*Author Feature* Trixie More

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Hello! We have a new author Q&A for you this week! Check out our conversation with the lovely Trixie More, author of the newly released "Tough Sell." 

Thanks so much for stopping in, Trixie! 

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1) Why did you decide to start writing?

I’ve always made up stories and wrote them down.  Mostly, I kept them to myself, or shared them with a writing group.    When I read “Write, Publish, Repeat” by Platt & Truant, the self-publishing bug bit me… HARD.   I never had to decide to write, I always wrote, but after that book, I decided to publish, which is a whole different thing.  

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2) Do you think authors can succeed in multiple genres or should they stick with a single genre?

I chose to believe that people can succeed at anything they put their mind to.   I mean, why would I choose to believe we can’t?  That just leaves us eating ice cream and watching re-runs.  Even if it’s a lie, I prefer to believe we can do anything.  So, yes, I think authors can succeed in multiple genres. 

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3) What do you feel is the biggest reward to you with writing?

 The most rewarding thing I can imagine is to know that I’ve written something so well that my readers get lured into the story, that their barking dogs, the sound of the TV, their daily cares and pains just slide away and they are inside my story, living it with me. Man, that’s worth working for months on… to create something like that. 

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4) Who are some of your favorite authors & why?

For romance, Elizabeth Hoyt, hands down.  She has this genius for making the physical romance between her characters be the bridge that connects them when their words and worlds can’t.   She has an amazing sense of how two people, when they are alone and out of public view, can complete each other in the most amazing ways.  She also has this deeply respectful treatment of characters that at first glance are deeply flawed.  I dream of building out stories like that for my readers. 

 Deborah Blandon for her ability to twist a plot until it screeches.   Tessa Dare for her love of quirky girls and her humor.   Lisa Kleypas – Devil in Winter was inspired.  It took guts to make her villain from one book, the hero in the next book.   Christina Lauren – Beautiful Secret/ Delphine Dryden.. Lyla Sinclair …such straight out over-the-top kinky hotness… So many more… 

For Horror, Stephen King for his use of immediacy and ability to draw us into the story.   Dean Koontz for knowing how to make us turn the page… just one more time.  Aimee Bender – flat out, the best magical realist since Garcia Marquez.  And John Hart.  I hate long passages of description.  This man works in description so that you can really see everything and he does it so sneaky fast.  I want to be him when I grow up… but with a lot more kissing in my stories. 

Somebody stop me.   I have a hundred more.

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5) What are the biggest hurdles to overcome as an author?

Allowing yourself to write.  Sometimes writing feels like you’re fiddling while Rome is burning.  You have laundry, dogs, shopping, cleaning, a day job.  When you write, that stuff’s not getting done.  You gotta be OK with that.   

Getting through the sloggy parts, when your characters don’t want to do stuff, when you have to write a scene that doesn’t feel like it’s flowing, when the words feel sticky instead of quick and slick.  Trusting that it won’t always be like that and keeping going is hard and can drive you face first into a bag of crackers. 

And for Romance authors? All those romance writers out there, they have some serious back bone. It is not easy to tell your family that the book you’re so proud of is explicit.  If you publish erotica or romance, you really have to bring your big girl pants with you. Happily, romance readers get it. Sex is wonderful, romance without sex is dry to me.    

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6) Is there any advice that you can offer for new writers?

Finish that first draft.  All the way to end.  Stop polishing one half of a spoon.  You have to polish the whole thing – so finish it.  You learn more by finishing than anything else in the world.  Your job is not to hit the NY times list, your job is to write a freakin’ wicked good tale and then present it respectfully – with a nice cover, pretty formatting, correct grammar.   And then do it again. 

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7) Tell us a few random personal things about yourself personal & professional!

⦁ I love to read hot books.  True dat.  😊 

⦁ I have 2 Doberman Pinschers, one of them is a therapy dog and she works at a behavioral counseling center at our local hospital. I’m crazy proud of that. 

⦁ I used to own a deli.  I LOVED doing that. 

⦁ Now I lead a team of computer programmers and I love that too. 

⦁ The third book in this series is going to be a shocker and I’m so excited to write it that I can hardly wait to finish book two.  

⦁ Now that I’ve tried to advertise on Amazon, I know why all those book covers have just men on them.  There are a lot of rules about what’s too sexy.  

⦁ I lost 45 pounds last year. What the what???

⦁ Last year I hiked across Scotland – that’s where I discovered Glengoyne scotch … a bottle of which rolls around Ed’s apartment in Tough Sell. 

⦁ Ed’s apartment is actually the apartment that my brother rented in Manhattan. 

⦁ I wear Hot Chocolate high heels.  Seriously, you have got to check them out on Amazon.

⦁ I’m cooking up an outrageous contest for people on my mailing list when Tough Going comes out. The prize is going to be amazing.  I can’t wait!!

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*CLICK HERE TO FIND TRIXIE ON FACEBOOK* 

*CLICK HERE TO FIND TRIXIE ON AMAZON*

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*Author Feature* Valerie J Mikles

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We have another wonderful author interview for you! Here is our session with the lovely Valerie J Mikles! Enjoy!

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1) Why did you decide to start writing?

It wasn’t a decision. Writing has always been a natural outpouring of who I am. When I was young, during the commercial breaks of TV shows, I would write myself into the story. When I was learning to spell in the 2^nd grade, and we had to use each word in a sentence, I’d weave those sentences together into a story. I wrote my first book in the 3^rd grade. It was called ‘Pterodactyls All Over.’ In the 4^th grade, I started my first full-length novel. I tried keeping a diary once—it was fiction. Being a writer has always been in my life plan.

I started writing the New Dawn Series specifically for publication. I developed the characters in different short stories, then brought them together to see how they reacted to the universe I created for them. I knew I wanted to write a series, because I always loved series books growing up. I also knew that finding the write ‘cast’ was essential. When I finished writing the first book, I tried searching for an agent with limited success. I went on to write the next in the series. I was going through severe suicidal depression, and I wanted my legacy to be a completed series, not a single published book, and so I prioritized writing over publishing. Once I had a complete 9-book arc, I started down the road to publishing.

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2) Do you think authors can succeed in multiple genres or should they stick with a single genre?

It depends on the person, and is limited only by their imagination, desire, and time. Every author must be a writer first, and as writers, we must continue to challenge ourselves creatively in order to keep our work vibrant. If we become truly passionate about a story, and we think the world needs to hear it, we will find a platform.

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3) What do you feel is the biggest reward to you with writing?

Being able to touch a life, change a perspective, or give hope to a reader. Sometimes that reader who needs a touch of hope is me.

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4) Who are some of your favorite authors & why?

Kathy Reichs – I like murder mysteries, and she writes from the perspective of an academic. She gets aspects of academia right that others don’t, because she’s actually a professor. Also, she has the capacity to scare the crap out of me.

Robin Cook – Always consistently engaging in his medical thrillers. I love having a large body of work of consistently good quality.

Michael Crichton – I do enjoy the science/thriller aspect, but also I’ve seen his writing improve from one book to the next, reminding me that even when you’re really good, you can always get better.

Douglas Adams – I like the way he narrates a story. He’s a little cynical in Hitchhiker’s Guide, but less so in Long Dark Teatime of the Soul, I think. The latter is my favorite book. It starts in an airport, and I used to read it whenever I was in an airport.

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5) What are the biggest hurdles to overcome as an author?

Engaging an audience of humans when I sometimes don’t feel human myself. As an aromantic/asexual, I feel like there’s this giant gap in my understanding of “the human experience.” I learn about romantic and sexual attraction by reading, not by experience. I sometimes describe it as a color-blind person describing colors. If you show two shirts to a colorblind person and ask which they like better, they might choose based on the style of the cut or the feel of the fabric on their skin, but not the color. Similarly, if you show me pictures of two men, I can tell you which is the more aesthetically attractive (maybe), and I could ask a few questions about their interests/personalities to say who I’d rather spend an evening with. But I don’t have that instant gut reaction of who I’m more sexually attracted to. It has been interesting finding the right balance of sexual interest and sexual tension for my characters when I have no direct experience. In Book 3: Trade Circle, I actually wrote an asexual character going through the frustration of this kind of self-discovery.

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6) Is there any advice that you can offer for new writers? 

Don’t major in writing. Unless you plan to write for others for a living, you don’t need to. I majored in physics (because it was the next easiest thing to me), and the life experience I’ve gotten from that has been incredible. It has informed my writing far more than a writing degree could have. (Although, to be fair, I did take a lot of writing seminars in college, too.)

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7) Tell us a few random personal things about yourself personal & professional!

 - I have a PhD in astrophysics. I used to be a black hole hunter. From my brief time in the field, I have 17 refereed journal publications, and am first author on seven.

*LINK*

- I am currently a NOAA Contractor, working on the Joint Polar Satellite System. My next satellite launches November 10, 2017 (a week after the launch of Book 2)!

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**CLICK HERE FOR VALERIE'S FACEBOOK FAN PAGE**

**CLICK HERE FOR VALERIE'S AMAZON BOOK PAGE**

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*Author Feature* Jamie White

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Hello, readers! Our next author interview is with the charming Ms Jamie White! I've been friends with Jamie for a few years now. She's a fun, bright & intelligent lady who has written several amazing books that you *need* to read! Check out her interview! 

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 Why did you decide to start writing?

I've been involved in writing in some form or another since high school, mostly journalism with a few poems and (bad) lyrics added in. LOL. I did a couple of short stories (junior high), and a (very bad) play (high school), but didn't start writing fiction seriously until 2010. 

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Do you think authors can succeed in multiple genres or should they stick with a single genre?

I think it's possible. If the author has found their tribe, and they love the person's style, I think it won't matter exactly what genre. I know I personally love a couple of others who write in different genres.

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What do you feel is the biggest reward to you with writing?

Just getting the stories out and knowing that someone enjoyed them, or were moved by them.

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Who are some of your favorite authors & why?

Marni Mann, because she brings the plot twists and pain.

Dawn Sullivan, because she's got some awesome characters and an engaging style.

Christopher Pike, because he is my writing idol. His mix of suspense and the supernatural/paranormal, combined with real religious, historical, mythical elements are so inspiring.

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What are the biggest hurdles to overcome as an author?

Finding your audience, for one. Making the time in the day for everything that needs to be done is another.

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Is there any advice that you can offer for new writers?

Read all the advice you want/can find, but don't take it seriously. You need to stick only with what works for you/your story. Also? Write for the love and passion of writing, not the sales. Being an author is NOT a get-rich-quick scheme, and you'll be miserable if that's all you're in it for.

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Tell us a few random personal things about yourself personal & professional!

Let's see.... Poltergeist was my favorite movie at five years old, and I knew every line by heart. 

I wanted to be like Debbie Gibson when I was a kid. 

Related to that, I <3 singing and do it all the time. I also can't go long without listening to music. 

I'm a Reiki practitioner, and love meditation.

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*CLICK HERE TO FIND JAMIE ON FACEBOOK*

*CLICK HERE TO FIND JAMIE ON AMAZON*

*Author Feature* Mariah Lynde

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Our next author interview is ready to go & I can't wait til you get a chance to meet the lovely Ms Mariah Lynde, who is a fantastic author & also one of my closest friends! She took a bit of time to answer our questions recently & now I'm sharing them with you! 

Mariah's links are at the bottom of the page, after the article.

Enjoy! 

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1) Why did you decide to start writing?

I don’t think that it was much of a decision. Writing was always something I did. If I got bored, I would write a poem, or a short story. In the end, when I found myself facing a second deployment with a military spouse overseas and a child at home, I needed something to pass the time. So, I started to write.

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2) Do you think authors can succeed in multiple genres or should they stick with a single genre?

I think that depends on the writer. Every writer needs a break, something outside what they do daily to give them a kind of respite and let their mind wander. This allows for them to come back to a troubling story or piece and find an answer later. Writing across genres can help with that. For myself, I love the challenge of trying to write outside of my comfort zone and making a cohesive, interesting story for my readers. So, I keep challenging myself with new ideas.

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3) What do you feel is the biggest reward to you with writing?

The biggest reward? That’s a hard question. Writing is a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. However, for me, the payoff is in simple things. Like, people coming to ask me about certain characters. Others who want to know why I ended a story the way I did. After the release of Dark Fury, it was my readers who dictated the next book. Many of them came to me to ask about one character specifically, and in the end, I began writing his story.

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4) Who are some of your favorite authors & why?

Well, I have a list, so here we go:

Stephen King – How can he not be on any authors list? I mean, this is the man who has virtually taken description to a whole new level. We felt his fears, we related to his characters. Those things that we all believed went bump in the night – he brought to life. As if that weren’t enough – he expanded past horror and gave us poignant books and mysteries like The Green Mile, The Running Man, and Shawshank Redemption.

Christine Feehan – Here’s where things get a bit dicey. Yes, she writes Paranormal erotica. I admit this, BUT, she was the first author to do so with a long term story in mind. Yes, there’s lots of sex, but there’s some story and honest to god, it opened my eyes to the idea of paranormal/fantasy worlds with MORE story and some romance. Maybe a little sex, but not to the degree she used. Her character descriptions were so well done, that you couldn’t help but love or hate the characters.

Sherrilyn Kenyon – Okay. Her books fall in the erotica category as well, but the truth is, there’s less sex than people think and a lot of story. There’s a rich universe in her Dark Hunter series that is layered with things that are both interesting and in some ways historical. Yet, it’s still fantasy. Her descriptions, the world she had built, the characters we are given (Acheron is my forever book boyfriend) made her books come to life, at least for me.

Edgar Allen Poe – The Raven. That is all I should have to say. The man was a genius.

Issac Assimov – The futuristic worlds he envisioned were breathtaking. While I could have done without some of his long winded purple prose, the possibilities he wrote about were endless and intriguing.

Jules Verne – The beginning of modern day storytelling in my opinion. He gave us so many wonderful adventures and stories. Most of those stories were dealing with what might be in front of our very eyes, but gets overlooked in the day to day doldrums of our lives. He captured the imagination and had us travelling into our own world for adventures untold.

J.K. Rowling – Look at this vast universe she gave us. A hero, a villain, and a word that exists behind our very walls. Where magic is real and the impossible is possible. Yet, even with all this, every character from the lowly house elf slaves, to the giant, warm-hearted keeper of keys that support this story, are people we love and cherish.

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5) What are the biggest hurdles to overcome as an author?

For me, feeling like I’m on the right path. Yes, I love to write, and I continue to do so, but it’s hard for me. I put out books, but I hear nothing on what people really think about them. Are they bad? Are they okay? Do they need more work? What would you like to see instead? I love writing, doing this is me sharing my world with others, but, I don’t know how they like it. What few sells come, are ones that are generated from what little promo work I can afford, but there aren’t reviews left behind. People don’t send me messages or emails to point things out or ask questions. In some ways, it feels like what I have written, is not good and people just won’t say anything. So I struggle while I write the next book. There’s always a huge amount of self-doubt. Especially when I cannot afford the coverage many other authors can. I can’t hire a PA, I can’t hire a publicist or create Beta groups because I just don’t have the income or money to organize it. So in the end, you’re left with your books, and no idea what people actually think or where to go. That kind of self-doubt and hurt claw at your brain and cloud you writing anything else.

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6) Is there any advice that you can offer for new writers?

Get it done!

Seriously, that is my advice. So many new writers give up half way through. They look at something or get  frustrated and  just chuck their work aside and say, ‘No, I can’t do this.’

You can!

I promise.

I did it,  so can you.  In the end, you just write your story, the rest will work itself out one way or another.

Don’t listen to people saying you can’t do it. Listen to yourself and say, “I want to write,  and I’m going to write this!”

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7) Tell us a few random personal things about yourself, personal & professional!

I used to be a Paramedic.

I once got out of a speeding ticket for doing 115 in a 55 because I was on my way to a car accident, as a fire fighter.

At eighteen, I had written  two full length novels, and after someone read the  first two chapters to tell me ‘no one would read my work’, I burned them.

I spent 12 years not writing a single, solitary word.

Mariah Lynde is a pen name. Mariah is actually my middle name and Lynde is something I made up.

I have one child.

My husband is former military, and both of us are now  trying to get civilian jobs. I still write daily, and have started a stream on twitch to try floating the boat.

Contingency’s characters are based on real life people I’ve known.

I am an avid Star Wars fanatic.

I share a love of Dr. Who with Author Jaz Primo.

I currently have four books available on Amazon & Barnes and Noble.

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*MARIAH'S FACEBOOK AUTHOR PAGE LINK* 

*MARIAH'S AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE LINK*

*Author Feature* Alaina Stanford

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Our next feature involves another author friend! Please meet the lovely Alaina Stanford! Alaina writes in multiple genres so chances are, she has a book you'd like to read!

Alaina's author & book links are at the bottom of the interview! Enjoy!

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1) Why did you decide to start writing? 

I've written since I was a child. It’s been a passion of mine since I was six years old. I enjoy the creative outlet.

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 2) Do you think authors can succeed in multiple genres or should they stick with a single genre? 

I am a multiple genre author. I think multiple genres are the up-and-coming thing. Some fans will float from genre to genre, others won’t, so you have to keep each genre active. I’m working on a multi-genre series called Royal Duty, each book will be a different genre but the books will all have a theme based on the difficulties of an heir to the thrones, royal obligations and how they will, or will not, adhere to the call of their Royal Duty.

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3) What do you feel is the biggest reward to you with writing? 

Sharing my stories with others hopefully allows my readers to escape from their lives for a short time and enjoy an adventure or a romance.

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4) Who are some of your favorite authors & why? 

Terry Brooks is a favorite author of mine. His Magic Kingdom For Sale series got me interested in the fantasy genre.  George RR Martin is another favorite although his style is vastly different from mine. His imagination is staggering. Lastly, of course, JK Rowling.

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5) What are the biggest hurdles to overcome as an author? 

Most authors, especially when they first start out can’t afford an editor or even a professional proof reader. Even once established they still struggle to afford editing services. A street team is such a valuable asset but again, it’s difficult to find people to join a team. Marketing is also expensive and terrifying. Just take it one step at time. Get a good editing program to start out and engage an editor as soon as you can afford one, Marketing is the same, start small, $10 ads on each social media sight. Log your ads and your results. Watch what other authors are doing. Establish an author page on Amazon, and an author website.

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6) Is there any advice that you can offer for new writers?  

Take it one step at time. Get a good editing program to start out and engage an editor as soon as you can afford one. It doesn’t have to be a $2500 editor. Get one you can afford. Marketing is the same, start small, $10 ads on each social media sight. Log your ads and your results. Watch what other authors are doing. Establish an author page on Amazon, and an author website. Write your books in a series. Make sure you have a good cover and description. You’ll make mistakes, keep in mind you’re only human.

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7) Random things about me: Tell us a few random personal things about yourself personal & professional!

I love country music.

I am a cat person, but I’m allergic to cats so I have a wonderful golden retriever named Jack.

When I was young I wanted to grow up to be like Carol Brady: 6 kids, big house, lots of love.

I binge watch Netflix or Amazon Prime when I have writers block or get stuck on a plot-issue.

I am shy. I’ll be the one at a party sitting quietly on the sofa watching everyone else have fun.

I cry at movies, weddings and funerals.

I love flowers. If I could I would fill my house with bouquets in every room.

I am a girly girl. I love feminine outfits, hairstyles, and nails as well as flowery perfumes.

I don’t like gossip or bullies. I believe in kindness and tolerance, my books reflect that.

I love to sing, I play the piano- badly. LOL

I have knight in shining armor in my living room named Lancelot, he’s been with me for over 10 years.

Not long ago a nurse accidentally doubled my morphine after surgery and I hallucinated that my hospital room was covered in icicles complete with a frosty mist floating about the room.  Brrr!

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**ALAINA'S FACEBOOK AUTHOR FAN PAGE**

*ALAINA'S AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE LINK**