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THE WINTER CHASER -CHRISTOPHER HOLT

Stephanie Hopkins
Author Interview with Christopher Holt Stephanie: Hello Christopher! Thank you for chatting with me today and congrats on the B.R.A.G. Medallion What an honor. Tell me a little about your book, The Winter Chaser. Christopher: I wanted to write a true dystopian novel. By that I mean an adventure story set in the future but in reality it is a social commentary on the present age. Stephanie: How did you come up with the idea for your story? Christopher: By being observant. For instance when travelling around London in the bus I eavesdrop on conversations. I always carry a small notebook and record current trends in language, fashion, the rise of "isms", and new dogmas, especially in health and political correctness. All these I extend into parody. Stephanie: Why did you choose the 2301? And how do you visualize the world in that time? Christopher: 2301 is sufficiently far ahead in the future to give conjecture a free hand but not so distant as to become fantasy. It is still in historical reach of my so-called Template Year 2000. Stephanie: In your book description you say, "Brit Modern idolises youth, sex, perfect physiques and celebrity culture." Which is pretty much…

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Authors' Chat

THE MOURNING AFTER – ROCHELLE B. WEINSTEIN

Stephanie Hopkins
Author Interview with Rochelle B. Weinstein Rochelle B. Weinstein is an author, speaker, blogger, and former entertainment industry executive. Her highly acclaimed debut novel, What We Leave Behind, is for any woman who has loved and lost and wondered what could have been. Her second novel, The Mourning After, most recently received the honor of a B.R.A.G. Medallion. Weinstein lives in North Miami Beach, Florida with her husband and twin boys. She is currently writing her third novel based in the mountains of North Carolina. Visit her website or follow her on social media. Stephanie: Hello Rochelle. Thank you for chatting with me today and congrats on winning the BRAG Medallion. Please tell me about your story, The Mourning After. Rochelle: The Mourning After is a tale of childhood trauma, family dynamics, and unspeakable tragedy. It speaks of bravery, acceptance, and above all, hope. Fifteen-year-old Levon Keller is wedged between his golden boy older brother, David, and Levon's younger sister, Chloe, who battles a rare illness, glycogen storage disease (GSD). Levon changes the lives of everyone around him when he is blamed for being behind the wheel of a car that accidentally kills David, whom Levon idolized, admired and adored.…

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Authors' Chat

Strange Metamorphosis-Paul Monk

Stephanie Hopkins
Author Interview with Paul Monk Paul C.R. Monk was born in Exmouth, Devon, grew up in the south east of England then spent over 20 years living in France with a 3-year stint in Spain. Monk is a qualified linguist and has been writing scripts and storyworlds for videogames for over ten years and has authored an interactive language learning course. Influenced by the works of naturalist Jean-Henri Fabre, Monk has been an entomology enthusiast for many years. A former resident of the house of Villeneuve where his novel is set, he now lives in England with his French wife and their three young sons. Stephanie:Hello Paul! Welcome to Layered Pages and thank you for chatting with me today. I hear a congratulation is in order for winning the BRAG Medallion for your book, Strange Metamorphosis. Please tell me about your book. Paul: Well, first of all thanks for having me here. I'd also like to thank IndieBRAG for the honor. It is not only rewarding but stimulating to know that your book has received approval from such a rigorous reading group. About the novel, a boy facing a difficult life decision is magically turned into a bug by a…

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Authors' Chat

A PASSION FOR VENGEANCE- PATTY HENDERSON

Stephanie Hopkins
Author Interview with Patty Henderson I'm a Tampa, Florida native and still live in beautiful, Palm tree-lined South Tampa. I got hooked on mystery and supernatural literature after I read Edgar Allan Poe in junior high and soon after, discovered Gothic Romances. The dark side still fascinates me and I lament the loss of some of the old style literature of the greats in the genre. I'm a firm believer in the romantic gothic element. I write Gothic Historical Romances. So far, there are three, THE SECRET OF LIGHTHOUSE POINTE, CASTLE OF DARK SHADOWS and my latest, PASSION FOR VENGEANCE. These are total homages to the old paperback Gothics available at drugstores, department stores, grocery stores and every place paperback books were sold in the 1960s and 1970s. In my Gothic books, though, the girl gets the girl and the sex is much steamier! I've also written four books in the Brenda Strange Paranormal Mystery Series, THE BURNING OF HER SIN, TANGLED AND DARK, THE MISSING PAGE and XIMORA When I'm not writing or thinking of plot lines in my head, I love spending time with my family friends, coffee shops, fine wine and enjoying being out in the weekend…

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Authors' Chat

SING THE MIDNIGHT STARS-C.M.J.WALLACE

Stephanie Hopkins
Author Interview with C.M.J. Wallace C.M.J. Wallace is the author of the Rift series and is also a medical editor. She graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Science degree and, being a lover of language and not laboratories, promptly transitioned from lab wretch to editor. In 2001, she took a medical editing course taught by the Journal of the American Medical Association's director of manuscript editing, who then recruited her. She is now a freelance medical editor. In 1992, she created the rudiments of the Rift series, which she began writing in 2008. She lives in Oklahoma with her husband and is currently working on another novel in the series. Her web page can be found here Stephanie: Hello C.M.J.! Congrats on winning the B.R.A.G. Medallion for your book, "Sing the Midnight Stars". Please tell me about your story. C.M.J.: Thanks, Stephanie! First, allow me to return the sentiment and give you an accolade. The B.R.A.G. Medallion award is a wonderful service for self-published authors and their readers. There's a groundswell of demand for some type of indie-book gatekeeper, and indieBRAG is at the forefront of this movement. And now for my book... In 1992, I came…

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Authors' Chat

THE BIRR ELIXIR-JO SPARKES

Stephanie Hopkins
Author Interview with Jo Sparkes A well-known Century City Producer once said that Jo Sparkes "...writes some of the best dialogue I've read." Not only are those words a compliment to Jo's skills as a writer, but a true reflection of her commitment to her work as a screenwriter. Jo Sparkes graduated Magna Cum Laude from Washington College, a small liberal arts college famous for its creative writing program. Some years later, she renounced life in the corporate world to pursue her passion for writing. Jo went on to study for two years with Robert Powell; a student of renowned writers and teachers Lew Hunter, and Richard Walter, head and heart of UCLA's Screenwriting Program. The culmination of those years of hard work was the short-film "The Image", which Jo wrote and produced single-handedly. Since then, Jo hasn't looked back – having written seven feature film scripts. Jo's body of work includes scripts for Children's live-action and animated television programs, a direct to video Children's DVD, commercial work for corporate clients, as well as a being a feature writer on ReZoom.com. As a contributing writer for the Arizona Sports Fans Network; where she has been called their most popular writer,…

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Authors' Chat

Little Miss History Visit the Statue of Liberty- Barbara Ann Mojica

Stephanie Hopkins
Author Interview with Barbara Ann Mojica   Barbara is a historian who holds graduate degrees in history and multiple New York State certifications in education. Now a retired educator and principal, she is staying busy by writing historical pieces under the banner of "Passages" for The Columbia Insider, a biweekly news magazine and developing her series of children's books featuring the Little Miss HISTORY character. Marrying her love of history and teaching, Barbara hopes that her Miss HISTORY character will inspire children and adults to learn more about historical people and visit these landmarks. Barbara also finds time to read and review books twice weekly on her blogging page. Little Miss HISTORY is a funny, whimsical character invented by the author and her illustrator/husband. The character is based on a younger version of the author. She looks like a wannabe park ranger with pig tails and hiking boots three sizes too big. In the first book of the series, Little Miss HISTORY Travels to MOUNT RUSHMORE, she presents the evolution of this monument as well as its connections to Native American history and human rights. When she arrives at her second destination, Little Miss HISTORY Travels to The Statue of…

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Authors' Chat

Little Miss History Visits the Statue of Liberty- Barbara Ann Mojica

Stephanie Hopkins
Author Interview with Barbara Ann Mojica   Barbara is a historian who holds graduate degrees in history and multiple New York State certifications in education. Now a retired educator and principal, she is staying busy by writing historical pieces under the banner of "Passages" for The Columbia Insider, a biweekly news magazine and developing her series of children's books featuring the Little Miss HISTORY character. Marrying her love of history and teaching, Barbara hopes that her Miss HISTORY character will inspire children and adults to learn more about historical people and visit these landmarks. Barbara also finds time to read and review books twice weekly on her blogging page. Little Miss HISTORY is a funny, whimsical character invented by the author and her illustrator/husband. The character is based on a younger version of the author. She looks like a wannabe park ranger with pig tails and hiking boots three sizes too big. In the first book of the series, Little Miss HISTORY Travels to MOUNT RUSHMORE, she presents the evolution of this monument as well as its connections to Native American history and human rights. When she arrives at her second destination, Little Miss HISTORY Travels to The Statue of…

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Authors' Chat

Oh My, Too Many Books!

Geri Clouston
  I just spent the day cleaning out my bookshelves- too many books for too little space. It seems I've kept every book I ever enjoyed – not sure why. I probably should have been giving them to my local library, or selling them in a garage sale, but I didn't. In my defense, I kept them all because I thought I might want to read them again one day. But since I kept buying more books that I couldn't wait to read, this didn't ever, or rarely ever, happened. So my shelves are overflowing with my treasures –beautifully bound classics, historical fiction (lots of these), fun reads, tear jerkers, bodice rippers (I admit it), even a few non-fiction books (memoirs, biographies and travelogues, oh my)...all books that I just could not give up. However, life moves on and things change; now I only buy and read books on my Kindle. They are much less expensive and I can take as many books as I like with me everywhere. I don't have to get sore arms holding a heavy book up in front of me in those dreadful airplane seats (never on take-off or landing, of course, except when the…

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Can An Author Have It Both Ways?

Geri Clouston
Along with the ease of self-publishing came the ability to publish cheaply, and this may be one of the biggest problems with self-publishing today. Some of the disadvantages of getting a traditional publishing house contract are a loss of control and much lower royalties. The publisher chooses a cover they think will sell and they edit a book, including copy, line, and development editing. Even so, I have to say that not all traditionally published books are edited to perfection, or to the author's satisfaction, despite the fact that the publisher uses professional editors. Most self-published authors love the higher royalty percentage but often don't want, or can't afford, to hire the appropriate professional talent to make their book a quality product. I think it is accepted that in most cases an indie author simply can not properly edit their own work. Being so close to it, an author often sees what they think is there and not what is actually written on the page. Catching spelling mistakes is hard work (let's hope I didn't miss any in this blog), and in many cases, they fall in love with their own words. This makes it very hard to remove words,…

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