Meet the Author: Devon Flaherty

WOWZA! Have things been hopping around here at JLB Creatives.

Just last week we were invited to exhibit at Silver Springs to meet n' greet several local school groups. It was an amazing time, and we want to personally thank Silver Springs for the invitation.

Here's a glimpse of the fun we had between groups:

Pictured left to right JLB Creatives Executive Team Members and authors:

Mark Miller, Janet Beasley (holding Aires the baby gator), and Jean E. Lane

Below are some extra pix of Silver Springs - a beautiful place of nature, famous for its glass bottom boats, large cypress trees, and crystal clear waters.

We're gearing up for our next JLBC exhibit which will take place on May 18th, 2013. We will have our books available for sale along with tons of information on JLBC's services, Author in the Park Events, and much more!  

Come to Lakeside Inn in Mount Dora Florida to check it out.

There's tons more coming up...so stay tuned to the JLB Creatives Blog to not only keep up with all the fantastic news, but also our stunning line-up of featured authors from around the world!

This week we are featuring an interview with author Devron Flaherty. So let's jump in head first and find out all about this amazing writer. . .

Hi Devon. Thanks so much for being here.

My pleasure. It's great to be here.

Are you ready for some spontaneous questions?

I sure am...fire away!

OK, here goes. What book or books are you currently working on? Can we expect a
new release soon?

After this week (with my big book launch) I will be headed back to the novel I
am currently writing. The working title is The Date and the Cockroach, but I’m
also considering Buried Treasure and a whole slew of other titles. For what’s not
already down on paper, the story is already all there in my head. The tentative
release date is Spring 2014, and I am really pumped about the story line: seven
siblings making their way back home to their mom’s funeral and each of them
uncovers a secret about her. The first chapter (it’s literary fiction) is at the end of
the paperback version of Benevolent.

After that, I actually have eleven books floating around in my brain. So I have
plenty of material I am excited about, including a fantasy trilogy and a YA series.


We all love stories – especially yours! Would you be willing to give the
readers a synopsis of your current book?

So Benevolent is coming-of-age literary fiction, which is sort of a mash-up of
genres because the characters are mostly teen and early-20s. Gaby is a die-hard
do-gooder and also a bit of a klutz, and we watch as she blazes her way through

high school, college, and hard-core volunteerism, as well as romance (her best
friend is secretly in love with her) and through some crazy disasters (a soup
kitchen stampede; a nursing home fire; a concussion suffered trying to free
frogs). She’s surrounded by a large cast of characters who we learn about through
lots of flashback, and also by a second storyline created by fictional legendary
characters (think Arthurian legend or Robin Hood). A little bit of satire comes in
because we’re dealing with the Midwest and the Detroit suburbs, which I know a
whole lot about, but ultimately the story is character-driven. In the end, sure, we
love the characters, but we also love the bang at the end of the book.


Creativity. Where does yours come from? This is something
writers are asked about much of the time. Would you be so kind
as to elaborate on where you get your ideas and what sparks your
creativity?

I often have my stories delivered to me “whole.” Really, there is a ton of work
that then goes into getting that storyline and those characters onto the page. But
when an idea comes to me—sort of in a flash that is brought on by any number
of external stimuli (a radio commentary, a movie scene, a gnarled tree)—it has a
beginning, an end, and is populated by people, a place (or two), and even a few
scenes. The hard part is waiting for the time to come back to those people and
that place to observe and write.

I also believe, though, that writers just have to sit down and write. I often
have the big idea floating around, but it’s every scene—bit by bit, sentence by
sentence—that makes a novel. So I sit down and put my fingers on the keys and
do my job, even if I’m not feeling particularly inspired.


What are your favorite genres of books to read, and what are your
favorite genres of books to write?

I have usually been a literary kind of girl. I love the classics. I love Shakespeare.
But I have also have grown to love philosophy, travel, memoir, pop, YA, fantasy,
and more, as long as the book is wonderful. I love good writing—the kind where
you gasp at the sheer nerve of someone to put that down so you could share it—
and you can find that lots of places, but not many places, if you know what I
mean.

I always thought I would just write literary fiction, but now that I have written
a general-literary mash-up (and my next book is literary), I am hankering to get
to a fantasy trilogy set between two modern kingdoms; a YA series where Jimmy

and Penny use their exceptional skills while apprenticing as… well, I don’t want
to give it away; and also a science-fiction novel featuring time travel. While most
of my ideas are still literary, I have been surprised to discover I have other things
to say, too, other writing muscles to flex. And because I am an indie writer, I get
to do that if I want to.


How much time do you devote to writing? Daily – weekly – monthly –
whenever the urge strikes?

I am a stay-at-home mom and my husband goes to school full time and works full
time. This past year I have started a small publishing company, finished writing
my first book, and published my first book. I am now marketing and selling that
book. Thanks very much to my mom’s relocation last spring, I have one day a
week at the coffee shop. That said, I work just about every day, Monday through
Saturday, anywhere from a few snatched hours to eighteen hours (while changing
laundry loads, sautéing chicken, and setting up train tracks). I expect I won’t have
to sustain this forever, and I would love to have a home office (as opposed to the
dining room table) and work from the time I drop the kids at school until I go
back to pick them up, weekdays. That would be awesome.

Did you ever study writing?

I have been a writer since age five. Since I have always wanted to be a writer, it
is a little weird that I did not go to college for writing. I did take some classes,
but I figured that a degree in philosophy with a minor in literature would put
me in a nice place to write conscientiously; beef up my brain and my ethics. I
also thought that I didn’t need to study writing because I already had talent. I
was wrong about that last part, and I would study more if I could have a re-do. I
would also have a stronger writing community, in a perfect world. I still consider
going on to a Masters or a Doctorate in the field. Either way, I “study” plenty of
writing books and industry magazines, all the time.


What is your favorite make-believe place you’ve ever created in a
story? Is it a town? A hide-out? A futuristic city? The possibilities are
endless! Please tell us all about your fav as we’d all love to escape with
you!

Since I only have one book so far, I am forced to choose a place from Benevolent.
I would love to hang in Afentra’s treehouse, since I love treehouses, especially
all to myself. I love reading the description of the sun shifting in the home-sewn
curtains and the smell of new wood gone old. Another place in Benevolent I
would love to be is hiking the Golan Heights and finding the cave in the water
with the rainbow arching through the mist. I have hiked the area I describe in
the book. Just imagine slipping out of your dusty/sweaty clothes, slinking into
the cool pool, and looking out over the water at the drop-off to the desert and the
calm Sea of Galilee under a sinking sun.

I also have this great farm in a future book that reminds me of a Tim Burton
movie as seen through rose-tinted glasses. That will be fun to write. That and the
house in the Appalachians where the Bigfoot visit.


If you could cure something in this world, what would it be?

I am very passionate about certain issues, and I love to help out. One of the issues
constantly on my radar is human trafficking. I have met victims, have travelled
around the world trying to do my little piece, all the while thinking that if I could
help one person it would be worth it. If I could cure anything in this world, it
would be the festering wound of human trafficking in all its forms.


As a self-published author do you recommend having your novels
professionally edited?

I can’t tell you how many times in the past month I have come across some
blogger’s review policy telling me that I can not apply for a review with them
because I am self-published. It seems, by many of their explanations, that they
are sick of receiving half-baked books riddled with errors and inconsistencies.
Who would blame them? So the long answer is yes! Please have your book
professionally edited. Have your book professionally-anything that you can not
do professionally yourself. You may think you know what you are doing, but there
is a reason these people get paid and do it for a living. Most importantly, spend
time in the editorial stage of publishing. A long time. You may feel impatient, but
for the sake of all of us self-publishers, Stoppe tthe Madniss!


If you could spend a day with an author, who would it be? And of
course we’ve got to know why.

Hands down, Haven Kimmel (author of Iodine, etc.). For one, she disappeared
several years ago so I want to know where she went and why. For two, she is an
awesome writer and I could learn a lot from her and also just bask in her writer
coolness. For three, she happens to live in my town, Durham, which I heart. And
for four, I have been to her readings and she seems like a down-to-earth, funny,
interesting person.

Fantastic! Interviewing you has been a real treat. We certainly wish you the best the literary world has to offer. One last thing - where can we find you on the web?


WEBSITE OR BLOG ADDRESS: http://www.benevolentthenovel.com

FACEBOOK PAGE: http://www.facebook.com/benevolentthenovel

TWITTER HANDLE: @devtflaherty

Brilliant! OK - blog readers and fans, now it's up to you to help Devon continue being discovered. We'd love nothing more than for you to visit the links provided, buy the books, and help spread the word by sharing this post with your friends. 

Until next week - stay casual, live life to the fullest, and have a piece of chocolate for me ;-)

Your blog host:
Author Janet Beasley 
(I just loved that little guy!!!)

Meet Author Price McNaughton

Well here we are again - where does the time go? It's nearly the end of April and our posts just keep bringing in the best of the best when it comes to authors worthy of discovery.  This week I'm so happy to introduce you to author Price McNaughton. I mean check out that cover. . .gives me the creeps already, as well it should. 

But to catch you up on the JLB Creatives news front we would like to let you know that our Silver Springs exhibit was a hit! We were introduced to so many aspiring writers. The JLB Creatives Executive Team wants to personally wish each one of them the best of success in their writing careers! It was great seeing all of you, and having the opportunity to share our knowledge when it comes to the literary world.

Now get ready for another outstanding interview. This time with Price McNaughton. Enjoy!

Let’s say you’re thinking about going on once in a life time vacation…how exciting! What are some of the places you’d consider, and what would you do while you’re there?

I would have to say that Ireland and Scotland would be at the top of my list. I would love to explore the history as well as visit ruins and castles. I’ve always wanted to see the Giant’s Causeway in Ireland. Another dream of mine is to visit Prince Edward’s Island. I was a huge fan of Anne of Avonlea as a child (still am!) and visiting her “birthplace” would be a real adventure.

A zealous fan approaches your book signing table and wants to know everything there is to know about writing a book…right now! There’s a long line of fans waiting, and you only have a few seconds…what one thing would tell them to encourage them to become a writer?

Read! I can’t stress this enough. As a child, I read voraciously and I feel that it has been so helpful to me in every aspect of my life. In my opinion, it’s the best way to begin to learn to write. Everything is there, style, wording, setting the scene, dialogue and more. I also find that you begin to notice patterns in writing without having to study and force them. They flow naturally.

What book or books are you currently working on? Can we expect a new release soon?

Murder is Ugly is my latest book, but was actually the first one I ever wrote.  I put it to the side and worked on other books and short stories, but my first story always stuck with me. It required extensive rewriting, but I plan on making the main character, Jinx Delaney, part of an ongoing series so it was definitely worth it.  I’ll be introducing more horse related mysteries and adventures involving Jinx and Ranger in the future.

I am also working on a second Mrs. Dodd mystery for those of you who enjoyed A Vision of Murder. I’m hoping to have it ready for release by Fall 2013, but we’ll see what happens.

Creativity. Where does yours come from? This is something writers are asked about much of the time.  Would you be so kind as to elaborate on where you get your ideas and what sparks your creativity?

I’m not sure where my ideas come from, except maybe an overactive imagination. I’ve been accused of having one on several occasions! The sparks can come from something I’ve heard or seen or just imagined, but I think my most creative time is probably when doing the dishes. A mundane task that requires no thought really frees your mind to wander and explore.

For the first time in your writing career someone recognizes you as their favorite author, in public. Would you panic? Smile and bask in the moment? Blush and walk away? Invite them for coffee and cupcakes? Scream? Run? Faint?

I would be thrilled! I love to talk and meet new people so it would be great fun to dive into a long conversation about books, writing, anything really.

How much time do you devote to writing? Daily – weekly – monthly – whenever the urge strikes?

I try to write daily, but if I am not in the mood or will be rushed, I will put it off and work on something else in my life that needs attention. A trick I’ve found that helps with writing a lot and daily is to leave yourself hanging. What I mean by this is that I already know what is going to happen next or at least have a general idea when I finish for the day. That way, when I come back to my story, I’m anxious to get down on paper what I’ve already imagined. I also tend to write in scenes.

Who is your favorite character that you have created? Tell us about him or her and why you are so fond of them.

Mrs. Dodd from A Vision of Murder. I think she resembles what I might end up like as an older lady. I don’t always agree with or would say the things she does, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t sometimes think them!

I also really love Jinx Delaney from Murder is Ugly. I tend to put a lot of myself in my main characters, for good or bad.

Of all the professions in this world you opted to be a writer. What brought you to it?

I was injured in a horseback riding accident and put on bed rest. I’ve always had these stories floating around in my head and, for once in my life, I had the time to concentrate on them. I was in a lot of pain and restricted as to what I could physically do so thinking about my story, Murder is Ugly, was really my only escape. It helped me to take myself out of that situation and into another.

When I was finally cleared to use a computer, I wrote down the story I had been thinking of for all those months and Murder is Ugly was created.

After I wrote my first book, I realized a few things. First, anyone can write a book as long as they don’t give up. Eventually, it will be finished. Second, the story didn’t haunt me anymore. Third, it’s fun!

Do you create and design your own book covers?

I work with a great cover artist that I collaborate with on my book covers. I give him several ideas of what I want and he tells me what does and doesn’t work and comes back with his own creation and vision of what I have said. Being able to have input on your cover is one of the best aspects of self-publishing, in my opinion. Contact me if you would like to get in touch with him.

If you could spend a day with an author, who would it be? And of course we’ve got to know why.

It would be hard to decide between J.R.R. Tolkien and Agatha Christie, but I think I would have to go with Tolkien. He was so intelligent and had created such a large and unique world in his own mind. I find that fascinating. The Lord of the Rings was one of the few books I have read that made me feel as if I had truly lost friends when I finished the last page. They are both what I strive to be like as an author.

Where can we find you on the web?

WEBSITE: www.talebearers.com 

FACEBOOK PAGE: www.facebook.com/PriceMcnaughton?ref=hl

TWITTER HANDLE: www.twitter.com/PriceMcNaughton

Fantastic! Thanks so much for stopping by for the interview.

The pleasure was all mine.

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There you have it. . .another awesome interview with another fantastic author worthy of discovery. Be sure to share this post with your friends on FB, Pintrest, Twitter, and other great social media sites. 

Until next week - stay casual, live life to the fullest, and have a piece of chocolate for me.

Your Blog Host:

Janet Beasley - author of The Hidden Earth Series

Meet Author Tony Breeden

Hello fans of JLB Creatives Blog. We certainly hope you're sharing all the goodness this blog has to offer when it comes to finding some of its best hidden treasures in the world of writers. This week I'm excited to introduce you to author Tony Breeden. I think you'll find his books very intriguing!

But I have to keep my promise from last week - letting you in on where JLBC will be exhibiting next. Did you guess it by the hint I left you? If you guessed Silver Springs you're right! JLB Creatives received a formal invitation to exhibit at the Green Day Festival for Earth Day at Silver Springs Nature Park in Silver Springs, Florida on April 18-19. The JLBC Executive Team will be discussing how ebooks help make the planet a better place, offering up Authors in the Park Event Series information, offering Lit Wits insider notes, and meeting kids from all over central Florida to talk with them regarding the literary world. Are we excited? Absolutely!

OK - down to business, of fun as we like to call it around here. I had the opportunity to interview author Tony Breeden. I'm certain you will enjoy this interview, and hope you will share it with your online friends.

Meet Author Tony Breeden

I'd like to start out with what book or books are you currently working on? Can we expect a new release soon?

I’m currently working on a few different projects. Johnny Came Home was a prequel of sorts for the trilogy to follow. I’m about halfway done writing John Lazarus: Mann from Midwich, which takes place about a year after the events in Johnny Came Home. Johnny will find himself both a hero and a villain in a world that suddenly finds itself coping with the presence of super powered humans. Readers can expect more of the comic book-inspired action and plot elements that made the first book such a fun read.

I’m also contributing to the Worlds of Faith anthology, edited by Paul Taylor. All of the short stories featured will be examples of Apologetics Fiction – defending the Christian faith, by means of well told and interesting stories. Worlds of Faith is slated for a May 1^st publication date.

I just finished Luckbane, a science fiction/steampunk/adventure fantasy crossover novel that features everything from dragons and cyborgs, to robots and minotaurs, aliens to wizards. Luckbane is the first novel in a new series called Øtherworld. The basic premise is someone has terraformed a world for the express purpose of allowing gamers to play the universe’s favorite game live and in person. Unfortunately, this world has abundant food and living space, something we no longer enjoy back on a dystopian Earth, so the gamers eventually end up squaring off against more than they bargained for. We’re in the process of editing Luckbane, but it should be available by late spring 2013.

I’ve also started work on An Instrument of Wrath, which pits a vampire who’s been around long enough to see AD turn to BC against angels, both fallen and faithful, scientists, hunters and other vampires, in a quest to save his own soul and maybe most of the world. It should be finished in early 2014.

Lastly, I’ve promised my children that I will complete an illustrated children’s book for them called The T-Rex and the Fuzzy Bunnies: A Bedtime Story for Boys.

Yeah. I keep busy.

It sure sounds like it! As you know, we all love stories – especially yours! Would you be willing to give the readers a synopsis of your current book?

Johnny Came Home is an action-packed novel full of mad scientists, zombies, flying saucers, future technology, conspiracy theories, epic battles and Biblical truth. Three years after the fire that took his home and his family, John Lazarus returns to the town of Midwich searching for answers to why he can do extraordinary things no one's ever seen outside of a comic book. Is he human? Alien? Something more? The answers lie within the Titan complex that overshadows Midwich. But someone else wants Titan's secrets too and will stop at nothing to make sure that she alone possesses them. To find his answers, Johnny is forced to fight a cadre of super villains led by mass hypnotist Pandora, who intends on destroying Titan and Midwich as her first step toward war with Homo sapiens.

Outstanding!  How about a little more detail? Love and romance, paranormal, epic fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, thriller, drama, and the list goes on. Where do your books fall as far as genre and reading audience?

The John Lazarus Adventures fall solidly in the sci-fi genre, as do all tales with mad scientists and super-powered humans. I love sci-fi. I call it the thinking man’s genre. It’s a great way to explore the human condition.

Øtherworld: Luckbane is a strange mix of sci-fi, fantasy adventure and steampunk. It takes place in a hi-tech dystopian future, where people play a real-life fantasy/steampunk role-playing game on an alien planet.

An Instrument of Wrath is primarily a paranormal vampire tale, but it’s also part of the Christian spiritual warfare genre [made popular by Frank Peretti]. 

I love it! Let's keep going. . .we're on a roll. Let's say for the first time in your writing career someone recognizes you as their favorite author, in public. Would you panic? Smile and bask in the moment? Blush and walk away? Invite them for coffee and cupcakes? Scream? Run? Faint?

I’m pretty approachable. I do a fair bit of public speaking and singing, so that sort of thing doesn’t bother me. I’m always too happy to chat it up a bit. And I’m always up for coffee.

Well, then - a coffee break it is (we'll be back in a minute folks. . .) Ahhh - that was a great suggestion Tony. OK, back to the interview.  How much time do you devote to writing? Daily – weekly – monthly – whenever the urge strikes?

I write at least five minutes each day. I take my laptop with me everywhere, just in case. Sometimes I write for several hours (though I try to keep it to an hour for my family’s sake), but as long as I write for at least five minutes, I’ve accomplished what I set out to do. I try to stick with one specific project (currently Øtherworld: Luckbane), but if I get writer’s block, I just switch projects for that day and come back to the main project the next day.

That's a great goal - I think I might try that. I normally find more than five minutes in a day, but what a wonderful way to look at it on those busy days - certainly we can all find 5 minutes somewhere to squeeze out some creativity. Thanks for the tip!  Who is your favorite character that you have created? Tell us about him or her and why you are so fond of them.

Weasel Hopkins is, thus far, my favorite character. Weasel is John Lazarus’ best friend, ever since they met on a job a few years before the events of Johnny Came Home. He’s irreverent, mouthy and a magnet for trouble. He’s never at a loss for something to say (he usually talks too much) and tends to say what we all wish we could’ve said. Throughout the book, I basically abuse poor Weasel at every hand. He’s a lot of fun to write, as the following dialogue shows:

“Sorry? You're sorry? Oh, I think we're well beyond sorry here. Sorry is I accidentally stepped on your foot. Sorry is I was late picking you up from school but I'll make it up to you.” His expression turned dark. “You let your redneck daddy duct tape me to a chair!” He roared, struggling against his bonds.

You're cracking me up! I'm already in love with Weasel myself. . .thanks to you. Let me ask you this, of all the professions in this world you opted to be a writer. What brought you to it?

I credit my late aunt Sharon with giving me the writing bug. I’ve always loved to draw; it’s my first love. She saw me drawing dinosaurs one day and after quizzing me about them, she brought me some brads and cardstock. A few hours later, I had put together my very first book with dinosaurs lovingly illustrated in crayon.

I wrote too many stories and novels to count over the years, but they were purely for my own amusement.  Then one day, I was browsing local Christian bookstores, just bored out of my mind. With few exceptions, I was looking an endless sea of romance novels, marketed at women. I'm a guy, so I'm into science fiction, fantasy and action thrillers. I remember thinking, "Why should I be forced to get the stuff I actually enjoy reading from secular bookstores in novels written from a non- or even anti-Christian worldview?"

The success of the Left Behind series demonstrated how influential exploratory fiction can be in shaping and reinforcing beliefs concerning eschatology. I realized that apologetics fiction could do the same for evangelical convictions concerning our origins. With that in mind, I set out to tell a great sci-fi story that gives a plausible young earth creationist explanation of comic book super powers rather than the prevalent evolutionary assumption of beneficial mutations, popularized in the X-Men movies and on TV shows like Heroes. The result was Johnny Came Home. 

How cool is that? The world is blessed to have you as an author for certain.  I love your book covers. Do you create and design your own book covers?

So far. I like to draw and design as much as I like to write. The cover for Johnny Came Home features a church based largely on All Soul’s Church from the Andy Griffith Show. Ironically, when I named the church Soul’s Harbor, I had no idea what the church from Mayberry was called. It was just the church I pictured in my head. I added the crashed saucer and a starry night sky (even though that scene takes place in the morning in the book) to complete the picture.

I re-used the church for the Mann from Midwich cover, adding a large full moon against which a flying John Lazarus is silhouetted. Johnny’s action pose was suggested by a parkour photo.

I’m still designing the super top secret cover for Øtherworld: Luckbane. ;]

Cool! One last question then I will let you go. . .Where can we find your book(s) and you around the web?

  

You can find Johnny Came Home in hardcover at Amazon.com. Ebook formats are available at Barnesand Noble.com, Smashwords.com and Amazon.com.

WEBSITE OR BLOG ADDRESS: http://TonyBreedenBooks.com

  

FACEBOOK PAGE: http://facebook.com/tonybreedenbooks

  

TWITTER HANDLE: @creationletter

There you have it - the amazing author Tony Breeden. I'm inspired, are you?

Please share this post with your reader friends, and maybe even pick up a copy or two of Tony's books to read yourself or give as gifts. 

Until next week - stay casual, live life to the fullest, and have a piece of chocolate for me.

Your Blog Host:

Janet Beasley - author of The Hidden Earth Series

Meet Author Sean Sousa

Welcome back to another exciting week at the JLB Creatives Blog. This week you will be introduced to the amazing author Sean Sousa (pictured right). He's got it going on when it comes to books! 

But first things first.

Excitement is building around here at JLBC. The Authors in the Park Event was absolutely stunning on March 30th! Authors met fans, fans met authors, and aspiring writers were enthralled at the opportunity to ask questions of the seasoned local veterans of the literary world we had in our showcase. We didn't really take a break as we're preparing now for our next appearance. . .

. . .April 13 you will find the JLB Creatives Executive Team at the UCF Book Festival! Look for our booth, tell us you saw us on the JLB Creatives Blog and we'll give you a free bookmark! We will have tons of stuff to share with everyone like Authors in the Park upcoming events, how you can get scheduled for one of our brand new Lit Wits Sessions, check out the debut of JLBC's new services, and so much more. Hope to see you there if you're in the central Florida area on Saturday April 13, 2013.

And wait till you see what we will be up to next week! Hint: it involves a green day festival at a Florida theme park...think nostalgic. ;-)

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And now, on with the show. I think you're going to like this post as author Sean Sousa selected our Excerpt Extravaganza option. (And please remember, formatting on Blogger doesn't always hold true). I've also included the fantastic synopsis Sean provided. Enjoy!

Synopsis: Flash takes place in present day, and contains elements of both sci-fi and fantasy while remaining a very human story. There's a family struggling to mend itself. A father fighting to overcome his troubled past. A young man trying to win over the love of his life. And an underlying theme of hope and redemption.

At heart, Flash tells the story of a father and son who seek to mend their family in a world of giant robots and ancient tyrants. The sci-fi frames the novel, but compelling human drama is the crux of the series.

1. …To Fight Another Day

Prince Ahya laid eyes upon his kingdom for the first time – and was desperate to escape it.

He observed his people – blissful yet enslaved, with no will of their own – and refused to let the same fate befall the Earth. That was why, despite the grandeur of the kingdom before him, the prince could not obey his king, Grigori Geist. It was Dietrich Schmidt, the prince’s only ally, who had convinced him that he could be more than an instrument of destruction; but rather, a freer of the enslaved. It would begin with an escape from the city, the exposure of Geist to the outside world, and the rallying of allies to their cause.

The prince surveyed the city of Regnum Aeturnum, a megalopolis of over one hundred million people, built from a round, basin-shaped cavern excavated beneath the continent of Antarctica. Gleaming towers, temples, ramparts, and terraces sprang from the city floor, while Aether, a second city, hung from the cavern ceiling above. This suspended series of towers comprised a glowing ceiling of blue-white light – imitating the true sky, far above, that Prince Ahya had never witnessed.

Ahya…the meaning of the prince’s name was never given to him, nor could he discern it. Frustrated, the prince stood on an open air balcony on the lower levels of the Great Spire, an hourglass-shaped fortress of gleaming white quartz that lay in the center of Regnum Aeturnum, and the only structure that reached both cavern floor and ceiling. The Great Spire had been the prince’s home for the entirety of his young life.

In the solitude of the balcony, the prince watched and waited for his opportunity. Ahead of him, the Jupiter Terrace – the primary road of the city – stretched out from the base of the Great Spire toward the castle-like Gate of Ishtar, twenty-eight miles away. It was a dangerous gauntlet to run. In his youth and inexperience, the prince was not at the height of his power, nor did he expect Geist to simply let him leave. Despite the peculiar sensation of doubt creeping from his chest to the ends of his limbs, the prince had to try. Until he succeeded, millions of citizens would remain Geist’s puppets.

The prince spoke aloud with resolve in his voice. “Is it time?”

A quiet, slightly hoarse voice answered, heard only by the prince. “It is.”

At this, the prince leapt over the railing of the terrace, falling hundreds of feet below and sliding along the base of the Great Spire as it leveled off toward the ground. Such a fall did not faze the prince, for he was not made of flesh and blood, but of metal and circuitry – his sixty-foot body adorned in shining plates of gray armor, sculpted as like broad human muscles. As the prince sprinted from the Great Spire to the Jupiter Terrace, his glowing red eyes burned with determination – like Dietrich, he wished not only to escape Geist, but to one day defeat him.

Where can you find Sean in cyberspace? Here you go. . .

Official Website: www.theforeversaga.com

Buy Link: www.theforeversaga.com/buynow

Amazon Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/The-Forever-Saga-Flash-Volume/dp/0615686230

The Forever Saga Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Forever-Saga-by-Sean-Sousa/46622244222

Sean C. Sousa on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SeanCSousa

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I don't know about you, but after reading that I'm hooked on the story for sure!

Remember to share this post with your friends and family - it's how us authors help each other get discovered around the globe. 

Until next week - stay casual, live life to the fullest, 

and have a piece of chocolate for me.

Your Blog Host:

Janet Beasley - author of The Hidden Earth Series

Meet Author Melanie Robertson-King. . .no foolin'!

Greetings readers, authors and friends of JLB Creatives. We're glad you stopped by - no foolin'! 

You have the chance to meet the fabulous author Melanie Robertson-King (pictured left). She will "wow" your socks off for sure! 

But first...

JLB Creatives Executive Team will be appearing at the UCF Book Festival coming up April 13, 2013. Details coming next week! 

And now...on with the show!

I had the opportunity to interview author Melanie Robertson-King. I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I did.

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Thanks for hosting me today, Janet. Before I get into answering your questions I have an April 1^st story to share. I think the readers will get a kick out of it. So if you’ll give me a few minutes of indulgence, I’ll tell it.

You are so very welcome. It is our pleasure to have you here. And I would love nothing more than to hear your story! Go ahead...the page is all yours. 

My father was raised at The Orphan Homes of Scotland (he wasn’t an orphan but that’s another story altogether) some fifteen or so miles west of Glasgow. Years later, I got involved with a group of descendants of “Home Children” from this organization and we held a number of reunions here in Canada to celebrate the resilience and perseverance these young children showed. I keep a website within my own dedicated to this organization which you can find here. http://bit.ly/11qAcQY

Fast forward to April 1^st, 1999 and an e-mail from the then chairperson of the organization – now known as Quarriers (after the founder) and one of Scotland’s biggest charities whose mission now is children and adults with disabilities and is still one of the foremost centres for the treatment of epilepsy. The Princess Royal (Queen Elizabeth’s daughter, Anne) is coming to dedicate one of the cottages in the village and we would love for you and your husband to be there. In addition to this e-mail invitation, they offered to pay my airfare PLUS our accommodations at the bed and breakfast located there.

My first reaction was “Yeah, right. Mean trick, guys.” But it was legit! How cool is that? So after undergoing a security check by MI-5 to ensure we were safe to meet the Princess and getting briefed on protocol, we received our “official” invitation in the mail and on June 3^rd, hubby and I schmoozed with Royalty!

Here’s the link to this once in a lifetime trip… http://www.melanierobertson-king.com/scotland1999.html

Now THAT'S one great story! Yeah, if you hadn't have said something I would have thought you were being fooled too. All right - with that said, are you ready for some questions?

I sure am. . .let's go!

Let’s say you’re thinking about going on once in a life time vacation…how exciting! What are some of the places you’d consider, and what would you do while you’re there?

Well, there would be a couple of places – Paris being one of them. I went for a week in 2003 but would love to go again and this time with my husband. After spending time there, take the high speed train to London and go through the chunnel. Once in the UK, work our way through there to Scotland visiting family and friends along the way… and stone circles, and castle ruins, and whisky distilleries, all the while making notes and taking loads of pictures. You just never know what might end up in a book sometime down the road.

The phone just rang – it’s a movie deal for your book! Holy cow – they’ve left it up to you as to where you want them to film on location, and who will play the starring role…we can’t stand the suspense. Where and who is it?

I’d have to pick myself up off the floor first and would likely babble incoherently at first from the shock. But once I got my wits about me, my movie would have to be filmed in Scotland – Aberdeenshire where my novel is set since my Scottish heritage is so important to me.

The actors playing my main characters would also have to be Scottish. So for the role of Sarah Shand, I would choose Shirley Henderson, who played Isobel Sutherland on the TV series Hamish MacBeth and played Jude in the Bridget Jones movies.

For Robert, it would be John Hannah who starred in Four Weddings and a Funeral, Rebus and MacCallum and many other programs/movies.

A zealous fan approaches your book signing table and wants to know everything there is to know about writing a book…right now! There’s a long line of fans waiting, and you only have a few seconds…what one thing would tell them to encourage them to become a writer?

Read, read and read some more.

What book or books are you currently working on? Can we expect a new release soon?

I’m currently working on the second book in my “Shadows” series, tentatively called Shadows from her Past. I don’t think it will be released as soon as everyone would like but I am over 38k words into it and the ending has been written… I just have to get there.

Here’s the basic blurb for it: Sarah, bereft after being transported back to the present, finds herself in possession of knowledge that could change the course of history, should she use it. Will she remain in her time and let history run its course or find a way back to the past to save the man she loves?

Time for dinner! No, no, no, we’re not cooking – we’re going out. So…where’s your favorite place to throw down some good food with friends and family? And even more so, what do you recommend from the menu?

I’ve got a couple of places here in town that I really like. First is Luna Pizzeria. I love their souvlaki and Greek salad. The other place I enjoy is within walking distance of my house. Tandoori Mint – an Indian restaurant that has fantastic food. They have a menu or buffet and I much prefer the buffet because I can sample a little bit of everything. I happen to love Indian food. The first time I ever had it was in Scotland in 1999 on our schmoozing with Royalty trip.  

What kind of animals, birds, or fish do you like best? Do you have any pets - how many do you have – and what are their names?

I currently have a dog (inherited from my daughter). He’s a cross between a black and tan hound, shepherd and lab whose name is Jake. I jokingly call him the dog with the $1000 ear but truth be told it’s likely closer to $2000 or more. Poor boy is subject to chronic ear problems because of his long floppy ears. So between ear drops and sometimes oral antibiotics and steroids, surgery to remove polyps from his ear canal and another surgery just before Christmas 2011 because he’d ruptured all the blood vessels in his ear flap… this is all the same ear, too. You see why I call him what I do.

We all love stories – especially yours! Would you be willing to give the readers a synopsis of your current book?

When a contemporary teen is transported back through time to the Victorian era, she becomes A Shadow in the Past…

Nineteen-year-old Sarah Shand finds herself thrust back into the past. There she struggles to keep her real identity from a society that finds her comments and ideas strange and her speech and actions forward, unlike Victorian women. When Sarah verbally confronts confining social practices, including arranged marriages; powerful enemies commit her to a lunatic asylum. After falling in love with the handsome Laird of Weetshill, Robert Robertson, she must decide whether to find her way back to her own time or to remain in the past with him.

Who is your favorite character that you have created? Tell us about him or her and why you are so fond of them.

A little girl named Jenny. She wasn’t in the early drafts of A Shadow in the Past but one day she popped into my head and she became a key player in the novel and brought out the nurturing, protective instincts in Sarah that she didn’t know she had.

If you could cure something in this world, what would it be?

Cancer. I’ve lost too many friends and family members to this odious disease. A Shadow in the Past is dedicated to a friend who lost her battle with it.

Do you create and design your own book covers?

I don’t design them but my publisher allows input into the cover design. For A Shadow in the Past, I had to give a full physical description of my main character and a scene that I thought was key to the book. Then talented artist, Aidana WillowRaven went to work and designed my gorgeous cover.

If you could spend a day with an author, who would it be? And of course we’ve got to know why.

Bram Stoker. I want to find out straight from the horse’s mouth (so to speak) if it was Cruden Bay in Scotland or Whitby in England that was the real inspiration behind his writing Dracula. Both places claim to be the inspiration. Both have rugged cliffs with ruins at the top – Slains Castle in Scotland, Whitby Abbey in England. I prefer to think Scotland, but then I’m biased. *grin*

Where can we find your book(s)?

From my publisher - 4RV Publishing: http://4rvpublishingcatalog.yolasite.com/robertson-king.php

Online in Canada at Amazon.ca and Chapters Indigo

In the US at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com

And in the UK at Amazon.co.uk 

My blog, Celtic Connexions, gets the most attention these days so I’ll give you that link. http://www.melanierobertson-king.com/wp02/

FACEBOOK PAGE: Melanie Robertson-King – Author https://www.facebook.com/pages/Melanie-Robertson-King/221018701298979

TWITTER HANDLE: @RobertsoKing

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Thanks so much for being here Melanie - your interview is going to be the highlight of the week here on JLB Creatives Blog! 

So fans - it's your turn now, be sure to share this post with your friends and family. Let them know the JLB Creatives Blog is one of the best when it comes to showcasing authors from around the globe! 

Until next week - stay casual, live life to the fullest, and have a piece of chocolate for me. 

Your Blog Host:

Author Janet Beasley

(Be sure to check out the new page on the blog, 

Meet Your Blog Host, that is if you'd like to find out more about what 

makes this creative genius tick!)

Meet Childrens Author Jo Linsdell

Welcome fabulous fans and followers!

This week we are featuring the fabulous

children's author Jo Linsdell.

We were so thrilled when we landed an interview with her as we know

just how busy this talented literary genius is!

We're certain you'll enjoy catching a glimpse of one of 

the best in business. . .

Please welcome, author Jo Linsdell

Janet: We're so glad you found the time to be with us. I promise, we won't keep you long...only ten great questions we're dying to know the answers too. Is that good?

Jo: It sure is! Thanks for having me. And just so you know, I'll make time to be on the JLB Creatives Blog anytime you want to feature me. 

Janet: Honored at that for sure. So, let's get down to business. . .

What book or books are you currently working on? Can we expect a new release soon?

I'm working on several books at the moment. Two non fiction; The Writers and Authors Guide to Social Media and Virtual Book Tours. Plus two children's picture books The Bedtime Book and the first book in The Adventures of Nappo and Lollo series, Where's Lollo?

Hopefully my next release date will be late Spring.

Janet: I'd like to add this great bunch of info regarding Jo's book: 

Fairy May dreams of one day becoming a tooth fairy but she struggles at school and always seems to get things wrong. With hard work and determination she prepares for her test. Will she realise her dream and become a tooth fairy?

Release Date: 

1st February 2013

Product details:

 Paperback: 32 pages

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1481951424

ISBN-13: 978-1481951425

Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 0.1 inches

Time for dinner! No, no, no, we’re not cooking – we’re going out. So…where’s your favorite place to throw down some good food with friends and family? And even more so, what do you recommend from the menu?

Jo: I love sushi. It's strange before I had kids I couldn't stand fish. Just the sight of it would churn my stomach but now it's my favourite thing to eat. Weird how pregnancy changes your tastes. Anyway definitely sushi. Anything with salmon would be top of my list.

Chocolate or vanilla?

Chocolate

  

Dogs or cats?

Dogs (I'm allergic to cats)

We all love stories – especially yours! Would you be willing to give the readers a synopsis of your current book?

Fairy May dreams of one day becoming a tooth fairy but she struggles at school and always seems to get things wrong. With hard work and determination she prepares for her test. Will she realise her dream and become a tooth fairy?

 Creativity. Where does yours come from? This is something writers are asked about much of the time.  Would you be so kind as to elaborate on where you get your ideas and what sparks your creativity?

I get a lot of inspiration from my kids. Playing together or watching them play with each other, watching cartoons and reading books.

Love and romance, paranormal, epic fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, thriller, drama, and the list goes on. Where do your books fall as far as genre and reading audience?

Children's picture story books, pre-school and early readers

  

What are your favorite genres of books to read, and what are your favorite genres of books to write?

I have very varied tastes when it comes to both reading and writing. My favourite genres to read though would be suspense/thriller (especially crime) and chick lit.

As for writing I love working on children's books but also non-fiction. It would be hard to pick one over the other.

Social media has become a part of being an author. What are your 3 best tips of the trade for upcoming authors when it comes to building their social media platform?

1) Quality over quantity. Social media isn't a competition of most followers. What counts is the connection you build with the people that follow you. Interactions are far more important than a number to boast about.

2) Let your personality shine through. People want to connect with YOU.

3) Make sure you're giving people a reason to follow you. You need to think about it from the readers point of view. What do you offer? Why should they follow you?

For the first time in your writing career someone recognizes you as their favorite author, in public. Would you panic? Smile and bask in the moment? Blush and walk away? Invite them for coffee and cupcakes? Scream? Run? Faint?

Whenever this happens I smile and thank them. It's always nice to get a compliment. I also make sure they know my website and invite them to connect with me via my social media channels so we can get to know each other better.

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Again, we're so glad Jo was able to stop by. Wasn't she fun? Now, check out all these great places around the web you can find Jo and her books, as well as at upcoming events. Be sure and tell her you found her on the JLBC Blog!

WEBSITE OR BLOG ADDRESS:

www.JoLinsdell.com

Purchasing links:

Amazon

Createspace

Barnes and Noble

Video trailer:

http://youtu.be/wAGUrj7o_Ks

About the author: Jo Linsdell is a best selling author and illustrator, award winning blogger and freelance writer. Originally from the UK, she now lives in Rome, Italy with her husband and their two young sons.

Author website: www.JoLinsdell.com

Social Media Links:

Facebook

Twitter

Google+

LinkedIn

YouTube

Goodreads

Amazon

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We hope you enjoyed Jo. Next week we will be featuring the amazing

author Melanie Roberts-King, and she's prepared to be featured

on April Fool's Day!

Did I mention she's fun, entertaining, a super author and a generally all around

great person...on if only the world had more Melanie's :)

Until next week,

Stay casual, live life to the fullest, and have a piece of chocolate for me!

Your Blog Host

Author Janet Beasley