Author Interview with Ashlyn Chase

                                                   Ashlyn Chase describes herself as an Almond Joy bar. A little nutty, a little flaky, but basically sweet, wanting only to give her readers a scrumptious, satisfying, reading experience.

She worked as a psychiatric nurse for several years and spent a few more years working for the Red Cross. She credits her sense of humor to her former career since it helped preserve whatever was left of her sanity. Ashlyn holds a degree in behavioral sciences and has been trained as a fine artist, registered nurse, hypnotherapist, and interior designer. Writing is one career in which she wasn’t formally educated, yet by sheer determination she’s become a multi-published, award-winning author.

Most writers, whether they’re aware of it or not, have a ‘theme,’ some sort of thread that runs through all of their books, uniting the whole mishmash into an identifiable signature. Ashlyn’s identified theme involves characters who reinvent themselves. It’s no wonder since she has reinvented herself numerous times. Finally content with her life, she lives in beautiful New Hampshire with her true-life hero husband and a spoiled brat cat.

Welcome to Paperback Writer, Ashlyn

Will you share with us how you came up with the idea for this book? 

Sure!  I’ll tell you anything.  It’s a funny story, actually.   A dear friend of mine and her mother went to a fair one fine summer day. They were simply walking along and chatting when Liana (my friend) fell in a hole!  She twisted her ankle and had to be carted off in an ambulance with a couple of hot EMT’s, much to her chagrin.  Another friend of ours quipped that she might not have toppled over if her large chest hadn’t set her off balance.  Well, we’re all romance novelists so of course, Heaving Bosoms, popped into my head.  When I stopped laughing and wiped the tears from my eyes, I knew I had to write the story. 

Do you plan your stories first with an outline or does it come to you as write it?

Both.  I usually begin the journey writing from the seat of my pants and then along about chapter three I need a map.  I do a story board.  Basically, all the main scenes and plot points are written on stickies and then arranged into chapters.  I can move them around if need be.  I use a different color for subplots and make sure I make a note of anything that needs to be resolved by the ending.

Do you know the end of the story at the beginning?

I usually know how the story will end before the second act, but I don’t know how to get there. That’s where the map comes in. 

Do you have a process for developing your characters?

No. That’s where my working background comes in.  I was a nurse for twenty years. I earned a degree in behavioral sciences during that time so I had studied and worked closely with people and their significant others before I began to write.  I ‘just know’ what my characters will do in any given situation.  Even when they behave inconsistently, there’s a reason for it.  Usually they change and grow over the journey.  They  come to a point when it’s too late to go back so they must push on–but often it’s not the easiest thing for them to do.  Change is something many people have difficulty with, so my characters should too.

It is said that authors write themselves into their characters. Is there any part of you in your characters and what they would be?

This is where I have to raise my hand and say, “Thomas Wolfe said that every novel is an autobiography, but if you were to read mine, you’d swear I needed to be locked up!”  I always have at least one character who says and does all the things I wish I could say and do–but never would!

What is your most favorite part about this book?

I love how I managed to pull of what they call ‘the reversal.”  It’s when the characters realize that not only do they not care about the goal they were hell bent on achieving, but they don’t even need or want it anymore.  Either they already have what they really need and want or they’ve achieved something greater.  Think about how Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz starts off by running away from home. Then suddenly getting home is the one thing she wants most. My characters don’t reach their reversal until much later, but it’s very cool when it happens. 

When in the process of writing your book did you begin to look for a publisher?

I was told not to pitch a story until it was finished.  I think that’s good advice. I know folks who’ve made such a terrific pitch that the agent or editor wanted to see the whole manuscript as soon as possible.  They either work their tails off for the next few weeks, skipping meals, sleep and showers, or they don’t finish get it to that editor quickly or at all and she thinks you won’t be able to meet deadlines.

What struggles have you had on the road to being published?

Well, I hate to say it, but I’ve had more struggles after being published!  I stepped on the wrong toes once and got a kick in the teeth. (Figuratively, of course.)  I’ve received the occasional scathing review, which made me cry.  I’ve always wanted to please everybody all of the time, and even knowing I can’t do that doesn’t help when I feel I’ve let someone down. 

What has been the best part about being published?

Definitely all the readers and writers I’ve met either on the internet or in person.  Some have become dear friends even if they live on the other side of the world.  And I have fans!  I still can’t believe I have actual “fans.”  (fans self to keep away the “vapors”.)

What do you want readers to remember and carry with them after reading your novel?

I just want them to feel like they’ve been entertained and I hope that there is a little more love and laughter in their lives after reading it.

Do you have plans to write another book?

Lots of other books.  I keep an idea file and it’s chock full of craziness to come.
Would you care to share with us how the virtual book tour experience with Pump Up Your Book Promotion has been for you?

Very cool!  I love having the opportunity to reach more readers and make new friends.
Where can readers find a copy of your book?

Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and directly from my publisher.  If those ways don’t appeal to them, it can be ordered from any bookstore or library. 
Here is the direct link to my publisher’s cyber-shelves. They can also find an excerpt there.

For the electronic book, go here: http://www.cerridwenpress.com/productpage.asp?ISBN=9781419907982
For print book, go here: http://www.jasminejade.com/p-3862-heaving-bosoms.aspx
 
Do you have a website for readers to go to?

Yes.  My own website is www.ashlynchase.com.  There’s a contact link if anyone wants to email me.  I love hearing from readers.

Interview with Literay Fiction Author Garasamo Macagnone

 Paperback Writer is pleased to be visited by Literary Fiction author Garasamo Macagnone.

 St. John of the Midfield Synopsis:
An almost mystical story of Bobo Stoikov, one of the world’s greatest soccer players, who escapes death in communist Bulgaria to find the American Dream. Due to sever injury during Bobo’s escape, he is unable to play once he arrives in America.
Though he finds peace and happiness in simply coaching soccer to youth travel teams, his eccentric ways of teaching and his success lead to a hate-filled rivalry, and eventually, his death

Hi Gary,

Welcome to Paperback Writer

Will you share with us how you came up with the idea for this book?

My son’s coach suggested to me that he knew my son was a midfielder based on his willingness to sacrifice for his team. He told both of us that to be a midfielder a player had to be a good person. Midflelders never play for themselves. I built my book around his explanation over a ten-year period until it finally burned out of me.

Do you plan your stories first with an outline or does it come to you as write it?

The story is written in my head, then it goes to an outline. From there, I just have to connect the dots.

Do you know the end of the story at the beginning?

Yes. The title and the entire story are finished in my head before I start. (Minor changes occur when my wife reads the text and tells me it sucks)

Do you have a process for developing your characters?

I like to introduce minor characteristics first, then us dialogue to establish their personality, then bring in major features afterward. I build the character personality chapter by chapter.

It is said that authors write themselves into their characters. Is there any part of you in your characters and what they would be?

Of course, I’m the guy in the book who’s performing all the acts of kindness. At least that’s what I tell myself. In this book, I’m a combination of Mario Santini and Bobo Stoikov, with only a little Sonny Christopher sprinkled in.

What is your most favorite part about this book?

I enjoy the apostolic metaphors Bobo establishes for the players. I also enjoy the boxing scenes. Many of them I lived first hand.

When in the process of writing your book did you begin to look for a publisher?

I’ve had a good experience with Booksurge. I didn’t look anywhere else. I like being in control and working with my established group of editors and readers.

What struggles have you had on the road to being published?

Let’s face it, I wouldn’t be published if technology didn’t open the doors in the publishing world. Today, you can have your book on the market without being a tenured professor or a big named author.

What has been the best part about being published?

I enjoy being taken seriously during television or radio interviews. I also like interacting with readers who have dissected my book and too want to discuss it seriously.
What do you want readers to remember and carry with them after reading your novel?

That the novel is a serious work, crafted by a veteran writer, who used all of his skills to create vivid scenes, vivid characters, with an unpredictable plot line. I hope Bobo Stoikov becomes part of their conscious mind and they remember him like all great literary characters.

Do you have plans to write another book?

I’ll take off about 6 months to just read. I have a work in the pipeline. Expect something to come out at the end of 08.

Would you care to share with us how the virtual book tour experience with Pump Up Your Book Promotion has been for you?

You’re in good hands with the Pump up Your Book Promotion group. They’re all professionals who understand the in and outs of the business. This group has discovered a niche for marketing books on-line. They’re not your typical stufi’ publishing types. They are down to earth and always available to assist you in the promotion of your book. I’m enjoying the tour immensely.

Where can readers find a copy of your book? Amazon, Booksurge, and at
www.garasamomaccagnone.com

Thanks for sharing your characters with us today. It has been a pleasure and I wish you success during the rest of your virtual book tour.

Featured Author Dyan Garris

 Ever wonder how glamorous a writer’s life really is, with all that free time to sit and mediatate and write at their leisure. Join us now at Paperback Writer as we take a glimpse into a Day in the Life of Dyan Garris as she virtually tours the blogosphere this month of November, promoting her new book, Voice of the Angels Cookbook, Talk to your Food!  

 

  A Day in the Life of Dyan Garris 

5:00 A.M. – The raucous blast of a telephone ring breaks startlingly into the quiet reverence of a peaceful desert morning, where a fiery sun emanating a heat that seeps deeply into your very bones has not quite yet shown its cheery face over the mountains.  I fumble around for my voice which apparently is still slumbering in some undiscovered dimension. “Hello?” I manage somewhat imperceptibly. The caller is from the east coast where the day has perhaps already reached a particular level of civility.

“Did I wake you?” The caller seems completely astounded that I am still in the twilight zone.

“No,” I squeak out. “I’m just not in my body yet. Can I call you later?”

“Well, yes. . . I’m having a spiritual crisis. I need a reading. What time will you call me?”

“You know I retired from readings a year ago. You can still get a free card reading on my website.”

“Yes, but I really need to talk to you and it’s just one question. . .”

And so the day begins. I am not just promoting my Voice of the Angels Cookbook. I am in the middle of promoting my line of CDs, cards, and other books as well.

 

5:15 A.M. – A mixture of green tea and herbal tea gently enters my body and caresses my very soul. I absorb its warm peacefulness with a substantial twist of gratitude.

6:00 A.M. – I’m in the pool. Every day begins with a one hour swim. The water is a comforting and silky embrace and we joyfully become one. It is meditation, deliberate mindfulness and euphoric bliss.

8:00 A.M. – Another call from the east coast. My meditation basket and relaxation basket are going to be featured on a TV episode. They are calling for script approval and they need it soon. There is a production deadline. I review the script. It needs a rewrite. I rewrite it and send it on its way through the ethers of cyberspace.

9:00 A.M.  - I attempt to write the Daily Channeled Message. I actually channel this message, which means I must go into a light trance. Husband with seemingly fine-tuned Daily Channeled Message radar pops into the room like a cannonball. “Honey,” I admonish him. “I’m trying to do the channeled message.”

“I know, but the graphic artist is on the phone and wants to go over the revisions for ‘The Book of Daily Channeled Messages.’”

“Please tell her I’ll call her back.”

10:00 A.M. – I signed up for a Virtual Book Tour. Dorothy Thompson of “Pump Up Your Online Book Promotion” has e-mailed me several interviews that need to be answered. My other e-mail is like a Pacific Ocean of correspondence and orders that need fulfilling. We’ll get to it. Everything gets done in its own time. I follow my own incessant advice to everyone and breathe deeply.

11:00 A.M. – I am sending out a press release through PRWeb for the cookbook. They call and request some revisions. They are very thorough. We examine every detail and every paragraph like we’re having an MRI. I am grateful. They are the best. I rewrite and e-mail it back to them. They call again. We’re good to go. Whew!

12:00 P.M. – I hear bells. Lunch is calling. I make time to talk to my food.

1:00  P.M. – Phone again. This time it’s the fax. The radio promoter is faxing over the contracts for the CD radio promotion which I need to read, sign, and fax back. They also want me to ship them 200 “Release” CDs. I promise they will go out today.

2:00 P.M. – I am revamping my press kit into a little booklet, rather than twenty sheets of paper that I send out with orders and other correspondence. The printer has e-mailed and tells me they cannot locate the cover photos and they also need me to read the proof and send them the revisions, if any. They need it today if they are to meet my deadline.

3:30 P.M. – My friend calls. She tells me she had an interview with a newspaper reporter and they would like to give me some ink. Can I send over my press kit? Soon. She mentions that she just heard one of my songs on the Soundscapes cable TV music channel. I am thrilled!

4:00 P.M. – The distributor needs one-sheets with descriptions, UPCs, and catalog numbers for the CDs. They also need signed contracts and demos. This I cannot do today. Another distributor has placed a large order for inventory. This can go out tomorrow.

5:00 P.M. – Another friend calls. She is representing my product line. “You know those greeting cards we wrote years ago?”

“Yes….”

“We should polish those up and add them to the line.” OK, it is on the list.  “Oh, and I was reviewing the line and I think something is missing.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, you need to have a meditation journal for use with the CDs along with the journal that you already have for use with the cards. It makes everything complete.” It makes sense to me. I put it on the list.

7:30 P.M. – Back to computer things. I need to update my Amazon.com account and my CDbaby.com account because I’ve added new products. I upload product images and write descriptions. And I wade through a sea of all the other e-mail that requires response. In there I discover a request for interview from a magazine I’ve been waiting a year to hear from. Do I want to do it? Absolutely! I also find a request to be a guest on a radio show. That’s exciting. Count me in.

8:30 PM – I visit my two MySpace pages and my other networking sites. I answer friend requests, comments, and reciprocate with a few of my own.

9:00 PM – I remind myself that we are all responsible for our choices and I hold myself  fully accountable for what I’ve created. At this point in the day, I can’t resist a little humor. I smile my sweetest smile. “Honey, will you take me to Barbados?  No? Can we go to Fiji then? I flash a bigger and more engaging smile. No? Hawaii? No? Florida it is. I will make the reservations.” Soon.

      

Featured Author Sheila Roberts

  

 Join us today, for our interview with Sheila Roberts as she continues on her virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion.

 Christmas is fast approaching and many of the women in the town of Holly are bracing themselves for stress, overwork, and little understanding or appreciation from the men in their lives. But then inspiration hits. Joy Robertson, Laura Fredericks, and their knitting buddies decide to “go on strike” and give the men an opportunity to see firsthand what it takes to make the holidays merry and bright. Soon other women are joining in and husbands all over town are getting a crash course in decorating, shopping, and what to wear to see Santa, and are searching frantically for an interpreter to translate the mysteries of holiday recipes. The men may just come to appreciate the holidays after walking a mall in their wives’ high heels. But maybe the women will learn something, too.

 Hi Sheila,
 
Welcome to Paperback Writer 
  
I just want to say how much I have enjoyed reading this book. Will you share with us how you came up with the idea for this book?

I’m so glad you enjoyed the book. I’m getting a lot of positive response from it so far. As with all books, it started with a little germ of an idea. What would Christmas be like if the men were in charge. Now, that is a scary thought!

  
Do you have a process for developing your characters?

I wish I could say I do. I think, often there is a little of me in many of them. What would I do if? How do I feel about? These kind of questions get the creative ball rolling.

Do you plan your stories first with an outline or does it come to you as write it?

I am a big believer in pre-planning. This doesn’t mean I know every scene that is going to be in the book before I start writing it, but it does mean I have  pretty good idea of where I am going. It is like building a really good skeleton. If you’ve got a good skeleton you have something on which to hang the rest of the body.

 Do you know the end of the story at the beginning?

Pretty much.

 It is said that authors write themselves into their characters. Is there any part of you in your characters and what they would be?

Not in all of my characters, but in many. In my book BIKINI SEASON, which comes out spring of 2008 with St. Martin’s Press, I wound up having to cut a character out of the story, and that was hugely painful because she was a lot like me.
What is your favorite part about this book?
My favorite part was writing Glen Fredericks’s journey. I really enjoyed putting that character into all kinds of funny situations and watching him squirm. Writers really are rather sick people.
When in the process of writing your book did you begin to look for a publisher?

I already had an agent, and we didn’t go on the hunt for a publisher until I had a finished, polished product.
What struggles have you had on the road to being published?

Writing is not a business for the faint of heart. I’ve had all kinds of ups and downs and written different things under different names. Rejection? Been there ( a lot ). Discouragement? Done that. But it’s not always bad to get rejected. Some things we do as writers should be rejected. And those hard times and career bumps are often guidance in disguise. When a door shuts in your face, it doesn’t necessarily mean you should quit. It means you’re standing on the wrong porch.

 What has been the best part about being published?

Having readers tell me they enjoyed the book. That is a thrill.
What do you want readers to remember and carry with them after reading your novel?

I think for every book, the author has a different hope, a different goal. What I want most is for readers to enjoy this and have a good time. I would hope, too, though, that people learn to appreciate and enjoy the holidays, to make this special time of year just that, something special.
Do you have plans to write another book?

Book number two for St. Martin’s is already in the pipeline and I am now working on book number three.
Would you care to share with us how the virtual book tour experience with Pump Up Your Book Promotion has been for you?

This has been great fun!

 Where can readers find a copy of your book?

It should be available in all the big chain bookstores like Barnes & Noble, and it’s also available on Amazon.com
 
Do you have a website for readers to go to?

I sure do. I hope readers will stop by and enter my  ON STRIKE FOR CHRISTMAS contest. One lucky winner will receive Godiva

chocolates. You can also sign up for my free life improvement e-newsletter, Super You. Come see me at www.sheilasplace.com
 
Thank you, Sheila for sharing your book and characters with us today. It has been a pleasure and I hope you have had a successful virtual book tour.

Thanks so much for having me. Happy holidays!

Author Interview with Shobhan Bantwal

     Join us here tomorrow when our featured debut author Shobhan Bantwal will be joining us. Shobhan is the author of the Dowry Bride and this is her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion.  Shobhan will be talking about her book and the dreaded phase that she went through going from unpublished to published author. She admits that it should have been a time of excitement and celebration but she dreaded the public relations and marketing which are usually associated with cold calling and getting the door slammed in one’s face.  Well, she’ll certainly be surprised when our interview proves to be effortless, she won’t even realize that she’s marketing herself and her book.

THE DOWRY BRIDE SYNOPSIS:One sultry night, Megha overhears an extraordinary conversation. The voices speak of a plot to murder her for failing to produce the promised dowry. Megha is horrified when she realizes her husband and his mother are plotting to kill her! In the moment of panic, she runs for her life. Frantically racing through Palgaum’s deserted streets, her single goal is to escape death by fire.

With nothing but the sari she wears and a memory of kindness, Megha finds her way to Kiran, the one man who has shown her friendship and respect. Hiding her in his apartment, Kiran becomes her protector. But the forbidden attraction that grows between them can only bring more danger.

Caught between their conservative Indian culture and the truths buried in their hearts, a dowry bride and the man who loves her will discover the real cost of the only things worth having in life…

Word of the Day – parodied

parodied – (n) a musical or literary work that imitates another work, exaggerting the characteristics of the original to make it seem ridiculous.

Author Interview Tomorrow with PG Forte

Join us tomorrow for our second author interview with PG Forte. Coincidentally, this is PG’s second virtual tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion.

PG is the author of Waiting For The Big One and Love From A to Z.

Her virtual book tour is brought to you by Pump Up Your Book Promotion, http://pumpupyourbookpromotion.com

Please join us tomorrow.

8 Things To Know About Me!

I got tagged by Jen Nipps, from Creatif to carry on this post in the blogsphere.

http://jensorganizedwriter.wordpress.com/2007/09/24/bonus-post-8-things-about-me/

What can I tell you about myself and my writing that won’t bore you to tears.

1. I recently joined Pump Up Your Book Promotion Public Relations Agency. This is an online agency that promotes authors and their books with virtual book tours. In the short time that I’ve been with this company it has been great. I’ve been learning the ropes and let me just say that the PR business is a very fast moving and exhilirating environment to work in. If you’re an author and are interested in taking a virtual book tour check out Pump Up here; http://pumpupyourbookpromotion.com

2. It has always been a dream of mine to have a writing career that would financially and emotionally support me. Recently, I have moved that dream into the goal category and have begun to make an action plan and timeline for it.

3. When the time comes that I can see my writing as being a succesfull paid venture then I can leave the Corporate Business world behind. Hip, Hip, Hooray!

4. I have always loved the written word and how the great literary authors can just make the words sound effortless.

5.  I’ve had two short stories published in two anthology e-books, they’re available here at this site. Love is in the Air, A Valentine’s Day free e-book. My short story, Dad’s Tips on Love and Marriage, (5 Answers to Those Questions a Woman Asks in Marriage).   My previous short story was in the Christmas 2006 anthology, The 12 Days Of Writersville, and is a twist on a familiar old tune.

6.  I write and drive at the same time and while they haven’t outlawed this yet, I wouldn’t advise trying it unless you’re really good at writing blindly. Place the notebook on your lap and with your eyes on the road, scribble your thoughts on the page before you without looking down at it. The deciphering part of what you scribbled is the fun part. 

7.   I would be love to meet Nora Roberts or actually her imagination. With over 100 books in print she must have a very vivid one.

8.  I am overly ambitious person and a I possess a drive to accomplish all that I can. I have this quote posted on my computer screen. “Either you decide to stay in the shallow end of the pool or you go out in the ocean.” Christopher Reeve, Actor (may he rest in peace).

Now, I have to tag 8 other writers to carry on this post;

eavesdrop writer,  http://eavesdropwriter.blogspot.com

Rock Stories, http://www.rockstories.blogspot.com

Helen Ginger, www.helenginger.com

Victorya Chase Goes To Therapy, http://victoryachasegoestotherapy.blogspot.com

Terrence Culkin on Writing, Poetry, New York, http://www.terrenceculkin.com

Into the Inkpot, http://www.intotheinkpot.com

Word Strumpet, http://www.wordstrumpet.typepad.com/word_strumpet

To Live and Write in L.A., http://360.yahoo.com/rebecca.camarena

Don’t Break The Chain, Happy Posting!
 

Author Interview Tomorrow with Scott Zema

Join us tomorrow for our first author interview with Scott Zema.  Coincidentally, this is Scott’s first virtual book tour.

Scott is the author of Three Steps to Investment Success: Buying The Right Art, Antiques, and Collectibles.

His virtual book tour is brought to you by Pump Up Your Book Promotion. www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.com

Please join us tomorrow.  

Writer’s Block

Have you ever been a victim of writers block?

In the Freelance Writer’s Bible, Your Guide to a Profitable Writing Career within One Year by David Trottier a single chapter is devoted to discussing writers block. I’ll list a few of them here, but you just have to read the book to find out the entire list.

At the end of this chapter my reaction was, “Is that all that’s wrong with me.” Once I was able to identify what has kept me from writing it didn’t seem to be such a big monster after all. Since coming to terms with all those little nagging reasons not to write, now the ideas seem to flow much easier. No longer is it a struggle for me to make the time to write.

David Trottier’s 10 of his 17 Reasons for Writers Block

1.  Procrastination or scribaphobia (fear of writing)
2.  Comparing yourself to Hemingway
3.  Museheimer’s Disease (refusing to write until your muse arrives)
4.  Fear of not being as good as you hoped
5.  Fear of wasting time
6.  Exaggerating fears and problems
7.  Fear of Success
8.  Self-Defeating attitudes (my work is God’s work or my art is more valuable than money)
9.  Chronic Ambivalence Syndrome (not knowing what to write, where to start, or what to write next)
10. Stuckitis (this is an advanced case of Chronic Ambivalence Syndrome where you have lapsed into a stuckitis coma.)

The book is divided up into 4 sections, labeled book 1 through 4 and covers your creative vision, writing with freedom and confidence, Sell to 17 key writing markets, and creating your strategic marketing plan. He articulates each section with confidence, experience and appreciation for the craft of writing. He has created action plans, support and resources, personal challenges and writing opportunities.

If you only read one book this year and if you want to have a freeleance career in writing I highly recommend reading this funny, but truely honest book.

Happy Reading!