indieBRAG Blog

Subscribe

THANE-TRAVIS BOW

Stephanie Hopkins
Author Interview with Travis Bow Travis Bow Author of the B.R.A.G.Medallion Honoree Thane Travis Daniel Bow is the author of Thane and its sequel, King's Table. He grew up in Reno, NV (where he raised pigs for FFA), earned degrees from Oklahoma Christian University (where he broke his collarbone in a misguided Parkour attempt) and Stanford (where he and his bike were hit by a car), and now does research and development work for Nikon. He has eight published short stories, four pending patents, one wonderful son, one beautiful wife, and one loving God. Read the entire interview with Travis Bow at Layered Pages Visit Travis at his website

Read More

Authors' Chat

THE FEATHER CHASE-SHANNON L. BROWN

Stephanie Hopkins
Author Interview with Shannon L. Brown Shannon L. Brown Author of the B.R.A.G.Medallion Honoree The Feather Chase Shannon L. Brown read and read as a kid, particularly every mystery she could find. She didn't plan to be a writer though. Although she earned a degree in journalism & communications then a second degree in education, she didn't end up working in either field. Shannon wrote her first book, a clean romance, shortly after earning those degrees in the 1980s. Submitted to a publisher, when it was rejected she changed directions. Fast forward to a day some years later when she was driving and an image of a briefcase filled with feathers popped into her mind. She knew it was the idea for a children's mystery and "The Feather Chase" was born. Shannon wrote the book while working in unrelated fields. She also began writing magazine articles on the side and gradually moved to doing that full-time. Now an award-winning writer, she has sold more than 600 articles for local, national and regional publications and, until resigning to finish the book, was the contributing editor for a jewelry publication. (This goes to show you, you never know where life may take…

Read More

Authors' Chat

A Word of Thanks to indieBRAG readers

Geri Clouston
We are all authors of our own life's story, dutifully crafting each chapter, sometimes in harmony with a disciplined plot line, but more often than not simply reacting to the accidents of fate that appear without warning at the end of one chapter or the beginning of the next. And although few but our family and friends will share in the unfolding tale as we live each sentence and paragraph that does not diminish the importance of having been here; of living and loving, of laughing and crying, and yes, eventually, dying. Millions of us get up each day to write the next chapter in the book of our lives without fanfare or promise, but there are some, perhaps braver than the rest, perhaps more egotistical, or more likely simply afraid of being forgotten, who are not content to let the mark of their having passed this way to be etched solely in the minds and memories of those who loved them. Instead they seek to leave a more permanent imprint, however tiny and insignificant it may be, upon the collective narrative of mankind. Most don't write the story of their own lives, because these would be dry or tortured…

Read More

The World of Reading , , , ,

2014 indieBRAG SURVEY RESULTS

Geri Clouston
READERS SURVEY: PART ONE Over the past two weeks I have shared with you highlights from indieBRAG's Second Annual Survey among Authors of a B.R.A.G Medallion book. I would now like to present the key findings from the Reader Survey, and compare the results to 2013 where relevant. I will provide these results in three parts, beginning today with the Reader Survey: Part One.   READER SURVEY: PART ONE Overview As was the case with the Author Survey, participation in this year's survey among our readers declined versus last year. Specifically, it dropped to 15%, which compares to 25% in 2013. While we were disappointed by this lower participation rate, the sample was still large enough to provide some useful, albeit directional, findings. The results I will present in Part One and Two reflect the readers' general views and preferences unrelated to their roles as indieBRAG reviewers. In Part Three, I will highlight several key findings that pertain directly to our readers' experiences in reading indieBRAGsubmissions. Preferred Format for Books Like last year, a little over half of our readers prefer reading an eBook. Only ten percent prefer trade paperbacks while forty percent read either. Very few readers favor mass…

Read More

Words of Wisdom

RED, WHITE & SCREWED-HOLLY BUSH

Stephanie Hopkins
Author Interview with Holly Bush Holly Bush Author of B.R.A.G.Medallion Honorees Romancing Olive Reconstructing Jackson Red, White & Screwed Holly Bush was born in western Pennsylvania to two avid readers. There was not a room in her home that did not hold a full bookcase. She worked in the hospitality industry, owning a restaurant for twenty years and recently worked as the sales and marketing director in the hospitality/tourism industry and is credited with building traffic to capacity for a local farm tour, bringing guests from twenty-two states, booked two years out. Holly has been a marketing consultant to start-up businesses and has done public speaking on the subject. Holly has been writing all of her life and is a voracious reader of a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction, particularly political and historical works. She has written four romance novels, all set in the U.S. West in the mid 1800's. She frequently attends writing conferences, and has always been a member of a writer's group. She is always a member of Romance Writers of America. Holly is a gardener, a news junkie, and was the vice-president of her local library board for years. She loves to spend time near…

Read More

Authors' Chat

MEN OF THE CROSS-CHARLENE NEWCOMB

Stephanie Hopkins
Author Interview with Charlene Newcomb Charlene Newcomb Author of the B.R.A.G.Medallion Honoree Men of the Cross Charlene was born and raised in South Carolina, but left home at 18 to "join the Navy and see the world." That "world" ended up being duty stations in Florida, California, Texas, and Maryland. Her job as a communications technician led to a post-Navy career in academic libraries, where she worked since the early 1980s. Somewhere in there, Charlene had 3 children – now all grown and independent – completed a B.A. in U.S. History and a Masters in Library and Information Science, and moved to Kansas. She started writing in 1993 and published a series of short stories in the Star Wars universe. Due to life's curve balls, she didn't publish her first novel, Keeping the Family Peace, until 2012. Her love of history has taken her happily to the 12th century. Men of the Cross, published in April 2014, is book I of her Battle Scars series. Book II, For King and Country, will be published later this year. Visti Charlene at her Website Read Charlene Newcomb's entire interview at Layered Pages  

Read More

Authors' Chat

AEREDEN SERIES-KRISTEN TABER

Stephanie Hopkins
Author Interview with Kristen Taber Kristen Taber Author of the B.R.A.G.Medallion Honorees THE CHILD RETURNS (ÆRENDEN #1)THE GILDONAE ALLIANCE (ÆRENDEN #2) Born in Bangor, Maine, author Kristen Taber spent her childhood at the feet of an Irish storytelling grandfather, learning to blend fact with fiction and imagination with reality. She lived within the realm of the tales that captivated her, breathing life into characters and crafting stories even before she could read.Those stories have since turned into over a hundred poems, several short tales, and five manuscripts in both the Young Adult and Adult genres. Currently, Ms. Taber is completing the five-part Ærenden series from her home office in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. Visit Kristen Tabers Website Read the entire interview with Kristen Taber at Layered Pages         

Read More

Authors' Chat

LITTLE MISS HISTORY-BARBARA ANN MOJICA

Stephanie Hopkins
Author Interview with Barbara Ann Mojica Barbara Ann Mojica Author of the B.R.A.G.Medallion Honoree Series Little Miss History Award winning author Barbara Ann Mojica is a historian and retired educator living in New York State. Barbara spent more than forty years teaching in NYC in the fields of preschool, elementary and special education. She also served as a special education principal for a school devoted to developmentally delayed children and a special education administrator providing services to the special education population. Barbara, although retired from teacher, is staying busy: along with her series of Little Miss History travel books she writes historical pieces for The Columbia Insider, Pat Fisher and Ed Pollack Editors, under the banner "Passages." Marrying her love of teaching and history, Barbara hopes her Little Miss History character will inspire children to learn about historical people and visit landmarks such as those in MOUNT RUSHMORE, The STATUE of LIBERTY, SEQUOIA National Park, and FORD's THEATER, which are covered in the first four books of this series. Visit Barbara ann Mojica at her website Read the entire interview with Ms. Mojica at Layered Pages                                  …

Read More

Authors' Chat

CASTLES IN THE SAND-ANNIE DAYLON

Stephanie Hopkins
  Author Interview with Annie Daylon Annie Daylon Author of the B.R.A.G.Medallion Honoree Castles in the Sand Get to know Annie! I live in Chilliwack, British Columbia, with my husband David and our dog CoCo.The best thing about my life right now is that I get to be a writer. I am a member of both the Federation of British Columbia Writers and the Writers' Alliance of Newfoundland & Labrador.Annie and David I love to get up at 3:30 or 4:00 in the morning and go to my computer where I spend numerous hours crafting characters who tell me their stories.Among the writers who have influenced me are: Louisa May Alcott, Wayne Johnston, Kate Morgan, Jonathan Franzen, Barbara Kingsolver, Stephen Leacock, and Maeve Binchy.CoCo SmilingSecond on my list of the things I enjoy most in life is reading. Among the best books I have read lately are: Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout, The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield, The Crimson Petal and The WHITE by Michel Faber, Freedom by Jonathan Franzen, and The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.Among my other many interests are: nature, tai chi, line dancing, walking, dogs, Mozart, and all things Newfoundland and Labrador... not necessarily in…

Read More

Authors' Chat

GIMMEE SHELTER-LOUIS SPIRITO

Stephanie Hopkins
Author Interview with Louis Spirito Louis Spirito Author of the B.R.A.G.Medallion Honoree Gimmee Shelter Louis Spirito is lifelong dog lover and recovering 'angry guy', Louis lives in Malibu, California with his wife, Eugenie, the love of his life, and their rescue Pit Bull, Tanner. Lou has written for magazines and newspapers including The New York Times, Good Housekeeping, Men's Fitness, Woof Magazine, Black Belt and Bride's Magazine. As a screenwriter, he's sold material to Alliance-Atlantis, Triumph Pictures and Universal Studios, and his work has been honored by WorldFest Houston, The Nuyorican Poets Café, Writer's Digest, and the Nicholl Fellowship Competition. His memoir, Gimme Shelter, was awarded a B.R.A.G. Medallion for Nonfiction.  Visit Louis on his Website    Get the entire interview with Lois Spirito at Layered Pages  

Read More

Authors' Chat

Most Shared Posts

Most Discussed Posts

Blog Categories