Fridays off the Wall with Chynna Laird

Today I'm welcoming Chynna Laird to Fridays Off the Wall.  Chynna is a fellow Astraea Press author.  Her most recent book is called Blackbird Flies, a young adult novel.


Joselyn: Tell us more about Blackbird Flies. Who would you cast as the villain/antagonist character?

I don’t really have a ‘villain’ in my book. The antagonist, though, is Lily Joplin—the girl Payton is attracted to but is fighting to get close to because of her issues. She has a strong resemblance to Alicia Silverstone but I’m not sure she’d be young-looking enough to play Lily. I guess my top choice would be Kristen Stewart. She has the sultry look I envision for Lily and from her other roles, I think she could handle this complex of a character brilliantly.

Joselyn: What do you listen to while you are writing?

My four kids running around screaming. LOL! My main ‘office’ is right in the living room so that’s what is around me most of the time. BUT in the quieter times when I’m working alone, I usually listen to the Beatles and Ringo Starr. They are what inspire me, calm me, get me going, and draw out my creativity.

Joselyn:  I'm so impressed that you can work during that.  I can barely concentrate when my kids are "sitting quietly" and watching TV. (and by "sitting quietly" I mean only bouncing on the couch instead of somersaulting.) What would you do if you lost an entire manuscript?

OMGosh! That’s actually happened to me! I freaked out at first, then cried. Then I just started from scratch. I still had my outline and the story all planned out in my head. What happened is the new version turned out even better than the one I’d finished! (Chynna’s advice: BACK. UP. DAILY!!!)

Josleyn:  That reminds me.  I need to do a big backup.  That's fantastic that the new one was even better. What draws you to a movie – actors, plot or genre – and why?

GREAT question! I’d have to say genre draws me first because even if an actor I LOVE is in a certain movie, it may not be enough to get me to watch it. For example, I adore Johnny Depp but not everything he does is up my alley. LOL!

Joselyn: What is your favorite thing about writing?

Being able to escape my world for a little while into one that I create.

Joselyn: What is your favorite story (that you’ve written)?

Wow…that’s a tough one. My favorite novel-length story I’ve written is definitely BLACKBIRD FLIES. My favorite short story is a toss up between THE GRAY FELT HAT and JUST SHUT UP AND DRIVE!

THE GRAY FELT HAT is about an experience I had when I was 15. Things were really tough during those days and I was desperately unhappy. I took the bus to school every day and this little old man got on one morning and sat beside me. What always stood out in my mind about him was he wore a beautiful gray felt hat, even in the warmest weather—something of his generation, I think. Anyway, he listened to me…that’s all he did. He never judged me or gave his opinion; he just listened, offering his pearls of wisdom. One day, he stopped getting on the bus. I feared the worst. I never knew his name but he gave me love during a time I didn’t have any. I think about him every day.

JUST SHUT UP AND DRIVE is a fiction story about a young man who travels across the Canadian Prairies to learn more about his family history. His parents were killed in a car accident when he was a young boy and the rest of the family thought his Granddad Wilf would be the person to raise him so he’d have a ‘tougher hand’ they felt he needed. I’m turning this into a novel so I won’t say too much but I think it’ll be a great story. =)

Joselyn:  Those are great titles. What is the most challenging thing you’ve ever done?

As a writer? I’d probably say moving into Fiction from being almost exclusively a Nonfiction author. The premise is the same because you still have to capture the attention of your audience and hold it until the book is complete. But in Fiction, there’s an entirely different avenue of story telling that authors need to bare in mind.

I’ve published two memoirs, a children’s picture book, a YA novel and an adult suspense/thriller (and have a shelf full of projects on-the-go.) A similarity among all these different genres is the importance of ‘showing’ through dialogue and bodily responses. The difference is that Nonfiction is a ‘true account’ of something, whether a biography, memoir or reference book whereas Fiction is a story where you create places, characters and events. When I first attempted Fiction I wondered if I’d ever ‘get’ it because I’d have huge holes in the story line or wouldn’t go into as much character detail as I should…you know, all the regular ‘newbie’ author boo-boos. But it got easier when I realized that I just had to tell the story like a movie playing in my head that I wanted to share with someone else, having them see that movie the way I was. That helped! But I still find it challenging going back and forth. LOL!

Joselyn:  Okay, last question. Have you ever written a hero or heroine that you didn’t like?

So far, no! I’ve even liked the villains I’ve created because, in my view, every one of us whether thought of as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ has a weakness…a vulnerability…that we can relate to in some way. Humans…all humans…are flawed in some way. There’s not one of us who is perfect. And that’s how I create my characters. 

Blurb for Blackbird Flies: Fifteen year-old Payton MacGregor is a musical prodigy. To him, though, his music is merely a way for him to escape from the chaos that surrounds him. All of his life, he’s had to care for his mother, who copes with her bipolar disorder with booze instead of turning to her own musical talents. He refuses to become a statistic. Then he’s thrown a curve ball.

His mother suddenly dies, leaving him to be cared for by his aging grandparents.  As much as they love him, they decide to send him halfway across Canada to live with his father, Liam—the man Payton always believed abandoned him and his mother. Payton isn’t making the relocation easy on anyone until he finds out he's going to attend the prestigious School of the Arts for musically gifted youth. Any second thoughts he has about his new life are erased when he meets Lily Joplin. Their connection is instantaneous.

Lily is a talented singer, but her struggles with drugs and bipolar disorder hit too close to home for Payton’s comfort. And when her issues become all-consuming for Payton, he wonders if his music will be enough to carry him through.

You can purchase Blackbird Flies at: http://www.astraeapress.com/#ecwid:category=662250&mode=product&product=3028835 (Astraea Press) Also available on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and Smashwords.

For more about Chynna: 

WEBSITE: www.lilywolfwords.ca

MAIN BLOG: www.the-gift-blog.com

2^ND BLOG: www.seethewhiteelephants.com

Chynna, thanks for participating in Fridays off the Wall.  Hope you have a great weekend!

Fridays off the Wall with Stephy Smith

Today I'm welcoming fellow Astraea Press author Stephy Smith to talk about her new book, Shawnee's Creek.

Joselyn: Who would you cast as the main characters in a movie of Shawnee's Creek? 

Simon Baker as Emory Creek. Jennifer Love Hewitt as Shawnee Turner. They both have a mysterious quality that could add a lot of dynamism if paired together. It would be interesting to see how the two would play off each other.

Joselyn: I love the sparkle of mischief in Simon Baker.  Definitely an interesting choice. What is the most unexpected thing that has happened in one of your books?  As in you didn’t expect it to happen until you wrote it? 

I was working on one of my wip’s when a baby was born. The next thing I knew a little three year old girl was begging to tell her story which is the ending of the book. My writing usually starts from the first and goes all the way to the end. I have never had the end before the middle.

Joselyn: Sounds fascinating. If your main character could invite anyone to dinner (fictional or otherwise), who would it be? 

Simon Baker and Jennifer Love Hewitt to instruct them in how to play their parts. (Shawnee stands over my shoulder giggling.)

Joselyn:  Sounds like a delightful meal. Do you have any characters who keep bugging you for their own book? Will you give them one? 

I have a couple of characters from Rescued From the River. Two of the wip’s I have going are possible sequels to Rescued. I’ll have to see how it pans out before I give any others their own books.

Joselyn:  What one thing would make your writing space perfect? 

A lot of money to construct a writing space;0)

Joselyn: So buy more books right?  Having a space to write seems like it would be easier to stay organized. What author would you be delighted to be compared to (in a positive way, of course)? Is this your favorite author? 

For historical I would have to say Jodi Thomas. She breathes life into her characters to pull the readers into the story toA make them wish they could find or be the person she created. There are so many talented authors out there I hate to choose.

Joselyn: When the power goes out, what do you do? (Cell phone service is out too.)

Light a candle and read. I live too far out in the country to do anything else. I love winter days when I can wrap up in a fluffy, warm blanket and light the candle to see by. It helps me get the feel of the 1800’s for my historical novels. Most of the time I have no cell phone service in my area.

Joselyn: It's one way to do research. LOL. And finally, what do you do to celebrate a book sale? 

Pray the reader likes it and tells their friends it’s a must read. 

Thank you Joselyn for having me here today. It has been a joy to visit with you. I wish you many sales and happy writing experiences.

Joselyn:  Don't we all? This sounds like a fabulous book and now that I'm thinking about Simon Baker, it will be added to my iPod soon. Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions.

More about Shawnee's Creek:

Shawnee Turner left her home, family and friends to start a new life on a Colorado ranch. When the ranch sold she was forced to return to her Texas hometown and the job she left behind.

Emory Creek owned the sale barn. Anxious for his one true love to return he had to come up with a plan to convince Shawnee, he was the man for her.

You can purchase Shawnee's Creek at the following locations: (Don't forget to check out Stephy's other titles as well.)

 www.astraeapress.com www.barnesandnoble.com www.amazon.com www.smashwords.com

You can find out more about Stephy at her website:

 www.stephyjsmith.webs.com

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Fridays off the Wall with Grace Greene

Today, I'm welcoming Grace Greene for Fridays off the Wall.  Her latest book, Beach Rental, will be available from Turquoise Morning Press on July 11.

Joselyn: What is the most unexpected thing that has happened in one of your books?  As in you didn’t expect it to happen until you wrote it?

Unexpected things happen in my books all the time. I imagine that’s especially true of writers who don’t plot heavily. In my current work-in-progress, I knew something of value was hidden at an old, decaying mansion, but I didn’t know what – only that it would be the constant in the story and something the characters would ultimately be at odds over, and even in danger because of. I didn’t know what it was, but moved forward with writing the book anyway trusting my people to clue me in when they were ready. When the characters finally told me what the ‘treasure’ was, it seemed perfectly obvious. I should’ve thought of it myself!  (Smile).

Sorry, I can’t divulge what the item is because the book is still in draft stage.

Joselyn: Sounds fascinating.  I don't plot either.  I like discovering the story as I write. What is your favorite line from your most recent book? 
I have many favorite lines. A contest judge once said I had a knack for one-liners. The one I’ll offer here isn’t the most descriptive sentence or the snappiest quip, but it’s a little story in itself and sums up the first part of Beach Rental quite well:

“The waves rolled in, gulls squawked and scavenged from the few beach-goers, and she, Julianne Cooke Bradshaw, sat on her new porch and wondered how long her marriage would last.”

Joselyn: Oh, I like that.  The tone is at once artistic, ominous and quirky. Do you have any characters who keep bugging you for their own book? Will you give them one? 
One of the characters in Beach Rental wants her own book. Her name is Maia and she’s a strong secondary character – and such a sweetheart that I’d like to help her find the love of her life. Nothing is in the works for that right now, but maybe down the road, especially if I decide to write another book set in Emerald Isle.

Joselyn: What author would you be delighted to be compared to (in a positive way, of course)? Karen White. Is this your favorite author? 
I have many favorites, but writing-wise many are outside my genre or heat level. For instance, I love Sue Grafton’s voice (who doesn’t?) but she’s a mystery writer and I’m not. Karen White’s southern fiction is more in my genre and her style and voice resonate with me. I’d love to be compared favorably to her someday.

Joselyn: Last one. When the power goes out, what do you do? (Cell phone service is out too.) 
First, I’d use my laptop until the battery died, then switch to my mini laptop whose battery lasts a good seven hours. Somewhere during that time, bedtime is bound to hit and I’ll get some sleep.

More about Beach Rental:

On the Crystal Coast of North Carolina, in the small town of Emerald Isle…

Juli Cooke, hard-working and getting nowhere fast, marries a dying man, Ben Bradshaw, for a financial settlement, not expecting he will set her on a journey of hope and love. The journey brings her to Luke Winters, a local art dealer, but Luke resents the woman who married his sick friend and warns her not to hurt Ben—and he’s watching to make sure she doesn’t.

Until Ben dies and the stakes change.

Framed by the timelessness of the Atlantic Ocean and the brilliant blue of the beach sky, Juli struggles against her past, the opposition of Ben’s and Luke’s families, and even the living reminder of her marriage—to build a future with hope and perhaps to find the love of her life—if she can survive the danger from her past. 


You can stay in touch with Grace at her website, http://gracegreeneauthor.com. 


Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. 

Fridays off the Wall with Paula Martin

Today, I'm welcoming Paula Martin to Fridays off the Wall. Her latest book, His Leading Lady, was just released from Whiskey Creek Press. 

Joselyn: Who would you cast as the main characters in a movie of your latest book?

Take 15 years off Colin Firth i.e. about the age he was when he played Mr Darcy (quick drool!) in the BBC production of Pride and Prejudice and he’d be perfect as my hero, Kyle Drummond, in ‘His Leading Lady’.  And Jennifer Ehle, who played opposite him as Elizabeth Bennett, would be good as Jess (again as Jennifer was 15 years ago). 

Joselyn: Who wouldn't love those actors?  They would be perfect. If your main character could invite anyone to dinner (fictional or otherwise), who would it be?

Jess would invite the medieval ‘Lady Kate’, the role she plays in the West End musical called ‘Token of Love.’

When I first wrote ‘His Leading Lady’, I didn’t want to use an already existing musical, so I searched for a Scottish legend on which to base ‘my’ musical.  When I found the legend of ‘Black Colin of Argyll’ I knew I’d found the right story (wonder if Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber would be interested??). 

In the legend, Colin, laird of Glenorchy decides to join a Crusade to the Holy Land.  His young wife is unhappy but Colin has a ring made, inscribed with both their names, then breaks it in two and gives her one half.  He says that if she receives his half of the ring, she’ll know he is dead.  That, of course, is their ‘Token of Love’.

During Colin’s absence, the neighbouring lord, who wants to add Colin’s lands to his own barony, schemes to convince Kate that Colin is dead, but of course she hasn’t received Colin’s token.  However, she agrees to marry the lord as soon as the tower of her new castle is completed.  She tells the workmen to work as slowly as possible, and also instructs them to pull down, under cover of darkness, what they had built during the day.  What a girl!

All ends happily of course, when Colin eventually returns, just as she is about to marry the lord – and then she and Colin live ‘happily ever after’.    

Joselyn: I love that she has the castle torn down at night. It's fabulous. Do you have any characters who keep bugging you for their own book? Will you give them one?

Lora, the twin sister of the heroine of ‘His Leading Lady’ keeps bugging me to write ‘Lora’s Story’.  Maybe I will, because I have a vague idea about what happens to her a year or so after the end of HLL.  It will start tragically, but end happily – of course. 

Joselyn: What is the most unexpected thing that has happened in one of your books?  As in you didn't expect it to happen until you wrote it?

Lots of unexpected things happen while I write, because I tend to let the main characters ‘lead’ me and I follow them.  I love it when they surprise me by revealing something about themselves that I didn’t know before (just as people in ‘real life’ can do as you get to know them).

One fun thing occurred as a kind of ‘fill-in’ in my current WIP  The hero and heroine cross the Nile by motorboat and the boat-owner, a young Egyptian, “invented” himself as an Elvis look-alike and impersonator.  No idea where he came from but I love him!  I think I’m going to find him a job as an entertainer on one of the Nile cruise ships – and he might just have an important role to play in helping the hero and heroine get back together when various things have forced them apart.

Joselyn: My favorite characters are like this.  They have some kind of quirk that is so useful in the story. When the power goes out, what do you do? (Cell phone service is out too.)

Scream, spit and curse!  I can live without a phone, but I HATE being without my internet connection, so I do all the aforesaid when the connection goes down, let alone a full-scale power-cut.  But, if it did happen, I have plenty of candles, so maybe I’d light a whole bunch of them, and then pull out my notebook and start scribbling down my story, just like I did with my early novels which I wrote in pre-computer days. 

I hear ya.  Take away my phone, I wouldn't notice.  Take away my internet connection and I get the shakes. :-)

Blurb for ‘His Leading Lady’:

Jess Harper’s predictable life is turned upside down when she discovers that Lora, her twin sister, has disappeared.  It’s just a week before rehearsals are due to start for a new West End musical in which Lora has the lead role.  Jess decides to pose as her sister in order to save Lora's career.  This brings her into close contact with arrogant theatre director Kyle Drummond.  Attraction sparks between them but there’s also evidence that he had been dating Lora.  So is Jess simply a substitute – in real life as well as in the show?  And what will happen when Lora eventually returns? 

Available from www.whiskeycreekpress.com

You can find out more about Paula at:

Website: http://paulamartinromances.webs.com/

Personal Blog: http://paulamartinpotpourri.blogspot.com/

Writers Blog (with 4 other writers): http://heroineswithhearts.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paulamartinromances

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaulaRomances

Thanks so much for hanging out with us, Paula!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Fridays off the Wall with Sandy Cody

Today I'm welcoming fellow Avalon author Sandy Cody to Friday off the Wall. Sandy's newest book, Left at Oz, is a Jennie Connors mystery. 

Joselyn: Who would you cast as the main characters in a movie of your latest book?

Jennie Connors – Keira Knightly   Since the book is set in Memphis, Tennessee we’d have to change her lovely British accent to one appropriate to the American south. I know. That’s a sin, but I hope it’s forgivable because I really want Knightly. She projects the combination of intelligence and innocence that I imagine for Jennie.

Tom Connors – Jon Hamm  He’s Jennie’s handsome husband, the one who swept her off her feet and married her after a whirlwind three-week courtship. Handsome as Tom is, he can be a little unbending sometimes. If you’ve ever watched Mad Men, you know Hamm can be that. And, yes, I can imagine being swept off my feet by him.

Nathaniel Pynchon (Nate) – Peter O’Toole  This is a bit of a cheat because Nate isn’t actually in my latest book, but I want to include him because, of all the characters I’ve ever written, Nate is the one for whom I knew from the start who the perfect actor would be. It’s those blue eyes, at times angelic, at times downright maniacal.  Nate is an 84-year-old retired Shakespearean actor (if actors ever truly retire). He believes that rules were made for other people. He’s self-centered, arrogant and has a lot of faults, but Jennie loves him and so do I.

Joselyn: What is the most unexpected thing that has happened in one of your books? As in you didn’t expect it until you wrote it?

Chapter one of Left at Oz begins with Jennie looking for her stolen car and ends when she finds the car with a body in it. In Chapter two, she is at the police station being and is thinking of her two young sons, wishing she could shield them from the ugliness of the world. She recalls the scene at breakfast that morning. She was upset but the kids were thrilled because “…nothing like this ever happened to us before”. They were clamoring for all the gory details, especially anything about the cop’s gun. As Jennie is trying to divert their attention, Andy (the six-year-old) starts chopping up the banana slices floating in his cereal and arranging them into the shape of a gun. I didn’t expect him to do that, but it became one of my favorite scenes and I used it to foreshadow Jennie’s subsequent actions.

Joselyn: Isn't it great when that happens.  Something you wrote that you thought was incidental actually really defines a character or sets up an action. Do you have any characters who keep bugging you for their own book? Will you give them one?

Emma Malich is a minor but important presence in Left at Oz. One of the other characters refers to her as “that crazy old flower lady”. She’s an older woman who lives alone on a farm in the middle of nowhere.  Her house, set in the middle of dusty cornfields, is framed by a profusion of flowers and is the inspiration for the title. She’s independent, feisty and has an aura of down-to-earth elegance about her. (Picture Katharine Hepburn in her later years.) I know Emma has a story just waiting to be told and, yes, I may give her a book of her own.

Joselyn: What one thing would make your writing space perfect?

Good question. I thought about this for a while and rejected the first few things that came to mind. Then it hit me. What I really need is a Time Machine. I don’t mean a machine that would transport me to a different period in history whenever I wanted (though that could be fun). I’d like a machine that expands time. I could set the dial and add an extra hour or two and … viola … my house would be spotless; my gardens weedless; I could start a new quilt and still have all the writing time I want. And I’d make sure I had time to waste or, as I prefer to think of it, daydream, an essential activity if you’re a writer. Not possible? Ah, but wouldn’t it be nice?

Joselyn: What author would you be delighted to be compared to (in a positive way, of course)? Is this your favorite author?

Alexander McCall Smith. I love everything about his work: his intelligence, his sense of humor, the subtlety with which his characters are drawn, the way he brings his setting to life. As I said – everything. Choosing one favorite author is tough. I just finished Faithful Place by Tana French and loved the gritty humanity of it, but I can’t imagine writing like her. And there are many others. I’m almost always in awe of the author of whatever I’m reading at the moment. If I have to pick one living author though, it would be Smith. He writes several series, with completely different settings and makes me feel a part of all of them. Most of all, I love spending time with his characters.

I really like Alexander McCall Smith for the reasons you describe.  The poor sausage dog series just cracked me up and the books about Portuguese irregular verbs.  What a hoot!

You can find Left at Oz on Amazon.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Fridays off the Wall with W. S. Gager

Today, I'm hosting my good friend and critique partner, W. S. Gager for Fridays off the Wall. We have been writing together for about five years and it has been quite a ride. (Not like her white-water rafting story though.  That's just scary.)  The next installment in the Mitch Malone Mysteries comes out in July from Oak Tree Press.

Joselyn: Who would you cast as the main characters in a movie of your latest book?

This is such an easy one because I had his picture taped to the wall while I wrote. It’s Jake Gyllenhaal. I wanted someone with a friendly face and hair that could be ruffled but still looked good. A lot of average characteristics with built in appeal to get people to spill their guts to him when he interviews them for the newspaper.

Joselyn: What’s one hobby readers would be surprised to know you have? Or what is the most adventurous thing you’ve done?

The most adventurous thing I’ve done is gone white water rafting for the first time on a raging river at flood stage. It was an advanced river and the group I was with gave me the basics and just said keep quiet. Our raft flipped and two of the people in it didn’t surface. I was thrown clear but was dragged a mile down the river before I could wedge myself between rocks until rescued. The other two in the raft ended up underneath it in an air pocket but no one knew. It was really scary but one of the best things I ever did. I married one of the guys in the raft!

Joselyn: My spine is tingling just reading that.   If Mitch Malone could invite anyone to dinner (fictional or otherwise), who would it be?

Crime Beat Reporter Mitch Malone would pepper Woodward and Bernstein from the Washington Post with questions about their investigative work. The pair was responsible for breaking the Watergate scandal with President Nixon. Mitch is always working hard in each book to get a Pulitzer Prize for journalism and would like to learn from two of the masters.


       Joselyn: I think that is exactly who I would have guessed. Mitch's mind never gets far from work. What one thing would make your writing space perfect?

A huge pile of calorie-free no-bake cookies and my critique buddies at my back with a whip to keep me motivated and going when the summer calls to me. On second thought, I’m not sure about my critic buddies…… I’m not sure I want to share the cookies!

Joselyn: Well, I'm eating one right now, so I suppose you could have your own. When the power goes out, what do you do? (Cell phone service is out too.)

I read by candlelight. It is the best thing (although not sure if it is good for my eyes!) This is guilt-free reading. There is nothing I have to do like laundry, or checking email or facebook. I can read whatever I want and there is nothing else I can do. It’s perfect!

That's sounds wonderful. It makes me really tempted to set the time on the phone.  Every time I do, the power goes out within forty-eight hours. (Once it was out for almost twenty-four hours because I set the time on the coffeemaker. I don't set the clocks anymore.)

More about the latest Mitch Malone Mystery: A Case of Hometown Blues:

Mitch vowed he would never return to his hometown after the death of his parents. But when a favor for his editor requires him to teach a seminar for the Flatville newspaper, he must confront the memories he’s tried so hard to bury.  A foolish bet with the cub reporters has him chasing down the murderer of the former Homecoming Queen and trying to keep his butt out of jail as the prime suspect. As the facts he thought he knew about his family unravel, can Mitch discover the truth that will allow his parents and friend to rest in peace or will he be resting with them?

For more about W. S. Gager and Mitch Malone's adventures, visit www.wsgager.com, www.wsgager.blogspot.com, or her Author Central page on Amazon  http://www.amazon.com/W.-S.-Gager/e/B003U5OADU/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Thanks for hanging out with us, W. S. !

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Fridays off the Wall with Nancy Naigle

Today, I'm welcoming Nancy Naigle to Fridays off the Wall.  She also writes romances set in a small town.  I love the quirky characters and relationships you can develop in a small town.

Joselyn: What is your favorite line from Sweet Tea and Secrets? 

Better to fight for what you really want, then to be left wanting what you didn't fight for~

This is a quote from the first chapter of Sweet Tea and Secrets. Jill has scooted out of the fellowship hall when she realizes Pearl has invited Garrett to what was supposed to be a surprise party for Pearl. Of course, Pearl is impossible to surprise. When Pearl’s matchmaking plan doesn’t go according to plan, she goes to apologize to Jill for inviting Garrett. When Jill refuses to entertain any suggestion about even just talking to Garrett, Pearl gives her this advice. Pearl believes Jill and Garrett were meant to be together.

Joselyn: That is a fabulous line.  So much truth in it.  If your main character could invite anyone to dinner (fictional or otherwise), who would it be? 

Jill would invite Paula Deen to dinner and swap family recipes with her. I think they’d hit it right off and Paula would invite her to be on her show.

Joselyn: Do you have any characters who keep bugging you for their own book? Will you give them one? 

Yes. Sweet Tea and Secrets is the first of my Adams Grove Novels. You’ll get to visit with several of the merchants from this story in my November release, Out of Focus. The good looking sheriff, Scott Calvin, is in that book.

Also, Carolanne is Jill’s best friend in Sweet Tea and Secrets. As soon as Pearl mentioned that Connor and Carolanne would make beautiful red-headed babies I knew they needed to be together and they had a story to tell. Good ol’ Pearl. She’s a great matchmaker J Carolanne and Connor definitely have a book coming your way someday.

Joselyn: These sound like so much fun. What one thing would make your writing space perfect? 

I love my writing space. It’s bright and cheerful. My desk was one I found after months of months of hunting stores and online. It’s big and spacious and has that whole Pottery Barn feel to it. I guess the one thing that might make my office more perfect would be live plants. Unfortunately, I’d need a live-in gardener to keep them alive. I have a dead, albeit shapely, woven lucky bamboo in my office now that my step-son gave me for Christmas, and a philodendron that has had at least thirty-two lives. Poor thing. I’m forever over-watering or forgetting to water it.

Joselyn: Vegetation under my care suffers a similar fate. :-) When the power goes out, what do you do? (Cell phone service is out too.) 

I am so addicted to my laptop. I always have it nearby. If the power goes out it’s business as usual until the battery is drained. Then, if it’s daytime I’d probably just daydream and plot. If it’s later, I’d knock off early and go hug a pillow.

Joselyn: What do you do to celebrate a book sale? 

I immediately call my mom. She’s my biggest supporter and cheerleader. Next in line are my critique partners and husband...yes in that order. Once I catch my breath, I treat myself to a new ink pen. My very first contract I bought a pen made from turquoise because I’d signed with Turquoise Morning Press. It seemed appropriate. Any reason for new office supplies is a good reason! J


A new pen!  I've never thought of that.  What a fabulous idea! 


More about Sweet Tea and Secrets: 

Visit the small town of Adams Grove where the biggest crime last year was a few hunters bagging over the legal limit of deer. This sleepy little town is wide awake and locking its doors after a series of break-ins over at Pearl Clemmons' place. Adams Grove is mourning the loss of Pearl Clemmons, known for her award-winning chocolate pecan pie and the best unsolicited advice in the county.

When Jill returns to settle her grandmother’s estate, she’s greeted by a Clydesdale-sized guardian dog who doesn't seem to be earning his stripes (although he drools on them pretty well), and Garrett Malloy, the ex-fiancé she left behind a year ago.

Jill insists on staying at Pearl’s amidst the string of break-ins, but Jill’s past with Garrett becomes the least of her worries when she learns that their lives are in danger. She is the only person standing between a desperate conman and a secret from Pearl’s past.

Will Pearl’s past kill any chance of Jill and Garrett’s future together? 

You can purchase Sweet Tea and Secrets at the following locations: 

Trade Paperback-Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Tea-Secrets-Nancy-Naigle/dp/193581754X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1307480817&sr=8-2

eFormats- Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Secrets-Adams-Grove-ebook/dp/B004YTN12M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1307480817&sr=8-1

nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sweet-tea-and-secrets-nancy-naigle/1031035019

other e-formats: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/56950

To find out then the next Adams Grove novel is released, visit http://www.nancynaigle.com, or follow Nancy on Facebook or Twitter (@nancynaigle).


Nancy, thanks for hanging out with us.  Hope you all have a great weekend!

 

Fridays off the Wall with Maryann Miller

Today, I'm welcoming Maryann Miller, author of Open Season, a police procedural mystery. Open Season is  receiving wonderful reviews: 

"Try this debut mystery by a journalist for its open treatment of current urban problems, clean prose, and realistic depiction of women working together. For readers who enjoy Robin Burcell and fans of police procedurals." Library Journal

"Miller  spins a tight tale that's a cut above the average police procedural in this first of a new series introducing Dallas police detective Sarah Kingsly." Publisher's Weekly

Who would you cast as the main characters in a movie of your latest book?

Since I have recently been bitten with the acting bug, I would love to play Sarah, but unfortunately I don't make the age cut. However, I have a good friend who has been in some of the productions I've been in    at our community theatre who wants to play Sarah when the movie for Open Season is filmed. She is a terrific actress and would do a great job as Sarah, although she would have to learn to cuss. I would love for Halle Barry to play Angel. Angel is quite a tough lady and I think Halle would play that tough-girl role well. I've written the screenplay for Open Season and it made the quarter-finals in the Chesterfield Screenwriting competition several years ago, so it is ready to go. Any producers reading this? Call me.  

What’s one hobby readers would be surprised to know you have? Or what is the most adventurous thing you’ve done?

I haven't been too adventurous of late, but when I was much younger, I used to like to ride horses that would do a little "rodeo" before they settled down to a nice smooth trot. There was one in particular at a riding stable that few people rode because he would start off with some good bucking. It was almost like he was thinking, "If I can ditch the rider, I'm home free. But if she can hang with me, we'll go for a good ride." And he was a terrific horse to ride when he settled down. Now, I would be terrified to get on a horse that acted up. In fact, my current horse reared straight up in the air the second time I rode him and the scream may still be echoing through the pines in East Texas. I still love him, though. 

Horseback riding in general terrifies me, so that sounds especially dramatic to me. What is the most unexpected thing that has happened in one of your books? As in you didn’t expect it to happen until you wrote it?

In Stalking Season, the second book in the Seasons series that will come out next year, I did not plan for Sarah to be attracted to Angel's brother. That possibility had never entered my mind since there are all those issues of race that keep cropping up between the two women and Angel's father is as racist as any redneck. When Sarah first pays attention to how attractive Lavon is, it starts just like any woman admiring a good looking guy. In fact, she notes that in this first book, and I never meant it to go beyond that. But as I got further into Stalking Season and the two characters were thrown together more because of the case, the stronger that attraction became. It totally surprised me when the interest was reciprocated by Lavon. I'm still not sure where this is going. There are reasons they can't act on the attraction in the second book, so I will have to see what they decide when I start the third book.

If your main character could invite anyone to dinner (fictional or otherwise), who would it be? 

I think both Sarah and Angel might like to have dinner with Martin Luther King, Jr. He could help them sort out all these issues they keep having, and keep it peaceful.

What author would you be delighted to be compared to (in a positive way, of course)? Is this your favorite author?

I have actually had the honor of being favorably compared to Lee Child, who is one of my favorite authors. I can't say that I have a single favorite. Sometimes my favorite author is whose book I'm reading now. It was just recently that a woman who read Open Season sent me an e-mail to let me know she really enjoyed the book and said it was as well-written as the last book she read by Lee Child. I almost choked on my coffee when I read the note. Since I really enjoy his books, I was excited and humbled at the comparison.

That is really awesome!  Congratulations! When the power goes out, what do you do? (Cell phone service is out too.) 

Answering just one more question because I couldn't resist this one. The power did recently go out during a thunderstorm, and I got one of our big flashlights so I could work on a jigsaw puzzle. The power was out all evening, so when I got tired of the puzzle, I used the flashlight to read. Reminded me of when I was a kid and was told to turn the lights out and stop reading. Like so many other avid readers, I would take a flashlight and hide under the covers and try to get one more chapter read.

HA!  Love it.  I used up so many batteries that way. 

Open Season

By

Maryann Miller

Published by Five Star Cengage/Gale

Hardcover - $25.95 - 302 Pages

December 2010

ISBN: 978-1-59414-915-3

            Set against a backdrop of racial tension and deadly force controversy in Dallas, Open Season introduces Sarah Kingsly and Angel Johnson, homicide detectives who are unlikely and unwilling partners. When people start dying in area shopping malls, the detectives find themselves up against a killer who has his own race card to play.

            This is the first book in a series and the second, Stalking Season, is in progress. Each book will have ‘season’ in the title as a series identifier.

You can find out more about Open Season at: 

 Amazon: 

 http://www.amazon.com/Open-Season-Five-Star-Mystery/dp/1594149151/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1292423351&sr=1-1

 Website: MaryannWrites (http://www.maryannwrites.com )

  Blog: It's Not All Gravy (http://its-not-all-gravy.blogspot.com/)

Blog: The Blood Red Pencil (http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/2010/01/things-that-drive-editor-crazy.html)

 Maryann, thank you so much for hanging out with us. 

Have a good weekend!

It's a Party at Fridays off the Wall!

You are in for a treat today!  Several of my fellow Astraea Press authors decided to pick one of the Fridays off the Wall questions and all share their answers. 


Their question:  Who would you cast as the leading man in your most recent book?


I have to say I'm feeling a bit old on the younger actors, but I will be adding some to my To Be Watched List. (Of course some of these guys are probably my age, but since they aren't in Bob the Builder, I don't recognize them. ;-)) 


Proceed with caution!  Handsome men pictured below.


First up, Stephy, author of Rescued from the River: 

Who would you like to see play Kale Tucker, the hero in Rescued From the River or Emma Donley the heroine?

I’m going with Michael Weatherly. Several reason’s pop into my head as to why he would be good for the part. One being he is adaptable in his roles, yet I have never seen him in a raw environment role set on the side of a mountain as a fur trader in the 1870’s. His skirt-chasing persona on NCIS is the total opposite of Kale Tucker. This challenge brings me to believe he would be perfect for the part as a man who is concerned more about the feelings of others than his own, which is in line with Kale’s reasoning. Weatherly’s ability to ‘speak’ with his eyes is, without a doubt, one of his greatest assets.

For the heroine, Emma Donley, I would have to say Cote de Pablo. Pitted together with Weatherly in NCIS they have a strong connection to play off one another and enhance their roles. Pablo also has a wide range of abilities to explore. Her ability to portray a school teacher in the west, being kidnapped by a mean, cruel man and her strong will adds to the difficult survival of the women of the 1800’s.

Good actors/actresses seem to put on the clothes and automatically turn into the person they are portraying, although I’m sure it’s not that simple. I like the idea of Weatherly and Pablo together in Rescued From the River.

Next up Chynna Laird, author of The Blackbird Flies:

I’m one of those authors who has the entire book finished in her head even before sitting down to write it. As I move through each chapter, the story plays in my mind and I basically transcribe what I see. I know where the story starts, what ups and downs will occur, what surprises will pop up and how it will all be brought together in the end. The most important part is I know exactly what my characters look like from facial features to physical attributes to they way their voices sound up to how they interact with the world I’ve put them in as well as to the people I’ve put them together with. In fact, I see them so vividly it can often be difficult to decide who’d play each of them on the big screen.

Take the main male character in my new YA novel Blackbird Flies for example. Payton is over six feet tall, lanky but not skinny by any means. He has short, dark hair, deep blue eyes and pale skin. He wears wire-rimmed ‘John Lennon’ styled glasses and is almost never without his MP3 player. He doesn’t seem concerned with what label is on his clothes as long as what he wears is big, baggy and dark. You’ll find him wearing hooded sweatshirts a lot—with the hood pulled over his head.

Payton is a ‘gifted’ student which means that he is academically several years ahead of his peers. Perhaps his greatest gift—both to himself as well as to others—is his gift of music. Payton is a musical prodigy and wise enough to turn to his gifts rather than to the negative influences he’s surrounded with. With all of his talents, though, he isn’t the least bit arrogant. He does have, what my female lead character, Lily, calls a “James Dean Brooding Thing”. Being raised by a mother who had untreated bipolar, using alcohol to cope with her illness, has made Payton bitter. His heart is full of love (which we catch a glimpse of whenever he’s playing the piano or listening to his favorite music) but he is fearful to let it flow freely. Love hurts too much so he keeps people at an arm’s length.

With this vivid image of the wonderful Payton, I had difficulty choosing an actor who could pull off Payton’s ‘brooding’ personality but also make his passion for music believable (and look good in John Lennon glasses!) After researching Daren Kagasoff, I felt he’d be a great fit for the role of Payton. Daren’s current role on The Secret Life of the American Teenager shows that he can portray that brooding element brilliantly but that he could also handle allowing the audience to see that passionate vulnerability peek through as well.

From Kay Springsteen, author of Heartsight: 

Heartsight and Camp Wedding (in Matrimonial Mayhem) leading man:

 Captain Daniel Conway, of the United States Marine Corps, grew up knowing he had one destiny: to become a warrior who would lead other warriors. Growing up in a Marine family, there was no other direction he even considered for his life. But an encounter with an IED in Afghanistan left Dan permanently blind, unable to lead the life he was born to.

I developed a character in Dan who would be frustrated because he feels he is no longer able to fulfill his destiny. To understand aspects of his personality, I spoke to a friend who is former military, about what it’s like to return from deployment to a battle zone. I then looked at characters in movies and on TV, and examined aspects of the personalities they portrayed. Some noteworthy emotions included anger (at the change in his life), sorrow (for losing his purpose in life), anxiety (over an uncertain future), and happiness (at finding hope). Characteristics these emotions would generate included irritation and edginess, brooding and moodiness, and finally lightheartedness and humor. One review called Dan “the world’s most patient man” because he’s so sweet with the little girl in the story. Well, as an officer and a leader, and someone who’s been in battle situations, he’d have developed patience to a degree – battle is often more of a waiting game than actual fighting. For the confidence aspect, I watched a movie my children enjoyed from the 1990s, Quest for Camelot. The hero in that (yes, it’s a cartoon) was blind. But he had extreme self-confidence. For the warrior aspect of Dan, I took from Avatar, the main character, Jake Sully. A U.S. Marine who had been paralyzed from the waist down in a battle injury. His acceptance of his fate didn’t mean he was happy with it, so he had brooding down pat. When he was operating the Avatar, though, he was able to walk and run. He could feel—he was living again. I gave Dan all of these things, and had them happen for him when he fell in love with Trish. Ironically, the actor who is most physically like Dan is also the one from whom I drew many of his characteristics, Australian actor, Sam Worthington, AKA Jake Sully from Avatar.

 EXCERPT from Camp Wedding (in Matrimonial Mayhem)

Trish checked the rearview mirror and saw Bella had fallen asleep. She’d polished off two slices of pizza as well as her hand-dipped ice cream before drifting off, and her mouth sported the ring of chocolate to prove the latter.

Dan, on the other hand, stirred restlessly in his seat, and though she couldn’t see his eyes behind his glasses, Trish knew he was awake and something was on his mind. Actually, she had something on her own mind.

"You know, Chaplain Higgins had a point."

Dan rolled his head lazily in Trish's direction. "Oh? What would that be?"

"Children."

Dan sat up straight. "What about children?" His voice sounded panicked. "Are you pregnant? Geez, Trish, we only did it . . . um, correct me if I’m wrong, but we never did it."

Trish risked a glance in Dan’s direction and laughed outright at his cheeky grin. "Yet," she felt compelled to remind him. "And you know what I mean. Do you want kids?"

"Ah, maybe I’m pointing out the obvious here, but I seem to have acquired one." He gestured behind them. "She’s riding in the back seat. If I don’t want kids, things are gonna get pretty awkward."ʺ

Trish giggled. "Is it the sugar from your milkshake or what? You are impossible to have a serious conversation with! Do you want more children?"

He didn’t say anything and Trish stole another glance. He was listening to something.

"Where are we?" he asked suddenly.

"Coming up on Willis Landing, why?"

"Thought so. The road sounds different here."

Trish frowned. He was right. The tires were making a kind of high-pitched whine. Was he changing the subject?

"Just the other side of Willis Landing, there’s a little pullout near the water. Do you know the one I’m talking about?"

"Yeah, I think I’ve seen it. Kind of overlooks a wildlife wetland area."

Dan nodded. "That’s the one. Can you stop there?"

He refused to explain further, so they drove in silence for another five minutes before Trish brought the van to a stop. She turned off the ignition and then turned to Dan.

"So, what's here?"

A slow smile spread over his face and Dan held out his hand, waiting for Trish to take it. When she did, he tugged her toward him. It was a little awkward but she managed to cross the center space between the seats and ended up in his lap with a giggle.

"It's not a matter of what is here," he murmured against her lips. "But of what is not here. We're off base, so there are no MPs to interrupt us."ʺ

Trish lost herself in his embrace. It was exactly what she needed, and how he knew it—how he always knew what she needed—she no longer questioned.

"I want you," he whispered, drawing circular motions on the sensitive spot below her ear with his thumb. "I want you to be my wife. I want Bella to be my daughter. And if you want more children and God gives them to us—then I want them, too. But,

first things first, I love you. I think I have from the second I heard your voice for the first time."

"But you know—now that I’ve had a baby with a chromosome abnormality, there’s a risk I’ll have another—only a little higher than general population, but—higher. You understand that, right?"

Dan kissed her left cheek. "I want you." He kissed her right cheek. "I want Bella." He kissed her forehead. "I want whatever family we end up making together." Sliding his arms around to her back, he gathered her more tightly to him. "I love you. What do you

say we get married this Saturday?"

Trish tried to laugh at his levity but the sound was more of a strangled cry. A tear slipped from beneath Trish’s lashes, followed by another. "ʺNow you’ve made me cry," she murmured. "How am I supposed to drive like this?"

"Hmm." He brushed his thumb along the top of her cheek. "I don’t know, but I’m guessing a fair sight better than I would if I give it a shot."

From Kim Bowman, author of Wayward Soul: 

Although I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted Owen to look like, his personality is based a lot on my husband (shhhhh….don’t tell him that). The love Owen has for his son is the driving force behind a couple of things that happen in Wayward Soul. That’s exactly how my husband is. His whole life centers around making sure his kids are happy and cared for. Always putting them first, no matter what. I wanted Owen to have that kind of passion. Picking a movie star to play him was a little more difficult. I’ve been asked the question several times in the past few months. If your book was made into a movie, who would you want to play Owen?

Blank. Nada. No one came to mind. I picked a few actors to answer the question, but no one that I really saw as the one. When I had trouble with this question again, Kay offered to help. She wanted the description of Owen. I found it and the thought that popped into my head was, “Oh yeah, I gave him auburn hair and named him Owen after the character of Owen Hunt from Grey’s Anatomy”.  *Kim thunks herself in the head with her hand*

I wanted a character like the one Kevin McKidd played. Strong, emotional, driven, haunted, but a good listener. And, not bad to look at. I’ve been a fan of the show since it aired. This is exactly how I see Owen. Hands down.  

Thanks to Stephy, Chynna, Kay, and Kim for sharing their visions for their characters.  You can find out more about them and their books by visiting our publisher, Astraea Press, at http://astraeapress.com. 

Have a happy and safe holiday weekend.