Interview with Amanda Meuwissen, Author of Life as a Teenage Vampire

What made you decide to be an author? Once upon a time when I was writing a piece of fanfiction for one of my favorite video games in middle school, Final Fantasy VIII, I had a reviewer contact me about how much my story had inspired them. I’ve known I had to be a writer ever since.

What do you like best about being a writer? What do you like the least? Involvement with fans. I adore those moments when you hit your stride and the story just flows so beautifully, but reading what people thinking about your work and seeing how your joy for a story can be shared with others, makes it even more worthwhile. What I like least are the moments when we inevitably falter. Not really writers block, just the opposite of momentum, when you struggle to get a certain scene to come out the right way.

How do you think your life experiences have prepared you for writing? I grew up watching movies and TV, and reading like mad, and then proceeded to always love essays over multiple choice tests. Now my day job is filled with non-fiction writing, so my skills never have the chance to sit on the shelf and collect dust; I am always improving. That is the most important thing. Then combine all of that with a life of traveling and having some very interesting family and friends, and I just never want for good content and ideas.

Have you ever felt as if you were being dictated to while you wrote a book--as if the words came of their own accord? If yes, which book did that happen with? Every time. If anyone ever asked me why I made a certain character a certain way, I’d have to say…because that’s who they are. I don’t feel like I make these stories up, but have the characters tell their story to me. It always amazes me as I’m writing something when certain foreshadowing and ideas sneak in well in advance of even me knowing how it’ll all tie together, and then that aha! moment hits. I get the same feeling from my own writing that I do when reading someone else’s work that I enjoy.

You’ve written 5 novels and are working on a 6th. What’s your favorite time management tip? Never stop writing at a moment of catharsis. Too often writers get to the end of a page, a chapter, a scene, and because they feel accomplished, they stop there for the day. DON’T. Push yourself to write at least one more sentence starting that next page, chapter, scene, and I guarantee, not only will you likely write more than a sentence, it’ll make it easier the next time you sit down to continue with that momentum you built up.

Are you a plotter or a pantser, i.e., do you outline your books ahead of time or are you an “organic” writer? I’m an even mix. I tend to have a plot and pages upon pages of notes, but I keep that loose and let the nitty gritty come to me as a write.

If you had one take away piece of advice for authors, what would it be? Write every day, and with my little tip from earlier about never ending a writing session on the end of something. Even if you only manage to write some notes, a couple lines of dialogue, the name of a new character, get something down every day.

Did music help you find your muse with this book? If yes, which song did you find yourself going back to over and over again as you wrote? Not at all, haha. I can’t listen to music while I write, and for this book, it really didn’t play any role. Music was very inspirational in my last book series, The Incubus Saga, but not as much here.

Tell me more about Life as a Teenage Vampire.

The last thing Emery expected at the end of his senior year of high school was to become a vampire and fall in love with his best friend…

Emery Mavus just wants to survive his senior year of high school. Becoming a vampire complicates things. So does a bizarre mentor, a group of vampire hunters, and an unexpected, new attraction for his openly gay best friend, Connor. An occasional uncontrollable hunger for blood might be the least of his worries.

How about an excerpt from Life as a Teenage Vampire?

“What about Lucky Number Sleven,” he said. “Lucy Liu is totally the romantic lead in that one.”

“Correct,” Aurora nodded, “but that’s first and foremost an action move, not rom-com.”

“Why does it have to be romantic comedy?”

“Because that is the tried and true genre for romance, Con-Man. Admit it, without looking it up or doing an impressive online search, you can’t think of any mainstream American romance movies with Asian leads. It doesn’t happen! I am forever shunned to the stereotyped role or cute Asian best friend.”

“Well, you are cute,” Connor said thoughtfully. “And one of my best friends.”

She mimed shoving a ketchup and cheese covered fry in his face, but he took advantage of the gesture to snap his jaws and swipe it from her fingers. She snorted and shook her head. “If this is your romantic comedy, Connor, you are doing something terribly wrong. Your leading man is completely unaware of the plotline.”

The memory of Emery’s warm hug that morning sent a shiver through him. “You think you have it bad never being cast in leading roles? Where’s the gay romance box office hit I’ve been waiting for all my life? And if you say Brokeback Mountain to me, I will punch you in the boob.” 

Aurora responded by punching him in the boob, which—ouch—really hurt. She was freakishly strong for someone so tiny. “Anyway, that isn’t even what we were talking about. I said I hate how half the time female roles are only written in to be romantic interests. No substance. No purpose. Just a tight ass and a pretty face to dress up the movie poster and give the guy some arm candy. Where’s the action film with the girl as the kickass sidekick or partner—or hey, as the hero herself—without needing to make it about sex? Why does there have to be romance in everything? Girls are just shoved into the supporting role, Asian girls even more so.”

Connor stole one of the fries from her plate while he tapped his feet on the seat he should have been sitting in. They were seniors; if they wanted to sit on the tables, they were allowed. Unless a teacher walked by. “It’s kind of funny, right?”

“What’s funny?”

“I’d give anything to be typecast as the love interest. Frankly, I’d trade spots with any girl in this school to have some of those stereotypes instead of my own.”

Aurora cocked her head at him, another fry suspended between them, having come dangerously close to getting ketchup in the long braid over her shoulder as she gestured. “You want to be an object?”

“I want to be an option.”

Where can readers find more about your stories, books and you on the Internet?

Amanda Meuwissen has a Bachelor of Arts in a personally designed major from St. Olaf College in Creative Writing, and has been posting content online for many years, including maintaining the blog for the digital marketing company Outsell. She spent a summer writing screenplay script coverages for a company in L.A., and is an avid consumer of fiction through film, prose, and video games. Amanda lives in Minneapolis, MN, with her husband, John, and their cats, Helga and Sasha (no connection to the incubus of the same name).

Website: http://www.amandameuwissen.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAmandaMeuwissen/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MissSuperCube
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Life-Teenage-Vampire-Amanda-Meuwissen-ebook/dp/B01LX3DR4R/
Amanda, thank you so much for being with us here today. I know my readers will enjoy your work and your interview.


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Interview with Kathryn M. Hearst, Author Feast of Mercy Order of the Sinistra Dei Book Two

What made you decide to be an author? In my previous career, I wrote technical documents, training materials, and grants. I started writing the Order of the Sinistra Dei series in the late 90s, but life happened. When I made the decision to homeschool my youngest child, my friends harassed me to finally finish the book. I wrote the first draft of Feast of the Epiphany in three weeks, rewrote it, spent some time learning the craft, and rewrote it again. After all of this, I still didn’t know if I had what it took to be an author. I submitted the novel to Awesome Indies for a manuscript review and received a 5-star rating. I wrote a second book, The Spirit Tree, and won a contract with Kindle Press via a Kindle Scout campaign. The feedback from professionals and reader reviews overwhelmed me. I’m still not sure I’ve decided to be an author, but I plan to keep writing books until I figure it out.

What do you like best about being a writer? What do you like the least? The best thing about being an author is the free therapy that digging into a character, problem, or storyline provides. I can take painful things that have happened to me and rewrite the endings. I can take people who tick me off (you know how you are) and kill them in creatively brutal ways. I’m in control. The thing I like the least is the uncertainty of it all. I pour my heart and soul into my books in hopes of creating something people enjoy. Releasing them is like sending your children off into the world. You pray they will be accepted, loved, and will thrive.

How do you think your life experiences have prepared you for writing? I spent almost fifteen years tech writing. I’d like to think some of that helps me when writing fiction, though I’m not sure. My crazy family, unusual life paths, and characters I’ve met along the way provide me with more than enough material to use in my books.

Have you ever felt as if you were being dictated to while you wrote a book--as if the words came of their own accord? If yes, which book did that happen with? Feast of the Epiphany came to me in such a gush. My only choice was to vomit the words into the computer. The story consumed me and left me emotionally exhausted. I carried a notebook with me everywhere and jotted down thoughts. At night, the notebook stayed beside the bed. It was crazy. 

You’ve written seven novels and are working on an 8th novel. What’s your favorite time management tip? I will preface this by saying I don’t always follow my own advice, but my tip is to create a writing schedule and stick to it. Make writing a priority and treat it like a job. You wouldn’t call off work to sit on the couch and watch pay-per-view. The same should be true for writing. With that said, sometimes you need to sit on the couch and binge watch Netflix to recharge—just don’t do it every day.

Are you a plotter or a pantser, i.e., do you outline your books ahead of time or are you an “organic” writer? I’m a horrible pantser. I start out with six to eight things that need to happen in the story, and the approximate word count where they should occur. Half-way through the first draft, I end up in a state of panic, thinking: I’ll never finish, I’ve dropped a plot line, or I wrote myself into a corner. After I pick myself off the floor, I promise myself I’ll outline the next project. I’ve yet to keep the promise.

If you had one take away piece of advice for authors, what would it be? Surround yourself with professionals and successful authors who are willing to tell you what you’re doing right and what you’re doing wrong. Believe them when they say your early work stinks. They speak the truth. Forget what your friends and family tell you. Granny isn’t going to tell you that you suck. This is the woman who gushed over your preschool crayon drawings. Be professional, set your ego aside, and learn the craft. Almost every new author thinks they can break the rules or justify bad writing as voice. Likewise, most indie authors sell less than 100 books and give up. If you want to be a successful author, put in the time to learn to write a solid story.

Did music help you find your muse with this book? If yes, which song did you find yourself going back to over and over again as you wrote? Nick plays piano in a bar on Bourbon Street. I found myself listening to New Orleans’ blues and piano covers of classic rock songs to get in his head.

An ancient feud. A threat from the Vatican. Two lovers caught in the middle.

Nick never wanted to live forever, and he certainly didn’t want to join the Order of the Sinistra Dei. Unfortunately, before he’s able to get used to the idea of immortality, the High Judge from the Vatican arrives in New Orleans to investigate the strange events of Fat Tuesday. If Nick doesn’t play his cards right, his forever could be a whole lot shorter.

Marin, a relatively new immortal, is forced to serve as assistant to the High Judge while he investigates the alleged crimes of those she holds most dear. She’ll do what she has to do to protect her clutch. However, her efforts bring her closer to facing the executioner’s blade.

As their world spins out of control, Marin and Nick struggle to reconcile past hurts and hold onto their budding relationship. New enemies, new abilities, and new desires threaten to tear them apart. It isn’t long before they realize love can’t heal all.

Loving someone means you want the best for them...but what happens when what’s best isn’t you?

Feast of Mercy is the second book of the Order of the Sinistra Dei series, an Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance like no other. If you like mysterious supernatural creatures, conflict-ridden romance and a lot of heat, then you’ll love this series.

Excerpt

Nick expected sounds from her—moans, maybe a scream or two. What he didn’t expect was for her to bolt upright and let out a blood curdling scream. Déjà-fucking-vu.

“Get out,” Marin shouted.

For a brief terrifying second, Nick thought she spoke to him, then a male voice spoke from the door.

“Marin, I require your services,” a man said from behind him.

Nick covered her body with his unsure of what else to do. He didn’t recognize the voice, though he detected a European accent. Anyone who called her by name would have recognized him, even with his face buried between her legs. It had to be Lysander.

When the door clicked shut, he hopped off. “Who was that?”

“The High Judge. He’s practically a priest. A freaking priest saw my boobs.” Marin scrambled off the couch in search of her clothes.

“He’s not a priest. Worse.” Nick laughed deep in his gut. If looks could kill, he’d be stone cold dead, for keeps this time. “I’m sorry. Do you think he recognized me?”

“Where is my bra, dammit?” She pulled her jeans on commando style.

Nick handed her the scrap of lace she called panties. “Where are we going?”

“You aren’t going anywhere. You’re going to hide here until he’s gone, then go back to Gia’s. I need to find out what the hell he wants.” She snatched her bra from the edge of the desk and rushed it on.

Nick ran his hand through his hair. “Shit. This is bad.”

“Call Gia.”

“I will.”

“Now.” Marin slipped out the door.

Gia’s phone rang until he thought it would go to voicemail. “Hey, Nick.”

“Gia, the High Judge came looking for Marin.”

“Where? Did he see you?”

“The bar.” Nick’s stomach clenched. “I don’t know if he saw me.”

“Did he say why he wanted Marin?”

“No, but you need to be careful. Nicholai and Serena are still in town. If he comes to the townhouse, Nicholai doesn’t need to be the one to answer the door.”

“Shit, hang on.” She spoke with someone. “Okay, where are you now?”

“I’m still upstairs in the office, he barged in and caught us…um…making up. I didn’t get a look at him.”

Kathryn M. Hearst is a southern girl with a love of the dark and strange.She has been a storyteller her entire life, as a child, she took people watching to new heights by creating back stories of complete strangers. Besides writing, she has a passion for shoes, vintage clothing, antique British cars, music, musicians and all things musical (including theater). Kate lives in central Florida with her chocolate lab, Jolene; and two rescue pups, Jagger and Roxanne. She is a self-proclaimed nerd, raising a nerdling.

The Order of the Sinistra Dei is her first series and includes titles, Feast of the Epiphany and Feast of Mercy. Kate's novel, The Spirit Tree, won a publishing contract with Kindle Press through the Kindle Scout contest. Her short stories have been published in various anthologies.

Where can readers find more about your stories, books and you on the Internet?

My website is the best place to learn more about my books. I’ve included the first chapter of my published novels on my blog.

Website: http://www.kathrynmhearst.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kathrynmhearst
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KathrynMHearst

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kathryn-M.-Hearst/e/B017S8Z088Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13847103

Buy Links
Feast of the Epiphany: Book 1 http://hyperurl.co/luruqv
Feast of Mercy: Book 2 http://hyperurl.co/i3ipbu

Kathryn, thank you so much for being with us here today. I know my readers will enjoy your work and your interview.


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1 $50 Amazon Gift Card
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Night Owl Reviews HALLOWPALOOZA Scavenger Hunt

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New Release: If You're Haunted, Flaunt It by Sharon Saracino

Lucy Ashcroft hasn't considered seeing dead people a problem since she left home. She returns to take care of her eccentric grandmother, expecting an old lady in leather pants and spurs, and finds the ghost of her high school nemesis. Darla Swithers is the tragic victim of an anaphylactic reaction to cosmetic Botox. She wouldn’t be caught dead in Lucy’s company when she was alive. Now, the annoying apparition sticks to her like polyester on a leisure suit.

However, some things haven’t changed, including Jackson Merritt. Lucy’s former crush, is still the hottest thing this side of Hell. Lucy figures the only thing she and the town mortician have in common is dealing with dead people—except Jackson’s don’t talk back. Can a woman surrounded by ghosts find happiness with a sexy undertaker who doesn’t believe in them? And can she convince Darla to see the light…and go into it?


Buy Links:
Amazon 
B & N
The Wild Rose Press

Excerpt

I thrust my scrub-panted leg out from beneath the table and inspected one of my bunny slippers through narrowed eyes. The little black pom-pom nose was missing, and only a couple of fraying threads and a knotted, furry nub remained of the left ear. I decided it was cute in a scruffy, matted, please-put-me-out-of-my-misery kind of way. Still, I’d never wear them out of the house. Okay, maybe I wore them out of the house, but not to the mall.

“Fine, I’ll change the shoes and wear a bra. I do not own a thong.” I held up a hand as she frowned and opened her mouth. “Nor will I allow you to coerce me into buying one. The humiliation of visible panty lines is far more palatable than the misery of a chaffed ass crack.”

“You are a challenge, Lucy Ashcroft.” Darla crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her chin. “If anyone can rise to the challenge, it’s me. One thing I understand is popular. I know about popular. And I’m going to help you if it kills me.”

“You’re already dead.”

“Semantics.”

All roads lead to happily ever after, some just have a few unexpected turns!

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   GOODREADS   TWITTER

Award winning author, Sharon Saracino, was born and raised in beautiful Northeastern Pennsylvania. Always the girl with her nose in a book, and frequently announced that someday she was going to write a one. One milestone birthday (we won't discuss which one!) she decided someday would be here and gone if she didn't get her butt in gear.  She plans to win the lottery just as soon as she remembers to purchase a ticket,  fantasizes about moving to Italy, brews limoncello, and believes there's always magic to be found if you only take the time to look for it!

Anthology: The Good, The Bad, and The Ghostly

What do you get when you combine cowboys and ghosts? A collection of eight (stand-alone) amazing stories from the Old West with haunts of every variety.

Get your love of alpha cowboys on and feed your addiction for the bizarre (and sometimes spooky) world when you purchase The Good, The Bad and The Ghostly.
Bestselling and Award-winning authors are pleased to save you more than 75% on this fantastic boxed set! (Price if books sold separately).  
Buy link: http://mybook.to/GoodBadGhostly

Wild, Wild Ghost by Margo Bond Collins
When Ruby Silver traded in her demon-hunting rifle for a badge at the Tremayne Psychic Specters Investigations, she didn't want another partner—losing the last one was too traumatic. But when a new case in the Texas Hill Country pairs her up with the slow-talking, fast-drawing Trip Austin, it will take all their combined skills to combat a plague of poltergeists in this German-settled town.

Comes An Outlaw by Keta Diablo
When a tragic accident claims her husband's life, Jesse Santos must find a way to keep the ranch, the only home her 12-year-old son has ever known.  The ranch hands have abandoned her, a gang of cutthroat ranchers want her land and an ancient Yaqui Indian insists a spirit has taken up residence in the house.

After a fifteen year absence, her husband's brother, Coy, returns to his childhood home. He doesn't plan on staying, and he certainly doesn't intend to settle down with a widow and her son…no matter how pretty she is.

He's an outlaw, after all, and made a decision to put an end to his gun-slinging days long ago. Will his conscience let him walk away from family, or will his heart overrule his head?

Long A Ghost and Far Away by Andrea Downing
When Lizzie Adams returns as a ghost to a life she led in the 1800s, she is surprised to find herself on a ranch in Wyoming, but delighted to learn she was married to a handsome and loving man.  The reasons for her return become clear when she discovers how she died, yet the unresolved issues surrounding her death leave her unable to either live in the 1800s or return to her present life.

Colby Gates misses the wife he loved, yet a ghost is a poor substitute. Re-married to a woman he doesn’t care for, and with outlaws searching for buried gold on his ranch, the spirit of his wife is a further complication.

Perhaps if the questions surrounding Lizzie’s death can be answered, the two can be together.

For all time.

A Ghostly Wager by Blaire Edens
Even a skeptical detective needs a little otherworldly help.

Nineteen-year old Annabelle Lawson hops a train to Reno to escape a marriage to a man twice her age. Alone and nearly destitute, she spots an employment advertisement that might change her life. If she can use the dreams that have haunted her for the last four years to land a job with the mysterious Treymane PSI Agency, she might be able to buy a train ticket home to Kentucky.

Agent Cole Swansby is an up and coming detective for Tremayne PSI. There’s only thing that can sink his career: if the boss realizes he’s a skeptic. He’s solved dozens of cases using old-fashioned logic, but he doesn't believe in the paranormal. Now he’s under tremendous pressure to solve a new case before the president of Midas Mining shows for a week of R&R at The Blade Saloon.

Cole can’t solve this case without some otherworldly help, though, and Annabelle is just the woman for the job. As the two of them are drawn deeper into the mystery of the woman in green, they may not be able to banish the ghost without losing their hearts. To each other.

How the Ghost Was Won by Erin Hayes
From orphan to saloon girl to ghost whisperer, Hattie Hart has been and seen a lot of things in her time. Her new job as a detective with the Tremayne PSI Agency takes her out to the remote town of Carolina City, Nevada on a vague assignment to investigate the disappearance of a US marshal.

Except, when she arrives, she meets the devilishly handsome Grant Madsden, a US marshal who is alive and well. Certainly not missing, but certainly the man of her dreams. So why did her boss send her out to this small boomtown when there’s nothing for her to investigate?

She soon discovers that in Carolina City, there are strange happenings from the afterlife that threaten to kill her or worse. She’ll have to race against time to save her life, the town, and the US marshal she was sent to find—and maybe, if she's lucky, her heart.

McKee's Ghost by Anita Philmar
His fiancée called off their engagement after being accosted by a ghost in his house. Now, a beautiful ghost detective has shown up at his ranch, saying his brother has hired her to take care of the unwanted spirit.

Konnor McKee is more than happy with P.S.I Agent Ruth Oliva Wilson. One look and he's hooked. Now, if he can only get some help from a ghost, he might be able to secure himself a bride after all.
With the return of his ex- fiancé, his life is turned upside down by an angry ghost, a vindictive woman, and a sexy medium. Konnor doesn’t know which way to turn.

Can he get everyone out of this alive and marry the P.S.I Agent? Or has he lost all hope of a happy future because of the ruthless ghost of one of his ancestors?

A Ride Through Time by Charlene Raddon
Ghosts. Murder. Love.  P.S.I. Agent Burke Jameson travels to Eagle Gulch, Colorado to investigate a report of ghost activity at a house where a murder took place in 1881. When his vehicle carrying his P.S.I. equipment dies, and a riderless mare appears, he mounts up, hoping the horse will lead him to her fallen rider. What he finds is a whole new life beyond his imagination.

Clorinda Halstead believes she’s a widow. After all, she was the one who shot her husband, Horace, on a violent night in 1881. He deserved it, the jury concluded. Living with the town marshal and his wife, all Clori wants is to be left alone. Then a stranger, Burke James, joins the household and nothing is ever the same again.

How did Burke find his way through time to the year 1881, and who is haunting the lovely but distant Widow Halstead? Can Burke find the ghost of Eagle Gulch without his P.S.I. equipment? And how will he ever choose between going home to his own time and a life of love and happiness with Clorinda?

The Ghost and the Bridegroom by Patti Sherry-Crews
Life is looking rosy for Abbott Foster when he brings his new bride to his ranch in Arizona. But when he is unable to consummate his marriage due to a malevolent spirit in the bedroom, he is forced to call in Psychic Specters Investigations.

Agent Healy Harrison doesn’t want to accept this case. She has her own demons and likes her quiet life, lived in the anonymity of St. Louis. But Tucson is where she finds herself—with instructions to “Have an adventure! Have a romance!” Things get interesting when she meets handsome Pinkerton detective, Aaron Turrell. Is this the romance she’s meant to have, or when their two cases intersect, will it drive him away?

More About the Anthology and the Authors
A sample book with excerpts from all the stories, information on all the authors and recipes relevant to their stories is available to download at  https://www.instafreebie.com/free/manSO    

Excerpt for McKee’s Ghost by Anita Philmar

The hands he’d dropped to her waist shifted. One drew Ruth deeper into his embrace while the other nudged her chin up with a knuckle until their eyes met. His searing gaze lit a fire, heating her core and arousing every cell in her body.

“No. The gentleman in me heads south whenever you enter the room. All I can think about is getting my hands on you.” Konnor sprayed his palms over her back and tugged her deeper against his chest. “I want you in a way I’ve never wanted a woman before, under me screaming while I make you completely mine.”

She gasped. “But you don’t even know me.”

“You’re wrong. Some instinct inside me knew the moment we met you belong to me. Now, all I need to do is convince you of that fact.” He dropped his mouth over hers. His kisses were gentle and sweet one moment, demanding and urgent the next.

The crisp flavor of the apple he’d just eaten played over her taste buds. Pleasure overruled the sound logic of keeping him at a distance. Instead, she gave into the tempestuous assault to her senses and slid her arms around his neck. Minutes passed. The hunger inside her growing until she couldn’t catch her breath.

He tore his mouth from hers, and she gasped for air. “Please, sweetheart, I’m not a patient man, especially when I’ve waited so long for you. I need—”

“Don’t say it,” she whispered and lowered her head to avoid eye contact. She’d tempted him, let him think if he asked for more, she’d willingly give him whatever he wanted.

Realizing how much she already cared for him, she rebelled against the likelihood of losing her heart to another man. More than once, she’d fallen into the trap of believing a man would love her no matter what. 

Every time, she paid with a broken heart. This time, she needed to give him a day or two to come to terms with the true nature of her abilities. Once he saw her in action, he’d change. The desire he felt would wilt until he had no feeling for her at all.

“I’m sorry, but we need to take this slow.” She lowered her hands and pressed them against his chest. “Now, you should tend to your horses.”

Konnor studied her for a long moment before he slowly released his grip. “Make yourself at home. I’ll be back as soon as I’ve finished my nightly chores.”

She nodded, and he turned for the door with a sigh.

The light click of the latch falling into place felt like a shot through her heart. She’d come here determined to do her job and leave. However, Konnor had blindsided her with his charm. She’d broken her new rule of not becoming involved with a client.

Now, she had to figure out a way to keep her heart safe when everything inside her wanted to give in to Konnor’s demands.

Find Anita Philmar at
Website:  http://www.anitaphilmar.com/
Blog: http://www.anitaphilmar.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/anitaphilmar
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Anita-Philmar/e/B002BMBE8C

Anita Philmar likes to create stories that push the limit. A writer by day and a dreamer by night she wants her readers to see the world in a new way.

Influenced by old movies, she likes to develop places where anything can happen and where special moments come to life in a great read.

Naughty or Nice?
Read her books and decide.

Interview with Casi McLean, Author of Wingless Butterfly: Healing The Broken Child Within

What made you decide to be an author? My mother said I dictated stories to her before I could read, so in a sense, I've written all my life. I was Editor of my high school magazine, taught English, creative writing, speech and Drama for many years and wrote to relieve stress so writing evolved naturally. But it wasn't until I unraveled the secrets and lies of my past that I felt compelled to tell my story.

What do you like best about being a writer? I love the WOW factor. When people read my work and really get it. Whether it's my nonfiction work that inspires someone to live their dreams or stop bullying themselves, or my fiction that spirals them into another world where the impossible feels possible, I'm thrilled and their comments feed my muse.

What do you like the least? That's easy, promotion!

How do you think your life experiences have prepared you for writing? Whether writing fiction or nonfiction, I write what I know and sprinkle all my work with a touch of the inspiration I gleaned from digging into my past.

Have you ever felt as if you were being dictated to while you wrote a book--as if the words came of their own accord? If yes, which book did that happen with? Oh my gosh, yes. Sometimes I have so much to write, hours slip away until I find myself sitting in the dark, my fingers glued to my keyboard. Many nights I awakened at two or three in the morning, my mind spinning with my work in progress. I finally set my smart phone by my bed with an open recording app waiting for my midnight inspiration.

You've written five short stories and one novel, Beneath The Lake. The sequel, Beyond The Mist is my WIP and it's almost ready for edits. Between the Shadow's, book three in the series is in the works. Wingless Butterfly is my memoir, and I have several nonfiction works in progress as well.

What is your favorite time management tip? Schedule your day to allow for all your priorities or you will be overwhelmed and slip into oblivion.

Are you a plotter or a pantser, i.e., do you outline your books ahead of time or are you an organic writer? Definitely a panster when I write fiction. My stories whirl in my head and flow through my fingers. When the ideas slow, I just pull back for a while and the next direction finds me. My nonfiction is a bit more organized, but I'm not much on creating a road map. Outlines confine creativity for me.

If you had one take away piece of advice for authors, what would it be? Follow your dreams and never give up!

Did music help you find your muse with this book? If yes, which song did you find yourself going back to over and over again as you wrote? For Wingless Butterfly my muse kept singing A Whole New World, from Disney's Aladdin.

Tell me more about Wingless Butterfly.

"YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW HIM;

HE'S THE KIND OF MAN WHO PULLS WINGS OFF OF BUTTERFLIES."

Her mother's warning haunted her through a childhood steeped in mystery, and sparked a domino effect reflecting what she perceived was true. Until she uncovered secrets and lies in her past that changed everything.

A TRANSFORMATIONAL SELF-HELP MEMOIR

Wingless Butterfly shares a lifetime of secrets like whispers from a best friend and unveils the metamorphosis of a broken child, her struggle to escape a silken chrysalis cocooning her heart, and her desperation to find love, validation, and self-worth. When the mist of a new dawn settled, the fragmented little girl emerged confident and secure with wings to fly in a whole new world––that child was me.

Intimate stories linger within each of us; a unique saga that is ours alone with twists, turns, hopes, and dreams. Some people thrive on messages perceived through childhood; others splinter. But as different as each individual may seem, we all love, hurt, and bleed the same. The distinctiveness of our past develops who we become.

So can we change and, if so, is it possible to erase a lifetime of beliefs? Perspective is reality. When I shattered the broken reflection in the mirror of my past, I finally healed and followed my dreams. This is my story.

How about an excerpt from Wingless Butterfly?

Chapter 1

 Our self-image, strongly held, essentially determines what we become.

Maxwell Maltz

 Her warning still echoed in my mind. “He’s the kind of man who pulls wings off of butterflies.” The faceless man haunted me for as long as I could remember. I shuddered, clenched my eyes as tightly as I could, but the admonition refused to be silenced. My life was drenched in betrayal, a virtual revolving door of insincere men. I married two of them, but one autumn morning in 1989, as I sat sipping coffee in my kitchen, I decided I wanted—no, needed to know why...

A week passed since the adoring voice on our answering machine confirmed Zack’s affair. My husband called repeatedly begging me to listen to his lame excuses, but the scenario was all too familiar and I wasn’t ready to endure that drama again. The soft whir of a distant train murmured a somber song shooting a sudden chill rippling through me. As I reached for the sweater draped across the desk chair, I noticed a book peeking from beneath the crumpled letter that forewarned his illicit relationship. “I guess the wife really is the last one to know.” I grumbled, reaching for the book then flipped through the pages.

Someone had highlighted the final words of the novel and the florescent yellow caught my attention. “I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart.” Anne Frank lived through hell, but despite her suffering, she remained adamant that people were innately good. Her diary, a solace for her, ultimately inspired hope in millions of people who faced their own demons. I closed the book, laid it back on the desk and wandered toward the kitchen. My struggles paled in comparison, but I shared her passion and kindred spirit. Still, when it came to trusting people, I wasn’t so sure. Not anymore.

I'd like to offer 2 FREE chapters to your readers. If any one wants to read more, they can click this link:  http://eepurl.com/ccQ64v

Where can readers find more about your stories, books and you on the Internet?

Website     Twitter     Facebook    Goodreads     Amazon Author Page     Blog

Buy Links:

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2bJLp7C

Wingless Butterfly: http://amzn.to/2cf6AB9

Casi, thank you so much for being with us here today. I know my readers will enjoy your work and your interview.

Interview with M. S. Spencer, Author of Whirlwind Romance

What made you decide to be an author? Had to. Not an option.

What do you like best about being a writer? What do you like the least? Best: making my own (long) hours and working in my underwear. Least: Realizing I haven’t been out of the house for twenty-three hours.

How do you think your life experiences have prepared you for writing? Oh, my. I’ve been very lucky. As my bio says—rather archly, I admit—I’ve lived or traveled on 5 of the 7 continents, studied at way too many universities & acquired way too many diplomas, worked for the Senate, Interior, libraries, and non-profits. Lots of crazy experiences have wormed their way into my books (thank God, since I had nowhere else to put them). Someday I’ll figure out how to get my heroine into the bowels of Hoover Dam (true story).

Have you ever felt as if you were being dictated to while you wrote a book--as if the words came of their own accord? If yes, which book did that happen with? Absolutely! Great question. Too many times to count I’ve re-read a scene and realized the characters have grabbed the leash and galloped off in a totally different direction. I’ve learned to shrug and follow. The most obvious time was in Dear Philomena, when the heroine’s father turned up in Chapter Two with his own full set of problems smack in the middle of my beautiful murder mystery.

You’ve written 10 novels (and 1 story for an anthology) and are working on three more novels. What’s your favorite time management tip? Pretend that you live on some planet whose day is 2 hours longer than Earth’s.

Are you a plotter or a pantser, i.e., do you outline your books ahead of time or are you an “organic” writer? Both J. I usually have the setting and the last line set. Then I waste a lot of time working on scenarios that never make it into the story, and after that simply hours picking names and deciding on physical descriptions. Then I start to write.

If you had one take away piece of advice for authors, what would it be? Edit your work so many times that your eyes wobble and you find yourself drooling—so often that you wake up in the middle of the night and rush to the laptop when you finally nab that elusive adjective that will make your work almost (but not quite) perfect.

Did music help you find your muse with this book? If yes, which song did you find yourself going back to over and over again as you wrote? I need quiet to write (I get confused easily). I can’t even read other books while writing.  Or eat. I can, however, stare out the window, pace, and pick at imaginary bits of fluff on the desk. 

Tell me more about Whirlwind Romance.
In the aftermath of a hurricane, jelly maker Lacey Delahaye finds herself marooned on an island on the Gulf coast of Florida with a mysterious man. They are immediately drawn to each other, but before Armand can confess his identity, they are kidnapped and taken to a tiny island in the western Caribbean. There, Lacey finds herself faced with pirates, fanatical ideologues, and palace intrigue, not to mention the advances of three men, only one of whom she loves.

How about an excerpt from Whirlwind Romance? 

Tommy’s Tree House

 She climbed quietly, hand over hand. As she reached the last board, a soft, but menacing voice purred, “Well, my sweet, you’ve found me.”

Okay, here’s where we find out if he’s a bad guy. “Give me a hand up, will you?” Other than a slight intake of breath, he complied without a word.

Lacey’s head rose up over the floor to find a cubicle lit by a small pencil torch and cluttered with toy guns, candy bar wrappers, and crushed Dr Pepper cans. And Armand. Who took up most of the rest of the space. He still held her hand, but he had stopped pulling her. “Where did you plan to sit, on my lap?”

At least he’s toned down the threat level. “Or you could come down. I don’t think Tommy Forster allows uninvited guests in his palace.”

His jaw dropped. “Palace?” After a brief interval, he said, “Oh. I see. I can’t.”

“Can’t what?”

“Come down.”

“Why not?”

“I…I…think I reinjured the ankle. I can’t put any weight on it.”

Lacey toyed with the idea of leaving him there for little Tommy, but his mother would have been appalled. “All right, just a minute.” She climbed down and went back to her house, grabbed a coil of rope from the shed and sprinted back up the street.

“Armand?”

“At your service.”

“I’m bringing up a rope. I want you to tie it to something, then you can shimmy down without using your feet.”

“Um, what about when I get to the ground?”

How much did he say he weighed? Twelve stone? Lacey calculated swiftly. Must be over a hundred sixty pounds. “I’ll try to ease you down.” She threw the coil into the darkness and backed down the tree.

A few minutes later the rope tumbled down and Armand emerged. “For the record, this was my worst sporting event in public school.” He held on for dear life and inched down the rope. Five minutes later he’d descended a foot.

“Come on, Armand—hurry it up.”

“I’m doing my best.” By dint of a lot of swearing and some wild swinging, Armand made it into Lacey’s waiting arms. He sat on the ground, legs splayed out in front, panting. “Now what?”

Lacey hadn’t really thought that far. If he’s a fugitive, I can’t trust him. And I have no way of contacting the police. Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea. “Er, I guess we’d better get you back home. Then you can tell me what this is all about.” He didn’t argue, but when he tried to stand, he fell over. She considered the situation. “What we need is some kind of transport. Like…like…what was that thing the Indians used?” Lacey cast about for the word.

“Travois?”

“That’s it—aren’t you clever. A sort of triangular thingy to carry a wounded man. Made of logs and deerskins.” She stopped, not—as one might assume— due to the lack of readily available logs and skins, but to savor the picture in her mind. An injured warrior, lying spread-eagled before her—bare-chested, sexy, bravely enduring the pain. Wow.

Armand didn’t seem to notice her heightened color and pointed at the carport across the street. “Could we use that little red wagon?”

She followed his gaze. Story of my life—instead of Geronimo I get Ralphie. “That’ll do. Wait here.”

“Yes, I think I shall.” Armand kept a straight face. Lacey brought the little wagon to him, and he lay down in it, arms and legs hanging over the sides.

“You’ll have to lift up your extremities if this is going to work.”

And so, with Armand looking like an upside down turtle and Lacey with tears of laughter streaming down her face, they staggered along the road to her house.

Where can readers find more about your stories, books and you on the Internet? 
Blog: http://msspencertalespinner.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/msspencerromance
Twitter: www.twitter.com/msspencerauthor
GoodReads:http://www.goodreads.com/msspencer
Google +: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+MSSpencerauthor
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/msspencerauthor/

Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/M.S.-Spencer/e/B002ZOEUC8

Coming 2017: Lapses of Memory

Buy Links for Whirlwind Romance
TWRP: http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/4470-whirlwind-romance.html
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Whirlwind-Romance-M-S-Spencer-ebook/dp/B01HLSSS3Y/
AllRomanceEBooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-whirlwindromance-2069719-153.html
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/whirlwind-romance-ms-spencer/1120206448
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/whirlwind-romance-4
Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/whirlwind-romance-0
ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/whirlwind-romance/id1137681038?mt=11

M. S., thank you so much for being with us here today. I know my readers will enjoy your work and your interview.