good to be true but their dream come true.

Purchase this eBook from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Santa’s Helper: Marybeth Write is a kindergartner on a mission many deem impossible—to see her dad marry their neighbor by Christmas. To accomplish this mission, she’ll have to go straight to the top—her grandmother and the big guy himself—Santa! A kid’s gotta do what a kid’s gotta do.

Five years ago when District Attorney Houston Write lost his wife to breast cancer, he began going through the motions of life without truly living. Then choreographer Sabrina Ingles moved in across the street and reignited a fire within him he thought was long gone. Now Houston is ready to live again and give his child the mother she deserves.

When Sabrina Ingles’ marriage went down in flames, she swore off relationships and the trouble that accompanies them. But how could she shield herself against the most adorable little girl ever? Marybeth quickly became a part of Sabrina’s heart as Sabrina’s undeniable attraction to Houston grew stronger. Guarding her heart against the type of man fantasies are jealous of has become a full-time job, but she refuses to be burned again.

Purchase this eBook from Amazon, Barnes & Noble

One last thing—I know I’ve already said a lot YIKES. I have a holiday sale going on until Dec. 31 with discounts on just about all of my books, eBook and Print. Please check it out for some great deals on the great reads: Holiday Sale. I’m also giving away two of my titles on that same page.

One more last thing—SMILE—Thank you soooooo much for having me here today. This was really nice and I truly appreciate it.

Author Pamela S. Thibodeaux on The Visionary, Writing, and More

noreply@blogger.com (Shonell Bacon) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 21:59:00 +0000

The Author

Award-winning author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.”

[Website] [Blog] [Bayou Writers Group]

The Book

A visionary is someone who sees into the future Taylor Forrestier sees into the past but only as it pertains to her work. Hailed by her peers as “a visionary with an instinct for beauty and an eye for the unique” Taylor is undoubtedly a brilliant architect and gifted designer. But she and twin brother Trevor, share more than a successful business. The two share a childhood wrought with lies and deceit and the kind of abuse that’s disturbingly prevalent in today’s society. Can the love of God and the awesome healing power of His grace and mercy free the twins from their past and open their hearts to the good plan and the future He has for their lives? Find out in…The Visionary ~ Where the power of God's love heals the most wounded of souls.

Click the cover above to purchase The Visionary today!

The Interview

What inspired this novel? How did it come about?
When I first wrote The Visionary in a 5-subject notebook (where most of my stuff began way back when) I had in mind a sweet romance featuring m/f twins and their love interests. When I first typed the novel, I thought, “this is my light romance!” which was a great relief after some of my other work which dealt with subjects like domestic violence, grief, and betrayal. However, one day I sent off the first 3 chapters to a friend and her response was, “these twins are awful close, you need to be careful.” Of course that made me wonder Why? What happened to them or between them to make them so close (I couldn’t seem to tone down their intense feelings for one another). Then one day I walked out of my office into the living room where my husband sat watching a popular talk show. In a heart-wrenching scene the young man on the show apologized to his sisters because he couldn’t stop the abuse they suffered at the hands of their father. I swear, every drop of blood drained from my body and I began to argue with God…. No! Not that! Anything but that! I can’t write this! I have no experience in this! I’m not qualified as a minister or therapist! God….PLEASE….no. Three days of wavering, three days of arguing, three days of not being able to sit down and write a single word and God finally confronted me with…. “Who are you writing for anyway?” I capitulated and wrote the entire story in 4 months during the busiest time of year for a bookkeeper/tax preparer (Jan - April).

What was the hardest part of writing your book?
The hardest part of writing The Visionary was depicting the gruesome abuse the twins suffered as children and then realistically portraying the healing available through the awesome power of God's love and their struggle for relief from a past too horrendous to live with any longer.

How did you come up with the concept and the setting?
Characters came first then setting for The Visionary I wanted to do a book around a set of M/F twins, don’t know why, just thought the concept would be interesting and I hadn’t read anything similar so I thought it would be something different. My family history goes back to the early settlers of Lake Charles, and I’d visited the old ‘LeBleu’ homestead so the idea that these twins would be hired to restore/remodel this home back into its previous grandeur and was supposed to be a light-hearted story until the twins revealed to me the horrific abuse they suffered as children. This has been my most difficult—yet most rewarding—books to write.

Is any part of The Visionary factual?
Yes, the research Taylor uncovers about the LeBleu estate is factual as I actually did the research into the family history myself. However, that homestead no longer exists—the family sold the property to a pipe manufacturing company.

How much research did The Visionary take?
Other than the research into the LeBleu estate –which I enjoyed immensely—actually very little, after all, the book is set in the area where I grew up so the setting was very easy to incorporate.

What is the message you hope to get across in this story?
That regardless of where you’ve been or what you’ve done the awesome love of God has the power to heal the most wounded of souls and to forgive the ugliest of sinners.

What is the one question you wish an interviewer would ask you?
Q: To what or whom do you credit your success?

A: Many people have a love/hate relationship with their muse. My muse is the Holy Spirit and I accredit every ounce of success to the grace of God because without HIM I seriously doubt I could write a single word, much less stories that bring hope and healing to so many.

What is your work schedule like when you are writing?
Unlike many writers, I'm not strictly disciplined. Sometimes I feel I need to be because I haven't written anything new in quite a while. I've completed a couple WIP's and edited existing projects, but nothing brand new—and how I long to just throw everything out and start fresh LOL! However, when I am actively writing, I write—very little editing, or working on other projects, limited time online, not much networking or blogging, sleep comes only in snatches, meals are scarce and light, and definitely no playing!

When do you feel like it all began to come together for you as a writer—was there a particular moment?
After years as a closet writer, penning stories in 5-subject notebooks, I'd have to say when I purchased my first, USED word processor and started typing in all those handwritten manuscripts I really began to feel like a writer.

Who has influenced you most as a writer and why?
There is really no one person to whom I can attribute this to, so many have helped me along the way. I’d have to say that my love of reading has influenced me the most. Reading opens doors to the imagination, takes you places you’d never be able to go otherwise and improves your visualization and vocabulary skills. Now, I’m able to implement all those things into my own writing.

What are some of the challenges you face as an author?
The biggest challenge I face is not having my work accepted by the “Christian” publishers. As one reviewer said, “though undeniably Christian, it is never dogmatic or insular; offering faith rather than religion.” (Review of Tempered Dreams by Elizabeth Burton for Blue Iris Journal) My books deal with issues in a way that is unacceptable in the traditional CBA market. Now that is not saying that my books are better than those published through traditional CBA publishers, only different. As I’ve said many times, everything that gives God glory deserves to be praised!

What are a few writing tips you could share with aspiring writers?
The bible exhorts us to “study and show yourself approved.” Keep studying, keep writing, keep learning, stay open to constructive critique and NEVER GIVE UP! Writing is both gift and talent given to you by God. Don’t hide your gift or bury your talent. Whatever you write, write well. Strive for excellence. Stay teachable, pliable, and flexible. Never believe that you know it all because knowledge is power and the more you know the more valuable you become. Above all share what you learn with others and make someone’s load lighter to bear.

Any marketing tips?
Marketing is an intricate part of the publishing business and publishers today expect authors to do their fair share. However, marketing/promotion can be overwhelming as the more you learn, the more there is to learn. For every thing you accomplish, there are hundreds more you can do. My motto is: Do something every day and your best then let God do the rest and remember it takes time to build a career.

What is your goal or mission as a writer?
A committed Christian, I firmly believe in God and His promises. God is very real to me. I believe that people today need and want to hear more of His truths wherever they can glean them and I do my best to encourage readers to develop a personal relationship with Him. The deepest desire of my heart is to glorify God and to get His message of faith, trust, and forgiveness to a hurting world. My hope is that all of my stories will touch the lives of everyone who reads them and - in some way - bring them a truer knowledge of God and urge them into a closer walk with Him.

The Excerpt

Taylor Forrestier awoke with a muffled scream. Her feet tangled in the bedcovers when she tried to bolt, and she landed on the floor with a thud and a whimper. She kicked free of the sheets and blankets then crawled into a corner. Eyes wide with horror, she tried to make sense of the shadows that danced around her, to separate the ones in the room from those in her mind. Her heart thundered. Breath escaped in short pants. She drew her knees to her chest, took several deep breaths to keep from hyperventilating, then closed her eyes and rested her head. Shivers overtook her slender frame. A sob escaped. Oh, God, would the nightmares ever cease, the ghosts ever rest in peace?

Resolve straightened her spine. Eyes still closed, she inched her way to the bedside table. Her hand trembled when she turned on the lamp. The light forced darkness from the room, but only one thing would push it from her mind. Agility born of fear drove her to her feet. She fumbled into a sweat suit, socks and tennis shoes, scraped her hair up into a ponytail, then fled.

World-Building with Author Barbara G. Tarn (Interview)

noreply@blogger.com (Shonell Bacon) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 11:00:00 +0000

The Author

Barbara G.Tarn is a writer, sometimes an artist, mostly a world-creator and storyteller. She's been building her world of Silvery Earth for a number of years - stories comprise shorts, novels and graphic novels, published under the Unicorn Productions imprint.

[Blog] [Facebook] [Author Central] [Goodreads]

The Books

Volume 1: The Sect, or how a religious minority became the powerful Sect using a Pond of Dark Magic. The Slave, or the story of the last real king of Arquon. The Orphans, or a youth gang finding trouble with the Sect. Yash, or how the prince of Akkora was sacrificed to the Bloodthirsty Goddess. The High Priestess, or how Keiko became Ramesh's successor in the temple of the Sect. Tarun, or another southern prince abducted and used by the Sect. Then Books of the Immortals - Air happens.

Volume 2: The Last King of Akkora (two parts) or the fall of the biggest southern kingdom through a spoiled prince heir. The Prince Heir or how Prince Anjaan didn't make it to king status. The Dancer, or an epilogue to Air, to be avoided if you believe in the happily ever after. The Lords of War, or the continued destruction of Akkora and the end of Kumar's life. The Courtesan's Son, or what's left of the southern kingdoms after all of the above.

Click the covers above to purchase Volumes 1 and 2 of Tales of the Southern Kingdoms!

The Interview

I've had the pleasure to read many of your works this year, and have loved them all. I find them so rich and complex, full of characters that all play such pivotal roles in the ongoing storyline. What adds even more complexity to the stories is that you've created your own world--Silvery Earth--to situate your characters. When did the idea to develop your own stories' world develop?
The name of Silver Earth dates back from when I was a child – I had Silvery Earth, my sister had Golden Earth (and my little brother supposedly had Fire Earth, but he’s 6 years younger than me, while my sister is 2 years younger, so we didn’t really involve him much! ;-)). But, like my sister noticed when she read the first novel, Silvery Earth has changed a lot in the past 30+ years. My first official story (1978) is a fantasy, but I didn’t set it on Silvery Earth, nor did I do it for the fantasy sagas I started writing in the 1990s. By the new millennium I decided a needed to create a world with rules (thanks also to “How to Write Sci-Fi and Fantasy” by Orson Scot Card), thus the new Silvery Earth was born. Maybe one day I’ll rewrite the one and only story set in the Original Silvery Earth… maybe!

How detailed were you initially in setting up Silvery Earth before you wrote your first story?
I’m an improviser. I write stories. Then I get attached to my characters and write their life, then their children’s and so on. So I end up with calendars and maps and family trees. My first fantasy saga (the Moren Empire cycle) was very “traditional”, with elves, dwarves and dragons – I will rewrite it to set it on Silvery Earth around 2014. The first story of the Varian Empire (now vol.3 of the Chronicles, coming out next year) had only the Genn (elf-like beings, tied to Ether now) and the winged people (later called Sila).

I’m in awe of authors who can do the world-building first and write the stories after! But then, I’m a “contrary” writer – I write the bones first, then flesh it out. So that’s how I work in general, whether it’s a story or a world… So my world-building is more a puzzle of stories than anything else. I now have a “bible” to keep track of the rules, but it’s something I started doing some five years ago, with dozen of stories already written that had to fit in the frame.

How are you able keep track of who is who and what their importance is in an individual book and in a series of works overall?
I have a visual imagination and a “virtual cast” – had that from the very beginning. So I don’t mix up physical looks because I see them very well in my head. I see those “movies” and write them down, that’s why I’m heavy on dialog and sparse on descriptions. And then I have calendars and family trees to keep track of who’s who, of course!

What have been some of your inspirations in developing Silvery Earth and your stories?
Children adventure books available in Italy and France (that’s where I grew up) made me love fantasy in general, although I read my first fantasy (The Sword of Shannara) in the late 1970s then forgot about that for years until I picked up the Dragonlance saga – hence the Moren Empire cycle, inspired by that role-playing game and its books by Weiss&Hickman (with those wonderful covers by Larry Elmore – eventually I’ll be able to hire him to do my covers!). After I read some of those “traditional” fantasy (David Eddings, mostly), I started getting away from the traditional Quest or Good vs. Evil battle. I’m very character oriented, and even if some old stories have cardboard villains, now I tend to paint all shades of gray instead. And it’s not really epic, even if sometimes the story spans years (like Books of the Immortals – Ether).

What advice would you offer to writers looking to construct their own worlds for storytelling?
Oh, boy… I’m bad at giving advice. I’ve been doing it for so long, I don’t remember what it was like! I have so much written down, that all is left to do is rewrite and make that puzzle. I can say I was lucky I started writing long before the internet, as I didn’t have that many distractions and conflicting advice. So for world-building I’ll refer to Uncle Orson’s book (How to Write Sci-Fi and Fantasy mentioned above), it was an eye opener for me, as I didn’t think to set up rules before!

What can we expect next for the inhabitants of Silvery Earth?
This year the Books of the Immortals covered quite a lot of history… Approximately 500 years! Next year you’ll be able to read the Chronicles of the Varian Empire, then in 2013 we’ll move to the Queendom of Maadre (or Amazons Country), 2014 the Moren Empire (which is before any of the previous ones), then I plan on writing two trilogies set later in the history of Silvery Earth, one after the fall of the Varian Empire, the other after Books of the Immortals – Earth, when the Magical Races are gone, print has been invented and the world will look a lot more like ours during Renaissance – but I still have to research and plan on that one! Yeah, I’m all set for life! Oh, and I always have a graphic novel on the side: at the moment it’s SKYBAND (that will become part 3 of the first trilogy – Axelle ap Kiaran - in the future), and I hope to finish it next year. Then I’ll have another one “The Merchant and the Scholar”, which will be set in the past, probably before Books of the Immortals – Air, so before the fall of the southern kingdoms and the birth of the desert of the south (I’ll have to research Indian and Persian architecture and clothes for that).

Author Barbara G. Tarn Interviews Moi at Her Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Shonell Bacon) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:49:00 +0000

Every once in a while, I relinquish my interviewer cap and become the interviewee. Friend and fellow author Barbara G. Tarn invited me to her blog to talk about myself as writer...come check out the interview! [LINK]

In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...Talking with Author Catina Sinches

noreply@blogger.com (Shonell Bacon) — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 20:08:00 +0000

The Author

Catina Sinches has always had a love for writing. Short stories and poems served as her foundation. A new chapter in her life has begun as she pursues her dream of becoming an author. Coupled with women she knew and her own life experiences motivated her to write Full Figure Monologues. ” I wanted to create something on a personal level that was not centered around losing weight nor what was going on in the fashion industry.” She hopes to inspire and encourage women through writing.

Catina currently resides in Texas. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Texas Southern University and she is also a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc.

To learn more about Catina, you can check her out at her website and on Facebook.

The Book

Full Figure Monologues was written to inspire and lend a voice to full-figured women. It focuses on real life issues and captures our hopes, worries and triumphs. The intent is to open up dialogue and encourage people to sit back and look at life from the point of view of women who are realistically the population within society. Women will be able to truly see themselves or someone they know who has dealt with the struggle to love their curves, entertaining negative thoughts, their relationship with food, letting go of the past as well as the courage to pursue their dreams.

Along with our curves, we are real women with everyday struggles. The women in the book put life into perspective and open up to show others that they are never alone. Life is not always going to be easy no matter what size you are, but the journey is absolutely worth it.

Click the cover above to order YOUR copy of Full Figure Monologues today!

The Interview

What FIVE adjectives best describe Full Figure Monologues?

Unique
Conversational
Relatable
Real
Inspiring

There are many things that can inspire a writer to pen a work--other books, other authors, family, friends, places, etc. What are FOUR things that inspired you to begin Full Figure Monologues and to complete and publish it?
As I have been full-figured all of my life and was exposed to size discrimination at such a young age, I wanted to write something from a perspective of having to deal with it throughout my life. My friends were excited to see content that was geared toward the curvy community because we are not being catered to as much as we should. As well as being supportive, my family inspired to me to write the book as well.

Every writer, while going through the journey of writing a book, learns a few lessons along the way. What are THREE things you learned in the process of writing and publishing Full Figure Monologues?
You have to have patience.
Writing requires passion.
Bringing your words to life is an truly a craft.

What are TWO ways in which you are promoting Full Figure Monologues online?
I am utilizing Facebook by posting information about my book on my personal page and author's page, placing the content on the wall of friends, as well as reaching out to the Facebook community.

I'm a reader who has just finished Full Figure Monologues. What's ONE thing you hope I will take away from reading your book?
Love yourself always and never let your size determine your worth.

The Excerpt

Now It Begins

No one can truly understand what it is to be a full figured woman until you have worn the outfit and walked in our beautiful shoes. For many, the outfit has been our armor - a shield of unparalleled strength that we have worn since we were cute chubby little girls. Teasing was a cruel reality that we had to continually endure . The teasing had many faces as it came from our own family members, friends, kids at school as well as strangers. Our pretty faces were often covered in tears and were a source of comfort to reveal our pain as we were too young to truly understand why people were being so mean to us. The arms of a loving adult or older sibling was also our refuge as they wiped our tears because we could not understand why they called us names.

Now take a step back and look at what you have endured and the blessing that you are still here standing tall. Despite the bumps and bruises during our journey, we had the strength to carry on. We can’t change the past but we can take control of the present and begin enjoying life right now and the many years to come. I know for myself that I can never be mistaken for anything else, other than a courageous woman. It is with a sincere heart that I hope you wake up everyday to the sun rays caressing your beautiful face and start living. When you take the first step and use your heart as your guide, you will have the courage and strength to stand against anything.

"Writing in 140: Writers Read" - Latest The Blood-Red Pencil Commentary

noreply@blogger.com (Shonell Bacon) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 18:21:00 +0000

Most people know how I feel about writers needing to read--today at The Blood-Red Pencil, in another Writing in 140 commentary "Writers Read," I offer a few quick reasons why we need to be flipping pages and reading books (that aren't our own).

Check it out here, and leave comments!

The Blood-Red Pencil
Sharp and pointed observations about good writing
[http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com]

Walking on Water with Author, Motivational Speaker Stanice Anderson

noreply@blogger.com (Shonell Bacon) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000

The Author

Stanice Anderson – An accomplished author and speaker, she has published books via small, 12-Step Programs: A Resource Guide for Helping Professionals to large publishing house, I Say A Prayer For Me: One Woman’s Life of Faith and Triumph to self-publishing her latest book, Walking On Water When The Ground Ain’t Enuf. Stanice’s books have been featured in everything from Essence and New York Times to the St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Searchlight. Publishers Weekly’s review wrote, “Gripping with a novelist’s eye for dialogue”. “Maya Angelou’s literary talent and Iyanla Vanzant’s prayerful insights”, was the praise from the Washington Informer. Anderson has also written articles published in national magazines. She was at the forefront of the “Dotcom” boom working behind the scenes at USAToday.com. Stanice is also is a principal publicist along with her son, Mike, with Anderson Tucker Agency. In April 2011, Stanice was featured in Black Enterprise Magazine in two-page spread entitled, “Self-Made Miracle.” She is outspoken, passionate and has a unique knack for social media and connecting with people from all walks of life.

To learn more about Stanice, you can check her out at her website and on Twitter and Facebook.

The Book

WALKING ON WATER WHEN THE GROUND AIN’T ENUF is a testament to the love, power and grace of God in our daily lives. Stanice Anderson’s mosaic account of her journey over troubled waters toward unwavering faith is meant to inspire, encourage and uplift. Her gripping real stories, captivating testimonies, soul-stirring monologues, and cadenced spokentry, read like intimate conversations with a trusted friend. Get ready to laugh, cry, praise and walk on water. Come on! Get your faith wet.

Click the cover above to order YOUR copy of Walking on Water When the Ground Ain't Enuf today!

Check out this awesome video featuring Stanice Anderson!

The Interview

I've been a fan of yours for a while now, Stanice. I occasionally go to your pages just to see what you're doing and to perhaps get that one sentence that I know will have me thinking, reflecting, and moving in a direction that is good for me. You definitely have the inspirational touch with whatever you do. As your words and story are an inspiration to others, what are FIVE things, people that inspire you and your endeavors?

Sharon Ewell Foster – Acclaimed novelist, client and friend. Her tenacity and perseverance is finding the truth, humble spirit, boldness in writing that truth into her books, and the way she freely pour of her knowledge into those willing to listen—like me.
Patrice Gaines – former Washington Post Reporter, author, speaker, and friend. Her life story inspires me. Someone gave me her book, Laughing in The Dark, in the late 90’s and told me she had a similar story and that like I aspired to do; she rose from the ashes and had gone on to do great things with her life. I was encouraged as I read Patrice’s words that I could indeed write my memoir and encourage others as she encouraged me. We later met, as God orchestrated that meeting through my first book, 12-Step Programs, in 1999. She agreed to read and wrote a testimonial. We’ve been friends ever since. She became my publishing world mentor and introduced my work to her then-agent, Denise Stinson; who later became my agent; then, publisher of my 2nd book, I Say A Prayer For Me (Walk Worthy Press/Warner).
My son is another inspiration and teacher in my life. Through his unconditional love and watching him grow as a man, he helped me let go of my prejudices toward men. Since I had been a rape survivor, residues of resentment and unforgiveness lingered in my heart. My son showed me, through his incredible perseverance, kindness and forgiveness of me as I had abandoned him during my addiction, that all men were not dogs. That I couldn’t keep blaming all men for what these three men did to me in my youth. Now, as a single father of three, I see him sacrifice, bravely, and astutely raise my grandchildren, he inspires me daily.
The incredible and faith-filled women that God has populated my life with; especially, my recovery sponsor and mentor, Dorine Phelps. She taught has poured her love, knowledge and experiences into my life for the entire 26 years and counting that I’ve been free from the bondage of active addiction. I mean, common-sense, simple, yet powerful things like, “Stanice, you’re so busy holding on to the old stuff; that you’re going to mess around and miss the new and good stuff that God has for you. Let it go!” Oh, and this one, so simple, I almost missed it, “It’s alright to be a fool; but don’t keep being the same damn fool over and over again.” Shonell, this was the kind of education that laid the foundation for everything that was yet to come.
The last shall be first! God’s Word. I’ve learned to live, breathe and practically apply it to my everyday living situation. My foundational verses, which keep me walking on water when the ground ain’t enough are Jeremiah 29:11-13, “God says, ‘I alone know the plans I have for you, plans for prosperity and not disaster; plans to give you a future and a hope,” and Revelations 12:11, “We overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony…” That’s what I do, share my testimonies and the hope in God that I’ve found, from pages to podiums—every opportunity I’m given.

Many of us have "Come to Jesus" moments when we are touched in a way that moves us to a new level of understanding, that opens us to more, new opportunities, that shows us that we're more than we think we are. Can you talk to us about one of your "Come to Jesus" moments and illustrate FOUR ways in which you grew, found new opportunities from that moment?
Shonell, I love your phrasing of that reality! One of my “Come to Jesus” moments would be when I, with a child’s heart, decided to trust God and literally take Him at His Word, “you have not because you ask not.” I said a prayer for me and asked God to make a way for me to go to a 12-step convention in Los Angeles, CA. A woman I was mentoring to at the time, gave me a round-trip ticket, without me asking her. I saw this as my sign from God that I was to go. While I asked my parents for money to augment my $40, which was all the spare money I had to take with me, they both denied me the help. I went anyway with my $40. I called ahead and asked the convention committee for an “indigent” registration package. They said, “Yes.” I had no hotel reservation nor money for a room, but I went anyway. My mom said, “You’re going to LA with only $40. I wouldn’t go to Silver Spring, Maryland from D.C. with $40.” That did not deter me. My response, “I’m trusting God.”

Well, I parked my car at the airport with $20 of my $40 and boarded the plane. Once there, I realized I didn’t even have the flyer telling me where the convention was. I simply asked the bus drivers where they were taking the people who did a lot of hugging when they saw each other. Well, they said, they noticed that too and told me to board the bus, as they were all at the Convention Center in Anaheim. When I got there, the convention committee said I had been clean and sober too long to get an indigent registration package. And it dawned on me, as I pulled my bags through the lobby, that I had no hotel room. I stood in the middle of this sea of people and cried. I heard my name. Stanice. I looked and it was my friend who had given me the flight tickets who said she had forgot to tell me but, “I purchased a full registration package for you.”

Someone tapped me on my shoulder. As I turned around, I saw another friend from my hometown, Washington, DC. He asked why I was crying, I told him, I didn’t have a room; he proceeded to offer me his room and he would bunk with a friend. He walked me and my overpacked luggage five blocks to his hotel room and gave me his keys. It went on like this the entire weekend. One miracle after another. Actually, I tell this story in my book, I Say A Prayer For Me. Only God could have orchestrated all that happened that weekend; look, Shonell, I even came home with gifts for my son, mom, dad, and change from the $40. My return flight was in Row Two in First Class and… oh, I won’t tell everything.

What four things did I take-away from that “Come to Jesus Moment”: (1) God is faithful, even when we are faithless; (2) God is most ‘def Jehovah-Jireh, God The Provider; (3) help can come from whom and where you least expect; and (4) God cares about absolutely every detail of our lives.

Author, Motivational Speaker, Everywoman Stanice Anderson

As you make clear on your sites and in your words, what you are and what you do now are a reflection of what God has moved you to do. His words speak loudly when you "encourage, inspire, and motivate others to discover and live God's marvelous plans for their lives." What are THREE verses from the Bible that encourage, inspire, and motivate you the most--and why?
I’ve already answered with two verses in previous question. Now, let me add a third verse, “God will show you wonderful and marvelous things you know nothing about.” For someone with as curious a nature as mine, this verse quenches my thirst to the core. WOW. God will do that for me? Show me? Wonderful and marvelous things? I love it. What a promise, He keeps over and over again in my life. Makes me want to soar in Him; knowing that even more will be revealed. Now, that’s exciting!

Having a message is one thing...but having avenues in which to disseminate that message is a completely different beast altogether, especially in our digital age with so many social networks and other means to get a message across. What are TWO ways you have been able to spread your message to more people?
I was thinking about this today [9.12.2011]. I’ve had an online presence, including a website and email, since 1999, with the publication of my first book. God had given me the advantage of working for USATODAY.com at the time I started writing what has become my signature lifestories and sending them out via email--writing and emailing these stories daily to as few as 16 friends to encourage and inspire them. I looked at it as sharing my testimonies, which I had begun to understand was a major part of my purpose; afterall, I had first been given the opportunity to share my story with people in 12-step recovery community at about six months clean and sobers and then with the world via The 700 Club in 1986. So, I saw that hope was contagious. It was on a 700 Club broadcast that I heard somebody and watch their story reenacted that I related, broke through the walls of my denial, accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior and asked a family friend to help me get into an addictions treatment center.

So sharing my testimony, in emails when that technology became available to me was a natural progression. From these emailed testimonies, I saw how God was building a ministry for me. Soon came the literary agent, book deal, books, and more speaking opportunities than before my internet presence.

With my natural curiosity, love for people and communication, once social networking became available; i.e., Blogging, FaceBook, Twitter, and LinkedIN, it was opportunity to interact with my reader-friends and broaden my reach for Jesus.

Reflect on everything you've experienced, everything you've gone through in your life--what is ONE word that best encapsulates that journey for you?
RESILIENCE

***BONUS QUESTION: What projects are you currently working on?***
I’m really excited about my new assignment as publicity architect for acclaimed author Sharon Ewell Foster, and her new fact-based novel, The Resurrection of Nat Turner, Part One: The Witnesses. To represent such a significant, history-changing, stereotype-smashing work like this and for such a brilliant writer is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I’ve also been given the opportunity to work with young people 13-21 years old, using the arts to help them find their purpose and raise their self-esteem.

On the making books end, my son and I are currently republishing and repurposing my first memoir, I Say A Prayer For Me: One Woman’s Life of Faith and Triumph. It will now be a “To-Go” eBook Series, entitled, I Say A Prayer For Me: Fast Food for The Spirit. Each eBook One thru Seven will include a menu of seven (7) of my signature true lifestories. Each lifestory is made up of (1) the testimony, (2) the segue which pulls the story into the reader’s life, and (3) the prayer with related scripture.

Story Trumps Innovation - Latest Blood-Red Pencil Post

noreply@blogger.com (Shonell Bacon) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 20:31:00 +0000

Are you trying to be innovative in your writing? Are you remembering the STORY? Check out my latest post, "Story Trumps Innovation" @ Blood-Red Pencil to read my thoughts on the subject. Leave comments - link

Resurrecting a Historical Figure ~ Interview with Author Sharon Ewell Foster

noreply@blogger.com (Shonell Bacon) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 18:21:00 +0000

The Author

Sharon Ewell Foster - a former Defense Department instructor, writer, researcher, analyst, and logistician, is the only African American to win the Christy Award, in addition to earning place on the Essence and other bestsellers lists. Her first novel, Passing by Samaria, was the NAACP Book of the Year in 2000. The North Carolina author has earned acclaim from Booklist, Ebony Magazine, Christianity Today, Romantic Times Magazine, and the Historical Novel Society. She is a speaker and author of seven previous books that have earned her a loyal following that crosses market, gender, and racial boundaries. Foster has been a contributor to Daily Guideposts for over 10 years.

To learn more about Sharon and The Resurrection of Nat Turner, check out her website and the official site for The Resurrection of Nat Turner. You can also follow Sharon on Twitter and Facebook, and LIKE the Facebook page for The Resurrection of Nat Turner!

The Book

The truth has been buried more than one hundred years . . .

Leading a small army of slaves, Nat Turner was a man born with a mission: to set the captives free. When words failed, he ignited an uprising that left over fifty whites dead. In the predawn hours of August 22, 1831, Nat Turner stormed into history with a Bible in one hand, brandishing a sword in the other. His rebellion shined a national spotlight on slavery and the state of Virginia and divided a nation’s trust. Turner himself became a lightning rod for abolitionists like Harriet Beecher Stowe and a terror and secret shame for slave owners.

In The Resurrection of Nat Turner, Part 1: The Witnesses, Nat Turner’s story is revealed through the eyes and minds of slaves and masters, friends and foes. In their words is the truth of the mystery and conspiracy of Nat Turner’s life, death, and confession.

The Resurrection of Nat Turner spans more than sixty years, sweeping from the majestic highlands of Ethiopia to the towns of Cross Keys and Jerusalem in Southampton County. Using extensive research, Sharon Ewell Foster breaks hallowed ground in this epic novel, revealing long-buried secrets about this tragic hero.

Click the cover above to order YOUR copy of The Resurrection of Nat Turner today!

The Interview

Nat Turner. How is it that you came to write a work based on his story?
I’ve always had a love of history, a love I’m sure I inherited from my family. I remember my mother and father, reading was something they shared as a couple, reading books like Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. As a kid, I read everything I could get my hands on that was in their library. One of the books I remember seeing was The Confessions of Nat Turner, the novel by William Styron. It’s peculiar to me, but Styron’s was one of the few that I didn’t attempt to read.

Later, when I was a second semester freshman, I attended Western Illinois University—only for one quarter. It was the happiest time for me: I was newly married, very pregnant, very poor, and starving—we had no food. I would walk to class and it was not uncommon for me to literally see stars. I had no clothes that fit so I wore the same thing everyday: a pair of my husband’s jeans and one of his shirts. (This is really sad, right? Like a cautionary tale against teen marriage. LOL.)

Anyway, I had a great professor who taught me South African Literature and African American studies, Dr. Evie Adams Welch. I learned so much from her. She taught about Africa, the real Africa, about ancient Ethiopia and Christianity, about the literature of Africa, and about little known historic figures like Nat Turner.

One day, she pulled me aside. I was a freshman in a senior-level course. She told me that there were so many of our stories that needed to be told and that I wrote well enough to tell them. She planted that seed in me over thirty years ago. I couldn’t believe that dream for myself then. But here I am, somehow, doing what she told me I would do.

I read that you conducted extensive research for this book. Can you talk to us about the research you pursued and how easy or difficult it was for you to take all that information to develop The Resurrection of Nat Turner, Part One?
I researched and wrote on this book for five years. It was exhilarating and grueling. I located Nat Turner’s actual hand-written trial records. I spent years analyzing them and dozens of other related slave trials. I travelled to the town in Southampton County, Virginia, where the event occurred. I actually visited several times and conducted interviews, speaking with descendants of Nat Turner and the victims of the revolt (over 50 white people died.) In the wake of the revolt, hundreds of black people died.

For those who don’t know Nat Turner, and many of us don’t, he was a slave in Virginia in 1831. He led what is considered the most successful slave revolt in US history. So, yes, there were slaves who fought back against the oppression of slavery. Turner was tried and hanged, allegedly based on his own confession which was supposedly read in court and then recorded in a pamphlet called The Confessions of Nat Turner as told to Thomas Gray. Thomas Gray, in The Confessions, asserts that he was Nat Turner’s defense attorney.

In addition to the trial records and interviews, I read everything I could get my hands on—just like Dr. Welch taught me.

Immediately, standing in the courthouse reading the trial records, I knew something was wrong: There was no confession read in court. Nat Turner actually pled innocent. Thomas Gray was not Nat Turner’s attorney. Gray’s pamphlet is the primary document used for historical research. Styron based his novel on Gray’s pamphlet. We have all been living with 180-year-old historical lie.

It took me years of historical sleuthing, frustration, crying, and praying to figure out what happened. I searched out John Floyd’s diary, the governor at the time. It was like The Da Vinci Code meets Roots, like putting a puzzle together! What I found developed into The Resurrection of Nat Turner.

I can only imagine taking on such a deep, profound, historical topic, person for a writing project. How did you feel as you penned the last words of this book?
When I finished, I felt a sense of peace . . . and hope. I felt it was my mission to find the truth and to deliver that truth, to offer people a different perspective on Nat Turner, on slavery, and on what happened. I fought hard to get the story to daylight. Now, it’s for people like you to help me spread the truth, for readers to help me spread the real story—there is this big mountain, a 180-year-old lie, in front of us, but each one of us can read the book and then tell two, three or four others. Together, we can watch the mountain crumble.

Today [when interview was conducted] is actually the 180th anniversary of Nat Turner’s revolt. So, today, if there’s something that you’re living with that has you bound, stand up and throw off the shackles. That’s the hope the story left me with. Nat Turner, and the others who participated with him, fought against all odds. They stood up as human beings when everyone around them told them they were nothing. They stood up and risked their lives, with no army or police to protect them, for freedom and for their families.

We can do the same. We have the same power, the same right of self-determination.

I walked away from the manuscript feeling proud. We haven’t been taught to feel proud of the slaves. But Nat Turner taught me they were all heroes. We should honor them all, just as we honor prisoners of war. Against astounding odds they survived—and for that they are all heroes.
Children should go to school and learn about these American heroes.

What did it mean for you, personally, to write this book and to see it published?
I fought really hard to see the truth come to daylight. I felt like I owed it to Nat Turner. Each one of us hates it when someone lies on us, right? Can you imagine a lie hung on you for 180 years? The lie didn’t just smear him, it has tainted hundreds of people, generation after generation. I felt I owed this truth to their descendants. But, especially as a mother, I felt
I owed it to his mother to tell the truth about her son.

This is more than a book to me. It is a mission to correct the history.

There is an African proverb that says, “Until the lion writes his own history, the story of the hunt will always be told by the hunters.” It seemed like the court records were calling to me, like all those who had suffered were calling to me across the generations. I delivered the story home.

Now, it’s up to each of us to help spread the truth.

What have been some obstacles you've faced in the writing and publication of The Resurrection of Nat Turner, Part One...if any?
Lies don’t die easily. We all know that, right? I’ve been frustrated and discouraged sometimes. Sad sometimes that people I assumed would support me turned away, or even fought against me.

There were people who wanted to bury the book, to keep this truth buried so it wouldn’t come to light. I can only speculate on their motives.

I threw myself a pity party. But it didn’t last long.

I was praying and it came to me to rise above it all. I was praying and it came to me to fly above it all, to spread my eagle’s wings and ride the troubles to the top. I love even those who don’t love me, who stand against seeing this truth come to light, but no weapon formed against me shall prosper. I have spread my wings and I’m flying, rising! This is truth is coming to life. It will be whispered at workplaces, talked about on buses and trains and planes, it will be yelled from roof tops! I see people ordering online and crowding into bookstores.

Suddenly, after I gave up the pity party, people started coming out the woodwork to help me. People started encouraging me, without knowing what was going on, and asking how they could help. It was and is amazing!

And I have the best, most loyal, most supportive readers. Throughout the whole time, five years working on a story I thought would take me six months to write, and through all the adversity, they sent me messages to encourage me. They told me how much they were waiting for my next book.

They sent emails to the publisher. They told me how they were still buying multiple copies of my books and giving them to friends. And that’s really rare—you should hear other authors cry about how their readers don’t support them, about how they share books, but don’t buy them. I’m really fortunate; I’m blessed and I’m grateful.

I’m grateful, for it all, I’m grateful.

In what ways are you working to promote the novel--online and off?
It’s a mission! I just set up a The Resurrection of Nat Turner book page on Facebook. I’m doing blogs and radio interviews (I have two scheduled on public radio). I’ve updated my web site, and I’m working to get that site and another for the book updated and active by the 22nd. I’m doing speaking engagements, meeting folks at libraries and bookstores to help spread the truth about the book and about Nat Turner.

I don’t have any money backing the book, except my own. I’ve spent way more than I can afford. (Buddy, can you spare a dime? LOL) But so many friends have helped me. And I’m praying and trusting God. He’s in the midst of all this.

I’m doing all I can with what I have. And I have faith that people like you will help me spread the word—read the book and spread the truth. It’s in the hands of individuals to buy the book, read the book, and spread the truth.

Together, we can change history. We can correct history. Success is in our hands. If you blog, blog about The Resurrection of Nat Turner. If you teach, teach the truth in school. Make the book cover your computer wallpaper. Keep punching the lie with the truth, slice through the lie with the sword of truth.

Are you currently working on part two of the book? Part one dealt with "The Witnesses." What does part two deal with?
I’ve finished writing Part 2. I’m actually reviewing the copy edits of the book. Part 2 is The Testimony. In Part 1, we learn who Nat Turner is from the people around him. In Part 2, Nat Turner speaks. He tells his own story, his testimony. He insisted that he speak, whispering to me that “they were all heroes”.

Break Writer's Block: Become the Storyteller, Not the Protagonist ~ Latest BRP Commentary

noreply@blogger.com (Shonell Bacon) — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 18:55:00 +0000

Are you a storyteller or a protagonist? In my latest Blood-Red Pencil post, "Break Writer's Block: Become the Storyteller, Not the Protagonist," I look at these terms - "protagonist" and "storyteller" - to argue how choosing one of these roles can dictate how we might fall into the writer's block trap...and suggest ways how to avoid that trap.Check it out here, and leave comments!

The Blood-Red Pencil
Sharp and pointed observations about good writing
[http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com]

Part 5 (of 5) of Book to Screen @ APOOO Bookclub

noreply@blogger.com (Shonell Bacon) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 17:48:00 +0000

In the last part of the five-part series, Book to Screen, I offer information on where to find agents, contests, production companies, and more for your screenplay.

Big thank you to those who have e-mailed about the series, have learned from it, and are actually interested in now turning their books into possible screenplays!

To read my latest The Write Life for You commentary in the Book to Screen series, head to APOOO Bookclub via this [link].

Plotter, Pantser, Both? Talking with Author Deborah Batterman @ All the Blog's a Page

noreply@blogger.com (Shonell Bacon) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 17:29:00 +0000

In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...Talking with Author Shakara Cannon

noreply@blogger.com (Shonell Bacon) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 09:00:00 +0000

The Author

Shakara Cannon developed her love for writing during her childhood years writing stories to read to her family at bed time. As she honed her skills, Shakara steadily gained notoriety in high school writing stories that surprised her teachers. She further developed her passion for writing at California State University, Northridge, double majoring in English and Business with a minor in Psychology. Later, writing fiction grew from hobby to therapy after the loss of her daughter’s father.

Shakara’s talent for creating colorful, sexy, and humorous characters, coupled with relative, relatable, and controversial topics brings her novels to life. Each page has you thirsting to know what happens next!

To learn more about Shakara and her writing, check out her website and follow her on Twitter and Facebook!

The Book

When the repressed traumas of Simone Johnson's childhood resurface through a recurring dream, secrets are unveiled that explain the negligence of her mother and her deep distrust of men. The support of her best friends, Stacey and Talise, gives her strength, but when tragedy strikes, leading Simone into a chasm of darkness, who will be there to help her find her way out?

Simone, Stacey, and Talise are your typical best friends navigating life. They brush shoulders with entertainment's elite and experience great successes.

Simone is living an extravagant lifestyle, which some may say has come to her easily. She doesn't trust men and is willing to remain guarded to protect herself. Even though star NBA player, Deon Bradford - a good guy, looking for a woman to love him for him - has her in his sights, and is making every effort to bring down her guard, Simone remains distrustful. She feels that she can do without a man's love, until an unsuspecting man comes into her life and shows her what true love is really like, but is he who he portrays himself to be or will Deon win her heart?

Talise is the romantic, who dreams of a marriage just like her parents. When she meets a man that she knows is her soul-mate, but later finds out that they stand on opposite sides of religion, will this be a deal breaker?

Stacey is the brother, the shoulder, and the comic relief, but when Stacey falls in love, he falls hard. Will his need to give into his heart cost him the ultimate price?

Once the secrets start tumbling out of the closets and no door is able to contain them, who do you turn to when your reality feels like a dream and you are sure that this can't be life?

Click the cover above to order YOUR copy of This Can't Be Life today!

In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...Author Shakara Cannon :: The Interview

Many writers talk about those books that touched them throughout the years, that inspired them to write. What are FIVE books that have meant something to you as you develop your writing career? And why?
In no particular order: Coldest Winter Ever by Sistah Soulja was a great book. I'll always remember that book - Winter Santiago and Midnight. That novel made me feel lots of emotions. It reminded me of my passion for writing.

The Upper Room, by Mary Monroe. Mama Ruby was nuts! I thought it was amazing for Mary Monroe to think up a character like that. She challenged me to think outside the box, in regard to character development.

Mary B. Morrison, Soul Mates Dissipate was an amazing book. I loved the title and story. It inspired me to be fearless when writing. We all may not know someone like mama Ruby, but a person like her exists.

I love The Host, by Stefanie Meyer (author of the Twilight series) This was an amazing sci fi story that was so out of the box it was just amazing. It inspired me to write the general fiction novel I am currently working on.

Invisible Life, by E. Lynn Harris, changed the way I thought. He wrote about things that weren't mainstream. He talked about relationships that were taboo and secret. He was a courageous and amazing writer. It's hard to believe that he is no longer with us.

I'm the type of person that has a hard time picking favorites, but when I really like a book, just like with movies, I can read them at least two times!

You are executive producer for a new reality TV show, "Between the Covers". You can have FOUR authors on the show--alive or dead--that you think will be entertaining and will attract viewers. Which four authors do you choose and why?
E. Lynn Harris, because I loved his personality and energy. Eric Jerome Dickey, because he is such a great writer. He thinks out of the box and takes you places that you may never go in his novels. Plus, anyone who can create Gideon is a genius! Love that character! Mary B. Morrison, well she had me at Soul Mates Dissipate. Those novels encouraged me to write, they fueled me! Jackie Collins, because I love all of her novels. She's been in the business for so long, I'd love to pick her brain.

What are THREE pieces of advice that have served you well as a debut novelist in the industry?
The three pieces of advice that have served me well are:

1. To never burn bridges. The book business is very small so you have to be careful what you say. I've dealt with people in this business that I don't ever want to deal with again, but I keep that to myself because I never want to bad mouth anyone - although they may deserve it - because it's just not good business practice. I learn and keep moving forward.

2. Edit, Edit and Edit again! It is very important to make sure that your work is the best you can make it. No one is perfect so you still may find small errors, but when a novel is riddled with errors it's very annoying.

3. Sell yourself. This business is really about you. If people like you as an author and like your work they will follow you throughout your career. It's very important to brand yourself and your name. Everything is in my name; my website, my Facebook, my Twitter handle, everything! I plan to write many books so I have to brand myself as an author not just the title of my current novel.

These days, using social media to promote and market books is a major key to success. What are TWO ways in which you're using social media to promote THIS CAN'T BE LIFE?
I'm very active on Twitter and Facebook. When people can reach out to you and talk to you and get a feel for the kind of person you are, that is priceless marketing and promoting. I love being able to talk to the people who are reading my book or who have read my book. It's really amazing and a sign of the times. There is nothing like the feeling of someone contacting me on Facebook or Twitter and telling me how much they enjoyed reading my book. It's truly amazing and I'm always so humbled and thankful.

If you had ONE chance to tell readers why they should pick up and read THIS CAN'T BE LIFE, what would you tell them?
I'd tell them that they should read This Can't be Life because it's a wonderful story of friendship. It has a lot of twists and turns. You won't be able to guess what is going to happen next. It will keep you engrossed from the first page to the last page. You will definitely laugh, cry and get angry, but you will feel satisfied. That is a guarantee.

Knowing Your Editor's Editing Philosophy

noreply@blogger.com (Shonell Bacon) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 21:57:00 +0000

My latest Blood-Red Pencil post, "Knowing Your Editor's Editing Philosophy," came about after reading another BRP bloggers post titled "Who Is Your Editor?" There has been plenty of advice for writers about researching agents and publishers and making sure writers have a good fit with these people; it's equally important to have a good relationship with your editor and to know what type of editor you need and want. That's what I talk about, briefly, in this latest BRP post. Check it out here, and leave comments!

The Blood-Red Pencil
Sharp and pointed observations about good writing
[http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com]

Plotter, Pantser, Both? Talking with Author Bettye Griffin @ All the Blog's a Page

noreply@blogger.com (Shonell Bacon) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 21:11:00 +0000

Are you a PLOTTER or a PANTSER...or are you BOTH? That's the question being asked of the authors coming to you live this month on ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE. I have had author-friends who truly detest plotting, feeling it takes away from what the characters want to say, and I've had author-friends who detest flying by the seat of their author pants because the writing produced never seems to gel and come together. What do you prefer? Check out what the AtBaP authors of July think and share your own thoughts!

Our next author this month is someone I've read over the years and have LOVED--Bettye Griffin!

In this updated, revised eBook version of Bettye Griffin’s classic novel originally published in 1999…

Ava Maxwell has made a career out of helping other people with their dreams as the leading wedding planner in the trendy but troubled city of Palmdale, Florida. She cherishes the idea of couples starting marriages and creating families…knowing that for her, the reality was painfully different.

Ten years before Ava walked out on her marriage when she and her ex-husband received the devastating news that she would never be able to have children…the one thing her ex wanted most. The intervening years have been marked by aborted relationships, her only comfort being the belief that she will finally be able to claim happiness once she reaches the point in her life where she would no longer be expected to bear children…but she’s only thirty-five years old and lonely, and ‘that certain age’ is still a good ten years away.

Then, in the same remarkable evening, Ava encounters both an eight-year-old purse snatcher and an exciting new man in town. Unlikely alliances are formed, bonds that soon deepen into something more special than she’s ever known. Could these two be the key to her attaining…A Love of Her Own?

Stop by All the Blog's a Page to not only read Bettye's thoughts on plotting and pantsing, but to also sneak a peek at her re-released novel, A LOVE OF HER OWN!

All the Blog's a Page ~ [site]
Permalink ~ [link]

A Writer's Journey: Author Cheryl Snell

noreply@blogger.com (Shonell Bacon) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 07:00:00 +0000

The Author

Cheryl Snell is the author of ten books of fiction and poetry, and has published over four hundred poems, stories, and book reviews online and in print. A multiple Best of the Net and Pushcart Prize nominee, Snell's work was selected by Dorianne Laux for a recent Sundress Best of the Net Anthology, and along with her sister, she won the Lopside Press competition for Prisoner's Dilemma, poetry and art inspired by game theory. Together, they own the micro press Scattered Light, and keep a blog of the same name.

There are a slew of places online where you can learn more about Cheryl Snell! Check them out below!

[Facebook] [Twitter] [YouTube] [Amazon.com Author Page]

[Novel, Rescuing Ranu] [Shiva's Arms - The Book // The Blog] [Scattered Light, Blog]

The Book

When Alice marries Ramesh, she is plunged into a battle of wills with her mother-in-law. Namesake of a god, Amma reigns over Alice's household until a family secret is revealed that costs the old woman everything. Now it is up to Alice to heal the rift, as Shiva’s Arms evolves into an exploration on cultural identity, the power of reconciliation, and the meaning of home.

Click the cover above to order YOUR copy of Shiva's Arms today!

The Interview

When did you know you wanted to write?
I grew up in a household where we wrote birthday poems and stories to amuse one another. There was music, there was painting. Our father read aloud to us. Setting down words just to see them play was a natural outcropping of the general household exuberance. I was equally attracted to music, however, and eventually entered a conservatory to become a classical pianist. The urge to write in a more disciplined way overtook me when I married my Indian husband, who presented me with a new culture to parse. Writing was an effective means to do that.

What is it about writing that calls you back to the page or screen to tell stories?
It’s one way to explore whatever’s happening in my life, to find out what I really think about something. Sometimes I write to give my own experience a different ending. The reconciliation of Alice and her Indian mother-in-law in my novel Shiva’s Arms embodies that kind of wishful thinking. Other times, I simply can’t let a character go. I need to put her in a new situation to become more fully herself, as I did with Nela from Shiva’s Arms, who came into her own in my second novel Rescuing Ranu.

In most writer’s journey, there comes the time to submit work, face rejection, revel in acceptance. What has your journey been like thus far? Talk to us about that.
Although I had been writing for a long time, I came to publishing late, after a long recovery from brain surgery. Poetry had become my personal rehab, helped me re-learn how to choose the right word in the right context. Online workshops were my classroom and community, and the writers there encouraged me to start submitting to the small magazines. I did, juggling poetry with fiction, and by my mid-fifties I had six books, all published by traditional small presses. I began to want to experience publishing from the other side as well, so I brought out a few of my sister’s and my art and writing collaborations under our own imprint, Scattered Light. There are pros and cons for both the traditional and indie modes of publishing, but the point is to keep moving, putting work out there.

What writers have inspired you, and why?
Alice Munro for her wisdom, Tolstoy for how he weaves the social fabric of a time and place into personal drama. The poets Levertov, Merwin, Rich, Emily Dickinson, and Tomaz Salamun. Novelists Kundera, Maxine Hong Kingston, Louise Erdrich, Italo Calvino, Arundhati Roy. I respond to anything that ignites the imagination with respect to ideas.

What three books have been the most beneficial to you as a writer, and why?
Even after all this time, I keep coming back to the exercises in Kim Addonizio and Dorianne Laux’s The Poet's Companion: A Guide to the Pleasures of Writing Poetry. I like Annie Dillard’s book The Writing Life for its kill-your-darlings toughness on revision, and John Gardner’s book On Moral Fiction for its scope. Its kinship with Tolstoy is a bonus.

If there were one author you could sit down and spend an hour with talking about writing, who would it be...and why?
Flannery O’Connor. I admire her contradictions, the way she flirted with disgust in her grotesques, her fanciful love of peacocks -- and I’d really like to know how she managed to write so steadily with Damocle’s sword over her head. Lupus is such a vicious condition.

Your artistic talents do not stop at novel writing. You are an accomplished poet who tackles topics most poets do not, such as scientific theory in your work MULTIVERSE, and, according to your blog, you play "a mean classical piano." Where do you think this artistic streak in you comes from, and what other artistic talents dwell within you?
I imagine that artistic streak was inherited. Mother painted, and Dad was both literary and musical. He was a pathologist, and I got my taste for science from him. That was reinforced by my husband, who is a mathematical engineer. Nature and Nurture – together they rock.

I've noticed that a lot of your works deal with self-exploration, cultural identity, and connections with others that often activate, move, change the first two. What is it about these topics that keep you finding new ways to develop them in your works?
One critic said that my true subject is the conflation of the mortal and immortal, and I suppose the exploration of Hindu beliefs in my novels reinforces that – the endless cycle of birth and rebirth. Perhaps my impulse toward connection in my fiction is a primal wish to stave off death. You can’t get much more universal than that, and what’s universal is inexhaustible in a core subject. Look at what Faulkner did with race, for example.

How are you using social media to promote yourself and your writing?
Facebook seems to be the most efficient means of promotion right now. I have an author page, a page for each of my novels, and a page for our Scattered Light library. I also have a blog for my novel Shiva’s Arms with sub-pages for my other books, and keep a blog I share with my sister (also called Scattered Light). Posts are fed into the Networked Blogs on Facebook, as well as Good Reads, She Writes, Linkedin and a few Ning sites. I keep up with Red Room and Scribd. I give my poems another whirl by setting them to my sister’s art or other images in my YouTube channel. I have podcasts at Podomatic and free downloads of some of my books at Issuu. I tweet my author blog posts, and even have a separate Twitter account for one of my characters, Amma from Shiva’s Arms, who obligingly tweeted the novel’s chapter content in Indian proverbs.

What projects are you currently working on?
I’m just finishing a collection of poems narrating my sister’s new Fusion Series, drawings that merge abstract and figurative elements in a whole that is bigger than the sum of its parts. Language adds another layer, and since I kept close to her graphic meanings, the effect is quite nuanced. If I do say so myself.

Organic Description - Latest Blood-Red Pencil Post

noreply@blogger.com (Shonell Bacon) — Thu, 26 May 2011 20:35:00 +0000

Description in storytelling is one of those things that can make a story sing or make a story sink. In my latest Blood-Red Pencil post, "Writing in 140: Organic Description," I talk about the importance of weaving description into your story instead of clumping long passages of description into a work, thus slowing the pace of reading for the reader. Check it out here, [LINK], and leave comments!

The Blood-Red Pencil
Sharp and pointed observations about good writing

Part 4 of 5-Part Book to Screen Series LIVE @ APOOO Bookclub

noreply@blogger.com (Shonell Bacon) — Sat, 14 May 2011 18:06:00 +0000

In the first three parts of the five-part series, Book to Screen, I offered advice on books and software to help you on the scriptwriting journey, seeing your book as a visual story, and seeing your book within a movie structure frame.

In this next part, I talk about the actual writing of the script, with short discussion on major story components, such as action, character, and dialogue.

Big thank you to those who have e-mailed about the series, have learned from it thus far, and are actually interested in now turning their books into possible screenplays!

Now, let's move forward in this journey! To read my latest The Write Life for You article in the Book to Screen series, head to APOOO Bookclub via this [link].

Leave comments!

Completely Whole Virtual Blog Tour!

noreply@blogger.com (Shonell Bacon) — Mon, 09 May 2011 07:22:00 +0000

About the Author

A sought after speaker, certified life coach, minister and author. As an inspirational and motivational speaker, Paulette’s desire is to motive women to reach their God given potential through conferences, workshops and seminars. As a writing coach, Paulette is the visionary behind “Write Now” (releasing the word in you) literary workshops designed to coach aspiring writers in the areas of creativity, development and publication of Christian books. Paulette has authored such books as That Was Then, This Is Now, This Broken Vessel Restored. She is the co-author of Victorious Living for Women and just released Victorious Living for Moms.

About the Book

Oftentimes, many people try to seek fulfillment from money, relationships, accomplishments, or material things. Others choose to cope with difficult problems by using drugs or alcohol, but they often come up short and soon have to realize that such things do not bring true happiness and fulfillment in life. How then can we successfully solve the problems that we face and find true happiness and peace in our lives? Well, author, Paulette Harper, in her latest book, Completely Whole, shows readers how to overcome suffering caused by alcoholism, substance abuse, poverty, and other obstacles blocking the path to a life of wholeness in spirit, soul, and body.

In her well-written, resource-filled guide, Harper provides readers with practical and biblically-based solutions to overcome everyday problems. Completely Whole features prayers, meditations, and powerful scripture passages to allow readers to interact with the text and to apply it to their own lives. Harper uses personal experiences and biblical principles to place readers on a path to be in connection with God. This life-changing book will help readers to transform their spirit, soul, and body through Jesus Christ, so they can live a life of peace, joy, and fulfillment.

Special Today Only! May 9. Buy a copy of Completely Whole by Paulette Harper and get immediate access to amazing Free Bonus Gifts and contest giveaways.

Visit the link below for more details...

http://bit.ly/CompletelyWholeBookLaunch