Author Interview: Calvin Davis

Welcome, Calvin Davis, author of the newly released novel, The Phantom Lady of Paris!

Who is the Phantom Lady, and why do readers want to get to know her?

The Phantom Lady, who is she? I made her the personification of what we all are or want to be, and that is…FREE. There is something in our nature, especially in the nature of Americans, something that detests confinement and chains, restrictions that clamp the body as well as the mind and spirit. In that sense, The Phantom Lady of Paris is a portrait of ourselves.




We, like her, strongly believe we were born to be free, or, to use The Lady’s own words, born “to fly like an eagle mountain-high,” up among clouds, where inhibiting laws of society and earthly gravity don’t exist, where we are free.

I trust that in examining The Phantom Lady of Paris the reader sees not some meaningless fictional character, but a portrait of his inner self. For after all, that’s what a good novel is about. It’s about us. We with our flaws, virtues, struggles, hopes and dreams. All of which The Phantom Lady had. With special emphasis on the latter – dreams. For she had a dream. Don’t we all?

What genre is this book?

I don’t have the faintest idea. When I penned The Lady I didn’t worry about genre, didn’t’ even think about it. There was only one thing on my mind: Can I write a good story? Nothing else was important. When you have told a good story someone smarter than you will decide what genre it is. If I had thought about genre when scribing The Phantom Lady, I probably wouldn’t/couldn’t have written it.

There’s an interesting tale of an insect asking a centipede how he was able to walk with so many legs.

“Um,” replied the centipede, “I never thought about it.”

“You should.”

“OK, I’ll give it some thought.” The multi-legged insect then started walking, tripped and killed himself.



Not wanting to end up like the centipede, I didn’t think about genre when penning The Lady. If I had, she probably would never have been born, and I’m happy I gave birth to her. She’s a good looking kid. But then again, all parents say that about their children, don’t they?


When you held your book in your hands for the very first time, how did you feel?

I felt the same way The Phantom Lady of Paris does at the end of my novel: as if I’d escaped the confines of earth’s gravity. In a word, I felt Free, and that’s with a capital “F.” Novel in hand, I suddenly glimpsed a rush of mental reruns, a few going back five and a half years, the time it took to pen The Lady.

In many of these scenes I was sitting at a sidewalk cafe in Paris, filling blank sheets of paper with word sketches of a woman I was determined to breathe life into. Then more reruns. In these I was in America, slouching in a McDonald’s booth with my legal pad before me and a cup of black coffee beside it. Writing. Writing. Ever writing.



And in every one of these scenes, I heard a voice ask, “Why are you doing all this work?”

“Work? Not work. Putting words on paper may be as close to heaven I’ll get here on earth.”

“Oh. But anyway…why?”

“Because God has declared that finishing The Lady is my mission on this planet. And I must do what The Omnipotent dictates.”

“But if you finish your novel, the book may not be printed.”

“I know.”

“And if it is printed, critics may rip it to shreds.”

“Look, many critics panned Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address in the press the day after he delivered it. So, let critics do what critics have always done. I must do what I must do.”

“Oh, I see…ah…sorry I disturbed you. Meanwhile, keep writing.”

“That’s for sure.”

What's it like being a published author who's married to another published author?
Delightful. It’s wonderful to be around someone who is interested in the same thing you’re interested in. When we met, I was the one who was writing. Vonnie wasn’t. But she, like The Phantom Lady in my novel, had a secret dream: she longed to put to paper not one novel, but many. However, she didn’t even dare think of turning that desire into reality. She found it impossible to envision that she could.

That’s where I came in. I convinced her that novelists were not super human beings. What they did – as she could do – was sit in front of a blank computer screen and write just one good and true sentence, and make that the first sentence of a novel. Then write another and another until the writer, without giving up, finishes a novel. And once she accepted this premise, soon afterwards, voila, Vonnie Davis, the woman who “knew” she couldn’t write a novel, was writing a novel.

Writing a novel? Wrong. Writing several novels. My God, she writes them faster than I can. It’s incredible. Things it took me years through trial and error to learn about the novelist’s craft, she picked up in months. She now mentors other novelists. Editing their material. Giving internet courses in points of view, etc., etc. And all this from someone who knew she couldn’t pen a work of fiction. Not bad. All she needed in the past was to adopt this credo: “I will write a novel and nothing on this planet can stop me – period. NO, EXCLAMATION POINT!”


Vonnie finally made that her credo her own, and now she’s on her way. Me? I’m smart enough to see that the pilot gets ample flying space. To her I say the same thing the narrator said to The Phantom Lady of Paris in my novel when The Lady was emancipated, “Go! Beyond the speed of sound. Go! And, like an eagle on outstretched wings soaring mountain-high, fly on…fly on…fly on.”






Will you share an excerpt of The Phantom Lady of Paris?

Certainly, here’s the beginning --

The Phantom Lady of Paris? I knew her well. On the other hand—as I later discovered—I didn’t know her at all. The woman did everything wrong. She did nothing wrong. She was a Jezebel, deceptive in every way. I’ve never known a more honest and straightforward person. During our relationship, she kept me constantly jittery and perturbed. The happiest days of my life were those I shared with the Phantom Lady of Paris. They were the golden days, the good times, good, that is, until…


Don’t let her name mislead. She was not an apparition, nor a creation of some writer’s fantasy, a fiend-like character in, say, an Edgar Allen Poe tale or one by Stephen King or Franz Kafka. No, she was real all right and, above all, she was human, more human than anyone I’d known and, I’m sure, will ever know again. And in spite of my blundering ways, she taught me what it really means to be a human being.

The Phantom Lady was a down-to-earth mortal possessing a unique dream, one fabricated from her passion for living, some of which passion she shared with me and with others fortunate enough to have known her.

As her name suggests, she lived in Paris, lived there during the most turbulent times the city has known since the bloodletting and mayhem of the French Revolution. She resided in The City of Light during the Vietnam War and peace protests in the United States and Europe, Sorbonne student riots on the Left Bank and worldwide clashes between “The Establishment” and “The Flower Generation.” It was an era of cataclysmic social eruption and revolutionary clashes of ideas and age groups.

I was a grown man when I met the Phantom Lady. All was going well with me. My life was in balance, and I knew how to live it. In spite of that, the moment the Phantom Lady and I met marked the real beginning of my life. Everything preceding that instant was meaningless prologue. During our initial chat, which lasted about three hours—though it seemed a fleeting moment, I learned for the first time what life is all about and how I should live mine.

On the morning we met, she taught me many things about myself that were, until then, mysteries. And what did I learn about her? Very little. Basically, I learned that she was more question marks than periods, and that something mysterious lurked behind each question mark.

I wasn’t prepared for what the hidden thing turned out to be. But looking back at what happened the morning I met her and everything that ensued, I wonder, what human being could have possibly prepared for the startling revelation that developed and how it would change not only my life, but hers…and change both forever?

Who could have been prepared?

No one.

Buy Link: http://amzn.to/oaRJQ6

http://www.calscosmos.blogspot.com/

http://www.calvindavisbooks.com/

Author Interview: Vonnie Davis

A big, giant welcome to my friend and romance author, Ms. Vonnie Davis! Vonnie is here today as part of her virtual book tour to promote Storm's Interlude--a fabulous romance, complete with a sassy heroine and a muscular cowboy hero.

Enjoy the interview!!!

Your debut novel Storm's Interlude just released this month. Congratulations! Tell us a little about your journey to get to this point.

Someone asked me if my journey to publication was a walk in the park or a tiring jog over hot coals? I replied it was more like a roller-coaster ride. My family told me, when I first expressed a desire to write at the age of twelve, that I had no talent. I folded my dream and tucked it into that secret, yearning place of my heart where private dreams are warehoused. Every so often, I’d take the treasured dream out, unfold it and wonder. And like that long, slow, eerily quiet ride up the steep first hill of a giant roller-coaster, I kept asking myself could do it? Could I? Could I?

Two years ago, I finished my first book and was able to get an agent. Too bad we couldn’t get a publisher. I set the project and my wounded pride aside and started Storm’s Interlude on the 4th of July last year. The story just flowed, and I had it written in 3 months. Once my agent got around to reading it, she sent me a text saying she was “loving it.” Dawn read it in two days. We did two back-and-forth’s with Tract Changes before she felt it was ready to “shop out.”

Then the roller-coaster executed its first dip, leading to a wild ride of twists and turns. Dawn started shopping it out on a Monday to a list of publishers of varied sizes that we’d agreed upon. A small publisher sent a contract the following Monday. Dawn and I talked on the phone for over an hour about the pros and cons of their offer. I told her I was hoping we’d hear from The Wild Rose Press. Her reply? “If that’s the one you want, let me see what I can do.” Not only did she contact TWRP, but she also emailed all the publishers she queried and told them I’d been offered a contract, but that she’d hold me off from signing for two weeks to give other publishers a chance to offer. I thought at the time she was being very ballsy; I mean, I’m a nobody—and an unpublished nobody, at that. Almost all of them agreed to the two-week deadline. My nerves were a mess. What if no one wanted it? What if the first publisher got miffed because I was stalling on signing and rescinded their offer? Then I’d have nothing. I was living on Tums.

One week later, TWRP offered. So I had two contract offers in two weeks. I was ready to sign to end the angst, believe me. Dawn wanted me to wait—just to see. Calvin went to the drugstore for more Tums.

No more contracts were offered, but I did get the nicest rejection from an editor at Harlequin, who said she loved my characters and story. But since I wrote similar to Linda Lael Miller, she’d have a hard time convincing the acquisitions committee to take on another writer in the same vein. I cried. I mean, just the thought of Ms. Miller and me in the same sentence was overwhelming. I’m sure the lady was just being kind; I could never be in Ms. Miller’s league, but who wouldn’t love such a complement?

So from the time I typed “Chapter One” to the day I held the book in my hands exactly one year passed. One wild, exceptional, lovely year.

You recently had a book release party. How did that go? Any tips for writers who might be thinking about having their own event?

Our book release socials are something we do for all writers in our writers group here in Lynchburg. We have 4 published authors and several who publish in magazines. Our socials are nothing fancy. Everyone brings a dish. We eat, we laugh, we party and the author reads selections from the book. Someone from the local newspaper comes. Friends and family of the author are also invited.

Why romance?

Romance is what I read. It’s what I love. I love stories of hope, and that’s what every romance is—the hope that everyone can be loved exclusively, warts, phobias, cottage cheese thighs and all, by another person.

Any plans to write in another genre?

Have you been inside my mind lately? I’m a “what-if” kind of person. I have to see if I can write all forms of romance. Storm’s Interlude is a contemporary romance. I also write historical and romantic suspense. I’m doing research on werewolves and shapeshifters to try my hand at F,F and P’s (fantasy, futuristic and paranormal). Could I write women’s lit or young adult? I doubt it. I’ve spent so much time studying the tenets and expectations of romance, that I’d almost have to start over with studies on another genre’s form. Of course, one must never say, “Never.”

If your main characters, Rachel and Storm, could each say one thing to readers, what would it be?

Storm would tell you that dreams can come true.

Rachel would encourage you to turn every heartache and every adverse experience into an advantage. Be strong. Be a force to be reckoned with. I love strong female characters.

What's going on in your writing life right now? Anything upcoming or in the works?
This week I’m focusing on the 4 writers I mentor. Seems they’ve all sent me chapters to critique. Their timing isn’t always the greatest, but how are they to know when others need help, too. And face it, we all need help now and then.

I have a short story (38,000 words) under the critical eye of a senior editor. That one is a contemporary romance, involving a wounded vet from the Iraq War. Keep your fingers crossed.

I also have a novel going through the second layer of evaluation; an editor liked it and passed it onto her senior editor. Mona Lisa’s Room is a romantic suspense set in Paris. It’s the first of a trilogy in The Red Hand Conspiracy. The first book involves an older woman, a younger government agent and vengeful terrorists—and, of course, a few chuckles. Both editors tell us we should hear by mid-August, so, it is major nail biting time. Did I say keep your fingers crossed?

What do your kids and grandkids think of their mom/grandma being a published romance author?

My kids are proud; they know how long I’ve dreamed of doing this. I talked to my oldest son last night on the phone. “Mr-Uptight-Assistant-Middle-School-Principal” said he hadn’t worked up courage to read my book yet. Claimed that reading a sex scene written by his mother would be akin to incest. Of course I laughed. He knew I would.

Only 3 of my 6 grandchildren are old enough to read Storm’s Interlude. I did ask my twenty-one year old grandson, Mr-WildńCrazy, to read a sex scene for his opinion. He read a few paragraphs and slid his eyes to mine. “Grandma, this is a side of you I’ve never seen. Gotta tell ya, gives me the willies.” Men! Go figure. And they say women are weak and squeamish.

I’d like to share the beginning of my novel, my hook—

Someone swaggered out of the moonlit night toward Rachel. Exhausted from a long day of driving, she braked and blinked. Either she was hallucinating or her sugar levels had plummeted. Maybe that accounted for the male mirage, albeit a very magnificent male mirage, trekking toward her. She peered once more into the hot July night at the image illuminated by her headlights. Sure enough, there he was, cresting the hill on foot—a naked man wearing nothing but a black cowboy hat, a pair of boots and a go-to-hell sneer.

Well, well, things really did grow bigger in Texas. The man quickly covered his privates with his black Stetson. Rachel sighed. The show was evidently over. Should she stand up in her Beetle convertible and applaud? Give a couple cat calls? Wolf whistles? Maybe not.

She turned down the music on the car’s CD player. Sounds of crickets and a lonely bullfrog in the distance created a nighttime symphony in the stillness of this isolated stretch of country road. Lightning bugs darted back and forth, blinking a display of neon yellow glow.

The naked man strode toward her car, and Rachel’s heart rate kicked up. Common sense told her to step on the gas, yet what woman wanted to drive away from such a riveting sight? Still, life had taught her to be careful. She reached into her handbag and extracted her chrome revolver. Before he reached her car, she quickly slid her gun under the folds of her skirt. Just let him try anything funny—I know how to take care of myself.

Both of his large hands clasped his hat to his groin. His face bore annoyance and a touch of chagrin. “I need a ride.” By his bearing and commanding tone of voice, she guessed the man was used to giving orders and having them followed.

Her eyes took a slow journey across his face. Even in the moonlight, she could see traces of Native heritage. His shoulder-length ebony hair, too long for her tastes, glistened against his bronzed skin. Proud arrogant eyes sparked anger.

Because Rachel believed in indulging herself, she allowed her eyes to travel over his broad shoulders, muscular chest and tight abdominal muscles. She saw a thin trail of dark hair starting below his navel, knowing full well where it ended, and fought back a groan. Her eyes slid back up to lock on his. “You need a pair of pants, too.” Knowing her voice hummed with desire, she cleared her throat, hoping the naked man hadn’t noticed.

He looked up at the sky for a beat. “Just my freakin’ luck! A birthday party gone bad, and now I’m bein’ ogled by some horny kid with damnable blue eyes.”

What the heck was wrong with her eyes? She quickly glanced in her rearview mirror and saw nothing amiss. She narrowed those “damnable blue eyes” and sneered. “Look, buster, I’m not the one prancing around Texas naked as a jaybird. I’ll have you know I’m hardly a kid.” She glanced down at the black cowboy hat. “And, furthermore, stop hiding behind that big ol’ Stetson. From what I saw, a French beret would do the job.”

There, let the arrogant fool stew on that while he strutted back to whatever rock he crawled out from under. She slammed her car in gear and sped off.

She swore she wouldn’t look in her rearview mirror. Nope, she would not look. Like a magnet emitting a powerful homing signal, her eyes slowly slid to the glass surface. He was standing where she’d left him…what do you think? Did she go back?

Buy links:

http://amzn.to/pkkcLq -- Amazon.

http://bit.ly/pb9DQd -- Barnes and Noble, NOOK version only.

http://bit.ly/rcCIMa -- The Wild Rose Press

Visit my blog sometime. www.vintagevonnie.blogpsot.com

Website: www.vonniedavis.com

What's New?

I’m taking a few minutes to share what’s new in my busy world.

MomsEveryday.com—My first post was published on MomsEverday.com this week, and I’ve already submitted something new to the editor. My goal is to contribute weekly, and I’ve quickly discovered this to be somewhat like book publishing on a smaller scale. I write. I edit. I submit. I worry that it sucks. I get an email from editor. I’m scared to click it. I click it. I get a YES! I relax…for about 5 minutes before plotting the next story. Repeat.

It’s stress. It’s validation. It’s every week. I guess I’m a bit of a masochist because I like it.

Amazon Blogs—I’ve submitted Whispers for publication on Amazon blogs. I have no idea what this means, but I know I can un-publish if I don’t like it. I know it’s a service whereby readers can subscribe to blogs and have new posts delivered directly to their Kindles…for a small fee. I have no control over the fee, nor do I care about making a dime off my blog, (I really, REALLY don’t) but I always pursue opportunities for exposure and to meet more people.

Blog Tour—I’ve monopolized space on several blogs for almost two weeks now. Daily. My hostesses have been gracious and amazingly supportive. It’s a fun experience, but I’m happy to be finishing the tour tomorrow with one final stop. Blog tours are a lot of work. Not that I mind a lot of work (I really, REALLY don’t) but I have other stuff to do, too. You know?

Speaking of other stuff to do…

New book—It’s that time again! I completed and signed a new contract with Agent Lady in February for Bonded In Brazil’s sequel. Since that time, I’ve taken a break from book writing, mostly to take part in promo opportunities and let my mind breathe. But my persistent muse is back…better than ever, I must say. I’m super excited about this project (one that I started and fell short at years ago) and feel that I’ve come far enough in my craft to pull it off…finally. It’s a tad ambitious, but I’m going for gold with this one.

I’m also going back to my writing roots--women’s fiction, southern setting, and with strong romantic elements.

I’m only about 2500 words into the manuscript, so don’t look for any news concerning it anytime soon. But I’m working again, so that’s pretty awesome.

Other than all that, hubby’s birthday is this weekend, and my daughter wants to make a cupcake family. My son got Cars (the movie) tighty-whities and they’re the funniest things I’ve ever seen. And I accidently discovered that my beautiful stepdaughter looks an awful lot like Britney Spears in her Baby One More Time video…which scares me a little bit. Okay, a lot. It’s also frightening because my 5-yr-old looks just like her big sis did at that age.

Excuse me while I have a preemptive heart attack.

Carnival!

My virtual book tour starts tomorrow, so I've decided to kick things off with a fun post about Brazil. I have all this knowledge, after all, from massive amounts of research--some of which never made it into Eliana and Hale's story--or (surprise!) Bastian and Ainsley's story (let's hope it gets published)--so here's a little taste of the fun and exotic Brazil.

How appropriate that Bonded in Brazil released in the month of March, just a couple weeks after Brazil’s famous, annual street party, Carnival--or Carnaval in Portuguese.

Carnival is Brazil’s biggest and most celebrated holiday. There are floats, parades, music, dancing, bold costumes worn by beautiful women, and lots of beer drinking. So much beer drinking, in fact, that the eight days and nights of intense celebration accounts for more than 80% of Brazil’s yearly consumption. Now that’s a party.

The shows are bright in color, booming with regional rhythms and almost all are entirely interactive, where spectators don’t just watch a performance but become part of it. Carnival makes Mardi Gras look like a designer imposter.

No offense, New Orleans, but you can hardly compete with all that tan, bare flesh or the African-Brazilian beats to which intoxicated bodies pulsate while dressed in glittery, titillating costumes.

Carnival reminds me of the traditional weddings of India, only on a mass scale. Indian weddings are elaborate events, and the bride and groom are often strangers. Their families put on an extravagant several-day celebration with music, sensual food and costuming, parades, shows and Hindu rituals. The intoxicating atmosphere simulates feelings of falling in love for the newly-married strangers, and they’ll go on their honeymoon—pheromones triggered and hormones raging—strongly desiring their new life partner. I like to think of it as metaphorical gift basket filled with beer goggles and a bottle of personal lubrication.

Apparently the Brazilian government agrees that Carnival produces a sexually arousing atmosphere, because they pass out condoms and AIDS literature prior to the happenings—which might be a bit of a mood killer, but nothing beer, wine and a few Caipirinhas (see picture) won’t cure.

And I’ve yet to mention the exotic locale with lush yet dangerous rainforests and some of the world’s most beautiful vineyards and farmlands. Everything about Brazil screams of fertility—the people, the waxes, bikinis, land, green mountains, the Amazon rainforest—the biggest rainforest on the planet, FYI—and agriculture. As ancient art and mythology clearly tells us, fertile is sexy…Brazil is sexy.

Brazil sounds like a great place to be “bonded” in, doesn’t it? Well, not really. More on this unique form of bondage later…

Note: It’s not what you think. It’s also what makes the title of my book so brilliant—thank you very much, Catherine Treadgold, aka Editor Lady.

Take a peek at my tour schedule, and don't forget to stop by one of these fabulous blogs!

Tour Dates

~Online Book Tour Schedule~

3/28--Ramblings of a Chaotic Mind
3/29--The Write One
3/30--Lizzie's World
3/31--Moxie Girl Musings
4/01--Vintage Vonnie

4/04--LoveRomancePassion
4/05--Inside the Mind of a Literary Blonde
4/06--Musings from the Slush Pile
4/07--Elaina Lee
4/08--Musings of a Dilettante

To be eligible to win 1 of 4 prizes, leave a comment on at least 1 of my guest posts/interviews before 4/09/2011. Winners will be contacted via email. Losers will, too, only that won't be quite as much fun. Lots more blog stops coming soon! In the meantime, join me on my 3/28-4/08 virtual book tour. It'll be fun.

***Special stops***
4/15--BookWenches
6/02--Kelly Moran
6/20--Ramblings of a Chaotic Mind Blogaversary
6/21--Night Owl Reviews

*Links to blogs on the right------>

Dark Wolf Protector Is Released

Cobblestone Press released my paranormal romance e-book yesterday. I’m so excited! And even though I’m a writer, I can’t describe how much fun I had making Dark Wolf Protector. It started as an experiment, really. I’d read dozens and dozens of paranormal books and wanted to see if I could create a comparable dark and sexy story. And I think I did. I love DWP. It’s a great first book in the Love On The Wild Side series.

In addition to successfully experimenting with the paranormal, I threw some fantasy elements into a dream and came up with a badass (imo) ending. I love DWP’s ending. Can you say girl power?

Jaci Waters, the heroine of DWP, sits right at the top of my “favorite-heroines-I’ve-written list.” She’s half Native American, runs an animal rescue out of her home, is funny and sweet, has good old-fashioned manners…and, of course, she’s really pretty. I had a lot of fun writing her point-of-view.

Next Friday, the 25th, Bonded In Brazil releases. My virtual book tour starts soon after, so check back in for a schedule/list of stops. I’ll be giving away some free copies of BIB and DWP.

However, if you’re just hankerin’ to read Dark Wolf Protector and can’t wait a week or two to see if you’ve won a free copy…COOL! You can get your e-copy of DWP for $4.99 by clicking the cover or *here*. It’s not on Amazon.com yet, but you can download the Mobi option, and that’s supposed to be Kindle/Sony Reader compatible.

Thanks for your support and keep your eye out for the next installment of Love On The Wild Side, starring Ian Kingsley from DWP.

Latest News: Rhiannon and non-Rhiannon related

A lot of things that had taken root finally came to fruition this past week. It’s like spring at my house—metaphorically, of course—and despite the brrrr cold temperatures outside, things are bloomin’ in the book department.

Book Covers

My publishers finalized the covers for Bonded In Brazil and Dark Wolf Protector. This is an awesome feeling; covers add tangibility to this whole process. I don’t just have words on pages—I have real, solid books I can put a “face” to. And those faces are mighty pretty, if I say so myself.

Credit’s due to cover designers Sabrina Sun and Sable Grey.

Agent Contract

I sent my latest novel to Agent Lady recently, and she really liked it. I got a contract from her offering representation for this romance novel that will pick up where Bonded In Brazil left off--with two of the minor characters. We’ll clean it up with some editing and work on getting this one published.

Website

Once I had covers, I was able to finalize my website. I’ve spent several weeks on it, adding and tweaking, deleting and rearranging. Now my website is something I’m really proud of. It still has some space that needs filling up, but the place is guest ready.

Note: Along with the book covers, I was also able to add excerpts for Dark Wolf Protector and

Bonded In Brazil to my website.

Pre-order

Woot! Bonded In Brazil is now available on Amazon.com for pre-order. I also have it under good authority that at least one copy has been bought (thank you, my friend—you know who you are).

Pre-order is a cool option Amazon offers that allows readers to order a book prior to its release and receive the lowest price between now and the time it’s shipped. Bonded is listed at $15.95, but if that cost drops between now and March 25th, the buyer will pay the lower price.

In (mostly) non-Rhiannon related news…

The beautiful, enthusiastic, and talented Julie A. Lindsey announced the signing of her first publishing contract. Couldn’t have happened for a sweeter, more hard-working person.

Fabulous blog, Ramblings From A Chaotic Mind, hosted a giveaway last week…and I won a signed print copy of Wild Desire AND two e-books also written by Lori Brighton!

Kerry Carmichael (you don’t know him…yet) finished his 2-year-long journey of penning a most fabulous commercial science fiction novel. I know this book, folks. Think Matrix only more-likely-to-happen and with a stronger love story.

And, in future news, Dutch Henry’s novel, We’ll Have the Summer, releases this Friday.

Author Interview: Lizzie T. Leaf

Award winning author, Lizzie T. Leaf, started life in Kansas, continued her growing years in North Carolina, and currently shivers through the winters in Colorado. She has numerous e-Books of varying lengths and her first print novel, Struck by Lightning, won dual 2007 Beacon awards. Not a bad track record for a gal who came out of the closet with the dream to write after she turned fifty.

Her novellas at Aspen Mountain Press fall into two categories…erotic contemporary or paranormal romance in the DEAD series. She also had her first historical, Making Christmas, through the Aurora Regency line at AMP.

Beyond Magic, released through Passion in Print Press, is the first book in the Magical Love Series.

She also has a monthly column, Leaf’s Legends, debuting February 2011 for Night Owl Reviews Magazine, where she explores the worlds of myths, fantasy and the paranormal.

When not writing, traveling, reading, gardening and family consume her time.

Hi Lizzie! Tell us little about yourself.

Thank you so much for having me, Rhiannon!

Writing is a love I developed as a young girl, but like so many of us, life got in the way and I became distracted with the corporate job and raising a family. When my then husband passed away about twelve years ago, I found myself alone for the first time in my life. Even during a prior divorce, I still had two children to focus on.

Since all my children were adults with families when I faced being a widow, I had plenty of time to think and explore. Reading had continued to be my number one hobby, no matter how business life became and with time alone, the desire to write resurfaced.

Since then, I’ve had numerous novellas published and prior to Beyond Magic, my only other novel, Struck by Lightning, won the Beacon in two categories and was a finalist in several other contests. My family and current husband of seven years are my main supporters and encourage me to branch out into whatever genre I enjoy writing.

When I’m not working, I spendtime with my family, reading, traveling and meeting new people.

In fact, if any of your readers are going to attend Romantic Times 2011 Convention in April, please come up and say hello. Would love to meet you!

You have a new release. How exciting! What can you tell us about Beyond Magic?

Beyond Magic started out as an entirely different book. Originally it was to be the follow up to Struck by Lightning, but the publisher ended up closing down. The book set in my files for a couple of years and then one day I opened it and decided I could use the base,with some changes, to create a new series.

I knew I wanted some of it set in Scotland and the Cailleach idea popped into my head. Take the old crone out of her element of tending the earth and have the Powers direct her to unite lovers.

Of course, there had to be a handsome hero and that led to the creation of Ian McCabe, a cross-blood immortal. With his family gene pool, gods on his father’s side and Fae on his mother’s, he could be nothing short of gorgeous and powerful, even if he wanted to ignore his powers.

The heroine Emma would be a little older, late 30s, and with not exactly the greatest track record in the love relationship department. This makes her a bit insecure and determined to focus on her new career in tourism. She’s developed sort of a ‘who needs men’ attitude.

Between the supporting characters in Emma’s life and the godly/magical ones in Ian’s, there’s humor and major frustration to go with the love connection between the two.

Beyond Magic hit the shelves in January. How has your publishing experience been so far?

This is my first book with Passion in Print Press and I’ve found them very supportive and easy to work with. From the publisher, editor(s) and cover artist…each and every one of them has made me feel valued as an author and as an individual.

Do you have any advice for other authors with new releases?

Promote! Try and think outside the box, too. In today’s market there is a lot of competition for the reader’s attention and sometimes it takes a different approach to get noticed. Brainstorm with your friends and fellow authors if you have problems coming up with ideas, or run some of yours by them to get their feedback.

And while you’re promoting, don’t forget to write. Some days that is a challenge!

Are you working on another writing project now? If so, when can we expect to see your next book?

I’m working on the second book in the Magical Love Series. If my editor had her way she’d have it…tomorrow! But since she has to wait on me, release will probably be late summer/early fall 2011.

Where can we find you on the web?

http://www.lizzietleaf.com/

http://lizzietleaf.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=826769827
http://twitter.com/lizzietleaf

Where can readers purchase Beyond Magic?

http://www.passioninprint.com/ShowBook.php?CR=LTL_BEYONDMAGIC

At Amazon in print & eBook http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Magic-Lizzie-T-Leaf/dp/1608202429/ref=tmm_pap_title_0

At All Romance eBooks http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-beyondmagic-509908-143.html

And Beyond Magic can be ordered at your local bookstore if they don’t have in stock.

Thank you so much, Lizzie, for stopping by. Best of luck following your dream!

The Author Website

Like any other entrepreneur or artist, having a website is a must for writers. Not only does it provide a place where your work can be found, but it also provides an inside look at the person behind the product (book). People are naturally curious about other people, and they will seek you out. Give them someplace to find you.

Some suggest you create a website before you get an offer from a press--advice I didn't listen to. In my defense, I actively social networked and blogged. I made the decision to wait until I signed a contract before creating a website mainly because I had nothing to display--what good is empty webspace?

Once I had a contract in hand, I set out to get my very own site! I was going to get a professional! Woohoo! Reality check. Hiring a web-designer is NOT cheap. It's not even reasonable, in my opinion. Not saying the designers don't deserve or earn every penny they're paid, but let's face it--dishing out a $1000 when you haven't made $1 off what you're promoting is, well, not something I'm willing to do. Especially when there are so many DIY sites out there that are free or close to it.

http://www.godaddy.com/

http://www.yola.com/ -- what I use

http://www.weebly.com/

http://www.webs.com/

http://www.sites.google.com/

My website might not be a masterpiece, but it's functional, aesthetically pleasing, streamline, and personal. It cost me NOTHING. Zero. Zilch. Yes, that means it was free.

The total amount of money I've dished out for self-promotion is $50, which includes costs for a custom website header and a domain name.

http://www.forthemusedesign.com/ --custom headers

I further customized my page by digging up a fabulous background to coordinate with my nifty new header. Free background are everywhere.

http://www.grsites.com/

http://www.wallpaper-s.org/ --where I found mine

Caveat: What I haven't spent in money, I've spent in time. Prepare yourself. DIY stuff doesn't happen fast. And anyone with a computer knows how frustrating those suckers can be. Keep Advil on hand.

Back to the professionals because there is a value in the service they provide. Hiring a GOOD one after you have a load of bestsellers on your resume means your website could look like one of these:

http://www.christinadodd.com/

http://www.debbiemacomber.com/

http://www.jkrowling.com/

http://www.stephenking.com/

http://www.jodipicoult.com/

*Sigh* A few more years, a few more books...

Book Trailer: Bonded In Brazil

Promote Thyself

With Bonded In Brazil coming out in March 2011, I am exploring marketing and advertising options. There are quite a few, thank goodness, for a stay-at-home mom like myself who needs to utilize the internet as much as possible and promote on the cheap.

My goal is to take advantage of options that require the least amount of money/work but get the biggest bang for my buck. This greatly depends on establishing an online presence.

Here's what I've come up with so far...



• Blog--There are plenty of free blog sites available, and they are all pretty user friendly. This is a place to not only promote your work, but to sell yourself as well.

• Website--Again, free sites available for you to build a website. I use Yola and paid for a custom domain name. I can also have a blog on my website and plan to link my blogspot posts to my website blog soon.

• Toolbars--By installing a nifty, multifunctional toolbar onto your website/blog, you can further personalize your space and, perhaps, allow visitors to customize their experience at your site. I use Wibiya. This toolbar also gives visitors the option to share on Facebook, "like" me on Facebook, tweet, and even be greeted with a pop-up message that I can update as often as I want to.

• Social Networking--Facebook, Twitter, Myspace are all free and allow you to connect with multiple people in seconds. A lot of social networking sites can be connected to each other, meaning what you post on Twitter can automatically be posted onto FB, etc.

• NetworkedBlogs--How cool is this? Register with NetworkedBlogs and whenever something new is posted on your blog, it gets thrown up onto Facebook automatically. Multi-tasking at its best.

• Cross-link everything.

• Forums--Use forums, like Absolute Write, to get to know other writers, learn industry news, AND promote. Have a link to your blog/website, a link to your book, and a book cover pic in your signature. Whenever you post a comment, your information is out there for anyone to see. Advertise while you socialize. Fun stuff.

• SheWrites--A networking site for female writers. Not only can you socialize and shamelessly advertize, but they also have a community blog for all members and they post members' books on their bookshelf. Membership is free, btw. Check SheWrites out.

• Pay it forward--Sometimes the best strategy is the selfless one. Interview authors on your blog, invite guest bloggers, review a new book, brag about your friends' successes, buy a friend's book and leave reviews on sites where it's sold. You can also help a friend by appearing on their blog. This drives more traffic to their site and gets your name/book out to their contacts. This is mostly about advertising your friends' work, but you drop your name where ever you go, thereby increasing your online presence. Plus, you make your friends happy :)

• Book signings--This might be a worthy option IF your publisher provides the books. If the bookstore where your signing is being held does not carry your book, they might be willing to order copies for the signing IF the distributor allows returns and IF your book is distributed through Ingram or Baker & Taylor, which is a must for some of the bigger chains.

• Blog tour--Schedule a blog tour to take place at the release of your book. Try to guest star at a different blog everyday for as long as you can arrange--a week or two or three. Click here for a great resource on blog tours.

• Giveaways--People like free stuff. Have a drawing for people who comment on a specific post. Give away a free copy of your book to whomever is chosen (at random). I've even seen authors put together gift baskets with all kinds of neato stuff for first place, a copy of the book and a candle for second, and just the book for third. Get creative. You might even be able to get some of the giveaway items for free from a local business. Giveaways are always a good idea for blog tours!

• Participate in a writers group--Bonded In Brazil was shared within a writers group. I know if anyone from that group gets published I'll buy a copy. NOTE: to the OVNW members, I do not expect you to buy my book just because I'd buy yours. I'm just very sentimental :)

• Reviews--There are tons of places wanting and willing to review your book. This might cost you a copy of your book unless your publisher covers this expense for you. The review itself is generally free.

• Conferences--Rub elbows, give out business cards, etc.

• Writers association--Find a local one, pay the small yearly fee. They usually have newsletters, meetings, conferences, workshops, and many other ways that you can promote in your state/region.

• Press Release--Google author press release. Put one together and send it to local papers. You can send a copy of your book or make it clear a copy is available upon request. Have a press page on your website. See mine for an example--it's not complete yet, but you'll get the general idea.

• Speak/teach--Call libraries, schools, local book stores and see if they have an interest in having you for an event or a workshop or a reading of your book.

• Knowledge is power--Take the time to educate yourself about the business you're in.

• Be consistent.

• Return the favor.

• Always be gracious and grateful.


If you have any other promotion ideas, feel free to leave them in the comments.