#AtoZChallenge Q is for Yolanda Renée's Detective Quaid

Established Author Name: Yolanda Renée

1- Would you tell us about the inspiration for and a little about your Detective Quaid character?

Spending four years in Alaska inspired the series and the detective. Detective Steven Quaid is half Tlingit Indian and half Irish. Even though he descended from the gold miners that settled Alaska and Tlingit royalty. It gained him no favor during his adolescent years nor on his road to becoming a detective. After solving his first case, The Snowman, Quaid gained a bit of fame, which grew with each consecutive case. But Murder, Madness & Love tarnishes his reputation after he falls for a suspect. Which may not have been the best way to introduce my hero character. 😊

2- In what category/genre do you write? Why?

Crime, mystery, romance, and horror are my favorite genres, but I also write sci-fi. My sci-fi story Ever-Ton won a spot in the IWSG Anthology, Parallels: Felix Was Here. I also dabble in poetry. I write what I know and what I want to read. I grew up reading Nancy Drew mysteries, Daniel Steele romances, Steven King horror, and Ray Bradbury science fiction. My grandmother wrote poetry and encouraged my writing. My book, For Opal, was written to honor her.

3- What part of one of your stories was the most fun to write? The most challenging?

Two of my most controversial characters were the most challenging and fun to write. Lucifer from Memories of Murder, and Stowy Jenkins from The Snowman, and Murder Just Because. Writing true evil is more complex than you think. Research is vital.

4- Would you please, in 160 characters or less, give a #WriteTip ?

Write your antagonist's entire history. Birth through adolescence, to first kill. Even if it's not in the book, because with that knowledge, the character will lead you to their destruction.

5- What draws you to flash fiction, and what's happening at writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com?

I love the challenge of telling a complete story in the least number of words. My books went from 149,000+ words to 80,000+. Flash fiction writing helped me hone my skills and cut, cut, cut.

WEP – Write, Edit, Publish is a semi-monthly flash fiction challenge created by Denise Covey. I'm one of several hosts, Nila, Jemi, Sonia, and Olga. This year we chose movie posters as our inspiration, and this week we are writing to the movie prompt, "Life Is Beautiful."
The WEP allows writers of all levels to stretch their writing chops with different genres. While giving them constructive feedback and an opportunity to win prizes, advertise their work, and, most importantly, become part of a writing community.
https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com

6- What do you love and hate most about being a published author?

I love sharing my work. I enjoy the entire process, but what I hate most is marketing. Too many rip-offs that promise tweets, shoutouts, and publications on book sites that don't exist. Or emails promising a discussion with a movie producer for only $1,000. It's very discouraging. Creating ads on Amazon or Facebook triggers my dyslexia and causes migraines. It's incredibly frustrating for an introvert.

7- Do you publish traditional, self, hybrid, other? Why?

I'm currently self-publishing. My first three books were traditionally published. But problems receiving royalties soured that option for me. I now have the rights to all my books. But I'd love to be able to safely hand off the publishing responsibility and have someone else running the show for book promotion.

8- What question are you dying to answer?

Why did you write two books with Stowy Jenkins as the antagonist?
In The Snowman, Stowy was captured and tried for his crimes, but Alaska doesn't have the death penalty, so he was sent to prison.
In Murder Just Because, he escapes to get his revenge on Quaid. He had a much bigger story to tell, which I wasn't aware of until I wrote the first book. He's one of the most hideous villains I've ever created. Lucifer was crazy, but Stowy is evil incarnate.

9- Would you please ask our audience an intriguing question to answer in the comments?

What book or author has made the biggest impression on you?

10- What are you working on now?

I'm currently editing Murder on Mount Fairweather, the 7th book in the Detective Quaid series. I'm hoping for a December release.
Quaid is in New York when he gets the news that a hijacked plane has gone down in the mountains west of Juneau. His wife is on board. An Airforce Jet can't get him home soon enough.
Despite Quaid's best efforts, the weather has the mountain socked in, and it isn't letting up. Can he reach the top of Mt. Fairweather in time to save his wife from the horrors of the Alaskan triangle and capture the hijacker?
FYI - each book is only .99 cents on Amazon Kindle this month. The entire series can be purchased for $5.99. @ Amazon.com


Coming soon: Murder on Mount Fairweather
Read more by Renée @ Defending the Pen
Thank you, Operation Awesome, for this opportunity to discuss my writing and showcase my books.
Yolanda Renée


Please check out the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge
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#AtoZChallenge P is for Jemima Pett

  

Jemima Pett

 

 

Today on the blog we had a chance to interview Jemima Pett. Jemimia writes across a variety of age groups and genres. Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us!

 

 
1- What is your favorite book you've read and why is it your favorite?

 

This is like asking me to name my favourite grandchild! How can I possibly pick ONE favourite book!

 

If I was going on a desert island, I would probably choose either Wind in the Willows or Lord of the Rings. If pushed, maybe I'd stick with Wind in the Willows for the feeling of a simple life in an older England, with lovely characters and the Piper At The Gates of Dawn which must be the most beautiful chapter ever. I skipped it as a kid; it's a go-to now.

Recently I've been reading a lot of brilliant books featuring women of science or the sort of intelligence that was discriminated against in the 20th century. Fantastic historical adventures. From those I would recommend the Rose Code, Lessons in Chemistry, and the Physicist's Daughter. I’m dying to have time to read them again and make them my new favourite.
 

2- In what category/genre do you write? Why? 

 

I’m a bit eclectic, as my short stories used to come from a ‘mash-up’ prompt. With novels, I write science fiction with humans and aliens, and fantasy in an English landscape, especially with animal characters (even if disguised as humans). That pretty much got designated ‘middle grade’ when I started, but they are really mystery adventures for all ages.

Why? Because I like living in other worlds, I suppose. I used to invent fantasy islands for fun when I was a kid, drawing the maps and everything. Maybe I just tell myself stories all the time. There are so many possibilities to invent.

 

3- What part of one of your stories was the most fun to write? The most challenging? (And which book/s are those in?)

 

When I’m talking about my scifi books, I have to warn people about the raunchy passage in Curved Space to Corsair (Viridian Series #2). Some people then buy it just for that! It just sort of happened: four people stranded on the far side of the galaxy with no hope of a quick way home. First, the girls protest they are not going to have sex, to go on strike if you like. Then the stresses mount up and someone decides to change that. I was very surprised when the writing took the turn it did, unplanned on my part, but it was just one of those things of writing 'in the moment’. I had to take a break afterwards!

 

 

The most challenging was a death scene in the Chronicles of Marsh (Princelings #9). I had to kill off a major character, and I realised later (after the book was out), that it was the same reason J K Rowling had to kill off a major character - the protagonist has, in the end, to solve the problem themselves. Challenging, because I didn't want to write it. I kept putting it off, and I had to come up for air and to wipe the tears away many times while I was writing. And I’d like to thank my beta readers again for doing the major part of editing it, because I couldn’t after my first read through.

 

 

 


4- Would you please, in 160 characters (not words) or less, give a #WriteTip?

Your book may be much better if you cut the first two chapters completely. Write them… get it out of your system, but don't inflict them on your readers.

5- Do you find there to be challenges associated with writing across multiple age groups?

Only inasmuch as you have to frame your idea of your reader more clearly. I'm currently working on a pre-middle grade book, i.e. for seven-year-olds or thereabouts. For that I need to change how I word things. But with research on what's in the library for seven-year-olds, and what reading stage they should be at, it becomes clear on phrases and words. Then I wrote the adventure as I normally would and did a lot of editing—and then I cut out the first two chapters!

 

Probably the biggest challenge is finding beta readers across the different age groups. (and before they grow out of them!)

6- What do you love and hate most about being a published author?

I love having those books on my shelf (one good reason to do a paperback of your ebooks!), and I love seeing them online in the stores.

I hate the creative writing mafia who sneer at people who aren’t 'traditionally published’. Some of them write a good deal worse than many indie authors. But it takes all sorts.

7- Do you publish traditional, self, hybrid, other? Why?

My original series was definitely ’niche’. I knew it wouldn't attract a commercially minded agent, and that was the feedback I got when I queried. Mind you, I would probably query better now. And having gone independent, I don’t see any reason to change. I’ve been self-employed for a long time, so I can handle the business side. Although I’m poor at effective marketing.


8- What question are you dying to answer (about your writing, life, or even a fun fact)? What's the question and then answer.

If you hadn’t got the guinea pigs Fred and George when you lived in Norfolk, would you have still written the books?

Almost certainly not, and not those books, anyway. I believed I couldn't write because I’d been told my early scifi attempt was rubbish. It may have been, but the ‘friend’ convinced me I didn't have the imagination for fiction. I only started writing because Fred and George inspired me to make up some adventures about them. And it was three or more years before I published them.

I once did an ‘alternative me’ story, where I changed one thing in my life… it was my job choice at 21. The person I became would have been very different from who I am now. Would I have had guinea pigs anyway? Maybe, as kids' pets. Would I have written about them? No, and not in Norfolk, almost certainly.

PS Read about Fred and George in this 2018 A2Z post :) https://jemimapett.com/blog/2018/04/06/f-is-for-fred-and-george-atozchallenge2018/

9- Would you please ask our audience an intriguing question to answer in the comments?

Who is your ‘alternative me’? Find one key thing that would have changed the entire course of your life… what is it, and who would you become?

10- What are your plans for your next book?

 

I mentioned above I’m working on a book for 7-year-olds. I have the feedback from my now eight-year-old beta reader, and am a good way into doing the illustrations (and edits). If all goes well, I may have it ready by mid-May--in paperback. 

It’s called The Cavies of Flexford Common, and stars Roscoe and Neville, two of my guinea pigs who came from a rescue on Tyneside (NE England). It’s set locally, on an imagined common (green space) that is now a housing estate, but still next to some woods. They meet two lady guinea pigs on their first outing… their names came from one of the visitors to my local craft fair last year. And it seems to be subtitled 'Story 1: Double Trouble’. I have no idea what Story 2 will be called, but it may involve a squirrel and a fox!

I’m concentrating on the paperback so I can sell it at the craft fairs I do in southern England over the year: Salisbury, Chichester, Lyndhurst, Lymington and Romsey. So if you are in/visiting southern England, look out for them! I always have my 'next appearance’ listed on my blog landing page (jemimapett.com).

Will I do an ebook version? I don’t know. I don’t think it would work so well for that age group.

 

DRAFT COVER- DO NOT USE AFTER APRIL23

 
 

Thanks Jemima! It was awesome getting to know more about you and your books. Lots of twists and turns. I found your intriguing question very intriguing indeed! I also think it would make a great writing prompt. I'm excited to read Cavies of Flexford Common. It sounds like so much fun!


Please check out the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge
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#AtoZChallenge O is for Jolene Perry #giveaway

Established Author Name:  Jolene Perry

1-Tell us something interesting about yourself we may not know.

The first time I was out of sight of land while sailing.........was in the Bermuda Triangle. This was not on purpose.

2- In what category/genre do you write? Why?

I wrote young adult contemporary for years - I wrote the books I wish I'd had in high school. When I'd written those stories, I was ready to move on. As I was writing young adult, I also wrote some speculative fiction in that category. Had a blast.

I write romance - a little sexier when I write contemporary, a little cleaner when I write historical (this way I have books I can recommend to more cautious readers). Writing romance is like binge-watching a favorite series. It's fun, it's a lovely break from my passion projects, and I love the diversity.

As I move forward with my new agent, I'm writing upmarket fiction with a supernatural/speculative twist. 

3- What part of one of your stories was the most fun to write? The most challenging? (And which book/s are those in?)

I wrote a story with my good friend, Christa Desir, called Love Blind. The book revolves a lot around a fear list, and one of my character's fears was spiders. I had this idea for a scene with a tarantula in a pet store but we couldn't find a place for it. When our editor said we needed to add a few fun scenes that took place over the summer, I got my spider scene. That was a blast. The most challening in that book was the ending - it's a bit of an open end, and we had a lot of fun writing to that.

My ending from The Story of Us was also challenging - trying to navigate two people coming back together after a long time apart took a few drafts to get right.

4- Would you please, in 160 characters or less, give a #WriteTip ?

Set timers when you write. Do nothing but write during that time. #WriteTip

5- What interests do you have outside writing?
SO MANY THINGS. I joke that I suffer from being interested in everything. My parents retired on a boat, so I've been very fortunate to spend time with them in Southeast Alaska, the Seattle-Vancouver area, as well as in the Caribbean (where my answer to question 1 came from). I also work part time at the barn where I keep my horses doing a little bit of everything. My most recent obsession is learning more about saddle fit.

6- What do you love and hate most about being a published author?

I LOVE writing. Drafting is my very favorite. I love getting notes from readers thanking me for a particular story. I don't love the timelines in traditional publishing, and I'm exhausted just thinking about how fast things change for independent publishing (I do both).

7- Do you publish traditional, self, hybrid, other? Why?

I publish hybrid. My romances I write for fun and i want to keep them fun so I do them myself. My passion projects - I want the backing of a publishing house to help me make my story as strong as it can be.

8- What question are you dying to answer?

Question: So Jo, I'm on your Instagram a lot and it's seriously almost all about horses. Do you use them in your books?

Answer: Not as much as I should! They appear in my historicals, but I'm planning a contemporary series now based around neighboring horse farms - still not sure if it'll be a series of romances, or something else. 

9- Would you please ask our audience an intriguing question to answer in the comments?

What are the books, shows, or movies you find yourself recommending over and over? 

10- Which of your books would you suggest readers start with? 

Start with Stronger Than You Know - if you like that one, move on to Love Blind, and then The Story of Us.

If you're a fantasy reader, I'm very proud of Silver and Stone (wrote that as J.V. Perry) 

Jo also helps writers be better writers through Waypoint Authors, which you can find here: www.waypointauthors.com

You can find Jo, and all her titles on her website www.jowritesbooks.com.

Jolene has $20 to the bookseller of the reader's choice to giveaway.  Just answer her question (#9 above) in the comments below, and let us know who your favourite bookseller is to go in the draw.

Please check out the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge
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#AtoZChallenge N is for Nick Wilford

Established Author Name: Nick Wilford

1- You have six dogs.  What can you tell us about them?  Any pics?

Our dogs are all rescue dogs that have been saved from various dire situations and given a great home. One of them was saved from a rubbish dumpster in Spain. We’ve got a split of three boys and three girls, all pretty much mixed breeds and all with unique personalities. Pippa was the first and the oldest and is the gaffer of everyone else. Tobi is a super laid back spaniel. Benji is kind of a big dopey boy who thinks he’s small. Charli is a little bundle of nerves, a jack in the box, we think there’s chihuahua in there. Skye is actually our daughter’s dog, a loving Staffie whose only weakness is being unable to control herself from going for any and all food. And Gracie is a little bundle of fluff who’s a devoted mummy’s girl, her happy place is being next to mummy at all times (who’s Skye’s granny, of course!)


2- In what category/genre do you write? Why?

I write speculative fiction and I’ve also trended towards YA in my recent books. I think spec fic is a fantastic umbrella that lets you explore in pretty much whatever direction you want. You’re only limited by your imagination. Also, there’s so much weirdness around us right now that you can’t help wondering where things are going to be even in just five years’ time, and it’s not necessarily going to be pretty. In the most recent book I’ve finished, I’ve been exploring trans rights and exploitation and right now I’m turning over ideas about AI, Meta, VR, the whole shooting game and where it’s going. These sound like weighty treatises about serious topics, but they’re not. It’s all wrapped up in an engaging narrative seen through the eyes of people who are just as bewildered about things as I am. That’s why I’ve enjoyed writing YA because as a young person you’re just discovering who you are, but you’re also discovering the world and how you fit into it, and that’s got to be harder than ever these days because of the immense pressures on young people. I’ve got three daughters aged 26, 22 and 14, so I’ve seen it playing out in real time.

3- What part of one of your stories was the most fun to write? The most challenging? (And which book/s are those in?)

Ooh, I don’t want to give too many spoilers, but I would say I had the most fun writing the battle scenes between my protagonist and her nemesis in The Becalmer, my trad pub debut that’s coming out in August. This isn’t a battle in a physical sense but more metaphysical, as they both possess the power to enter other people’s minds, but do it for very different purposes – one for good and one for evil. It is a real tense standoff and my MC has to push her powers to the limit, even resorting to dirty tactics to gain the upper hand. I would say the most challenging thing to write was the ending of my dystopian trilogy. It was actually on hiatus for a year while I tried to work out how to wrap things up in a satisfying way. I was happy with how it turned out, but possibly it still could have been slightly better. Also, I think there’s a psychological thing where if you’ve spent so long with a particular world and characters, you’re reluctant to say goodbye to them. This series was 10 years from writing the first book to getting the last one out there. That’s a long time!

4- Would you please, in 160 characters or less, give a #WriteTip ?

Don’t push too hard or try to force things. If your characters are well developed they will take the lead. The author should be an observer, not an instigator.

5- What interests do you have outside of writing?

Honestly, I wish I had time for a few other interests! I also work full time, so it’s hard to squeeze other things in. So it’s mainly about spending time with my family. We’ve got two grandkids now as well, three and six months, and we’re very involved with them, which is precious. I would say music is very important to me, it’s hugely inspiring for my writing, although I can’t actually listen while doing the writing itself! My taste is a broad church, anything that gets the juices flowing. I’ve started doing podcasts for each book that connect to the characters and scenes, I hope they’ll be fun while reading – the one for The Becalmer is here.

6- What do you love and hate most about being a published author?

Pretty simply, I love the opportunity to share my stories with people and have them inhabit a world that I’ve created. It’s like you’re getting the chance to share a communal headspace with people without ever meeting them, it’s magic really. I wouldn’t say there is anything I really hate – I even love editing, because you’re getting the story closer and closer to what you want it to be – but I probably don’t love social media too much. I’m not really a fan of showing my face on TikTok but I’m trying to get better!

7- Do you publish traditional, self, hybrid, other? Why?

I’m a hybrid author. Probably because I want to have as many experiences as possible with my writing and enjoy the different opportunities each route brings. I’ve loved having control over every aspect of the process with my self-published books. With my upcoming trad debut, I feel I’m really lucky to work with a small but growing house where the publisher devotes a lot of attention to each author. Everyone has a personalized marketing plan and I really feel like the owner shares my vision for my book, which is awesome. We can pool our resources to hopefully achieve great things, and it feels like we’re growing together.

8- What question are you dying to answer?

Probably, it would be “What does your author tagline mean?” 

Because I think it’s quite neat. “Making the impossible reality.” There’s a duality to that, a double meaning, you could take it as either making a reality that’s impossible – although possible through fiction – or taking the impossible and making it reality. For me, it opens up worlds of wonder. We don’t know where we’re going, but it’s fun to hypothesize about it. We’re all part of a trajectory of progress. The internet, TV and even plain old electricity would have been considered impossible 200 years ago. 

9- Would you please ask our audience an intriguing question to answer in the comments?

Name one book or series that sorely deserves to be adapted into a movie/TV show and tell us why you think it deserves that treatment. Who would you cast in the lead role?

10- You have a new book coming out this year.  What can you tell us about that? 

I’m really excited for The Becalmer to be released and for people to get to know Harica, my protagonist who has the power to resolve conflicts by entering others’ minds. At first she sees her gift as something of a burden, being regularly called upon to deal with petty teenage dramas at school. But then word gets out to the powers that be and she is headhunted for a task that’s much bigger, stopping a war. This leads to the showdown I described earlier. My MC goes on a proper journey of embracing who she is and what she can do and is definitely changed by the end of the story.

You can pre-order The Becalmer here.

Please check out the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge
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#AtoZChallenge M is for C. Lee McKenzie #Giveaway

 

                                                       

C. Lee McKenzie

Today on the blog we had a chance to interview C. Lee McKenzie, author of YA and MG fiction. Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us!

 
 

What is your favorite book that you've read? Why is it your favorite?

This is the most difficult question in the world. I have a zillion favorite books in all kinds of genres. However, I'll name one book that never fails to pop up in my head as memorable. It's Catch-22. I loved the irony in this book, and there are so many days that I come up against that Catch-22 and laugh. This book captures the tragi-comedy of life.

 

In what category/genre do you write? Why?

I write Young Adult-Crossover novels that are contemporary and realistic. I do have one YA speculative piece, but it hasn't been published yet. I also write Middle-Grade fantasy/adventure. I love this combination of genres because they're so different. I'm afraid I'd become stale if I only wrote in one genre.
 

What part of one of your stories was the most fun to write? The most challenging? (And which book/s are those in?)

I loved writing the dinner scene in Double Negative. It was a chance to show all of the boys out of their troubled settings and give the acerbic-witted Miss Maggie a chance to shine. I suppose the most challenging part to write was in Shattered when Libby starts her climb out of self-pity to self-reliance.
 

Would you please, in 160 characters (not words) or less, give a #WriteTip? 

Take chances
 

Do you draw from specific life experiences or influences to inform your writing?

Yes, of course. I've used a lot of my life experiences to write my books: loss of a parent, self-harm to cope with a harsh world, false accusations, and homophobic treatment of friends. These are a few life experiences that I've gone to and used. In general, I've explored the grief, the fear, the happiness, the love I've had in my life to put my stories together.
 

What do you love and hate most about being a published author?

I can't think of anything I hate about being a published author. It has been an interesting and rewarding experience. I guess I love it because I did something that I really didn't think I could do.

 

Do you publish traditional, self, hybrid, other? Why?

I've done all three, and I do what suits me at the time. As to why... it's because the business now allows me those choices. In the past, there was only one route to publication. Now there are several, and how great is that?
 

What question are you dying to answer (about your writing, life, or even a fun fact)? What's the question and then answer.

 

What's your next book about?

 

Well, since you want to know...It's a real departure from my contemporary/realistic Young Adult-Crossover books. It's a speculative novel about witches and revenge. In it, I still do explore a theme close to my heart, and that's discrimination, the mistreatment of those who are different from us.
 

Would you please ask our audience an intriguing question to answer in the comments?

What is most likely to make you follow and read a specific author?
 

Which book would you suggest readers start with?

I'd suggest The Princess of Las Pulgas. It's one of my early books, but it's still reviewed well and I get letters that tell me people have enjoyed reading it. I think it's an example of what I like to write about and the way I develop characters.

 

Lee is offering signed copies of  DOUBLE NEGATIVE, THE PRINCESS OF LAS PLUGAS, and SHATTERED! To enter this 3(!) book giveaway click on the rafflecopter link below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

Thanks so much Lee! It was fun getting to know you and learn about your work! And thank you for such a great #WriteTip, definitely something I needed to hear today. I can’t wait to check out your new story- witches and revenge are my jam!

 

Website: http://cleemckenziebooks.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2809083.C_Lee_McKenzie

Amazon Profile Page:https://www.amazon.com/C.-Lee-McKenzie/e/B0042M1KYW%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

BookBub:https://www.bookbub.com/profile/c-lee-mckenzie

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

Twitter:https://twitter.com/cleemckenzie

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cleemckenzie/

C. Lee McKenzie, Author

Books * Website
 

Please check out the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge
#AtoZChallenge 2023
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