All posts by laelbr5_wp

Alexis vs. the Afterlife by Marcus Alexander Hart

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Alexis goes on the biggest adventure of her life, and finds her true calling, right after she dies. She finds love, monsters, and opportunistic ghosts in her quest to save the world. This is a super silly story, but it’s Hart’s signature silly style reminding us to be ourselves no matter how different we might feel. The main character Alexis finds her tribe and fulfills her dream, albeit in an unorthodox way. Although explained by details in the story, the dialogue, with its repetitive references to bodily functions, reads more middle grade than YA, except for those swear words. The romance is credible, sweet, and written really well by an author who can never have that exact experience. Kudos, Marcus! And thanks for an early copy to review.

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Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss by Rajeev Balasubramanyam

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Despite expectations, Professor Chandra is passed over for the Nobel Prize in Economics. Again. He brushes off condolences, determining that it had been his last chance to hope, for the world was moving on without him. As he drifts into auto pilot with a side of grumpiness, he wanders in front of a bicyclist, causing him serious injuries and a silent heart attack. At the hospital, the doctor tells him to cut back on everything and follow his bliss, which he decides to do in California as a Distinguished Visiting Professor at UC Bella Vista. He ends up going to a spiritual retreat offered by his wife’s second husband. Balasubramanyam brilliantly portrays a self-important man disconnected from others through self-sabotage stemming from his background and rigid personality. Dear Reader gets to see all that Dr. Chandra does not communicate, and how much more complicated he makes relationships that matter the most to him, building tension and engaging sympathy for a challenging character. Though reminiscent of Barbara Claypole White’s father in The Perfect Son in his inability to see others and clinging to his ideas that are not serving him, Dr. Chandra wouldn’t dare consider that he might have OCPD, as White’s character determines and enters therapy. He prefers to muddle through on his own, pleading for understanding. It’s intriguing and leads to revelatory confrontation. Fans of anti-heroes will appreciate Dr. Chandra and his struggles. I was fortunate to receive this complex and enlightening story of facing one’s mortality through life-altering paradigm-shifts from Dial Press / Random House by NetGalley.

Erica Bauermeister—Novelist

Storyteller Showcase,

Tell me about your writing process: schedule, environment, strategies, inspirations, etc.

My writing process has changed over the years. When my kids were younger and I had a full-time job, writing happened during whatever moments I could give to it. Now that my kids are fledged, my writing day starts at 7:30, when I go down to my writing shed, an 8by8 studio we built a few years back. There’s no internet, no email, no social media. Just me and the words for 3 solid hours, and often more.

If I get stuck, I’ve learned not to force the characters just to hit a word count. The characters just go quiet then and I’m really in trouble. So I go for a walk, or a swim. I’ll even clean the house. Repetitive physical exercise tends to shake the ideas lose.

As for inspiration, it almost always starts with an image, and often of a character in a situation. For The Scent Keeper it was the image of a young girl in an isolated cabin. All the walls were lined with drawers, and inside each drawer was a scent. Who was she? Why was she there? Who would she be when she grew up? Those questions kept me working on the novel for 6 years.

Walk me through your publishing process, from final draft to final product, including who does what when and what marketing you do.

My agent has an in-house editor who goes over everything I write, even before it gets to my publisher—and this is after early readers, my writing group, and some of my family have all read early drafts, which can number in the dozens. Once the publisher has the manuscript, it can go through one to several revisions, depending on the input of the editor. After content editing comes copyediting, then lay-out and cover design (it’s part of my contract that I get consult, if not veto power). Then sales and marketing take over and get the book into the sales channel and start the drumbeat of reviews and early giveaways to get the word out.

About 4 months before the book comes out is when I kick in. I don’t use Twitter, but I’m on Facebook and Instagram. I do my own giveaways, encourage book clubs (I’ve talked with over 150 of them by phone or Skype). For The Scent Keeper I’ve even got a virtual book club (https://www.facebook.com/groups/261527751453539/). I write essays for on-line and print publications. I send out email newsletters to everyone on my email lists. I make sure all my favorite bookstores have an early copy of the book and I set up bookstore events (if the publicist has not already done this). Anything I can do to work as a team member and help the process, I do.

For those who want more detailed suggestions, I recommend MJ Rose and Randy Sue Meyers’ book What To Do Before Your Book Launch.

Describe your support system—online and IRL; who are your biggest cheerleaders?

Booksellers. Readers. Book Clubs. It’s the community that makes a book.

How does your life influence your writing and vice versa?

I never write about my life specifically, but I often find that in writing I answer personal questions I didn’t know I had. For example, The Scent Keeper began as the image of the young girl, and the question of what it might be like to be raised with smell as your predominant sense. I explored those things, but in the end, I also explored the development of a person’s relationship with their parents, and the growth we need to go through in order to see them as human beings, separate from us.

What do you love most about your creativity?

I love the feeling of sinking into a character. It feels like the best part of being pregnant, living with this other. nascent being, helping to grow them into real life.

I love losing track of the real world and entering into an imaginary one. The islands of The Scent Keeper and the restaurant of The School of Essential Ingredients became some of my favorite places to live in my imagination, and time spent there was always joyous.

I love the way it keeps me alive to the real world. When I visit a new place, my mind is always searching for new scenes to describe, but also new insights into how people interact. When I’m somewhere I already know, looking at it through a writer’s eyes can make it fresh.

And I’d like to say to all the aspiring writers that THIS is what makes you a writer. It’s not whether or not you are published. It’s how you see the world. You own that, no matter how many books you might have on a bookstore’s shelves. That’s what’s important.

Connect with Erica:

Website: http://www.ericabauermeister.com/

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericabauermeisterauthor/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/702360.Erica_Bauermeister

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Barbara Taylor Sissel—Novelist

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Tell me about your writing process: schedule, environment, strategies, inspirations, etc.

I almost always write first thing. The to-do list, errands, even gardening, which is also a passion, waits until I get pages done. I think routine and persistence are my strategies. Where I write is a gift, a special place. It’s also my potting shed. I designed it, and my son and a few others built it using a lot of salvage. It overlooks my garden and down a kind of meadow. My garden is a big source of inspiration to me, along with reading.

Walk me through your publishing process, from final draft to final product, including who does what when and what marketing you do.

With Lake Union, when I finish a draft, I send it to my editor who does a read-through and then returns it with suggestions. Once I’ve gone through and made changes, I send it to a developmental editor to whom the book has been assigned. We go through anywhere from 2-4 rounds of extensive edits. I think here is where the book is really made, if that makes sense. I both love and hate the process, but I’m always pretty thrilled with the result. Next the draft goes to the copy editors, possibly as many as three different ones, for final polishing. After all their changes are incorporated into the manuscript, the book goes into production.

As for marketing, I have a street team of early reviewers who are kind enough to read and review advance copies of my books. I also have a website and a Facebook author page where I try and post news regularly. I run regular Amazon and Goodreads giveaways of my books and publish a quarterly newsletter too. Marketing doesn’t come easy for me, so compared to other authors, what I do is pretty minimal!

Describe your support system—online and IRL; who are your biggest cheerleaders?

I have a few author friends with whom I chat back and forth, and then there are my street team members, some of whom have been readers of my books since I self published my first one back in 2011. Along with my two sons, who are terrific supporters, these are the folks who keep me going!

In your bio on your website, you share how your background laid the foundation for your writing career. I’m interested in how your life and work intertwine today.

I still draw on my experience of life past and present, and on the experiences of others as well, even total strangers. I’ll find myself listening (sometimes it’s hard not to!), standing in the grocery line or sitting in a restaurant, to others telling stories, talking to each other or to their children. Snippets of conversation can set my imagination off. I’m a total ID TV addict, so crime and how it affects families remains an interest … one I’ve had since I lived on prison grounds. Story is just a huge part of my life … how I work things out or work things through, you know? Writing stories is contemplative and thoughtful for me, which is kind of how my life is, so it’s all sort of this one fluid thing, like a long rippling wave with a little foam at the curl.

What do you love most about your creativity?

Oh, what a wonderful question. That I have it? Is that an answer? It’s what pops into my mind. That it’s a gift I’ve been given, one that’s different every day. One that keeps on surprising me and that leads me to places I’ve never been, or would think to go if it weren’t for that spark of interest, of desire. It’s just a source of fascination to me and a delight.

Connect with Barbara:

Website: http://barbarataylorsissel.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/barbarasissel

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/584581.Barbara_Taylor_Sissel

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/barbarasissel/

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Alessia Murphy—Digital Artist and Growth Marketing Entrepreneur

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What is your artistic process: when do you work on it; what program(s) do you use; how long does a piece take; and what happens to the pieces when they’re finished?

In the normal case I have an idea, sit down at my illustrator, and start drawing. With more complex pictures it can happen that I brood over the idea for a few days, and then look at other artists and their implementation. That brings additional inspiration.

Now it depends on whether the drawing is an order for tattoo, a wall, an exhibition, etc. Basically, all my pictures are for sale at any time, except the custom-made paintings.

Do you sell your art, or is it a creative outlet just for you?

Yes, I sell my art over Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and I will also launch soon a website.

Who are your biggest cheerleaders in your art, your work, and your life?

I don’t know many of my fans—I already have built up a pretty big fan community; of course, my partner in crime.

How does your art influence your life and vice versa?

All I do is somehow creative—the only difference is emotional creativity or (at work) a logical creativity, but everything I do has to do with creativity. I always have some art projects where I work with different artists, or I also did some work for a nonprofit organization, etc.

What do you love most about your creativity?

Being myself, expressing myself.

I couldn’t live without being creative. It’s what I am. If I sing, draw, or play an instrument, I feel art floating through my body. If I dress in the morning or work as a Growth Hacker, it doesn’t matter what I do; I believe art is everywhere around us.

Artist Extra:

Tell me about your work as a Growth Hacker.

Growth Hacking is data driven creative marketing. It’s the thing I love most after doing art.

Connect with Alessia:

https://www.facebook.com/growth.marketeer

https://www.instagram.com/alessia_murphy/

https://www.pinterest.ch/VectorCatDesign/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alessia-murphy

Greg Anderson Elysee—Writer, Educator, Filmmaker, and Model

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Describe your creative process: schedule, materials, environment, and inspiration (including African folktales).

Well, I don’t have a general schedule for when I’m writing. Although I should give myself one; it may be more productive. But for the most part, I’d write in my notebook: ideas, scenes, dialogue, or whatever, whenever I’m on a bus or train. Over time, I’d fill a majority of what I want to put down on the computer. Or I’d write the general story beats and then find time to sit in front of the computer and go to town writing. I try my best to write a little something every day. If I haven’t written, my mind is probably developing some sort of idea and churning to make sense of it and figuring out the time line and so on. Before typing the final script, I also tend to write all the scenes out of order. It keeps me from being bored and helps me figure out the pacing and structure of the story. I usually write three drafts before I’m satisfied to send to the artist. Before that third draft, I’ve probably sent it to some people whose opinions I trust to let them read and critique and give me thoughts and feedback. Depending on certain critiques, and if they fit my narrative or strengthen my themes, I’d fine tune accordingly into that final or third draft—or fourth.

Walk me through the publishing process from final draft to final product and talk about your marketing strategies.

Well, after I finish a couple of drafts of the script, I send it to the artist. He or she begins to lay out the art, usually with thumbnails, and we go over it together, which is followed by my approval or any changes. From there, the artist would pencil and ink the script, and there are a few occasions where this process leads to another draft of the script. Sometimes the artist and I would shoot some ideas back and forth to make a scene stronger or visually more appealing. Then I’d make an edit of a new draft, which I would have ready for the letterer. After the pencil and line work are done, we move to the colorist, and after that the letterer, who will put the dialogue and sound effects into the pages. The production designer, who is usually the letterer, will begin to finalize the pages to prepare it for print. We send to the printers and they start to proof, and soon enough receive my approval to print. After a few weeks, or a month or two, depending on where it was printed, I get a final product in my hands ready to sell.

In terms of marketing, I sell a lot at conventions and online. I have a pretty strong Facebook presence that allows a lot of interactions and fan base building. My fans and supporters are great people and can sometimes go above and beyond to help me financially by buying and sharing my work. Kickstarter also helps me with marketing, pushing to another and usually wider audience. I try to do at least two conventions or events a month to push the product. Some cons are more profitable than others, but as long as I got a good bit of new readers, I’m usually happy. I also get messages from retailers, schools, and sometimes libraries for copies.

Tell me about your support system online and IRL; who are your biggest cheerleaders?

Well, as stated above, I have a lot of great supporters online, many of them from Facebook and Kickstarter. In real life, I have a good couple of friends who are always down to support my dream, especially having watched me develop my craft since I was a kid to now. My partner is also very supportive. My family also pushes and support as much as they can, especially if things aren’t going too well for me financially, even though most of them don’t really read my work—haha. But my parents get super hyped when the see me on TV, see a feature on me, or when I win awards. They’ve always encouraged and pushed me with my writing, so they’re happy seeing the success of my books thus far.

How does your art / work influence your life and vice versa? Here you can share about your journey of bringing your creative endeavor to fruition.

Well, my work is my life for the most part. There’s not a day that passes where I’m not thinking about my work. I would be miserable if I didn’t have my writing and my books as my outlet. In just a few short years I’ve achieved a lot, met wonderful people, and have gotten wonderful opportunities. And with each new release, I gather more of a following and come closer to financial stability. I teach on the side and do other odd and side gigs. I’d love to get to the point where I can just live off my work, do shows, and not do anything else. That may take some time, but I’m glad my work is a part of my life, and seeing it grow and prosper has helped me a lot, especially with my own mental health.

What do you love most about your creativity?

I love the fact that people take to my work. I’ve always felt like an oddball growing up and books were always a source of escape for me. I felt at peace with books. So the fact that I now have my own work and people are finding it as a form of escape is one thing I love most. I love that I’m writing what I want and that I’m trying to showcase types of people I feel aren’t always showcased or represented the way I feel they should and people, other oddballs like myself, take to it, support, and ask for more.

I am also very grateful of how my mind works. I do hear that many people have trouble writing or coming up with ideas or being inspired. My head continues to be a well of sorts and I can’t turn it off. I always have something churning and I love problem solving my ideas in my head to make them work. I have a lot of fun with that. So whoever blessed me with that, thank you.

Connect with Greg and purchase Isnana:

Facebook

Webway Comics

Buy Isnana Vol.1 at Amazon

Buy Isnana Vol.2 at Amazon

Buy Isnana comics at Peep Game Comix

Buy Isnana comics at Comixology

Is’nana, the Werespider volumes 1&2 by Greg Anderson Elysee

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Anansi’s son Is’nana rescues humans from Osebo the Leopard in volume 1, and in volume 2, dear readers learn how Is’nana accidentally opened the portal in the Mother Kingdom, unleashing horrors upon the human world, clevely setting up the storyline for future volumes. Blending African folklore into his storytelling, Elysee continues the tradition of passing down tales, through a thoroughly modern venue with gorgeously detailed graphics.

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All Those Things Revealed by Maureen O’Callaghan

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In 19th century Ireland, Mrs. Moloney interrogates her daughter’s fiance Micheal to determine his ability to properly support them, debating fate of divine purpose versus consequences of actions, secrets of God and those revealed to man. She then relays stories passed down to her by her parents of how the fates of certain families were sealed, admonishing Michael to decide whether it was providential destiny or mere consequences of their actions. It is her story—the incident that changed her life’s trajectory and estranged her from her parents—her refusal to be a product of her time. O’Callaghan blends Irish folklore and Christian mythology with fiction, about the origins of Christianity in Ireland, specifically the Ceile De, or Companions of God, and their Cailin an Tsagairt, or Priest Women, who were threatened by Roman Papacy and Norman invaders. Though the daughter’s inexplicable ignorance (contrasted by her fiance’s knowledge) and sudden symbolism at the end are confusing, this is a beautiful story rich with legends, family, and mercy. I was fortunate to receive this wonderful novel through a Goodreads giveaway.

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Flash Fiction Friday: No Answers

Flash Fiction Friday

He looked exactly the same as the day he left, in his favorite green striped shirt and cargo shorts bulging with plastic dinosaurs. It had to be a hallucination, but I didn’t care. I knelt and hugged my ten-year-old son who should have been twenty. The door hit me on the way down. I hugged him so tightly, wanting to never let go again. Footsteps came up behind me. Hal pulled the door open, and a gasp escaped him. Terry–he whispered–Terry. Hi Dad–said the forever little boy.

Over the next few weeks, Terry told various stories of his whereabouts, none that made sense, except perhaps the few time travel tales. But who believes in time travel? At the end of Summer, Terry announced that he must leave again, that he wasn’t really supposed to have come home. Though he hadn’t seem to have aged, even over the Summer while he was in our sights at all times, he appeared to have the wisdom of an old soul. We let him go. We had to. He promised to visit us again, but we might not remember him then. Yes, he would likely still appear to be a ten-year-old boy. There were no answers to our real questions.

Writing prompt provided by

Facebook writing group Writing Bad

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Barbara Claypole White—Novelist

Storyteller Showcase

Describe your writing process: schedule, environment, inspirations, etc.

Where to begin with my horrible process? I don’t find my ideas easily, and I have many false starts. Often the story seed is buried in a different idea, one I’ve already abandoned. I guess the gardener in me needs to keep digging. Either that or I’m a masochist.

My writing radar is always switched on, and when something makes my gut tingle, I pay attention. For example, after a summer of freaking out about funky issues with my heart, a guy collapsed three rows ahead of me on a transatlantic flight. Add a family history of heart failure, and you have the opening for THE PERFECT SON (my heroine has a major heart attack—at 47—on a plane).

Once an idea sticks, I write, research, and rewrite. My favorite method of research is the one-on-one interview with people who understand the experiences I want to explore. Those interviews shape my first and second drafts, and I amble down every detour until I’ve excavated the story’s heartbeat. At some point I create a story board written to movie beats, but I don’t hit my groove until the third draft, which is when I pull in beta readers.

I’m an early morning writer, and my prime hours are 6:30—8:30 a.m. Even when I fly back to England to see my mother, I guard that early morning routine. It’s my anchor.

My alarm goes off at six, I grab coffee and a banana, and head upstairs to my desk. The first thing I do after booting up my computer is turn off the Internet. I break around 8:30 a.m. for breakfast and to check email, and then I go back to writing until noon, when I shower and get dressed. In the afternoon I switch to research, blog posts, or anything with a ticking deadline. I keep the daily business of being an author—social media, answering emails, etc. for the evening.

That’s the goal, but family life and self-doubt intrude constantly. Family always comes first, that’s never up for debate, and fortunately I can write anywhere and through just about any crisis. All I need is a laptop, a charger, and an iPod. When I’m on an airplane, a glass of wine is also involved. 

Walk me through your publishing process from final draft to final product, including who does what when, and what marketing you do.

My last three books have been with Lake Union, and the press has a specific way of handling edits. I submit the manuscript to my acquiring editor and do one round of big picture edits for her. That normally takes about a month. Then the manuscript is officially accepted, we start on the cover and back copy, and slam into a tight editing timetable. It goes back and forth between me and my developmental editor for first and second pass edits (normally he has it for two weeks, I have it for two weeks, we repeat). Then I get the copy edits and normally have ten days to turn those around, and after that we go to page proofs. In addition, I hire a freelance editor as an extra pair of eyes for copy edits.

Marketing is a gray area for me, because I hate book launches and would happily hibernate through them. About six months before my pub. date, I create a marketing plan and establish what my publisher will handle. I book local events, including a catered launch at the library, reach out to local press and local book clubs, and pay for a blog tour. That’s pretty much it, but I try to be authentic on social media, because my main marketing tool is me.

Tell me about your support system online and IRL; who are your biggest cheerleaders?

My husband and son are amazing. They are always available for brainstorming and feedback, and our son, an award-winning, published poet, is one of my beta readers. I trust his feedback implicitly, and since much of my fiction steals from family life, he has the right of veto. My BFF is also an essential part of my process. She’s a voracious reader—not a writer—and has given brutally honest feedback on every manuscript, including the one that ended up in a drawer. My sister, an artist back in England, is another cheerleader.

I’m blessed to have family who have encouraged me to be a dreamer, friends who understand the bizarre nature of the writing life, and an agent who is sympathetic to my weird levels of stress (a double dose of OCD + an aging parent in another time zone). I’ve also been incredibly fortunate with my editors at MIRA and Lake Union. A good editor is everything.

And, of course, there’s the writing community. I have terrific support from other authors online and locally, but I’ve worked hard to establish those connections. You can’t survive this industry without the camaraderie of other writers, and that has to be earned. Network like you mean it, people!

Talk about how your life influences your work and vice versa.

Writing is my therapy, my escape, and the way that I process the world. On some level it’s about crafting a better story for myself and people I love. When you live in the trenches with mental illness, you need to believe that bad days end, each day brings a fresh start, and in-between there are people who understand. That’s why hope and a sense of community are important elements in all my stories. As a mental health advocate, I pray that my characters do their bit to chip away at the stigma, shame, and stereotypes—especially with OCD, a chronic illness that has no cure and demands constant management.

My son has battled OCD for most of his life. When he was little, I was terrified that he would never grow up to be loved for the incredible person he is, but would always be judged by his anxiety. Which is crazy, because my husband of thirty years also has OCD. (For the record, our son has been in a serious relationship for the last four years.)

But that maternal fear gave birth to my first hero, James Nealy. He appeared in my head when I was several drafts into the manuscript that would become my debut, THE UNFINISHED GARDEN, and refused to leave. James is brilliant, sexy, wealthy, and locked in a private war with obsessive-compulsive-disorder. He’s a romantic hero who struggles with an invisible disability, but exhibits incredible compassion, empathy, and courage.

Those are the qualities that I see in my son, even as he negotiates the relentless horrors of intrusive, unwanted, repetitive, obsessive thoughts. He is my muse, my inspiration, and the reason I’m passionate about creating characters who are successful in life and love despite messed-up brain chemistry.

What do you love most about your creativity?

Not sure I can answer that one, but I love hanging out in my garret with my imaginary friends. I talk to them all the time. As I said, they help me process my life. They keep me sane, and they keep me laughing.

AUTHOR BIO

Bestselling author Barbara Claypole White writes hopeful family drama with a healthy dose of mental illness. Born in England, she works and gardens in the forests of North Carolina and is an OCD advocate for the A2A Alliance, a nonprofit that promotes advocacy over adversity. Her novels include: The Unfinished Garden, which won the Golden Quill for Best First Book; The In-Between Hour, a SIBA Okra Pick; The Perfect Son, a Goodreads Choice Awards Semifinalist; Echoes of Family, a WFWA Star Award Finalist; and The Promise Between Us, a 2018 Nautilus Award Winner. She is currently working hard on novel six, The Gin Club, and is excited about the July 2019 release of The Unfinished Garden audiobook.

To connect with her, please visit

www.barbaraclaypolewhite.com

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/BarbaraClaypoleWhite

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5778132.Barbara_Claypole_White

Twitter

https://twitter.com/bclaypolewhite.

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/bclaypolewhite/?hl=en

BookBub

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/barbara-claypole-white

I encourage sharing and commenting on social media (allowing comments on my website attracts overwhelming spam). Please tag me in shares and comments.