Category: Q & A

Saturday Shoutout: Q & A with Author Craig Hart @craighartwriter

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I’m so pleased to have Craig Hart here today for a Q & A. Read on for more information about his book and the interview.

About the Book: 

Goodreads|Amazon

Do You Love Thrillers? The New Shelby Alexander Thriller Series Is Here! Don’t Forget To Breathe… A woman dies in his arms…a drug dealer offers him $10,000…a gunman is determined to kill him. And then everything goes to hell.

Shelby Alexander is an aging ex-boxer and retired fixer, whose activities often flirted with the wrong side of the law. Looking for a little peace and a slower pace of life, he moved to Serenity, the small Michigan town where he grew up. But trouble follows men like Shelby, and he finds himself embroiled in an underworld of drugs and violence that may prove to be his undoing. The first book in the new Shelby Alexander Thriller Series, Serenity is an action-packed read with a lovingly rendered cast, witty dialogue, and a main character who doesn’t know when to quit.


If You Love These Authors, You’ll Love the Shelby Alexander Series: Nick Stephenson, Mark Dawson, David Archer, John Hemmings Christopher Greyson.

Q & A:

1. What’s a typical writing day for you look like? Describe your perfect writing environment.


As the stay-at-home dad for twin boys, my writing happens whenever they’re not taking the house apart brick by brick. This generally means either during their lovely afternoon nap or after the even more lovely bedtime. I do have a sitter come in twice a week, and that affords a few hours to really focus on the project at hand.


My perfect writing environment would be a cabin on the shore of Lake Michigan. My dream–and this actually will happen, mind you–is to own such a place where I can go a few weeks a year and do nothing but write and yell at the seagulls.


2. How did you get started writing? Was it something that you’ve always loved?


I started writing in my mid-teens, although I’d always loved reading. By the time I was in my early twenties, writing had become my obsession. And it hasn’t let up much since. I’ve learned how to temper that obsession a bit (although not well) in order to function as a normal human, but I don’t think I could not be a writer. Having said that, I can’t profess to always love writing. I almost always love having written, but that’s a different thing altogether. I often loathe the writing process, and dread sitting down at the keyboard. There are those days. On the other hand, the times when the muse is generous and the words flow…that’s a high I wouldn’t trade for anything.


3. Who are your favorite writers/inspirations?


I have a literary bent (which readers will find on full display in my 2015 novel Becoming Moon), so I admire writers such as Hemingway and Capote. I don’t pretend to write like those giants, by the way, but they inspire me nonetheless. I also enjoy the Prey novels by John Sandford and some stuff by Lee Child and Michael Connelly. By the way, if you all haven’t seen the Amazon series Bosch, made from the Connelly novels, check it out!


4. Anything you can tell us about upcoming projects?


My newest book, Serenity, is the first in a series of Serenity thrillers, starring Shelby Alexander. The books will all be connected, with recurring characters and continuing storylines, although each book will contain a resolution as well. I have the second book well underway and am planning the third. I intend to have the next two finished and available by summer 2017. 


5. Normally how do you develop plots/characters? Brief us on your process.


It varies. Sometimes it happens in a moment and I am suddenly presented with a plot line or character that works. Other times it is like hacking granite. More often it’s the latter. In this case, I often resort to outlining for plot and freewriting for characters. In the case of characters, it’s useful to get as well acquainted with them as possible. The better you know the characters, the more you will understand their motives and potential actions, which in turn opens up all manner of avenues in the plot.


6. Favorite character from one of your own novels?


This is going to sound like a plant, but it’s Shelby Alexander, the star of the new series. He is an aging ex-boxer who is struggling with his declining physical prowess and the ongoing relationships with his temperamental daughter and the too-young-for-him girlfriend. I find him fascinating. He can be tough as nails, but also has a vulnerable side that shows up, especially in conversation with the girlfriend (and occasionally the daughter). I suspect that Shelby (and I’ll have to ask him to be sure, although he’ll probably just blow me off) is having a difficult time accepting change in his own life and prefers to think he can continue his tough guy approach to life forever. We all know how that is going to turn out for him; hopefully he’ll figure it out before it’s too late.


7. Preferred method for readers to contact you?


You can pop over to my website and go to the contact page! Fill it out, and that will send me an email, which I always read.


8. On average, how long does it take you to write a book?


Average…that’s a tough one. Becoming Moon took three years. Serenity took about two months, from beginning to the final edit. I don’t intend to ever again write a book as fast as I wrote Serenity. I’m very happy with how it turned out, but it also exhausted the hell out of me. I’m sure there are writers who write like this routinely, but I’m not one of them. I’m planning four months each for the next two books, but I’d take six months and be happy.


10. Which one of your characters do you relate to the most?


It’s a tie between Shelby and Nigel Moon, the eponymous character from Becoming Moon. Put those two together and you have the kind of person I intend to become over the next few decades: crusty, surly, but with a good heart and gummy, fifty-year-old peppermints covered in pocket lint for all the kiddies.


11. If writing wasn’t your career what would you be doing?


Probably sitting around wondering why I felt so unfulfilled. No, seriously, I would have likely stayed in my job at the public library system or shuffled off to teach English at some college no one’s ever heard of. Both of those things actually sound fine to me (as long as I could write on the side).


12. What’s the best compliment that you’ve received about your work?


I once had a woman say that my work inspired her to give writing another shot, even though she had stopped years ago. I don’t think she meant professionally, but just as something she could do that might be cathartic. Anytime someone finds my work inspiring in some way…yeah, that makes it worth it.

About the Author: 

Craig A. Hart is the stay-at-home father of twin boys, a writer, editor, Amazon bestselling author, lover of the arts, and only human. He served as editor-in-chief for The Rusty Nail literary magazine and as manager for Sweatshoppe Media. He also served as director for Northern Illinois Radio Information Service, an outreach that brought daily news and information to the visually impaired. 

 

He has been published in The Orange Room Review, Voices, The Stray Branch, Red Poppy Review, The Mindful Word, Inclement, Right Hand Pointing, 7×20 Magazine, and others. 

 

In 2015, Kindle Press published his novel Becoming Moon. NPR affiliate Northern Public Radio featured Becoming Moon in their Winter Book Series.

​

Besides his award-winning novel, Craig is the author of The Writer’s Tune-Up Manual, The Busy Writer, and The Girl Who Read Hemingway. He is also the author of the new Shelby Alexander Thriller Series. The first book in the series, Serenity, launched on Oct. 31, 2016.

 

Craig lives and writes in Iowa City with his wife, sons, and two cats.

Twitter|Facebook|Website|Amazon Author Page

Huge thanks to Craig for joining me today! 

Saturday Shoutout: Q & A with author Brad Graber @Jefbra1 @McKinneyPR

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I’m so excited to share a Q & A with Brad Graber today! He’s a local author and I was so pleased to be put in touch with him as I haven’t had the chance to support any local authors yet. His debut novel, The Intersect is available now. I’ll be reviewing the book soon and I’m so interested in reading something based in my home state of Arizona as that doesn’t happen too often. Read on for more information on the book as well as an interview with Brad.

About the Book: 


THE INTERSECT by Brad Graber 

 

Brad Graber was thrilled to move to Phoenix in 2009, a friendly city with a diverse community. But the state of Arizona had its struggles, especially regarding immigration. The rich culture of Phoenix, set against the political and social issues of Arizona in 2010, is the backdrop to Graber’s charismatic debut The Intersect.

 

In THE INTERSECT, Graber uses his personal history, professional health care background, and the social issues of today, to paint a moving portrait of lives that connect in a deep and meaningful way. The novel weaves together the stories of disparate characters who are striving to survive in a world where the most lasting connection is made among strangers. Graber takes a close look at what it’s like to be an older woman struggling to navigate the health care system while being swindled by her family; a gay man in a long term relationship thrown off-balance by early retirement; an illegal immigrant who considers himself to be an American, in a country that tells him otherwise; and a gay teen who has come out of the closet to a rejecting family.

 

THE INTERSECT opens with Daisy, a spry 75-year-old woman living on her own. When Daisy gets into a car accident and is whisked away for hip surgery, her stay in rehab threatens to transition to long-term care. Her nephew Jack and his second wife Enid nefariously garner power of attorney and, without Daisy’s knowledge, sell her Biltmore home. Months later, Daisy returns to discover that a gay couple in their 50s, Dave and Charlie, have purchased the property. Charlie welcomes Daisy into the couple’s guestroom, believing she’s Dave’s distant aunt from NYC, before discovering her circumstance. The men bond with Daisy, even as Dave and Charlie’s relationship starts to take a turn when Dave quits his high-end career and spirals into a post midlife crisis.

 

Meanwhile, Ernie is a Mexican-born immigrant who was smuggled into the United States when he was a young child. He owns a handyman business and prides himself on being a model American, despite his illegal status. When Ernie stops by the house of a client, he finds the woman held at knifepoint in an attempted robbery. When the police arrive, Ernie is falsely arrested and deported to Mexico, where his American grit helps him to succeed despite overwhelming odds.

 

These characters’ stories become intertwined with those of a psychic, a physical therapist, and scheming love interests as the novel takes many dramatic twists. Lives become entangled: relationships are strained, secrets are revealed, personal identities are threatened, hearts are broken, and justice is sought.

 

Exploring today’s hot-button issues of immigration, elder abuse, and teen homelessness, THE INTERSECT shows readers that strangers can make unexpected and lasting connections—even as they reveal the most vulnerable part of themselves.

About the Author: 


Brad Graber was born and raised in New York City. He obtained a B.A. in Biology from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and an M.H.A. from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. As a healthcare administrator, Brad has held a number of positions living in Highland Park, a suburb of Chicago; West Bloomfield, a suburb of Detroit; and Mill Valley, a suburb of San Francisco. Brad currently resides in Phoenix with Jeffrey, his spouse of 26 years, and their dog Charlie. Brad volunteers with non-profit organizations, most recently with Duet, which provides support for seniors. He has in the past volunteered with Oneten.org,which supports GLBTQ youth. THE INTERSECT is Brad’s first novel. For more information visit his website or on Twitter @JefBra1.

Q & A:

1. What’s a typical writing day for you look like? Describe your perfect writing environment.

 

I tend to get up early, about 5 a.m., and walk the dog. After I eat breakfast and read the paper, I settle down into my home office where I start writing about 7:30 a.m. – after checking email and watching Charlie Rose on CBS. I break about ten o’clock – for a snack – and to let the dog out. My dog Charlie, tends to be huddled nearby. He moves around a lot, starting out in his dog bed – and then shifting to the sofa behind me in my office. I know things are going well if he I can hear him snoring. At noon, I break for lunch – and then continue working till 2 pm – and then I head off to the gym.

 

2. How did you get started writing? Was it something that you’ve always loved?

I’ve always wanted to be a writer, but my career as a healthcare administrator was very distracting. There were times in my life when I tried to write a novel, but I was either unable to concentrate or too tired because of the commitment to my daytime job. But, I always loved great writing, and have been inspired when I’ve read something especially compelling.

3. Who are your favorite writers/inspirations?

 

I like to read a wide variety of authors. I love historical fiction, like Ken Follett’s Winter of the World and Ayn Rand’s We the Living. I enjoy biography, especially Doris Kearns Goodwin’s No Ordinary Time. I like page turners, like Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. And I enjoy a fun read like Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin.

 

4. Anything you can tell us about upcoming projects?

I’m currently working on my second novel, The Season of the Caterpillar, which is the story of a teen being raised by her grandmother, and the teen goes on a journey in search of her namesake. I’m hoping to have that book completed in 2017.

5. Normally, how do you develop plots/characters? Brief us on your process.

 

I tend to write about the issues that profoundly grab my attention. We all have life experiences, and I dig through that mental file folder with the intent of exploring those challenges more fully. My characters are not real people – they’re all fictional – and so the plot must be driven by their behavior, thoughts, and actions – which I imagine when they come to life. If you have a real sense of your characters, you know how they will behave. That is always helpful.

 

6. Favorite character from one of your own novels?

 

My favorite character would have to be Daisy from The Intersect. She’s immensely kind, but has a life story that makes her unique and interesting. And being a mature women in her seventies, she offers wisdom which can only come through life experience. I love that about her.

 

7. Preferred methods for readers to contact you?

 

I’m available by email at brad@bradgraber.com. And I’m also always looking for opportunities to connect with readers by visiting book clubs. So happy to do that.

 

8. On average, how long does it take you to write a book?

 

It took three years to complete The Intersect. But I’m hoping the next book is completed in under two years (fingers crossed).

 

9. Which one of your characters do you relate to the most?

There really isn’t one. I’ve inhabited each one of them through the writing process. That helps to make them seem real.  

10. If writing wasn’t your career, what would you be doing?

I’d be working with a non-profit organization. As a former healthcare administrator, that was a big portion of my life.    

11. What’s the best compliment that you’ve received about your work?

I’ve been told it’s an easy, engaging read – a real page turner – that people have trouble putting it down. It makes me smile to know that I’ve been able to capture my reader’s attention and pique their curiosity.

 

 

 Thanks so much to Brad for joining me today and thanks to Larissa Ackerman from Claire McKinney PR for putting us in touch.

Q & A: Paula Garner 

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I’m thrilled to have Paula Garner, the author of one of my favorite reads of the year, Phantom Limbs here today! If you missed my review, you can find it here. Not only is she a supremely talented writer, she’s also one of the sweetest authors I’ve ever had the pleasure of chatting with. 

Q & A: 

1. You captured the voice of a teenage boy with Otis so beautifully. What’s your secret? Are there teenagers in your own life that helped inspire you?

I don’t have a secret for capturing voice apart from thinking a lot about people and paying a lot of attention to how they act/sound/feel. And yes, it probably didn’t hurt that I had two teenage boys around during the drafting of this book—one of whom was a competitive swimmer!

 

2. Dara lost part of her arm in a tragic accident. Where did you get the idea to develop a character that is an amputee?

Dara is the only character in the novel who showed up in my head unbidden, clear, and fully formed— every cynical, vulnerable, harsh, one-armed, beautiful, fierce, fragile bit of her. It took time to figure out everyone else, but Dara was there from the start in her entirety. I have no idea why. She is such a gift. She will always possess a piece of my heart.

 

3. Swimming plays a huge role in PL, do you have personal experience or connections with the sport?

Yes! It was the only sport I knew anything about. I spent a lot of time at my son’s high school swim meets during the writing of Phantom Limbs, so it was just a part of my world. Like Otis, my son was never an athlete until he was suddenly a swimmer, and when you’re a swimmer, it’s consuming. As the saying goes, eat, sleep, swim, repeat.  

4. What books are you most looking forward to in the last half of 2016?

First and foremost, OF FIRE AND STARS by Audrey Coulthurst, my brilliant CP and friend, and my co-author of STARWORLD (Fall ’18). But there are so many other amazing books coming out this year of every genre—too many to list! Check it out:

https://thesweetsixteens.wordpress.com/ya-books/

http://www.classof2k16.com/p/books.html

5. Name 5 authors you admire or who inspire you.

As a kid, I was captivated by authors like Judy Blume, Paula Danziger, and Paul Zindel. As an older teen, The Heart is Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers completely blew me away and cemented my desire to be an author, although it also was so astonishing that it set an impossibly high bar. In more recent years, unforgettable books I’ve read include Nicole Krauss’s History of Love, Colum McCann’s Let the Great World Spin, and Helen Humphrey’s The Lost Garden. YA writers I think are amazing include Kerry Kletter, Jeff Zentner, and Jandy Nelson, among many others.

 

6. Anything you can share about upcoming projects?

In my next YA contemporary, Relative Strangers (Candlewick, Spring ’18), a tender-hearted teen who feels extraneous in her friendships and family discovers that part of her early childhood was spent in foster care. She sets out to find the family that cared for her, but when she meets her former foster brother, she develops romantic feelings for him that jeopardize the newfound sense of belonging she’s always longed for.


Later in 2018 my third book will come out, a YA contemporary co-authored with Audrey Coulthurst. Starworld is about two very different high school girls with painful home lives who fall into an intense text-message-based friendship built around an imaginary world, only to have that safe place compromised as their real lives unravel and one falls in love with the other.

 

7. What is the best compliment, or the one that meant the most to you that you’ve received about your work?

I have been deeply moved by so many comments and reviews—I don’t know where to start. I will say that some of the most touching and meaningful compliments have come from people I don’t even know. It is an amazing privilege and honor to touch readers I may never talk to or meet.

Phantom Limbs is out tomorrow! You can order your copy at the following retailers:

Amazon|Barnes & Noble|Book Depository
About the Author: 


Paula Garner spends most of her time making narratives, despite being surrounded by an alarming TBR pile and a very bad cat. Her debut YA novel, Phantom Limbs, comes out from Candlewick in 2016. Paula is represented by Molly Jaffa of Folio Lit, and lives in the Chicago area with her family.

Website|Twitter|Goodreads

Q & A: Katie Fforde 

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I’m ecstatic to have the lovely Katie Fforde here today for a Q & A! Her latest book, Recipe For Love is out TODAY! 

You can find it on Amazon.

Look at this gorgeous cover! I swear all of her book covers are just beautiful.


Q & A 

1. What’s a typical writing day for you look like? Describe your perfect writing environment.

 A typical writing day for me starts early, but with a lot of procrastination. I look at my emails, twitter, and play several games of Spider patience. When I’m up against a deadline, I try to avoid twitter until after I’ve done my work – about 1000 words a day. I really like writing when away from home. There are far fewer distractions then. I love going on writing retreats and always get lots done. When all your friends are writing away like mad, you have to as well. I aim to get 2 thousand words a day done then.



2. How did you get started writing? Was it something that you’ve always loved?

 I was given a prod by my mother. I’d talked about wanting to write (expecting to wait until my children were a bit bigger, my daughter was only two) but she obviously felt now was the time and gave me a writing kit for Christmas. She made it up herself and gathered pens, correction paper (Tippex) a dictionary, a thesaurus, a ream of paper and other bits and pieces and put them in a box file. I made it my New Year’s resolution for that year to get started. I could only write when my husband was home from the sea and I gave myself an hour a day. I loved it! The hour would stretch as long as it was allowed to. But it took me eight years to get published.


3. Who are your favorite writers/inspirations?

 Georgette Heyer was a great inspiration but I didn’t realise that until someone said they saw her influence in my writing. She is one of our greatest historical novelists and I write contemporary fiction so I assumed there was no connection.  


4.  Anything you can tell us about upcoming projects?

 I am just about to start writing a Christmas novella which will come out as an e book. It’s set in Somerby, which is the big house that appears in Wedding Season, Love Letters and Recipe for Love. Several of the characters that appear in those books will be there as well as a new romantic story. I think it will be fun. Then I’ll start my next novel (number 24) which is going to have a farming background.


5.  Normally how do you develop plots/characters? Brief us on your process.

 Characters come easily to me but plots are harder. There are rare but lovely times when the story bubbles out and I think, this happens and then happens but more often, the story reveals itself to me bit by bit. The characters are more fun. I start with a theme and then think, what sort of woman would be in this situation? Why is she in that situation? That process is fun. Then I have to think about her man. Men are harder because, as we women know, there are very few eligible bachelors about so if a man is to be single, he has to have a good reason for it.


6.  Favorite character from one of your own novels?

 I think Polly, from Living Dangerously, my first novel, is my favourite. She had my job, my keep fit class, my fondness for jumble sales and is very like me. She is/was younger and much more attractive than I am but we do have the same sort of hair.


7.  Preferred method for readers to contact you?

 Twitter is probably the best way for readers to contact me. They can email me via my website but they don’t always get through. Twitter always works, I think.


8. On average, how long does it take you to write a book?

 It takes about 6-8 months to write the first draft but then there is editing, (which would be things like, we need another character, or something, fortunately that doesn’t happen so often these days) and then copy editing, which is the little details like, I have given February 5 weeks in it! Then after that, proof reading. After all that is done, copies will go out to magazines and things for reviews. The whole process takes about a year.


9. Which one of your characters do you relate to the most?

I always relate most to the character I am writing. When I’m in her head so much, I almost feel I am her. I loved being a midwife in Summer at Sea but then I loved being a gardner in A Secret Garden which won’t be out until February in the UK.


11. If writing wasn’t your career what would you be doing?

 If I wasn’t a writer I probably would have been a counsellor or something like that. I love listening to people.


12. What’s the best compliment that you’ve received about your work?

 I had a lovely email recently from a woman who’d gone through treatment for breast cancer. She said she couldn’t sleep and so every night would read my books and feel she was with a friend. It was a very moving email to receive.

Thanks so much to Katie for answering my questions, it was truly a pleasure!

About the Author: 


I am a writer, mother, wife and for those who don’t know, a struggling flamenco dancer. I’m not quite sure how I juggle it all!? Here you can get to know more about me, my hobbies, favourite recipes, my writing tips, general ponderings, the lengths I will go to in the name of research and more…

You can find Katie on social media:

Website/Twitter/Facebook